Topic: Is a Wii U the right choice for me?

Hey Nintendo fans... I know you probably get tons of threads like this one, but bear with me please...

I've been lurking on these boards (and other places) for a while now, mostly trying to make a well informed decision about what next-gen system is best for me. However, this only resulted in me getting confused and hyped about all three systems, so I wanted to see what the perspective of current owners is about my specific case. I've had a Nintendo 64, a PSOne, a GBA, a Gamecube, a DS lite, a Wii, an Xbox 360, and a DSi (though right now I only own the last two); so I'm most definitely not biased towards any platform or brand. I play all kinds of games, with a preference for fighting games and RPGs -and the exception of CoD and its derivatives/clones (which I despise).

Most of the stuff on the Wii U looks fantastic, but what worries me is the lack of support from developers. I'm afraid that we might not be seeing anything other than the usual Mario/Zelda/Sonic, with developers claiming it's not powerful enough (which as an engineering major I know to be total BS) and that it's not gonna sell like the original Wii (no console ever will). Sure, Smash and Bayo2 will be nothing short of spectacular, but I'm not sure my investment on the system would be guaranteed to work on the long run.

On the other hand, it's not like I have a ton of time to play games, and I've never been the kind of person to get more than five or six games a year. I'll be a freshman at FSU majoring chemical engineering staring January, so I most definitely won't have the 100+ hours of free time some people on the Internet claim to devote for games. I love video games though, and I bet many of my friends at college will too.

So yeah, that's basically it. Games appeal to me, price most certainly does, and I know from experience that Nintendo = quality. Will it be worth it on the long run? Am I guaranteed a quality fighter like Tatsunoko with decent online? Should I just get a cheap PS3? I appreciate your input.

Also, sorry if this is the wrong place for this thread. New guy here

EDIT: I also have a mid-tier laptop, so I can get most of the PS4/Xbone third party games.

I'm in the same boat in a way. I'm a PC gamer and have been lurking a while. I don't need anything from Sony or Microsoft that I can't get on PC. However, I want more exclusives than just Mario, Zelda, etc. If I do buy it wouldn't be until the price drop. Right now, I'm mainly interested in Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, and Monster Hunter 3.

Also, I'm a married teacher with a child on the way. Therefore, like you, I have very few hours a week to game.

If you are a Nintendo fan, then absolutely. Aside from first and second party games on this platform, it has some good 3rd party titles so far and is getting many more. ZombiU, Sonic Racing, Splinter Cell, Mass Effect 3, Skylanders, Batman, Assassin's Creed, Ninja Gaiden, etc... It's never going to get as large a 3rd party base as PS4 or Xbox 1, but it has the amazing first party to make up for that. It's a great console.

can you afford both a wii u(with the price cut) and a ps3 if you sell your wii? A quality fighting game other then smash bros maybe but other then street fighter there is no fighting game coming to any system for a while, lots of games are coming and if you dont buy all of them day one you have lots of games to play(most are platformers), the wii u has many party games for you and your collage buddy's, online is decent, they wii u should have rpgs soon. 2013-late 2014 you have lots of games beyond i really dont know. I know its not the awnser you want to hear but its the truth i hope this helps

He/she doesn't have a Wii anymore, only an Xbox 360 and a DSi.

Hmmm, that's a lot to take in, lol. If you only play 5-6 games a year then it really comes down to what games are most important to you. PS4 and Xbox One are going to be mostly about fighters, shooters, Western RPGs, and mediocre JRPGs (PS4), with a strong focus of online gameplay (the whole pay to play model is proof of that). Wii U seems to concentrating a lot on their core titles, platformers, and some crazy niche titles: Monolith's "X" looks like the JRPG of the gen already IMO. The one thing about Wii U is it's future is a bit uncertain, and you might want to wait a few months to see how things pan out.

Because:

-If Nintendo acquires Atlus that means a lot more RPGs for Wii U and fewer for everyone else (and potentially a fighter or two)
-A stronger partnership with Sega or Platinum could also mean more games that are up your alley
-Price drop coming up soon (September or October depending on your region: a $300 bundle with a game and free online is definitely thrifty)
-Probably more bundles on the way besides WW HD

No matter what though Wii U is going to struggle terribly with third-party support so it really comes down to if you're interested enough in Nintendo's offering. Again, the next few months will probably have a lot of reveals so if you can wait I think that'll help you decide. Like most gamers I just get another system (PC this gen for me) to fill in the third-party gaps, so if you're looking to only get one system I can understand it being more difficult.

