Wii U Controller Limitations to Save on Costs, Says Nintendo

[faefrost]

So only one of the new cutting edge high tech gimicky controllers that the entire product is built around per system. The rest of you can go wave your wand at it. No hard drive, an *gb memory stick should be good enough for anybody. Why would you want patches or DLC or such? Oh and no DVD or Bluray, you already have enough of those. If you really want another controller you need to drop 300 big ones on our latest handheld... that might work... maybe...

Are you sure this thing is not called the "WiiFU"? Because that really does seem to be what they are saying to the customer base.

 

[Gaderael]

Spoiler: -snip-

Nintendo wasn't planning to ask its customers to ask customers to buy more than one controller anyway, Iwata added.

That's good. I wasn't going to ask random fellow customers to buy another controller regardless.

OT: This shouldn't be too bad if the other four players can use classic controllers.

That's what I was thinking. Being able to use the Classic Pro, or a gamecube controller.

I bought a Classic Pro to play NHL 2k11 (not so good), but if I can use it to play NHL 12 or 13, or whatever number is out when the WiiU debuts, I'll be happy.

I think i read they are dropping gc support and you can use any controller that worked with the Wii except the GC.

Thanks for the info. Classic Pro Controllers are really inexpensive, so no worries there. I find their layout better then the GC controllers anyway.

 

[thiosk]

I think a key thing to consider here is that you get to use wiimotes. Does every player in a multiplayer game NEED a miniscreen? Probably not, in 90% of cases. Crystal chronicals didn't really work on the gamecube too well, even when everyone had gameboys.

This is the first instance I'm aware of, where the last gen controller was used as the main controller for the next gen.

GREAT. Fantastic, even. If I get the weeeoooo, i'll already have the complete suite of accessories necessary to do five player games. If games come out that want to use ps3 style controllers-- hey! Code support for the old gamecube controllers! perfect solution.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Wait, how would it cost more?

Can the mere input hardware really cost that much?

 

[Sean951]

I'll still get it because Nintendo is basically my Zelda/Mario dealer. Zelda is my favorite franchise of all time, nothing from any other medium comes close. Other games come along that I enjoy, but I wouldn't actually buy a console to play them.

 

[walrusaurus]

Rumble is popular, it's easy for companies to integrate it in the controller but really how much is it actually appreciated?

What game would just not be the same without rumble?
*snip*
I always turn rumble off in every game I can because it adds nothing to the game, and IMO distracts from the immersion reminding me I am holding a controller, not a gun.

Little fact about the history of the analogue thumbstick: Nintendo didn't invent it...

I'm talking the thumbstick as we know it today did NOT first appear on the N64 controller. That controller had just as Digital control stick with many but discrete inputs for each direction and magnitude....

But most importantly I think was the click-down that is absolutely pivotal with todays games where you fingers "home position" is on thumbsticks and the shoulder buttons, those extra 2 buttons mean so much.

I can't imagine playing CoD without RS/R3 to melee. It's such a useful function.
.

1. I never claimed nintendo invented the analog stick, not sure why you brought it up at all since it doesn't really have anything to do with what we were talking about. Analog sticks go all the way back to Atari.

2. Your probably the only person I've ever seen defend L3/R3 as good ideas. Pretty sure their universally disliked as incredibly awkward to use.

 

[walrusaurus]

Looks like the same-old same-old.. all the "core" gamers here whining because Nintendo isn't catering to them.

Here's the deal guys, once you remember that the Wii-U console is sending entire screens worth of data to the Wii-U remote it doesn't take a genius to realize that the additional processing power the unit would have to have to support more than one Wii-U remote isn't just something you can lightly toss off. It's a bit more than the "rumble" command your xbox controller has, folks.

So every additional Wii-U remote would mean you'd have to add on about 50% of the processing power to support another entirely additional screen. You want to double, triple, or quadruple the processing power this thing has to have to support multiple Wii-U screens? You're looking at prices around the original PS3 mark, and sorry folks, but that ain't gonna sell to Nintendo's target audience who, incidentally, if you didn't buy the Wii, you'e not. Oh sure, a PS3 priced unit might sell to you, but you're a niche audience, and frankly, you don't matter squat when compared to the millions upon millions of new gamers who are wii users who Nintendo really hopes will upgrade.

I mean, they even telegraph that this is what they want to happen by being very clear about it playing all the old Wii games, and using all the old Wii controllers, including the balance board. Unlike the Wii, this isn't a console designed to bring in either the hardcore audience, or the new audience. It's a console designed to get the current wii audience into the idea of upgrading.

So whining about how it should do more than one controller is really just showing how you don't have a clue about what Nintendo is up to.

I understood all that from the get go, even as is i don't see how they're gonna sell this thing for less than 400 USD at any kind of meaningful profit.

Just because it makes sense, doesn't mean it can't make us sad.

 

[shrekfan246]

Looks like the same-old same-old.. all the "core" gamers here whining because Nintendo isn't catering to them.

Here's the deal guys, once you remember that the Wii-U console is sending entire screens worth of data to the Wii-U remote it doesn't take a genius to realize that the additional processing power the unit would have to have to support more than one Wii-U remote isn't just something you can lightly toss off. It's a bit more than the "rumble" command your xbox controller has, folks.

