Two years ago today — on 18th November 2012 — the Wii U was launched in North America. It was the first of this current generation of hardware to arrive in stores and generated a decent amount of hype, followed up by subsequent releases in Europe (30th November) and Japan (8th December). After a decent start the New Year in 2013 brought a crash in momentum, however, and we now approach the second anniversary of Nintendo's console with the company continuing its efforts to boost the system's fortunes. This Holiday season sees major releases accompanied by amiibo, a new venture in NFC figures.
As it is the two year anniversary, and ahead of another critical period for the console, we thought we'd assess the current status of the system and its future prospects; we'll warn you in advance, despite some positives it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
Sales
To be blunt, sales have been very poor for the Wii U. As of 30th September this year the Wii U had sold just 7.29 million units, which means it's behind PS4 and likely in a similar ball park to the Xbox One, despite having a one year head start. 2013 was particularly bad for the system with the Holiday season providing a bump that was dwarfed by the launches of those rival consoles.
There has been some improvement in 2014, with Nintendo keen to emphasize an increase in momentum driven by Mario Kart 8, in particular, which is certainly positive. The cold reality, however, is that only 1.12 million units were sold in the six months from 1st April to 30th September this year; to give an idea of how bad 2013 was, the equivalent period last year yielded just 460,000 sales. Even with that improvement Nintendo's target for the current financial year is to sell 3.6 million units, which if accurate means it still won't have hit 10 million lifetime sales after 2.5 years on sale, when results are returned up to 31st March 2015.
Nintendo's Holiday performance will be critical — particularly this year — and our optimistic hope is that the combination of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, amiibo and the impressive game library will exceed expectations and push the system past a tipping point towards sustained success.
In summary, though, there's no escaping the fact that the Wii U's sales have been unacceptable, and at this stage Nintendo will likely simply target a return to profitability and modest success — improvement will be need to even reach GameCube levels, however.
Retail Games
To begin with the biggest positive, the available line-up of current exclusive Wii U retail games — let's include Smash Bros. and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker as nearby arrivals — is rather impressive. Over the last two years Nintendo has, despite some barren patches, released or published a range of excellent titles. When considering core franchises and a small but hardy number of third-party exclusives — often published by Nintendo — there's a pleasing range of unique and high-quality experiences.
In terms of major third-party games the story is far less positive. In its first 12 months the Wii U had a series of reasonable ports from major players such as Ubisoft, Activision and more (EA's contributions were very limited) yet, as sales for Wii U showed no signs of progress, these companies largely left the platform. There are still titles in franchises such as Skylanders, Disney Infinity and LEGO, though brands such as Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty have disappeared, while a host of titles on PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox One skip the Wii U as a routine practice. We're also now at the point where the overlap of last- and current-gen ports has ended, and the loss of support is biting harder.
Nintendo, to its credit, is lining up what promises to be a diverse and relatively full line-up to cover large parts of 2015. It's largely on its own, though does have positive relationships and partnerships with companies such as Bandai Namco and Sega, in addition to studios such as Retro Games and Next Level Games (the latter aren't owned by Nintendo) that are yet to announce their latest projects. We're looking at a mostly first-party and exclusive line-up in 2015 and — quite likely — beyond.
Wii U eShop
Following that previous point on Nintendo's limited support in the retail sector, the eShop becomes increasingly important. After a relatively quiet first half of 2013 the store began to gain momentum, a process that's certainly continued into 2014. There have been a few major exclusive titles, such as Scram Kitty and the recent Stealth Inc 2, but the core of the release schedule has been multi-platform releases. There have been some high-quality titles, undoubtedly, with Nintendo's support for Unity — even offering a free license on Wii U — opening the door to a number of developers that may have otherwise refused to take the risk.
The current eShop scene is exciting from an overall perspective, we'd argue, though it's not without its issues. In North America the store has seen a high number of releases through the Nintendo Web Framework service, which allows games developed in code such as HTML5. There are some respectable efforts, though we've also been critical of a number of games that, frankly, lack the level of professionalism and polish expected of a home console download game. There are debates to be had on whether developers essentially learning on the job with Wii U is a positive or not, but if the eShop becomes over-populated with sub-par games that could be a problem. It's telling that this is far less of an issue in Europe; few of these sorts of games arrive in the region, possibly due to costs of localisation and ratings which, arguably, separate established, experienced developers from those that are releasing their début games, for better or worse, on Wii U.
A note on the Virtual Console, too. There have been some great new arrivals, including EarthBound, while the Game Boy Advance library may seem to belong on 3DS but, in actual fact, works well on the GamePad. Beyond those positives it's been far slower and less varied than the Wii Virtual Console, with less platforms and many re-released NES and SNES titles; some we could have done without. Despite the re-treads we're yet to see the promised N64 titles, while dreams of GameCube releases seem destined to be unfulfilled — oddly, we may yet get a range of DS games.
Overall, there's clearly an appetite among developers of all sizes to support the Wii U eShop, with an impressive line-up of games confirmed — some, again, are exclusive — for the end of this year and into early 2015. We certainly rate the eShop, two years in, to be one of the Wii U's strongest areas.
Functionality
To kick off with apps, the Wii U has a solid range of entertainment options away from gaming, though lags behind the breadth of apps available on PS4 and Xbox One. Essentials such as Netflix, Amazon and YouTube are present and correct, along with a decent web browser. As stated, the Wii U can't match the variety on rival systems, but with TVii also considered (in North America, anyway) the system does deliver the minimum required content.
Beyond those apps, the system has come a long way through firmware updates over the last two years. A Wii U of today can now sort games by folders, has settings to manage data in the upcoming amiibo range, has an improved UI and is moving towards pre-download options on retail games — kicking off with Smash Bros. The system is also relatively quick following updates, while the GamePad quick-start menu allows you to jump into a game without waiting for the full system menu to boot up.
Then, of course, there's Miiverse, Nintendo's bespoke social network. Nintendo has improved this a great deal over the past two years, and developer communities add official messages alongside separate areas for most released games. Nintendo has also dabbled with video embeds for developers, while Mario Kart 8's TV menu allows users to upload videos to YouTube from within the game.
Online gaming has also taken a step-up with the Wii U, creeping towards modern trends with some voice chat options in some games, and online tournaments in Mario Kart 8 and, eventually, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The Wii U does feel, all considered, like a relatively modern piece of hardware. Our biggest bug-bear remains, inevitably, the absence of full support for Nintendo Network IDs and their content to be 'in the cloud'; they are from Nintendo's perspective, but for the consumer they're still effectively tied to hardware, while NNID's can be too limiting in transferring or using a different system.
Holiday Sales Prospects
There have been positive noises from Reggie-Fils Aime (Nintendo of America President) in recent days regarding the Wii U's prospects this Holiday season, focusing on value and unique content as the core selling points for the system. In various regions the Wii U, Smash Bros. and amiibo appear to have been the focus of marketing campaigns with the 3DS and Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire generally secondary. The company is keenly aware, as it's made clear throughout 2014 and no doubt behind the scenes when facing investors, that at the very least the Wii U needs to improve enough to stop being a drain on finances.
Will this effort pay-off? We'll know for sure in the December and January NPD results — the former will incorporate Black Friday sales. As mentioned above Nintendo's core sales goals are rather modest so the odds of hitting those targets aren't outrageous given a strong Holiday period. It's a crowded release schedule across all systems — as it always is — and without many of the multi-platform ports Nintendo will reply on that unique content (including the seemingly sketchy Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric) to carry the day. In terms of amiibo, too, there are demo units and signs of promise that the toy range could have decent shelf space in US retailers, which is a vital market.
With low targets Nintendo has a chance to meet expectations, and much rests on winning over that most fickle but lucrative of audiences; families.
The Wii U's Future
In terms of exciting games that'll invigorate dedicated Nintendo fans, the company has a number of highly promising retail exclusives on the way, while the eShop could provide a continuing run of solid titles. The company is also continually improving functionality on the system, with the recent pre-loading as an example. In the coming year we can also expect the amiibo range to grow, with its success likely to be an important part of the system's financial fortunes.
Long term, it's hard to see significant third-party retail support returning to the console barring a boost in sales well-beyond expectations, especially with the modern trends of expansive games that are limiting some PS4 and Xbox One releases to 30 FPS performance at best, sometimes below 1080p. Persuading publishers to go beyond occasional Skylanders and Just Dance games — as examples — will be difficult.
The aspiration for Wii U, we would suggest, is simply to bring some profitability to stop the drain on Nintendo's finances. At this stage the company may simply be happy to reach GameCube levels and go again with a fresh generation in 2-3 years, whatever that will bring.
Those are some of our thoughts on the progress of Wii U, then, as it hits two years on the market. It's all about contrast — as gamers we're delighted with many of the games available and enjoy our systems, but the cold reality is that it's still struggling badly to sell significant numbers and be a viable and profitable machine for Nintendo. That is why it's a C- at this stage — our feelings about the console and its experiences may be more like a B+, but woeful performance in the marketplace is a major concern. The potential is in place for a major reversal of fortunes — but that's all it is right now, potential.
We truly hope that this time next year we'll be considering a much improved situation on that score.
So there you have it, let us know what you think in the comments below.
Comments 246
It's been disappointing, to say the least. I've played it with friends, tested it, tried demos. It's just not a "must have" for me yet.
I'll buy it when Zelda U comes out.
I'm giving Nintendo plenty of money. If they need improvements anywhere, it's in their system software. They need to implement an 'always-on' friends list and easy access to friends playing games.
Mine seems fine, thanks for asking!
c+ for me.I absolutely love my wiiu. But it has suffered from extensive game droughts. Lack of sales and 3rd party support.A weak VC..Watered down online multiplayer...im not really selling it,am i? lol
It does have kick ass exclusives. true second screen gaming. Nintendos seal of quality. Extensive control support. the company caters to the fans they are loyal,and in turn so are we
Hahaha! And several users here say it is the best Nintendo console ever!
For me it's about a C or D as well. I've played it less than any other Nintendo console I've owned, and 2015 looks to be a wash for me. I doubt Zelda will be released until 2016, and the only thing upcoming that interests me is Splatoon, and that's not even a guaranteed purchase.
I love my Wii U. My one qualm with it is the vast amounts of empty weeks when it comes to AAA releases. The first half of this year was especially preposterous, with only Donkey Kong and Mario Kart as big games that got my attention. Sadly, if Nintendo doesn't delve into the war chest to fund more third-party exclusives and fill in the gaps, things are likely to remain similar in that regard.
Either way, I do love it to bits - the AAA games we do have are pretty amazing overall, and there are more and more incredible e-Shop games being released all the time.
I'll just say this: when a sibling expressed interest in getting a Wii U a while back, I discouraged her from doing so. Now, I would say "only if you want a few games or so." The system needs more than platformers. I know it has more, but right now, it's over-saturated with platformers.
It gets a A- from me. Not a bad console to own at all.
For me it feels like a D, so I suppose after sales performance that pushes it down to a solid F in my book. I'm really happy that so many people are enjoying the games on the system, but I'm just not satisfied with my Wii U. I feel like the games just don't live up to Nintendo's standard, and the ones that do are unfortunately for me just not the sort of games I'm interested in. This is basically my Pikmin 3/Netflix machine.
I'm always rooting for the system to turn around, and for Nintendo to announce some games that interest me. I just know that whatever they come out with next, I won't be buying it at launch.
It still surprises me that Nintendo doesn't remedy the game droughts with VC games.
Otherwise, I love mine.
A from me, and I'm looking forward to the future!
I think the exclusives make it a worthwhile system, even more so considering the expectet line-up for 2015. I really loved Bayonetta 2 (great value thanks to the inclusion of the original Bayonetta), as well as Mario Kart 8 . Pikmin, Zelda WW and Pikmin are also worthwhile, and I'm definitely getting SSB and Captain Toad. The real reason for me though, is still Splatoon and SMTxFE, games I would not want to miss out on.
Having said that, the WiiU is a 2nd or 3rd system for me, not a primary one. At this point there is nothing Nintendo could do to change that, at least I couldn't think of anything.
There are shortcomings in the system software, the lack of party/chat system, always-on friendlist, join via friendlist, party-join, as well as general stuff like lack of online for games like Mario .... some of that stuff is pretty annoying and seems really unnecessary. We'll see where Nintendo will be going from here, but like I said it is a great, probably the best, 2nd or 3rd system - like my Bone it's just for exclusives though (not that there are many multiplatform games available anyways).
I think ironically the system actual quality right now, esp. considering games, is really not well reflected by the sales as they stand. Personally, I like Bone best right now, the interface is superior to the PS4 as is the performane of Xlive (despite some Halo troubles for some apparently). The games catalogue is easily the best out of the bunch sofar, with amazing recent additions like Forza Horizon 2 and Sunset Overdrive (very upbeat games, that often even feel Nintendo-esque) as well as the amazing Halo MCE.
Aside from a slightly superior multiplatform performance and Infamosu: 2nd son (maybe KZ for some), there is nothing on PS4 right now, that is worth the investment. Makes me question the whole games-sell-systems line-of-argument :-7
The current lack of third party supports really hurts me personally. I become a fan of "Mass Effect", "Assassin's Creed" among others bcause they where released on the system, but nowadays even Activision didn't release Call of Duty for our home system of choice. I should be super happy playing "COD: Advanced Warfare", "Assassin's Creed Rogue", "Shadows of Mordor"... it really bums me out, but that's my only complain in two years of owning my Wii U, so I guess it could be far worse. AS for the future, once "Xenoblad Chrnicles X" comes out in the west, I wlll be so happy and entertained you probably wont find me online until I completed the game.
