Wii: Nintendo unveiled their system Wii at E3 this year (pronounced WE). Of all the consoles Wii I think is trying the hardest to pursue the casual gamer. What is so great about it? The controller. The key to what makes Wii so unique is its new direction in terms of gameplay. The controller actually enables players to GET OFF THE COUCH and play. I had the opportunity to play the new tennis, sword fighting and orchestra games on the Wii and although the visuals were not impressive nor was the machine very powerful in comparison to the other next-gen consoles out there, Nintendo has struck out in a truly compelling direction. The cost….hasn’t been announced yet. My guess is that it will be lower than Xbox 360’s $299. Nintendo is also making an equally big push with their mobile gaming systems the Nintendo DS and DS Lite. These systems looks wonderful. They fit in your pocket and offer the quick fix that gamer moms like me crave.
One other key thing I noticed is that Nintendo, unlike the other big players thought it was important to include female friendly advertising prominent on the expo floor. No skimpily clad sex goddesses here! I saw billboards of adult, well-clothed, smiling women happily playing their Nintendos! For those who have never been to this event, this is a BIG DEAL. Typically if women are on billboards at all they are wearing chain mail bikinis and sucking lollipops.
Female Friendly Ad at Nintendo booth
Xbox 360 - Building on the fact that Xbox 360s are already available for sale on the market, Microsoft showcased the strength of the console’s sheer power and game lineup. Hotly anticipated games like Halo 3, Fable 2, and Blue Dragon were being showcased. What can I say aside from this is beautiful system with a lot of muscle behind it. It is cheaper than the PS3, a no-frills version goes for $299.99 or a bells-and-whistles version for $399.99… but yet the (multi-)million dollar question is will the casual gamer open her wallet?
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