Nintendo Sends Direct Wii U Marketing Message To Wii Owners

Yup. Could have even called it "Wii 2" and avoided this mess. Sad, but true. The name has really hurt the sales, I'd imagine.

It shouldn't have been called Wii full stop.
And to be honest there saying about a new way to play with your family, theres like 1 game (Nintendo land) where u can do that.

If people don't realize that it's a newly designed console, with a new controller and what is shown on the box is a different picture and different written lingo. Then we as a society are in trouble. Did people confuse the PS2 with the PS3 or the Xbox with the Xbox360? they had very similar controllers..

going buy the games it feels like an upgrade not a new console.take fifa 13 its fifa 12 called 13 with no ultimate game.

the ps3 didnt have the same power as ps2 thats why people are confused.

I thought it was a nice move on Nintendo's part to let the Wii U play Wii games, use Wii accessories and so forth. But if it is really causing people this much of a problem in realizing it is a new system, maybe they should have went with a different name. I never liked the Wii name anyone, so I for one had already hoped they would go with a different name for this console... now it seems it would have been better for them for sure to have done just that.

I also dont really get why people still think that the WiiU is just a peripheral or a redesign of the Wii. Sure, the name is similar, but like someone said before me, that didnt hinder the PS3 from beeing seen as a new console. The main problem i see here is the audience the Wii attracted. The Wii maybe the first console they have ever baught, so "upgrading to a new generation" is something completely new to them.

what i meant was its underpowered and everyone knows it.

Ads? I've seen none. The name has nothing to do with it, its all about marketing. A good campaign, or really any campaign, would produce positive results. You could call the machine Wii Poo and if the advertising is quality, people will buy.

Sending messages to the Wii like this is an extremely poor marketing strategy. Come on Nintendo, CALL ME and I can get your product on the radio to hundreds of thousands of people.

I always valued Nintendo for giving original names to it's consoles... And then Wii U appeared.

Anyone who doesn't understand that Wii U is a new system wasn't going to purchase it anyway.

@Sekuiya
The SNES says hello.

I haven't seen any ads for the Wii U where I live so not sure if anyone even knows there is a new console out for Nintendo.

Why don't they just do an ambassador campaign like the UK did? The one where if you got people to connect their Wii to the Internet, you got all the NES VC games for free?

6 months too late with that message...

It's NOT NOT NOT the name. Just stop it. The name makes perfect sense - from a marketing perspective - it's like a Wii, but U (you) can play off-screen on the Gamepad when you aren't playing w/ Wii (we). The problem is the lack of games. Though if you want to blame marketing having the WiiU look almost exactly like the Wii is cause for confusion. The big 'ole ugly PS3 looked nothing like the PS2, same for Xbox and 360. So naturally people got confused at the videos, it looks like a Wii w/ a Gamepad peripheral. But it isn't the name, it's having the WiiU console look identical to the Wii.

No matter what they called it, people still would have thought the name was for the Gamepad peripheral and it was still hooking up to the Wii. WiiU is as fine and stupid of a name as Wii. Everybody was complaining about the stupid Wii name - did that hurt sales? No. End of discussion.

Nintendo needs to do the same by sending a 3DS message to DSi owners.

Step in the right direction but must try harder.

I'd say the problem depends on what target audience you're talking about. The soccer mom audience doesn't know the Wii U is out, because it wasn't featured on Oprah / nor has commercials every 5 seconds. And if they do know it's out, they think it's an accessoire for the Wii. And even if they know it's a new console, they barely used their Wii, why would they pick up a new one? I think Nintendo can forget about a large portion of the crowd that bought a Wii.

I agree that more Nintendo fans (like myself) and multi-platform owners ("hardcore" gamers, if you will) are picking one up if Nintendo releases more games. No reason to believe you'll get Wii-like sales, though; the Gamecube had good games, just no mainstream appeal.

I honestly believe this also explains 3DS' mediocre sales in the West. The casuals have largely moved on, and Nintendo has stopped targeting them. Of course it still sells like hotcakes in Japan because "casuals" in Japan almost blindly buy Nintendo handhelds, they always have. You could even argue Japan has no "casual" market because so many people buy a variety of electronics.

Really I don't think Wii U problem is confusion, it just that it doesn't have the same appeal to casuals that the Wii did and does not offer enough advantages over PS3/360 to sway the hardcore

@PinkSpider Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: 3 players play on 3DS and the 1st player plays on the Wii U.
Sonic & Sega All-stars racing and Call of Duty black ops 2: 1 player on the Wii U gamepad, the other player on the TV.
Mario U & Rayman Legends: Help players with boost mode
and probably more!

