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Even 8 months after its launch, some people still seem convinced the Wii is just a Gamecube 1.5 with a gimmick of a Wii-mote. But the Wii is still selling faster then they can stalk the shelves with them. The Wii is a success. So, what has made it a success? The Gamecube wasn't a success, so a Gamecube 1.5 can't expect much better. Therefore, it's logical to conclude the only thing that is making the Wii a success is the Wii-mote. So, once everyone "gets over" the Wii-mote, the Wii's popularity will sharply decline, right? I don't think so. The Wii is more then just a sum of its hardware and software. Here is some of what the Wii offers on top of the Wii-mote.

It offers cheap development to developers. In an industry where development costs are sky-rocketing, the Wii comes as a relief. The Wii allows large game developers to take risks on unusual games and small developers to actually be competitive. When game development costs go up, then game developers start being careful about what they develop. If you can't guarantee a game will be a success, it's hard to justify developing it. Therefore, game designers tend to stick to tried a true game play and genres. EA is a monument to this. Every year they release the same game with a few added features and better graphics. Why? Because it makes money. They know they'll make money on it. Why take a risk? New startups will hopefully look to the Wii as well. Where PS3 and Xbox360 development costs prohibit all but the most determined (and well backed) independents from creating games, the Wii gives them a platform they can actually work with. It's cheaper to develop for, so you can take a risk and develop your wacky idea for a game and cross your fingers. You don't need great graphics to make a great game. Need proof? Look at Guitar Hero. Think about if Guitar Hero was starting development today. Which platform would look most ideal to develop for?

It drops all pretensions about what a console is and markets itself as something _fun_, no more. Look at the ads. They feature families and groups of friends having fun playing games. They don't feature creepy dolls in a room, alone with a system that looks like the monolith from 2001. People see people having fun, not some mysterious, ominous black box.

It focuses on social gaming, not loner gaming. A lot of non-gamers (and many gamers) I know see video games as loner-centric entertainment. Whether they admit it or not, they see video games as a form of lower social class entertainment. The Wii is a system that breaks through that social barrier. People who would never be caught dead saying they spent a night playing video games, are now raving about how much fun they had on the Wii. The Wii simply gives them a system they can play, without feeling like a social outcast. This is mostly due to Nintendo's EXCELLENT marketing.

The MOST important thing it offers is a company backing it, saying "we made this for you!" People feel safe buying a system - an affordable system - where they know that the company who made it wants to make you happy with games you can actually play. Their marketing campaign focuses on simple games, with families playing them (even grannies), having a ball. Not games with crazy realistic graphics set in some post-apocalyptic world where everyone is a zombie. And you know what, they follow through as well. My parents have played my Wii on more then one occasion and love it. Even my 71 yo grandma has played the Wii! (And was doing very well too.) Just imagine seeing 3 generations of your family all playing Wii Sports, it's surreal.

I hate generalizing, but most people who say the Wii-mote is just a gimmick and the Wii will fail once people realize this are missing the real picture. The Wii is more then just a Gamecube 1.5 and a Wii-mote. The Wii-mote is simply one tool of many that Nintendo has used to make the Wii a success. Would the Wii be a success without the Wii-mote? May be not. Would it be a success with ONLY the Wii-mote? Not a chance.