Topic: What if the gamepad was optional?

If the Wii U was sold as an HD device without the gamepad for a cheaper price (about $149 for the basic without any controllers/or wiimotes/or games), we'd be doing much better (and Nintendo could retire the original Wii).

The gamepad could become an accessory (for about $149) for those wanting the second screen experience (some people might even buy two gamepads). Many people have no need for the second screen or off-TV play. All they want is HD and access to the new games and higher quality Amazon Video/Netflix.

The gamepad can be clumsy to hold and the two screen experience is overkill for many gamers. It also makes the HD system that much more expensive, discouraging people to upgrade. Think about what would have happened if Nintendo had required every original Wii owner to also buy the Wii Fit on day one? The system becomes too expensive, especially considering the limited supply of first party games in the first year or two.

I love Nintendo, but wanted to share this idea and hear your thoughts. I'm not saying to do away with the gamepad entirely, but to have it as an option. Let's first get people to upgrade, and then they can get a gamepad later to enhance the experience on the favorite new games.

And then developers will continue to make games that only use the gamepad for gimmicks, and nothing would change.

This would miss the point completely and kill all games that really make use of it. If somebody just wants some HD games they would be more likely to just get a PS3 anyway. $150 for the gamepad would be way too expensive too, almost noybody would buy it at that. So all and all, it's a terrible idea that would kill the Wii U. In fact, you want a PS3 if this is what you want, and later you would want a PS4 if you want to play games new games in a few years.

I think that the WiiU would be in a worse position if that happened.

What would be the point in not buying an Xbox 360?

Free online.

The point would be Mario, Zelda, etc. (first-party games).

Developers will always aim to build software for the base system. If you make the GamePad optional the vast majority of games won't bother to use it at all. Once that has happened the Wii U has lost its big selling point. To use your style of example it would be like if they had created a second DS alongside the original for a lower price that lacked the second screen. The market would then be split between those who had it and those who didn't and all of a sudden the innovation around the touch screen doesn't happen. Brain Age bombs because the entry level user can't play it.

The Wii Fit example is a similar thing. Because developers couldn't assume that their players had one barely any games used it and the ones that did had it as a side gimmick. All of a sudden everyone is complaining about this $100 bit of plastic they don't use anymore. A very similar thing would have happened to Wii Motion Plus if they hadn't started bundling them with hardware and software left right and centre.

Anyways, I don't think your complaints are valid. I don't think it contributes as much to the cost of the console as you claim. It's not half of the ticket price. There is no tech in there that's not a commodity already, you can buy something with most of the tech above what's included in a normal controller for under $50AU. A digital photo frame, a GPS, a "baby's first tablet" sort of thing. I also don't agree that the GamePad is "clumsy to hold" although I do understand that's the perception. Which is strange given the reactions when it was first unveiled......

Obviously some people come in with their minds made up but personally after having the thing for 6 months I've never thought "this thing is too clumsy". The only reason I sometimes play with the Pro Controller is because in some games the mirroring is distracting. As I said in another thread, most of the time I play it I'm not using the TV. This seems to be very common.

Humm, I think the gamepad is relatively ergonomic and while I imagine it is iconvenient for some games (I found it acceptable for Mario), I do prefer the Pro Controller. I probably wouldn't see the need to own one if it was an optional device and all games supported the Pro out of the box.

It is a cool idea and part of the charm of the system but I think it will only be successful as a controller if it is pushed with the base package. I also think the gamepad has to be played with to be believed. It is remarkably light and has tight inputs. Like many who hadn't used it yet, I was LOLing my butt off at Nintendo when this thing was first shown. Well Nintendo got the last laugh on me because when I finally tried it, I was really taken back by how easy it is to use. IMO having it with the base system can only increase the opportunities for games to use it in interesting and unique ways. And if those interesting and unique things never come about, it is still quite serviceable as a traditional control pad.

This.

And also, can you imagine how confused people would have been with the Wii U without the gamepad. The general public have a hard enough time as it is to differentiate between the Wii and the Wii U

That's the main appeal of the console, and you can't even use a majority of the features w/o it.
Saying that, this would be one the most counter productive decisions any company could ever make.

do you not think nintendo are planning to make amazing use of the gamepad in all of those games?

