Picture the scene, you've had some friends round for a meal, the booze has been flowing, the food has been enjoyed and you've reached that stage of the evening where if something isn't done soon people will start to slip into that comfortable drunken state from where inane slurred debates about how much better is than or why it's okay to change your favourite bands but never your favourite team tend to spring from. Ten years ago the host of such a gathering would be about to suggest things like Trivial Pursuits, Pictionary or even watching a film at this point. Now, however, with the increase in party style video games there is just as much chance that the next few hours will see your dinner guests playing all manor of games almost specifically created for such occasions.

The last console generation saw an unexpected increase in party games as titles like the and Eye-toy ranges, Buzz, and the many dance mat games (amongst others) hit the shelves, all of which are at their best when played with a group of friends. While the got all serious about true consoles allowing gamers to be thrashed yet again at by pre-pubescent Americans, the rise of the party game did as much, if not more, to push gaming into the mainstream. Scenes of grandparents waving their arms around playing EyeToy and drunken relatives singing 'It's Raining Men' into their SingStar microphones became the norm at gatherings as people who wouldn't previously have dreamed of playing a video game caught the bug.

It only takes a quick look down the list of party games to see that in the main the one defining attribute they all share is the removal of the normal console controller as the main input device. From microphones, guitars and buzzers to the players own body, most of these games succeed, at least in part, because they don't rely on a standard controller that, for the uninitiated, can appear complicated and hard to master. Instead they use things that everyone can understand and by doing so the barrier between the gamer and the game is broken down allowing anyone to enjoy the experience. Guitar Hero is the perfect example of this, imagine only being able to play using a standard duel-shock pad. It may well still be fun and could be mastered with practice but what are the chances of getting your Mum to try it like that? Put exactly the same controls onto a plastic guitar however, and suddenly it makes sense on a whole new level as we all know, at least in theory, how a guitar works.

With the current roll out of the next generation of consoles now well underway the big two of and have continued the tradition of marketing a console based on how much bigger and better it is than the leaving as the sole real innovator as they sidestep the race for processing power and instead focus on re-imagining the way we play games. While it could be seen as a pre-emptive admission of defeat to come to the next gen party with a console as underpowered compared to the competition as the Wii, in doing so Nintendo have had to come up with another selling point. By making that leap in the control method, they've managed to produce the first video games console with the real potential to become a true break out success amongst the non-gamers of the world. As the success of party games have proven, remove the perceived barrier of complexity inherent in a lot of gaming and just about anyone can get drawn in.

When the design of the (or Revolution as it was called then) was announced I'm sure I wasn't alone in wondering if it was a gimmick too far for a company apparently struggling to compete in the Sony and MS dominated marketplace. And yet in truth I should have given Nintendo more credit, the DS, with it's unique duel and touch screen design, raised eyebrows when it was first announced but has gone on to become a massive success as developers have been almost forced to innovate by the quirky hardware. It's Nintendo's ability to leap off at a tangent with their designs and expect developers to keep up rather than pandering to their natural expectations of more of the same just bigger and better that has kept the company at the forefront of the games market for so long and should be underestimated at their rivals peril.

The Wii completely rethinks how we interact with our games by doing away with the standard notion of a controller and replacing it with what at first glance appears to be a TV remote, something everyone has a perfectly natural understanding of - Nintendo has automatically welcomed those people for whom the very thought of a duel shock controller with all its buttons and levers causes panic attacks. How many times have you passed a controller to a non gamer and explained how it works to an increasingly blank stare? Handing the Wii remote over should see no such problems as even the most mal-coordinated of your friends should be able to point and press at the TV. Innovation, of course, doesn't come without it's drawbacks and the as yet unanswered questions about what effect hours of play have on your arms or how easy it is to play when you're sat squashed on a sofa between three other players in a small room could still derail the Nintendo bandwagon over time (we await the first Wii related strain injury law suit, from America no doubt, with interest). There must be other worries for Nintendo as well; there is surely a chance that the novelty party game element to the console and its marketing will become as much a curse as a blessing, if developers fail to find a continued use for the new control method will we all go back to other consoles? There are only so many copies of mini game bundles and party games that people will buy after all. The real key to the Wii's long term success will be seeing how developers take the controller and use it in some of gaming more standard genres. While ideally suited to first person shooters, action, driving and some games (as well suited as golf and are how well will football, etc., fare?) it remains to be seen how, for example, the much loved beat 'em up and traditional genres do. Developers will have to put some thought and care into the Wii versions of multi platform titles which may mean the Wii misses out or gets weak versions of some big titles but could also mean that owners see unique and exciting versions of games that on other consoles fail to stand out from the pack.

Away from the control method Nintendo's other big selling point is an economic one, the Wii is set to at £180 in the which is roughly £100 less than the and over a staggering £250 less than the when it gets released next year. By moving the focus away from increased graphics capabilities and media storage Nintendo have managed to hit a price point that, when mixed with the new control method, opens yet more doors into the mass market they seem so keen to conquer. It also means that the traditional hardcore gamers out there who may be slightly put off by the cutesy non-gamer baiting Nintendo marketing will be snapping up the Wii as a second console to sit along side their 360 or PS3 because if offers something different and exciting even if they don't want to give up the high powered thrills offered by their other consoles completely.

Of course all the fancy controllers and low pricing in the world isn't going to make a console a success if the games aren't up to scratch and for the Wii, with its heavily marketed but as yet largely untried innovations, it's launch line up is all important. Publicly fail at this first hurdle and the damage to the perception of the console could be serious. It's been a few years since a console launched with a game included so it's nice to see Nintendo going back to ensuring that people have something to play on their new toy right out of the box. By bundling 'Wii Sports' (a collection of multiplayer games featuring tennis, bowling, boxing etc) with the console Nintendo speak volumes about where they are positioning the Wii in the market and it looks all set to be a firm favourite in houses around the country come day. 'Wii Play' another set of mini games (table tennis, air hockey, duck hunt and fishing to name a few) is also available at launch and comes bundled with a second controller again ensuring that the multiplayer aspect is pushed to the forefront. The biggest first party launch title is undoubtedly Legend Of Zelda, Nintendo's classic character looks to set the standard for how developers should embrace the new control method and will surely sell on an almost 1:1 ratio with the console. Amongst the other launch titles first person game with its interesting gun and sword combat seems to have missed the mark somewhat if early reviews are to be believed, but the Wii version of Call Of Duty 3 sounds like a much more successful implementation of first person mechanics onto the Wii remote. Other launch titles like 'Rayman Raving Rabbits' follow the mini game template all be it in the wacky Rayman world, and games like 'Excite Truck', 'Tony Hawks Downhill Jam', and 'Marvel: Ultimate Alliance' help to round out the launch roster with a wide selection of genres.

In a world where image is everything Nintendo are playing a very wise game keeping their launch focus away from the power of their console but it's a game they will be unable to play forever, over time as the last generation's consoles fade from view the Wii will become very much the least graphically appealing of the next gen consoles and that is something that must worry Nintendo a little. Even if the positives of a low price point and unique control method are enough to create the buzz around the launch will the novelty wear off over time as the typically graphics obsessed games industry and public fail to see beyond the visuals? As a gamer I can only hope not, Nintendo should be applauded for displaying such innovation in a major product, it would have been easy for them to churn out 2 trying to match specs with Sony and MS and I like to think that such creative thinking will succeed. As the games industry moves forward getting bigger and bigger we need someone to continue to think outside the box to keep the rest of us on our toes.

By Paul Newcombe