Not that all sequels aren't worth playing. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was incredible even though it was just like the last two games only bigger. I can't wait for God of War 2 even though I know it's going to be just like the first one. Guitar Hero 2 will be the same as Guitar Hero only with new songs and Co-op. Sequels aren’t always a bad thing. But Mario Party 7? Winning Eleven 9? Madden number whatever? The problem comes when developers fall back on sequels because they’re safe. Little risk, and little innovation.

Which brings me to the Wii. I know the idea of motion control & pointing at the screen is nothing new. I played with the Power Glove, the U-force, eye toy and too many light guns to count. But there's a major difference. For the first time a company has released this niche controller as their primary controller, which is huge. When a company releases a different controller (light gun, arcade stick, guitar, camera, etc) there's only one or two games that support it, because the consumer has to buy a controller and game, which barely anyone does. Most people don't even buy an extra regular controller.

But Nintendo is releasing the Wii-mote as their primary. That means just about every game that gets released for the Wii will use the remote. Publishers are forced to think outside of their boxes and find new and exciting ways to take advantage of the remote. Does this mean there won’t be as many games for the Wii as other systems? Probably. But we all know that quantity does not equal quality. I’d rather play 10 really good games than 100 mediocre ones.

The Wii, for the first time in years, has given me such a fresh new way to play games that I'm reminded of why I fell in love with them in the first place. Because they’re fun. Because inside the game I control the universe. And that control just became a little more intuitive, a little more hands-on, a little more… personal.

People that don’t play games rarely understand why the rest of us do. It’s the difference between passive and active. They watch the TV, I control it. It’s up to me to rescue the princess, win the big game, destroy my mortal enemy, or save the entire planet. And it feels that much better to move your arm and watch your character swing his racket, aim a bow and arrow, or cast a fishing line.

Not that it’s perfect. The controls do need some work and Nintendo originally said the controller could determine your position in space via the controller, and that’s no longer true. It can detect the speed you move, where you move, and pointing at the screen. But it’s no less impressive to me and it will only get better closer to launch day.

I honestly hope that this system will change the direction the videogame industry is currently going in. Even if it’s not the top console it already has people talking, wondering out loud about how all of the games out nowadays are just re-hashes of stagnant ideas. Not that it’s horrible out there. There are a ton of games worth playing to us gamers. But the Wii wants to get everyone playing. I really respect that.

They need to ensure they make games that appeal to all levels of gamers. They've proven at E3 that they can make social, easy games. But us hardcore players are going to need something stronger. A 20-30 hour game can't just rely on a simple gimmick or two. It remains to be seen in deep gameplay can exist on the system.

No one knows if they’ll be successful. Ten minutes into playing we may decide that it’s a gimmick, it’s not precise enough, and put it down wondering how in the hell Nintendo released the thing. I hope it’s not the case but it’s certainly possible.

This isn't fanboy love, I appreciate a company that's willing to try something different. If they deserve to succeed, they will. It's up to them.

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