If it was optional, no third party developers would ever use it. After all, why should they? Not all Wii U owners would have a Game Pad, and hence targetting only those that do would be aiming for a by default niche market. It's why add ons and accessories are rarely ever used outside of first party games on other systems.

Well the PS4 is basically making the "gamepad" optional.
Don't know if anyone have seen the news, but every PS4 game (well most) will have offscreen TV play capabilities with the PS Vita.

Off-screen play is a just one feature of Wii U. It can be quite handy in game. The off-screen play with Vita for PS4 is an extra feature for Vita owners. Some Wii U games will require use of the gamepad and won't have off-screen gmeplay. Third-party devs can make these games for Wii U because they know every Wii U owner will have a gamepad. I know I practically never use-offscreen to play games. I use the gamepad in game for the best experience possible. Wii U would be nothing more than a current gen system that came out 6 years late if this happened.

And both the Wii and Gamecube had the ability to use Nintendo's portable systems. Look how widespread that was even with the wildly popular Wii/DS. On the top of my head I can remember three Wii games that used the DS in any way. Infact if I remember correctly the PSP had a similar feature with the PS3.....

I see several problems with this.

If the Wii U was sold as an HD device without the gamepad for a cheaper price (about $149 for the basic without any controllers/or wiimotes/or games), we'd be doing much better (and Nintendo could retire the original Wii).

Game systems need to be complete and ready to use out of the box when purchased. You will end up making consumers mad otherwise.

The gamepad could become an accessory (for about $149) for those wanting the second screen experience (some people might even buy two gamepads). Many people have no need for the second screen or off-TV play. All they want is HD and access to the new games and higher quality Amazon Video/Netflix.

Nintendo will make games that use the gamepad. Why make it optional at this point?

The gamepad can be clumsy to hold and the two screen experience is overkill for many gamers. It also makes the HD system that much more expensive, discouraging people to upgrade. Think about what would have happened if Nintendo had required every original Wii owner to also buy the Wii Fit on day one? The system becomes too expensive, especially considering the limited supply of first party games in the first year or two.

Except the gamepad is the controller itself, not an accessory. Also, electronics in general are expensive at launch.

I love Nintendo, but wanted to share this idea and hear your thoughts. I'm not saying to do away with the gamepad entirely, but to have it as an option. Let's first get people to upgrade, and then they can get a gamepad later to enhance the experience on the favorite new games.

It's a terrible idea. Like the others have said, the Wii U will have no selling point without the Gamepad and it would simply be an HD system with nothing unique. Keep in mind that Nintendo will utilize all of its system features (in this case the gamepad), so making the gamepad optional will cause more problems than solve them.

How would you play games on it if you don't have a controller? What about people who don't currently own a Wii? Heck, Nintendoland would be pretty hard to play without a gamepad. I can't see any benefit to this.

The gamepad could become an accessory (for about $149) for those wanting the second screen experience (some people might even buy two gamepads). Many people have no need for the second screen or off-TV play. All they want is HD and access to the new games and higher quality Amazon Video/Netflix.

A controller costing the same as the system seems counterproductive. Off-TV play is a pretty big selling point. I don't really have to turn my TV on most of the time because of it. Games are all the system really needs right now, I do agree with that. At the moment, two gamepads would be overkill, especially at $150 a pop.

The gamepad can be clumsy to hold and the two screen experience is overkill for many gamers. It also makes the HD system that much more expensive, discouraging people to upgrade. Think about what would have happened if Nintendo had required every original Wii owner to also buy the Wii Fit on day one? The system becomes too expensive, especially considering the limited supply of first party games in the first year or two.

The gamepad isn't that much different from an Xbox 360 controller or an enlarged GBA in my opinion. I play my 3DS mostly, so 2 screens isn't really off setting. For the most part, you are only looking at one screen at a time. Wii fit isn't really required since it's not the control scheme of the system and was very limited in what games it worked with.

I love Nintendo, but wanted to share this idea and hear your thoughts. I'm not saying to do away with the gamepad entirely, but to have it as an option. Let's first get people to upgrade, and then they can get a gamepad later to enhance the experience on the favorite new games.

I don't see a way the gamepad could be optional since it is the monitor to the WiiU so to speak.