Indeed, the past two years were a whirlwind for the console, billed over and over again by its handlers in Kyoto as the everyman, woman and child's system, thanks to its low buy in cost, motion controls and easy accessibility.
Consumers have rewarded Nintendo in droves for this approach, even as the most passionate of gamers have cried foul over a perceived lack of serious titles and a smothering online presence whose Friend Codes are a nuisance, to say the least.
The complaints have fallen on deaf ears for the most part, however, as Nintendo to date has sold 15 million Wii consoles to a formerly hardcore-dominated U.S. audience. For you number crunchers, that's about 2 million more than second place Xbox 360, which had a full year head start.
With shortages predicted to --recession be damned--it's looking more and more like Nintendo could sell another 15 million by this time next year.
And, for once, on this milestone moment the success goes beyond hardware. Nintendo consoles, previously lambasted by critics and financial types because of a lack of software, now boast a wide range of titles. From mounds of shovelware to chart-topping first party IP, the Wii has surprised, for better or worse.
Since 2006, the Wii has hosted major 1st party releases that not only managed to take top honors on the sales charts, they did it for far longer than competing mega-titles with multimillion dollar budgets and equally marketing campaigns. Case in point: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Fit, and Wii Play, as eclectic a mix of software as there ever was, are currently the . Only one "hardcore" title, the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto IV, managed to crack the top 5 with a third place finish. Metal Gear Solid 4? A distant memory in #2 seller Mario Kart Wii's rear view mirror.
Other titles, such as , , and a spate of Wario titles, have proven that the past two years have not seen the typical first party "Nintendo Drought" made infamous on the GameCube.
Third parties have seen successes both large and small too, although you might not think it when reading popular Internet opinion. Resident Evil 4 sold well, as did the Wii version of Guitar Hero 3. Ubisoft is in the ascendancy thanks, largely, to the early bet it made in 2006 on the Wii's chances. Even games that didn't sell well out of the gate, like Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox, found legs over the long run as an evergreen title. In fact, it did so well EA confirmed Wednesday that .
However, it's not all puppies and rainbows. Just as LittleBigPlanet has struggled to meet expectations on the PS3, so too have other great games floundered on the Wii. Zack and Wiki, No More Heroes and de Blob were also met with much love from the reviewers, while enjoying only modest sales. And the storage issue, ever an elephant in the room for a Nintendo, remains woefully under addressed. A could help, but details are scarce as to what this magical SD card fix might entail.
As for future birthdays, next year could see a concerted effort from Nintendo to expand the Wii base even more. Wii Sports Resort launches in the spring, and with it will come a whole new level of motion controls, thanks to . 1:1 sword fighting--hell, 1:1 anything you can think of--will all be a reality.
A resurgent Sega could also be in the mix, with core titles like and both making waves before they've even received solid release dates.
Online, year three for the Wii could feature a Renaissance of sorts, as Nintendo continues to heavily promote WiiWare and a mysterious ." Already, titles like Lost Winds, World of Goo and Strong Bad have proven there's *some* money and fame to be made in the digital distribution space, so long as you have a product worth buying.
The new "retro remake" category could also find a new home on the Wii in 2009. blazed the trail, followed by Gradius Rebirth; and today even Konami is allegedly testing the waters for some potential 8-bit remake goodness (Castlevania, please?).
Voice chat also made a late appearance this year on the Wii with the tandem offering of and . It's limited in scope, especially when compared to what exists on the 360 and PS3, but for many Wii owners it's a welcome addition nevertheless.
So the Wii turned two this week. And, in spite of the passionate discussion it's created amongst the former gatekeepers of gaming, it's sold at a pace previously experienced only by Sony's 10-tear-old PS2. Who knows; when we look back at the Wii in eight years, there could very well be a new king of the hill.
Happy Birthday Wii!