Hey guys, we have another console too. We're still not gonna tell you anything about it, but hey, we told you it's there.

@MrWezzle Yes, the Wii U's biggest issue is it's name. It was a costly, costly mistake.

the shops are even saying wii u is doomed nintendo is the new sega.its nothing to do with the name the machine does not have any killer a games like am playing halo 4 and far cry 3,name one wii u game that come anywhere near these games.

@LDXD - Power is an issue b/c it's all about perception, not about actual power.

When the PS3 came out w/ Uncharted and Heavenly Sword people were blown away by the graphical improvements from PS2 and wanted to buy a PS3 just for the graphics alone.

When the WiiU came out NSMBU looked almost exactly the same as NSMB Wii which came w/ the system if anybody bought a Wii the last few years. Nintendo Land - while looking better than any Wii game - still is a cartoon looking mini-game collection of which there are a dozen similar games on the Wii.

So yes, the WiiU is currently the most powerful system on the market, but most of the initial games (outside of ZombieU) still looked like Wii games, so what's the point in upgrading? Power is only relevant if you use it. Had the WiiU launched w/ a Metroid game that looked like Mass Effect or a Zelda game that looked like Skyrim then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

mass effect 3 wii u 39.99 mass effect trilogy 39.99 xbox nuff said.

@Realgamer4life: I'm sure SOMEONE confused the different Xbox and PS generations, but probably not that many...

It's much clearer to have a numeral after the name - we're used to the convention that the number signifies an improvement/sequel/successor. Hence, most people would (correctly) assume that the "Playstation 3" is the next model after "Playstation 2".

You need to remember that, as someone who visits, has an account with, and posts on a video gaming website, you are in a very small minority who is better informed about the status of the Wii U than most. To someone whose only familiarity with consoles is that they see them on store shelves and may have bought one for a family member in the past, it's not that obvious that the Wii U is a new console. It looks pretty much the same as the Wii, and so it's a hard sell on Nintendo's part to get people to spend $300 on what they see as basically a new controller.

The onus is on Nintendo to make it clear to consumers that the Wii U is a brand new console. Don't blame consumers because Nintendo's marketing department isn't doing a good enough job of that.

@MrWezzle um if nintendo does called it wii 2 vs ps4 the number makes a big difference and it hurts them more than just sales, the xbox was suppose to be called xbox 2 but they change it to xbox 360 for a reason.

The name and lack of marketing is definitely confusing some people. I have several friends who are enough into video game to own a Wii and play New Super Mario Bros and such, but not much more. Even after playing a bit of Nintendo Land they didn't realize that the "Wii U" was actually the console, and not just a tablet accessory for the Wii. They were certainly interested in it, but I had to actively explain that it was an entirely new console. Even with higher quality visuals, there aren't a lot of immediately obvious clues that the Wii U isn't just and updated version of the Wii, like the DS Lite or the DSi.

The naming convention worked for the Super Nintendo because there weren't many different versions of the NES before it. However, now with so many consoles in the DS family sharing the same sort of name, I think most people automatically assume that a console with the same name as its predecessor is just a revision and not something completely new, which is completely understandable. Unless there's a number in the title to specifically note that it's the "sequel" to the previous hardware, the name alone won't be an obvious enough clue.

@jayblue

That's just a misconception. If you'd heard the news earlier this week Iwata is aware that people think the Wii U's underpowered and he's addressing that issue by telling people what the power of the system actually is.

@Savino yet the 3ds sell extreme well now, its not the name that hurts the sales its the software.

They could use the Nintendo Channel for some of these ads as well, if they weren't planning on shutting it down.

Wondered why my Wii was glowing this morning. I'm not a "casual" user, nor would I likely be considered a hardcore gamer. I had an Atari as a kid, then later an NES and and SNES. I don't buy every system that comes on the market, nor do I buy new ones as soon as they come out. I have other responsibilities and my money has more important uses. At this point, I have my Wii, a PSOne, a PS2, and I'll finally be buying a PS3 in a few months.

I'm not at all confused that the Wii U is a "new" system, even with the mixed messages from Nintendo. This message says it's not "just an upgrade", the glut of ads driving me nuts while watching Hulu all call it an "upgrade". This isn't an "upgrade", it isn't a simple download or attachment to my Wii, it's a new system so Nintendo needs to stop calling it one.

As for the Wii U itself, I have absolutely no interest in it at all. I've yet to see any reason why it is worth buying, and the game pad is a huge turn off for me. It is big and bulky, and it seems more likely to drive me to distraction trying to play on two screens at once.

