Anyone feel like the Wii U is doomed?

[rlemmon]

Hi guys. I’m not trolling here I’m a big Nintendo fan and a Mario freak. I have a gut feeling that the Wii U is sort of doomed to fail for a few reasons. First of all there calling it the Wii U. Seriously did they not learn anything from parents/uneducated gamers thinking that the 3 ds was just an updated 3ds and not a whole new platform?


Then there’s the tablet controller. It seems like a gimmick to me. I guess it could be fun in some respects but I think it’s more of a novelty. If it’s perceived that way by the public Nintendos gonna have a really big problem. There’s also the launch games issue. I remember an article with Reggie Fils-Aime talking about how if they were to launch the 3 ds with big name first party games it would make gamers feel that there was no third party support.


I would say kind of stupidity is part of why the 3 ds is in trouble. If it had been launched with Super Mario land 3d along with a Zelda game and a $200.00 price point things would be very different. I just seems like they got a little two cocky with there massive wii sales. What do you guys think? Have Nintendo learned from there mistakes and does the wii U have a good chance of making it? I would hate to see Nintendo go down the sega road. That would kill a part of me.

[hashiriya1]

I own all of Nintendo's systems from the Famicom/NES forward, but I think I might sit the Wii U out. I didn't even get the Wii until last year.

As soon as they mentioned the name at E3 I cringed a little. It does sound stupid. As far as I see it, Nintendo better sell me good on its 1st party titles. I am sure whatever 3rd party game is released for it it will also be released on the PS3 and if it needs the tablet controller, I am sure the Vita will take care of that. Of course the Vita isn't cheap but a Vita is sure to cost less than a Wii U and with the Vita you have a standalone portable.

[rlemmon]

I own all of Nintendo's systems from the Famicom/NES forward, but I think I might sit the Wii U out. I didn't even get the Wii until last year.

As soon as they mentioned the name at E3 I cringed a little. It does sound stupid. As far as I see it, Nintendo better sell me good on its 1st party titles. I am sure whatever 3rd party game is released for it it will also be released on the PS3 and if it needs the tablet controller, I am sure the Vita will take care of that. Of course the Vita isn't cheap but a Vita is sure to cost less than a Wii U and with the Vita you have a standalone portable.

I cringed to. I can just hear all the haters now. "the wii U sucks and so do u" "F U wii U" I also agree about being sold on first party titles. I dont want to see other compainys making generic launch games like they did with rabbids travel in time and asphalt 3d on the 3ds.

I want to see a high quality mario title. I would even be happy with
new super mario bros 2 or mario galaxy 3 as long as they were A+ quality. A non kid geared kirby would be fun as well.

I won't be buying one at launch time due to the 3 ds debacle as well as the fact that every launch system seems to have major quality controll/ failure issues these days.

[Leo_A]

I like the idea of an integrated screen on a controller with otherwise standard controls. Having traditional controls, motion controls (I'd bet on standard Wii controllers also being packed in), and touch screen controls available out of the box should mean we'll have the best of all three worlds and that the control type that best makes sense for each game will be selected, unlike what we've often seen on the DS and Wii. And I'm also very happy to see it being HD.

Even if I just end up playing the latest iterations of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, Mario Kart, Metroid, and other traditional Nintendo properties on it, I'll be happy. I'm actually more excited for it than I was the GameCube or Wii before release.

My biggest concern is NOA itself. I really don't like some of their publishing decisions this generation in regards to retail games like Fatal Frame 4, digital releases on the Virtual Console, etc. I think they've realized that largely ignoring the core market was a mistake, especially for their 3rd party publishers. But I don't think they've realized yet that some of their publishing decisions are part of the problem that keeps that segment of consumers away.

Even if something like Fatal Frame 4 sold just 25 thousand copies after being translated and released here (A game which perhaps appeals to the smallest segment of consumers out there that buy the most games, per person) and barely broke even, those 25 thousand consumers are still very important. They buy a lot of software and they're also likely far more vocal than the average consumer. Pleasing them should be enough of a reason to subsidize some releases that appeal to that market, even if they have zero chance of getting on the best sellers list.

