Once again, Wii Sports is the media darling of the mainstream press. Time is as big as they come. But Game of the Year? Many of us may disagree. As hardened, totally awesome gamers, we've come to expect grand adventures, interesting characters, nail-biting action sequences, and wonderfully infuriating logic puzzles. (And if you were wondering, dear readers, our own game of the year award goes to Twilight Princess, naturally.) But totally awesome gamers do not run Time, and thus, we don't think they really care about such nonsense.
Still, stepping off our pedestal for a moment, Wii Sports has brought more new and lapsed gamers to the screen than any game since Super Mario Bros. Having fun with friends and family; is this not the point of gaming in general? It's an interesting question, and one akin to comparing Old School with American Beauty. One may have been an inspiring, cinematic masterpiece, but which did you have more fun watching? Which do you guys think deserves the award?
[via Joystiq]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-02-2007 @ 5:41PM
citizen said...
Well that's good news. If Time didn't pick Wii Sports it wouldn't be doing it's job sucking the American public's pen**. ;)
Seriously though... I really agree with this. Christmas day we had dinner with our neighbors. Not only did they have a Wii but an aunt there owned a Wii too. When we played Wii Sports there was a room full of 10 adults, 23-65, taking turns to play.
Never have I seen grown-retired ppl give this much praise to a game at all, wow.
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1-02-2007 @ 7:27PM
Frank Tinsley said...
If the Game of the Year is supposed to be the one that exerted the most momentous impact on the industry as a whole for that year I would also have to give it to Wii Sports. It actually IS changing things.
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1-02-2007 @ 8:03PM
Matt said...
Personally, I don't think Wii Sports should be the game of the year. I think the Wii itself demands it more so. However, it is the games that make the system. Wii Sports is extremely popular and it was only meant to be more of a technical demonstration of the potential and possiblities that companies have yet to explore and fully take advantage of. Nintendo truly has something special and revolutionary on their hands. I guess when you look back on the past year, then Wii Sports really stands out among the standard fare.
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1-03-2007 @ 8:40AM
Steve G said...
I didn't think about Wii Sports as game of the year until I read the headline for this entry, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense.
This year an incredible thing happened. The audience for gaming grew. I saw it happen in my own home and other homes I visited for the holidays when I brought my Wii over. My mother-in-law spent her birthday with her two daughters over at my house playing Wii Sports for over 7 hours strait. My own mother who fails to grasp video games much like a dog fails to grasp TV shows was making sure the kids didn't skip her turn while she was preparing Christmas dinner. (P.S. I've been told not to come over for Sunday dinners anymore without bringing it!)
Likely those who think "Game of the Year" should be given to a more 'traditional' game with an epic storyline, cutting edge graphics or a higher production value is seeing things from only the old point of view. While you and I might make up the 'old guard' of video gaming, the times are changing and we're not the only ones playing at the moment. I'd bet most of the 'new comers' to gaming are here for the Wii, and with it the only truly great 'party game' out for it, Wii Sports.
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1-05-2007 @ 9:09AM
Stephen said...
Well, I agree entirely that Wii Sports is the game of the year.
I'm 35 and have been playing video games for over 27 years. That being said, I have not owned a console since the Colecovision in 1982 (~25 years ago). I have been a die-hard 'computer' gamer (C64/128/Amiga and finally PC) since the Colecovision.
That changed, though, when my nephew brought his Wii over on Christmas day. I played a console and actually enjoyed it. Later in the week, I stopped by a local Target store and there was a single Wii in the display case. I bought it and have logged at least 30 hours of play on it in my one week of ownership (I was on vacation from work). The only game I own is Wii Sports.
Sorry for blathering, but I just wanted to share my experience.
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