E3: Nintendo's New Console Is: The Wii U

[Jerome9157]

I'm just gonna say Nintendo won E3. Third party support looks great and I'm pumped for the new Smash Bros.

Also get over the name people. What are you, 4?

so... nintendo won with an ipad rip-off and another mario game.

That's the Wii U...looks like a snes...me like

What are you smoking, boy? The SNES top loaded, and it was purple and gray. This thing looks like a 360 and GladOS got their groove on.

if glados and a 360 were siblings.

it looks like something from the 90's.

while the xbox and ps3 have a chrome layer that look fantastic. this..... looks like my old phone and an old dvd player went at it. if they were siblings.

 

[Twilight.falls]

The same thing under a different name?

Wouldn't it have to... be the same, for that to be true? It would appear that the WiiU is quite a bit more powerful than the Wii. Having more features than the Wii kind of makes it different.

Not to mention all this complaining of Nintendo sticking to their current IPs. I may not know a whole lot about making games, but I'm pretty sure that, on a whole, people don't like change. It would be risky for any company to make new IPs. What if it doesn't catch on? Really, sticking with what you have seems to be the safest and most reliable option. I haven't seen people saying "Blizzard needs to stop making Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo games and make something new!"


I think Nintendo is just everyone's favorite Butt Monkey. It's trendy and hip to hate on Nintendo. Either that, or the video gaming community really are a bunch of cynical munchkins.

 

[Carbo]

I like what I'm seeing. The console outputs 1080p instead of actually scaling it to it, which means it definitely will be more powerful than the 360 and PS3. The idea that PS4 and Xbox 720 will outclass it in technology is arguably extremely slim considering higher graphical fidelity won't be reached unless new TV technology in general goes through a major change. Besides, at this point graphical fidelity is the least issues now that we're reaching a dead end, and things have to be focused on other specific areas, which I'm curious how the WiiU will do.

PS4 and Xbox 720 probably wont even be out until a good number of years.

The presentation left me pleased because I didn't honestly expect first party titles. Worrying about first party titles in a Nintendo console is an incredible non-issue. What Nintendo had to get right is the third party support, and it's good to know that we've gotten that. We're over one year away from launch and another E3 conference before that. Next year is Ninty's year, we're up for complete domination.

Nintendo, I am dissapoint. You just made your console SOMEHOW even more for casual gamers. Not to mention it's really just seems like Nintendo isn't trying any more.

Please explain how.

No really. How is a full controller with just a screen on it any more casual than waggling?

 

[Svenparty]

Despite the "testimonials" by "hardcore" game companies etc. I can't help but be cynical about this as it's not going to be easy to get a balance to suit both casual and hardcore gamers. The Wii ended up being for pregnant ladies and little girls and destroyed my faith just as I was starting to believe in the company.

 

[Aeshi]

I like to think it has a little police siren on it and that's what it's named for...

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Well, I think I'm totally out of the Nintendo home console market now. Not even the exclusives appeal to me that much anymore. I'll save my money for the next Sony console and hope that they have cleaned up their act.

[sub]*begins leaning back into PC gaming*[/sub]

 

[Falseprophet]

Why has Nintendo become so fond of baby babble when naming their consoles?

They know their target audience?

As much as I love Nintendo, no one's gonna call them creative with names.

Well, depends on who you compare them to really. If you compare Nintendo's consola name to Sony's console names they are much more creative.

Not really. It's about successful branding. The NES was hugely successful, so its successor was called the Super NES to maintain the connection in people's minds. And although it lost market share to the Genesis, it was still hugely successful.

Then came the N64, which stumbled versus the PlayStation. So the next console was rebranded as the GameCube (probably to connect people to the GameBoy, which ruthlessly dominated the portable market for almost two decades before its successor the DS took its place). But it was still seen as the poor cousin of PS2 and XBox. Then the Wii hit it out of the park and put Nintendo on top again (in terms of console market share, anyway). Of course Nintendo wants to maintain the connection to that console with the new one.