Still doesn't have that killer app for the gamepad (but then PS4/X1 don't have their respective killer apps yet). There's nothing wrong with Wii U per-se, but it's stuck in no-man's land between casual and core audiences. As much as I hate to use those terms, both worlds have turned and left Nintendo in the dust.
This has been the first Nintendo console I've owned since the N64. With that being said, I have a few qualms with it.
With that being said, I've enjoy it FAR MORE than my PS4 and Xbox One. Hell, I even hardly touch the other two. There just isn't anything worthwhile on it right now.
Compared to Xbox One and PS4, I have to give the system a solid B. Its nothing 'great', but the Nintendo games are really carrying the system. Once the PS4 and XB1 pick up a better library, I feel the WiiU will dip further and further.
My 3DS on the other hand... I absolutely adore it :3
A+ - best Nintendo games in years. I don't care about lack of 3rd party that much, because that's why I have other stations and boxes. It's great improvement over Wii.
People are not buying U, because there was no hype created around it, no marketing at all... now they started doing that, and the sales started slowly picking up. Hype is what makes the things going, look at PS4 - they created hype, payed people who needed to be payed, commercials, etc and they are happy. MS treated people like garbage (like Sony with PS3) and it backfired. Nintendo did nothing and just lived in their little world, hoping the name WiiU will drive the masses in, because Wii was a succes... But not for people who wanted to play the games or gamers per se.
Now they did it right, with GamePad being optional most of the time and having awesome pro controller. Problem is, it's too late.
Nintendo doesn't even need stronger machine than PS4 or PS5, they need to get with the times with technology. No BS calls to them to just change the system, just normal, simple account system that doesn't need THEM to do anything, unless it's something really important.
Also, COPY for save data. Not copy the whole game and save data.
@JamesCoote "There's nothing wrong with Wii U per-se, but it's stuck in no-man's land between casual and core audiences."
I agree with you 100%.
Heh, way to Nintendolife to be honest for it 2nd year rating. Here's to another year! As 2015 looks to be rather promising gamewise and hopefully Ninty realizes that from a mass appeal perspective. Yes Ninty we know has the best value and the best games out the trifold bunch. Stop talking to us people in the internet about it and start telling the masses about it clearly and loudly! (and hopefully has this WiiU become a christmas present in me home pls.)
I suspect an early close to the Wii U's life is looming. It launched in 2012, and I suspect the next Nintendo console will be receiving heavy talk as early as 2016 or 2017 at the latest.
I can already tell that I'll be spending most of this generation with my PS4 and 3DS. The Wii U is headed to N64 territory at record speed. I think Nintendo has one more console generation in store for them, and if they can't finally come to equal footing to MS and Sony with the Wii U successor, then they'll be moving to 3rd party status.
I expect that, at the close of the Wii U, out of Reggie, Iwata, and Miyamoto, one or two of them will be gone.
A C-? Isn't that a pass?
I'd go for a high E, maybe a low D. This has been an abysmal generation for Nintendo.
There is room for improvement on Nintendo's part, but overall it is a solid console. I would give them a C+ overall.
I would love to see them implement cross-purchase support, a true account system in the eShop, and a more aggressive with both virtual console and indie games.
I would give it a C or C- so far
I give it an A, yes an A. It continues to provide me with a couple hours of entertainment per week and that is all I need. I don't play video games all day, every day so I have never had a drought.
It's the little console that could. Rapidly is becoming one of my favorite consoles ever. Top quality 1st party games, excellent functionality, backwards compatible, easy to use, no annoying install process, etc., etc. It's just sad that most people are still confused of what Wii U actually is.
Most of them think it's a damn Wii add-on and that is not worth it to spend $300 on a simple add-on. It's sad because all of them are losing the opportunity to try what this wonderful console is capable of. 2 years later and I'm still mad that Nintendo name it "Wii U"... seriously who was the responsible to name it like that? Reggie? haha anyway. Having the console in this situation, Nintendo will have to bring more 1st party to the table in order to compensate the lack of 3rd party games so we can expect even more top-quality Nintendo titles on Wii U (but also longer time-lapses between each game, just as an example, from MK8 to Hyrule Warriors, we had to wait 4 freaking months). But still I'm happy with my Wii U and it's quality games.
Bring it on Smash this friday wich is aiming to be the best (and biggest) fighting game ever!!
@ThomasBW84 What, where's are voting poll. I thought at the very least you would let us vote for a score as well!
I miss 2013, all the attention grabbing Nintendoomed media articles, and everyone and their uncle knew how to run Nintendo better than Nintendo. They were lively times. Now it's all just 'meh'.
I understand the people who really like the Wii U and would rate it an A, but Nintendolife has to look at all factors including the system's release schedule and performance in the market. It's definitely not an A in the marketplace so far. I had a Saturn back when it was new and I loved that thing, but I knew it wasn't selling well. On a personal level, I'd have given that an A, but not when factoring in everything else.
@C-Olimar Would you still be saying that if the console had sold 17 or so million units by now? Even with the same games released. I still say no matter what the sales 3rd parties would be gone. For my gaming needs and my families I would give it a B+. There's still a ton I haven't played but I was day one This go around either.
It is by far the best nintendo console to date, of course since it improves with each generation. However main downfalls:
-lack of AAA third party games
-no option of exporting save data in the event of hardware failure
Because of these things i would have to give it a C
Sales are a shame, but I'm having a lot of fun.
Sales: D
First party games currently on the market: B
Third party games: F
Indie games: C-
Power of system: B-
Online capabilities: C+
I'd say a C- is a fair score. Nintendo really needs to do something about their marketing still. They need to convince parents why they should buy their kids a Wii U. Most families I know have a Wii and tablet/phone games.
The only reason for me to care about sales is that it would be cool if more of my friends had a Wii U. From the user perspective, my Wii U gets played more than my Wii did at this stage in its life cycle, and I really love the games I have. I 100% agree that they need to open the floodgates on the virtual console in between major releases, because those are big sellers for the 30-somethings that come over to my house.
3D World, MK8, NSMBU, DKCTF, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 1-2, Shovel Knight, W101, Nintendo Land, Wind Waker HD, Monster Hunter 3U: Every single one of these games has been played on my console within the last month or so. These games have so much replayability, and honestly I don't know who these people are who have so much time for gaming that they need a bevy of third party games and entire other consoles to keep them occupied. Least played game that I own: Assassin's Creed III. Unlike Shulk, I'm just not really feelin' it.
@zeldagaymer93 What's with the C- on indie games? Just asking.
I give it B+. I don't care about the sales. That's the dumb gamer's fault that they don't have a Wii U. With all the games that are out now and more to come, that's what I'm most concerned about. With a library like 3D World, Tropical Freeze, MK8, Pikmin 3, Hyrule Warriors, Wind Waker HD, Bayonetta 1 and 2, Smash Bros, Captain Toad, Wondeful 101, in addition to 3rd party support from Deus Ex, AC 3 and 4, Monster Hunter 3, Batman Arkham City and Origins, Mass Effect 3, Darksiders, Watch_Dogs, and Need for Speed Most Wanted U, I don't see what there is to complain about.
We have Zelda U, Kirby, Yoshi, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Star Fox on the way in 2015. I think the Wii U has done it's duty as a quality gaming platform. The Wii sure didn't have anything like this.
I enjoy my Wii U it's the only console I play at the moment and I don't plan on buying a ps4 or xbox one any time soon. What I love about it is the fact that I actually get to finish games on Wii U and I think that comes down to the fact that there is no real support for the system. It definetly isn't a shovel ware console like the original Wii and that's a good thing, yes it has its share of dog turd games but what console doesn't.
But come on it has some amazing titles
Suoer mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Zelda Wind Waker, Lego City, The Wonderful 101, Hyrule Warriors, ZombiU, New Super Mario and Luigi, Donkey Kong Country and many more and an amazing 2015 line up. Then there's the indie titles some truly impressive titles. Yes the VC needs some work but I still have a pretty wicked collection of Nes and Snes titles.
And the one thing I love about my Wii U is that it's a games console not a blu ray player or a media system it's a games console with some decent integrated free network features, and come on MiiVerse is probably the nicest place to actually discuss and talk about games. And I have got some pretty amazing wallpapers off of it to. I don't know how log it will last and I doubt any of my friends will ever by one I'm a loner when it comes to Nintendo with my friends but I'm enjoying every minute of it. I will stick with it till the end and if Nintendo release another games console then I'll do the same again.
Easily my favourite ever nintendo home console:
In the space of 2 years we've had: Super Mario Bros U, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong TF, Wind Waker remake, Pikmin, Wii Fit/Party/Sports just from nintendo
And to think there's still: Toad, Smash, Zelda, Starfox, Kirby that we know of,
Hopefully there's Metroid and F-Zero too
I find the Wii U to be a far better console than either PS4 or X1 at the moment. If the Wii U is a C-, then what the hell are the others rated?
Also, why did sales drop your rating so much? Just because its not selling, it doesn't make it any less of a solid console. It's like rating Bayonetta 2 a 6/10 and saying "It won't sell so we docked it points"
C- huh, well that's harsh. Makes you wonder how websites not named Nintendo Life must view it. Maybe just "epic fail". Harsh, but unfortunately probably accurate.
@zeldagaymer93 - Nice break out. It's hard to judge the Wii U b/c it's a decent little system compared to Wii, which is really the only fair comparison, how Nitnedo has improved upon it's prior console, and Wii U is way better than Wii in every regard spec wise. But near zero hype, 3rd party support, pricing and game droughts due it in. Which I think has a lot more to do w/ Nintneod as a company than the hardware they produced.
Poor Wii U, hung out to dry.
I give it an A+++++
Kind of with DerpSandwich here but I'd settle for a D plus, but no thanks to Nintendo. What games I have on the console I have essentially deliberately bought to justify it. None of the first party games speak to me (or my kids) in the least and to say I'm deeply disappointed by how little Nintendo has delivered in general for the WiiU and especially under the 'family gaming' flag would be a gross understatement. Aside from a few cool mini games in Nintendoland they have showed a shocking lack of creativity, initiative and innovation and the market is justly punishing for that.
I'm looking forward to 'X', which looks to finally be a game that might live up to some current standards, and Splatoon, but I may well be done spending money on Nintendo by the time they come out.
Overall, the WiiU adventure will be the last time I buy any hardware from Nintendo unless they offer up some seriously life-changing stuff (which at their current rate of innovation and creativity they have a snowball's chance in hell of doing). I feel they suckered us into buying the WiiU with grand promises they were hoping others would deliver on and when they didn't, that left us with nothing. It's frustrating and somewhat saddening, but Nintendo are clearly the Nokia of the gaming industry (although to Nokia's credit, their phones were some of the best to the very end, something the WiiU clearly is not).
If it wasn't for some quality indie games (available elsewhere too and at equal or better quality and lower prices, but nonetheless), Skylanders and Ubisoft's stubbornness in sticking with the console this long against all rationality, this would truly be a straight F.
I buy every Nintendo system on launch minute. Well, sometimes a week later. I had 3,000 Club Nintendo codes this year, and spent every one of em.
I had a Nintendo themed wedding cake.
My work is Nintendo themed.
I only exactly 1 Wii U game that wasn't a launch title.
Maybe....maybe Nintendo could make a second game?
To be fair, I did love 3D World, I just beat it a few too many times and passed it on to someone else.
But seriously.
Fire Emblem? FZero? A Zelda that isn't Hyrule Warriors, the worst Zelda and best Dynasty game of all time?
Fire Emblem?
Advance wars?
Metroid?
...Rogue Squadron?
Oh, and I completely forgot the Wii Sports Club games. Buddy and I played 18 holes of golf the other day. It was raining outside, but it was beautiful on Wuhu Island! It's probably the coolest golf sim in existence.
Sure, a C- if you are concerned about things like 'sales numbers' and 'public perception'. Me? I'm all about having fun, so I give it an A+.
I'll give it a B+ considering the fun me, my family and friends have been having with it. In the end, that's all that matters, isn't it? Sales are terrible, but why should that stop me from enjoying my console?
Yeah, I've yet to fall in love with a single aspect of the system.
It's not bad and there's definitely some fun to be had, particularly with a few of the games, but nothing about it screams of brilliance or magic to me and that's genuinely disappointing from a Nintendo product.
With consoles like the SNES and N64 it felt like almost everything about them screamed of brilliance and magic, be it the games, controller, graphics, whatever, especially the SNES which I basically can't fault in any area, but I just don't get any of that from the Wii U. It feels like Nintendo has designed everything about it to be "just enough" and little more.
I want to be blown away. I want to feel that classic Nintendo magic and I'm not just talking about finding it in one or two of the very best first party titles on the console but in pretty much every aspect of it.
Nintendo has a long way to go to make the Wii U achieve anywhere near the overall truly satisfying experience I want and expect from it.
612 HOURS clocked on my Wii U so far this year, all played on the gamepad as I don't own a TV! That fact alone makes the Wii U (FOR ME, haters) an A grade console.
The sales don't make good a console. The Wii U is the Gamecube on steroids: better games, but worse sales. I give it a B+ so far, and I'm pretty sure it'll become an A- with Smash Bros next week.
this argument could be subjective or objective. the c grade refelcts an objective fact based score. Lets not get hung up on scores though as long as we enjoy our console and the experience..Why else would we have one?
Business and support wise its doing c at tops, but as a product I love it more than enough for an A.
A fair assessment I'd say.