[substantial_snake]

I think that relying on the casual market while largely neglecting their base is going to eventually shoot Nintendo in the foot. I believe we have already seen part of that "backlash" in the 3DS with its initial arrogantly high pricing and we may see the same with the wiiU if Nintendo fails to get its act together.

I have full confidence in Nintendo making fantastic use of whatever technology they are pushing, including the WiiU tablet idea, but I honestly don't know that is going to happen. I honestly wouldn't be too saddened if Nintendo went the way of Sega though I doubt that would ever happen. I don't really have much interest in buying a console just for the Mario/Zelda/Metroid/Starfox goodness inside the largely shovelware librarys I consistently find on Nintendo consoles.

[jonebone]

I think it's way too early to make a call. Nintendo has always made profits through innovation and creation rather than graphical powerhouses (at least since the Gamecube). They are continuing down that path, and I applaud them.

The 3DS is in our recent memory, but people forget what an amazing success the Wii was, in terms of profit and sales. PS3 and Xbox were actually loosing money on every console produced initially, while Wiis were profitable from the very beginning. And not to mention the actual sales.

I'm indifferent at this point. I don't think it's doomed, but I'm not eagerly awaiting its arrival either.

Gimmick or not, get me a brand new Zelda or Mario and I'll probably at least check it out.

[Cornelius]

Is any of the talk in this thread really any different than the talk before the Wii came out? I'm not saying that means the Wii U will be a success or failure, just that this sort of speculation is just that, speculation.

Anyone less lazy than me want to dig out the old threads?

[Ludwig]

I think (aside from the name which sounds like a fire engines siren) the Wii U is a good idea, and actually the first modern console i'm considering to buy since the PS2 which was a huge disappointment to me.

[Graham Mitchell]

I like the idea of an integrated screen on a controller with otherwise standard controls. Having traditional controls, motion controls (I'd bet on standard Wii controllers also being packed in), and touch screen controls available out of the box should mean we'll have the best of all three worlds and that the control type that best makes sense for each game will be selected, unlike what we've often seen on the DS and Wii. And I'm also very happy to see it being HD.

Even if I just end up playing the latest iterations of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers, Mario Kart, Metroid, and other traditional Nintendo properties on it, I'll be happy. I'm actually more excited for it than I was the GameCube or Wii before release.

My biggest concern is NOA itself. I really don't like some of their publishing decisions this generation in regards to retail games like Fatal Frame 4, digital releases on the Virtual Console, etc. I think they've realized that largely ignoring the core market was a mistake, especially for their 3rd party publishers. But I don't think they've realized yet that some of their publishing decisions are part of the problem that keeps that segment of consumers away.

Even if something like Fatal Frame 4 sold just 25 thousand copies after being translated and released here (A game which perhaps appeals to the smallest segment of consumers out there that buy the most games, per person) and barely broke even, those 25 thousand consumers are still very important. They buy a lot of software and they're also likely far more vocal than the average consumer. Pleasing them should be enough of a reason to subsidize some releases that appeal to that market, even if they have zero chance of getting on the best sellers list.

I agree with everything you said, Leo. Everything.

I couldn't give a flying fuck about the tablet, motion controls or any of that. Most serious game buyers know that you don't buy Nintendo systems for the balance board, or the power pad, or the Super Scope. You buy them because they play Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games. Really, that's about it. Nintendo is one of the greatest game makers in the world (if not THE best).

As such, I will buy a Wii U to play these games. I think the N64 only had about 4 games worth playing on it, and they were all first-party Nintendo games. But these games were so good, and so important, that you wouldn't dare miss them. It's probably going to be a similar situation with the Wii U.

Another bonus for me is that I sold my Wii a few years ago. I've missed out on NSMB Wii, Punch Out, and now I'm going to miss out on Skyward Sword. Since the Wii U is backwards compatible with the Wii, I'll get to check these games out without having to buy another Wii.

