Is the investment in the Wii a worthwhile one? – Part 1
The great debate: to Wii, or not to Wii?
I've run across various people, throughout the time my husband and I have had the Wii, who were suspicious of its playability, price, and fun factor. The simplest and easiest way for me to quell their concerns about the Wii is to allow them to test out our own. My husband and I are youth leaders, and as such, we have a vast amount of eager teens just dying to see what the buzz about the Wii is. Since the time my husband and I first played the Wii on our own, we have found it to be very exciting and fun. It really does give you a wonderful workout, and the best part is that you don't even realize it until the next day. I can't count the number of times I've woken up, wondering, "Why is my arm sore? Did I sleep on it wrong?" only to realize that the hours of game play from the previous day contributed to it.
Nintendo was genius to think up such a thing as the Wii. Up until the Wii was created, the vast majority of video gamers sat on their couch or in their chairs, the only body part utilized being the thumb. Parents for ages have been saying, "Video games are horrible... my kids used to DO THINGS until they got hooked on those video games..." Wii completely solved the problem by creating a system that actually requires you to move your upper body. Some games, such as Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, even encourages you to use your legs to jump rope virtually.
As to price, the Wii is $250, which is pricey unless you compare it to the prices of the other new systems available. A 60 GB Playstation 3 originally was priced at $599, more than double the amount for the Wii. Not long after Playstation experienced less-than-desirable sales, Sony knocked the price down to $499. This system was announced with much fanfare, but the arrival of the Wii overshadowed it greatly. The same can be said of Microsoft's 360, although the 360 did enjoy a longer time in the spotlight than did Playstation 3. The 360 was originally available in its least expensive form for between $299 and $399. Microsoft, after witnessing the high demand for Wiis, and in order to drive up competition, has since lowered the price to $199. Still, in my opinion, these systems pale in comparison to the Wii.
Wii is a wonderful system that encourages gamers to get up and get moving, and it offers a variety of games that appeal to a broad scope of people. With Wii, there's something for everyone, and it's simple to use. I took it upon myself to show new users how to play the Wii, but I soon found out that it was unnecessary because the controls and options are so self-explanatory. I view the Wii as a genuine gaming revolution, reaching out to people who would otherwise never think of themselves as gamers, while staying true to video games' faithful followers.