Author Topic: Honest Opinions on the Look of WiiSports (Read 16856 times)

Mario · « **Reply #25 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:01:08 PM »

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The design looks a little lazy, too. It's just a little too simplistic where it looks less like an intentional design and more like a bare minimum effort with the "intentional simplistic design" being more of an excuse.

The laziest design would be to make them look exactly like humans.

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I would definately let the look slide if there was some depth there, but the fact that you will be sick of each of these games after, at most, an hour of fun doesn't really help anything. I hope Nintendo packages this with the system, as that is what it will be best for, a tech demo.

They are sports games. People WATCH games of tennis, for up to FIVE HOURS straight.

Kairon · « **Reply #26 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:05:25 PM »

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I've been playing Baseball Stars 2 a lot lately and THAT is what an all ages sports game should look like. It just screams "FUN" while WiiSports screams "tech demo".

Huh?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #27 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:06:24 PM »

I wonder, if by Ian logic, sports games are tech demos.. what does that make sports broadcast on TV? Test patterns?

Mario · « **Reply #28 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:11:49 PM »

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Originally posted by: Kairon
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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I've been playing Baseball Stars 2 a lot lately and THAT is what an all ages sports game should look like. It just screams "FUN" while WiiSports screams "tech demo".

Huh?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

LOL! Those guys look like they're gonna tear your head off. Definite FAMILY FUN!*

*If you have no parents, sisters or grandparents.

Berto2K · « **Reply #29 on:** July 10, 2006, 10:43:41 PM »

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I think the characters look too much like children's toys. If Nintendo really wants to attract a wide audience something more neutral would work better. This is just sports. It's EASY to make a sport family friendly without it looking like a kids game. The design looks a little lazy, too. It's just a little too simplistic where it looks less like an intentional design and more like a bare minimum effort with the "intentional simplistic design" being more of an excuse. Nintendo has a well deserved reputation for being cheap. They can feed us all the BS they want but the REAL reason they didn't go HD or anything like that is because THEY didn't want to spend more money. So when they try to pass off weak graphics as an intentional style I'm immediately suspicious of them just trying to save a few bucks.

HAhahaha! No Ian you are wrong on so many levels. Why are you even talking about HD in a thread about Wii Sports?!?! The whole point to Wii Sports is just to get other people who don't normally play games to see a very simple interface (controller and visuals on screen) and que curiosity. Heres a fun fact: while playing you are not paying attention to the graphics. Yes your character will move on its own in Tennis, but because of all the different movements you can put on the ball you have to keep your eye on where its going to swing at the right time and speed.

Its too simplistic maybe for you because you want everything your way. You want Nintendo to do everything your way or its a waste of money. But the fact is Nintendo doesn't care about you as an individual. When in fact it is perfectly suitable for what they are trying to do in bringing in new people. I could see myself playing Wii Sports with my grandma, and only Wii Sports because of the combination of interface and control. You talk about playing Baseball Stars 2 from SNK...SNK of all people. You really think that with all the stats around the screen, those little cut-in clips of the guys yelling to eachother, and the smirk faces in the top corners when the cam is at the plate would be attractive to people who don't play baseball?? Those are the things that turn non sports fans away. By keeping everything (for lack of better words) to a minimum they are able to keep a more "pleasant-on-the-eye" look for females or even elderly.

You remember the first DS games? They were very plain and simple, and tended to focus on one feature of the system. Just like some of these Wii games. The focus is not graphics for Wii Sports. Its about the basic interaction the new controller has setup. Its a gateway to gaming for the potentially millions of other people out there who don't or haven't for many years.

You complain about it looking like a mini-game. Well just about every single game these days has a mini-game in it. There is no style that characterises them either. You are in fact a minigame in the game if the internet.

Funny, reading your post again...I wonder why I even bothered to write all this, you answered your own question: "This is just sports".

Ian Sane · « **Reply #30 on:** July 11, 2006, 07:13:13 AM »

"You talk about playing Baseball Stars 2 from SNK...SNK of all people. You really think that with all the stats around the screen, those little cut-in clips of the guys yelling to eachother, and the smirk faces in the top corners when the cam is at the plate would be attractive to people who don't play baseball??"

Well I'm not suggesting having all the stats and sh!t everywhere. I'm just using the cartoony style as an example of a sports game that has a good universal look. The sports games that intimidate people are the ones EA makes where everything is super realistic. WiiSports however looks too childish. The ideal look for an "everybody" game is something that that appeals to adults and teens but is still appropriate for kids. Nintendo's method of making "everybody" games look like the Magic Schoolbus hasn't done a very good job of attracting people over 12 for a good two generations now.

"I wonder, if by Ian logic, sports games are tech demos.. what does that make sports broadcast on TV? Test patterns?"