[treismac]

I want to say right off that I am hoping that this the Wii U will be a success. Personally, however, I am not too impressed with the concept of tablet controller. While I don't doubt there might be a handful of games that make innovative use of this controller, the remaining 95% will no doubt will just use it as a gimmick that acts as a distraction from the lack of fun or originality in the games themselves. I do hope that this is not the case, though. Maybe my imagination is too small. As a retro gamer- hell, just as a gamer- I'd like to see the tried and true controller be the axis that games revolve around.

The name is indeed stupid. For starters, the Japanese love to use mangled Engrish, which they see as cute or cool (see Confucius Lives Next Door by T.R. Reid). Perhaps in Japan the name sounds great. Wherever English is the first language this is certainly not the case. Previous posts that point to parent confusion about the 3DS name being too similar to the DS are also probably right. If I was going to buy my son something for $200 plus dollars, I'd wouldn't want it to be on a slight variation/upgrade/improvement/whatever to the last $200 plus toy I bought him.

I think for Nintendo to ensure their survival, they need to woo back the hardcore gamers. It is a turn off to go to Best Buy or Target and see that 75% of the games for the Wii are crappy kid games. Nintendo should do better with quality control and limit the flood of shovelware. If Nintendo was smart, they'd obtain some Wii U exclusives of big name franchises to entice hardcore gamers to consider their system as a real option for their gaming needs. Decent downloadable games on par with what their competition has is also a "duh" idea Nintendo needs to wrap their mind around. I am afraid that being on the top for too long has dulled Nintendo's ability to critically evaluate what they are doing.

Anyway... I'm hoping for the best.

[treismac]

Gimmick or not, get me a brand new Zelda or Mario and I'll probably at least check it out.

You and everybody else, sir. ;)

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

We'll have to wait until E3 to see what the actual system looks like. We've only seen the screen controller. I wouldn't be surprised if they change the name as well.

By naming it WiiU, it makes it sound to the average consumer that it's just a simple upgrade to the Wii. They did that with the 3DS, not only with the name, but also with the design. It just looks like a DS. I believe Sony is making the same mistake with the Vita looking like a small upgrade to the PSP.

As for the launch, a Metroid Prime title would get a lot of attention from us diehards. My prediction is that the system won't sell as well as Wii did during the first year. However, it's still Nintendo, it's gonna be successful no matter what.

[BlastProcessing402]

I think the economy's going to play a major role. Unless things get better, it's a bad move on anyone's part to unleash expensive new hardware. Not that I expect Weeeeeeeeeyooooooooo to be as expensive as it would if it was the next XB or PS, but still, it's gonna be "hey ma, can I get Wii U for my birthday" "nah, i need the $300* bucks for gas, food, and bills, I ain't buying you a new Wii when you got one already"

*or 250 or whatever, just had to pick a number for an example

[exit]

After watching this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9sS7kWpPhM&feature=related), I am completely sold on the Wii U.

[Clownzilla]

I really want the Wii U to succeed but Nintendo is digging themselves into a deeper hole started by the 3DS. The pad is a neat feature but will only become an expensive gimmick in the long run. The price of the pad could of been used to refine the game system itself and provide the customer more "system" for their money. At this point, Nintendo would be better of making a game system that has cart & controller inputs for the NES, SNES, Gameboy, N64 along with filters for them to look better on LCD screens. It's straight forward and to the point gaming enjoyment.

[rlemmon]

Is any of the talk in this thread really any different than the talk before the Wii came out? I'm not saying that means the Wii U will be a success or failure, just that this sort of speculation is just that, speculation.

Anyone less lazy than me want to dig out the old threads?


I would say what makes it relevant is that until the Wii Nintendo only had one console disaster which was the virtual boy. Now they have completely screwed up the 3ds launch with an over inflated price along with the Ida that everyone would go nuts over the 3d aspect. Then there’s also the fact that Nintendo is reporting record profit losses of one billion according to game spot(assuming that number is correct)

http://www.gamespot.com/3ds/hardware/3ds/news/6342292/nintendo-losses-expected-to-top-1-billion

The Nintendo we have today is in a much worse position that the pre GameCube days. They sold Wiis and ds's like hotcakes and assumed that there 3 ds would ride on their ds and Wii tidlewave only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them. They also now have to worry about phone and I pad gaming. I'm just not sure if they have the brains to climb out of the hole they’re dug, but I sure hope they do. Sony and Microsoft have proved that they are incapable of making quality built machines that don’t breakdown more than granddaddy’s ford.



