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The biggest problem with the Wii is the obsession with how revolutionary its controls are. This is understandable of course; they have the potential to indeed be quite revolutionary. Motion control could really become something more than just a fad or momentary gimmick. The problem is that at the moment the various developers have done little to elevate it above mere gimmickry.
For every game released that uses the Wii Remote well, there have been countless that use it poorly. Some that come out utilize it passably, but do so with shallow releases that are at times little more than collections of mini-games made to appeal to the casual gaming base. Some might say this is still good; casual gamers are still legitimate gamers, but can it really be considered revolutionary if the games in question are doing virtually the same as Duck Hunt did decades ago?
How to use motion control in all games is the real question. How can game makers avoid interjecting clumsy or unnatural controls where other, more traditional methods might be not just more appropriate, but more fun? Are there cases where perhaps a more sparse use might better serve the game, or should developers try and find a way to attach them to every function possible? A cautious approach might be better at first. For instance, if you search the Internet you will not have much trouble finding players who thought the motion controls in The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess felt a bit unnatural and tacked on. The GameCube version even received higher marks than its Wii sibling in some reviews.
You could pass it off as TP being basically a port of the GameCube version, but then one must consider the controls of Resident Evil 4 which in many ways are the best implementation of the Wii's unique control scheme to date. The success of that game and others, like Super Mario Galaxy, was in many ways a product of the limited method in which the Wii Remote and Nunchuck were used. Super Mario Galaxy, despite being probably the best game currently on the Wii, uses its controls in a rather limited fashion. All of the most basic actions such as running and jumping are left to more traditional button pushing. At times it's almost possible to conceive of the game, if adjusted, being played without motion controls. But by implementing them and doing so well it adds to the game in a positive way.
These successes should be emulated. Motion controls are likely the wave of the future, but for the time being they are nowhere near complex enough to completely supplant traditional control methods and they shouldn't attempt to. Clumsy use of the Wii Remote is going to do nothing but turn people back to old style controllers and that would be a shame. Gamers should embrace advances such as those offered by the Wii, but first game makers need to give us something worth embracing.
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