This was the year computer games burst out of the geek’s bedroom and into the
living room – thanks largely to the near universal appeal of the Wii
console. However, there were signs of this trend last year with the
popularity of Nintendo’s DS handheld games machine, which has gone on to
account for one-fifth of all games sold in the UK during 2007 so far,
according to Chart-Track/ELSPA, the retail researchers.
Most consoles have had family-friendly titles released for them but it has
been the Wii – with its clever motion-sensitive controller, which lets users
play virtual sports in their living room – that has converted all ages and
both genders to the pleasures of gaming. To get an idea of Nintendo’s
dominance, the latest figures show that of the big three consoles (the Wii,
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3), the Wii accounted for half
of all units sold in 2007. The total value of UK sales of the three big
consoles so far in 2007 is £722m. Meanwhile the Wii has sold out in many
shops as buyers rush to secure one for Christmas.
The reason for its success is simple: while Sony and Microsoft battled to
produce ever more powerful machines (the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively) to
create more realistic images – largely of men with guns – Nintendo swiped
the market from under their noses by creating games with broader appeal and
a big slice of fun. Yes, the Wii has more basic graphics than its peers but
the motion-sensitive controller has had the nation swiping imaginary tennis
rackets or pretending to hurl bowling balls at their television in an
entirely novel way.
Games publishers have also tried to cash in on this new-found sense of fun,
and big sales of titles such as Guitar Hero III (where gamers emulate
playing a guitar) and High School Musical: Sing It! (a gaming version of
karaoke) proved it was possible to sire a blockbuster without forcing gamers
to wield deadly weapons.
Another key trend this year has been swankier high-definition (HD) games. Of
course PCs have offered HD thrills for eons and the Xbox 360 delivered them
in 2005, but this year has seen a wider tranche of more sophisticated HD
games, at least partially because of the launch here of the PS3. Many have
proven to be merely visually polished versions of previous games, such as
the phenomenally successful Halo 3 (which made more money in its first two
days than Spider-Man 3, the biggest grossing movie of 2007, took in its
opening weekend). But the hottest titles delivered better gameplay too, with
larger worlds to explore and more believable experiences. Here’s our roll
call of the games that have surprised, excited and entertained us all this
year.
INGEAR'S GAME OF THE YEAR
Crysis
(PC) Age 16+
This was probably the most hotly awaited title of the year and for once it
lived up to expectations. You play as a US Delta Force soldier sent to an
island in the South China Sea who discovers hostile aliens. Serious gamers
know a PC can outgun any console in terms of graphics and this sci-fi
shooter delivers huge photo-realistic jungles to explore.
It features innovative weapons aplenty and even a super-powered combat suit
that provides your character with temporary physical advantages – or partial
invisibility – to liven matters further. Best of all, though, is that your
alien enemies are no dummies; just as you think you have mastered how to
take them down, things take on a whole new twist. It’s a classic, but needs
a beefy PC to do it justice. Real class.
FAMILY
It was the stream of family friendly games that truly established the Wii this
year. Though some lacked longevity, Super Mario Galaxy was packed with
innovation and quirky gameplay, proving that Nintendo’s oldest star could
still bring a smile to all ages.
Other consoles had fewer family high points, but Ratchet and Clank: Tools of
Destruction (PS3) was an epic action-packed 3-D platform game with
outstanding graphics. And the ever popular Guitar Hero III (multi-format)
upped the ante on its predecessors with better tracks and a wireless axe.
Winner: Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii) Age 7+
Mario’s evil cousin Wario is the star of this collection of simple, silly,
small games. It’s a limited challenge but there are grins aplenty as you
waggle that remote.
SPORT AND DRIVING
Once again, the two leading footie titles – Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
(multi-format) and Football Manager 2008 (PC) – showed a clean pair of heels
to their rivals. The former delivered genuine advances in gameplay while the
latter finessed its already excellent formula. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
(multi-format) remained atop the golfing leader board, with the PS3 and Xbox
360 versions finally providing a wider range of courses to match their
classy graphics. Meanwhile, the pick-up-and-play phenomenon of Virtua Tennis
3 (multi-format) served us a deeply addictive feast of on-court action.