I really want the Wii U to succeed but Nintendo is digging themselves into a deeper hole started by the 3DS. The pad is a neat feature but will only become an expensive gimmick in the long run. The price of the pad could of been used to refine the game system itself and provide the customer more "system" for their money. At this point, Nintendo would be better of making a game system that has cart & controller inputs for the NES, SNES, Gameboy, N64 along with filters for them to look better on LCD screens. It's straight forward and to the point gaming enjoyment.

I agree about the pad. That money could have went into better graphics that surpass the ps 3 and 360. I would also think they could sell the system alot cheaper with a more simple controller which would likely increase sales. They need to get over gimmics and focus on hardcore graphics and gamers who have spent there money on sony and microsoft to play hardcore games that look great. I'm not a graphics whore but they sure do go a hell of a long way.

[kedawa]

The Wii was such a fluke that I can't imagine any console repeating its success.
I'm not ready to write off the Wii U yet, but there will have to be some very impressive games (or some very underwhelming competition) if this thing is going to have a chance.

[Nebagram]

I think the Wii U will do well. Better than the Gamecube at least, perhaps not as well as the Wii itself. The name certainly didn't help- then again, the Wii's name wasn't exactly popular once they'd changed it from Revolution (if anyone remembers back that far, lol).

I can see it being sold cheap from the get-go. I'll be massively surprised if it launches for more than $400, and wouldn't be surprised if it lands for under $300. Yes, the pad's a gimmick, then again everyone said that about the DS's touchscreen when it was first announced. Nowadays, if a handheld DOESN'T have a touchscreen, it's frowned upon. Miyamoto & friends are doubtless already hard at work finding a million ways of implementing it. Hell, I'd buy the Wii U for Pikmin 3 alone, let alone the inevitable Mario/Zelda/Metroid/Smash Bros/F-Zero (hey, I can dream right?) onslaught.

[Leo_A]

We'll have to wait until E3 to see what the actual system looks like. We've only seen the screen controller.

They've been showing off the console's exterior appearance since the day they announced it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Wii_U_prototype_E3_2011.png

[SonicBoom]

Honestly, If i buy it, I'd be using it for the tablet. I Knew the 3DS Would bomb and it did. And i think the wii u will be ok. Not gonna fail, But not gonna do awesome ether.

[Vlcice]

Yes, the pad's a gimmick, then again everyone said that about the DS's touchscreen when it was first announced. Nowadays, if a handheld DOESN'T have a touchscreen, it's frowned upon.

That's kind the problem in this case. Touchscreen has become common, so Nintendo announces a system with a touchscreen - but no multitouch, which is one of the core features of the other handheld touchscreen devices. Especially the tablets that the Wii U controller is meant to look exactly like. They brought a fork to a knife fight.

Also,

I can see it being sold cheap from the get-go. I'll be massively surprised if it launches for more than $400, and wouldn't be surprised if it lands for under $300.

I'll be interested to see whether the public interprets that as cheap or not. It's cheap by new console standards, but with the next gen for the other two consoles still years away, the Wii U is competing with $200-$250 consoles.

[Richter Belmount]

Nintendo is doomed, they dont cant change with the market , like why isnt mario and zelda first person shooters already.

[Buyatari]

Nintendo has a way of making things like this work. I was sure the Wii would be a failure but millions of non gamers picked it up for the bowling game alone and it lead the pack in system sales.

[kupomogli]

I'm going to buy a Wii U because unlike the Wii, the gimmick behind it is something that interests me. Bring the console with me wherever and if I'm at someones house and I want to play a console game, just plug the system up to a wall outlet and play. A portable Wii U and Wii all rolled into one, except it's only portable if you have access to a power outlet.

