Wii's not a great product, says Microsoft

May 04, 2007 - In a new interview with EWeek, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach, has given his take on the next-generation console battle, explaining where the Xbox 360 fits in compared to Wii and PlayStation 3.

[snoop_dizzle]

wasn't it Msoft that said it was a good console?

[PS360PCROCKS]

No the said they liked the ingenuity of the controller and that you could get a 360 and a Wii for the same price of a PS3. That's all. Now it's competition so now they'll bash it lol

[WilliamRLBaker]

I didn't know he was bashing it, All he said was it didn't have the horse power and the only real thing it was pushing was a new way to control things, And the ps3 all he said was true they are experiencing all those problems and thats a simple fact.

All in all it was simply a laying down of the facts, he never siad the 360 was the best, or the worst, and he never said ps3 or wii sucked, just laid down the facts as the industry knows them.

And thats
Wii=Underpowered but innovative but really only pushing a new way of controlling things.

Ps3=powerful, but problems with price, cost of production, and content.

and any one without fanboy goggles know those are true.

[marionz]

i kinda agree, i want to like the wii but i feel like i would be buying an outdated product
next gen (current gen) is only just getting started and the wii is mostly getting ps2 ports because it cant compete with the newer games out there
and why would i want to download ond nes games? i prefer to download actual arcade games not old stuff that i can get easy az with an emulator
but still i want to like the wii, i really wish i could...mario strikers looks fun but its not enough

[kingofps3]

""But Sony I think has some real challenges," he said. "They’ve got a pricing problem, they have a cost problem, they have a content problem, and they don’t have an online service."" This guy sure is ignorant as hell. Also, what’s he says that Sony doesn't have an online service? Also, I heard that Xbox Live does not have Clan support. Is that true? If it is, then thats is totally lame.

[DJ]

??? Whoa, talk about some hardcore denial. Is this guy That threatened by Sony's great/free online service?

[Hayabusa 117]

There are just as many bullsh!t comments made about the 360. It's called fanboyism, or in this case, propaganda.

[TheWishman]

For once,Microsoft is right.

The Wii is garbage, i owned it...it sucks

[drfunkenstein]

Nice to see a Cubs fan...

Go Cubs, Go! Go Cubs, Go! Hey Chicago whad'ya say the Cubs are gonna win today!

[EZCheez]

You know most of the titles for these stories are somewhat "paraphrased" and made to get attention, but damned if this guy didn't actually say it.

Sounds about as arrogant as Sony PR.

[eques judicii]

i agree, he did say that the controller was good, but that the "rest" of the console was not that great....

[techie]

Actually he says "Wii<Xbox 1"

[freeza]

a microsoft how is the 360&vista doing in japan lol.hhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaa. bastards

[Hayabusa 117]

Do you live in Japan?

[midgard229]

the wii is really wiik *bad joke* like ya said, to many ps2/psp ports, its pathetic. people only buy it cuz its cheap and its called next gen. im sure they cud have just thrown that controller on the Gamecube and had the same thing. well thats what they did, except gave it a new box and pricetag. i would like the wii if the 3rd party games were fun, not just the 1st party. besides, why are the controllers 60$!!! and the wii is a party system so you NEED to get 4 controllers. 250$ wii+ 50$ game * 60$x4 = 540$ plus tax. thats what you need to play a wii game correctly. ouch.

[midgard229]

party games r boring by your self so thats why u need controllers. the wii doesn't have an online service really, almost none. i know so many peeps who sold their wii cuz they got tired of it. ACK I FEEL LIKE IM STARTIN TROUBLE LOL, im gonna stop. i think wii is in a league of its own, while the 360 and ps3 are in the competition. sony is MS's only competition really, wait till 2008 when the good games r finished :)

[FeralPhoenix]

As far as the Wii is concerned I think he says what many have said before but either way I think its a "dumb" comment....when will these guys learn to let the numbers do the talking? Don't they know reporters ask loaded questions so they can pick out one quote and attract hits to their site. Here's the full qoute:

Asked if Nintendo was causing disruption for Microsoft, Bach said that while the product has "gotten more broad-base acclaim" than he would've expected, it has only one specific appeal - the controller - "And the rest of the product is actually not a great product—no disrespect, but … the video graphics on it aren’t very strong; the box itself is kind of underpowered; it doesn’t play DVDs; there are a lot of down-line components [that] aren’t actually that interesting."