Driving games found a new gear as well, with off-road tracks that churned up
as you sprayed realistic-looking earth around. The innovative MotorStorm
(PS3) pitted cars, bikes or monster trucks against one another in a heady
blend of heart-stopping carnage. Serious car fans preferred the more gritty
delights of Colin McRae: DiRT (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) and this edition of the
popular rally-based series delivered a variety of off-road motor sports for
the first time. An epic long-term challenge.
Winner: Project
Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360) Age 3+
Previous instalments of this game gave tantalising tastes of the joys of
blazing through the streets of ultra-realistic cities such as London in a
millionaire’s supercar, but PGR4 nailed it. The year’s most visceral thrill
ride.
ACTION
The 3-D run-and-gun genre has had its finest ever year. For example, Crackdown
(Xbox 360), with its combination of comic-book capers and a city-sized
sandpit to roam in, was a game whose charms grew on you the more time you
spent on it.
Another title that became better with repeated play was Call of Duty 4
(multi-format). At first it felt like a mistake to reset this classic second
world war series in the modern era. However, it eventually proved to be the
most accomplished shoot ’em up released this year and the online mode was
simply unmissable.
Winner: Half-Life
2: The Orange Box (multi-format) Age 15+
For sheer value alone the Orange Box anthology was unrivalled. It gave console
owners a first taste of the awesome Half-Life 2 saga (which had previously
been purely PC-based) and also included a wickedly enjoyable online-only
shooter and a clever 3-D puzzle game.
ADVENTURE AND STRATEGY
In adventure games, you must explore complex fantasy worlds while slowly
acquiring skills or powers. Many titles are online only and the best known
of this genre is World of Warcraft, which released a brilliant expansion
pack called The Burning Crusade (PC) in 2007. This added yet more depth to
the most popular online role-playing game in the world.
That said, The Lord of the Rings Online (PC) proved easier to embrace, looked
more polished, and brought the charms of Tolkien’s world to newcomers and
hardened veterans alike. A deeply satisfying offline fantasy adventure was
Okami (PS2), which delivered gorgeous hand-painted visuals to the old Sony
warhorse.
Strategy titles rely on a player’s decision-making to create new civilisations
or command armies and have traditionally forgone snazzy graphics. In recent
years, the genre has grown complex and arcane but Command & Conquer 3
(PC) stripped out all the confusion to return this popular series to its
action-packed roots.
Winner: World in Conflict (PC) Age 16+
Fiendishly addictive strategy war game, set in the 1980s, that offers a clever
“Russia invades America” plot along with classy graphics and gameplay that’s
accessible yet sophisticated.
HANDHELD
Despite a cosmetic redesign, Sony’s PSP console suffered a dearth of titles
that transferred well from a full-sized television screen or PC monitor to
the more compact handheld format. An exception was Ratchet and Clank: Size
Matters (PSP), which was as playable as on a full-sized console.
Meanwhile, Nintendo continued to release a series of mainstream classics that
felt tailor-made for its low-powered DS machine. The cerebral could continue
developing mental prowess with More Brain Training (DS) – a further dose of
puzzles from Dr Kawashima. Or you could help the quirky Elite Beat Agents
(DS) save the world by dancing to a range of poptastic hits as you tapped
the screen in time to the music. A guilty pleasure.
Winner: The
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) Age 7+
Hours of the epic adventure series squeezed onto a handheld without the loss
of any soul. The graphics are modest but the controls are a lesson in
playability. The DS’s finest hour.
The problem with reporting on the Wii uncritically is that it misleads your readers. The Wii has sold - and is selling - extremely well. No argument.
But Wii games made by 3rd party developers are not selling all that well. Most purchasers of the Wii will buy the console and will play Wii Sports - as it bundled with the Wii - and that will be that. The Wii is entertaining, yes, but the value the console provides over time is less than the value its competitors provide.
