Topic: Is the Wii U worth it?

I bought a basic unit at $200 a while back, and think it was a good purchase.

My problems/complaints?

• Had to get a new router because the built-in wireless wasn't working no matter how our existing one was configured - this upset me quite a bit because everything else in our house worked without issue, but in the end it wasn't such a big deal.
• Future support is a concern, as third parties have pretty much abandoned the Wii U and nobody knows how long Nintendo will support the console if it's not very successful.

What I like about Wii U?

• The library of games will certainly be smaller than PS4/XBone, but first-party content alone the console will probably be enough to justify the console for me.
• The tablet-like controller is kind of odd, but off-screen play is something I've really enjoyed - allowing me to play games or watch movies in bed or while other people are using our main TV.
• Full backwards compatibility with my Wii stuff is a huge value for me because I've got a huge collection/backlog waiting to be played and lots of digital content to carry forward.
• Easily the most family-friendly gaming system around. We've got two young children at home, so having something we can all enjoy matters to me.

at $200.00 I think its worth it, that's the exact price point for Wii U's value

I have heard Nintendo gives the same warranty for refurbished consoles as for new ones. So you are getting the same support for $100 less.

I hope you buy it and enjoy it.

Actually, it's not. Nintendo spends about $230 on every Wii U:

http://www.gengame.net/2013/03/cnn-estimates-the-cost-of-manu...

Then factor in that they had to put a new part in for it to work, and Nintendo is just trying to make back most of what they lost, although I do understand that doesn't/shouldn't factor into consumer price. When you buy a console at retail vs. their online store, they are paying for mass shipments, retail space, and then the stores mark up the price for anything they sell to make money after all those prior transactions.

You could just as easily say that PS4 and Xbox One should cost $325 and $425 respectively, but that's already less than it costs to manufacture said consoles and all the other costs involved, so that basically proves the companies are losing money.

http://ps4daily.com/2013/11/playstation-4-cost-to-build/

The same article mentions that Apple makes around $200 profit on each iPad. I wouldn't even buy that s***, because they're literally ripping people off, so it can go both ways, but Nintendo is probably losing $30 by selling it for $200.

Aren't these refurbished ones used/returns?

Obviously it depends on what games you like but it deffinately is a solid console.
And it has monster hunter. Need I say more?

You can get some good games cheap. As far as exclusives, I think donkey Kong, Mario 3d world, w101 and pikmin justify the purchase. Then bayonetta, hyrule warriors, smash bros and Mario kart should keep you busy for a while.

@Rockodoodle
Yes, but the post I was replying to was saying that Wii U was valued at $200, refurbished or not.

They can sell a refurbished console closer to manufacturing costs, because they have then cut out most of the shipping and distribution costs.

At this rate, a refurbished Xbox One would cost around $330 and a PS4 would cost around $265. This is only under the impression that Microsoft and Sony would also sell their console at 30% off after being refurbished.

It depends on

• whether you have been liking Nintendo games and want to continue playing similar games. Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and the upcoming Mario Kart 8 are examples of stellar sequels that, while creative in their environment/level design, don't really have much in the way of gameplay innovation. Plus, they're in HD! About time, too.
• whether you have a lot of opportunities for local multiplayer. The Mario games are great for this, as is the definitive version of Rayman Legends. Party games such as Nintendo Land, Wii Party U, and the reportedly silly/awkward Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party offer what cannot be found on other consoles in their use of the GamePad.
• your interest in the GamePad. Not many games make particularly compelling use of it, but the ones that do (ZombiU, Nintendo Land, Rayman Legends, and other games mentioned above) just might be worth it. That, and you can use it as a TV screen if you play Wii games on the Wii U (though the GamePad cannot be used as a controller for Wii games).
  Note that I have not played many of these games. Just SM3DW.

I bought a Wii U mainly because my Wii looked terrible on my HDTV when connected with a composite cable plugged into the TV's A/V port, and the Wii wasn't working with component cables. I wanted to play Nintendo games in their proper colors again, without being excessively dull with sparse patches of intensely bright distorted color. That, and I really wanted Sonic Lost World and Pikmin 3.

At least until the @ogo79 "rare downloads" program gets implemented

@Ryno Yeah, when's Nintendo gonna come to their senses and get on that? Urban Champion's pretty rare by now, right?

The Wonderful 101 isn't a 3rd party game though. Nintendo owns that IP, Platinum Games just developed it for them.

I don't think that's why really. I think it has more to do with what you compare the 3rd party games to. You can buy COD on WiiU, but why would you when it's the version with the smallest userbase & that has the worse visual fidelity for the same price as all other versions? Same goes for most 3rd party games on WiiU. Some doesn't even have all the features other versions get and some don't get DLC. All for the same prices.

Rayman Legends is great & I did buy it on WIiU. But that's the only 3rd party WiiU game I've felt have been worth buying on the system thus far.

The userbase, continued support, features and DLC? Sure. Especially in the games where the Wii U got by far the worst end of the stick. Pricing and Visual Fidelity though? I don't agree.

From what I've seen the Wii U version of multiplatform games is typically about somewhere between the 360/PS3 and XBOne/PS4 versions in terms of visuals. In terms of price though the Wii U versions, at least thus far, have been cheaper most of the time. Just post PS4/XBOne launch here most of the multiplatforms were cheapest on Wii U and PC, then there were the 360/PS3 versions at +$10AU, then the XBOne/PS4 versions at +$30AU

Hmm.. Maybe. As I said, I've only bought Rayman Legends thus far, so I shouldn't be talking about stuff like that I guess.

In addition to the Wii U games, Wii U is compatible with Wii games and the Wii controllers+nunchuck, so you can play all those old games in Wii mode as well (if you want). I'd also suggest getting a Pro controller, since I like that better for games that don't use the GamePad (such as DK Tropical Freeze).

The interesting thing is that when I was looking for the prices to make that point I couldn't find any that were appropriate. Games tend to drop in price after launch really quickly, especially ones that don't have a long tail. The only example I could easily find that supported the "Wii U Games are if anything cheaper" was Watch Dogs.

What was interesting is that looking at that same retailer I saw the prices for Rayman Legends. The Wii U version is still at the full launch RRP ($60AU) and the PS3 version now falls in line with that same price. What's interesting is that the newly released PS4/XBOne versions are $5AU cheaper than the PS3/Wii U versions and the 360 version has been discounted to $30AU. Says something about which versions continue to sell methinks.....

Besides, every Wii U 7th gen port doesn't even HAVE to sell more than or even equal to Xbox 360/PS3, because the initial investment was on 7th gen consoles.

From what I can tell, the Wii U versions are a bit more clear, and have the GamePad off-TV play or adapted features for the touch screen. That alone adds more value for the consumer, so it makes sense to buy the Wii U version of a game, even if the enhancements are subtle. Also, Wii U is a new console that will be supported for a while and has free online, so more value for the same amount of cash you would have paid for the Xbox 360/PS3 version. It literally makes no sense to buy a game that available on 7th gen consoles, when it's available on Wii U, IMO(in most cases). Those games will become budget titles and will add more value to the Wii U at the bottom line. Some titles have already become budget games, like AC3, Sonic, Scriblenauts, etc. The rest should and probably will follow suit. If you played Wii U online at launch, it's pretty easy to tell that more people bought games like Sonic or Tekken, because more people are online then there once was.

Thanks guys' I ended up buying one! Should get here soon! Closing Thread now.