-ha, Yeah the Wii is doing alot better than even Nintendo predicted and even though the product in general isn't targeted at the same gamers as 360 and PS3 you would have to be crazy if you really believe that it has no effect on 360 or PS3 sales at the moment....so of course Nintendo is a "disruption" for M$ on some level(of course he won't admit it), same as for Sony....no sh!t its called "competition". Now moving on I think he's just saying that Nintendo's only appeal is the new controls, everything esle is last gen -WOW, really? Isn't that what many people have already been saying? -So my only problem with what he says; Is even though it may be true, the fact is the Wii is selling better month to month than any other console, so just concentrate on telling Gamers what your console brings to the table, its no secret that whichever console consistently delivers the BEST GAMES will have the MOST longterm success. -Thats all real gamers care about.

[Bill Gates]

M$ oh M$...when will you learn M$?

[PS3 Owns All]

I check at the last console war? They got pwned by SONY. X Box over 30mil, PS2 over 190mil, thats over 7 x SONY pwned them! So they are in no position to talk until IF they win THIS next gen console war. The X Box 360 is a great console but I would'nt say its the ultimate next gen console.

[dominusbellum]

look at how clever i am i put a money mark instead of an s how cool am i now i am making it look like that business wants money muahhahahahaha

[Silver Bull3t]

-2pts for not using "pwned"

[Odion]

He talking about the system power not the system itself, he says that the Wii is good but that its a Nintendo system built for Nintendo.

I think it was a fair statement.

[kmis87]

Personally, I'm really upset with my Wii. All there is for it is Zelda (Gamecube game), Wii Sports, and Paper Mario (another Gamecube game). If I could go back in time I would have kept the money ($500) I spent on a Wii bundle at launch and now I'd be in a position to buy a 360 when I feel comfortable with the purchase, as in, when the hardware failure rate problems are addressed.

The ps3 has been pretty solid so far. A couple of nice games, and a ton of good movies. It's honestly not nearly as bad as the first few months of the ps2 existence. I remember thinking back in 2000 and 2001 that the ps2 was crap and the gamecube would crush it, then Devil May Cry hit, and then a steady string of hits and my perception changed almost immediately.

Right now there are some good games, and a bunch of average ones, and things are looking up with some nice titles coming this summer and fall.

[midgard229]

also if you look at the future releases theres nothing to look forward to the wii. metroid, mario and smash bros thats it. then system goes the way of the n64 and GC. the wii sold alot, yup yup, sure did. is it messin with sony and MS, yup. but after everyone gets the wii and see's theres no games then what? then its a choice of ps3 or 360. yes wii would win the console war if they had just one thing. good games. 3 games for the rest of the wii's life wont hold. ps2 ports aint cuttin it. DBZ tenkaichi 2? guilty gear? Prince of persia rival swords (a psp game?) resident evil 4? twilight princess? need i go on??

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Now that I been spoiled by HD gaming I don't know if I could downgrade to a Wii with old fashion graphics. Its to bad though the Wii-mote is a cool idea.

[murc13lago]

is that wii and the ps3 sells more consoles than the 360
im not right and im not wrong
so lay off me
peace

[midgard229]

main problem is the wii-mote is cute, but it wont work with most games. imagine Devil may cry wii! wow that would cause strokes in even well built people. halo wii, ack dont bother thinkin bout it. same thing with about everything else thats not nintendo. the nintendo games go perfect for wii, why? cuz the controlls r simple. heck im actually scared about guilty gear for the wii. there will be alot of flying wii-motes this year lol

[BitbyDeath]

This is about as good as there "Halo will sell consoles" quote.

Next up the sky is blue and the sun is hot

[FeralPhoenix]

I needed a laugh today and that was a good one....simple but funny.

[shotty]

The Wii is doing great...who cares if its "last gen" its taking over like the DS lite. Simple sells. Sony is on the opposite end, and I feel microsoft is in the middle, not getting into the High Def battle but also delivering 1080p gaming.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

"But Sony I think has some real challenges," he said. "They’ve got a pricing problem, they have a cost problem, they have a content problem, and they don’t have an online service. But I’m just talking about the psychology of me doing an interview with you as a reporter coming in and not uttering the word Sony without me bringing it up."