@OneBagTravel I totally agree with you there...
I just hope to see some new Metroid, Zelda, Star Fox games. Nintendo still has some great stuff it can bring to the plate.
This console is not for everyone. If you like on-line FPS games, the WiiU is not for you. If you like big adventures, the WiiU is not for you (yet, Zelda appears to be able to fill that niche).
But if you like fun gaming, the WiiU is for you. I personally don't like playing nothing but games where you go on-line to shoot the other competitors. I don't like games that are broken from the start or require massive additional outlays to fully enjoy.
My guess is that a decade from now, the WiiU will have a reputation similar to the GameCube. Considered a "failure" in the marketplace but a system reknown for its unique fun games.
A
I am not too used to that grading system so I won't use it.
I just know I love the games I have and I don't regret its purchase. W101 and Scram Kitty are two of the most fresh and unique games I have played this generation.
For the games we won't get I have the PS3 and in the future another console, most likely a One.
Once Zelda U, Star Fox, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Splatoon (got a good feeling about it), SMTxFE, POSSIBLY F-Zero (so many references to it as of late) and whatever Retro's next project is hit, things will change.. I already foresee that Smash this Friday will give it a bit of a sales boost.
@evosteevo Good news, two of those things are confirmed to be in the works and one of them is still highly possible, since Retro has been hiding a project for some time..
@evosteevo Good news, two of those things are confirmed to be in the works and one of them is still highly possible, since Retro has been hiding a project for some time..
big games are coming. i do think about if they had kept up with the other two they could have their must have games and the rest of the third party line up as well, just like the snes days. i am interested in what the people who just got it now think more than the people who bought it at launch and then complains there are no games. i wish they would just release a call of duty box and leave the consoles alone so they can grow
I'm not a fan of the controller to be honest. It just doesn't play IMO nice with some games. And hardware could be better. I really hope they will make a very good next Nintendo console. I don't think Nintendo WII U will last that long since it's old already. Time for a much stronger console. At the least 2x as ps4 for example
If I step back from my personal tastes and look at what it does to appeal to the market as a whole, then I have to agree it's sorely lacking in all areas and probably earns a solid C. Power, library, install base, online, extra features... some areas are better than others, but overall, it's not quite up to snuff.
But just going by my own experience, it's an A+ system. I will concede that my gaming time is rather limited by my job, friends, other interests, and familial obligations, so the Wii U's relatively small library isn't much of a factor. There are enough games I want to play to fill all my available gaming hours five times over in a year. And the ones I've picked have been incredible experiences. Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Mario Kart 8, ZombiU, Child of Light, Little Inferno, Trine 2, BIT.TRIP Presents RUNNER 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien and Cloudberry Kingdom are all games that will stick with me for a very long time and games I found myself involuntarily smiling at over and over again. Games like these remind me why I love gaming and choose this medium as my way of winding down as opposed to all the other things friends and family are into.
The Wii U has supplied more of my favorite gaming experiences of all time than any other console, and for that, I am grateful. I just wish it was doing more to sell itself to the world at large, so more people could feel what I have in these games.
It gets about a B from me. The games have been wonderful, the system updates have been consistent, incremental improvements. The Quick Start Menu feels like something that should have been there from launch, but still awesome that we have that.
The first-party lineup has been strong, and with third-parties abandoning ship it had better be. I've enjoyed most of the launch offerings, and games such as Pikmin 3, Mario Kart 8, Lego City Undercover, DKC: Tropical Freeze and Super Mario 3D World. Nowadays, Bayonetta 2 and Hyrule Warriors are around, and the two of them show that Nintendo's willing to go outside the box for more matured offerings. Overall, the first-party lineup has been surprising and noteworthy.
Third-party support has been a joke, though at this point I honestly don't blame anyone--the Wii U's sales have been disappointing, even with its recent praise it's been getting since Mario Kart 8 released. However, third-party games like ZombiU, Assassins Creed IV and even Call of Duty: Black Ops II have all done a great job at showing what the Wii U can do.
Virtual Console is another thing that's been sort of a joke with Wii U. Sure, Nintendo finally released Earthbound, along with a decent collection of Game Boy Advance titles, but the absence of Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 games has been more than noticed. I don't know if this is caused by licensing issues, lazy staff, technical problems or some tricky combination thereof, but I wanna play Star Fox 64 with my Pro Controller and customizable controls, dang it! And cool, DS games are coming. But when?
In the end though, the console itself is a beast. I've used it just about everyday since it launched. It's kept me entertained for many hours, I can watch Netflix and YouTube on the TV (or away from it). And more big games such as Splatoon, Zelda U, Yoshi's Woolly World, Star Fox and Xenoblade Chronicles X are on the way.
When all is said and done, I love my Wii U. It's still the only 'new' console I own, and I'm fine with that. I just wish more serious gamers would give it a chance.
@Light Really? That's your logic? Of course every console is going to improve on its predecessor, but that doesn't make it overall better! It has to actually be a big improvement over the previous one, otherwise they could launch a new console every week and clock the processor one hertz higher every time, and it'd still be 'the best Nintendo console ever' by your logic.
I give it a C, without accounting for sales. The OS is still slow and looks childish, the online functionality is still from 2005, and the hardware is still enormously limiting from a consumer's perspective. It's the games that save it.
I love my Wii U. That said, even though Nintendo is doing a great job producing high-quality games for their system, the lack of third-party support can't be ignored. So, for me, it's an A and my first choice of the current generation of consoles (and, I can't wait for the new Zelda). But, if I'm grading the success of the system and its popularity with the masses, I agree with the C+. It hasn't exactly taken off, and it's probably too late for that to change.
It all boils down to if you're having fun with the system. If not then there's most likely nothing Nintendo can do to bring you back.
C- doesn't seem very fair but whatever.
I'd like to apologise to everyone who hasn't liked the Wii U, because when they designed it and planned what games were on it, they tailored it specifically for me.
Unfortunately I'm not into grey 3rd party shooty games, or promises of 1080p 60fps that aren't delivered on.
A- for me. I'm lucky in that I always have something to play on it but I do understand that there is a lack of some genres of games. Still I think that Nintendo is doing well with what they have but I do hope that sales improve if only so that they have more freedom to pull out franchises that have been mothballed.
So in comparison - What would a PS4 get scored? and what would an Bone get scored?
I love my Wii U - would I love my PS4?
B- right now. A+ if next year lives up to it's promises.
Also I think too many people downplay how awesome eshop is, or all digital shops for that matter. Are huge first party AAA games all people care about on a Nintendo system?
While there has been an abundance of the same genre for a while things are starting to mix up. This year alone you have Mario Kart 8 and three high quality brawlers (Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2, Super Smash Bros.). Going into 2015 you have Devil's Third, Splatoon, and Xenoblade Chronicles X. The stigma of being a game only for platformers is slowly going away.
I love it. There's no doubt that the sales have been abysmal and that some dry spells have resulted due to third-parties abandoning it in droves. It's one of the most satisfying Nintendo systems I've ever owned, though, in terms of games and hardware. All of the first-party exclusives have been incredible, the GamePad is an ingenious innovation, and the performance of the system has been improved to the point where it is impressively stable in terms of consistent performance and economical in terms of energy usage.
Also, I'll be honest: I detested the Wii. The Wii U is a major return to form.
@Jmaster
"Really? That's your logic? Of course every console is going to improve on its predecessor, but that doesn't make it overall better! It has to actually be a big improvement over the previous one, otherwise they could launch a new console every week and clock the processor one hertz higher every time, and it'd still be 'the best Nintendo console ever' by your logic."
My logic is pretty sound, even what we consider to be simple upgrades does make it a better console than nintendo's last generation console. The upgrade to HD, a better eshop, and touchscreen controller, better wireless and an awesome pro controller are some of the few. However, I did not say that nintendo made the perfect console. In fact, it's faaaaaaaaaaar from perfect. It is lacking in major ways, the more stand out ones being the two that I mentioned. The biggest cry here is the lack of games, if it had better third party support, that would solve most of our issues. I notice that you and I both gave it a C rating, so we should be on the same page.
Wii U gets an A from me. Best Nintendo console.
I find it funny when people complain about the system not having certain games and such, then it turns out half the people dont even play but a handful of games, even worst the people that seem to buy a system for one game or series and call it a day ?
Great games out there on the Wii U yet it seems easy just to go with the flow of the internet huh ? Yes Nintendo is hurting and slow to release games and has basically no third party support. Still somehow ive enjoyed the system greatly and to me it can only get better. Solid B if i were to grade it ~
@Light Your comment made it seem like you think even the smallest improvement over its predecessor would make it better than that predecessor, even if they take six years actually implementing it. Anyway we do seem to be on the same page indeed, I really don't understand why people would give it an A+, implying it's perfect. It objectively isn't.
I personally give it an A. Sales are bad, but I don't care. I give it an A because despite the 'doom 'n' gloom' surrounding it OR was surrounding it, I like the fact that Nintendo is still supporting the system with quality software. No third party isn't an issue for me, because I play the Wii U more, plus I have a 360 and 3DS. Account system? I can only say they're improving but not there yet. And to note, I use the browser and Netflix on my Wii U all the time.
Yup, an A.
I'm amazingly in love with my Wii U. However, the limitations in voice chat cause it to immediately be a #2 system by default. However, I think Nintendo is okay with that. My real problem with that is that Smash Bros with party chat would immediately make it my "Go-to" system. But it won't have that... so... it's not...
@Sceptic ........I don't think it's possible to disagree with you more.
I'm still convinced the lack of decent commercials plays a much bigger role here then Nintendo is willing to realize. There are still allot of people out there who don't even know the Wii U exists. I know this is hard to believe but it's true. Sony on the other hand has had a killer showing on TV. Honestly, it's almost infuriating how badly Nintendo has screwed up on the marketing front. Just look at Bayonetta 2 which is a runner up for game of the year. Where's the advertising?!?!?! Not only that but why aren't they making it clear to existing Wii owners that the Wii U is new system and not an add-on? People out there are STILL confused by the whole thing. I love Nintendo, and I love my Wii U, but Nintendo has taken some huge missteps when it comes to marketing. They should fire thier entire marketing division and start over. Seriously. The only things that makes me feel better now is knowing that I'm getting a PS4 shortly. That way I'll have the best of both worlds. I just wish I didn't have to own 2 consoles for that to be the case.
Mazal Tov Wii U... such an amazing console.
There's plenty of room for improvement...As someone who considers the Wii U my primary system, I'd probably rate it a B-, mostly due to Nintendo's (even still) lackluster marketing efforts, the lack of a game that makes full use of Amiibo figurines (putting their future at risk), Nintendo's hesitance to use its war-chest to take risks with the Wii U (i.e. by acquiring IPs from failing studios like Capcom), and the shortage of retro games on VC.
That being said, the lack of third party so-called "AAA titles" is irrelevant to me. Year after year, publishers change fewer and fewer things about them other than graphics. Occasionally you see masterpieces like Last of Us, but most of them (sadly, excluding Last of Us) are also available on the PC, where there are more workarounds for the increasing number of bugs in such "AAA titles." Furthermore, many of these publishers frankly do not respect their consumers. They push the market more toward cloud gaming and DRM and away from ownership, implement microtransaction systems that basically scam players, and outright lie to consumers when they present their games before release. I haven't bought a product by Activision-Blizzard in years, only Bioware titles from EA, and precious few Ubisoft titles (ZombiU; Rayman Legends). These publishers are creating a bubble that I feel will burst in the next 5-6 years, and when it does, companies that favor gameplay over graphics, know how to manage their money, and who respect consumers, such as Nintendo, Indie developers, and a few third party developers, will have the last laugh.
Ratings are hard.
Right now, at this exact moment, Wii U still offers (for me) the best library of games of any current gen console - in part thanks to backwards compatibility with older Wii titles. But Wii U has hit it's high-water mark and is already clearly in decline.
C sounds about right to me, even though I love the system and look forward to playing many more games on it.
For me it's a secondary console, and in that respect it's been great. The droughts don't bother me, I just get to play the great games as they release. It's a complete disaster in terms of sales though. People are still trying to convince themselves it's just a bit poor, but it's tracking behind every other Nintendo console. This Christmas is probably it's peak. Personally, 2015 is filled with far more interesting games than 2014, but will any of them sell more systems than Mario Kart and Smash Bros? I doubt it very much.
The only downsides on a personal level are the scales still being tipped slightly towards the casual player. Super Mario 3D World is a very good game, but I'm a bit disappointed that the 3D Mario series has now gone down the casual linearity route of the NSMB series. I just wish Nintendo would throw a little more out for the long time Nintendo gamer. I'm pretty sure Zelda will do that in part, and I'm hopeful Star Fox might, but the stuff Miyamoto says these days does not fill me with confidence.
I understand why NL gave it a C- , but Sales aren't everything . When did sales become the focal point for the Quality of games. It's sad that many people can't see pass that. Nintendo is making a profit now. I had some droughts I'm not gonna lie or sugar coat it, but they have stepped up there game. I still need to beat Baynetta and start Baynetta 2. Mario Kart 8 is so good DLC wow replay value to the gluteus Maximus. Virtual console does need improvement. That is my only gripe, but backlog includes aria of sorrow, demon crest 2, demon crest super nes,( why do they come out with games only this time of year?) I give it a B. I own Ps4 also and I give it a B- also I don't like most of the games that are out for it now, but I'm gonna try my hand at The last of us remastered. I won't even talk about Xbone because I lost interest and won't buy one and I own a
360.
