If they wanted to make the Wii-U the greatest console they've had in a LONG time... they need to make that Legend of Zelda demo they had when introducing the console into an actual game. Yeah, that is just wishful thinking. :P
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26Nov 12
As you're likely aware by now, I recently picked up my Wii U. Fortunately, it came before the madness of Black Friday, but going in late in the afternoon, I stood behind a line of people---most of whom did not pre-order the system like I had hoped they would have done. Looking back on it, I realize that this is exactly how it was nationwide. The Wii U obviously sold well, with demand exceeding supply. And once the stocks are replenished, it is widely expected to be the top-selling gift this Holiday season. The big draws of the Wii U were the GamePad, the high-def, and all those great Nintendo games that will be displayed in HD for the first time ever.
Don't get me wrong. The GamePad is a great device to work with, and it really brings fresh new ideas to the gaming table. But there's this principle that I've always gone by throughout the majority of my entire gaming life when it comes to game consoles---they live and die by their games, not by the hardware. And while I'm not downplaying the importance of hardware specifics per se, I wonder if most consoles are unfairly judged on that merit alone. The Wii U, on all accounts, is hardly the exception.
Barely a week out the gate, the Wii U is already being put through its paces. Critics have expressed concern over the performance of the Wii U hardware, citing a weaker CPU processor than the 360 and PS3, short battery life of the GamePad and frequent load times for existing third-party ports. There are those who would dismiss the Wii U as an immediate failure, unable to stem the tide of the 360 and PS3 and being showcased against the inevitable shadow of Sony and Microsoft's next big consoles--- both of which are expected to be announced in 2013. Others are cautiously optimistic that the Wii U will grow, mature and develop into a serious contender once developers work around the kinks and take the fullest advantage of its potential. Regardless of what side of the fence you happen to be on, it is generally agreed that the Wii U is the first major, high-profile console release from Nintendo in nearly six years.
Naturally, all of this stems from heavy expectations leading up to the day of its release. Innovation is an essential factor for moving forward in not only the video game industry at large, but everything else, and the Wii U succeeds in forcing that endeavor. But innovation needs a solid foundation to stand on. In the case of the Wii U, Nintendo needs to concentrate on developing their beloved franchises into the HD arena and consider inventive, intelligent ways of using the GamePad that appeals to both casual and hardcore gamers--- rather than passing it off as a nice gimmick. I've said this time and time again in past blogs---Nintendo has a chance to truly bring their first-party games into an entirely new dimension with the Wii U's HD capabilities. The console is almost roughly on par with an XBOX 360. The Mario factory has so much to work with, even more so than the original Wii. They're no longer in an era where they were stubbornly sticking with cartridges. With all this power comes great potential for creating some truly great games.
If nothing else, bringing their game franchises to the Wii U is what Nintendo needs to emphasize more than anything in the months and years ahead. They came to the HD party late, but this doesn't necessarily mean they're at a disadvantage; the ball's still in their court. New Super Mario Bros U. is a great start, and it looks fantastic in high-def, but chances are gamers have already played it on their 3DS and/or the original Wii. Of course, the Wii U is far too early in its life cycle to consider anything remotely significant at this point in time and, for now at least, it is relying on existing third-party ports of games like Mass Effect 3, Assassin's Creed 3 and Darksiders 2 to stem its foundations and draw in that coveted hardcore audience. The problem is that for people who have both a 360 and PS3 (like me), these games just aren't all that different from each other with the exception of some meager GamePad functions. Third-parties should have considered games that are exclusive to the Wii U that make use of its GamePad in ways other than instant menus and instant touch-screen access. Zombi U is a nice effort in doing something like that and, despite the negative reviews, there are people who will respond to its innovative features and use them to maximize their enjoyment.
Right now, the console is a blank canvas with only a few dabbles of paint. Both Nintendo and third-parties have the opportunity to tap into the Wii U's hardware potential and the GamePad's inherent functions, but most importantly, they need to just make good, fun games for everybody to enjoy. It is a guaranteed proven strategem for not only drawing in the target crowds, but also beneficial to industry profit margins. Innovation and bright ideas brought the Wii U to this point, but good games are the foundation that will ultimately determine its success or its failure.