[Bathyj]

For those that dont believe the level of fanboyism is unbalanced....

This is the exact sort of remark that would have had people calling for Sonys blood if they had said it. Remember the "Wii is an impulse item" remark? Man what an uproar that caused. Wii owners wanted Sony dead. Xbox owners wanted Sony dead. "Sack Him" they all cried, whoever "he" was. It took nearly a week for that one to die down. Over 1000 comments on gamespot. This hasn't even been reported on Gamespot. Maybe they're just slow (they are) or maybe they just dont care to repeat it.

Why isnt everyone calling M$ arrogant? I'm not saying we should be BTW. The guys free to speak his mind. I just hope we all remember that next time.

For the record, I completely agree with him. I bought the Wii for Zelda, and its still the only game I've got. A few VC games kept it alive a little, after I had to buy a USB to Modem adapter directly from Nintendo, but other than that this console is easily my number 3. Actually, thats not being fair to my XB1, PS2, Gamecube or N64 for that matter, so in reality Wii is my #6 console. I dont care how many it sells, until it sells me more than a couple of games I dont see it climbing the Bathy preference ladder. C'mon Metroid.

[FeralPhoenix]

I have to disagree, now to be fair IMO the level of bias on this site pretty much depends on how you look at it and honestly that usually depends on what console you favor, I think thats only natural but for some they just can't see any wrong in anything their favorite does. (not accusing you, but it's definitely true for many others) I see so many examples of bias on the both sides, I could start a list but honestly look at the comments on most of the "flame" news posts, its comical how often people opinion changes based on their prefered brand. For instance recently I remember some PS3 fans calling Sakaguchi un-professional for saying he doesn't like Ken etc., but some of the same folks applauded Jaffe when he cursed out joystiq on his blog because he didn't like their comments and a balanced list would have plenty of examples showing how biased this site is on both sides. -Its all over this site. I do see your point, however even you say yourself that you agree with his statement, so if we accept he's right, maybe that's why its not being called arrogant?, -especially when he was asked to comment on the Wii....I still say its "dumb" statement, not because he's wrong but because its best to try to keep the focus of any interview on what you will offer gamers/consumers and not your competition. -It works alot better, he should know how to refocus the questions better, thats PR/Marketing 101.

[Bathyj]

As usual you're full of commonsense and have well thought out responses. I tend to find myself agreeing with you even when you're disagreeing with me. (How do you do that BTW?)

Although I didn't say it, I guess I was ranting more about Gamespot than anywhere else specifically. It was there I came from and it was there that the boards lit up for days with angry fanboys. N4G does seem alot more balanced, or maybe it just that things have been a lot better for Sony since GDC which was not long after I got here. Either way I like it better here and now compared to there and then.

Also to anyone else who read my posts, I never pretend I have all the answers, or that I'm ever 100% right. I usual am just trying to get a point across that people will, if not agree with, as least consider and take it in a bit even if it differs a bit from your own thinking. I'm just putting it out there and I dont mind at all people saying Dude I see your point but I think you got this bit wrong. Thats why were here afterall, for discussion and to hear ideas, opposing or otherwise.

[FeralPhoenix]

*$#@! -lol, No but seriously, hey thanks for you comments, I really do enjoy exchanging points of view with people who make an honest effort to respond with common sense....and that doesn't mean we have to see "eye to eye" all the time. I think alot of people don't know "how" to listen, they only want to tell you the way its suppose to be.....and you shouldn't dare question it. -I agree no ones right 100% of the time, the minute you insist you know it all is the moment you prove you are a fool. Although, N4G does have problems I still think its one of the best videogame news sites on the net and like I said although I don't always share your views, I do think you add to this site by contributing some much needed common sense and ideas.

[Bathyj]

Actually I stole it off Samarai X, but I do happen to agree with it.

Thats why if I expect people to listen to me, its only right that I should listen to them.