For Sony, the first PlayStation was hugely successful, so they named the next one PS2, and it was even more successful. So they named the next one PS3. Now the PS3 is a disappointment to Sony since they lost the decade-long dominance of the console market they had, but I don't think you could call it an outright failure. It's held its own against the 360 and sales of actual titles for both those systems remain strong. So the next system will probably still be the PS4.

 

[DarthFennec]

Huh. Okay. I'm a little disappointed, Nintendo. The DS and the Wii were innovative at least, this is just ... a Wii and a DS combined, really The 3DS disappoints me as well. I hope it works out for you guys ... I'll have to see more before I decide if I want, but I kind of hope you change the design a bit.

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

I think the controller looks awful. Like a Fisher Price plug n' play or something. I can't see it being comfortable, and I just... I just hate it.
If there's someone out there who thinks this looks awesome, good for them. I'm glad they now have the iPad/Wii/Table controller of their dreams, but it's definitely not for me.

 

[TotalHobNob]

Let the "WiiU" jokes begin.

Sometimes... just sometimes... something is so stupid that no joke exists that could be anything but a hollow shell of the original lunacy.

This is one of those times.

A. We all knew jokes were coming when the name came out. B. Just felt like throwing the start flag. C. Nintendo will more than likely own this console generation AGAIN. D. Who cares if this line is as empty as a teenage hookers eyes.

 

[FangShadow]

When I first saw WiiU (names not so bad once you get used to it), I'll admit I felt strangely disappointed that the console was not what I thought. But as the demonstration went on, I think it will work.

The technology and ideas that could be put into place with the system seem solid enough, and with the seemingly good third party support crew nintendo has riled up, I think the system will be good.

However, I hope the online functionality is better. I also worry about how comfortable the controller would be during extended session. Part of me feels the touch screen is too dang big.

So I'll say I'm ....cautiously optimistic about the WiiU, but I will need to see more before I can call it a must have.

 

[Easton Dark]

Nothing was really interesting until the 'stream so your family can watch the television' part came up. That is brilliant Nintendo! So many kids wont have to complain with their families to continue playing while Dancing with the Stars or whatever is on.

 

[I forgot]

Nintendo, this looks interesting but please don't fuck up by making this a 400$ console. Also, don't take an eternity to give us the games we want. I'm sick and tired of waiting 4 years for a sequel to your games. I want 2d and 3d Mario, Zelda and Metroid. I want Pikmin 3, a new smash bros. and a new Starfox. Also, Mother 3 is way overdue; I demand an enhanced version for the WiiU.

Hopefully the game industry won't fuck up with this by abusing features they don't have to use like they did with the Wii. It can already play most games that belong on the 360 and ps3, those consoles are nothing special. Just go and make assassin's creed and call of duty on it and don't force yourselves to use the tablet or motion functions.

 

[Sabrestar]

Why am I so bothered by the name of the new Nintendo Voldemort? (The Console That Shall Not Be Named?)

Because it makes me worry about the company. Either (a) Marketing approved this name despite its sheer stupidity, making me question the sanity of them and all the other departments who thought something so childishly snicker-able was a good idea; or (b) this was named without any input from Marketing/PR/anyone who could reasonably be assumed to raise a red flag, which would suggest to me that the whole business isn't being reasonably run.

 

[Danial]

So, its as powerful as a 360, will play the same games as the PS3/360, it will have an Ipad style controller and a slew of nifty features and UI/Hug changes as well as more customizable controls and menu/Item select/etc options. Oh and it plays Zelda?

Why are people angry?

 

[Plurralbles]

lol, I love the name.

But I really don't want to pay an arm and a leg just fo r acontroller, and that seems possible.

I think they screwed up on the controller though. It's unreasonable to expect a touchscreen on acontroller as comfortable as the gamecube's, but still, they could have at least tried.