CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

It's no secret that Nintendo has gradually fallen more behind with each generation of their game systems since the Super Nintendo system rallied them ahead of the hot-selling Sega Genesis during the 16-bit console race. Everyone seems to have their own opinions as to why this has happened, but that's a debate for another time. The real question is, what is Nintendo going to do about it, and the answer seems to be creatively titled, the Nintendo Wii. Although there has been a lot of negative feedback regarding the name change from Revolution to Wii, if E3 was any indication, people have gotten past it and are now quite excited about the new level of gameplay that Nintendo is promising with their new upcoming console system. So how will this completely new form of game control do up against the likes of the more powerful, not to mention more expensive, Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 systems, and will the Wii vault Nintendo back into the forefront of console gaming?

Anyone at E3 that wanted a crack at actually playing the Nintendo Wii system had to stand in line for as much as six hours. In fact, the sheer length of the lines to get to the Wii broke all-time E3 records. Media persons who were lucky enough to get their hands on the Wii Remote and Nunchaku controller all seemed to be pleasantly surprised at how responsive the controller was, not to mention raving about the seemingly endless possiblities for controlling the action taking place onscreen. You have to think that this is a great sign for Nintendo. The Nintendo DS was a good window for Nintendo to see if the general gaming public would be accepting of somethign new and innovative as far as gaming goes, and judging from its success, I'd say Nintendo is heading in the right direction. It would seem that gamers are ready for something new, and Nintendo aims to deliver.

Another area where the Nintendo Wii seems to be captivating gamers and the media is with the Wii's Virtual Console function. Not only will Wii owners be able to download titles from past Nintendo systems like the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64 systems, but they'll also be able to download many of the great titles from the Sega Genesis and NEC Turbografx-16 systems as well. This is definitely going to appeal to the classic gamers and those looking for a healthy dose of gaming nostaligia. As Nintendo stated in their E3 press conference, they're looking to try to get many of their older gamers who've lost interest in gaming to come back via their new Wii system's Virtual Console as well as appeal to those who still own many of the past Nintendo systems and have them all connected in one large fire hazard of cables like myself.

At the end of the day, no one knows how the upcoming console race is going to play out, but you have to be excited if your a Nintendo fan. Nintendo hasn't made an official announcement on price or availability, but they have stated that their Wii system will retail for under $250. That's a whopping $350 cheaper than the high-end Playstation 3 and $150 cheaper than the top-tier Xbox 360. As I said above, the Playstation 3 is going to sell, but Nintendo has positioned themselves quite well for the start of the next console race and they've got a lot of buzz on their side with this new style of gaming that their Wii system will offer. I look for Nintendo to make a good-sized dent in Sony's current lead in the console market, and if I were executives at Sony, I might not be sleeping too well since the E3 expo. Because if that's any sign of what's to come when these two consoles finally go on sale to the public, Sony might still have some work to do in order to convince gamers that the Playstation 3 is all it's cracked up to be and worth the $600 price tag. Otherwise, it could be a very Mewii Christmas for many game fans this holiday season. (Sorry I just couldn't resist : )

** Tommorow - "The Next-Generation Console Wars - Microsoft Xbox 360" **