The Wii was my first "return" to Nintendo after I sold off my SNES maybe ten years ago? I have enjoyed my Wii well enough, though I dumped the Wii Fit and board after a year realizing it was fairly useless. However, the Wii never really had many games to appeal to someone like me, who mostly like RPGS and action/adventure games, has no kids and likes it that way, and mostly plays video games alone. In the last 3-4 years of Wii ownership, I've only purchased 16 Wii games, and I have none currently on my "to buy" list. The library just isn't there for me, though from what I've read if Nintendo US hadn't been so stuck on trying to keep it a "family" console, there many more games out there I'd love to play that just never got brought over from Japan.

I'm sure I'll keep my Wii quite awhile yet, to replace some of those games as some rocked, but Nintendo's deciding to kill off features of my Wii to try to force people to switch leaves a bad taste in my mouth. From my understanding, they are basically breaking games I bought for specific features, like being able to play online, not because it is a huge deal to support the Wii consoles too, but just to try to force people's hands. And with the way the Wii library turned out, I have no expectations that the Wii U will be any better, so I'd rather focus my gaming money on continuing to build my PS/PS2 game library and in starting my PS3 library.

Got the message last night, and after following news on NL for 2 years, I didn't even care what the message said. I know all I need to know from NL about the Wii U.

@Setrodox - Since you mentioned it ...

I didn't get the message - probably b/c I don't have always-on turned on - but the extended versions of those 3 really bad commercials are on the Wii Nintendo Channel (US). And I have to say they were actually good. I think they were made to be 2:30 and editing them down to :30 made them unwatchable. If I were Nintendo I'ld have them as trailers before Iron Man 3 and Epic and the rest of the summer blockbusters. Does Epic have a game, it looks like a Zelda game?

Here's a link to the 3 :33 seconds clips, the 2:30 versions you can watch on your Wii.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/talking_point_the_wii_us_identity_crisis#comment1604465

Then maybe you should have named the system something else, you stupid company.

@ledreppe

When people talk about underpowered they are comparing it to what is expected of the PS4 and the next xbox in which case yes its very underpowered. And the problem is it may be more powerful than current generation consoles but it has no games that scream new generation...

In other words, it can be sold as an upgrade to Wii owners who do not own PS3 or Xbox but for those who do, the only thing the Wii U has to offer is the gimmicky controller which is a turn off to many hardcore gamers while not being as appealing as motion control to casuals

@ferthepoet

You've got to admire Nintendo for even considerijng an alternative controller. Especially when Sony and Microsoft just keep bashing out the same old controllers every generation. I'm a 'hardcore' gamer, but I'm perfectly fine with the gamepad, because I know I can also use the Pro Controller too. I don't see why 'hardcore' xbox and PS gamers would shun the system just because of the gamepad when they seem to be forgetting about the Pro Controller.

@Ledreppe I think @Ferthepoet is correct, at least to an extent, regarding the controller. I think there are a great many people who consider themselves hardcore gamers and view the GamePad as a contraption that gets in the way of using the same controller to play the same shooters. They just want the same experience with better graphics. Most of us see it differently, but a lot of those other people are out there.

Ha! that's what the blue light is about here on my work Wii. This is pretty funny actually. "oh yeah, so we can use the interwebs to deliver special messages to people all over the world?! Amazing! this could be the future of gaming!"
Maybe even worth considering doing this BEFORE launching a new console, with videos, promotions, and game kiosks that play games. Anyway it's a step in the right direction, but weird to be doing while planning to shutdown Wii online features. The Wii was the WiiU's trojan horse and they just figured it out now? Pissed off investors shouldn't be the ones driving your marketing.

@ledreppe

The problem with the gamepad is that it is expensive, people can figure out that if they buy a Wii U a good chunk of what they're paying for is the gamepad so if you don't care about the touchscreen control/off tv play, the Wii U doesn't offer value enough for your money.

If I were Nintendo, around the time Super Smash Bros U is ready for releasy I'll offer a Wii U classic set with a classic controller, and a larger hard drive priced at $199 marketed to hardcore gamers.

I'll also offer a set marketed to casuals with two packed in wii-motes instead of the gamepad and Wii sports U packed in also priced at $199

Dumb Nintendo is Dumb, only a brain-dead company would launch a console with its name similar to its predecessor when it has ALREADY experienced such a scenario in the past - 3DS anyone?

In regards to jayblue, people, stop feeding the troll.

Lol, what about those Wii mini owners? How do they get their marketing message?

