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A few years back, Pramod was so impressed with Super Monkey Balls 1 and 2 that he bought a GameCube, so naturally I had to show him the Wii iteration of the franchise. Pramod didn't have much to say about the game itself, because he's already experienced it. "[When Super Monkey Ball] came it was spectacular and revolutionary. Because the revolution was already understood, here on Wii, it doesn't bring any new spectacle on that. In fact, when I saw the graphics on the first one, I was very impressed at the time. But here, there was nothing too spectacular about that because expectations were already set."The main difference between then and now is the control. I would wager that Pramod played through and completed more levels in Banana Blitz than in the GameCube games. "It was easier to play for a guy like me just because you can turn. For new people, I feel [this one] would be easier." The same could be applied to Tony Hawk Downhill Jam, where Pramod was intent on learning how to stay on the course simply because the control was easy to understand.
When I brought up Rayman, Pramod began to laugh, describing it as "the cool one." Rayman is very much about reaction and hand-eye coordination, and Pramod saw this as the main draw to the game. "I think it has good value, even for old people to keep their brain sharp. If old people start playing these games, they'll live a few years longer." He pointed out that the controller is what would open up gaming to older audiences, that previous controllers don't have immediate appeal.
Of all the games that we played, perhaps the one that left the greatest impression on Pramod was Trauma Center. It's a great example of the potential to blend learning with fun gameplay. "[Trauma Center] may not be educational, but it is a step towards developing educational systems. This can be refined further to make close to real life scenarios. It's going in that direction, but it will improve over time and become very realistic – that is my hope."
After his first Wii experience, Pramod began to see how Wii can expand gaming as a whole. "[Nintendo has] opened a new dimension to video gaming, a totally new dimension that possibly others may have thought about, but they were behind. Nintendo has come to the forefront on the sensing side. As a result, very useful and practical applications can be built." He then examined the versatility of the Wii Remote and how people could learn how to drive or pilot an airplane without the need for expensive peripherals.
The pointer technology that the Wii utilises isn't new, but coupling it with motion sensing, and bringing them to the masses is where Pramod feels the revolution is taking place. "The revolutionary [step] is the gyroscopic sensing, meaning how my hands are moving, etc. Full three-dimensional movement, how they've captured it is revolutionary. That which could have been expected in a very high-end scientific instrument is coming into this cheap device. I think that's [the Wii's] primary revolution. To have such a thing in something ordinary, now people can develop all kinds of applications that were not thought of before."
Pramod further emphasizes this point when we talked about graphics on the Wii. "There is nothing new. They haven't introduced anything new in my opinion." His amazement with Super Monkey Ball came up again when he stated that visually, nothing that he saw impressed him. "The remote is the primary thing that killed everything – killed in a positive way. It's the killer ap or killer invention. [Nintendo] deserves some kudos for that. They were in the forefront of developing gaming anyway. Others were copiers in a sense. I'm happy for them to at least be not taken over by large conglomerate companies that want to be everything. It is commendable what they came up with to survive."
You can't talk about Wii and not bring up the price point. Pramod did exclaim that game prices in the $50-$60 range was probably too high, but he did explain that it's fair that developers get what they put into their products. With the Wii itself, he felt that the price point for the system was fair and offered good value. "If people were to play in a controlled amount, and let us say that there was a way to actually gain a certain level of physical activity – at least for the hand – mind-body coordination, etc... If they were to play for one hour a day or something like that, I think it has value."
The benefits, he believes, can go beyond simple entertainment and physical activity. "Similarly, it can also increase people's IQ, possibly – strengthen the mind, it may stop from degeneration. I do not discount its value at keeping the mind alert. On the other hand, it depends on what kinds of games are developed. If the games help you enhance your memory, or at least stop the degeneration of the brain, and if on top of that, it were informative, if it can somehow make you learn something new and useful for life other than just to have fun, then I think it could have a great future."
A dash of learning in games would make Pramod happy
Does Pramod see a Wii creeping into his home? "For my children, I would not mind having one." I asked if he himself would enjoy what the Wii has to offer. Pramod stuck to his original thought of creating rather than playing. "When do I find time? If I had time, I would love to develop educational [software] on this, if I had a way. This tiny box, people can carry in their bag, and let us say there's a flattop monitor, I could take it to third world countries with educational, game-looking things. It would be worth it. People can learn while doing something exciting. But I don't know if such a thing would happen."
The whole point of games is to have fun, so I wanted to know if Pramod had fun throughout this process. Enthusiastically, he says that he had a good time trying out Wii. He would probably recommend the system to those who can afford it. "I would say that even older people should be doing this because they have lots of time at hand." After laughing, he adds, "it's something they couldn't have done before." Pramod still hopes to see the educational value of Wii. "They had done entertainment value until now. They have brought a bit of physical value. If they can bring true educational value on top of that, that day I'll recommend fully."
