Across the country there are shortages of the Nintendo Wii, and with good reason: it’s the hottest gift this holiday season - for the second season in a row.
The motion-controlled marvel is set to lead the console pack in holiday sales, outselling both the PS3 and Xbox 360 - if it can maintain its stock. Nintendo’s grip on the gaming industry - both the Wii and Nintendo DS are major sellers worldwide, with combined sales over 1 million in October - may be loosened up with Sony’s recent price drop and Xbox 360’s essential library. Hardcore gamers that already own Xbox 360 will flock to their local electronics store to snag a less-pricey PS3; scrappy gaming upstarts will sink their teeth into Xbox 360’s deeper catalog of games.
But parents? Most of them will wait it out for a Wii.
It’s no secret that parents, forever the providers of holiday gifts, will steer clear of the daunting, expensive PS3 - and most of them don’t even know that Xbox 360 exists. All systems are either called “Nintendo” or “Sony”; if you don’t believe me ask your Mom to fully name all three consoles. Parents short on time and money may ponder purchasing a Xbox 360, but the PS3 won’t even be considered unless their kid stammers up a storm and threatens bodily harm on themselves and others.
Even without relying on parents, the Wii is still the top choice for holiday gaming.
The Main Reasons Wii Will be the Console of Choice this Holiday Season:
Affordability
By trimming out heavy-duty processing power (only in comparison to PS3 and Xbox 360) and DVD playback the Wii is able to keep the cost at a minimum - if anything you could buy a Wii, DS and a few games for each while spending less than a stand-alone PS3 with one title.
Attractive, User-Friendly Library
Notice I didn’t say “kid-friendly.” The Wii gets criticized for having a plethora of titles that don’t use excessive violence, and for what reason? I have no clue. Games like Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Assassin’s Creed are future classics in their own right, but each one requires a healthy knowledge of gaming schematics to even accomplish the tutorial-like beginning stages.
Super Mario Galaxy alone warrants the purchase of the Wii; its intuitive-yet-simplistic gameplay that challenges gamers and non-gamers alike with a fun learning curve - the same cannot be said for the multi-button combos and hardcore-only mentality of the aforementioned titles. Titles like Brain Age 2 award gamers not by “beating” the game, but by returning to it for daily exercises. And don’t forget that Wii Sports, a worthwhile time-waster, comes packaged with the system.
Multiplayer
Yes: both competing system have the Wii beat when it comes to online gaming. The gaming elite will log in countless hours fragging while the casual crowd stands perplexed, watching the experts battle each other with no room for novices.
Nintendo wisely chose to slightly side-step their online plans, opting to create games that work best in a house full of people. Outside of the undeniable experience that is the Guitar Hero/Rock Band franchise not many titles on PS3 or Xbox 360 can compete with the simple charms of waving your Wiimote when playing Mario Strikers Charged, let alone the much-anticipated Soulcalibur Legends.
Keep in mind that both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are great systems, with Xbox 360 edging out the PS3 in terms of having a stronger library. But when it comes to overall value nothing can beat a Nintendo Wii - barring a terrible shortage the week of Christmas - this holiday season.
If you see a Wii in your travels, pick it up without hesitation.