@Revolution5268 I agree with you. Wii 2 may have not been the perfect name, but I guarantee it'd be selling better than Wii U. And considering the audience for the Wii is vastly different than the Xbox or Playstation demographic, I think Wii 2 would have worked pretty dang well.

I got this message last night. Maybe Nintendo should focus more on getting actually decent commercials running for the system- you know, something that could perhaps come close to the brilliant marketing the Wii enjoyed?

troll ave got to laugh i own wii u thats what i writing on right now nintendo can carry on selling out of date hardware,this time next year nintendo will be in third place,will i just say everthing is great nintendo is the best dont think so fanboys,i play my snes more than wii u in fact i play super mario world which is best game on wii u at moment lol.

Next message from Nintendo to Wii should read-
As from <insert date> Wii will no longer be supported by Nintendo and no new releases will be made for the system. This also includes all virtual console and Wiiware releases. The WiiU is the latest console from Nintendo which aswell as having complete compatabilty with excisting Wii accessories, Controllers and games also builds on the Wii to bring vastly superior graphics and unique gameplay features only possible with the WiiU's unique gamepad controller. <insert rundown of WiiU features> As a bonus for current Wii Owners if you register a new WiiU system to the same Club Nintendo account you have registered your Wii console to you will be eligable to recieve 10 free WiiU Virtual Console games or upgrades.

Something like this would explain the differences, explain the WiiU is not a Wii in disguise and offer a incentive for wii owners to stay loyal to Nintendo.
Nintendo would need to do this soon though, well ahead of when ps4/Kinectbox is released.

Nintendo... come on, you're better than this.

Good, about time they addressed misconceptions.
Too bad anyone who keeps their Wii online would probably already know about the WiiU. They need to start going on Late-night talk shows and advertising it in a way that doesn't suck. Sending a notification message to people who probably will never care to open it is literally the least they can do.

One of the main reason why most ppl are still stupidly think this is an upgrade was that the changes from Wii to Wii U aren't major enough. The games coming out are most or less similar to games on Wii and the console design itself look very much like the Wii plus the same lazy logo. In the retro days from transitioning from NES to SNES, Nintendo not only change the console design but its controller and logo too, ppl could tell the difference between the NES & SNES, not many nowadays could see the difference between Wii & Wii U. Of course some ppl just don't due to the Wii U also being backwards compatible meaning every features on Wii still works on Wii U thus making Wii U feel more like an upgrade instead of a new console itself which is sad.

Really don't understand the confusion here. . . maybe old grannies who loved Wii sports might get their Wiis in a muddle but the rest of us should've been able to manage. Print "Wii U - New console from Nintendo" on a magazine cover .... And That's it!!! Where's the confusion??? ...... Its called "Wii U" and its a "new console" from "Nintendo"!!!

the problem is that the wii u is way over priced for last gen tech, i'm sorry but it's true. i'm at the point now where I want to buy a new system but the wii u is a hard option when the 4gig xbox 360 is only $200. to me it's starting to seem like Nintendo is punishing everyone by holding back games till people buy all the shovel ware. and lets top with all the secrets, we need to know if gta5, south park stick of truth will be on wii u and lets answer some questions about wind waker hd. did they ever mention the missing dungeons?

touche

Nintendo overestimated the level of intelligence of many of their audience this time around. Critical thinking isn't something used by enough people these days. Sadly, Nintendo needs to rework their strategy to find ways to literally SPOON-FEED all Wii U info to the masses. Use baby words.

@rjejr thank you for saying what I was just going to say this is so correct

@GN004Nadleeh
I'm sorry, but if you have very little knowledge on technology, I suggest you say nothing. It makes you look stupid.

I just upgraded and have unplugged my Wii for the time being, however my sibling's Wii was shining blue last night. I bet that was why.

@retro_player_22
You've...never touched a Wii U game before have you?

I knew that calling the system Wii U would cause a whole mess of trouble. I wasn't impressed with the name when they first announced it and I am still not impressed. That being said, hopefully Nintendo will be able to convince consumers that it's a completely new system before it's too late.

@Realgamer4life I work at the gamers edge where we sell new and retro games and accessories. I hate to say it but yes people STILL don't get it. They will see a brand new 360 controller, and then a $4.99 pre owned Xbox original controller and they will buy it. Different section, different price, different games near it, but they still get mad if I don't stop them before they go home and wonder "why isn't there a place to plug it in?"

Look for a new hardware design in 2014 or 2015.

