It looked sort of fun during Nintendo’s media briefing – I’ll give it that. However, beyond the initial appeal, when you actually think about the nature of the Wii Music, you’re bound to run into the same roadblock many of us encountered; this isn’t actually a game. This thought was later confirmed when our Nintendo rep basically stated what many of us were thinking; it’s not so much of a challenge as it as an activity. There is no note-tracking and no means of failure. You’re there to play music with your friends through a harmonizing collection of different instruments. It’s overly simply and challenges-less by design, not unlike plopping down with a Casio and screwing around with different settings on the keyboard. Though, like anything else, even the most mundane and boring activity is infinitely more enjoyable when you’ve got some friends along for the ride.
And I think that’s the point. Nintendo is heavily stressing the social aspects of Wii Music. They’re pointing out that you’ll be able to save and record your performances and send them to people with whom you’ve exchanged friend codes. I fail to see how that is appealing (and further exemplifies Nintendo’s clueless approach toward infrastructure), but you know what? I think people are going to love it. Wii’s install base is so large and Nintendo’s first party reach is so vast that I’m sure people will clear these off store shelves in nano-seconds. It flows right in line with Wii’s anyone-can-play motto; you don’t need hand eye coordination or a ton of plastic instruments cluttering your living room. All that’s required is a desire to create faux music with your friends, not unlike playing fake sports or losing fake weight. Critics will hate it and declare it another stake in the classic gamer’s hearts, but I’m pretty sure that suits Nintendo just fine. It’s going to sell well and the general public, regardless of whether or not they know any better, will probably love every second.
