Gaming Wii

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='White][color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]Now to what I really came here to talk about. It turns out that my dream is a reality, the Wii isn't actually always slanted. It's only the stand that it sits on (proof [url=http://gigazine.net/img/2006/05/10/Wii_Hardware/Wii_take_0501.jpg]here[/url]). I'll definitely be sitting my Wii horizontally ontop of my TV since there will be no cords at the front. :animesmil [/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]

[color=#8B0000]When the PS2 first came out, I decided to have mine set up vertically with the stand, as opposed to the horizontal set up. Little did I know at the time that the vertical set up caused some nasty scratching to my game discs, due to the positioning of the PS2.

Even though there isn't much of a difference between the Wii's slanted set up and its horizontal set up, I'm still hoping that it doesn't cause the same thing to happen again.[/color]

[James]

[QUOTE=Bombu][color=#8B0000]When the PS2 first came out, I decided to have mine set up vertically with the stand, as opposed to the horizontal set up. Little did I know at the time that the vertical set up caused some nasty scratching to my game discs, due to the positioning of the PS2.

Even though there isn't much of a difference between the Wii's slanted set up and its horizontal set up, I'm still hoping that it doesn't cause the same thing to happen again.[/color][/QUOTE]

[font=arial]Sony fixed this problem with later PS2 models and given Nintendo's emphasis on quality (in terms of manufacturing), I don't think it'll be an issue.

I actually really like the way Wii sits at an angle when it's vertical. I think it's a very cool effect.[/font]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#99121c][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS][quote name='James][font=arial']I actually really like the way Wii sits at an angle when it's vertical. I think it's a very cool effect.[/font][/quote]

Isnt it though? Its what makes the Wii special!

"What did the Munchkin say as he slid down the consol?" "Wiiiiiii" Ba - dum - psh.

More on topic however I never really cared how or which way a consol stood. But now that I actually see that it is in a stand I hope they don't do something stupid and make you buy the stand. That would be horrible.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Ellerby]

[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma][quote name='James][font=arial']I actually really like the way Wii sits at an angle when it's vertical. I think it's a very cool effect.[/font][/quote]
I liked it at first, but not enough to be permanent. That's why it was a relief for me when I found out it was only the stand.

[quote=Bombu]When the PS2 first came out, I decided to have mine set up vertically with the stand, as opposed to the horizontal set up. Little did I know at the time that the vertical set up caused some nasty scratching to my game discs, due to the positioning of the PS2.

Even though there isn't much of a difference between the Wii's slanted set up and its horizontal set up, I'm still hoping that it doesn't cause the same thing to happen again.[/quote]
When you say your CDs got scratched I'm going to assume you meant because they kind of fell out when you stuck them on the disc tray. If that's what you meant, this'll actually be impossible with the Wii since the way you put in a CD is you just slide it in a bit and it sucks the CD right up (like what you would find in a lot of cars).

[quote name='Ikillion']But now that I actually see that it is in a stand I hope they don't do something stupid and make you buy the stand.[/quote]
I seriously doubt they would do that, lol.

[b]EDIT:[/b] Okay now that I'm looking closer I can see an Eject button. But the panel that looks like it would eject is kind of small so maybe that's just for GCN discs.[/FONT][/COLOR] :animestun

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS][QUOTE=Bombu][color=#8B0000]When the PS2 first came out, I decided to have mine set up vertically with the stand, as opposed to the horizontal set up. Little did I know at the time that the vertical set up caused some nasty scratching to my game discs, due to the positioning of the PS2.

Even though there isn't much of a difference between the Wii's slanted set up and its horizontal set up, I'm still hoping that it doesn't cause the same thing to happen again.[/color][/QUOTE]

Well now that I think about it I had a somewhat similar problem but when I put the disk in, it would slide ow and get stuck in between the consol itself and the opening tray. I was alrways afraid that I would get some kind of oddly large scratch in it from that. It got rather annoying.

[quote name='White']I seriously doubt they would do that, lol.[/quote]

Sony did. :bdance: [/FONT] [/SIZE] [/COLOR]

[John]

[quote name='White][color=#555555][font=Tahoma][b]EDIT:[/b] Okay now that I'm looking closer I can see an Eject button. But the panel that looks like it would eject is kind of small so maybe that's just for GCN discs.[/font][/color'] :animestun[/quote] I'm heavily under the impression that both the GCN and Wii discs go into that same blue slot. In fact, I think I remember something about how them getting two different sizes of discs to work in the same slot was a bit of an innovation in itself. that panel that you thought was for the GCN disc is most likely there for some other reason, silly *****.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=#8B0000]Both Wii games and GameCube games are inserted through the same blue slot-loading device.[/color]