Sports games aren't tech demos and I never made such a broad generalization for all sports games. I've never played WiiSports but according to impressions I've read in the tennis game you don't even move the characters. The only gameplay involved is timing the racket swing. The character moves to the correct location by themselves. That's pretty limited compared to something like Mario Tennis which isn't a even that complicated of a tennis game. Really limited gameplay and really simplistic graphics makes a game look like a tech demo.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #31 on:** July 11, 2006, 07:31:29 AM »

I think I am of the crowd that likes the graphics, and enjoys the simplistic look of the series, but at the same time I wish they would have added just alittle more style to the simplistic look.

I dunno. They could have done several things. Cell-Shaded the characters some to give them personality, added more facial animations, or slightly changed the style more.

I really don't care the preschool look of the series...but I think if you were doing that to make it friendly, I would go all the way...and create something whose animation and style is very very simplistic, but undeniably smooth in animation.

Although it sounds like I am highly critical. Remember, I like the style, I just hope for just alittle more before final launch...and I don't think that is impossible.

These could easily be placement models used for demos until the final models are ready. The final models could be similar and still simplistic, yet have more depth.

Here is to hoping...but if it doesn't exist I will be happy with what we got, a simplistic art style to a very fun game.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #32 on:** July 11, 2006, 07:39:54 AM »

On further reflection, it would be neat to be able to change body types the same way you can change the faces of the characters in Wii sports. This would add a little variety to the graphics and it's a simple feature that I think anyone can appreciate.

I suspect/hope that the "Wii" games are going to be priced lower than regular games, to match the amount of development that went into them. This seems to be the case for the Touch! Generations games, and I think it's smart, because the games are attractively priced for non-gamers. More to the point, I won't care if the graphics are really simple if the game costs quite a bit less than Zelda or Metroid up front.

Berto2K · « **Reply #33 on:** July 11, 2006, 11:33:56 AM »

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Well I'm not suggesting having all the stats and sh!t everywhere. I'm just using the cartoony style as an example of a sports game that has a good universal look. The sports games that intimidate people are the ones EA makes where everything is super realistic. WiiSports however looks too childish. The ideal look for an "everybody" game is something that that appeals to adults and teens but is still appropriate for kids. Nintendo's method of making "everybody" games look like the Magic Schoolbus hasn't done a very good job of attracting people over 12 for a good two generations now.

Interesting how you conveniently left out the parts I mentioned that talk about how detailed tha visuals are in SNK's game which happen to also be the one that wold turn people away. You talking about those EA and 2K games that haven't sold over a few hundred thousand each year and about 99% here in NA? With Nintendo's methods it will sell at least that in all regions making it a near million seller (although my bets are million+ in just JPN). Heres Nintendo's "Magic Schoolbus" lineup for you: AC, NSMBDS, Brain Training 1 and 2, Mario Kart, Mario and Luigi, Nintendogs, Pokemon, and shall I go on?

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Sports games aren't tech demos and I never made such a broad generalization for all sports games. I've never played WiiSports but according to impressions I've read in the tennis game you don't even move the characters. The only gameplay involved is timing the racket swing. The character moves to the correct location by themselves. That's pretty limited compared to something like Mario Tennis which isn't a even that complicated of a tennis game. Really limited gameplay and really simplistic graphics makes a game look like a tech demo.

Your right that all you do is swing as I said above. And let me say this, the multiple times I did get to play the game at E3, I didn't even notice the graphics. Actually Mario Tennis is more complicated than you think for the non-gamer or very casual. There is the regular swing with just a tap of the A button, power swing when you hold down A, dive swing which involves holding the analogue stick in a certain direction and then hitting A, the direction to where you want to hit is involving pushing the stick in the direction at the same time as you pushing A. Lets not forget the lob hits which require all the same actions but with a completely different button (B). Wii Tennis has one action: swing your arm. Yes there are other little things you can do like putting spin on the ball, but still all you do is swing. Just one motion.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #34 on:** July 11, 2006, 12:37:13 PM »

"Interesting how you conveniently left out the parts I mentioned that talk about how detailed tha visuals are in SNK's game which happen to also be the one that wold turn people away."

I left out that part because when I thought you meant the extra stats and stuff on the screen. I don't see any problem with the visuals at all. If colourful goofy cartoon graphics are too intimidating to someone then screw them. Games PERIOD are too much for them then.

"Actually Mario Tennis is more complicated than you think for the non-gamer or very casual."

I meant Mario Tennis isn't complicated compared to tennis sims. From a gamer perspective it's an arcade style sports game designed for a mass audience instead of just tennis buffs.

Kairon · « **Reply #35 on:** July 11, 2006, 12:46:29 PM »

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Games PERIOD are too much for them then.

Ah, the creed of the hardcore gamer.