However, even though how Nintendo has been treating their fanbase for the longest time and I dislike them as a company, I don't think that the Wii U will fail in any way whatsoever. The only thing I think is that Wii U won't sell nearly as much as the Wii did, and more than likely will fall back into last place if it doesn't try to make sure it gets a lot of third party support, even if the games have to be multiconsole.

You have to think about it. Most of the Wii's userbase is by people who have never played a video game before in their life, or if they have they're just not into video games. "Buy a Wii and get exercise while having fun." Motion control really pushed the sales, but the fact that Nintendo didn't try to get more good third party publishers is why I overall think the console is crap. The same reason why almost everyone I know other than a few people haven't touched the console since a month after they've got it. Once the Wii U comes out, they're probably not going to get sales from most of the casual/non gamers who bought the Wii based on the hype. They're more than likely thinking in their head. "Do I really want to get burned again?" I think the console will sell as much or less than the PS4 and the next Xbox because of this reason.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'm weird, I'll admit it. I really only see this shaking out very well, or very poorly for Nintendo. I see it just as I saw the DS and Wii prior to release, a mix of excited and bewildered, but now I have the benefit of seeing how these things can actually pan out in regard to success.

So they've taken to revisioning old hardware models and functionality... You know what? For a company that has history like they do in the industry, and their competition being fairly new to barely seasoned, they are playing to their strengths in that field. I'll shit bricks when/if they revamp ROB...

As far as seeing a retro Nintendo property go FPS... How about Devil World?

Justice would be, in 10 years or so, the only FPS games that get released state-side are either First Person Loli-Goths or First Person Cuters. :)

[WCP]

I could easily see the Wii U as another GameCube for Nintendo. Nobody would really call the GameCube a runaway success, but it wasn't a total disaster either.

I think High Def graphics are enough to get people to buy the consoles, because everybody is going to want to try Zelda or Mario in HD. I'll say this much, Nintendo is going to need more than Luigi's Mansion to launch their Wii U. They can't do another Super Mario Sunshine. They need a legit Mario on Day 1 that is even beyond Super Mario Galaxy 2 in quality.

[Dobie]

I think Nintendo has made it pretty clear for many years that I'm no longer their target customer. I just didn't listen. Wii U will not be a purchase I make. I doubt Wii U will be a total and utter failure. However, I don't see them repeating the Wii's runaway success. I have been wrong about Nintendo before though... I thought the Wii was a gimmick (mostly right) and that it would be the death of Nintendo (totally wrong).

[goatdan]

Coming from a guy who thought that the Wii would be a HUGE success but hated the name, I don't think that we can fully determine what the Wii U will be with the info out just yet.

I have made the case before that the best consoles are those that fundamentally change the way we play games. NES introduced side-scrolling. SNES introduced rudimentary 3D and much nicer 2D graphics. Playstation introduced 3D gaming. The PS2 greatly enhanced 3D gaming to the point it could do stuff totally different than the original PS1. The PS3 and 360 offer integrated online and all-in-one-box solutions. The Wii allows you to waggle.

The Wii U how it stands right now has a tablet, that interacts with the TV. If it is a single tablet only that can hook up, and everyone else needs normal Wii controllers, I don't know what sort of "together gaming" that would really interest people. The suggestions that I heard Nintendo suggest of "playing tag" and "hide-and-seek" really, *really* do not interest me. If I have friends over and I want to do that, I can *physically* do that.

The Dreamcast had a VMU. It basically went unrealized as a peripheral, and I don't know if that was because developers didn't use it, or because their ideas just didn't work very well.

If the tablet can get some truly unique things to do with it, it could be a huge hit. If not, it'll be a failure. The DS changed the way we did portable gaming, the 3DS so far is nothing that the DS can't do, other than some gimmicky 3D. Once they use the motion control in it in a much more compelling manner, I expect it to pick up sales quickly.

I'd suggest that Nintendo looks at the strategy that Atari *almost* did with the Jaguar for this thing, where Atari was looking at making the Lynx hook up to the Jaguar to be the motion tracker for Alien Vs Predator. Doing something like that would add a whole new dimension to gaming, and would be wonderful.