Well there is conflicting things here...

1. The Wii U's future with third parties most likely won't be good...

2. However you said you don't have a lot of time for games.. yes you love them.. but if you get 50 games and don't open one because you have no time to play them.. well.. I don't know.. I never understood the logic in that..

3. However if your a Nintendo Fan wait for the price cut and get it... you'll most likely want the First Party Stuff.. which is the main reason to buy a Wii U..

4. Wii U will have at least 3 good fighters... Tekken is really good.. and for 20 bucks is a steal.. Injustice is great to.. and Smash Bros. should be awesome.. (Or at least that is what I have been told)

5. Unfortunately that may be the end for the fighting games.. (Maybe being the keyword)

In the end.. I think what the key factors are.. is how much time do you have for gaming?? How much of a budget will you have for gaming?? (Actually that may be one area where the lack of third party software works to your favor) How much of a Nintendo fan are you??

If the answers to those questions are little time, little budget.. and big time.. then yes Wii U is a perfect choice for you...

otherwise.. I would get a PS3... it will have enough games to keep you and your friends happy for a long time.. (So can Wii U but PS3 will defenately have more variety considering it's been out for what?? 7-8 years now.. and has a fabulous library..) The Wii U will get better at the end of the year.. and start of next year.. yes.. and technically.. the Wii U will outlast the PS3.. but it will struggle for third parties.. unless it has one heck of a holiday season and early quarter next year.. but even at that it will still struggle.. (See Wii for an example and considering third parties and how they are talking about the U currently.. it will just be a rinse repeat situation if Wii U did explode all of a sudden and started doing Wii type numbers.. or at least stayed number one in sells for this generation)

Have you considered the 3DS? I'll recommend that over the Wii U if you are o.k with playing handheld

Hmm... Based on your personal preferences
There's not a lot of new-school fighters out there in the moment for the Wii/Wiiu with online play minus Tasunoko v. capcom and Tekken WiiU edition. But if you don't mind going old school then the WiiU has it in spades in the virtual console service like King of fighters series, Fatal fury series, Street fighter series etc. so does a lotta RPG's some that are the greatest of all time like Chrono trigger, Final Fantasy and (March of Ogre battle? i think that's the name) Some of these virtual console games go for a bit cheap. There's a price cut coming soon if you're going WiiU.
Don't know a lot about the Ps3 tho..

I was in your same exact position recently and have finally come to a solid conclusion that I will have to live with good or bad.
So after E3 I was, like a lot of other games, really jazzed about the coming "next-gen" consoles being produced by Sony and Microsoft. The plan was to save up and use all the money to my name for buying a PS4. But then after the post conference high ended a month later I realized, being an early adopter might not be the best idea because of lack of games (just like Wii U but most likely it wont be as bad) and high entry point. This led to my attention being shifted from the PS4 and Xbone to Wii U and PS3.
Comparing the Wii U's catalogue of games and PS3's isn't exactly fair as the PS3 has been on the market for close to 8? years to the Wii U's almost 1. However, that's the situation the Wii U is in. After looking at what's up incoming for the Wii U I, personally, decided that the first party's coming, while probably exceptional, are nothing I haven't played before. I missed out on the PS3 this generation and the wealth of games (Tokyo Jungle, Ni No Kuni, Rain, The Last of Us, Infamous, etc.) on the system, plus the amazing online structure Sony has built has given the edge to the PS3.
The Wii U won't be getting too much more third party support, Nintendo kinda missed the boat on this front and other than the occasional release I don't think (who knows I could be wrong) there will be any big turnaround in support. We don't know enough about Nintendo's plan for next year to say much other than that games are coming... Sometime....
So, hopefully that answers your question lol? Since you don't have much time to play games and your preference of games I highly recommend picking up a cheap PS3 (160gs should be good) and pick up Ni no Kuni, The Last of Us if post apocalypse stuff is your thing, the Uncharted Series, and maybe the Jak or Sly HD remakes for some old school goodness.

Honestly even though I am a huge fan of Nintendo, I would get ether the Xbox One or the PS4 just because of all the extra power. I personally will be getting the Xbox one and the Wii U later. I do have a huge gaming cpu that NASA has asked me to return it a few time but I still prefer playing on consoles.

I have always gotten the Xbox's on opening day even the first one. (but I only have 8 years on xbox live ) so I would be a bit biest honestly. but Nintendo does have the better fan community then Sony or Microsoft.

