It's been a slightly bruising week for the Wii U, though some positives have also emerged. From a first-party perspective there's the notable positive of Pikmin 3 hitting the valuable North American market, a game generally considered to be of excellent quality and an opening salvo in Nintendo's bold plans of recovery for the home console. On the negative side, we've had news of very poor console sales between 1st April and 30th June, just 160,000 units worldwide, but also some disappointing missed features in confirmed third-party titles.
The most damaging revelation, perhaps, was the complete absence of the new multiplayer mode in the Wii U version of Batman: Arkham Origins, with the dev team "focusing development efforts on platforms with the largest multiplayer audience". Then we have the revelation from our own interview with Splinter Cell Blacklist Producer Liu Jun, in which it emerged that despite having full online co-op, multiplayer and DLC support, the Wii U version will not include offline co-op, with the reason given that the feature was skipped "in order to ship at the same time as the other consoles".
What this seems to represent is a classic catch-22 scenario; since the Wii era particularly, Nintendo consumer support for third-party games has been modest and often low, yet from the consumer's perspective that's often because these ports or multi-platform iterations are weaker than on other systems. Publishers and developers hesitate to put the same investment into Nintendo systems as they do rivals due to expectations of limited sales, but that lack of investment creates ill-will and consumers don't buy the games. Neither side satisfies the other, and no-one wins.
It's been an issue since the Wii, perhaps, as the system had less graphical and online grunt, while offering a different set of control inputs, meaning that quick and cheap ports weren't as simplistic as on other systems. It's no surprise that Microsoft and PlayStations controllers, with fairly minor differences, have the same sticks and buttons for developers to utilise, which certainly wasn't the case with Nintendo's last-generation system. The Wii U goes some way to resolve that issue, in that the basic inputs remain the same on the GamePad, but with a touchscreen that can be ignored or simply used for mirroring the TV's image.
Despite that universal approach of the GamePad's core inputs, we have the legacy of the underpowered SD Wii with its Remote and Nunchuk, and the aforementioned low support from publishers and related poor third-party sales. The Wii U has arrived between a rock and a hard place, battling that Wii legacy, established HD platforms that offer up a significant range of multi-platform software, and new powerful rivals coming later this year. Unsurprisingly, especially with the system's slow overall start, securing full-fat multi-platform releases has been a challenge for Nintendo.
It's not been all bad, and there are even a few third-party exclusives coming to the system via PlatinumGames (though published by Nintendo), SEGA and Disney Interactive. We do also have quite a few blockbusters coming to the system in 2013, but as mentioned above there can be compromises. In the case of Splinter Cell Blacklist in particular there are potential benefits to the Wii U GamePad control scheme, but as was clear from the reaction of various members of the Nintendo Life community, the absence of local co-op can be a game-breaker for some gamers.
And so we get to the big point. The increasingly heard refrain is that gamers buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games, getting most major third-party fixes from elsewhere. That's not what the big N wants to hear, or course, and it's also the case that not all gamers can necessarily afford or want multiple consoles, especially with a Wii U Deluxe model having a standard price of $349.99 — excluding offers — and the PS4 and Xbox One will cost more. As we transition to 2014 and beyond, running multiple consoles for the best of first and third-party content could be a challenge for many.
So is the Wii U and its third-party offerings likely to be enough, or is another system likely to be needed to satisfy most gamers? We're focusing on the coming generation of systems — presumably over a console lifespan of multiple years — rather than PS3 or Xbox 360. There are multiple polls below to gauge your views on some of these issues, so let us know what you think.
What's your view on the overall quality and content of multi-platform games on Wii U so far? (485 votes)
- I'm happy with the games the system's had and don't have any complaints
- They've been decent, with some areas for improvement
- I don't know, I mostly play Nintendo games
- Quite disappointing overall, I expect better
- Very disappointing, and not good enough
- None of the above
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How important are missing multi-platform games, or features within confirmed releases, to you? (466 votes)
- It doesn't bother me at all, as I don't want third-party games on Wii U
- It's a bit disappointing, but I can live with the occasional missing feature or game
- It hasn't really affected me (in terms of games I want) yet
- Missing games and content does matter, and I find it frustrating
- It really bothers me, and affects how much I enjoy the Wii U
- Issues with third-party content have actually put me off getting a Wii U
- None of the above 0%
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Is there enough third-party content for the Wii U (both released and confirmed)? (464 votes)
- I think so, no complaints from me
- There's quite a lot of good third-party games, though it could be a little better
- I have a Wii U for Nintendo games, so I don't care
- I think the system needs more third-party content
- No, too many games have skipped the system
- None of the above
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Is the Wii U going to be enough, on its own, as a home console for the next 4-5 years? (473 votes)
- Yes, I only plan on having a Wii U for home console gaming this coming gen
- I think so, but I may change my mind in the future
- I don't have a Wii U and don't plan to buy one
- Not quite, I'm strongly considering a PS4 or Xbox One as well as a Wii U
- No way, I'll need at least another home console with my Wii U
- I'm a PC gamer, so the Wii U will be my only home console
- None of the above
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Comments 180
If you only like Nintendo games, sure.
Like video games in general? Yeah you're going to miss out on a ton.
There's no way the Wii U is gonna be enough on its own with the way 3rd parties treat it. Unless you're primarily a Nintendo fan, you'll need a PS4 with that.
Nintendo need to move on from some 3rd parties as obviously Sony/MS come first. Its not a case of "winning them back" but investing in smaller devs like they have in the past (HAL/RARE).
I think that the eshop is the way forward for Nintendo as big 3rd party gaming has obviously taken a different direction and to be quite honest a lot of those franchises are getting really stale and they haven't even been around as long as some Nintendo franchises that are regularly accused of being past their best.