Playing hide and go seek would suck. Hard.

[j_factor]

I think positioning the 3DS as an extension of the DS has backfired. They should reverse course on that strategy for their next console. Don't make it "Wii with a touchscreen controller". People will wonder why they can't just interface their DS with their Wii instead of buying a new console.

[swlovinist]

Nintendo is overall a very smart company. They have made mistakes in the past only to overcome those mistakes to move the industry in a different direction(love it or hate it).

With that being said, I think that Nintendo gambled with the 3DS and failed. I bet you we see a different Wii U this next E3. I want Nintendo to focus on making good games, not suckering Mom into buying casual game bullcrap. The Wii has a few bright spots, and I loved the DS. The market has changed considerably over the last five years. They need to have a much better strategy with the next system, as many people such as myself do not want them to make a "Wii 2". I want them to make a true HD gaming console and go back to what Nintendo was good at...making killer games.

[crazyjackcsa]

Anybody feel like we had this conversation about the Wii before it came out?

[Bojay1997]

Coming from a guy who thought that the Wii would be a HUGE success but hated the name, I don't think that we can fully determine what the Wii U will be with the info out just yet.

I have made the case before that the best consoles are those that fundamentally change the way we play games. NES introduced side-scrolling. SNES introduced rudimentary 3D and much nicer 2D graphics. Playstation introduced 3D gaming. The PS2 greatly enhanced 3D gaming to the point it could do stuff totally different than the original PS1. The PS3 and 360 offer integrated online and all-in-one-box solutions. The Wii allows you to waggle.

The Wii U how it stands right now has a tablet, that interacts with the TV. If it is a single tablet only that can hook up, and everyone else needs normal Wii controllers, I don't know what sort of "together gaming" that would really interest people. The suggestions that I heard Nintendo suggest of "playing tag" and "hide-and-seek" really, *really* do not interest me. If I have friends over and I want to do that, I can *physically* do that.

The Dreamcast had a VMU. It basically went unrealized as a peripheral, and I don't know if that was because developers didn't use it, or because their ideas just didn't work very well.

If the tablet can get some truly unique things to do with it, it could be a huge hit. If not, it'll be a failure. The DS changed the way we did portable gaming, the 3DS so far is nothing that the DS can't do, other than some gimmicky 3D. Once they use the motion control in it in a much more compelling manner, I expect it to pick up sales quickly.

I'd suggest that Nintendo looks at the strategy that Atari *almost* did with the Jaguar for this thing, where Atari was looking at making the Lynx hook up to the Jaguar to be the motion tracker for Alien Vs Predator. Doing something like that would add a whole new dimension to gaming, and would be wonderful.

Playing hide and go seek would suck. Hard.

I agree with your conclusion about the WiiU potentially being very successful, but I strongly disagree with your argument. With very few exceptions, every console ever released has "fundamentally changed the way we play games" and yet, many innovative or first of their kinds consoles have failed pretty hard. For example, the Turbo Grafx with its early adoption of CD-Rom, the 3do which provided full 3D games 18 months before the PSX. Heck, the Genesis was a pretty big success (although at the end of the 16-bit cycle was outsold by the SNES) and the SNES did very little that it couldn't. For that matter, the Neo Geo did things many consoles couldn't until 5+ years later. It doesn't change the fact that price, marketing, the economy, developer support and a hundred other factors all play into a product being successful. WiiU will be no different.

[rkotm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKS4a1RNQNQ ''Wii U?!'' Look, we gotta use our old IPs!!

[jb143]

... many innovative or first of their kinds consoles have failed pretty hard. For example, the Turbo Grafx with its early adoption of CD-Rom, the 3do which provided full 3D games 18 months before the PSX...

That all falls under the "pioneers get slaughtered and settlers prosper" idea. There are only a few Davy Crocketts in the world(Nintendo) but when they go, it will be in a blaze of glory.

