They're being replaced by "ultrabooks," and there is still a market for traditional computers. Once tablets can run full-featured PC operating systems, THEN we will see laptops finally go extinct.

I'm glad the whole netbook fad is over, they were generally useless devices that were only suitable to low-end tasks like web surfing.

@stromboli

but the ipad can connect with the apple Tv.
Android tablets can connect with google Tv.
windows 8 tablets can connected limited with the 360 and full in with the next xbox.

so how is the tablet part really that different. otherthanbeing a main source of data and not optional.

@LordTendoboy - my personal observation is that market has shrinked and it's disappearing. Those ultrabooks are expensive and people don't drool over them. They're still available, but there's no buzz or trendiness to it anymore. Even students at universities are exploring replacing them with tablets. It's crazy.

@shingi_70 - none of these examples provide even a sliver of what the Wii U is capable of. The seamless tranfser between an integrated tablet and a controller with no extra peripherals, cables etc. None will come close. Even for tech savvy persons it's not close, let alone someone looked at compete ease and flawless integration, as well as price, and the marketing behind.

But the Wii U is preety much an empty shell that gets all its information fromcthe console. with say a windows 8 tablet i could be playing the PC version of toy soldiers and when i get hope either mirror that image to my TV, pull my save from the cloud, or transfer my data too my consoled game.

hell WP7 already does this. look up the xbox companion app allowing you to control your xbox with your phone. and the halo way point app can display maps, with weapon drops and player locations while you play.

Also the wii u tablet leaves something to be desired by using a resistive 480p screen when copacative! 1080p displays are whatscoming out this year.

@LordTendoboy

Sorry, I meant to say: support two NEW controllers, not regular wiimote. The screen touch ones. It's not confirmed yet that it will support two.

Old wiimotes should be locked out of the wiiu.

I wonder if Nintendo will make the wiimote+ MANDATORY with the WiiU. It would be smart, it's a great opportunity to phase out the old wiimotes without M+. Bu tit will make some people mad. What's the use of the higher fidelity on M+ if developers can't trust that everyone has a capable wiimote?

I think it's different.

You see, when I go to buy a tablet (like an ipad or droid) I'm expecting it to be stand alone. I'm expecting to be able to do everything I want to do right on it and take it anywhere.

That is not the expectation with the wiiu, andso it's not clear to try to compare a wiiu controller to a regular tablet for the exact reason you mentioned above. It IS an empty shell. That is by design. Wiiu is a gaming console, not a portable tablet. If I want to play something in high def, by definition, I'm going to use the TV. So, from a developing standpoint, it wouldn't make a lick of (financial/processing/resource) sense to get 1080p-esque graphics on the tablet. The effort/cost just doesn't provide any return.

A tablet like an iPad/W8, in the other hand, NEEDS to provide that in order to stay competitive.

About the "resistive-style" screen: I'm with you that when news first broke out that it was resistive and not "capacitive" like my iPhone, I was disappointed. But then, after a while, as I was plying my 3DS I came to the realization that a capacitive screen in a primarily-gaming environment would suck. You don't get the same tactile response. I mean, just try playing some games on the DS/3DS and imagine it being a capacitive screen. Personally, I'm not convinced it's the way to go. And it also allows developers to think the same way, when it comes to tactile input, to both the wiiu and 3ds.

IMO when it comes to the wiiu tablet, the big missed opportunity/mistake would be to not implementing multitouch. It doesn't much matter on the 3DS. But it will matter on the wiiu if they open it up for development in an "app store" kinda thing

@stromboli me too! Man, I would have LOVED to have this kind of console when I was a kid. I remember how much fun I used to have with my dreamcast.

its possible to make a screen that's both compactive and resistive. see the samsung gala y note or high end wacoom tablets.

DS games are designed with the stylus' precision in mind. A capacitive touchscreen would be more convenient for a wider variety of games.

That's what controller + game bundles are for. Include a Wii Remote Plus with the game, and consumers won't need to pay extra for one.

The same as the wii. Unless Sony or Microsoft come up with some sort of system targeted at casual gamers Nintendo will probably keep being the casual company, while the wii U becomes a hardcore system.

my most favorite 1st party series come from nintendo but i hope they will improve 3rd party games like cod so i would just have the one system to play it on(on 3rd party games there needs to be more dlc)

A consone is not oriented for hardcore or not hardcore games. Hardcore gamers are pretty away from Nintendo and this is well known by dev companies, so actually investing time and money on hard core games for nintendo systems is a waste for them, some might risks ports from the other systems as long as porting is very cheap. I would never expect anything different than what you have today for the Wii.

You never make any valid points. Ever.

Remember the GameCube? There were plenty of multiplatform games on that. The entire Resident Evil series was remade for the Cube, along with the creations of Resident Evil 0 and RE 4. Also, Metroid Prime, Star Fox Adventures, Eternal Darkness, and even Geist are all examples of Nintendo making more mature games.

That was in the old old past before Nintendo decided to fully focus on casuals. How many devs risk to dev hardcore games for the Wii, even being the best selling console?

The reason the Wii didn't go down well with the hardcore, or the hardcore developers, is really easy - the console was underpowered. When you're talking about developers such as Activision or EA looking to make blockbusters that Michael Bay would weep to play, you need HD power and so on.

Especially when the bulk of people who play those games are buying PS3s or Xbox 360s.

The Wii U will for a time a touch more powerful than the other two consoles. So, for a time, there will be blockbuster interest in the Wii U to go with the casual game development.

At which point, the Nintendo fanboys will complain because they are getting HD orientated games, only to eventually be out-powered by the 720 and PS4, only for them to complain because they're not getting any hardcore games.

I'm predicting that the fanboys will first complain about how slow Nintendo Wii U releases are in the first few years.

Because fanboys expect Nintendo's development teams to magically have the ability to produce HD content in the same time frames as the low definition stuff they have been immediately.

mmmm I was believing fanboys didnt care at all about HD, 2D side scrollers are more than enough, with sprites if possible. They can still play plenty of them from the Wii in the WiiU, they will have no excuse to complain.

BTW, lack of power was the typical excuse, hard core games have little relation with power, even N64 had many. The problem is not power but people, 90% of nintendo users would never play these games at all doesnt matter the power of the console.