As my signature states, I have been playing video games since the days of Pong. I have owned more home and hand held consoles then most people have. You could say I am Hard Core Gamer (a real fan of video games, one who reads about them and is interested in them), or as I like to say, I am a GAMER. I have owned and enjoyed more home / hand held consoles than I can count on both hands and at least one foot. I can honestly say, even at this early stage in its life, THE WII U IS MY FAVORITE GAMING CONSOLE I HAVE EVER OWNED.

I love the Gamepad, The Internet Browser, Miiverse, the Backwards Compatibility, and the Gameplay offered by Nintendo Games.

I am by no means a casual gamer and I do also do not believe that smart phones and tablets have stolen console customers either. They have, in my opinion created a new gaming segment, many of which have never or never will own a gaming console. If anything, people that find that they really, really enjoy gaming on a tablet or smartphone, may decide to get a gaming console down the line but I seriously doubt anyone who is a GAMER, would abandon console gaming because they discovered smartphone / tablet gaming .... it is just too casual and superficial and does not provide adequate inputs or depth of play that GAMERS crave.

What I like about the Wii U is that it has the potential to satisfy the Gamers and the Causal Gamers as well ...

But it is up to Nintendo to make that happen and right now, they are floundering ... they have a short range plan but they need to pull out the guns soon and keep them out for a long steady while if they are to be successful with this system.

Of this next generation of consoles, and last one too, Nintendo is the only system good for an entire family, one that has young children and here is why ... I am 45 years old and although I do not mind games dropping the F bomb, I certainly would not want it dropping it if there were a 3 year old walking around. I can also say that at my age, hearing the F bomb dropped every thirty seconds has a lose of impact and is unnecessary. Same goes for sex. Ok, so lets put parental controls on all the systems and what do we get? Nintendo is the only system with top notch and fun gameplay for everyone in the family. No other system has platformers that match Nintendo's, no other system has party games as fun as Nintendo's.

So Nintendo can do great if they just get the message out and more importantly, get the games out. Get the games out that make the family that bought the Wii buy the Wii U. Make them want it and make them see how they really can not live without it.

Somewhere down the road I'll pick up a PS4 just to play some great First Person Shooters (campaign mode only) but if Nintendo would just come out with their own intelligent First Person Shooter IPs, I would never have a need for a PS4 .... because Nintendo would have everything.