Fredrik Liliegrin launches a scathing attack on Nintendo’s chart-topping games console
The former boss of Swedish Battlefield developer DICE has slammed Nintendo’s Wii for being, in his words, “a toy and not an entertainment focused product”.
“Wii, to me, I would describe it as a virus that doesn't stick,” the dev told GamingUnion, as spotted by CVG. “It's a toy, people have got to realise the Wii is a toy, not an entertainment-focused product.
“People come home with someone, they play Wii for a bit, feel it's really cool, blah blah blah – they go out and buy one. The people that only own the Wii – ask that consumer how often they use their machine. They just don't use it. It was cool, but they're not gamers, so they put it away.
“Other than the Wii Fit phenomenon that helped a lot of people get a nice cutie voice telling that they're fat and need to go work out, [Nintendo] needs to find other alternatives.”
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Comments
Needs to find other alternatives?
Nintendo needs to find other alternatives..? Erm...it's near enough outselling the PS3 and 360 worldwide each month, first party sales are showing no signs of slowing down, according to Nintendo (with Modern Warfare 2 out of the equation) third party sales are greater on the Wii plaform than the PS3 and 360 and both Sony and Microsoft are adopting motion control solutions in an attempt to attract the casual demographic. Doesn't sound like they need to do anything different to me at all.
Forgotten
So the ex-DICE boss is looking for attention...now he got a little bit of it. Guess he will soon be back with the real reason for making this statement...maybe looking for cash for a new "advertising income casual game" or similar...
of course its a toy
nintendo have done well because they release really good toys. Wii is not new in this respect. Look at PS2 / Gamecube - PS2 is sleek, black and looks like a DVD player. Gamecube is a shiny plastic cube with a handle on the back. Just because Mr Liliegrin thinks he's too hardcore for toys, it doesn't mean the several million Wii iwners are wrong.
Dwindling Sales
If he's not correct, why are retail reducing in store space?
Clearification
On my blog i clarify my initial statement. http://gamebizranting.blogspot.com/2010/03/wii-is-virus.html
/Fredrik Liliegren
fat people need a Wii!
Y'know this guy is actually right.
He's the only guy from his kind of position to have the balls to say what everyone is really thinking.
Okay a mate of my has a Wii, and he's a hardcore gamer, but he's looking forward to Zelda and Metroid ETC. There are a miniscule amount of 'hardcore' games out there for Wii. The fact is- Nintendo have become commercialised and now specialise in casual gaming!
And yes, the Wii has outsold the Xbox 360 and PS3, but so what? That doesn't make it a gaming-entertainment system. It's a toy. A simple entertainment system.
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