Nintendo Wii Fanboy

How do you feel about buying used games? We've found there's actually quite a split amongst gamers: some folks just don't buy used games from stores (but will buy them from individuals), some won't buy them at all, while others never seem to pick up anything new. Of course, that last could be due to levels of poorness, but we won't go into that.

After some of the responses to yesterday's morning question, we thought it might be time to revisit something we've asked before: how many Wii games have you purchased? If you include renting and borrowing, how many have you played? Of course, this leads us to also ask ... how many "big" games (defined as you like) do you want to see Nintendo releasing for the Wii in a year's time? How many would you like to see released each month? Or, let's try it this way: if new Zelda, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Metroid (we'll include Samus for the hell of it) and Mario games were all released within six months of one another, along with, let's say, a Kid Icarus game, would you buy them all (assuming you enjoy all those franchises)? What if, in that same period, we also saw games like Fatal Frame IV, Madworld, The Conduit, Samba de Amigo, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Dead Rising, and more, would you get them all? Right away? Or would it take you more than six months to accumulate the funds (and time) to play them all? Feel free to substitute with games you prefer if these aren't to your taste.

Of course, this isn't even considering WiiWare and Virtual Console releases.

There are some games that we'll buy without a second thought. Even if times are tight, we'll make sure they end up in our collection somehow. Games cost money, though, and since we're not rich, we just can't buy them all. Therefore, we sometimes waiver over a game, or two, or ten.

Which present and future Wii titles are you on the fence about? Feel free to include Wii Ware and Virtual Console games. If there's something you can't decide whether or not to buy, let us know!

Yesterday, we discussed what other games you might be interested in, but today we thought we'd get back to one of the heavy hitters -- specifically, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. We know a lot of people are disappointed with some of the development decisions (like no online multiplayer), while others are excited for this game like no other. Where do you fall in the spectrum? Do you think this is a purchase for you, or perhaps a rental ... or might you skip it altogether?

Console games, at fifty or even sixty dollars, represent a very significant purchase for many of us. And yet, many if not most gamers seem to have a tendency to pick up games on day one, without so much as a rental or demo to validate their purchase. They read the previews and look at composite scores, and then essentially gamble that they'll enjoy whatever title they've purchased.

True, there are reviewers with whom people generally tend to agree. But how do you guys make your decisions, if not with a trial run first? Do you trust a specific company to deliver quality, or believe that a sequel to your favorite franchise will do justice to the series? Will you not purchase a game you were looking forward to if the game receives lower-than-expected ratings, such as the recent Sonic and the Secret Rings? Come one, come all, to the comments section! Right this way ....

We here at the Fanboy highly doubt that any of you have escaped the "Old People" phenomenon, by which Luddites of various ages, locked into their ways, miraculously pick up a Wiimote and slug it out in Wii Bowling. Many are so enthusiastic that they inquire as to the availability (answer: no) and price of this wonderous machine. But, in truth, how many are actually going to purchase one? Many with whom we've spoken have enjoyed the Wii, but still have difficulty fathoming a lifestyle in which the games are played so often as to warrant a 250 dollar purchase. What percent of Wii units sold will eventually go to this demographic, and is it large enough to push Nintendo to first place?