@rjejr I don't think anyone's saying the name is ENTIRELY to blame for the WiiU's lackluster performance so far, but it's surely a contributing factor. To deny that is simply to be in denial. Not all people who purchase video game systems frequent websites like NintendoLife, so they need it — let me reiterate that... Grandma needs it to be extremely clear that this is an entirely new system.

When I mentioned the WiiU at work, I was pretty surprised by the response. People were baffled. "What the **** is a Wee U?" "Hey, come on over so we can Wee U!" "Wanna play with my Wee U?" Everyone just laughed at the ridiculous sound of the name, and tore it apart. Of course, we all remember the same sort of thing just after the official name was announced online. The Wii was bad enough, but WiiU simply doesn't translate well internationally. It's a real stinker of a name, if you catch my meaning (Pee-yoo!)

It also doesn't help that the WiiU requires Wii peripherals in order to play multiplayer games. That's just confusing. Convenient for Wii owners, but surely bizarre for anyone who didn't own a Wii and now owns a WiiU.

Also, in regard to Guitardude7's comment, I agree "Nintendo U" might have been a better name. Of course, that makes it sound like "Nintendo University," but it would probably have been better than "WiiU." Names are tricky. You have to put thought into them. The Japanese love to use English words when naming things, but it doesn't always work. The play on words in "WiiU" isn't nearly as clever in English as it may seem to a native Japanese speaker.

@ferthepoet Bingo. That's exactly right. The Wii U just doesn't appeal to a casual gamer. If you look at its sales numbers, they aren't too different from the sales numbers of the PS3 or XBox 360. The Wii was an aberration and the Wii owners who bought it solely for Wii Sports and maybe Mario Party are the people that are switching over to tablets. Those buyers are not going to come back until a virtual reality system (or some other new concept) comes out. To most people, the Wii U is just a Wii with a tablet. And if they already own a Wii and they already own a tablet, why bother spending another $300-$400?

The hollywood squares ads in the US were terrible. All they had to do was make a simple ad where you got the annoying sister saying she wants to watch her show and a boy saying "Fine" Switches to Gamepad and keeps playing. I mean really...

"Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii."

I believe only idiots thought this seriously. Even the first time they showed just the GamePad at E3 I knew it wasn't just some device for the Wii. I knew there would be a console with the GamePad.

I think there's a whole host of issues relating to the poor performance, but there definitely is some confusion over what it is. It's no good mentioning the box looking different and that should be enough, because most people won't even get as far as seeing the box. Most people won't have watched it being announced at E3 either. I'm a pretty hardcore gamer and I didn't know what the Wii U was until it was about to launch. Most people will hear the name, and think it's like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, something to do with the Wii. It's nothing like going from a Playstation 2 to a Playstation 3 where just hearing the name is enough. I'd heard the name, assumed it was some kind of add on and immediately don't have any interest in looking into it further. I've lost count of the number of friends that have said the same to me. On the weekend it came out, my brother saw a demo unit and called me to ask if I'd seen the new Nintendo tablet that was coming out for the Wii.

@Realgamer4life
I completely agree. Not getting PS1-4 or Xbox mixed up is a perfect example of how people should know what's going on.

The name doesn't matter. Sony and Microsoft have already proved that.
There's just not enough out for it for many. I think they just threw a console out there that still needed improving, and figured 'why not just let the consumer have a chance to buy it even though we're still working on it?'.
The console isn't even finished in regards to the OS or features wise. They basically let their console be in the market 'just for the hell of it', and it sold 4 million based on nothing.
There's still stuff out for it of course, but the Wii U technically isn't a finished project OS and software wise.
Besides, having Wii U next to Xbox and PS systems during the end of their life cycles is good advertisement in itself. People have an IDEA of what Wii U is, and can figure out what it is themselves.

@SanderEvers
I've Been playing the Wii Emulator, but that's 'cause I have a lot of games on it. And Xenoblade Chronicles; I love that game!

As far as advertising goes, if you get a bunch of mascots (Or characters animated in 2D) dressed up like Mario, Luigi and whoever else... it's gonna stick.
Mario: "Hey, I'm-a playin' here!"
Wario jumps in, and grabs the remote, changes from the HDMI input.
Wario: "No! I'm watchin' sports!"
Mario and Wario start rabbling
Luigi comes in and separates them.
Luigi: "You (or 'U') can-a both play... and watch-a the sports!"
Wario proclaims he thought the Wii U was just that Wii with an adaptable Tablet thing.
Mario and Luigi laugh at Wario, as he runs off.
Mario and Luigi: "Now WE (or "Wii") Can both play!"

Fact: Mimicry, and embarrassment is the best way to make a point.

