It's probably just that I like to worry, but I have this feeling that people are putting too much stock in The Conduit. It looks kind of generic, like if it were being released on the XBox 360 nobody would even take notice. It's just getting hyped up because it is the only exclusive FPS on a system starved for FPS games.
The Conduit isn't a game within a franchise so it has no existing fans, and it isn't something which Nintendo's new audience are likely to be interested in. The game may not stand a chance. Even if it does sell well, I can just see publishers finding some lame excuse as to why it is an exception and that the Wii is only for teh casualz.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see someone is releasing a game like this. The problem is, I'm worried that everyone is going to have such unrealistic expectations for it that they have no chance of being anything other than disappointed. Some people are passing this off as a Halo 3 killer, and there's no way it could be. Even if it's a good game, it could receive a cold reception if everyone is expected something that it isn't.
What kind of message is that going to send to publishers? That there's no way to satisfy the "hardcore" crowd on Wii, so why bother trying? They'll continue with the low-budget crap which has a higher chance of profit. If this game has the power to convince more publishers to make Wii games if it's successful then it can just as easily scare them off if it tanks. The thought of a single game having this much influence is what scares me.
I can't help but wonder if the Internet does more harm than good. Just think about it: back in the day, most people didn't have Internet access, and they got their gaming news through short articles in magazines or even later through advertisements. These days, information about games is available on the Internet as soon as it breaks, every new little detail is reported on, and multiple sources are covering the same games. You can learn so much about a game and have it hyped like crazy before you even have a chance to buy it, and by then your expectations could have become so insanely high that there's no way the game could live up to them.
All of this information readily available can ruin surprises in games as well. How many people found out that Luigi is playable in Super Mario Galaxy before they bought it? How many people here did I just spoil that for?