BioWare president: Nintendo Wii is 'like a toy'

BioWare president Greg Zeschuk has said that Nintendo's hugely successful Wii is less like a games console and more like a toy.

"Experiences [on the Wii] are much more like a toy experience," said Zeschuk in an interview on GameDaily. "They're playing, together or not, but you're not 'gaming' anymore. . . . If gaming is defined by story, then generally the Wii may not be."

Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare, disagreed with his colleague and said that the Wii focuses on casual gaming. "I think it IS gaming," he insisted. "When you look at a moment to moment experience what a player does on a Wii game, it's different, lighter, and more toy-like. But there's also a narrative between the players outside the game and kind of fulfils the same things games do. Games are "toys" in the sense that they're fun."

Obviously, BioWare's focus in the past has been on very story-driven titles such as Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. Zeschuk acknowledged this by saying "In our games, you're competing inside the game and with Wii you're competing outside the game with your pals."

There's more to read in GameDaily's interview with the two BioWare execs.

Do you think Zeschuk is right about the Wii? Let us know in the forums.