Personally I'll give it a B; not taking into account sales and missing multiplatform games. Miiverse and eshop have been improving in a good way, especially with the digital sales and price drops in the eshop. Also I enjoy 12 out of the 15 games I got this year and if techicality allows will enjoy 2 more being released this year. The only part that lowered the grade for me is the support for the Tvii, with the dvr (or just the touch remote feature), getting rid of the Hulu, Netflix, and amazon video support and less tagline support on shows. Also an app like a media player or the photo viewing feature like in the 2011 E3 would be nice.
FYI I was going to rate it a C but after seeing the hours I put in the system and the games over the months, I knew I enjoy it more then I thought.
I love my Wii U. I think it's a great machine and it has many awesome titles and uses already - and just like any other Nintendo console, it will have it's library of games to look back on.
C- might seem a bit harsh, but I think your assessment is honest and fair.
Wii U has a lot to like in it, but overall it just hasn't done as well as it ought to have.
The sales totals are Nintendo's problem, not mine. I have to look at it as a consumer, and for me, this is right there with the Gamecube for my favourite system. All three of us in our house are having a ball with it. It's doing what I need it to do, and there are more games I'm looking forward to. I can't give it a grade, though, not without some distance. Maybe in a couple of generations I can be more objective. I do put it over the Wii and N64, though. I know the latter is blasphemy, but it's also the console I've played the least and it never captured me.
I think it's safe to say the Xbone has surpassed the Wii U in sales too. MS announced they're close to 10 million shipped. And before anyone tries to point out shipped does not mean sold... it does to these companies. Nintendo's 7.3 million figure was how many they shipped too. Every console sales figure you have ever seen is shipped. For a brief period Sony could say they were selling through to customers, because they were still selling out, so sold to customers = shipped. The shipped figure will never be too much higher than sold because retail simply won't keep buying stock off manufacturers unless they're shifting what they already have.
The C- is pretty accurate for me. I just simply am not into the Wii U like I have been with every single other Nintendo system since the NES. I just don't find the games very compelling this time around since most of them seem like half-cooked sequels to games that I've already played on 3DS or Wii, only with better graphics and a gameplay tweak here or there. I also find myself extremely frustrated with how bare the Virtual Console is and I find most of the highly celebrated indie games on the eShop to be overpriced for the amount of content contained within them; if I can beat it in two days, it shouldn't be $20. I guess at this point I will just buy the very few games that are on the horizon that interest me (Zelda and the Yoshi game) and look toward the future in hopes that the next go-around will be better.
It's been great for me. Off TV play is awesome because of two young boys and a wife who likes to watch TV on occasion when the kids aren't hording it.
I've gotten a ton of free stuff from Nintendo and games have been super cheap. $7.99 for Black Ops II and Zombi U plus a bunch of other games for around $10. I may have more games in less then 2 years for Wii U then I did for any other console.
I love the controller, actually it's my favorite since the N64 which i know is an oddity but hey.....it works for my hands.
My only real concern is the lack of 3rd party support. There are some titles that I wish I could play and considering my current situation I don't plan on being a multi-console owner this time around. In actuality though I've pick up so many games cheap that I still haven't even unwrapped that what 3rd party support I'm missing....I'm really not missing because I don't have the time to play them anyway.
Overall i would give it a B. Its one of my all time favorite consoles behind the Atari 2600 and the master system.
What would you rate the ps4 and xbox one at then given the Wii U only got a C-?
I can't take this article (or comments) seriously when it rates a console by its sales... This is a game site leave the business talk to business sites. Games, hardware, fun and experiences are what you should rate a console on as a gamer. Lets talk about what matters for the gamer and not what matters for the investors please.
I am surprised i dont even have a wii u yet. i am a nintendo supporter. i never had the money or reason to get it.... UNTIL NOW
Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Zelda, Off-TV play and you can count me in.
i know what i am 99% getting for Christmas!
There's the Back to the future gif 1biut wii u which explain everything. Google it guys.
For me, It's a B- for now.
Wouldn't it be amazing if your Wii U, PS4 and X1 could connect and turn into some Power Rangers-like uber-mech super system and mix the best of each of those system and make sweet console love to produce the prettiest and most fun Zelda adventure ever?!? said my inner 6-year old. >_>
on topic: a B-, I'm being generous despite the lack of 3rd party titles, Nintendo's own games make up for it, Hyrule Warriors, MK8 and Bayo are gamerpr0n. HW = GOTY.
I do love my Wii U, although I can't help but see it as anything more than a secondary console to accompany PS4/X1/PC. That said, I've had much more enjoyment with the Wii U thus far, then my PS4, while X1 just doesn't interest me at this point (will likely pick one up at the end of the generation). As a gaming console as its own (the only gaming console you'll own), it's definitely a C-. However, if you grade it as a secondary console, I do think it's well worth an A(+).
On a minor note, there is a typo in the article:
" Nintendo will likely simply target a return to profitability and modest success — improvement will be need to even reach GameCube levels, however."
It should be "improvement will be need*ed* to even reach Gamecube Levels however."
I like when NintendoLife has poll questions for the readers within articles, this is one that should have had a few.
The Wii U has its positives but overall it's been extremely disappointing. The friends and messaging system is so clumsy and slow it's barely useable. How could Nintendo see how this works on PSN and Xbox Live and not think that works better? There's not even an on-screen prompt when you get a message, it's ridiculous.
Games-wise, I can't say that practically anything on the system is must-own software. Mario Kart 8 is excellent but what really does it offer that is uniquely new? They even blew having a really dynamic exclusive by also releasing Sm4sh on 3DS, and months beforehand. Even now I think the most "interesting" game on the Wii U is ZombiU, which is so sad it makes me quite sure Nintendo is determined to limit their losses with the console and just play it safe with easy rehash like Mario 3D World. Third-party multiplat shovelware is not my thing but for Nintendo to be almost completely without any is just embarrassing for them. How can Alien Isolation release for literally every other platform BUT Wii U? Who is dropping the ball at Nintendo with this stuff?
I'd like to say things will get better but I just don't see it. Nintendo's priorities are all over the place and they just don't seem focused. Amiibo is not going sell Wii U's, Nintendo Directs are not going to sell Wii U's. I'm not even convinced Sm4sh or Zelda can sell the Wii U. It is overdue for a massive price cut. $199 for the 32g system with no game would be a bold move that would at least move some dead stock.
The Wii U gets a D from me at this point.
@FragHavok
I always snicker anytime someone says "gimmicky motion controls". Dude, almost any game that features motion controls for the Wii U, features traditional play with a Pro Controller. You can't knock a system for offering an additional type of control when they're not excluding traditional play.
There are still players like myself that find motion controls superior and more immersive (for certain games like Punch-Out and Mario Kart) so that should never be a knock against the system when you're rarely forced to use this type of control.
I have played Wii u more than any other console. That being said it is also competing with the 3ds because I'm getting Pokemon Sapphire and holding out on Smash till next year and if persona Q comes out this year I don't remember if it is, then forget it I'm stuck in 3ds world, but they have me I'm satisfied with them. I can't say that for PS4 or Xbone ( yes I'm hating on MS they are garbage even their surface stinks) remember Nintendo lovers are games are better quality, fun, and they bring the family together. Sales are not everything.
All of you who "love your Wii U" and "play your Wii U all the time", might I ask what games you're playing so much of? I just haven't stumbled onto that killer app that has me playing for hours on end and I honestly just wonder if I'm missing something. I thought Mario 3D Land would be that game for me since I'm a Mario fanatic and have been since the NES era, but I came away disappointed and actually liking the 3DS prequel better. I feel that that gameplay style is far more suited to a handheld and it just kind of seemed like a lazy enhanced port of the 3DS game. Hyrule Warriors was fun for a second but quickly became a mindless hack and slash for me. Pikmin 3 became frustrating only a few days after I started it and I just didn't see a reason to jump back into it. Mario Kart 8 is fun, but is really the same ol' game from 3DS, only with an anti-gravity gimmick and some new characters. DK Tropical Freeze was another hugely disappointing rehash. Which games are you guys playing that are blowing you away? I really would love to LOVE my Wii U, but sadly at this stage, I just don't.
As a console, it's definitely around a C for me. But GAME WISE, holy crap, this might just be the best Nintendo lineup yet! (After a few more BIG releases come out. ahem Zelda, Splatoon, and Metroid of course.) But yeah, I have a feeling that it will reach Gamecube level quality in just year or two more.
@kingofsaiyans, See, I have a lot of those games and I just ain't feelin' em. I would say my favorite Wii U game is still probably Wind Waker HD and that's sad.
I give this console an A a 110%. This is by far the best Nintendo console ever passed my favorite which was the GameCube that looks like a lunchbox. I swear this console is the most underrated console and the most bashed console ever. It has amazing games and the gamepad is great where I don't have to stop and push start just to switch items (so annoying!) I played my Wii U with my friend MK8 and 3D world we were having so much fun and was blown away that it convinced him to get himself one. You don't get that with the other consoles those other tow consoles have nothing I want they are not fun to me I feel like they are dark boring. Nintendo doesn't have to be like the other guys but what I will say is that their advertising/marketing gets a 45% an F- - - just horrible that they have not put the effort to even advertise the Wii U. Yes the Wii U sales wise isn't doing good but even though it is improving but I don't care about the sales of the Wii U what I care about is that I am having fun with my Wii U while others are too busy worrying about sales and thinking Nintendo should do this and that. Love my Wii U.
I love the Wii U, it is weak in sales but almost every other category of it is an A for me.
@OneBagTravel Agreed.
"CALLED IT." -Michael Pachter
Seriously, you guys practically owe Pachter an apology. For all the hate and grief he got on this site (and others) and in comments, his analysis and predictions about the Wii U have proven spot-on.
I bought a Wii U at launch and I love it. But I'm pretty much resigned to the fact it is going to be a first-party titles only system for the rest of its life.
Overall, I would also give it a grade of C, as it still needs a lot of work. Virtual Console is a joke. The Warawara Plaza that comes up on system launch and between games is worthless. TVii was a nice idea but I have no use for it. I still don't care for the overall interface and would LOVE to see something that more closely mirrors the 3DS. Nintendo can EASILY remedy all these issues and more, but... doesn't. So they shouldn't be surprised at the lousy sales figures.
Reggie is saying the SAME THINGS he said last November, so he should expect the same results. Most gamers have turned their backs on the Wii U, and most families with $300 to spend on a console may decide to spend an extra $50 on an Xbox One or $100 more for a PlayStation 4, both of which are vastly superior technically.
Hey, I love my Wii U. Our family has played it relentlessly since we got it on day one. We have more games than we have time to play on it.
Two important caveats:
1. My kids also play a lot of minecraft and iOS little games between playing with the Wii U.
2. I wish it was as fun and satisfying to everyone else.
@grumblebuzzz WW HD been playing it since it launched MK8 online have been playing it since launch after I play WW HD. VC games like mega man x3 X1.
I bought it on day 1 and I still use it most every day. It's a great console and I've had a great time wasting away the hours with it. And my daughter likes it a lot, too. Is it better than other consoles? I have no idea and I don't care. I just like my Wii U!
I would give it an A-. There are some problems I need fixed Cough Gamepad Battery Life
Otherwise its really impressive
I have yet to be disappointed with a Nintendo system. First party games are always excellent and I do but it for third party games as well but Nintendo seems to always make their systems with themselves in mind and that's that. I know they claim to want 3rd parties but it seems to be just smoke and mirrors. If they had more impressive tech, I believe some 3rd parties would have stayed around. I have a lot of Wii U games and PS4 games. A ton if Vita games and a crap load of 3DS games. And about 44 games on Steam on my PC. All of those system offer me something. Some may not like the Wii U but I will say that I do have more fun on it compared to the others more than half the time. It really is a good machine. Marketing has screwed it up though. It looks EXACTLY like the Wii and I have heard mothers in Target tell their kids that they weren't gonna buy the Gamepad for their Wii. I took it upon myself a cohple times to explain to a female Target employee and a mom that it was a NEW system, not a new controller. Nintendo kinda screwed themselves on that one.
I absolutely love the Wii U. My family has logged over 1400 hours on it, playing over 20 titles. That said, there are many reasons it has only sold 7mil, the primary one being that the system caters only to Nintendo's core fanbase, and practically no one else (I guess we could maybe include the 14 hardcore Bayonetta fans and the poor saps who still love Sonic to a fault).
Being a huge fan of Nintendo since the late 1980's, I adore the thing. It's one of my favorite consoles I've ever owned and easily has some of the best first party, exclusive games of any system out there. Games like Pikmin 3, SM3DW, Mario Kart 8 and Wind Waker HD are ones I still play over and over. Not to mention some great eshop titles like SteamWorld Dig and Shovel Knight.
I also love off-TV play. We have just one TV in our house, and so the ability to play games while someone else is watching a DVD is absolutely wonderful.
That said, the console itself is a classic example of Nintendo making something THEY wanted rather than what the consumer actually wanted. Underpowered, lacking in a robust online experience, no significant third party games, and utilizing another somewhat gimmicky controller, the WiiU just isn't very appealing to either the casual market that Wii attracted (which has moved on to smart devices), or gamers due to what it lacks in comparison to its competition. Thus, it is a console that only fans of Nintendo can really sink their teeth into and enjoy without complaint.
I love it, but giving it a C- grade seems just about right. Personally for me, it'd be a B+ or A-. But I'm a Ninty fan.
@Turbo857 Snicker away. They are god awful and honestly I feel like an ass swinging the nunchuks around. I tried to play through Skyward Sword and stopped because the motion controls ruined it for me.