[quote name='White][color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]When you say your CDs got scratched I'm going to assume you meant because they kind of fell out when you stuck them on the disc tray. If that's what you meant, this'll actually be impossible with the Wii since the way you put in a CD is you just slide it in a bit and it sucks the CD right up (like what you would find in a lot of cars).[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]

[color=#8B0000]That's another reason why I'm worried about the scratching occurring. My dad has a slot-loading CD player in his car, and it still causes his discs to scratch. This is most likely down to the fact that it's a cheap CD player, but concerning Nintendo's quality control regarding the incidents of cracks appearing in white Nintendo DS's, I'm just a little bit paranoid.[/color]

[Ellerby]

[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]Just to avoid some confusion, [url=http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/wp-content/wallpapers/wii.jpg]this[/url] is the picture I saw with the eject button. But now that I think about it, I guess there would have to be an eject button (to get the CDs out of the blue thing, hah).

I'll look around and see if I can find out what that little thing on the left is.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Charles]

[quote name='Bombu][color=#8B0000'] This is most likely down to the fact that it's a cheap CD player, but concerning Nintendo's quality control regarding the incidents of cracks appearing in white Nintendo DS's, I'm just a little bit paranoid.[/color][/quote]

It's Nintendo. Enough said.

[Ellerby]

[quote name='Charles']It's Nintendo. Enough said.[/quote]
[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]You know looking at past Nintendo products, saying "It's Nintendo" could actually go either way, haha.

Bombu; I'm not exactly sure how you're dad could have scratched the CDs with one of those players... is it possible he scratched them some other way and just didn't realize? Because I use those kind of slot-loading car players all the time and they've never scratched my CDs.

One thing I don't like about the Wiimotes is the different coloured Remotes. The actual colours are fine, but instead of colouring certain parts of the Wiimote that colour (like leaving the directional pad and buttons white or something) they just coloured the whole Remote a particular colour. Lame.[/font]

[b]EDIT:[/b]
[indent][size=1][b]Quote: Wikipedia: Wii[/b]
"A second flap cover is located on the front of the machine, which opens to reveal an SD card slot in the middle and a "SYNCRO" button, used to link the controllers to the console."[/size][/indent][/COLOR]

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='White][COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma']Bombu; I'm not exactly sure how you're dad could have scratched the CDs with one of those players... is it possible he scratched them some other way and just didn't realize? Because I use those kind of slot-loading car players all the time and they've never scratched my CDs.[/COLOR][/quote]

[color=#8B0000]I'm pretty sure it's to do with the CD player because I've even put my own CDs in there and they've come out with little scratches. I know they weren't there before because believe me, I'm a real whore when it comes to maintaining my software's health.

But like I said; it's probably down to the CD player itself.[/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]No, seriously. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHH-H837gg][u]It's Nintendo.[/u][/url] They've made very few pieces of hardware that haven't worked well--even after taking a beating.

Also, weren't the cracks on the DS Lites purely cosmetic?[/color]

[Charles]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082]No, seriously. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHH-H837gg][u]It's Nintendo.[/u][/url'][/color][/quote]

I actually saw that on television the other day. I knew which one was going to win immediately. Good reference.

But yeah, I'm sure that if I dug out my original Nintendo Entertainment System it would even work today. Out of my Playstation 2, Xbox, and Gamecube, the Gamecube is the only one that still works perfectly (although it almost never gets played).

Between the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation, the Nintendo 64 works fine, but the last time I checked, I had to turn the Playstation upside-down just to make it function at all.

All of my Nintendo handhelds work perfectly, while my PSP died just a little over a year after I bought it. I had taken exceptional care of it too (it was always in its Logitech carrying case). So, there really was no excuse for it to fart out on me.

If there are technical issues with the Wii, I will post pictures of myself eating a game.

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]To be fair, earlier Nintendo consoles had a LOT less moving parts, and the GameCube is really the first Nintendo console to require moving parts. I mean, realisitically, When a console is essentially a circuitboard with a slot-loader they tend to hold up much better than the disc-driven drives that require shitloads of moving parts AND for the laser to stay optimised over ten years or more, through God knows how many games, moving around, or whatever else. It doesn't surprise me that in those circumstances a N64 handles better than a PlayStation.

On the flipside Nintendo do invest a lot more into the quality construction of consoles, but I don't think that matters much - I've play Sega MasterSystems and Atari 2600s that still work, 20 years after the fact. Also, the accountability of Nintendo [i]controllers[/i] isn't nearly as high. We had to buy replacement controllers for our N64 after just five years, when we didn't mistreat them at all. Granted, it was probably largely because of the analogue stick that the N64 controllers died, but it kind of proves the case further. The more complex moving parts in something - disc readers, analogue sticks, whatever - the more difficult it is for something to hold up over time.[/font][/color][/size]

[Papa Smurf]

Over the past three years, I'm on my second Xbox, and my brother recently did some maintenance on his original PS2 after it started crapping out on him.