It's your call, Mario.
76 comments
I said it as well. Nintendo has SO many franchises. It's like a big flood gate as to who they can bring to the Wii-U on HD or who they could bring BACK in HD.
Give it a year or so until the inevitable redesign. Think of how the PS2 slim was to the original PS2, or the original Xbox 360/PS3, consoles change. They'll make whatever iterations they feel necessary, but I can't help but feel that they pushed for this early release at the expense of design quality.
Personally I'll decide wheter to get a WiiU based on how awesome monster hunter 3GS will be. If it is just a port with no hd graphics and all, then the WiiU is a no-buy for me
What the Wii U needs to do is get some first party nintendo games like a new zelda, metroid, mario, super smash bros, eternal darkness, star fox, and fire emblem game. Also they need a exclusive Resident Evil game on it just like the gamecube had the resident evil remake and resident evil 0 on it.
@Drilbit777 Basically, they need to bring back the same titles they have on every console they make...
1 Like @Drilbit777 Resident Evil publisher said they weren't going to start any projects on the Wii U yet because they're still working on how to implement the new Gamepad controller in the game (check out the link) and the first party nintendo games will come out eventually!
http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/43236/resident-evil-wii-u-could-be-unique-and-fun/
1 Like So what are these innovations you speak of?
The tablet controller might be a new appliance in the realms of console gaming but it's been the choice of preference for phones and micro-devices for years now. In literal terms, the gamepad you speak of is only a bigger DS, which from my memory, served as to only numb the corners of my fingers in it's design. I know that some games offer alternatives to the staple gimmick Nintendo is running the Wii U with but honestly you're giving it far too much credit and to see that the first parties haven't done much with it at launch, aside from the expanded Pac Man vs modes offered in Nintendo Land makes me not at all convinced by the device. You mentioned Zombi U which does provide some interesting gameplay choices by utilising the new controller yet people have also spoke of how moving between the tablet and the TV screen has felt clunky and uncomfortable in execution.
And what about the third party developers? You know, the ones Nintendo tried desperately to appeal to at E3. What do they have announced for the Wii U, do the likes of Electronic Arts, Activision or Sega even care about releasing excluisve and unique titles on this new machine?
To go on a hunch, the Wii U was only saved by it's white knight fanbase who will go to war with ANYONE who is critical of their new machine. This launch has only been average to mediocre in all reputation. Once the PS4 and Xbox 720 (or 1080) hit shelves I suspect that not only will Nintendo's "innovation" fall on it's face but will be bettered in almost everyway by Sony and Microsoft. Hopefully by that point though, Nintendo will have their new Smash Brothers on show in which case my opinion might change, let us hope it does too.
In anycase, the Wii U is presently too expensive for me to consider (costing far more than a new PS3 and 360 in the UK) and offers too little in return.
1 Like Yep, it's just to early to tell if this is going to do well or not. Need to give it a year atlease to see what it's can really do.
My power blipped during the initial update download. System now bricked - sending it in for warranty repairs. I just got it today. Nintendo you dun goof'd!
@pseudospike Ugh, sorry to hear that. I wasn't a fan of the enormously large two-hour update. Hopefully, your Wii U will work fine now :)
@Asagea_888 @pseudospike it was actually only 1.5 gb. The long times were due to traffic.
@Asagea_888 @pseudospike it should be reports also have been saying you can download it in the background.
@Epictacosam @Asagea_888 @pseudospike Ah, so that's what it was. Hopefully, it'll be smoother now for people later on.
1 Like "they need to just make good, fun games for everybody to enjoy." - That's why I'm not buying a WiiU for at least a few years. The major problem I personally had with the Wii was the lack of interesting titles. The major problem I personally had with the Gamecube was the lack of interesting titles. There isn't anything in their launch window that compels me to buy, and I don't see anything on the horizon (that has been announced) that makes me think, "getting a WiiU is a good idea."