If you enjoy flailing your arms around like you're on fire then I'm happy for you. I'm glad you can get into it. I just always felt it was more of a gimmick than something to be taken seriously. Even a good friend of mine who's a big Nintendo buff hates the motion stuff.
P.S. I use the pro controller when I can and I've only enjoyed 'motion' controls in ZombiU.
@FragHavok
I'm not blind to the fact that motion controls aren't everyone's cup of tea. However, you've identified a serious problem with motion controls... the players misusing them. You dudes grab motion controllers and swing it like it's a light saber. Skyward Sword features excellent motion controls btw. The best 1:1 sword movement in gaming thus far (okay 2nd maybe behind Nintendoland). Take my advice, play the game again (cause it's excellent) and use... very... subtle... movements.
You don't need to stretch your arm to the ceiling to power your sword, just flip your wrist so the remote is vertical. You wanna slash to the right, just flick your wrist "slighty" to the right. Anyone who feels like a fool using motion controls are using overexaggerated movements and ruining the experience for themselves. If you took the time to use them correctly you may even find yourself preferring them.
yeah, I wish it well but sadly I've kind of moved on. I was about the biggest Nintendo fan I know until the WiiU, and it was a huge change for me personally. Ever since going to a Nintendo preview event to try it out months before it was released my view of their strategy made an about face.
I was so hyped to try that thing and played all those demos in an utter state of MEH. All I could think was "wait, this is it?! it's ok but... it feels like it could be a big mistake. The pad isn't impressive or even something I wanted, the hardware is too different to expect the multiplat games, and there is just too much extra stuff to buy to make the price worth it. especially with no killer app at launch or for months after" Really one of the biggest let downs ever. Theres still 3DS which I love but... doesn't have a phone on it or texting which keeps it from taking my most used electronic spot. anyway, you've heard me whine enough here, I'll just sneak out of here.. and I still love this site. I was a different person in the days of wiiware-world.com and it's sure a different world now.
C- is about right, nice library but the droughts were painful, system isn't really strong enough giving developers easy excuses quite a few features are still lacking.
@Nintendobro I like Wind Waker as much as the next guy, but it's a remake of a GameCube game and shouldn't be the standout title on a new system for me. I can't game online because of a bad internet connection so Mario Kart and Smash Bros are pretty much worthless to me. The more I think about how much I love my 3DS and how tepid I feel about Wii U makes me feel like maybe I've shifted to being primarily a handheld gamer. The rumored next Nintendo home console/handheld hybrid might be perfect for me.
Personally, I'd give it a B- as I love the Nintendo exclusives...Mario, Zelda, DK, Smash, MK 8...if you're a Nintendo fan, these have been great. However, the lack of full VC support, the lack of N64 games on the VC and the Wii U always missing out on the top 3rd party games (no COD, no AC, no GTA, no BF, no sports games) makes it a console only the most dedicated of Nintendo fans can enjoy and even then, those in search of old school gaming can't even get their full needs met.
I still love it as I own every modern console except a PS4, so it fits in nicely by adding the great Nintendo games, but if I was a solo console gamer, I'm not sure it would win out.
As a business venture for Nintendo, and not my personal opinion, it is clearly an F. The Wii U did not help Nintendo at all, but instead, have relegated it to a side player in gaming and that is surely not where Nintendo (nor its fans) want it to be.
@FritzFrapp What??? I think not. I think Gamecube is the best...
And as far as Mii Verse, I use it less and less as its turned into a non sensical post-a-rama for really young kids. I go into the Zelda main one and everyone is up in arms that some random poster was banned...because he refused to post about Zelda and instead, posted nonsense that was totally off topic. Yet almost all the posts were about how upset everyone was that he was banned....I couldn't find anything on Zelda what so ever, but a ton of non nonsensical posts by people in the 8-12 year range. I haven't been on it since...I need a greater dose of ADD to enjoy it!
Here some questions for everyone:
If the Wii U was able to play Blu-ray discs do you think that sales would have been better (closer to PS4 figures)? If you bought a PS4 or XBOX One do you play Blu-rays with them?
When you purchase a game system do you consider the other features (Blu-ray player, multimedia player, etc.) or do you simply buy consoles to play games?
Personal Rating: B+ Great and will only get better
Business rating: C+
Needs more advertising
Fantastic console with strong VC and fantastic games. But lack of GOOD 3rd party support and droughts hurt it.
I love Nintendo hardware (never breaks) but I'm hoping to see Nintendo go software-only next generation, so they can focus all their resources on making fantastic games (which they're great at) instead of trying to market consoles to the "hardcore" (which they lost ages ago) or the "casuals" (which they've lost with the rise of tablets and $1-gaming).
@jjmesa16 Blu-ray is irrelevant to me. I like that I have Netflix on the Wii U, but the other media stuff isn't missed. The only thing I'd like that I don't have is MLB.tv, but I have a tablet for that.
@jjmesa16
I don't think that would make any difference...its about the games and the Wii U simply lacks too many genres and or big name games to drive mass audience buys. I have an Xbone and I bought it for Titanfall, not for its ability to play bluerays...as I already have a ton of others that play bluerays.
@citizenerased I would totally be very disappointed at Nintendo if they did that.
@jjmesa16 its also because they want the lord of the rings type style of games and want games that makes them feel like rambo shooting at everything and rip their shirts off and Scream out loud. LOL
I work in CEX and most people I speak to have never heard of it.
I'd give the system a B+, it has already out preformed the Wii for me. The only thing I really dislike about the system is the massively negative public perception around it. 3rd party games dont really come into it, sure I'll miss resident evil etc, but I've never enjoyed EA or Ubisoft games I don't even like GTA but I can and have most 3rd party games on my Steam account. Console gaming is Nintendo, ps4 and xbox1 just dont get a look in.
@Turbo857 Wrist action or full arm movement, it still doesn't appeal to me. I'd prefer using traditional controls over movement. I've never had too much of an issue with accuracy (sans a few times). It was really more of the fact that I felt goofy.
I wish I could get into it, but I just cant. I'll probably suffer through it to finish Skyward Sword.
Thomas Whitehead is such a good writer
I'd give it a B-
It's a very fun console with excellent graphics and the finest first party titles on the market and a lot of backwards compatibility although with a pretty good online service thanks to miiverse. I certainly look forward to next year's line up of games too.
However, the gamepad, as fun as it is, we could've done without it considering a 3DS at this point can do nearly everything the gamepad does. If we didn't have the gamepad, sales might have picked up better than this. Third party support is utterly rubbish, both on the fault of third party developers and Nintendo. The advertising was the worst I've seen in my life, someone should've been fired for that.
The Wii U is great fun, but it's honestly failed in terms of sales and consumer interest. I doubt it'll last longer than 2016. I say that reluctantly because along with the N64 this'll be another Nintendo console without a Metroid title.
To me, the Wii U isn't a Dreamcast situation, it's a Saturn situation. It won't mark the end of Nintendo making consoles, but they need to fix this in the next console generation.
Best console on this gen by far and one of my all time favorite. Only thing that matters to me is games and Wii U have a lot of it.
I have no real reason to complain about the Wii U seeing as I knew exactly what I was getting when I purchased one, and that is a system with stellar first party games and little third party support. Thankfully for me at least I never expected anything more and the games that are coming out in the future do have me excited, and to me that is all that matters!
I agree with a c. But Maybe a Z would be better.
Nintendo is sitting on a goldmine of N64 and GameCube games. With improved graphics and a reasonable price, and a regular flow of these games the Wii u's sales will hit the roof.
My personal experience with the Wii U is a B+ or A-, certainly, I really love the games library. Remember though, here I'm looking at the overall picture and, personal enjoyment of the system aside, it's had a poor two years in the marketplace. Perhaps a few months from now the Holiday results will be strong and the outlook will be better. That's just potential right now, but fingers crossed.
@Spoony_Tech I guess so, I didn't think of a poll at the time. Long day!
@Nintendobro @Agent721 @Vineleaf Thanks guys. I just wanted to see what people though about consoles and multimedia devices.
I bought a Wii U when it first came out and I hardly ever use it for streaming video as I have too many other devices that do the job more efficiently.
By the way I give the Wii U a B- as of right now. The first-party library is growing and there are many great indie games currently on the eShop. However sales for the Wii U have been less than stellar. It'd be nice to see more third-party support but I'm not sure if that will happen. By this time next year I think the Wii U will probably be a B+ or an A- given that Zelda and Xenoblade, and possibly Star Fox, will be on store shelves.
C- sounds about right to me, so many problems that its not even funny its world wide sales are so bad that i really dont think they are going to be able to turn this console around now 2 years in like they done with the 3DS.
Nintendo's transition between Wii and WiiU went down about as smooth as drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. They've definitely paid the price for it however, as usual first party titles are keeping the system's head above water. Here's to hoping that SSB moves tons of consoles! I personally give the WiiU an A simply because it's exactly what I expected it to be, the most entertaining console out there.
@jjmesa16 Mostly in it for the games. I already got a blu-ray, smartphone, and 2 tv streaming device so those extra features have no affect when it comes to buying a system.
I've got a friend who bought his Wii U just this week, and he is quite excited with the games he's got: New Super Mario Bros U+ New Super Luigi U from the console bundle, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 1+2, ZombiU (got it for 20 bucks) and will get Smash Bros by the end of the week. Sure, the system has had its bad times, it may still be in a pretty rough situation, but it has a good roster for newcomers. Gosh, my friend didn't even get all the games he wanted (such as DK:TF and Zelda WW). By the time he's played out all of the games he bought with the system many more will be released. If you like Nintendo games and hasn't got a Wii U, there are tons of great titles to play.
@Ryno : I agree with your A. Some of the comments here are a reflection of gamers that game too much. Most of my time is devoted to work and responsibilities. So a few hours a week is good enough. And I feel like there are too many games. The focus on sales, and user bases has destroyed the fun of gaming, and sites like Nintendo Life seem to add to the problem. How depressing.
B or A for me. Online works decent, the first party games are top notch and the eShop offerings are pretty great for the most part. I honestly could care less about third party games seeing how a lot of the big fish publishers have been acting like donkeyholes lately especially with Ubisoft and AC Unity
Watch the profanity please — TBD
The two things a gamer needs this generation is a PC and either Wii U or 3DS. Really. Aside from indie you're not gonna get something super unique (as in, not an fps or Elder Scrolls type game) from PC, so you need the Wii U or 3DS to step in with Mario, Zelda, and SSB.
To me, it's really hard to justify an XB1 or PS4 over a PC - you get equal or better performance and so much more usefulness out of a PC than a console, and price-wise you don't have to spend that much more in the long run. Like, for an XB1/PS4 and 20 games you're looking at $400 hardware + ~$1000 software (assuming a $50/each average across your 20 games); so $1400 total over its lifetime.
With an $800-$1000 PC, $400-$600 worth of games goes pretty freaking far (constant sales, better deals overall), and on top of that you can actually do real work on a PC. The biggest difference between PC and console in this sense is just the initial cost. So once you have your blockbuster titles taken care of on a PC, just get a Wii U with SSB, Zelda, and Mario then you're set for any game you really need this generation.
Non-Nintendo adopters are missing out!
Sales are one thing, but purely in terms of how much I enjoy the system and its games I would easily got with B+. The only reason why its not an A is because of its sudden game droughts, but the games that did come were very much excellent. I love the Miiverse community and the Gamepad interface. It's just incredibly convenient and totally different from playing an xbox or ps4 controller. The fact that Nintendo was taking a risk with its innovation is clear, but I'm glad they are trying hard to differentiate themselves through innovation. Nintendo up!
The Wii U is a nice system, the huge problems are that there is no third part support, and the fact Nintendo seems to like being a generation behind when it comes to the system hardware I would rate the system a "C-" just because of the lack of games, but the gamepad, exclusives, and miiverse get a definitely "A+" in my books
A solid B- from me.
I won't be getting Super Smash Bros. for the first time. Brawl did not hold my interest. Bayonetta 2 on the other hand: simply a massive surprise for me in that critics just love it.
Bayonetta, combined with good eShop exclusives (like Teslagrad), and great replay value in Mario Kart 8 earns it a B-.
Honestly, it's done better than I expected. I was physically ill with disappointment the day they announced it, but it hasn't been the complete failure I thought it would be. It's still in need of a Tetris game before I will consider it a legitimate console though.
What I've been personally most disappointed with was the menus being such a slow and cluttered mess, and the release price not at all being as "attractive" as Reggie had been hinting.
Games-wise I've had no complaints. Sterling stuff available as always, and more of it than I have the time for playing.
So, when will Nintendo release the successor to Wii U? In 2-3 years? Sooner? Later?
C- is fair enough.
For every pro there's a con or three.
PROS -
Good first-party games
Neat hardware that's capable of making Nintendo-style graphics look very pretty
Off TVPlay is excellent
Eshop is a step up as is Indie support and Nintendos approach to it
Online play is free
Potential as a local multiplayer system
Backward compatibility
CONS -
Negligible third party support and first-party support lags behind Gamecube, N64, and SNES at equivalent point in their lifetimes
Nintendo messed up the design (Gamepad screen and battery life should be better, looks too much like a Wii), name and launch
Not all games support Off TV Play and those that don't fail to justify the Gamepads existence as a game enhancing tool
Eshop is hampered by ludicrous Account 'system' and Indie support is nothing impressive if you own a PS4, Vita or low-end laptop
Online play should be free given the poor feature set and number of games that fail to offer it
Assymetric multiplayer isn't always popular and lack of sports games severely restrict its potential it as a multiplayer machine
Virtual Console is an insult. Doesn't even have N64 which the Wii had on launch day, let alone Gamecube
That's not taking into account dreadful marketing and poor sales.
