Looking Back At The Wii In 2011
Looking back over 2011, the Wii console has held up even though it’s been eclipsed somewhat by huge selling titles for Xbox like Call of Duty. The Wii audience has never really been the same as the Xbox, if truth be told; games with Mario and Luigi are not going to appeal to the same players. With families with kids, or adults who want to use the Wii Fit, there isn’t a fanboy type attitude toward the Wii that you get with the Xbox. When young kids grow into teens, it’s pretty clear that they want to move up to Xbox or PlayStation and to the more “grown up” action titles.
That held true for 2011, as the Wii saw sales slump but the Xbox continued to sell units. Having the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 come out, and sell $1 billion in the first two weeks doesn’t hurt publicity either! We love the Wii mainly because it’s so family-friendly, but the reality is that these action games sell, and also the Kinect is giving Wii a run for the money.
But if you have a family with young kids, and you want to have a fun game system, the Wii is the better choice. Even though Xbox came out with Kinect and PlayStation with the Move, Nintendo titles and other developers kept true to the ease of use of the Wii and the most popular stable of Nintendo characters. Games like Mario Galaxy 2, Mario Kart, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Play are the kind of games that a family can enjoy together. Some stable titles like Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword were much anticipated by gamers who love the Zelda series, and Nintendo made it a little more friendly and less dark than the previous Zelda: Twilight Princess title. Play is more difficult compared to the other Mario games, but these are still the type of games that appeal to a younger audience, not the hard card Mature-rated first person shooter games.
We still recommend the Wii for anyone who enjoys video games but isn’t in it for the hardcore killing action. There’s still the Wii Fit although specific balance board titles are hard to come by, as fitness titles increasingly don’t require the use of the Wii Fit balance board. Wii Fit Plus made headway by adding extra online features; we hope Nintendo will continue to add to and update these.
It’s also true that we expect that most Wii owners will at some point wind up getting an Xbox, usually as the kids get older, or because the Kinect is also a pull. Kinect has some fun games, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the game base of the Wii. Microsoft is working on that, with lots of fitness titles like Motion Sports and Dance Central. Kids’ titles are also coming out fast, like Sesame Street from Warner Bros, and Fantastic Pets from THQ. THQ has also released UFC Personal Trainer, mimicking MMA training routines, for both the Kinect and the Wii.
We just don’t see it as a winner take all competition between the Nintendo Wii and Xbox, or PlayStation. The consoles have so many different features it’s hard to say you wouldn’t like having one of each. But with other entertainment value, such as online games, downloadable content, Netflix streaming video, and Blu-Ray capability on the PlayStation and DVD on the Xbox, there is so much more you can do with any of the three other than just play games. With Nintendo releasing its new Wii U console and game pad this year, it’s going to be exciting to see just how that plays out in the market against the competition from Xbox and PlayStation.
Getting The Lowest Price On A Wii
We post here all the time with new pricing for the Wii console that we find on the Web. But how can you be sure you are getting the lowest price on Wii among all the places that sell it today?
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Wii Console with Mario Kart Wii Bundle - White
CLICK HERE
Sale Price: $168.00 |
Our bet first of all is that online stores will have the best deals. And they have competitive shipping, like, FREE, since they know they have to compete with offline stores, who don't charge shipping. You can also find some stores that don't charge sales tax, bringing the price down even more.
You don't have to buy online to get the best price on Wii. You can just start there, and shop around. All the biggest stores are online, so you can also check sites like Target, WalMart, Sam's Club and others to see if they have the Wii console or Wii bundle that you want. Once you find it online, you can usually also find out if they have it in stock at your local store. Beware however: Some retailers like WalMart do not give you the low online price if you buy it in store! Not sure why they would shoot themselves in the foot like that, but they do, so always always always ask to make sure the price you see online is what you'll get if you drive to their location.
While you're online, you can check out the different deals each retailer has too. For example, some stores will have Wii bundles that are configured a little differently. One store allowed you to package your Wii purchase with a selection of games and accessories of your choosing, for one flat price. Others like Amazon will have lower prices on extra games and accessories so you save if you buy all together at the same time.
Make sure you're comparing apples to apples, too. Don't compare prices for console bundles that only have one game to the bundle with two games and two controllers! But do price out whether getting those extras is really a savings, or whether you're just paying the full retail price of an extra controller.
Speaking of Wii bundles, these are usually a great way to get a deal. Prices for items sold separately are always a little higher, so you save when you buy everything bundled together. Click here for more about the different Wii bundles you'll find on the market.
More on the Wii U for 2012
Did you know Nintendo is coming out with the Wii U? They announced their new console earlier this year, announcing the Wii U on July 7, 2011. This time Nintendo wants to be first with a new game console out on the market, beating Xbox and PlayStation to the punch (their new systems are coming in a year or so too).
Yes, Nintendo Wii U will be the first game console entry in 2012. Once again as Nintendo fans know, this is the same thing Nintendo always does, waiting five years between every console since N64.
What's not so sure is when in 2012 the Wii U will come out. It was first suggested it would come out in Summer 2012, but then got pushed back to to September 2012. Still, there aren't any other new consoles coming out until most likely a year after that, in 2012. Nintendo will have a big head start.
The biggest change in this new console is the Wii U controller. It looks like a tablet, but it's a game pad, and unlike anything else out there. Along with Nintendo Wii’s motion sensitive play, add a microphone, a front-facing camera and wireless connectivity, and this new hardware is going to blow everyone's socks off. It remains to be seen what the game development community does with this! the company delivers a second-to-none suite of innovative hardware. Now it’s up to creative developers to take advantage of it outside of a few tech demos.
The Wii U so far is also white, like today's Wii. At first, gamers thought the announcement was just for the game pad! Many of the console parts are the same, but there are other upgrades like and HDMI port allowing the Wii U to display up to 1080p video.
More On The Wii U
Nintendo has improved the game processor, using a powerful chip from IBM, and is also enhancing the graphics capabilities to (finally) make the Wii high def. While not all the specs have been released, and we don't know how much it's going to cost yet, it's clear that there are some really awesome upgrades and new features coming next year from Nintendo's Wii Console.
Wii Bundles
Wii Console with Mario Kart Wii Bundle - White
Sale Price: $168.00
