Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2007 > January > 29 > Entry
Catching up: Wii sales, ‘Super Columbine Massacre,’ ‘WarioWare
Wii demand and sales have been on my mind lately for a story that I’m working on (a not-yet-finished version popped up on this site yesterday; oops, sorry about that). I spent Saturday night around midnight at a South Austin Wal-Mart where customers lined up at the side of the building waiting to purchase one of Nintendo’s wonderboxes. 16 units arrived, more than was expected, and nearly everyone in line went home happy.
Most people I talked to said they were long-time Nintendo fans, having grown up in the world of Mario, Link and Donkey Kong, and had tried multiple times to find Wiis available in stores.
The New York Times writes about the controversy over the “Super Columbine Massacre” video game. I haven’t played it and am not quite sure what I think about the idea itself, but I expect and hope that the knee-jerk reaction that any game about a national tragedy is in poor taste simply because it is an interactive experience will fall by the wayside. As game design continues to strive toward art, it must be allowed to deal in controversial subject matter (even if it does so badly) if the industry is to evolve.
Only the most uninformed of critics would argue that video games are a kids’ medium these days. The irony of the game’s creator receiving death threats from those outraged by the game’s premise should not be lost on us.
Got a chance to play “WarioWare: Smooth Moves” for the Wii and while it doesn’t revolutionize the formula for the ADD-flavored “WarioWare” series, it’s an awful lot of fun to play and lends itself to gaming in short bursts.
It makes excellent use of the Wiimote, but the quick nature of the game and sometimes confusing mini-games might be a little overwhelming for those who haven’t played a “WarioWare” game before.
In other words, if you’re going to sit your parents down in front of the game, you might want to stick around and babysit a bit so they don’t get too frustrated and cry.
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