@3MonthBeef Don't you think the stage editor in SSB U and the co-op in Stealth Inc 2 is "revolutionary", regarding the Gamepad? And I personally think that games like Lego City: Undercover and Pikmin 3 used the Gamepad in great ways gameplay-wise as well.
Still not a console for me, it misses too many multi platform games and I dont have an interest in Smash Bros or the other exclusives.
I think the account system could also be better, I can play PS1 games I buy on my PS3 and both PSPs that I own, but with the VC there is nothing like that.
As a mainly retro gamer with a 3DS, those type of things would add value to the system for me.
Im not really convinced with the other next gen consoles either though as yet, at least the Wii U has backward compatibility.
@Quorthon Uh...they have already mentioned they will get out altogether if they tank again. You won't see a 3rd party Mario game because they won't develop it for 3rd parties.
B- for now, I think. Gamepad is terrific, games lineup is tremendous. Backwards compatibility with a massive Wii library is fantastic. As a games console for young families we're probably nearing A grade.
But it is conspicuously primitive in it's multimedia offering and Nintendo needs to address this next time round.
They need to combine home and hand-held, adding a phone, e-reader and camera to the hand-held part, and bringing the multimedia capabilities of the home part up to modern standards. Buy a game once and you can play it on the console or the hand-held. The all-in-one system, combined with Nintendo IP, would storm it. It would cost more, but it would be compulsive.
Great console, with rubbish third party support, but the best console exclusives of all 3 next gen consoles. Nintendo need to publicize their games more.
...C+. I love the Wii U, and I don't plan on getting an Xbone or PS4 any time soon (Sony products are banned from my household...my family has a history). It's got great First-party games, I actually pay attention to eshop titles (didn't pay much attention to Wiiware), the online is better than the Wii's, and the Gamepad is one of my favorite controllers. However, there's no denyhing that the lack of third-party games is a problem, those N64 and DS games seem to be taking their time (I know about Big Brain Academy, but that's no in America), and the low sales are definitely a problem. Though I think some people mistreat the system by saying "It has no games", and Game Theory actually called it "The next Virtual Boy." Over react, much? Because if it was the next Virtual Boy, it would be a lot worse right now.
@Ernest_The_Crab @Ernest_The_Crab Link please? Where have they said they'd get out?
@NintendoFan64 I definitely think "The next GameCube" is much more fitting.
I've supported the Wii U since launch, and I haven't regretted doing so once. It has plenty of games that greatly interest me, and it has enough extra features to complement the games and add a bit more to them; it's not a lot, but it's enough for me personally. I think there's a decent variety of games, too. Yes, there are a notable number of platformers, but I wouldn't say there are too many relative to other genres. Backwards compatibility is nice to have, as is the Virtual Console. I also like how Miiverse works and is integrated into some recent games (e.g., Super Mario 3D World). The increase in indie support is another plus for me as I've been enjoying some of those (e.g., Child of Light) as much as some bigger retail games.
Of course, there's no denying some of the issues the Wii U faces. As many have said, having data tied to the console and not to an account makes downloading games risky. Given my current circumstances, downloading retail games would be most convenient for me, but I'm not really willing to take that risk yet; there's also the fact that I like collecting physical copies of games, but the risk is a noteworthy part of why I don't download retail games very often. The Virtual Console is kind of barren at this point; regardless of whether or not there's a good reason for this, this is still a problem. Even though I don't care much for most of the multiplatform games that come out these days, I still think it's kind of bad that the Wii U has so few; and actually, now that I think about it, I would like to have the option of buying/playing those games on the Wii U in the event that I'm ever convinced to try playing one or more of them for myself.
The GamePad is a mixed bag from my point of view. On the one hand, I like it both for its use as a controller and for its features both within games (e.g., Nintendo Land, Pikmin 3) and outside of games especially off-tv play and the Quick Start Menu. On the other hand, it really isn't utilized as much as it could be, and outside of a few circumstances, I don't think I'd miss it if it were gone (even though I really enjoy using it as is).
Overall, the Wii U definitely has problems that need addressing sooner rather than later, and there are other ways in which it could be improved, but at the end of the day, I buy video game consoles for games, not for extras - no matter how much I may like those extras; I'm pleased with the Wii U's library so far in spite of its small size, and it seems like that library will continue to expand in ways that appeal to me into and hopefully beyond 2015.
Subjectively, I'd give it an A- for giving me some of the most fun games I've played in a long time (this coming from someone who grew up with the NES) and having just enough extras to liven up my experiences with those games a bit. I'm terrible when it comes to giving objective ratings, so I can't give one here; I can only say that I absolutely understand why others would rate it lower by both subjective and objective standards.
@JamesCoote you need to play Wonderful 101. Excellent gamepad use. The game makes excellent use of it. And would be worse without it. Better game than bayonetta 2 on my oppinion.
B+ console to me. Have it for a year now never had a day without a excellent game to play.
@GalacticMario28 man theres no "risk" with downloading game on wiiu. If you ecer havra problem costumer service is excellent.
I love Wii U. It's a great system with awful marketing. Nintendo figure out how to be aggressive with marketing. Sony figured it out and now they are selling the hell out of consoles with no games. I love the system I have bought 30+ games for it. We have the games no do what Sony does and advertise the crap out of it.
If Wii U is lacking, it's only in third party support. I say that in admission to the fact that, in spite of the banality of most "AAA" releases as well as the widespread availability of third-party title on PC, some people insist on buying their third-party games on a console; whereas I could hardly care less about the Wii U's third-party support personally.
The Wii U offers several stellar titles that can't be had anywhere else, along with some unique gaming possibilities, at a much lower price than what its competitors are available for. (That it's less powerful than the other two consoles is a non-issue. After all, in a world in which gaming PCs exist, buying a console for its processing power is like buying a minivan for its horsepower.) And above all, Nintendo knows that a game is meant to be fun, which is more than can be said for certain members of the video game industry today. I give the Wii U a B, and possibly a B+.
The Wii U had so much going against this generation that it makes it look bad to say the least. Nintendo thought people would ride the Wii wave that suddenly crashed into the shores and washed away with abandonment. Then they brought back the complexity of what the Wii originally captured.. just what was Nintendo thinking? However as a gamer I feel some games have been short changed due to the "complexities of HD" for Nintendo.. Pikmin 3 is quite short and didn't need touch screen options.. the whole game was overly complex in that regards for no reason.. it's a good game but content wise it's bare bones and it was delayed for the gamepad stuff, total waste! Good game, just not great which is what I was hoping for.. don't get me going on the DLC for that game which should have been included considering how little content it had.
There is a ton of good though... tons of exclusives alone warrants a purchase. At this point I would give it a B.
@vonseux Yeah, sadly I couldn't get to grips with Wonderful 101. Might give it another go at some point though.
@FritzFrapp I second that. Best Nintendo console ever! Sorry to hear about those who feel otherwise, but it doesn't change how much I'm enjoying it.
I think the jump to HD is what really helped this console. That and the great controller variety, the rise of the eShop, and the fact the games are just excellent this generation.
Pikmin 3 still makes me want to hug Miamoto, just for making a game so good. And Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate almost makes me want to hug Capcom. I said ALMOST lol... Bayonetta 1 and 2 and Wonderful 101 make me want to hug Kamiya for creating such excellent games for us, and the list just goes on and on and on.
Nintendo really stepped up their game as far as software is concerned. Which is good. They have to continue making excellent games to compete with the entirety of the third-party industry.
C from me so far but could easily become a B. The game drought after the consoles release was horrible and unforgivablethe console e has now lost third party support which is terrible but for me nintendo could have done or do more to get them back or have new ones join. The eshop titles, for every 10 games out 1 is good. Virtual console is only a niche market and dont really see the point in it. Miiverse is brilliant, the controller is by far the best for various reasons the main one being playing the game on your screen. The first party titles are all quality and is the real gem for the wiiu and if they can keep on releasing them to this qualty and hopefully more often then it is hard for people not to buy this console in the future
Lack of support for gamepad and 3rd party AAA can both be traced back to the rise of cross platform tools and working in a cross-platform way. Make the game once, then deploy it to various platforms. Gamepad screws that up from a design perspective, whilst Wii U's different architecture makes it trickier to code those cross-platform tools and then optimize for performance.
PS3 had big problems at the start of its life because of it's weird architecture, so not like Nintendo didn't have forewarning. PS4 and X1 are relatively identical hardware wise because that's what big AAA studios asked for.
Games are becoming more homogeneous, and counter-intuitively, Wii U is suffering for going against the flow. Plus the stuff I said earlier about the casuals all going to mobile
@gcunit Could not find that specifically but I did find an article mentioning why it's a bad idea.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/423036/iwata-nintendo-games-on-rival-platforms-would-only-be-a-short-term-fix/
I give it a C+ don't get me wrong i love the system.But it deserves this score cause of the lack of third party games.Cause they wouldn't stop talking about third parties like this'Were bringing back the third party with this new system ."Yeah they came back for a year and then left.But the exclusives the system has is enough to get it,sad if they had third party games and their exclusives.This could'ave been an amazing console that would be killing it right now.
Haven't got around to getting a Wii U yet, but will be getting one for Christmas (with MK8 and Bayonetta 2).
The limited Virtual Console is a real let-down for me (I was hoping for Saturn, Dreamcast, N64 and GameCube games), and other than the usual Mario, Smash Bros and Zelda updates there isn't much else that appeals.
I'll probably pick up Pikmin 3, Xenoblade X and Starfox, but new installments of F-Zero, Pilotwings or Wave Race would make me happy. A new Metroid game of some sort is needed too.
The lack of support from EA, Capcom , Konami and the other big third parties has also been a great shame.
Let's hope the Wii U has a bumper Christmas 2014 and can pick up enough momentum in the long-run to take it past 20 million console sales by the time its successor arrives.
Mario Kart 8 made it a C to me. Before that game I would give the console a D.
I think this next year will be able to push it up a little more with Smash Bros and a few other nice games.
I just need this and will be forever happy and complete with my wiiu (besides all the great stuff already announced):
I feel like the Wii U is going to have a great Christmas
"improvement will be needed to even reach GameCube levels"
Good Lord.
C from me. It's not bad... but not really great either. The games are alright, but not Nintendo's best. Then there's the 3rd party support which is the worst Nintendo's ever seen for a home console. The VC is ok, but support is not up to par with the Wii at this point (not even many third parties seemed interested in it).
It's A in terms of functionality and games for me. The "sales" part is not relevant, even though it's addressed first for some reason in this article.
Just got my Wii U today, and I'm having a great time with Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo Land. Looking forward to playing Smash Bros., Pikmin 3, 3D World, Bayonetta 2,etc. This is just a great system!
Retro studios is a fully owned subsidiary.
I have mixed emotions about this. In a sense, it's hard for me not to give it an A because it got me back into gaming after 20 years. Family has logged over 1000 hours pretty easily. BUT.... The complete abandonment of major 3rd party titles blows. I'd be happy with just the basic ones that came out for launch updated for for this year. So, I'll give it a B plus. I got an Xbone in August and the i like it, I love my Wii u much more.
Very satisfied with my Wii U. It's been a rough 2 years but the console is really coming into it's own. Hands down it has the best console exclusives and a large portion of those are very high quality.
The gamepad is one of the best things to come out of this generation (I'm posting this though the gamepad actually) and it's a shame we won't see many deveopers outside of Nintendo use it to it's fullest potential. All in all, I think Wii U will do just fine. As more people realize what the console has to offer and is capable of I think Nintendo will gain more traction in the market. Here's hoping it only gets better from here on out!
At launch to around early 2014, it was not worth it but now it is.
Nintendo needs friend lists and chat/party chat options. Period. The gamepad itself should be able to do it too. They also needed a better Mario at launch. If it had been me I would have upgraded Super Mario Galaxy 2 to HD and made it a Wii U launch title. Same for LoZ Skyward Sword.
@WaveWarlock: Gaming isn't much fun anymore because of the concentration on sales, graphic comparison, yearly updates and so on. And who's playing all these games? Don't kids have school, and adults work? Haha, I guess not anymore. They're probably blogging right now about the next fiscal quarter and how Nintendo should advertise... Otherwise, the Wii U has provided me with a fun factor I haven't had since the cube. A gaming bust is on its way for all home consoles. Virtual Reality is not it. Higher specs are not it. DLC is not it. I'm not sure where it's going, but I'm only confident in Nintendo attempting some sort of innovation.
@Klimbatize
You don't own it so to say that it's disappointed is dumb.
I'd give the Wii U a B for me. I just don't have enough time to play all the games I want just on the Wii U, so to me it without a doubt meets my needs, and has some great games, and more on the way.
The thing is, PS4 and Xbone also have some great games on the way, and I am picking up a PS4 to play some of them (and maybe an Xbone in a few years too). I always think it's sad to see people bashing other systems. The last thing anyone should want is to see other systems fail, or even worse, end and reduce competition. I can expect this mindset from kids who don't know any better, but when I see "adults" hoping for the failure of systems I just wonder what is wrong with people. Big difference between hoping for failure and wanting to see improvement, mind you.
A+++++++++++++
B- .. Honestly I love my WiiU and don't think it deserves a C- . It has some awesome games most of what fans want mario kart, smash bros, 2d mario, 3d mario, pikmin, monster hunter and more.