Add to that the lackluster gamepad battery life, the crazy-long load times for the MENU and stuttering I have personally witnessed on the third-party games (one of my friends was kind enough to play the guinea pig and bought one on launch) and I'm feeling a bout of deja Vii coming on.
1 Like @SlowMotionKarma What do you mean lack of interesting titles? The Gamecube for example had TONS of awesome games! Metroid Prime, Zelda Windwaker, Mario Kart, etc. :O I don't really understand what you mean?
3 Like IMO Nintendo should just develope games 4 the other 2 systems and stop producing their own consoles (besides their handhelds). Like that every1 could njoy their games and they would make alota money 4 sure, cuz XBOX as well as PS gamers would buy their games...
2 Like I really want a WiiU... but unfortunately I am not very interested in it at its current price point.
1 Like Nintendo will make it work. It's as simple as that. Just like with the Wii. Making good games on the Wii was a challenge. Making games on the Wii U may be an even bigger challenge.
Isn't the point here that the next gen ps and xbox will do exactly as everyone expects,with continuations of the games we all expect (that are so tired even now).Given a year or more that puts this console as the cheapest option open to both consumers and devs who drop off the triple a list but don't want to enter handheld obscurity.
If nintendo try and take on consoles that are as yet to be announced it would be absolute folly.If were looking at another 8 to 10 year generation that puts nintendo back in 6 years with another affordable console.Creativity is king here and as far as i can see it's us the consumers who lack it the most, we already have what we ask for and yet we just want it to be more powerful with no real focus or ideas about creative input.
1 Like Im just confused, cause there isn't really much potential for the Wii-U as they have sabotaged that when they gave it hardware that only compares to 8yr old systems(hell, even they have some better hardware then this recent release). Nintendo has Mario, Zelda, Metriod,.. and *shrug*, games that are becoming ever easier for any age to conquer. Nintendo did have some potential with its controller (but i heard it doesn't handle multi presses at one time) so now its kind of just a menu thing, its just really a gimmick. Good for Nintendo its getting current releases of games(thats an amazing feat i guess ... for Nintendo that is), but what about its future... when the new REAL NEXT GEN consoles get released will dev's tweak their games down so Nintendo fans can play them?. As a PC gamer, im tired of seeing games being made for really old hardware, even some good games that could have been far greater had they not been bad for some limited pieces of scrap. So after over 8years Nintendo releases a system that KEEPS gaming at its current level, HOW THE FK IS THIS GETTING PRAISED?!?!?, oh right... it has Mario, Zelda, Metriod (Games we will likely hardly ever see) and the difficulty lvl will be for 6yr old tots. Who is running Nintendo now?; some sugar crazed 4yr old?, its not like Nintendo is the only ones to have its brand only games that ppl will buy the system for. *sighs* I am being pretty anti-Nintendo, but its system is a piece of crap... I did want a Wii-U to play some friends/family games.. but this boat has too many holes it in to trust.
2 Like @Master_Vexov I don't see what is so confusing. This is Nintendo's way of doing things. I honestly wouldn't think of this system as their Next gen, but rather an inter-generational console that was made to demonstrate that they could make one. I have stated before that this machine is what the Wii should probably have been and it should have been released along side the PS3 and the 360 back at the start of their life cycles. In all honesty, I could see a lot of people picking up the Wii U back at the start. That is not to say that it still won't sell like hotcakes and that Nintendo doesn't stand to make a pretty profit, but I do feel that their late entrance to this "HD" party did cost them many potential customers. I can't help but think that if they had originally advertised an HD console that could also play the famous first party Nintendo titles they are so well known for, that many people would have jumped all over it. With that, instead of playing GTA 4 or the Assassin's Creed series on your PS3 or 360, you would have been playing on your Wii U. The console itself is a good one, able to nearly go toe-to-toe with the other two HD machines, but the timing of its release is not ideal, and I feel that timing is a very important part of when you try to launch these things. Does this mean Nintendo screwed up and will lose profit? No, because they are Nintendo and they will continue to sell to their fans, especially if they put out strong first party titles. But I do think that eventually their unorthodox (and possibly slightly arrogant) attitude toward the gaming industry will cost them one day. I would not be surprised if they decided to roll out another console within the next 5 years, depending on how far the next Xbox and the PS4 have progressed. Then again, they could simply go back to their old ways of just relying on their own IPs, as it has worked for them all these years. After all, I do feel that this console really only will appeal to Nintendo fans, as any other gamer who is just interested in playing cross platform HD games will already being doing so on the other two machines.
