What will be the better innovation, Live or Wii controls?

[meStevo]

Molyneux says Live "more impactful" than Wii remote - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Granted, it's the 360 blog report of an interview, but thought it might be a nice debate topic.

What is more impactful in the long term for console gaming, the Xbox Live service, or the Wii motion controls?

Like many of my friends, the Wii has been somewhat gathering dust between releases, and even when new releases come about we're not all that into them lately. The moton controls were incredible, and with games like Mario Party they will forever be fun and keep things fairly fresh.

With Xbox Live, a stable certified platform for video, demo, and arcade releases. The profile and achievement system built into every game, a certain level of compliance that every piece involved, whether it originates there or is played through the service.

Both are clearly the best implementations of their efforts (an online console community, and motion controls), which will have the best effect on the console world?

Certainly the Wii's success has resulted in Sony pushing alternative forms of controls with the SixAxis, as well as pushing the envelope with their Home service (which will have achievements displayed in your home space a la Live!).

Can movement based controls ever be more than just a novelty?

Maybe I should have just started a blog account and posted this there and linked to it, didn't expect to go on this long about it.

Edit:

Interview link: Interview with Peter Molyneux [English] < Fable 2

Joystiq coverage: Molyneux: Xbox Live 'far more impactful' than Wii waggle - Joystiq

 

[meStevo]

To separate my opinion from the conversation I'm starting I'm putting this in a new post...

Xbox Live is a standard that will be used as the bare minimum for online functionality in a console for many generations to come. The existance of Live makes it painfully obvious how weak the Wii is online, and mandates Sony develop a higher quality competing online component.

Wii controls in 3-4 years will essentially be one of the largest fads since the Rubicks Cube. WiFit will blur the 'game console' and 'viable workout equipment' lines a bit to broaden the appeal even more, but it will take an upgrade in horsepower and graphics to keep it running as a successful console within the next couple years. With novelty controls alone, it will run out of games to remake and have a much shorter life cycle than the PS3 and 360's near decade-long expected lifestyles.

 

[meStevo]

Any thoughts or is this more open and closed than I thought it was?

 

[highspeed57]

You pose an interesting question. However I tend to agree with the statements you've made. I think honestly that a happy medium between the two should be made. Because the innovative controls are very refreshing to someone that has grown bored of the same old same old button mashing games, however the live aspect has really changed the way alot of people play games in a group setting. I feel that the ps3 has the right idea by combining the online element and the motion element however I feel that the controls are not as interactive as the wii controls.


So honestly I feel that both of these innovations have changed gaming in their own way and we really won't feel their full impact for another 10 years when the next generation of consols hit the market.