Long Live the Wii...But Not Really

by Kimiya Aframian and Michael Vigman“We will break down that wall that separates videogame players from everybody else,” Nintendo said in a 2006 statement. The Wii, a storied device, unique in its heyday and now just the neglected brainchild of the world-renowned Nintendo company. Devoid of any support from the gaming community, it is merely the remnant of a revolution to physically engage gamers in their pixelated worlds. Nintendo has since had to bury its own creation. But sadly, who even took note? That’s right. No one. Let us pay our respects to the console that kept kids entertained for hours and forced gamers to play using their entire bodies, not just their hands. The Wii brought gamers to the brink of the next major breakthrough since the portability of the Nintendo DS, human movements were being translated to the screen in real time. Now, gamers hardly flinch at the mention of the Wii, with some even cringing at its childish nature. We have forsaken the entertainment system that helped a whole generation and countless rival siblings determine who reigned supreme at virtual sports. Why don’t we argue about who is the best at Wii Tennis? And why can’t we brawl with our bros in “Super Smash Bros”? The hope for a new Wii game for the holidays is out the window...forever. Although there were dozens of red flags hinting at the end of the Wii, such as the obvious decline in its popularity, the complete discontinuation seems surreal. When the Wii was first available to consumers in 2006, it was seen as the “next big thing” in the gaming industry. As of 2018, Wii’s motion control abilities are commonplace and VR (virtual reality) is the latest fad in the gaming world, working even harder to immerse players in their fictional universes. Simply put, the Wii couldn’t maintain its technological edge and fell to its own demise due to stagnancy. The Wii urged consumers to buy not only annual reiterations of their games, but also the accessories required to play. For example, every year there was an entirely new “Just Dance” game and in order to play “Guitar Hero”, one needed to buy the game itself, as well as the guitar, drums, microphone and bass. This could add up to hundreds of dollars and was consistently the crème de la crème of holiday gifts. Our old friend, the Wii, will be missed by I-Gens obsessed with making Miis of themselves. It completely played into our generation and will be remembered on various memes due to its recognizable theme song. Long live the Wii, but not really.