@Kmangamer @Master_Vexov We must remember that Nintendo is run by the same people that have run it since the 80's, they were brilliant back then,but they haven't really evolved, the only game I like on the Wii was Skyward, and maybe monster hunter, that alone doesn't make a system for me, it's sad that once the next gen picks up, third parties will once again start hashing out downgraded games for the wiiu using the gimmick of the gamepad, just like they did last time on the wii and the motion controls, last system from N that I bought was a GC, absolutely regretted it and bought a PS2 to accompany my PC. It's sad but long gone are the golden SNES years of Nintendo domination, we all grew up, I guess they didn't'.
1 Like all what a console needs to interest me is a good library and reliability. So far, the WiiU needs some to make me interested in getting it, Bayonetta 2 is one of the few exclusives mentioned that interest me, but we'll have to see how the system library fares with my picky self. I'd never buy a console at release though, there's always some hiccups that have to be fixed throughout the first months and honestly, I feel 32 GB will become a laughable amount in no time, especially if you go through the digital route. Unfortunately, I think the only people that will buy a WiiU are Nintendo fans or the people that buy every system possible on the market. I don't think Nintendo can catter to the current demographic anymore and they'll more than likely have another console like the Gamecube. I'm not sure where to stand with the WiiU, all I know is that I lost hope with Sony and Microsoft just aims at a crowd I'm not a part of, so I'll probably end up sticking to my 3DS the whole next gen.
1 Like @nunchuk28 Mentioning the GameCube, Nintendo had some good success with that console, and it was released around the middle stages of the PS2/XBOX lifespan, giving it a competitive edge. The GameCube, I felt, had an ecclectic mix of casual and hardcore games---some of them underrated like Eternal Darkness or the RE remakes. The Wii U could end up like the GameCube---enjoying moderate success but not being a complete failure. At this point, Nintendo doesn't need to dominate the market unless it absolutely wants to -- it just needs to survive against its competitors and stay relevant when Sony and Microsoft bring out THEIR big guns next year.
1 Like @Asagea_888 @nunchuk28 Gamecube was a fail, all the great games were on the PS2, safe for a few exceptions, like Eternal Darkness and Metroid Prime
1 Like It would help if their CPU wasn't brutalising every third-party port. Digital Foundry's latest showed that the extra RAM and more powerful GPU don't mean much with a sluggish processor. It looks more and more like the only people who will actually support the Wii U are Nintendo themselves, third-parties aren't going invest in finding a way to use the gamepad when the Wii U isn't exactly hot right now and its probably as troublesome to port to as the PS3 was back in 06-07.
@adam1808 Wow didn't know this, it's sad they can't even match 6 year old hardware, what is the 360 running? a modded intel triple core isn't it?
@adam1808 That's a good point. I think Nintendo was trying to be as cost-effective as possible when constructing the hardware so that the Wii U could be priced competitively. I've heard that games like Darksiders 2 and Ninja Gaiden 3 suffer from frame rate drops and frequent loading -- more often than their counterparts. And the developers of Metro Last Night don't even want to develop for the Wii U because the lower CPU would make it difficult. Maybe this is also the reason why Rayman Legends was delayed?
@Asagea_888 You could run Rayman Legends on a laptop given that it's 2D. I think the delay is more so due to the fact Ubisoft needs to stretch out its releases until next E3 when we hear more about Watch Dogs.
@Asagea_888 @adam1808 it was delayed to meet expectations set by the fans, but we all know that Ubisoft didnt want to compete against a certain plumber ;)
@Epictacosam Said plumber hasn't starred in a 2D game superior to Rayman Origins since Super Mario World.
