Wii U - Nintendo's Mistake?

[Watcheroftrends]

When the original Wii was nearing launch, I was entirely set on making a day one purchase. The revolutionary motion controls and the chance to experience next generation gaming with Nintendo's iconic character lineup were more than enough to get me in line for a midnight launch.

I ended up selling my Wii after witnessing that Nintendo's focus had seemingly changed to the "casual" gamer, and that the titles being released paled in comparison to what was offered on other consoles. Surprisingly though, Nintendo has still managed to make piles of money selling such 'atrocities' as Wii Fit, while rarely pulling out big hitters like Mario Galaxy or Brawl. It seems they have tapped into a different market.

With the novelty of motion control worn off, what would make a buyer purchase this new tablet infused console? As something of a core gamer, I feel absolutely no impulse based on software titles. I also see no appeal in the tablet based control. There's also the blatant lack of "next gen" technology in the visuals department when compared to what's already been available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, not to mention PC, for years. All that's left is... well, the tablet part.

For other gamers, I am curious as to where your interests lie. If you are planning on buying a Wii U, I'd like to hear what's got you ready to drop a few bills. I'd also like to hear why you might be passing on the Wii U. My own viewpoint has made me come to the conclusion that Nintendo will be taking a big monetary hit with the release of this system. However, given how the Wii has all but fallen of my personal radar while still selling like hotcakes, I wonder whether the novelty factor will once again have masses purchasing Nintendo's new system in droves.

 

[chaosfalling]

I'm the opposite: never felt that captivated by the Wii but I find myself strangely excited for the Wii U.

I think its the realisation that we'll finally see Nintendo classics in their full glory in HD, just watching that Skyward Sword demo got me all giddy. And while the controller may seem awkward and gimmicky, I think a lot can be potentially done with it when considering the increased 3rd party support Nintendo is expected to gain with their boost in hardware.

Take this for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNt0eiMygQ

 

[Vault101]

If I were really going to get a console...

I dont know, I got kinda burned with the wii Im not ready to trust nintendo again

 

[Pingieking]

There are two problems I currently have with the Wii U:

1) The launch library seems extremely weak. Wii U launches in 2012, probably in Nov. About 90% of the announced third party launch titles hit stores in 2011 or first half of 2012. Why should I drop more money for a game I could have bought 6~12 months earlier for my PS3? I also don't see much in terms of first party stuff. The huge announcement of Super Smash Bros really wasn't an announcement, since development hasn't even started on it yet and so it's at least 3 years away. Zelda HD was shown as a tech demo, so if real development hasn't started yet then that's another 3 years before that shows up. I see just about no reason to pick up the Wii U at launch or during the first year.

2) They have to fix that tablet controller. There is absolutely no way that I'm playing a home console without two analog sticks. Since they decided to use the nubs used on the 3DS on the Tablet controller, the Wii U now officially has shittier controls than the PSVita. That's quite sad. Since I rarely play local multiplayer, what's the point of my buying a GameCube controller and have the extremely expensive Tablet controller gathering dust? Two analog sticks, Nintendo. You guys were the first to use it on a controller, don't replace it with those crappy nubs. The controller is fine and pretty cool otherwise, but the lack of analog sticks is a deal breaker for me.

 

[WanderingFool]

To me, the WiiU is a HD Wii. I dont see a reason to buy 3rd party games like MW3, for example, for the WiiU when I have a 360. And Nintendo first party just dont interest me that much anymore. So its unlikely Ill buy the WiiU.

 

[Korolev]

I agree - justing having a tablet in the controller is not reason enough for me to buy one. However, if they demonstrate really cool applications of the tablet technology, then I'll be interested. It's still early days yet. No one can tell whether this console will fail or succeed.

And as others have pointed out - those who like hardcore games usually already have 360's and PS3's. Unless the Wii U is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than the 360 or the PS3 (and Nintendo have indicated that it won't be), then I don't see much of a market for this for gamers like me who prefer Uncharted 2 to Mario Kart.

Still, they could always surprise me. The touch-screen controller is quite interesting, and the system genuinely does have some power in it this time. So it has potential. But Nintendo have to give us a reason to buy it - get some really good exclusives and make more first-rate first-party games and I'll pick one up.

I can't say whether or not I'll buy one when the thing hasn't even come out yet. I'll wait to see what the Wii U has to offer on release day. They just might surprise you with something.

 

[Thespian]

To me, the Wii U is something that will appear in ten years on the futuristic version of this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/top-5-with-lisa-foiles/2796-Top-5-Hardware-Super-Fails].