Alan, apart from one of my four N64 controllers, my N64 equipment works perfectly, ten years after buying it. Charles can attest to their performance. We don't use that one controller because the joystick isn't as responsive as the other three, but even then, it's still surprisingly responsive for ten years old.

Gamecube, same deal. All my Wavebirds perform like-new, as does the Gamecube itself. Never had any problems with the games or memory cards. All first-party.

I'd expect a similar high-quality for Wii. When it comes to system durability, Nintendo is the best. That video Desbreko linked us to is pretty solid proof. PS2 was done after the first text. The Xbox, after the second or third. Gamecube, on the other hand, was the frigging Energizer Bunny.

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]I [i]did[/i] mention the analogue controllers. Ours were ******, plain and simple, because of the analogue. They were loose as hell, and barely registered anything. Granted, they were second hand, but they degraded pretty quickly after we bought them, using them normally. Also, you treat your Gamecube like a shrine, so it's not surprising that they still work perfectly. I've heard of plenty of people getting disc read errors, and problems with their GameCube's (sometimes out of the box!), centred mainly around the disc system. Because you've never had a problem, it isn't the standard for everyone.[/font][/color][/size]

[Papa Smurf]

I've stepped on my cube on more than one occasion. lol. Hell, you're talking to a guy who's kicked it by accident because he's a clumsy motherf-cker. There's a reason why I've told Charles it's a bad idea to leave his 360 vertical in the middle of my basement floor. ~_^

Regarding the controllers, I'm positive I'm a hell of a lot more abusive with mine. You're looking at six years, easily, of rigorous and rough playtime. Mario Party, GoldenEye, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Bomberman 64...the list goes on and on, man.

If your joysticks were that loose and unresponsive when you first bought them, then that was obviously not regular wear and tear and seems to me to indicate that durability and hardware quality aren't in question there. You'd said you'd bought them second-hand. That confirms for me that those joysticks worked perfectly when they were new, and something disastrous happened to them between retail purchase and when you got them.

I mean, if my N64 controller's joystick is only mildly less responsive today after at least six years of regular, nightly, multi-hour play...shouldn't that tip you off that the problems you had with your joysticks weren't related to the joysticks themselves?

Regarding the Cube out-of-the-box thing, yeah, there are going to be exceptions, definitely. I don't think I was arguing otherwise. But the fact remains that Nintendo products, lots of moving parts or otherwise, have held up considerably better than competitors.

I've bought my Gamecube in Jan or Feb. of 2002. I bought my first Xbox in Fall of 2003. Within a year, the Thompson drive on that Xbox failed. Still haven't had any problems with the Cube, and I was sure as hell a lot rougher with the Cube than the Xbox.

Unrelated, but still fun, there was an old Mind of Mencia episode on Comedy Central where he produced an N64, then had a midget slam it with a sledgehammer. It took the midget almost half a dozen slams to fully shatter the system. On the first two strikes or so, the midget and the sledge actually bounced off the system, only causing mild casing damage.

[Retribution]

[QUOTE=Papa Smurf] Regarding the controllers, I'm positive I'm a hell of a lot more abusive with mine. You're looking at six years, easily, of rigorous and rough playtime. Mario Party, GoldenEye, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Bomberman 64...the list goes on and on, man.

If your joysticks were that loose and unresponsive when you first bought them, then that was obviously not regular wear and tear and seems to me to indicate that durability and hardware quality aren't in question there. You'd said you'd bought them second-hand. That confirms for me that those joysticks worked perfectly when they were new, and something disastrous happened to them between retail purchase and when you got them.[/QUOTE]
[size=1]The N64 joysticks becoming less responsive over time (even after a few years, much less ten) is a fairly normal thing. The vast majority of the joysticks I've seen are loose in the socket, and move when you tilt the controler (if you know what I'm trying to say).

I suppose your controllers being in such great shape after so long as just a miracle given to you by the gaming gods. Be thankful for their blessing.[/size]

[James]

[font=arial]Early Nintendo 64 control sticks had problems because the plastic housing Nintendo used was lower-quality. You might remember seeing early controllers with "shredded plastic" around the base of the stick. This degraded the stick's accuracy and tightness over time. Later controllerrs didn't suffer from that problem, due to manufacturing changes.

In terms of overall defects...I think that you'll find they are very low. GameCube had more problems than previous systems due to the number of moving parts, but the problems were still significantly low. The amount of people who have technical problems with the systems out of the box are less than half of a per cent - usually people are actually doing something wrong (ie: not hooking something up properly, not putting the disc in correctly or something else - they often mistake this for a real problem with the system).

So, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. Nintendo's quality testing is very rigorous. ~_^

The fact that I've been through [b]three[/b] PS2s, as a result of low-quality parts and overall problematic design, just demonstrates that there isn't any competition in this area. I'm one of many who have had this problem, too.[/font]

[John]

[quote name='James][font=arial]The fact that I've been through [b]three[/b'] PS2s, as a result of low-quality parts and overall problematic design, just demonstrates that there isn't any competition in this area. I'm one of many who have had this problem, too.[/font][/quote] And thus, warranty will be an unusually pressing factor for anyone wanting to buy a $600 PS3. :P

[Desbreko]

[QUOTE=Retribution][size=1]The N64 joysticks becoming less responsive over time (even after a few years, much less ten) is a fairly normal thing. The vast majority of the joysticks I've seen are loose in the socket, and move when you tilt the controler (if you know what I'm trying to say).

I suppose your controllers being in such great shape after so long as just a miracle given to you by the gaming gods. Be thankful for their blessing.[/size][/QUOTE][color=#4B0082]The control sticks on the N64 pads would [i]always[/i] move a bit when tilting the controller, even straight out of the box. They all have a little bit of wiggle room, but it doesn't actually register as movement when you're playing a game. That's just how the sticks are.

Over time, though, they do get looser until it gets to the point where it does register as in-game movement. My oldest N64 controller has a tiny bit of this. I don't even know how many thousands of hours of play time--and how many smash attacks in SSB--it took to do that, though. A damn lot, to be sure, and it's still perfectly usable; simply resting your thumb on the stick stops it from moving enough to matter.

I think if people's N64 controllers are wearing out after only five years they're doing something seriously wrong to them. Sure, I'm way anal about keeping my video game equipment in good condition, but one of my friends . . . well, let's just say his stuff tends to be a lot worse than mine. ([i]:p[/i]) And his controllers (his first party controllers anyway) always worked just as good as mine.[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

[color=#8B0000]Just like James said, Nintendo fixed the issue regarding N64 pads wearing out. It was only the early pads that were causing problems in terms of wear and tear of the analogue stick becoming loose and the pad getting worn in general, and as I remember, Nintendo released a newer improved model to counter these problems.

My original N64 pad (the one which came with the console) suffered from major wear and tear problems, and if you were to hold it right now, the plastic casing would feel very greasy and smooth, and the analogue stick would be extremely loose. However, the pads I bought later on in the N64's life-cycle don't pose any problems of the like even to this day, and I've used them just as much as I've used the original pad.[/color]

[James]

[quote name='John']And thus, warranty will be an unusually pressing factor for anyone wanting to buy a $600 PS3. :P[/quote]

[font=arial]Definitely. And let's not forget that this is the first Sony device to utilise a Blu-ray drive - a new technology that Sony is already having difficulty with upon mass-production.

It will not shock me if those who buy the first batch of PS3 systems start complaining about read errors and stuff. The only question is whether or not these errors occur sooner rather than later - but I have little doubt that there will be issues. That's one of the many reasons why I won't be buying a system for another year or two.

As for Nintendo systems...I think there are always going to be some faults. The cracks that show up on some DS Lites is one problem, for example. Nevertheless, it's a sturdy machine; I remember reading one report where someone had slammed a car door on their DS...the entire casing was cracked and damaged (pretty severely damaged actually), yet the screens were fine and the system still ran perfectly.

So, you know, these systems are actually designed to take a beating to some extent. Nintendo knows that kids will be using them and they know that accidents happen in the home. One thing I have never liked about PlayStation systems (despite the fact that I've owned several of them), is that they always seem to be incredibly fragile.

This is also something I don't like about Xbox 360 - with the disc scratching and stuff. It also just "feels" like a fragile piece of hardware.[/font]

[Ellerby]

[COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]So... according to the PS3 thread there won't be a whole lot of PS3's at launch. Just another point for Nintendo.

Also, I found [url=http://www.koopacabana.com/archives/8-Ubisoft-Bundles-Wii-Steering-Wheel.html]this[/url] at KoopaCabana.com. I'm not sure why Des didn't tell us right away (:animeangr) but I thought it was worth sharing. Like I said in my comment there, the idea is really cool, but somehow I just know that holding a wireless steering wheel in front of you will get tiring after a while. Thoughts?

[b]P.S.[/b] I also found [url=http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/492/mkaetwcc2.jpg]this[/url] on Google. Not sure if it's fan-made or not but would that not be the coolest Wii-cessory ever?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I wanted you to visit the site to see it. Duh. :p

I don't think you have much to worry about, though. Since the wheel is just a shell and there doesn't need to be any circuitry or anything in it they'll basically be able to make it as light as they want. Plastic doesn't weigh much after all.[/color]