Wii 2... Twice the screens. Twice the fun....It would of been that easy.

And you could of made the 2 look like Wii squared

@MrWezzle
A better Name would have Been the Nintendo U, which could have been abbreviated 'NU' .
I just say "I'm was playing 'Nintendo' ", instead of elaborating. Just like in the old days.

You guys are silly. The Wii U isn't even out yet. Lol. It launches this November with the PS4 like last gen.

@BlackSpy whoever did the marketing did a horrible job. Shouldn't tell people this is how they will play next.

I don't think it has much to do with the name Wii U, just some poor marketing overall. :/

@edcomics - Nice rebuttal, you win a paragraph by paragraph re-rebuttal

1st, besides my being in denial, you bring up grandma. Why on earth does grandma - who bought a Wii only to play Wii sports and hasn't bought another game since except maybe Just Dance - need a WiiU? Do you honestly think grandma didn't buy a WiiU b/c of the name? Do you honestly think if it was called - insert any name of your choice here - grandma would have bought one? Honestly?

2nd paragraph - well you already rebuttal-ed yourself. The Wii was a horrible stinky poo-poo name, yet it sold. And sold out. And was practically sold out for 2 years in the US. Despite that horrible Wii - "oh I said "Wii" snicker snicker - name. So Nintendo added a U to the name and everybody was like - "Oh my god, what a horrible name", so nobody bought one. Puh-lease. Don't confuse Nintendo's lack of advertising that they HAVE a new console with people being put off or confused by the name.

3rd paragraph - well you got me there, except you got yourself there as well. How can people be confused about knowing that Wii peripherals work w/ the WiiU if they don't know the WiiU exists? Or they know it exists but they didn't buy it b/c the name is funny? (Just out of curiosity, how many people do you think bought/own a WiiU who never owned a Wii? 1 handful or 2?)

4, well I don't think that was directed at me, but I agree names are tricky, hence Super NES, PS2 and PS3 and PS4. And Wii to WiiU.

So to summarize - tell me, how many people who didn't like the name bought one after getting over it's lameness? How many people, upon realizing the WiiU was a whole new system, and not just a peripheral, bought one?

If anybody wants to convince me the name killed sales, just tell me how many people they know would have bought one if only the name were different. It's Nintendo's lack of advertising thats hurting sales, not the name. They could have called it ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL - Wii 2, SNES 3, Gamecube 4, and it still wouldn't have sold any better. No games and no advertising.

Nobody is confused. The Wii U just has no games people want to go out and buy a Wii U. Why do people keep on disguising this as people being confused. Do you really think gamers are that stupid ?

Maybe they won't be so quick to cut WiiConnect 24 after-all.

@Williaint - that's a wrap!
That sounds like a decent advertisement, I wouldn't be surprised if it moved consoles.

@BlackSpy Yeah, the ads used to be kinda confusing, odd, and dubstep-filled, but Marketing decided to take a hard turn toward the casuals. There are three commercials roaming around now that involve three different families visiting NoA to play some Wii U. All start with someone saying "Nintendo!" so the consumers know what they're seeing. The three ads then deviate a bit: There's one with a father and his son, where the kid just goes crazy over the thing, proclaiming it the "Bestest system in the whole world" or something, and the father says "I like this!". Another has a family with a father with a soul patch, and it basically ends with the mother basically saying "[The Children] need to play, that's an important part of their childhood". And then lastly, we get a family saying they've seen a Wii U at the father's brother's/friend's house, where they kinda enjoyed it. They also mention that they didn't know it was a whole new thing. And then at the end there's a banner saying, "See why more families are upgrading to the Wii U!".

Yeah, the ads have completely lost any focus on teens/gamers, but for the current market Nintendo's trying to hit, I'd say they're pretty effective. It's like Marketing just said "Ok, yeah, people keep thinking this is an upgrade, let's just outright target that."

Honestly, the message to Wii owners makes me laugh.
Nintendo just says, "Hey, we have a new console called Wii U. I'm not sure if you've seen or heard of it, but it's better".
I'm not really worried.

@Koto then tell me what you know? the wii u is a FAILURE. the one person I know that has one told me to wait for more games.

@GN004Nadleeh
I don't know much. Which is what I should've said before. Hardly anyone knows what the Wii U is even capable of and how it compares to other consoles. There are just too many unknowns about the Wii U, that we can't make any accurate estimates at all. I doubt many developers would know what it's fully capable of due to what little time they've had with the hardware so far. It hasn't been a year since the Wii U released and if reports are anything to go by, only barely a year since devs have gotten their hands on final kits. It's too early to judge the system capabilities and far too early to deem it a failure. Your friend was correct in saying to wait for more games, and I suggest you learn some patience as well.
And I see you've edited your comment before I was able to post this reply. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you. Just learn to control yourself better on the Internet, mkay?

