Game Industry Insiders Prefer Wii

In honor/celebration/what-have-you about the PSWii launches this weekend, Gamasutra.com has a new piece up where they ask a bunch of industry insiders a simple question: Would you buy a PS3? Or a Nintendo Wii?

It seems that the majority professed an overwhelming preference for Nintendo's shiny new box:

If I decide to buy any next-gen console this holiday season, it will more than likely be the Nintendo Wii. Even as "justified" as publishers have become in basing higher game prices on rising development costs, they fail to realize games are now becoming far from impulse buy decisions. For those of us who are becoming increasingly more jaded by the lack of creativity in a lot of areas in the games industry, making game purchases comes down to heavy research, and a highly critical pick-and-choose attitude when it comes to selecting which games we will purchase. So far I am nowhere near impressed with the launch line-up of either the 360 or the PS3, both of which are mainly rehash EA Sports titles, games already released elsewhere just now with improved graphics, with barely any of the ones not falling into those categories presenting themselves as "I must play this or I will die" category.

I am increasingly wary of what is seemingly a more hardware-centric focus than a game-centric one. I haven't kept up with the various cost related information regarding these systems, but they are increasingly lowering my sense of more-bang-for-my-buck, as there seems to be inclusion of a lot of non-essential elements that have no "true" connection to a great gaming experience. All the bells and whistles are nice and all, but ultimately you can create a great and unique play experience without them, which usually leaves me priced out given there are only a few games I might marginally enjoy, among the even fewer amount of titles I feel I just have to have (which, unfortunately for them, and me, usually don't come out at launch anyway).

However, there was still some support for Sony's beleagured PS3:

"I'm planning on buying a PlayStation 3, provided i can find one, or rather when I find one on a shelf somewhere. My decision is based on overall technological supremacy. This will be the top of the line console. And who other to pull it off than Sony?"

"I've pre-ordered a PS3 through Toys R Us. My decision to go with Sony is based on their content (God of War, SOCOM, Gran Turismo, MGS, etc.), and the Blu-Ray player. The Wii looks great and it's something that I want to purchase for myself at a later date. However, I'm going to try to get one for my nephews for Christmas without pre-ordering (dreaming in Technicolor)."

And then there were those that didn't care to choose either one:

"Neither, I'm happy with my 360. The supposed benefit of a Blu-Ray player in the PS3 isn't enough to make me break the bank to buy it. And despite the weak graphics and lack of HD support, I was tempted to buy the Wii. But then Nintendo packed in a game I didn't want and vied to charge me fifty bucks for it. I've already bought the 360, and there's more games for it than I have time to play, so getting another system would just be gluttonous."

"No, I am not buying either of them. I am a PC gamer and I buy consoles only when they have a solid catalog of games. I bought the PS2 and the Cube in the last year."

As the console war starts to get into full gear, it'll be interesting to see how these change. The high price is frequently mentioned as a huge ding against the PS3, while ease of programming and games that are fun and accessible (with a comparatively low price point) seem to be the most commonly quoted advantages of the Wii.

It's worth a read, so check it out!