COD= Children online Daycare.

If you really don't plan on gaming much this generation, I would just recommend getting a cheap PS3. The library is full of all sorts of great games, and many of them are dirt cheap and really easy to acquire now. Plus, it's still going to have some steam for at least a couple of years after the PS4 comes out. Also, it can double up as a great blu-ray player.

The U is not a terrible choice, but like others have said, if things continue the way they do, it's unlikely to get even a tiny amount of 3rd party support. For RPG's, I really am not seeing anything major but X coming. A PS4 or 3DS (Perhaps Vita too) would be better choices in that regard. And for online fighters, other than ports (most dummied down for the U), it's probably going to be just Smash Bros.

Get the Wii U. The reluctant third party developers will come running to Nintendo in the upcoming months. Bayonetta 2 looks great, Monolith's X looks great, Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei sounds great, Sonic Lost World looks great, Wind Waker HD looks great, Monster Hunter U is great, Lego City: Undercover IS great, Dragon Quest X looks great, Pikmin 3 looks great, Wonderful 101 looks great, Mario Kart U looks just amazing, Donkey Kong U looks great, Earthbound looks great... So yeah, I suggest the Wii U because its the cheapest and it has free online. HOPEFULLY... Square Enix will be one of the developers that come running to Nintendo after the PS4/Xbox One launch hype dies and the Wii U picks up steam. I REALLY want Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy XV and Tomb Raider 2 on Wii U. Its just a shame that SE hasn't confirmed Kingdom Hearts 3 for Wii U even though Nintendo has a huge Kingdom Hearts fanbase that would totally buy KH3 for Wii U....

Wow, that's a lot of replies!

Probably not.

Well, I intend to make my choice by black friday... you know, because money.

Yes, yes, and yes. Still not sure tho...

Well, considering the latest game I bought was Soulcalibur V (about a year ago), frequency of games is not an issue for me at all. Ni No Kuni does look good very though. Thanks for confusing me

Not sure if I agree with this kind of statement, specially considering my PC is just about as powerful as either nextbox.

This is true though.

So now it's two people recommending this... now I'm seriously considering it...

DRAGON QUEST!? WHERE! How have I not heard of this‽

Oh, and I probably should have said this, but I also have a mid-tier gaming laptop, so most of the stuff on the Xbone/PS4 I can get on my PC with slightly reduced graphics. I'm just not interested in any of the launch games for either system (save for AC4 and KI).

I would wait until we have a more solid idea about the Wii U's future. As it stands, if it weren't for Rayman Legends, I would deeply regret buying a Wii U (I also own a 360 and use it regularly). Also, if you want to play online with friends that you know, the Wii U is pretty bad. The lack of direct game invites or a proper chat system really hamper the system's online functionality.

Oh, and there's a good chance we won't get DQ 10. It's an MMO in a series that hasn't been super successful in the west, unlike Final Fantasy. Yet another reason to wait.

Also, the XBOX One and PS4 both look to be extremely capable multimedia bluray players as well as gaming machines (especially the former). If that matters to you, it's something to consider. Also, are you rooming with somebody? Off-screen play could come in handy if that's the case.

Here's the Japanese trailer. This game has ALSO been confirmed for America but SE doesn't like giving release dates on games D:

No it's not. The right choice is no games cuz they sux. Just keep your 360 and play Halo.

I may have something else for you to consider:

The Wii U may be an awesome choice for you because of your college status. At least when I was in college, EVERYONE had 360s and PS3s ... almost nobody had a Wii or Gamecube. The people that did, though, were super cool because you could play all the other stuff that most of your friends didn't have.

So, yea - I don't think you'll have any shortage of Xbone or PS4 in your immediate future even if you don't buy one, as everyone around you will probably own one anyway and you'll most likely game with them quite often.

I may wait even WAY past Sept. 20.

Well I'm a college student in Nursing and I have hardly any time to play if anything I'd say go for a 3DS it's portable, the games are amazing, and you can easily play in short bursts personally I have a year and a half left before I graduate and until then I'm holding off on a Wii U because I don't have the time for it. Also it gives me a chance to see how well things pick up for the system. Also if you consider getting a system don't use the internet for advice come on that's a given rule not to mention any website is full of biased people (NL=Nintendo (not the staff just a lot of the users), Gamespot = 360 fanboys all around, and almost any other big website is full of PS360 fanboys combined.