The Wiis Eulogii
This Sunday marks the release of the Wii U to the general buying public, and as exciting as that may be, it also marks the end of an era for its predecessor, the Wii. Since its launch November 19, 2006, the Wii has been a huge hit, but for the past few years discussion of the console has been limited to dust-covered Wii, lacking graphics, and gifs of people playing Wii Music. But the Wiis legacy is so much bigger than that, and we can prove it. As we say farewell to the Nintendos motion controlled monster, lets take a look back at the influence it had not only on gaming, but on the world at large.
7. It won its console generation
If you judge the Wii on its graphics or the number of M-rated hits, then its easy to assume it got its head caved in by HD powerhouses like the PS3 and 360. And yet the stats tell a different story, as the Wii steamrolled its competition in sales. According to current global totals, Nintendo has sold nearly 100 million systems worldwide, while the 360 and PS3 are in a virtual dead heat around 70 million. Even with Nintendo abandoning the system to focus on Wii U, its unlikely that its competitors will be able to catch up by this time next year.
6. It had great exclusives
Its easy to look at the Wiis software library and only see what it doesnt have, especially after the last few years. Even though virtually every third party franchise went multiplatform, the Wii missed out entirely on blockbusters like Mass Effect, Assassins Creed, and Elder Scrolls, or got visually lackluster ports in the case of Call of Duty. However, in a generation defined by the end of third-party exclusives, the Wii was awash with content you couldnt find anywhere else, from Nintendo and many other major third party.
5. Developers learned to do more with less
The Wiis immediate sales success surprised many people, particularly within the development community that had underestimated it. Many rushed to prepare new games for its growing audience, and had to do so without the technological advantage found on the 360 or PS3. And in the best cases these constraints pushed developers to new heights of creativity, and it led to the dozens of games built around new characters and gameplay styles.
4. Virtual Console introduced a new generation to iconic titles
Once upon a time Nintendo was very guarded of its deep library of classic games. To give you some idea, it would be a cause for celebration when Nintendo re-released games from the Mario or Zelda series, while most other franchises never got a chance. Then, in 2006, the Wii opened the floodgates, bathing new and old players alike in Nintendo nostalgia via the Virtual Console, meaning swaths of gamers could now enjoy hundreds of games they likely had never heard of before.
3. It brought new audiences to games
These days it seems like gamers come in two flavors: Ultra hardcore superfans and casual, Facebook-loving normal folks. As the divide between the two audiences continues to expand, its worth noting that for a while it seemed like the two could live together in harmony, as the Wii brought together gamers of a multitude of backgrounds. Where did all these new players come from?
2. It really was a revolution, just not the one we expected
Originally codenamed The Revolution, many rejected the idea that it could actually change the market once the family-friendly Wii came to stores. While the 360 and PS3 pushed the envelope with graphics and online functionality, the Wii seemed to aim low with its emphasis on motion-controlled gaming. But by 2009 the Wii's impact on the market was evident, as Nintendos competitors did their best to catch up.
1. It saved Nintendo
The Wii changed the gaming market, introduced millions of new people to the world of video games, and was incredibly profitable despite a global recession. Still what gamers should be most happy about is that, after almost a decade of falling behind on consoles, the Wii made Nintendo a market force again. And despite what some may think, it did so without turning its back on its fans.