I think the best thing nintendo could do is go towards the competitive nature of gamers. Give people voice chat, show hardcore games how competitive you can be in mario kart and smash bros. I know smash bros has voice chat but it looks like its only with friends and after matches. I know these games are great local multiplayer but most people I talk to who have other consoles cannot fathom lack of online support with nintendo sometimes.
Lastly, if they come out with a metroid they get an A+. Plus they could add that generic first person shooter online battles that soo many gamers love with awesome mechanics like morph ball, people will buy this I think.
I love my wii u and I own 70 retail & a truckload of eshop games so anyone who buys one today is in great shape as far as games go but us day 1 adopters have suffered long and hard since the launch with multiple game droughts. And I don't care what Reggie says the wii u is NOT gonna give you Grand Theft Auto 5,battlefield 4, Wolfenstein, walking dead, thief, tomb raider, cod advanced warfare, destiny, titianfall, dragon age inquisition,far cry 4, and many many others. You see the concept Reggie is to have the ability to choose from third party titles like these and mix em in with your Mario's, Zelda's & other Nintendo goodies!
THAT combo would put the wii u at a level all it's own. And one of the greatest most unique selling points of the wii and now the wii u is the virtual console games and I've been posting in several sites such as this for the last year and a half saying what a damn disgrace it has been!! Ridiculous!! N64? Neo geo? My beloved Genesis?? GameCube???
DS(announced 10 months ago!) dare I say dreamcast? Atari arcade classics/2600?? Nintendo needs to throw some money around and secure more vc systems!! There's 20 turbographx 16 games on wii u vc in japan!! Why the hell are they not here?? What is NOA smoking?? Can we get more than 1 damn vc game a week? And I refuse absolutely refuse to buy 1 vc game on the 3DS If I already own it on wii u. Are they kidding?? Is it greed? When will cross buy be addressed??? The only improvement I've seen thus far is the indie games picking up the pace on the wii u eshop. If it wasn't for that then the wii u would be in really bad shape! Sorry but far as retail goes there is still much work to be done. Lastly, I was never much of a super smash bros kinda guy. That means only capt toad & Nes remix till Xmas....see what I mean?? Nintendo can't do this alone I don't care how great their games are! You would think though that a company as big as Nintendo with billions of dollars would of addressed some of these issues by now? Sigh!
This year would have been a disaster if it weren't for games like mario kart 8, bayonetta 2, smash bros, hyrule warriors etc. Overall, I give Nintendo a C grade for finally releasing some of their heavy hitters for Wii U. The game drought didn't help out much and third party support is atrocious! VC support is mediocre on Wii U compared to Wii.
Nintendo needs more than first party games and indies to keep them in the game. Maybe acquiring another developer kinda like monolith soft purchase years ago could be a possibility?!
IMO the Wii U is a C+. I absolutely love my Wii U for the games I do have for it, but truth be told, that's because I'd buy anything with Nintendo's seal of quality and a Super Smash Bros. game on it. The reality is that the Wii U has been my least played Nintendo console of all time.
There's a few offenders, but my biggest gripes revolve around the fact that there are HUMONGOUS gaps between Wii U releases that border on unacceptable (The entire first year of the Wii U's existence, and also more recently, Mario Kart 8 in May and virtually nothing until Bayonetta 2 in October). This wouldn't be so bad if Nintendo took their Virtual Console seriously and actually padded those gaps with volumes of classic games, but they didn't even do that (and still don't, at least not as much as they ought to). It's so frustrating. I shouldn't be able to beat a game in about a month and then have to wait another 3 or 4 for another game to play.
That said, Nintendo is my favorite game company and there's a reason for that. They deliver gameplay no one else can, and their first HD console shows they've got unbelievable artists at work in their studios. I just wish their first foray into HD wasn't marred by a lack of direction and a poor quantity of releases.
Oh well. I still really enjoy my Wii U, and I'll keep picking up Wii U games as long as they keep making them.
I will follow Nintendo to the ends of the earth. While I doubt we will ever see the glory days of the NES dominating the entire market and the intense console wars between SNES and Genesis/MD, Nintendo has still stood firm on great and exciting gaming experiences over pretty graphics and processor speeds.
"Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology." - Gunpei Yokoi. This is the reason Nintendo is king.
The Wii U gets a solid B from me. I love the system and I redommend it to everyone. The games library, especially in the way of first-party exclusives, gets an A+, easily. But truth be told, the sales are dire, as is the hope third-party support (a hope, I believe, that has been totally destroyed). That being said, the Wii U is still a great console and I'm hoping it will eventually reach decent levels for Nintendo to call it a moderate success. But for now, in my eyes, it's a treasure - people just haven't discovered it yet.
Two years already and I still haven't gotten the damm thing! XD
Biggest problem Wii-U has is that it is priced above the casual market (ie. not an impulse buy price) and doesn't offer enough to hardcore gamers in terms of both hardware capability and software. Complimenting this device was lack of marketing (which they needed alot of), abysmal 3rd party support and sluggish reaction from Nintendo to do anything to invigorate sales when it was really needed. Despite all this, it's a great machine. It has excellent exclusive software and can deliver technically competent titles in the hands of a developer with the time/resources to do so. Biggest problem for Wii U has been Nintendo themselves IMO - they really needed to be more pro-active in generating awareness/interest in Wii-U. Also it wouldn't have hurt if they gave it a tad more grunt under the hood for the sake of ease of development and giving the system a longer life span. I give the machine itself a solid B and Nintendo's handling of the Wii-U an E-. I have no regrets owning a Wii-U, but even in it's current state it could have and should have done better!
Is it two years already ? O.o
Well, my summery:
One of the best and most entertaining systems i have. Its also the one with the most overall runtime at the moment.
Compared to my recent PS4 purchase, which was a complete waste of money on a system, that i would describe as my worst so far, its an absolute gift.
Im a day one adopter of the WiiU and didnt have a single day regreting it. Like with pretty much any Nintendo system, it reminded me of how much fun i could have with games instead of them being a mere time sink.
It also brough plattformers back to the surface which im more than happy about. Overall, and contrary to mainstream belive, i think its a very worthy console with a pretty good lineup of games compared to its utterly lackluster competitors.
Im happy to have it, and with the upcomming releases on the horizon, it keeps on getting better and better still.
Wii U has proved the following:
(1) Gamepad: I still do not know why the gamepad is necessary.
(2) Pretty good games: Happy with Sonic Lost World and many first party games. But please, do not keep bring copies of NSMB series to Wii U.
(3) Failure to attract third-party support (and I do not believe that Nintendo alone can bring all the games that gamers want.)
(4) Moving towards a trend of being conservative than innovative (a lot of the games are improvement of the previous game rather than bland new). It is fine but it is not a viable model in long run.
(5) Pretty good values so far.
I really want good, challenging platformers, not like Kirby... Platformers that are so innovative that it will shock my mind.
Overall Grade: B+
Probably gets a B- from me. I don't get to play nearly as many games as what I used to (when I was a student), so I haven't really been too bothered with the lack of releases. The controller still feels like a gimmick to me.
Games like Monster Hunter, Mario Kart, Hyrule Warriors and Wind Waker HD have kept me more than busy, and not to mention games like Bayonetta 2, Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country that I haven't gotten around to. A couple of Wii U Store games like Toki Tori and the Virtual Console. Would love to see Twilight Princess released, so I can play it on a proper controller (fairly expensive to buy the GCN version these days).
The game prices are probably still a little too high for my liking, which prevents me from purchasing too often. I can still pretty much buy and PS3 game for cheaper than any first party Wii U game. But I guess that has been one constant for as long as I remember.
The thing I feel with Nintendo these days is that they are more of a secondary console, so I do most of my gaming on my PS3, and just use the WiiU solely for exclusives. Will probably give Smash Brothers a miss, so I'm waiting for the new Zelda. I feel the main failure of Nintendo in the console market over recent years is that it hasn't tried to make it so that a Nintendo console is that only console you need for a generation. It's always felt you've needed a Playstation of XBox in addition to a Wii/Wii U to get the most out of a generation.
So yeah, overall I'm getting some good enjoyment out of it, but without getting too enthusiastic about the console.
@WaveWarlock NintenCrap 64? Do you have any clue what you're saying? The N64 is by far and large the best Nintendo has ever put out and would ever probably put out in terms of home consoles. You'll be lucky to ever see a game like Super Mario 64 again, and that is saying a whole lot.
i will give them a b-, until they add GCN to its wii u vc library then i will give it another score
My two kids love our fantastic Wii U. We also have the superb GameCube. There will never be a Playstation or X-Box in our home. Period!
A++
I've never been able to play so many varied, high quality games so early in a consoles' lifecycle. I've literally had no dull moment from the moment I bought the wii U. Hint: it was at launch day.
Seriously, I don't care about functionality, support, sales and potential. The games rock, that's what matters. There's hardly anything I'd want to change about it, save for the battery life in my controllers as there's just SO much to play.
@cheetahman91
"The games are alright, but not Nintendo's best. The VC....support is not up to par with the Wii at this point"
Agreed. Its bad enough losing all third-party supply but Nintendo haven't filled the gaps. 6 retail releases this year in Europe one of which was Wii Sports Club. Very poor.
@D2Dahaka
"I give the machine itself a solid B and Nintendo's handling of the Wii-U an E-." Fair comment.
@WaveWarlock
"Wii already surpassed the NintenCrap64 and Lamecube". Wow. When you think the internet has nowhere to go, here's still a surprise waiting.
The Wii U is my most least used Nintendo console I've ever owned by a mile.
For the first time ever I actually regret buying it at launch. There's obviously some great games on the system - but you would expect that to be the case after 2 years on the market - however there has not been enough.
What's worse is that 2015 looks pretty barren too...
The Wii U has great games, so it's a definite A. The only areas where it doesn't shine are sales and 3rd party support. But bad sales and 3rd party support matters only in the sense that it leads to fewer games. And since there are already more fantastic games than I have time to play, why should I care? Stating that games is a big positive and then giving it an overall C- doesn't make any sense at all. What do you use your console for if not playing games???
A+ for the fun I only get from Nintendo and how much I love it, C- for gamepad battery life, and D for marketing. Contrary to what someone else wrote, the Wii U has everything I need, and that person can keep funding Sony making bad Spiderman films. If the dudebro consoles and games win, the gaming industry might as well die at the same time.
@jenkje My sentiments exactly, I never have, and never will sell my soul to those two.
@DaemonSword
That 'dudebro' BS always makes me smile. On Sony consoles I've played Jumping Flash, Kurushi, Parappa, Vib Ribbon, Kula World, ICO, Jak and Daxter, Shadow of the Colossus Journey, Little Big Planet, Ape Escape, The Last Guy, Gravity Crash, Tearaway, Loco Roco, Patapon etc. etc.
@D2Dahaka RE: "Biggest problem Wii-U has is that it is priced above the casual market (ie. not an impulse buy price) ..[and other stuff]"
The price isn't the issue: Some are willing to drop $60+ on Candy crush saga or $600 on a new iPad. But they never go into GameStop or the gaming aisle at Target or whatever because gaming isn't their thing. So they'll never see that reduced price. Even if they did, those people are now used to convenience gaming. Any time/place they can pull out their phone or tablet and play. On the bus or curled up in bed. A bulky box with all these peripherals and wires that needs to be plugged into the TV and demands your full attention is not very appealing.
Price drop will only appeal to core gamers who might be thinking of picking up a second console. But Wii U's been limping along doing that anyway; they're unlikely to squeeze too many more purchases out of that niche.
@datamonkey I am the same.
Do I regret getting the system at launch = Yes.
Do I regret getting the system = No
There are some fantastic games out of the system that I have yet to pick up and many more to come but I have still haven't given the system my full attention since I moved to pc gaming. I do have the other systems aswell but out of the 5 current gen system (They are not next gen anymore) I own. My most used system is my Vita.
For me it's a C+ or even a B-.
The positives are...it's a capable gaming system. Fantastic amazing games. Games you can't get anywhere else. Nintendo high quality.
The negatives are...the game droughts. Poor branding and marketing. Lacklustre VC support. Lack of 3rd party support. Although at times I feel this is a blessing as we don't get all the EA cr*p.
Personally I don't care for multi platforms, but understand those who want to supplement their Nintendo collections with them. However, there are one of two I would like, Shadow of Mordor, GTA5 for example. But all those that moan about 3rd..."get over it" and "stop moaning". It is what it is.
At the end of the day you buy a Nintendo platform for Nintendo games. And right now, Nintendo is smashing it with their quality and 2015 looks tremendous. They haven't been this good since the N64, IMO of course.
Mines collecting dust, and I've only had it a couple of months (2nd hand)... not overlywhelmed with it, my 3DS gets waay more use.
Always interesting to ask, when people say their system is collecting dust... what games have you actually bought? If you've only had it a couple of months and already ran out of games, you either game 24/7 or are extremely picky.
The Wii U has had its share of faults, as have Sony and Microsoft's consoles. I've stuck with my Wii U and bought as many games as i can for it, and honestly, I love it. I got the Wii U because I became tired of the stale 'Hardcore' game scene and wanted to go back to my old Nintendo roots. Needless to say, It's been a lot of fun, I'm currently playing my way through Shovel Knight and Link to the past, while also collecting Disney Infinity.
@jenkje Raising those kids right!
I'll just put this here http://youtu.be/7ARtdqYB4_g
Love this guy, and no matter what you think, he is right about the gamepad.
Simply excellent, Thomas.
