PS3 and Wii officially retro, Japanese gamers decide

The question of what qualifies as a retro video game has long been debated among enthusiasts, but a recent poll suggests the answer may finally be settling. GameCenter CX, a Japanese television program that has run since 2003, asked its audience whether the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii should be classified as retro gaming systems. The response was decisive: approximately 80% of viewers agreed that these consoles, now over two decades old, deserve that designation.

GameCenter CX follows comedian Shinya Arino as he attempts to complete classic video games, often struggling with their difficulty. Over its 23-year run and more than 400 episodes, the show has primarily focused on games from the 1980s and 1990s, with occasional forays into the 2000s. The program has traditionally defined retro games as those released at least 20 years prior, though this guideline has not always been strictly applied. Early episodes sometimes featured Super Nintendo titles that were only about a decade old at the time of airing.

In August, the show's production team decided to directly address the question of whether the PS3 and Wii era belonged in the retro gaming category. During a YouTube stream, an initial poll showed 71% of respondents in favor. After the host played through several games from both systems, the question was posed again. This time, approximately 17,000 viewers participated, with roughly 80% voting to include the PS3 and Wii in the show's retro gaming coverage.

The classification carries particular significance when considering the technological landscape of that era. The PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 generation marked a transition point in console gaming, introducing features that remain standard today: online multiplayer functionality, downloadable content, microtransactions, and software patches delivered digitally. These characteristics distinguish that generation from earlier systems and represent the beginning of modern gaming infrastructure.

There is an interesting historical irony in the Wii's new status as a retro console. The Wii itself played a crucial role in popularizing retro gaming through its Virtual Console service, which launched in 2006 and allowed players to purchase and play older games. When the Virtual Console debuted, it featured titles like Super Mario 64, a game that was only 10 years old at that time. By that standard, applying the 20-year threshold to current consoles appears consistent with how the retro gaming community has historically categorized older systems.

With the PS3 and Wii now approaching their third decade of existence, the poll results suggest that gaming communities are ready to formally recognize these systems as historical artifacts worthy of preservation and study. The decision may influence how GameCenter CX structures its future episodes and which games the show chooses to feature.