But seriously Ian, the graphics of that game are too MASCULINE. Non-gamers include women too, and grotesque caricatures of cartoon aggression are not, in my paternizing masculine opinion, are not gender-neutral or even female friendly.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Ian Sane · « **Reply #36 on:** July 11, 2006, 01:09:23 PM »

"But seriously Ian, the graphics of that game are too MASCULINE."

Okay. That I'll give you.

Ceric · « **Reply #37 on:** July 11, 2006, 02:01:44 PM »

Ok. Before I go back to work I'm going sum up what I hear and you guys correct me. We are all in agreeance that the graphics beside the Player models are good. We are having an argument over the player models. So if Nintendo offerred some more serious player models then everyone would be happy?

Kairon · « **Reply #38 on:** July 11, 2006, 02:13:07 PM »

Uh...no? That would be stylistically and artistically discordant? Not to mention false representation of what the game is?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Artimus · « **Reply #39 on:** July 11, 2006, 02:48:49 PM »

I don't think anyone wants realistic people. I think the 'nays' would just like to see something that looks a little more lively and, well, human. Not realistic, but more human. It's ok to look like toys, but they look like cheap toys. Something that looks less like plastic balls and more alive, exciting and fun.

Gamer or non-gamer we all like fun!

Artimus · « **Reply #40 on:** July 11, 2006, 02:54:30 PM »

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Originally posted by: Requiem
You guys "honestly" need to stop bitching.

The only people I've heard complain about the models used in WiiSports are people that haven't played it.

Coincidence?

Eh...

"The characters in the game are fairly basic. Plain, even. And the animation needs work. At times, it was difficult for us to tell if we were delivering a forehanded or backhanded shot because of the primitive graphics, which seemed to negate our attempts at trying different moves with the controller."
"Although not graphically great, or even good, the style of the characters will be the last thing on your mind when you grab the remote control."
-IGN

Both from different people, btw

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #41 on:** July 11, 2006, 04:01:13 PM »

Perhaps I am mistaken, but doesn't the Hot Shots series have similar character designs? If so I recall that series being quite popular.

Mario · « **Reply #42 on:** July 11, 2006, 05:59:35 PM »

Apparently Animal Crossing is popular too.

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #43 on:** July 11, 2006, 06:39:08 PM »

what a trainwreck.

" the style of the characters will be the last thing on your mind when you grab the remote control."

I see how the thread was broken to begin with.

The excitement and enjoyment are coming from your involvement via the Remote. Flashy-ness would simply be distractions. DURRRRRRR

Did everyone forget that the non-games and these new simplistic games are designed to be enjoyed in short bursts? Sitting in front of a game, exhausting it for 1+ hours is something HARDTIME LONGCORE gamers would do. Making the games really "busy" upfront is the quick way to deter the customers Nintendo is trying to catch.

Leave WiiSports alone (cuz apparently you're TOO GOOD FOR THEM being the local GOLF AND PING PONG CHAMPIONS OF YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS), and worry about BIG DAMN TRUCKS.

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #44 on:** July 11, 2006, 06:56:27 PM »

Nah but WiiSports should have a storyline and swearing and stuff, also adding the ability to crack people in the back of the head with the tennis racquet would make it a lot more appealing to non-gamers. Also graphics that can only be displayed on HDTV because every non-gamer owns one of those and licensed music would be excellent maybe some death metal!

Mikintosh · « **Reply #45 on:** July 11, 2006, 08:59:58 PM »

I'd actually pay for a game that tried to mix in all those elements with characters who look like Playmobil people.

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #46 on:** July 11, 2006, 09:37:32 PM »

I remember those toys!

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #47 on:** July 11, 2006, 09:53:43 PM »

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Originally posted by: Mario
Apparently Animal Crossing is popular too.

Hmmm obviously we both are mistaken, because the big headed playschool design is way to lame for people and ends up destroying any chance of success for a game that utilizes that particular design.

Artimus · « **Reply #48 on:** July 12, 2006, 03:24:06 AM »

Animal Crossing = fun character design
Wiisports = bad character design

If you guys are going to be jerks and insult people on my side of this discussion then at least get your facts straight. Stop hypberoling the thing up the wall. You know very well we're not arguing for things like GTA but you're going there anyway. It's childish and flippant. It's also so tired and exhausted that I can't believe you'd still make that type of comment. No one (except perhaps Ian) was insulting you, but the fact we don't like something you do immediately made you go off. Seriously, why? Can't we discuss something without someone getting attacked? Read what we say, and stop making up arguments to mock.

18 Days · « **Reply #49 on:** July 12, 2006, 04:00:45 AM »

GET OUTTA THE WAY COMING THROUGH IM NOT ARGUING THIS BUT YOU GUYS ARE SYING THAT AND WoAH NO YELLING ON THE BUS

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Author Topic: Honest Opinions on the Look of WiiSports (Read 16856 times)