I love it. We as a family love it. I wish there were more games but the ones we have we all love and seeing Mario in full HD is a sight to behold. You can play games on the Wii U that other consoles can only dream about (I am not getting into a PS4 XB1 debate here). My one complaint is the VC or lack of it. There is an abundance of games that could be brought out on it from all the previous consoles, and that would be a huge reason for some people to buy it. The fact that even after 2 years there are VC games that were on the Wii that still have not appeared on the Wii U is frankly beyond me. Missed opportunity totally. But I wouldn't give up my Wii U thats for sure. Its the first console we have played as a family and I know already Nintendo is forming a part of my childrens memories like it did me 25 years ago...
@electrolite77 Very true, my most recent download was 'Toybox Turbos', the new codemasters title that is somewhat similar to Micro Machines... So many great fun games on PS3.
Anyone who gives the Wii U less than a B hasn't played Bayonetta 2 or Wonderful 101. Platinum can save any console!
@Jayvir Agrees fully!!!
I play games and Nintendo have the best software in the business, simple as that. Sales?....who cares. Measure things that matters please. I actually don´t care about Wii U console but the games that comes out on it is bloody fantastic.
So for me it´s an A+ experience
@Ernest_The_Crab
Yeah, they say one thing, and I'm sure they'll do something else. They have loads of investors, you know. Those people are going to want their money. They have so many franchises that could dominate on a Playstation, for instance.
They aren't just going to "walk away" from gaming. That's completely asinine and something that was said as part of typical corporate hubris. "Well, if we fail, we're just going to stop making games." Yeah, and sit on a mountain of goldmine franchises that would rake in millions if they just put it on hardware people wanted to buy.
In other words, people are giving the Wii U A+ ratings? Seriously? This is clearly delusional, or strictly ignorant of what the rest of the industry is like--or even Nintendo's own past. As it is right now, the Wii U isn't even as valuable as the GameCube or N64--both consoles had a wider variety of titles EVEN FROM NINTENDO by this point, AND they had better 3rd party support.
@Andander
I don't think you understand how this industry, or capitalism in general, actually works.
Without sales, that little console you blindly give an A+ will be a very short-lived experience with little of value therein.
@descarpis9
Platinum is notorious for not having high-sellers. No, they can't save any console, and their next title is an Xbox One exclusive. I have both Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101, and I struggle to give the Wii U better than a D+.
@Quorton
Sorry sales are important of course, but has nothing to do with how good the console are or as i said the quality of games. Go home sleep wake up and please see things in quality not in quantity and sales. Maybe you see things in a new perspective.
Solid B+. Shocked anyone could give a system with MK8, Bayonetta 2, NSMBU, Super Mario 3D World as EXCLUSIVES a C-. Throw in off-screen gamepad play, the stellar Wii U Pro controller, the MK8 updates, Skylanders for the kids, and the prospect of some excellent upcoming physical and VC releases . . . honestly, the system should finally be given its due.
@Quorthon However, anyone can tell you that both the Gamecube and the N64 fell off steeply in support. They both started with higher numbers and hence were front loaded.
To say that Nintendo needs to get out of the home console market due to ONE console doing poorly (and frankly not in a row) is pretty asinine as well (that's not saying that the A ratings are not asinine). They have had bigger failures than the Wii U. One only needs to reach back to their first 3D console attempt (Virtual Boy) to realize that they came back stronger after it. Interestingly enough this seems to be a pattern for all of the console makers in the industry since its birth.
I'll wait until I see what they have in store for their next console before I decide to make a judgement, rather than making an uneducated early prediction on the overall company.
I never said Nintendo needs to get out of the console market due to one console. But if their next one bombs like this, then they will have to in order to survive and appease their investors.
My note goes more to a history of Nintendo (by the way, third party support didn't drop off as harshly on the GameCube, and it received most multi-platform games over its lifecycle): They do not and haven't had the confidence or support of gaming consumers for generations--and they failed to maintain the attention of developers or gamers during with the Wii, which was widely seen as ignoring regular gamers (an audience of nearly well over 150 million who support Xbox, Playstation, and PC) in favor of the Blue Ocean casuals.
Nintendo has to do SO MUCH WORK to get regular gamers and developers on their side again. No one can say they know how to do that, and Nintendo clearly doesn't know how. And no, they cannot continue to do this on their own. They may limp through this generation with the Wii U, having to do most of the support themselves, but they can't do that again. If they are forced to do it again, they will not make enough money to survive as a console maker. They're barely profitable now, and development costs are so high that without third party support and revenue from there, there is no way they can continue down this path.
Hell, look at this very site--observe how many players here adamantly ignore, even hate, third party games. Even Nintendo's most ardent fans aren't buying the consoles AS video game consoles--they're buying them as Nintendo boxes. They're already treating the company like a third party publisher, not like a console maker. Frankly, whenever you see someone dismissing 3rd party games or support on a Nintendo system, its hypocritical of them to say the company should never go third party--their buying habits are indeed saying Nintendo should go third party, because they're effectively saying "I don't care about the console or having a game console, I'll just buy Nintendo games where ever they are."
Fine, so put them on the Playstation.
@Quorthon Who cares about sales? I'm not buying my console and games for anyone else. I love the exclusives from nintendo and their third-party and exclusives.
@Andander
In a way you have a point, because the Wii had sales, but is certainly lacking in quality. But really, sales do matter to quality. Why do you think the PS2 has so many high quality games? Because it also has high sales, so there is a larger audience to buy the games, which means developers can spend more to make higher quality products.
Sales can and frequently do lead directly to quality products. When a developer has high sales, then they have the money to make their next product of sufficient, equal, or higher quality. Money=people in the office, working on the game, and improving it.
When a console has high sales, then they have more support from developers--and indeed, the ONLY reason some developers put up with the backwards hardware of the Wii was because it managed sales. But it was underpowered for the generation and that also cost it support.
The highest number of higher quality games (3rd party especially) will almost always gravitate towards the platform with the best sales and hardware. The PS1, PS2, PS4, NES, SNES, Genesis, Xbox 360, and eventually, the PS3, all had substantial sales, so they received the best support.
When you guys are dismissing sales, you're advertising how little you know, care, or understand the gaming industry or how companies work in general. You don't think sales matter? Tell that to all the third parties that have walked away from the Wii U--BECAUSE OF ITS LOW SALES, and the low sales they received from Nintendo fans.
i love my wii u for the good and stood by it during the bad
As an Xbox one owner I can say I've used my Wii U alot more and spent way more.
About 16 games and extra controllers for the U.
But now and the near future im Halo/Unity then Halo 5.
Smash bro's i already pre ordered. Not enough time to play all these great FREAKING GAMESSS!!!!
wii u is the best console ever!
Overall I give it a B. If I could rate the name it gets an F-
@WaveWarlock
Haha sorry I should have been clearer, it was just the nickname that had me staring in horror
It's horses for courses and it's all about opinion. I loved the N64 in the late 1990's. At the same stage (2 years in) of the N64s existence it had revolutionised gaming with Mario 64, done it again to a lesser degree with Goldeneye and was about to give us one of the very best games of all time. It was also right on the cutting edge of home graphics and had showed it with games like Wave Race, Pilotwings, Blast Corps (dem explosions) and Banjo-Kazooie. I agree on the lack of variety, I had a PS1 before the N64 came out finished up buying another to go with my N64 when I left university and could afford it.
The 'Cube after 2 years had received (IMO) better support from Nintendo-Metroid Prime, Smash Bros Melee and Wind Waker had been 'wow' moments, and again it was as good as anything around graphically as the likes of Wave Race, F-Zero GX and Luigis Mansion showed. Not only that but it had good third-party support-exclusives like Rogue Leader, Monkey Ball and the Resident Evils plus great ports like Burnout 2 and Skies of Arcadia gave it the variety the N64 and Wii U didn't/don't have. it also had a load of good sports games. Though again, I had and really enjoyed the PS2 at the same time.
The Wii had a good first couple of years (Mario galaxy!) but really tailed off for a while and I started to dislike motion controls. I agree it had a great range of platformers though and its range of VC releases makes the Wii U look dreadful. If side-scrollers are your thing I can totally understand you preferring the Wii.
Like you say, horses for courses. I personally was far more impressed with N64 and 'Cube after two years than I am Wii U. I miss that brave Nintendo that was willing to chase technology as well as make great games. They're sitting on too many franchises too-Advance Wars, Metroid, F-Zero, Wave Race etc. have been gathering dust too long. Maybe one day....
P.S. Jumping Flash and Rayman were great, recently got them on my Vita (along with Pandemonium which was a side-scroller with 3Dish graphics) and they are still great
INintendo to survive should join a Apple for their next home console and mobile . Apple are already very well implanted in the mobile (iOS ) and entertainment ( AppleTV ) . Both are very good company for new technology and mentality of thinking outside the box. I think it would be beneficial for both and have more power over another editor like Ubisoft , Ea, activision etc ....
A nintendo fan since 1986.
@Bistro
Apple has not been very good for gaming from a financial standpoint. They've essentially helped cultivate an environment where customers think games should be free or cost not more than a dollar in a largely unregulated marketplace. At the close of 2013, Apple was reporting over 10 billion dollars in App Store revenue, but that was spread across literally over a million games and apps. Mathematically, that breaks down to a (highly unrealistic) average of only $10,000 per app or game, which is abysmal.
The reality was much worse, only an extreme minority made money at all, while estimates of mobile markets have up to (or over) 50% of mobile developers making no money at all.
It's time for Nintendo to merge or make a major acquisition, but I don't think Apple is a good idea. Sony or Sega would be better ideas, but Sony (despite the success of the PS4) has been on a financial losing streak for the better part of a decade.
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/01/07/more-than-10-billion-was-spent-in-apple-39-s-app-store-in-2013.aspx
Hey guys, if someone is resorting to insults, please report them and move on. Let the moderation team handle them without having to also go down the line and clean up your posts too! Any reciprocated insults and profanity may also get you banned along with the offender(s). This is your warning: Please be excellent to one another. Thanks in advance!
@Quorthon
Spot on about Apple. I'd love to see Nintendo make a move on the flailing Capcom, but then I'd have loved to see them use some of their huge cash piule on Atlus, Bizarre Creations, Volition and Climax/Black Rock, but that didn't happen either....
@electrolite77
R.I.P. Bizarre Creations. Another studio buried after ownership by Activision.
I'm very disappointed in Nintendo for all their talk of "mergers and acquisitions" and no follow-up on that at all. I'd especially like to see Nintendo merge with another major company, say Capcom, Sega, even a very western company if need be, simply because I think Iwata knows how to appeal to core Nintendo fans, but not the modern gaming industry as a whole. This makes Nintendo constantly look behind the times on so many things.
I'm also bitter to see Club Nintendo dwindle down to an afterthought when MS and Sony are massively stepping up on their paid services. While Club Nintendo is technically free, you get nothing out of it unless you spend way more than an annual subscription to PSN+ or Xbox Live, and in that, Nintendo should be maybe be offering something far more competitive.
It's time for some drastic measures, and that means mergers and acquisitions, because "inspiring third parties to come aboard" is not going to cut it.
@datamonkey They have made a game for almost all of their major franchises and or announced future titles. I'm confused what did you buy the WiiU for?
Well you can add me to the sales numbers. I'm getting one tomorrow!
I personally love the wii u .. BUT after this debacle i wont be buying another Nintendo console again (unless they step up).
The reality is the lack of 3rd party games is killing the wii u. No Fifa,no COD,no Ac no Far Cry 4 no Castlvania a ver ylate Ac port that even Ubi Soft cant be bothered to promote and massive gaming droughts.
Of course there are excellent game. BUT not even in the gamecube days (and N64) was the situation this bad! N64 had 3rd party gems like Turok,Star Wars,Shadowman,Bomberman etc.
Gamecube had Resi,Killer 7,Prince Of Persia, hell even Fifa it had!
Wii u in 2014 ? Apart from Child of Light tbh NOTHING (oh i forgot Skylanders,disney and Just Dance) in first half 2014 just prcatically 2 AAA Games und die ganzen Jahr nicht mal 10 ..
ABER Nint4endo ispartly to blame.. Isnt ANYONE speaking to the 3rd party publishers. Hell Ubis mystery game what is it why is it not coming out?
Lack of internal studios. If there is no 3rd party support why isnt Nintendo buying studios? In the last 2 yrs the THQ bankrupty Nintendo should have at least bought Virgil (Darksiders a classic Nintendo type game) or the ex Timesplitters developers what does Nintendo do nothing and when only Japanese Studios hell in the west only 1 (yes 1) 1st party studio and they only have one team (retro)---- in the N64 they had Rare 3 studios and did some of the best classics (Banjo,Golden eye,Conker JFG etc)
Worst is apart from the E3 NOTHING new has been announced for the Wii U since then....
Personally ive given up with the WiiU of course im buying Splatton X and Zelda but as a console its dead. Smash and Zelda will help but Sales max 15 Million unless Nintendo slashes the price (its selling in Europe for like 250€ on offer and that hasnt helped) and digs deep for more software..
Console yes best one ever A Software an E cause of the practically dead 3rd Party support
Oh i forgot i have over 30 games for the Wii U shame Splinter Cell,AC 3+4, Zombi U, child of Light,Mass effect 3 rayman Legends absolute TOP versions just there will be no more AAA 3rd Party on the Wii U
@Kobeskillz I've played various games on it for approximately 40 hours. I was also referring to the overall sales and games. I don't need to buy and play every game to say the system is a disappointment. Any rational person who can read the news about the system would understand (and likely agree) with the term "disappointment" when it comes to the Wii U.
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