[The 1 2 P]

First things first, the Wii was a huge fluke. Not because it was successful but because it was that successful. As video game fans we are use to seeing new systems become hard to find for the first 2-4 months after launch. But never has a system been hard to find for the first 2 years of it's existence and thats exactly what the Wii was: a hot commodity for a little over two years.

While I usually don't count Nintendo out(especially when it comes to handhelds), I think that they really don't know what the average gamer wants from a current gen system. Of course, that worked for them before but I don't see that happening again. I don't think the Wii U will be a complete failure but it's most certainly not going to be the runaway success that the Wii was. As a matter of fact, even though it will do well in the beginning(as all new consoles should), I have a feeling that it will start being outsold by the 360 and PS3 after it's been out for 6 months or so.

[pixelsnpolygons]

Even from the replies I read, I know I'm not really saying anything new, but I'll reply anyway. I have serious doubts when it comes to the success of Wii U. Nintendo managed to alienate a lot of its longtime supporters with the Wii in trade for the "support" of a bunch of people who may or may not be into video games right now, let alone next year when it releases Wii U.

I don't really consider the Wii a success in terms of rollover momentum. Nintendo starts at 0 with Wii U and it's going to have to convince everyone all over again. The problem is, what they're peddling this time doesn't seem nearly as exciting or revolutionary. They've been bleeding hardcore fans for years, and the other people who purchased the Wii probably don't have any real loyalty to the "Wii brand".

Wii was best case scenario as far as system sales go and it still delivered an underwhelming experience as far as I'm concerned. Most of us here will (eventually) buy Wii U to play the dozen or so good games (mostly made by Nintendo), and the rest of the time it will sit there and gather dust. I do not see the third-party situation improving. People won't buy third-party games (even if they're great) so third-parties don't want to make them. And so the cycle continues. I think the Wii was a failure, even if it wasn't sales wise. To me, it was a GameCube that appealed to grandpas and soccer moms. What I'm saying is, what good were those extra hundred million hardware sales to me? It didn't result in more software. (I'm not talking about the crappy games)

Negativity aside I'm buying a Wii U day 1. I bought a 3DS day 1 as well - even though I played it at E3 and wasn't really impressed. I think Nintendo is having some sort of creative crisis at the moment - a little part lazy, a little part cheap. They have the potential to create incredible games and ingenious concepts - its just easier and cheaper to not.

Bottom line: If Nintendo can't launch Wii U with a killer-app that appeals to either the hardcore crowd, the casual crowd - or best scenario both crowds the company should do some serious thinking about getting out of the hardware business. There's no way a hardware and software developer should have a situation like the 3DS. What an embarrassment. And it will be repeated if Nintendo tries to push Wii U out there with ports of old Xbox 360 games and HD versions of tired Wii concepts.

[goatdan]

I agree with your conclusion about the WiiU potentially being very successful, but I strongly disagree with your argument. With very few exceptions, every console ever released has "fundamentally changed the way we play games" and yet, many innovative or first of their kinds consoles have failed pretty hard. For example, the Turbo Grafx with its early adoption of CD-Rom, the 3do which provided full 3D games 18 months before the PSX. Heck, the Genesis was a pretty big success (although at the end of the 16-bit cycle was outsold by the SNES) and the SNES did very little that it couldn't. For that matter, the Neo Geo did things many consoles couldn't until 5+ years later. It doesn't change the fact that price, marketing, the economy, developer support and a hundred other factors all play into a product being successful. WiiU will be no different.

I can counterpoint all of that. The TurboGrafx CD was an add-on, not standard. Add-on consoles, even if they are melded into one unit (TurboDuo, Sega CDX, etc) are never the driving factor for a console. The 3DOs flop was less about the 3D games, and more about the horribly stupid price it released at. The fact it also was manufactured by different companies did not help. So yeah, price is important, but its also worth pointing out that the 3D titles that the 3DO had at the start were more "on rails" than what the PS1 did. Regardless, you are right - a console priced well over $1k with inflation would never set the world on fire.

I would argue for the Genesis as a success - it gained game speed. The Neo Geo is the same sort of price issue.

Bring out games that allow you to do something new and consumers will show up as long as the price is not insane.

