The Gimmick Pattern

[Tolerant Fanboy]

I will preface this with an admission: I am an unabashed Mac and Nintendo fanboy. As such, I see a fairly common pattern when one of my beloved companies announces a piece of unconventional hardware. After it is announced, detractors will insult and mock it for its perceived uselessness and gimmickry, only to be dumbfounded as it proves to be wildly, inexplicably popular, often because of consumers who are far less technically inclined than these critics. The early adopters are dismissed, the dismissive groups taking a "geekier than thou" stance on the matter as they continue to mock the product. Meanwhile, the product's success continues regardless. When the next bit of innovative silicon comes out, it's lather, rinse, repeat.

I do not deny that these experimental ventures do not always pan out. No one need cite the Virtual Boy, I assure you. However, it seems as though no one recalls the previous iteration of this cycle when the time comes to lay scorn on a new device.

My question to you, my fellow Escapists, is why does this happen?

 

[Knight of Cydonia]

Well, these companies are so successful that people have to criticize what they make so they don't become even more rich and rule the world!

 

[ShakesZX]

I think, first of all, that you are being a little blinded by your admonition. This is a trend that happens to all new hardware. People from the opposing side will always take jabs at it and try to invalidate it before it has been properly field tested. This has happened not just with the iPhone and Wii (which i am assuming are the 2 most recent instances you are using), but has also been applied to both Project Natal and whatever dual stick motion control scheme Sony has.

OT: It happens mainly because the opposing market space is trying to preemptively demotivate people from buying their competitor's products.

 

[Uber Waddles]

What is this, a "hahahahahaha, Im right your not" kind of thread meant to boost your epenis?

First, lets tackle the Wii. Yes, the Wii is selling. And so is the DS for that matter. But there selling because of gimmicks kids want, and old people. Nintendo found a demographic people dont aim for, and got it successfully.

If you want to talk on a games standpoint; the Wii has pretty much released flashier versions of their old games. Woot, another Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Smash Bros game, the difference being so minute its borderline re-hashed. If your looking past Nintendos usual, they have nothing. So yes, they are selling well. But you dont have the quality of games PC users, or 360/PS3 Owners have.

The reason why is, while its a handy toy; its a pain to develop for. Expensive too. And the controls ARENT that great; most are choppy at best; buggy at worst.

As for Macs, the iPad isnt selling THAT greatly. No where near as good as the iPod Touch; which I will admit is good. No one insults iTunes or iPods cause THEY DO IT RIGHT. Their computers are good for hippy dorm kids in college, but outside of that, there just a fad. I would take my pimped out PC ANYDAY over a Mac, for a host of reasons. Gaming, power, programs, programming.

Yes, your companies of choise sell well. They do so because they target demographics, and those demographics buy them. That doesnt make them good. If things that sold ALWAYS meant good, Toyota wouldnt have had to recall cars for break issues.

 

[xdgt]

I think Rabid Meese put it pretty well there, their stuff IS gimmicky - instead of improving in quality they put out technology that isn't better but just fresh and new. It isn't more comfortable, faster it doesn't offer any advantages over its competetion, its a gadget. And while it obviously sells well and is a financial success and I can take off my hat to them as businessmen but they are not good game developers, instead of making the controls easier and more accessive they make them harder than they should ever have been. It reminds me of those gun controlers they had for NES and Sega Genesis, they were fun for a game or two but once the novelty of it worn off they were worse than the regular controlers in every way. There is nothing amazing about it selling its just more apealing to the mainstream as opposed to people who understand a thing or two in games.

 

[arcticphoenix95]

i'm wondering why people buy them in the first place.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Gimmicks that serve a practical function work fine.
The Nintendo DS genuinely has functionality that inherently works great for gameplay (the touch screen).
Should Nintendo expand their handheld's functionality as time goes on, their touch screen will give them the advantage of flexibility. Handheld/portable systems typically suffer for poor control schemes, and the touch screen can help that.

The Nintendo Wii, on the other hand. Only has the pointer-sensor, and it's wonky even in the best of circumstances. Everything else just doesn't cut it for me.
All of that Wii-Mote flailing only presents an illusion of practicality. The waggles are just the equivalent of remapping the buttons on a gamecube controller, and very seldomly actually add anything to the experience.

Well, unless you didn't realize this. I made the mistake of trying both versions of Twilight Princess and it sort of ruined the concept for me.

As for the other recent gimmicks or fads. Well, I cannot find a single reason for the iPad to exist from a practical point of view. One look at Mr Job's sales pitch was enough to make me reconsider:

?iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,? said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. ?iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.?

So...what does it actually do, Mr. Jobs?
Based on your description:
It's a portable computer processor that lets people run programs that they downloaded. It's apparently so revolutionary that it deserves its own classification.

Here's what the iPad really is: A Tablet PC for 500 bucks.
Functional, but ultimately not worth the hype. And I cannot get behind a product solely on hype, sorry.

 

[Tolerant Fanboy]

A clarification: I never claimed the products in question are never gimmicky. God knows the waggle-control shovelware would shoot down that proposition, and I agree that the iPad is rather superfluous once one gets past the veneer of cool. I apologize for any bias, real or perceived, in the original post. I'm not trying to deliver a booster shot to my ego with this thread. I'm just perplexed and amused by the pattern of derision amidst popularity with new tech, be it my preferred brands or no.

So again, mea culpa. M srry. But, like most of human nature, this is weird. To me, at least.