So every additional Wii-U remote would mean you'd have to add on about 50% of the processing power to support another entirely additional screen. You want to double, triple, or quadruple the processing power this thing has to have to support multiple Wii-U screens? You're looking at prices around the original PS3 mark, and sorry folks, but that ain't gonna sell to Nintendo's target audience who, incidentally, if you didn't buy the Wii, you'e not. Oh sure, a PS3 priced unit might sell to you, but you're a niche audience, and frankly, you don't matter squat when compared to the millions upon millions of new gamers who are wii users who Nintendo really hopes will upgrade.

I mean, they even telegraph that this is what they want to happen by being very clear about it playing all the old Wii games, and using all the old Wii controllers, including the balance board. Unlike the Wii, this isn't a console designed to bring in either the hardcore audience, or the new audience. It's a console designed to get the current wii audience into the idea of upgrading.

So whining about how it should do more than one controller is really just showing how you don't have a clue about what Nintendo is up to.

Hey, Mr. Pariah for Nintendo, they're a big company. They've been around for a long time. And unless you're a paid spokesman for them (Which I doubt), they don't need you defending them.

Besides, current processors and GPU's are way more than powerful enough to support 3-4 480p touchscreens, this is Nintendo's way of breaking the news lightly that the Wii-U won't have stellar brand new hardware. Hell, ATI can support what, up to four-five screens at 1080p without any frame dropping at all? Yeah, it's expensive, but it exists.
What they're doing is saying "Hey, all you guys who've been playing the Wii for the last six years? You'll finally get to enjoy everything the PS3 and Xbox 360 have had since 2005!" Yeah, it's upgrading, but not in a meaningful way.

EDIT: Yes, I did mean pariah by the way, despite its meaning. Figure that one out.

 

[shrekfan246]

Apparently you had trouble reading more than one paragraph, so I left in the one that applies to your line of thinking.

Oh no, I read it all just fine. But the fact is with their line-up, Nintendo is trying to sucker in people who like hardcore games AND Nintendo games. My final statement remains relevant. They're saying "You can finally enjoy everything the other two consoles have had for six years!"

EDIT: Also, the other point of my post that I should have made more clear, was that this is Nintendo's way of saying that their console will only have slightly better hardware than the PS360 do. EDIT EDIT: Which is not something to brag about when they were in development eight years ago.

 

[Sean951]

Apparently you had trouble reading more than one paragraph, so I left in the one that applies to your line of thinking.

Oh no, I read it all just fine. But the fact is with their line-up, Nintendo is trying to sucker in people who like hardcore games AND Nintendo games. My final statement remains relevant. They're saying "You can finally enjoy everything the other two consoles have had for six years!"

Except I never really cared about missing "core" games. Ya, it would be cool to have some of them, but most also came out on PC, and I would rather play on PC a lot of the time.

 

[Black Watch]

AM I the only one who hears Nintendo whistling as it comes down in flames?

Pretty much. From what I seen at the press conference, I once again have confidence in Nintendo. I just hope developers will be able to use the system to it's full graphical capabilities rather than just have Nintendo putting out the prettiest games on it.

 

[Awesome74]

So, it's a high-def Wii. Sure, developers might make some games using the WiiU controller, but this just trows multiplayer right out the window. I'm sure a lot of developers had ideas with using multiple WiiU controllers, but nope.

 

[shadic_Z]

the next Nintendo Virtual Boy or 64DD. one of nintendo bigges failures is yet to come...

64 + 64DD =FAIL

wii + wiiU =FAIL

history repeats itself

 

[Treblaine]

Rumble is popular, it's easy for companies to integrate it in the controller but really how much is it actually appreciated?

What game would just not be the same without rumble?
*snip*
I always turn rumble off in every game I can because it adds nothing to the game, and IMO distracts from the immersion reminding me I am holding a controller, not a gun.

Little fact about the history of the analogue thumbstick: Nintendo didn't invent it...

I'm talking the thumbstick as we know it today did NOT first appear on the N64 controller. That controller had just as Digital control stick with many but discrete inputs for each direction and magnitude....

But most importantly I think was the click-down that is absolutely pivotal with todays games where you fingers "home position" is on thumbsticks and the shoulder buttons, those extra 2 buttons mean so much.

I can't imagine playing CoD without RS/R3 to melee. It's such a useful function.
.

1. I never claimed nintendo invented the analog stick, not sure why you brought it up at all since it doesn't really have anything to do with what we were talking about. Analog sticks go all the way back to Atari.

2. Your probably the only person I've ever seen defend L3/R3 as good ideas. Pretty sure their universally disliked as incredibly awkward to use.

I never claimed that you-claimed-they-did. It's "just a little fact" while we were on the subject of Nintendo innovation and pioneering new interfaces and gaming concepts. And I wasn't even talking about analogue-sticks (that is incredibly broad area), I am talking particularly THUMB-sticks integrated into a console gamepad.

I think you are being pretty narrow minded to say I'm the only one to give due praise to thumbstick click-down. The feature is absolutely pivotal for console games that are trying to match the flexibility of PC's mouse + keyboard controls.

It's telling that:
-Nintendo has not implemented a click-down thumbstick, ever
-you are a self confessed nintendo fanboy (post #93 of this thread)
-you assert click-down thumbsticks are "universally disliked"

There has never been the suggestion of removing thumbstick-clickdown, not in almost 15 years, I think everyone takes it for granted so no one feels the need to "defend" them. If you care to find out you'll find many describe their satisfaction at using R3/RS for melee.

I have heard enough people say how the how Wii U will be less appealing precisely for how the controls would be missed, as thumbs are busy controlling aiming/movement they cannot initiate any function, you can only use the 4 shoulder-buttons while on the move.

 

[Laser Priest]

Good to know that Nintendo is saving us money by saving themselves money.