Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
Ok, had to get that out. Pretend I just said that in a high-pitched happy voice while grinning like an idiot. That is how my Wii makes me feel. It’s the closest thing I ever had to a loving teddy bear. I even hugged it on the way out of the store, holding it close to my chest in an ever so loving fashion. I better stop before I begin to cry.
Now, for those of you who don’t know, (Yes, I am talking to you stubborn XBOX 360 and PS3 owners who have never tried it but somehow feel qualified to dis the Wii until the cows come home), this device is the home gaming system to end all others.
Question 1: What do you call a device that can play games and movies?
Answer 1: an XBOX 360 or PS3
Question 2: What do you call a device that can play games and movies, has a built in Internet browser, can download classic games from any previous console (including NES, SNES, N64, Sega, Neo-Geo, etc…), has interactive Wii channels (including Weather channel, Wii Vote, Wii Store, WiiWare, Mii, etc…), and promotes working out in some games so it is also healthy for you (contradicting the stigma of games making your kids fat and lazy)?
Answer 2: a Wii
You see, the Pro’s to owning a Wii, rather than other gaming consoles, is that it not only promotes being active, but also fosters group activity over individual isolation. If super-awesome graphics with repetitive gameplay is what you are looking for then get a PS3 by all means. If seeing how many people you can headshot in 2.3 seconds, and calling people “noobs” and saying you “pwned” someone boosts yourself esteem then get an XBOX360 and pay $10-$20 a month for online/live play. Or, you can get a Wii, interact with other human beings in a safe environment void of insults, NEVER have to pay for online play since the Wii has built in Wi-Fi and can use your existing home Internet connection, AND have the convenience of downloading any old/classic video game you want for a one-time charge and get unlimited playability of the classics as long as you own your Wii.
You see, the attraction to the PS3 or XBOX360 is only skin deep. Ten to fifteen year olds kids just want to see gore, and blow people’s heads off these days with awesome graphics to match. However, the attraction of the Wiiis based deeper down inside a person. This will sound uber-corny, but the joy of interacting with cutting edge media, ad well as the ability the Wii has to bring groups of people together is just amazing to me. For example…every other Sunday or so we go up to my parent’s house, have lunch and usually play a board game or watch a movie…blah blah hoe hum, same old same old. Well, last weekend we showed up with the new Wii (still unopened in the box), had it set up in 10 minutes and were playing. There is NO learning curve, and the thing I like the most is that Nintendo was able to make an interactive/complex physics console yet make their controllers like the very first Nintendo system with a minimal amount of buttons, and controls that people of any age range can use. Why do you think they are installing these things in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers? You turn the thing on, and just interact. It is the coolest gaming experience that I have ever had, and I venture to not even call the ii a gaming system, but rather an Interaction System. In the short time that I have had a Wii, I have smiled more, been more peppy when not playing my Wii, been less distracted at work, and just more relaxed. I know that is a lot to claim from a gaming system, which is why I think “gaming” is not an accurate word since that is just one of the things it does.
The reason Wii’s are flying off the shelf (and why I was on a 6 month waiting list), was no only because they are cheaper than the competing consoles, but because they revitalizes you through the use of simple, yet deply interactive games. The Wii has gotten non-gameplayers from all over the world to start playing games for the first tim ein their lives, or since their childhood. I am talking about the Wii like it’s a serious lifesaver, but sure, I could survive without one, and sure, I would go on living if the Wii had never existed. But you know how once you taste something that you have never had before, you begin to realize what you have been missing? Well, that’s how it is with the Wii. It is an experience on a whole new level for kids, adults, senior citizens…anyone to interact with. The Wii is a much better use of your time than sitting in a lazy boy, for 6 hours, staring at a PS3 game, shooting the same repetitive aliens over and over and over again. You will not find that on a Wii (unless you WANT to download old games and just veg out and play with the remote sideways) That is the great thing…with the Wii you can be active, or you can be a couch potato; It’s totally up to you. Since you interact with the console, the possibilities and outcomes are really endless.
So, the bottom line is this. If you just want surreal/stunning graphics, but a story and that just regurgitates itself, then buy an XBOX360 or PS3. If you want gameplay that will literally make you feel better, lift your spirits, and actually help you bond more with those around you, then get a Wii. I am not over-exaggerating here when I say that Nintedo’s latest console really gives you way more than you pay for. I honestly would have paid double knowing now what I have been able to get out of it.
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