Topic: Does Wii quality matter?

This question has been bugging me for a long time. We all know that Wii has more shovelware than the other current gen consoles, so I was wondering in the grand scheme of things, does quality really matter? It's like the good/bad game ratio leans more toward the latter on Wii. Does the Wii audience even care about quality software? I'm not talking casual/hardcore here, I'm just talking about good games. Sales of games like LKS, Zack and Wiki and Deadly Creatures are abysmal, however, games like Carnival games sell by the millions. Am I missing something. Do good 3rd party games sell on Wii? 3rd party games that are good sell on PS3/360 because of people researching Metacritic religiously. What about Wii?

From how the software sales look, the ratio of Wii owners who care about quality games probably isn't as high as the other console owners.

But I think if there were more quality 3rd party software, it would convert some PS3 and 360 people to the Wii

Sadly, the generalized Wii audience does not care about the quality of software quite so much as those of us here on NLife. Most of them can't tell the difference because they don't spend enough time on gaming to learn.

I bought a Wii because I love Nintendo games. Most people on NL are the same. People who love games like Twilight Princess or Super Mario Galaxy.

However the Wii-owning demographic goes far beyond the traditional gamer like Nintendo aimed to do. This has resulted in a lot of Wii owners that unfortunately do not really know much about games and which are good or bad.

This resulted in a lot of shovelware because apparently cheaply made games are selling better on Wii.

Dangerous to us traditional gamers if you ask me. While Nintendo themselves will always have some classic franchises to have us fall back on, the third party developers are mostly the ones that do not care much about high-quality games. If it makes money, it's OK, it's just marketing.

Yes it does. Why most of the Wii audiences and even most long-time Nintendo fans don't give a flip about good Wii games is a mystery indeed.

Did Nintendo deserve a mountain of shovelware? No. Do they get it? Yes unfortunately. Does Micrs$ft deserve it? Yes. Do they get the same treatment? Hell no, third-party companies and most of it's fans treat the company like god!

Quality Wii games does matter, the problem is that most 3rd party developers are bias towards Nintendo.

I don't think it's a matter of people not caring about quality. Since the Wii has brought so many new people into the world of gaming, I think it's a matter of inexperienced gamers. People who haven't been playing and buying games for very long just don't know what to look for, so they buy games that suck thinking they might be good.

I think 3rd-party developers should work harder for Wii.

Word Searcher has already reached #13 in the US. How high will it go?

Saying Wii owners don't care about shovelware is like saying Super Bowl viewers don't care about alcohol abuse because they tolerate all those beer commericals. Shovelware is more prominent on the Wii because the Wii's demographic is far more receptive to it. If you were looking to scam some quick bucks selling a videogame, would you design a cheap FPS for XBox and then shake your head when all the 20-somethings snubbed it, or would you design a party game that would appeal to the sizable 50-plus demographic on the Wii? The only thing shovelware says about the Wii console is that Wii Sports bridged the generation gap and opened up the Wii to mass apppeal. To use another analogy, it's like saying the Internet is bad because it spreads viruses and spam. The Internet, like the Wii, is a revolutionary concept that some have chosen to exploit. And if you want to turn this around, you can look at some games designed for other consoles that only sell because of their graphics or violence or bloodiness -- things intended to appeal to the demographic.

You have to go a step further, to where they actually DO enjoy those games. I've seen it happen...my friends, enjoying shovelware. Shudder. But why is this? It's because they are not the connoisseurs of gaming that we are. They don't know what's better than what and enjoy so-so at best gaming because they simply don't know any better. Fortunately, I've been able to mostly steer them towards quality stuff by bringing my games over for them to try, and I also steer customers towards the good stuff at work. Some Wii owners aren't so lucky. The generalized Wii owners will sometimes get a crap game and actually recognize it as crap, though (Jillian what's-her-name's Fitness Ultimatum being a perfect example, as I had SEVERAL customers complain about how bad it was). It's really just a crap shoot if you don't have a well-versed sales associate helping you out.

It depends on these 3rd-party developers, if they just care only about money, then might be they should do something for the Wii. If they do care most for the quality, then definitively no. Wii is way inferior to the other competitors in all and every aspect except in controls, and the fact is that there are very few games that would take a clear advantage of Wiimote usage.

If I'm a game developper with an outstanding idea to implement, which hardware would I choose? The most limited one? Even more, what if my idea is not about a simple game, but about a "complex" adventure,strategy,simulation,rol game? Because I was told that most Wii users are granmas and granpas that will never buy my game. Sadly this is the reputation that meticulously Nintendo has created for the Wii on purpose. As a matter of fact, LKS is a jewel, but it is already too much for the Wii having scenes with way low frame rate. As a Wii user I'm quite happy to have this game for the Wii, but I must admit that this is a game that would have been way way better if developped for the high end consoles. And same can be said for all and every other Wii game (including Nintendo ones) that doesnt depend exclusively on Wiimote features.

Most casual gamers think that shovelware games are good and fun. There is a reason why Pong Toss was the number 1 WiiWare game for a little while. It is sad that casual gamers are duped to believe that shovelware is fun.

@SuperSonic1990: It's sadder that they actually DO think those games are fun. You can't just be duped into thinking a game is fun after you've played it. Beforehand, sure...that's what marketing is! But after, you either like it or you don't. I wish there was a way to get a poll from those people who bought Pong Toss and find out if they actually liked it or not. I suspect they mostly didn't.

I don't plan on ever selling my Wii, however, I do wish someone gave me the heads up on the potential industry reaction for the system before hand. I figured it was going to be a success, but I had no idea it would be universally hated by developers. Think about it, if there were more quality 3rd party games, there would be less people begging Nintendo to release the next big hardcore franchise.

Shovelware is also most prominent on Wii because it is the cheapest to develop for. If only people would learn that casual doesn't have to mean stupid or crap.

Wii should be an opportunity with quality releases with relatively low budgets (LKS, BBBP) instead of the landfill that it is.

I hate the mountain of **** that consumers have to wade through, the Wii has become the PS2. Lots of **** sprinkled with sparkly bits. Just eat the sparkly bits and you'll be fine.

You kidding? Developers LOVE that thing! Except the ones who make "core" games, 'cause those usually don't sell on the Wii.

@Machu: Seems to me the Wii has it worse than the PS2 ever did. Scary thought, no?

Well, problem is that "core" game developpers are 99% of known game developpers in the known Universe except Nintendo itself and one or two small companies. The interesting point is that if you ask a PC or Xbox/PS3 gamer: can you really live without these two or three outstanding Nintento titles? And he will answer: Zelda what? who is that Mario? Metroid? what is that? In fact, if you ask for these three names to 80% of wii users, they will reply the very same. Remember, it was a decission of Nintento to sell the Wii not as a gaming console but as another white and nice electrodomestic (same as a microwave) fully integrated with your livingroom. Business-wise, this is a great movement, but gaming companies dont do games for white microwaves, but for gaming consoles or PCs.

1) who owns the most Wii consoles? young kids
2) therefore, who makes the most impact on sales numbers? young kids
3) do young kids (and their parents) care about great games aimed at an older audience? of course not
4) does quality matter? of course not
Money talks, put on an ACDC record and let it go, OR get all your friends to start buying the games you think are good--the more we buy, the more they make for us.

On the other platforms, it seems quality and money go hand in hand. If you don't have quality, you don't make money. It's as simple as that. WET and Bionic Commando are perfect examples.

@Stuffgamer
And who exactly likes making casual games? Sure I like playing them sometimes but people quit companies like EA and Ubisoft due to having to make those kind of titles.