[anh_duong]

having played the wii i agree with microsoft on this one: it's a popular console but not a great console.. it's a bit of a civic but no where near a ferrari. it is popular but other than a motion sensing controller it is hardly groundbreaking..

[DirtySyko]

It's funny how he says the Wii offers nothing except a unique controller, yet the Nintendo Wii has a browser and the 360 does not. Sure, it's not all that amazing, but the fact remains, it's a feature the Wii and PS3 have that the 360 decided to leave out.

I'll admit, as a Wii owner, there isn't much right now. But I got the system because I anticipate certain games down the line. Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brawl.

Also, the comment about 3rd party titles doesn't really mean anything. Anyone who is more than just a average gamer knows not to buy a Nintendo console for 3rd party titles. I didn't buy a Wii to get FPS games for it.

And, PSN is a great service. I still don't understand why it gets the shaft. Have the people who belittle it even played it? Games have ranked matches and player matches, and stat tracking, and customization, and leaderboards, a clan system, and voice chat, and they even have something the 360 does not... Dedicated servers. It looks like the only thing missing is achievement points, which not everyone is obsessed with, and PS3 is going to intergrate a similar system in the future anyhow. I don't even own a PS3, just a 360 and a Wii, but I've played Resistance online and I know a good service when I see one.

[Says you]

That the Wii is beating the XBox 360 33 to 1 but the Wii is beating the PS3 7 to 1 but not as much as the XBox 360 is.

[bamdad]

they just seem to flame on all their competition. first they started the sh!t about sony & now Wii, i like the way that M$ fears its competition. original american company. why cant they let the people decide? do they always have to comment on everything?

[kornbeaner]

I'll agree with the MS camp. I know i sound like a broken record when saying this but the Wii is nothing more than a Fad. Yes it has had great sales numbers. But why? 1. Price 2. Ease of use for the whole family 3. price ( I know Price is on there twice but that is one of the main factors for it's massive sales numbers)

Now am not gonna say Nintendo did a awful Job with the Wii, cause only the opposite is correct. But can anybody here really say that playing games like Zelda and Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 is still gonna be a whole lot of fun when you are having single player gaming marathons.

The Wii is great when a bunch of friends are over or through the holidays when family is around but other then that the Novelty of swing your arms to play Mario and Link are gonna wear thin after a while.

Pokemon, yu-gi-oh, Dragonball z, the Yo-Yo, Have all had products with their names be massive success in terms of sales and where are most of them now? No where to be seen except for the most Hardcore of fans.

The Wii is great, but the shelf life on the product is pretty short. In 2 years tops you may just start seeing a bunch of games use the standard remote instead of the Wii-mote. but if that happen whats the point I have a PS2. Graphics are gonna come up a little short and then Nintendo is gonna be where they were with the Gamecube. Nothing to play except for the Links and Samus and Mario games that can only be played on a Nintendo console.

Do I think MS or if Sony were to say something wrong about the Wii is just not right? Yes Nintendo managed to bankroll their next string of product through the success of the Wii so as gamers we can only benefit from this success.

[Marty8370]

Build quality sucks.

[Shaka2K6]

I agree with microsoft in most points here.

[Hayabusa 117]

Funny how most people seem to agree. I do. I believed the Wii would be good fun, until I played it at my friends house. I was not impressed. He eventually got bored of the Wii, and now he's sold it and owns a PS3 (on top of a 360). And after having a look at the PS3, although I still prefer the 360, I simply can't imagine being appealed by the Wii.

My greatest fear for the Wii is that it's going to turn into another Nintendo console. The Gamecube's main problem most people who owned a Gamecube mostly brought Nintendo games on it, and without 3rd party games selling, it discouraged 3rd party developers. It seems the same thing could happen to the Wii: look at the most anticipated games for the the Wii: all Nintendo games.

None-the-less, I don't think it's Microsoft's prerogative to point out the deficiencies of other consoles. Deal with the 360 hardware issues first. This may be the opinion of one man, but he is also a Microsoft representative, and what he says is can be taken as the voice of Microsoft.

[Dogswithguns]

Both 360 and Wii suck. PS3 rules!

[Shaka2K6]

Well yeah but wii sucks the most.
huge rip-off!

[ITR]

Where's all the Wii fanboys?

All I see is Xbox and Sony fanbots here.

