Bill Gates Says Boo to the Wii

Bill Gates told MTV that he doesn’t see the future of video games going down the path of the motion-sensitive Wii controller.

“There’s room for innovation here, but moving that controller around– it’s something that’s not mainstream for most games. It’s tough because sometimes you move the controller, and you don’t [mean] to fly into the ground, you just want to put the controller down,” Gates said. “People aren’t that good at totally standing still. Even pilots actually sit in a chair when they do their flying. So there’s a lot to be learned about these controllers.”

In Gates’ opinion, online gaming is the true future of gaming innovation, stating that “most of gaming, particularly as we draw in both men and women and people of all ages, most of it is going to be social.”

I think Gates has this idea that “social” can only be achieved through the Internet. From what I’ve seen of the Wii, it looks more social than anything else. The kind of social that involves actually being around other people, rather than only text messaging them.

I think there’s a lot of room for both aspects of social gaming. For me, because I live so far from most of my friends, online gaming gives me a chance not to feel so far away from them. But, games that revolve around playing with a group of people have saved me from being really bored at parties here (where I didn’t understand most of the conversation).

So, I’m glad that Gates and Co. don’t have plans to steal Nintendo’s ideas. Microsoft should do its thing, and Nintendo should do its thing. We’ll find ways to benefit from their ideas one way or another.

Gates’ may have a low opinion of the Wii, but for me, there’s no question whether or not to get one. It’s going to be affordable and different. In my opinion, that’s the true innovation.

(source)