THQ Thought of Wii U Controller "18 Months Ago"

[vansau]

THQ Thought of Wii U Controller "18 Months Ago"

Nintendo's new console controller is pretty unique, but THQ apparently came up with the same design a while ago.

One of the biggest stories out of E3 this week was <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110924-E3-Wii-U>Nintendo's new console, the Wii U. One of the most interesting things about the Wii U is its controller; whether the controller is any good remains to be seen, but it's certainly an interesting design. That said, its design wasn't that surprising a revelation to some folks in the industry. Case in point: THQ claims that it thought of the same thing over a year and a half ago.

Martin Good, who heads up the kids, family, and casual division of THQ, brought the topic up during an interview with CVG. Good was responding to a comment about similarities between the Wii U controller and the uDraw controller that THQ released for the Wii. According to Good:

"None of this is a surprise. As you know, we thought of it 18 months ago and released it last season.

"We think we're really on the front [of the console accessories market] and well poised to exploit this because we've already been playing with the drawing mechanic and we've got a lot of game designs in the pipe. It's only going to get better with that experience."

THQ's peripheral has shipped 1.7 million units of the tablet; it's been so successful that the publisher is working on versions of it for the 360 and the PS3. However, it should be noted that Nintendo probably came up with the idea for this type of controller first, seeing as how the console's been in the works for years.

Source: CVG via <a href=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-06-10-thq-on-wii-u-controller-we-thought-of-it-18-months-ago>GamesIndustry.biz

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[Quiet Stranger]

Pretty sure the Tablet was thought up long ago

 

[StriderShinryu]

Ask Sega who first had a mainstream console controller with an interactive screen as part of it's design, I'm sure they could tell you.

 

[TeeBs]

Why have I never heard of this until now?

 

[Trogdor1138]

Good job guys, you came up with the fucking tablet.

Wait, no you didn't...

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

THQ's peripheral has shipped 1.7 million units of the tablet; it's been so successful that the publisher is working on versions of it for the 360 and the PS3. However, it should be noted that Nintendo probably came up with the idea for this type of controller first, seeing as how the console's been in the works for years.

Also they had the DS, which is basically a much less powerful version of the WiiU's design.

 

[Frostbite3789]

"Hey! We came up with this gimmick first! We want all the money Nintendo will rake in because it has their name on it!"

Is Nintendo becoming the Apple of video games? People will buy it because of the name behind it?

 

[PureRok]

The WiiU just looks like a bulkier, white Game Gear.

 

[Koios]

The WiiU just looks like a bulkier, white Game Gear.

Are you referring to the controller, which is pictured, or the actual console, which is actually similar in appearance to the wii?

 

[bombadilillo]

"Hey! We came up with this gimmick first! We want all the money Nintendo will rake in because it has their name on it!"

Is Nintendo becoming the Apple of video games? People will buy it because of the name behind it?

Yeah its just a gimmick. 2 screens failed horribly with the DS. Fucking gimmicks. There just a bunch of gimmicks. Idiots trying to expand the input choices available to games. Jerks.

 

[Frostbite3789]

"Hey! We came up with this gimmick first! We want all the money Nintendo will rake in because it has their name on it!"

Is Nintendo becoming the Apple of video games? People will buy it because of the name behind it?

Yeah its just a gimmick. 2 screens failed horribly with the DS. Fucking gimmicks. There just a bunch of gimmicks. Idiots trying to expand the input choices available to games. Jerks.

Did I say everything Apple made was terrible? It's a throw things at the wall and see what sticks, but people will buy it regardless, apparently the 3DS is failing, but wait until all the remakes start to come out. And are you trying to tell me the Wii wasn't a gimmick?

 

[bombadilillo]

"Hey! We came up with this gimmick first! We want all the money Nintendo will rake in because it has their name on it!"

Is Nintendo becoming the Apple of video games? People will buy it because of the name behind it?

Yeah its just a gimmick. 2 screens failed horribly with the DS. Fucking gimmicks. There just a bunch of gimmicks. Idiots trying to expand the input choices available to games. Jerks.

Did I say everything Apple made was terrible? It's a throw things at the wall and see what sticks, but people will buy it regardless, apparently the 3DS is failing, but wait until all the remakes start to come out. And are you trying to tell me the Wii wasn't a gimmick?

Wii sold great and my kids play it more then others because they like motion control better. I think people are on to nintendo and waiting for 3ds lite. I wasnt attacking your apple comment. 100% with you there. But this controller has a LOT of possibilities imo and saying its a gimmick is dismissing it. This is a lot more intriguing then motion control.

 

[Poisoned Al]

I would love for this to come to blows in the courts, only for Wacom to come in and *****-slap both of them.

 

[Gaderael]

Wanted: One copy of Mariopaint 2 for WiiU. Thank you.

 

[Executor78]

I have never heard of the uDraw. This leads me to one conclusion: Nintendo's marketing machine is way better than THQ's.

 

[Blind0bserver]

"You know, we're actually one of the big publishers."

"Yeah, that new thingy that Nintendo came up with is cool and all, but we totally came up with that idea first."

"I do to have a girlfriend! She just lives in Canada and her internet is down..."

As of late it's becoming very hard for me to not be annoyed whenever I see THQ speak up about something, anything in the gaming press.

 

[mjc0961]

Ask Sega who first had a mainstream console controller with an interactive screen as part of it's design, I'm sure they could tell you.

You mean that thing that was mostly a memory card and doesn't count as being the same as the WiiU controller at all because it's not an integral part of the controller? Yeah, how about SEGA sits down and shuts up because they have nothing to contribute here. A tiny little memory card with a screen isn't even remotely the same thing as the Wii U controller.

 

[gring]

"Hey! We came up with this gimmick first! We want all the money Nintendo will rake in because it has their name on it!"

Is Nintendo becoming the Apple of video games? People will buy it because of the name behind it?

Yeah its just a gimmick. 2 screens failed horribly with the DS. Fucking gimmicks. There just a bunch of gimmicks. Idiots trying to expand the input choices available to games. Jerks.

Seriously? You thought it was a gimmick? It actually adds a lot to gameplay design, which is somehow bad and makes them jerks? If it failed so badly, then why did they keep the dual screen thing going with both the 3ds and the WiiU? Oh right, because its actually great.

Back OT, who cares who made it first, at this point it really isn't THAT original. Yea its kinda an ipad with buttons, but its application, I feel, is the original part.

Oh, and THQ sucks. Honestly these guys can't do anything right. I know because I worked for them.

Yay, can't wait to buy my WiiU!