[Saint Sony]

Typical America biased commenting.

"Wii can't offer the experience like Madden?!".. WTF I would never even touch Madden. Nintendo has always done good games, they think about the game itself, not pure GFX. MS and Sony are currently pushing games to look stunning, but sadly that's about it. There is no really really reeeeeeeeeeally good game out there for ps3/360(yet) that also looks incredible.

I don't own Wii, but I'm planning to buy it sooner or later. Happy with my 360 atm, thanks to arcade ;)

[midgard229]

you'll just sell ur wii or put it in the closet like everyone else after mario, smahs bros and metroid comes out lol. Ur crazy if u think MS and SONY are only pushing graphics? what are u a nintendo fan? only they say that. games that only have good graphics get bad scores and sales, so don't come with that lol. the good games aren't out yet, u know why? good games take long to make.

ff13, devil may cry4, mgs4, warhawk, ff13 versus, white knight, resident evil 5, star ocean 4, heavenly sword, unreal 2007, ninja gaiden sigma, assasains creed,killzone 2, tekken 6, holy crap and guess what??? all those games come out 2007-2008. poor wii, they only have 3 games left LOL!!!

[ItsDubC]

Games that only have good graphics are also more likely to garner more hype prior to release because ppl get excited over screenshots.

My point is, don't assume all those games you listed are going to be great games just because you saw some screenshots. The game could look good but have terrible gameplay, and therefore would be a terrible game. Also, not all game sequels are an improvement over their predecessor(s). Anyone can hope, but reserve judgment until you've actually played the games.

[Silver Bull3t]

Microsoft is an evil American company! American's and Microsoft are evil!!!! Did I mention how evil, biased, and stupid Microsoft and Americans (especially Americans in the United States) are?!

(Now I'm going to sh!t in the same river I drink out of)...

meh

[ItsDubC]

While some of what he says is true, some of it is also unfounded or opinionated.

I don't think anyone can deny that the Wii has gotten more "broad-based acclaim" than expected, but saying that the console's controller is the only appealing aspect is entirely his personal opinion. My opinion differs. The pricetag is appealing to me. The fact that it's the only console that'll play Nintendo software is appealing to me. And the fact that it's the only means by which my girlfriend will play videogames with me is extremely appealing.

He goes on to mention that the graphics aren't very strong, which is true in relation to the 360. But he later states that the Wii doesn't have the graphics horsepower that even the original Xbox had. Is this a proven fact? It may be true based on sheer GPU specs, but specs only equate to potential, not actual utilization. The PS3 GPU is supposed to have far more potential than the 360 GPU but current utilization is producing PS3 games that so far are just about on par w/ 360 games in terms of graphics.

He also states that the Wii doesn't play DVDs, which is very true. But personally, I'd be more inclined buy a less-expensive version of the 360 that didn't play DVDs because quite frankly, I have 5 DVD players already and one of them happens to be the original Xbox. I buy consoles to play games, not watch movies.

His statement about 3rd parties not being able to make money because Nintendo will take that ability from them is based solely on past Nintendo home console situations, and I can understand his point. However, it seems that Nintendo learned a lot from the poor performance of the Gamecube, and that knowledge is apparent when you look at the success of the DS. While many of the successful DS games are Nintendo titles, many indie developers have also seen great success on the DS. Nintendo is now challenging 3rd parties to create successful Wii games. Big-name devs such as Ubisoft have now formed dev teams devoted solely to Wii development and new game studios such as Jet Black have sprung up who will only develop games for the Wii and DS. This never happened for the Gamecube. While I'm not saying that Mr. Bach is wrong, I do think that it is too early to make such a statement.

I think the dual-household ownership will continue. The 360 is similar to the PS3 as he noted, but both of those consoles are very different from the Wii. I expect that it will be common for a particular household to own a Wii as well as either a 360 or PS3.

[ChickeyCantor]

I laugh my ass of when i read some of your comments.

you are missing the big point when it comes to consoles..GAMES.....
with out it i cant play the new SSBB/Zelda/Mario and more games from Nintendo.