1 Like I just got my Wii U yesterday, and I can truly say that i think it has a lot of potential. Some of the ways you can use the Gamepad are interesting and intuitive. I hope developers use the Pad in the right way, but so far the Wii U has been a good experience.
@VampireLord123 There's room for the Wii U to grow and mature, so it's good to have that optimism. Every console goes through this, and many of them have managed to survive and defy expectations on the contrary. Most of all, we gotta see the games---I can't stress that enough!
1 Like I am not a huge Nintendo fan to begin with, so I'm in the sceptic group already...I wonder how this will play out in the coming months. I hope they learn from their mistake with the 3DS release.
@pokecharm But you are a fan of Charmander though :)
I wonder how everything will play out as well. A lot of people say the Wii U is in a "wait-and-see" mode---they're not pessimistic, but not overly optimistic either. Nintendo will need to play nearly every one of their cards right with the Wii U from this point on.
@Asagea_888 I am, but those reasons don't make a whole lot of sense ;)
I wonder why Nintendo always has the skeptics, but Microsoft and Playstation can build an empty box and are good ;)
1 Like I think the whole "wii u needs good games" is a little obvious. Everybodys waiting for a HD zelda or metroid. I think the online aspect could be make or break for nintendo this time round. Imagine metroid with not only an amazing HD single player adventure but a competitive multiplayer aswell. Some people might argue that nintendos first party efforts don't need this element of play but i think they do. Metroid has the potential of being nintendos very own Halo.
@joe_b1_kenobi Metroid as Nintendo's Halo? You might be on to something! Are you listening, Nintendo?
1 Like Learn from SEGA, Nintendo should stop focusing on the Hardware (the 7th Gen of Sony and Microsuck's consoles is still more powerfull than Nintendo's 8th) and the majority of gamers cares more about the graphics and that's something (and as we can see) Nintendo is not gonna deliver, you're gonna have some wow's the first time you use the controler, then get really bored fast because it's all about the game itself (i'm still playing my PSX, Gamecube , Dreamcast etc) so i think Nintendo should stop here and do just like Sega did and act just as a Video games developer.
The question is can Nintendo make a new titles/series that can live up to thier old standards? ppl loved Mario Galaxy, and even so it got a perfect score but do you really think that gamers are gonna still be playing that Game in 2014? just like those same gamers kept playing the great ol' original Mario (and still ) for years? no i don't think so, N still making some good games but not as epic as they used to be in the past, just stop foucsing on making "freaky" stuff to get attention Nintendo and start making a new fresh title that can live up to the name! with all what we have seen from other the Dev's the last 10 years i don;t think Nintendo has what it takes to lead the horde anymore.
we're gonna still buy and play Nintendo's consoles and games, but we all know that we're gonna spend more time on the Xbox9786968 and PS4.
(the PS2 of the 6th Gen is gonna still rule all may she rest in peace )
Yes, Sega did release too much addon hardware, seems to be the agreement among my other friends throughout the years; Nintendo isn't going to deep down this path, its problem is with the hardware in the system itself (althoe if true, that controller is limited to 1 press at a time.. its pretty much limited to a menu always, so it too"its potential" is also a fail). Nintendo will live to see a future regardless of the Wii-u's future, lets hope they finaly come to realize that you do have to come through with SOME harware next system release... in probably 4-6years.
@Master_Vexov @matastig Isn't the point that the one press you talk about is also on top of it being a traditional gamepad?I only have two hands here mate dunno about you:)
@esk1m00k I didn't quite understand your question, but the good news here that i have 10 finger..no wait i have 2 hands!..sorry wait 10 fingers my bad..oh wait..no 10 fingers it is ;)
2 Like I feel everyone is being a little unfair to the Wii U so far. The main criticisms are in it's power. A lot of devs have complained that it's CPU isn't very powerful and what not, but you have to look at it differently. Did you know the Wii U uses a GPGPU? It's actually the first console to do so. A GPGPU can take pressure off the CPU by performing some of the tasks itself. That's why Nintendo never put an all singing all dancing CPU in the Wii U, because it wasn't needed. The GPU in the Wii U kills the ones in the PS360. Also the Wii U is capable of running all games in 1080p with ease, the only reason some games at launch are running in 720p is because their devs chose to run them at that. And it's possible for the console to run every game at 60fps. Tell me what more we need? You don't need to go any higher than 60fps and realistically 1080p is all we will need next gen anyway. Why? Look at the adoption rates of Ultra HD televisions. Nobody owns them yet. It'll be 5-10 years before their adoption rates even get near anything of an acceptable level. It'd be completely pointless for the Nextbox and PS4 to support UHD, because if you only have a standard HD TV the games will never run over 1080p anyway.
