As a particularly useful piece of technology, the Nintendo Wii might be on the backburner for many video game enthusiasts. However, that little box from Nintendo has a few uses above and beyond traditional gaming. Of course, the Wii was never about traditional gaming. The appeal of the unit was that anyone could literally pickup the Wii controller and play a game of bowling or tennis. The console revolutionized gaming, at least the experience of gaming.
Once the big boys came into the ring, the lack of software support for the Wii was pretty evident. The Microsoft Kinect and Playstation Move had better graphics and sound, plus belonged to consoles that had a lot more horsepower under the hood. Now with the new Nintendo Wii U being announced for 2012, old Wii owners might be looking for another use for the Wii.
There are still a lot of great games for the Wii: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Both the Mario Galaxy Titles, Twilight Princess, even Goldeneye brought some nostalgia back to the console. However, there are also Lego titles, and every Nintendo fan is awaiting the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Not only do those games not require huge amounts of space to play, but they offer immersive experiences for players of all ages. Plus, WiiWare and Virtual Console allow access to other great titles from consoles long gone and new games from new developers.
The arrival of Netflix on the Wii was also greeted with cheers. Netflix turns the Wii into a virtual library of movies and television shows. Sure, Netflix prices might be going up, but the Wii is easy to use and simple to hook up, which makes it the perfect video streaming device for college dorms, kid’s rooms, and second televisions. The appeal is enhanced by the $150 price tag for the Wii, which usually comes bundled with a few other extras.
The prospect of updating the Wii U in 2012 is probably on the mind of anyone who has seen a press release on the new device. Unlike previous hardware upgrades, the current generation of Wii controllers and gizmos will work with the current generation of the Wii. While the Wii U has not had a price announcement yet (and with the touch-screen controller it will be high), but not having to repurchase hundreds of dollars worth of controllers and accessories should appeal to every consumer.
So while the Wii might be nearing the end of what was a successful technological life cycle, the unit is still priced low enough to find uses in a variety of environments. The connectivity with future Nintendo products is just another reason to hold onto those consoles for a bit longer.