Anyway, if they can make that touchpad controller do something completely new, it will be a success. If it plays Mario just like the TV, only not on the TV, its going to flop.

[Bojay1997]

I can counterpoint all of that. The TurboGrafx CD was an add-on, not standard. Add-on consoles, even if they are melded into one unit (TurboDuo, Sega CDX, etc) are never the driving factor for a console. The 3DOs flop was less about the 3D games, and more about the horribly stupid price it released at. The fact it also was manufactured by different companies did not help. So yeah, price is important, but its also worth pointing out that the 3D titles that the 3DO had at the start were more "on rails" than what the PS1 did. Regardless, you are right - a console priced well over $1k with inflation would never set the world on fire.

I would argue for the Genesis as a success - it gained game speed. The Neo Geo is the same sort of price issue.

Bring out games that allow you to do something new and consumers will show up as long as the price is not insane.

Anyway, if they can make that touchpad controller do something completely new, it will be a success. If it plays Mario just like the TV, only not on the TV, its going to flop.

That's the part I disagree with. Whether the controller catches on or not will have a significant impact on the success of the system, but it won't be the only determining factor. If unique hardware innovation was really the prime driving factor behind success, we would all be playing the latest iteration of the Virtual Boy instead of the 3DS. Similarly, if price was the only factor preventing success, the PS3 would be dead and buried and yet it's head to head with the 360 for second place this generation. There are just many, many variables, some the game companies control and some (like the economy) they have little or no control over.

[kupomogli]

Similarly, if price was the only factor preventing success, the PS3 would be dead and buried and yet it's head to head with the 360 for second place this generation.

Goatdan spoke of inflation. A $599 PS3 is nothing in comparison to what you really paid for consoles back then. The PS3 didn't drop in price as fast as the 3DS, but it wasn't too much later that it had its first price drop. Since then it's stayed around $100 more than the 360.

[Icarus Moonsight]

A Model T Ford was $850 in 1909 (inflation adjusted by Gold exchange rate 1909 gold/dollar coin in 2011 money - $72,138.65 USD) The Model T was the car for everyone. Affordable! A 2012 Ford Fiesta starts at $13,500 and is a much better car than the Model T ever was.

As technology improves, price and costs go down and you get more value/profit return per expense unit [price for consumers, cost for producers]. The comparisons of product over time is rarely ever 1:1.

[Bojay1997]

Goatdan spoke of inflation. A $599 PS3 is nothing in comparison to what you really paid for consoles back then. The PS3 didn't drop in price as fast as the 3DS, but it wasn't too much later that it had its first price drop. Since then it's stayed around $100 more than the 360.

Inflation and current value of money is really not the right way to analyze modern consumer products. You need to analyze it in relative terms to other products in proportion to disposable income.

$600 for a game console five years ago was more than most kids are given by their parents for Christmas and even though I bought one at launch, I know it seemed like a heck of a lot of money to me at the time and I make a pretty good living. Obviously a lot of others agreed as it didn't meet first year sales goals nor did it remain sold out for more than a few weeks after launch. The point is, there are many, many factors which make a product successful. Even the folks at Apple have had failures or disappointments in recent years like Apple TV and the novel controller on the WiiU is certainly not going to be the thing that determines in and of itself if the console succeeds. Just like the 3DS is becoming marketed less as a 3D system, the WiiU can easily be repositioned as a high-def powerhouse for all the classic IP kids and families love and the controller written off as a mistake if it doesn't add anything to the gaming experience.

[Cryomancer]

I'm more or less tuned out on it until it's at least established, I pretty much do not buy consoles at launch. If they start talking about quality Startropics and Earthbound games at launch maybe I'll pay more attention.

Also how about a 2D Metroid again?

[Leo_A]

I hope we'll get full fledged online integration this time and achievements. I'm a single player gamer 99% of the time, but I've fallen in love with things like the competition that leaderboards for classic game rereleases bring, keeping an eye on what friends are doing, collecting achievements, etc.

I hope the WiiU provides for all that, although I suspect it's wishful thinking looking at how little the 3DS has advvanced their online integration.