Power does mean a lot, you can easily see this in games between Wii vs consoles vs PC.
The Nintendo Wii-U is nothing more then a short skip ahead for consoles. I won't argue with what you said, but really when it comes to power the more you have the more you can do.. and Nintendo limited itself again which will mean dev's will likely ignore the wii-u in the future as its already enough for them to develope for the Consoles then tweaking the game to greater heights for the PC.
You nor I can even begin to predict what will happen. I stand by what I said. The Wii U was never going to be the most powerful, but it only has to be powerful enough. Epic already said the Unreal Engine 4 will run on Wii U, and I'm sure I read somewhere that Square-Enix said their next gen engine will run on it also. If it can run the next gen engines, like Epic and Square have said, then as far as I'm concerned it's as powerful as it needs to be. The rest is down to devs.
@Sk8rlink The whole point of me comparing the Wii U to the PS360 was to try and get a point across. I think anyone who believes the Wii U sin't more powerful is a little stupid. Like you said, it'd be ludicrous for it not to be more powerful. I was just making a point for the purpose of this discussion.
@leparkourpr Im sorry I really like video games and apart from guiatrs, it is the hobby I spend a lot of my paycheck on, I am very sorry if you cannot indulge in this experience because you cannot afford it, but, the main argument was, the wiiU has enough power to stay present in 3rd party devs mind, and I truly beleive it does not, no advanced rendering like tesselation or HQ Textures, lighting, shadows, it comes to show that it is only a catch up to Xbox and Playstation, and once again I repeat those 2 consoles are very shabby, and holding games back because of their weak hardware.
@Master_Vexov Haha no worries. When I said games run better on PC's than console's I was talking about gaming specific PC's that come with a GPU with aroung 2GB of dedicated graphics and fast processor. Starting prices for these PC's are more than double the most expensive console on the market today! But you can notice considerable differences on graphic quality and load times. I don't consider my PC to be better than my console either right now lol
"PC is light years away of what consoles are capable of" ??
Are you sure it isn't the other way around, I can't see a console ever comparing to my CPU for over 15years.. and it still wouldn't touch my 690.
@Sk8rlink Yes the 2880 x 1800 resolution surpasses any console on the market, but bare in mind Apple's Mac Pro with retina display costs $2799. Also, PC games are able to look better and run faster than consoles if you buy a gaming specific PC with a good Processor and a decent GPU (which comes with a price.) If not I'm sure games with High Resolution and lots of moving objects will experience some lag. With that said, PC games are light years away of what consoles are capable of but IMO Console gamers and PC gamers are two very different audiences.
@widdowson91 I read it can't run frostbite at full power, I"ll try to find the source, I haven't seen the games, if they aren;t upscaling then that;s a step forward, but I am pretty sure it won't run at 60fps, not when release titles can't do that, like NG3. ANother thing is that you are comparing this 2012 consoles to a 2005 and 2006 console, it would be ludicrous if it didn't surpass them, but what about the next gen? Have you played heavy PC hitters like Metro 2033 or the witcher 2? They look absolutely fantastic thanks to the high res textures, advanced lighting, bloom effects, particles, something the WiiU if it has the same horsepower as the 360 or PS3 will not be able to do, also a lot of PC gamers have been playing on displays that exceed 1080p, and games look absolutely gorgeous, with Apple pushing retina displays, every other great manufacturer is going to start putting out displays with more and more pixel density, that my friend is the future, full Hd is starting to get rusty, prepare yourself for 4k.
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