Outdated hardware or not, stupid controller or not.... in the end you got a Nintendo for Nintendo games, not those bad third party games.

those who are saying people only get it because its cheap are so wrong. Nintendo has put up a better marketing strategy then MS and Sony, its a fact, if this was false they would have never sold more then 5 mil. its not only the price its the whole presentation.

If you got your self a Wii and then say it sucked, its your own fault...you should have informed yourself more about it.

and those who are claiming that there are no games for the Wii....

1:its not even out for a year.
2: all console experience the lack of good games in the beginning.

[fuckface]

the more opportunity you have to look foolish.
of course the wii novelty will wear off. The whole challenge for a console is to manage and maintain the novelty with properly timed releases, which I'm sure N has under control. They have probably anticipated this and many other issues that could arise and I think it may be too early to speak. There are games and projects in development that could further the novelty tenfold, or not, we'll see.

Someone mentioned that other article about MS saying wii is no good. I think that's funny. i don't pretend to know about Xbox or PS3, they've never been systems I've been interested in (but I'm sure wonderful systems for peeps who are into that) but man, I've heard alot about 360 having, shall we say, technical difficulties? It's funny that they feel they have room to talk abour wii's insides (wii envy?).

I guess people love to get into debates about this stuff but honestly, the wii is totally different from the other two and serves a different purpose. I still thoroughly enjoy the wii, between new games and classic vc stuff I never played in the day, I'm kept plenty busy. And SPM is a quality game, I don't care what anyone says. but again wii is a totally different demographic, so you PS3ers and 360ers, you don't need to feel so threatened, it's just a toy.

[DiLeCtioN]

i completed zelda the only thing that was left on the wii was the web browser honestly

[kewlkat007]

for a Wii and like 9 games, so I can purchase an Elite. Right now I'm playing Zelda, and the sports games here and there. I got like 15 VC, and planning on getting more. Of course the games are not optimized like the MS xbl counterparts but it's not shabby.

On a serious not I see Nintendo as they are. They were always on the fringe of innovation and pushing the bar when it comes to interaction and games. With the Wii, Nintendo have done that. They really have not pushed anything Hardware wise, and this is where I feel like I cannot take Nintendo that serious as a hardcore gamers console.

The hardware is just not up to par. Then again Nintendo is not trying to push a "jack of all trades" console down gamers throats, and saying "here it does everything , even if it didn't play games you will still purchase it because you love us". For the most part it's a gaming machine at and a much cheaper alternative.

I'm a nostalgic gamer and will always be waiting to play the next Zelda, Mario, SSB, Metroid and some others, but will there will be some new third-party titles that interest me , well it's too early to call.

-If you feel like the Wii doesn't impress you Hardware wise, then your probably right, just as other console makers might feel the same way.

-if you feel like Graphics are not that important to you, as long as your able to have fun, and intereacting with games in a totally new experience, and don't mind giving the Wii a try, then your probably right also.

In the end it still comes down to software, that will keep gamers interest. We continue to doubt Nintendo sales, and is baffled at the simple things they always seem to get right, while beast of another console doesn't.

[Cartesian3D]

burn in hell...hohahaha..

its like Ronaldo said:" France isnt a good team , they sux "

first : mr.Ronaldo its not up to u France is good or not, just improve ur team.

second : France Rape u these days..

anyway I agree Wii sux in Graphics tech.. but Microsof has No MANNER in their interviews.. Wii isnt Next gen for graphic.. its Nextgen for Fun...
I havnt a Wii , and will never buy one.. so my opinion isnt enough important about Wii FUn. But Im sure MS must change their manner..

[Satanas]

Of course the president of Microsoft's Entertainment Division's opinion will be unbiased and ultimately true.

[FirstknighT]

I dont even put the Wii in the next gen race. I see Wii as just a cool toy and nothing more. The next gen belongs to the 360 and the ps3.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

I bet teh wii wont crap out after 6 months of use...Wii has is disadvantages and advantages like any other system is MS who need to worry about wii because tat ten mill or so they say they sold in a year looks like a joke by the wii sales..

[anthonsh]

at least no one has called the wii the "devil" yet.

http://www.vgchartz.com/

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

Either Microsoft is jealous about how much better the wii is doing right now, or they are just being @$$es.

If anyone agrees with the article they are stupid and fanboyish.