We bought both a 360 and a Wii last year. The Wii was very entertaining over the Xmas Holidays in 2006 and we've purchased about 5 more games for it. But it's the 360 that has my son dancing to DD Revolution, the whole family wailing away on Guitar Hero III and which convinced us to buy a HDTV. Longterm, the 360 provided far greater value.
We're not alone. The "attach rate", the number of games that a console owner purchases on average for their console system, is highest - by a lot - for the XBox 360.
Robert Trifts, Toronto, Canada
Crysis is undoubtedly the best single-player shooter of the year, and Team Fortress 2's online multiplayer combat makes the Orange Box sensational value - but CoD4 is hardly a game at all, it's so prescriptive: It's more like a presentation where interactivity is limited to selecting the next slide!
Mikey, Bromley, Kent
I bought into the hype of a Wii a few months ago and after a few days of playing it my Missus & I haven't touched the damn thing. Complete waste of money for what is essntially a gimic. It doesn't highten my gaming enjoyment in any way and if anything it just negates the HD-TV i went out and bought. If we had young children i'm sure they'd love it but not for me. It's a toy.
John, Shenfield,
I'm kind of surprised that DiRT was listed as the only "serious" title for racing fans in lieu of Forza 2. I really love PGR4 (which makes it a shame that it apparently just plain bombed), but Forza 2 takes that for me.
Tony, Chicago, IL
Joe, you don't see the real situation worldwide I'm a harcore gamer too!!
I have Wii and Pc to play my favorite games (COD4), but I don't feel "THE INMERSION" in Pc games even the gorgeous graphics (better than Xbox360 or Ps3) that I feel on Wii (wherever kids or adult gamers).
The graphics of Wii games will be improve when the developers learn the console tech curve (second generation of games); for example Resident Evil:UC, Enless Ocean and Cabela's Big Game Hunter are games with gorgeous graphics (check).
The perfect choice (a console with gorgeous graphics and good game play inmersion at low price). The third party titles with notorious increase sales.
I sure without doubt that Wii will be the WINNER OF THIS CONSOLE WAR and the gamers masses agree with me.
Axl, London,
Joe, you dont understand that Wii has changed the definition of a gamer. The earlier definition was a couch potato cut off from the world sitting in front of a screen and pressing buttons. Now the word is interactivity and fun and it is sad but true, the classical gamers are a minority now and will continue to shrink.
NK, Glendale, USA
I am so tired of people slurping the WII and saying it's beating the 360 and PS3. The success of the WII can't be denied but it's not taking market share from the 360 and PS3. The Wii is taking market share from other "kids" toys like legos. My cousin bought one for his kids. Their ages? 3 and 5. Would he have bought them a 360 or a ps3? Don't be daft. Yes the Wii is great but it's not denting the sales of the 360 or ps3 in the slightest. I am an advid gamer and I don't have a single friend interested in the Wii. I have talked to a myriad of people who have bought the wii. Who are they? NON GAMERS!! They haven't played a sytem since the original NES and/or they are buying it for young kids that are under the age of 8. Not the market that the ps1, ps2, and xbox tapped, nor the market the 360 and ps3 are selling to. For the last time people the Wii is not affecting the sales of microsoft or sony.
Joe, Nashville,
To list Crysis is to show one's detachment from the gaming world, Crysis is a poor game, a graphically great title, but absolutely awful as a game to play. One may as well said Jericho, it was an equally awaited but just as awful game. The Orange Box, Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3 are the only truly great innovative titles this year, one of those should be the big title, definitely not Crysis.
Nel, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Of course we all think that Wii is a highly entertaining game console but people must be warned not to play the computer games WILLY NILLY because one can so easily get oneself injured as well as causing a lot of damage. It is by no means uncommon for people to play until the wee hours at night. People should also be warned about getting addicted to playing and BUYING new games which can cause up to £40 each title ,surely a wee bit expensive . Sometimes the games can be so exciting that people can go on playing for hours without going for a wee(another health hazard!). Also by now a lot of poor parents must have become weary of trying to get hold of one in time for christmas for their children.
Wing, Poole, UK