@BlackSpy Or ads could exist at all, that's to blame too. I've never seen one in the 6 1/2 months I've been back in this state and maybe saw 1 or 2 in where I was before prior to launch and those were vague anyway.

NOA needs to fire the ad team and up the budget to get it out there.

@Koto mkay, we're all friends here, but Nintendo has screwed me the last 3 systems and I've sold them all. the fact is I can't support a console that wont supply me games and Nintendo seems content with virtual console games and that's not enough for me. really i'd like to hear that gta 5 is on the system same day and ps3/360. but I can no longer rely on Zelda and Mario before I drop $500 fi you understand what I mean

@LDXD the difference here is ps3 and 360 had other features and breath taking new graphics. will the wii u let me copy avi and mp4 so I can watch what I want without Netflix? and whats the next game on wii u? pikmin 3? that wont last the next 6 months till the next game is released. mayhaps they should have kept the system back until games are ready. believe me I had my $400 on day on one to buy it, but as of now it's really lacking compared to what around the corner

Nintendo se vio lento en la 7ma generación. Vendió más que la competencia pero desaprovechó todos sus recursos. Para lo único que sirve ahora el Wiiconect 24 es para recibir mensajes de Mario Kart. Nunca sacaron el potencial de la consola.

There is diddly squat around the corner GN

@rjejr Ha. Thanks... By the way, if the denial comment came across as aggressive, I apologize. I was thinking about that after I posted it.

So ok, 1- I brought up Grandma just because back before Christmas I was at a Toys'R'Us, on line behind an elderly woman who was purchasing a Wii. I assume it was for her grandkids, but I don't know for sure. Just assessing the situation, though, I realized the entire packaging for that particular Wii bundle wasn't all that different from the WiiU packaging. Of course, the Wii price was much cheaper, but I had to wonder what the situation really was, and whether or not Grandma really understood the difference between the two products.

2- The Wii really was revolutionary, and was a completely different system than the Gamecube. There's absolutely zero possibility of confusing those two consoles. I did acknowledge in my post that nobody is saying the WiiU name is solely responsible for the console's underperformance, but I do think it's a contributing factor. The WiiU is attached to the Wii brand, so I think casual buyers could be confused. My story about the workplace reaction was really just an anecdote. Maybe I was making too many points in also addressing the ridiculous nature of the name.

3- Not every household has a gaming system. When people start having kids, and those kids get to be 8 or 10 years old and start asking for video game consoles, I'd venture to say that for many households, there is such a thing as a first video game console. So with that in mind, I think there's a large possibility for families to buy a WiiU without having owned the Wii. As for the Wii remotes, I think this is pretty clear. In the TV ads, you see the family sitting on a couch — one person has the Gamepad, and the others have Wii remotes. Nothing ever says "WiiU is compatible with the controllers you already own!" To the uninitiated, it may seem they're just playing a Wii game with some new add-on. The fact that Nintendo is now seriously trying to press the fact that "This is an ENTIRELY NEW system" is proof enough that confusion exists. With an entirely new name, I feel there would be little to no confusion.

4- Wii to WiiU, in my opinion, is completely different than PS2 to PS3 or NES to Super NES (or "Nintendo" to "Super Nintendo," as kids called it in my region). "U" on its own is a bizarre suffix. It doesn't convey any real information.

I obviously can't supply some of the numbers you're asking for, but I can say that my personal experience in being asked about the WiiU is that there is confusion surrounding the system, and a lot of it has to do with the name.

You brought up "Wii 2" as a possible name. I think that would have been better than WiiU." When you put "2" after an established brand name, there's no question as to what it means. After all, nobody wonders if "Iron Man 3" is just a variation of "Iron Man." If they had called it "Iron Man U" or "Iron Man Alpha," however, some casual moviegoer might not know what the heck it's supposed to be just by hearing the name on the radio or seeing it in print.

(Even if it were to be called "Wii HD," there would still be confusion. Is it the same old Wii but with better graphics? What is it? What's a U? What's a WiiU? The new Super Mario game in the commercial looks just like the last one I bought a few years ago. What's the difference here? Oh wait, hold on. I'm getting a text. Beyonce did WHAT?? LOL derp ^_^)

Or better yet:

Billy - "Mom, I want a WiiU!"
Mom - "You already have a Wii."
Billy - "No, this is different! It has a gamepad!"
Mom - "You have lots of games. I just bought you that Pokey-man thing last week! Why don't you play that?"
Billy- "No, Mom! This is different! It has, like, a screen, and it's different!"
.........

