We brought a Nintendo Wii to the office a few weeks ago and lunch breaks have never been the same! Bowling high score is a 205, though I seem to be averaging about 170. I'm really enjoying the Wii Sports Golf game too and can't wait for the Tiger Woods '07 to come out in a few weeks. Seems like I never have time to get out for golf since I started my own business, now I can hit the links over lunch.
Honestly I laughed at the Wii when I heard about it because I was a hard-core XBox 360 fan. But the Wii is just fun! Get one for your office and get out of your chair for an hour!
We had a full house at Biscardi Creative on Monday with Graphic Artist Brian Mead working with me on a Good Eats Animation and Producer Cindy Beckler in working with Producer / Editor Cheryl Collins along with our 2nd editor Aaron Stewart. So what do you do at lunch time? Fire up the bowling lanes on Wii of course!
So here's Brian taking a shot with Cheryl looking on next to the Coke Machine. I think it was a strike.
I'm demonstrating to Brian and Cindy the proper bowling technique. With form like that, of course I threw a strike!
Have to say I'm really enjoying this title, though the controls are a bit wonky at times. At times the character will follow through and hit the ball while I'm still on the backswing. Definitely a very big challenge when trying to hold back some power on a swing when you need to lay off.
Aiming controls are the hardest over the '06 XBox 360 version. With the older version you would simply re-aim anywhere on the course and the game would keep switching your clubs out. With the '07 Wii version, you can only aim so far and then the aiming will stop unless you switch the club manually. Kind of tough to get used to, but I'm not doing too bad with it.
So far a round of 5 over is my best, but i've only played three full rounds so far. Way too busy for the moment to play. But hopefully that will change soon!
I have to say I'm really enjoying playing games much more than I ever have before. My nephew killed his father and myself in bowling the other day with a 232 and a 180 in successive games. Did I mention he's 7? This is what I really love about this system, it brings the entire family together and we can all have fun and compete on the same level.
Now that being said, I just saw a review for an upcoming Godfather game on the Wii. Want to slap the bad guy around, well just start slapping him as if he's really standing there. Choke hold? Bring the nunchuck and controller together to "choke" him. Punch the baddie? Go ahead, punch him! Now THIS is going to be fun. I'll be a "made man" just like previous generations of my family!
You know, I remember back 15 years ago, when people first started complaining about "Nintendo thumb" from too much time using gamepads. It sounds like now, we're going to be getting "Tennis Elbow" and a host of other sports injuries now from playing Wii. Now, you too can get tennis elbow without a membership at any kind of a fancy club - "Tennis Elbow" available now on Wii, in the comfort of your own living room. Ain't technology fun?
Eric Bliss
Ok, so we've had the Wii, what 3 weeks now, and so far I've managed to really hurt my lower back, strain my shoulder, bash my hand (against the wall, didn't leave enough room for the backswing) and injure my upper arms.
I think the Wii needs to come with a warm up and stretching video!
Walter
I would not be surprised if some sort of Star Wars / Jedi Knight game comes out because a sword fighting game was the big launch item.
The off-road Xcite Truck game is pretty wild because you hold the controller sideways and drive kind of like a steering wheel. Tilt the controller back when doing a jump to really get high, then ease it back forward to land on all four wheels to get maximum speed. Very cool.
I'm just loving the fact that when we have some renders, the Wii allows me to stand up and play rather than just go from sitting at my computer editing to sitting on couch playing a game. It's nice to get up and play.
I'm an XBox 360 fan as well - XBox 1 was actually the first game CONSOLE I ever got - well, except for PONG (Yes, at 29 this does mean I've been a gamer my whole life) - I always preferred the functionality of a complete computer - flight sims use WAY more than the number of buttons available on a control pad. I have to say though that I will probably end up getting a Wii by summer. Heck, even my Dad is thinking about getting one - and this would be his first console since that Pong system I mentioned earlier. Nintendo actually made a pretty brilliant move here. Rather than trying to compete for the high-end graphics crowd, and making the console cost a fortune, they have the cheapest console in it's generation - but the most revolutionarily fun interface. People are tired of button-mashing. On the other hand, I've got a friend who can't wait to get into some sword and shield combat in the new Legend of Zelda game. The beauty of the Wii is that you're rather unlikely to buy both an XBox 360 and a PS3, because each of them costs so much - but after shelling out the big bucks on either of those, what's 200 bucks to play around with a game system that essentially puts you INSIDE the game?
Just let me know as soon as they come out with a new Jedi Knight game for the Wii, and I'll own one by the weekend...
Eric Bliss
Professional Video Editor, Producer, Director since 1990.
Credits include multiple Emmys, Tellys, Aurora and CableAce Awards.
Owner / Operator of Biscardi Creative Media, a full service video and film production company with about 65% of our work in HDTV. The show you know us best for is "Good Eats" on the Food Network for which we create all the animations and perform all HD Post.
Favorite pastime is cooking with pizza on the grill one of my specialties. Each Christmas Eve we serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian seafood meal with approx. 30 items on the menu.
If I wasn't in video production I would either own a restaurant or a movie theater.
So here's Brian taking a shot with Cheryl looking on next to the Coke Machine. I think it was a strike.
I'm demonstrating to Brian and Cindy the proper bowling technique. With form like that, of course I threw a strike! 
