Why the Wii is revolutionary

Yeah. I get it. The Wii is great but generally bemoaned as a console just for kiddy/casual gamers to screw around with. I've heard many people say how Nintendo is just snubbing more avid gamers in order to get money from a more general audience. In part I agree, there aren't many games on the Wii that I can really think of as serious games.

That being said I have recently realized just how important, and yes, revolutionary, the Wii is.

Gaming is generally the vice of 13-30 year old guys... so when I was at my grandmothers birthday party and overheard my 45-60 year old relatives of both genders discussing how amazing and fun the Wii was, how they loved bowling and how they wanted to go and buy their own systems and use Wii fit, I was astounded. These are people that don't understand computers and are to frightened to even try to learn new technology, but the Wii has gotten their attention and presented gaming and technology to them in a way that is friendly, fun, and most of all accessible. What other piece of technology can do this? As wonderful as the Xbox 360 and PS3 are, they are not friendly to casual users. The Wii is.

If we (we, the "serious" gamers) are honest, gaming is a bit of an exclusive hobby. There are jokes, special lingo, social rules, and years worth of lore and knowledge that are ingrained in our collective psyche. But I think it is very important and worthwhile to encourage our parents, grand-parents, aunts and uncles to get in on a bit of our world. The Wii can be a great stepping stone for tech use: people that don't understand games or computers at all feel comfortable with the Wii and from that point their confidence grows and they can learn more and stay current.

So is the Wii the best console for a die-hard gamer? Maybe not, but it has it's own place of importance and relevance within gaming that should absolutely be respected.

Microsoft blows Nintendo out of the water with Project Natal

It has been expected for Microsoft to reveal some kind of motion-sensing controller at this E3, but nothing could have prepared us for Project Natal. Project Natal was revealed yesterday, and it appears to be a full-fledged motion-detecting camera that--wait for it--turns your entire body into a controller. Having been a longtime Nintendo fan, I am sad to say that Nintendo has officially just lost this console war. Watch this demonstration video and you'll understand why the Wiimote is pretty much a joke now.

More Gear Videos at IGN.com

I still have some faith in Nintendo though. The Red Steel 2 demo looks pretty sweet and we should be hearing about a new Zelda/Mario in the next few days. Lets cross our fingers!