I won't argue at all about the lack of games and advertising, though I have actually seen television commercials aired. (As a side thought, I've seen many more 3DS ads than WiiU ads). As I've said elsewhere, I think the case design is another factor that is contributing to poor sales. That alone, combined with the name, is a recipe for confusion among casual buyers. The special Wii bundles in stores before Christmas are another factor, like I mentioned above with Grandma. It's not just one thing. It's multiple things, but the name is surely one of them.

@edcomics - Gotta be a quick reply -

I never said the WiiU name wasn't "confusing", just that it wasn't losing them sales.
Anybody who hears or reads WiiU is going to be confused, then they will inquire about it and their confusion will go away. Then they won't buy 1 b/c it doesn't have any games. Wii 2 would have let Nintendo skip the "confusion" part but the outcome would be the same, no sale.

Ergo, my conclusion that, even though the name may suck (I personally like it though) and I'll agree with you is unnecessarily confusing, didn't cost them any sales.

PS - My kids are 8 and 10, kinda freak'd me out there.

Names seem to be lest confusing when they go in front of the name brand. Numbers come after.

the name does not bother me wii and u stand for universal games thats what nintendo said a year ago and people do not no this does nintendo need to spell the wii u to people that are not smart

I really don't understand how and stupid people are and that they would confuse this..... The first time I looked at the Wii U without even reading it, I knew it was a new console. Are people today really this stupid? Is this how dumb the people of this planet have become? No one was confused when the NES was replaced by the SNES.

i heard that new games are coming to the wii u people better buy a wii u soon because buy june it will be gone

Even if people aren't confused IMO they should have called it the UNES or the Wii UNES would have been awesome. Ultra Nintendo Entertainment System. I sent this to Nintendo but to no avail.

...my wii has been sitting in a shoebox in storage for the last 4 months...

yeah no wonder i got this yesterday but i still think they should just have ads like when the wii came out they have many ads and different versions of it.. how can you forget the 2 guys saying "will you like to play?"

Im just dumb-founded by how people are confused about the wii & wii u. I mean... i thought the confusion was just a lie because it sound so ridiculous, but apparently its a real think. @_@ .... Thats scary... Well...,now that I recall 1 of the wii u commercials, they did show wii remote usage mostly but still.
I think it was smart that nintendo sent the message to the wii message board because part of their base have wiis & likely the ones in the confusion. Now, im not saying it was the BEST method, but its a start "I suppose."

This article reminds me of Idiocracy.

Anyway, new games will increase understanding.

Nintendo seriously need to hire a new marketing agency.

Touch heh. Well considering I own five games (New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendoland, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Warriors Orochi 3, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate) on Wii U which plays a lot similar to games I already had for the Wii (New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports Resorts, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Samurai Warriors 3, and Monster Hunter Tri), maybe.

The reason they did it was to carrry that strong Wii brand forward. Not to mention all peripherals are compatible. . Yeah.. I know.. not my decision!

@retro_player_22 (whose reply seems to have removed any connection to mine)
Perhaps I should have said something along the lines of: Having similar games is not the problem. PS3 and 360 have games similar to what you listed and their successors are pretty much going to have similar games to those as well. Will that mean people will confuse PS4 with PS3? Or Nextbox with the X360?

I thought I had it, but it was just a message from the Mario Kart Channel. didn't receive it here in the Netherlands

I think the letter said that I could play my Wii games on my Wii U. Well yeah, but I can also just do that with my Wii.

Sounds a bit desperate, but if it works it works!!

I think the idea behind the new was simpy Wii U = Wii Upgraded.

Anyway, it seems that Nintendo didn't learn anything from it's Wii's mistakes.

The release has had so many mistakes it is hard to keep track of.
-Lack of advertizing and if there is one its all focused on the Controller
-Customers are tired of buy new Nintendo devices just to find out it an upgrade
I.E. DS, DSlite, DS-XL, DSi, DSiXL, 3DS, 3DSXL (of all these there is really just two devices here)

-No Games! come on why buy a console with no games
-Wii online VS other systems sucked
-More competition for casual gamers; when the Wii came out the IPAD did not exist nor did all the Android devices; I trully think the real reason no one is buying the WiiU is because they can get a tablet to play most of the games Wii had at a fraction of the price..