Wii is certainly the system, again, that everyone is talking about. Microsoft and Sony both completely failed to show anything significant. Nintendo anounced a new product called the Balance Board, which tracks weight movements. The Balance Board comes with the software Wii Fit, which is a game based around fitness in the vein of the popular Brain Age series. What I am waiting for is a version of 1080 Snowboarding or SSX which supports this; or perhaps a surfing game. What would be really cool is a boxing game utilizing the balance board. It's products like these that will continue to help the rapid expansion of the videogame industry. Since Nintendo began reaching out to the non-traditional gamers, the once stale (and even shrinking) market has been expanding faster than ever before. Meanwhile, Nintendo is also encroaching further across the hardcore market with their titles; Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, and Mario Galaxy.
The Wii Remote is possibly the greatest thing the industry has seen in 20 years. The new titles coming up for it are more complex in their control capabilities, but with the Wii-Remote things have become easier than they were before. if RE4 isn't strong enough evidence then Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 certainly will be; essentially you can do more in RE4 for Wii, and it can be done much more easily. The development is more significant than the analog stick, which also made control easier; but not to this degree. Essentially, as Metroid Prime Hunters 3 demonstrates, is that this can allow for more complex controls while at the same time making access to the controls much easier.
Who knows, with the way things are going, next generation you'll be playing Halo on Nintendo's next console =)
Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Nintendo is also showing Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Brother's Brawl. Two games which gamers of all types, from the most hardcore down to the least, will enjoy. Mario Kart will follow the DS version and have an online mode; though much expanded. This time around there will also be battle mode. Also, it appears as though there are more than just 8-Karters now as the video shown at the conference showed at least 12 racers. It also looks as though they have left the double-karter thing from double dash dead.
On the DS end, they announced Mario Party DS, a game I have been waiting FOREVER for them to release. This game will be big among University students, similar to NSB and Mario Kart. Another game announced is Advance Wars Dual Strike 2.
A game that really caught my eye, being released by Nintendo, is :
Endless Ocean. I am not quiote sure what it is about yet, but it gave me a strong urge to watch Life Aquatic. I'm going to wait for further details before deciding whether I want it or not, but so far it has caught my interest.
I haven't really had time to look at third party stuff yet, but I have watched a couple of things. Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles has co-op mode, this seems to be something that is becoming more common among Wii games as Mario Galaxy has it as well. NiGHTS 2 looks interesting, the only problem is that it is similar to Mario Galaxy; and completely outclassed by Galaxy.
Overall some great things shown so far this year, but I am looking more forward to what is in store at TGS in a couple of months, and also at Leipzig GC in a couple of weeks.