I'm not going to miss out on games like the last of us. Nintendo have never done enough to get the mature games, if we got games like GTA I would never buy a second console. But for some reason they've always had terrible third party support.
@AlexSays I would say that you are right with a nintendo system especially when you like video games.
Most tripple A "games" are nothing more than slightly interactive movies.
Get a nintendo system for good console games and deck out your PC for triple A and indie stuff.
For me, sonys and microsofts next consoles have a pretty low priority. Maybe way later in their lifespan, i consider buying one or even both. But defenitly not on lauchday, they just dont offer anything new, since most games this (HD) gen didnt interest me at all,
Problem is this has not been a problem since just the Wii... Nintendo has had this problem since the Gamecube... there was plenty of games there that was not released on their system.. whether they had online or not... and the Cube was a more powerful system then the PS2... so Nintendo really did deliver in terms of power.. and controls.. everything.. they gave third parties the ability to program for their system.. and the tech they needed and still got ignored.. that is why Nintendo did the Wii.. and the Wii U.. the harsh reality that they will be ignored no matter what they do.. because if it's not system specs.. it's not wonky controls or something unique... it's Nintendo systems only sale Nintendo games... I think the Wii U is fine.. personally as a gamer in general.. I think it will have great first party support.. and just enough third party to be a fine system.. but I also believe third parties drop the ball.. and no matter what.. they would continue to drop the ball in terms of support.. and in terms of getting a complete package compared to other systems.
I have a Wii, Wii U and a PS3. I think the new HD twins will take time to be fully adopted, so the PS360 are still gonna be supported a year or two. If Wii U's install base increases in a year or so, some of those third parties probably will change their tune.
I like when third parties make exclusives (like Sega with Lost World or Platinum with W101) instead of trying to reach all platforms (like Ubisoft or Warner) since they will always give Wii U the lesser version, it seems.
I mostly just play Nintendo games on my Wii U since I've got a PC and Xbox 360 to play third-party. I'd say the Wii U does need more third-party games, and not lesser ports, to be more convincing to consumers.
As with every console generation I will be buying two systems, this one's being a Wii U and a Xbox One. Given the amount of exclusives both systems have, and the fact that the Xbox One has more horsepower resulting in more third-parties developing for it, you really have no choice but to get more than one system if you want to experience the majority of great games that will come out. I have been playing the Elder Scrolls series ever since Morrowind, and there is no way I am going to miss the next entry in that series or a series like Kingdom Hearts. I at the same time however, would never want to miss the next Mario, Metroid, Donkey Kong, or next Zelda game for that matter either. Because of this I have no choice but to get and enjoy both, and I have no complaints about that!
Mmm... Actually the only reason I don't buy the console yet, is the lack of first as the third support...
I will wait for Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, Super Smash Bros for Wii U, Bayonetta 2, Sonic Lost World and the new Zelda at least...
Also, more virtual console games like Earthbound will be interesting...
Honestly, I'm little bored with the last Mario platform games, so I skip them (I have New Super Mario Bros 2 and Super Mario Land 2 actually)
Also I waiting a price drop in my country, the minimum price for the Wii U in Argentina is around of 800 dollars T.T
Also buying outside of the country (if i'm so fuc**** lucky to do it without legals problems), it will cost me 500 or 600 dollars minimum...
Well, I happy actually with my 3DS so I don't care at all, but I really want the Wii U.
For other consoles, the only reason I have for buy PS4 is only for KH3 and FFXV, because my computer is powerful enough for next-gen games, so for two games, buying the console (with no retro compatibility) will be a waste of money
Another thing about Nintendo is about the digital price, and about the games associated to the console and not to an account, but I think they will fix it at the end of the year with the e-Shop service for PC.
If the Wii U was being supported more by 3rd parties, would that be such a good thing? We all saw how 3rd party devs crapped all over the Wii. In most cases all you're going to get for the Wii U are trimmed PS3/360 ports, I'd rather see Nintendo look elsewhere than try to win back companies like EA..
@Dpishere
I think about Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have the same power equally, with small differences, but this generations this two are just modded PC...
Also, this is a really dangerous move for Sony and Microsoft, because it will be like 20 times easy to pirate or emulate than PS3 and Xbox 360.
Personally Nintendo games suit my tastes far more than any games revealed to be on PS4 & XBone as of yet so I'm quite happy with the Nintendo & exclusive 3rd party (i.e. Wonderful 101 & Sonic Lost World) games shown so far. Heck, I've got more than enough on my gaming backlog on my Wii U, Wii, 3DS, DS, Gamecube, PS3, PS2 Xbox, PSP & all the past Nintendo systems through VC that I really don't need any more than what I've got right now. Sure I don't get to buy the latest 3rd party released games all the time (& even have to skip some awesome Nintendo ones) but even if I did buy them I very rarely get to even play them for months until I beat some of the older games I've got...
[& with me currently playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 to completion again because it's tonnes of fun & in preperation of Super Mario 3D World, my backlog is going nowhere ]
The only reason I don't have a WiiU yet is because of the lack of heavy-hitting Nintendo franchises so far. Yeah, mario's fine as always. Not a Pikmin fan. But a re-release of a zelda game and not having SSB until next year further solidifies my focus on getting a PS4 soon.
I'll probably grab up a PS4 later in its life span once it goes down in price and catch up on the major releases I will have missed. Definitely will want to catch up on any Uncharted and God of War games that will come out. But I definitely won't be one of the people standing in line day one for it. Nintendo will do just fine for the next few years.
@WiiLovePeace
I can't wait for buy Sonic Lost World, it's just look amazing like the old classics games.
Also is probably about Shenmue 3 will be a Wii U exclusive instead of a PS4 one.
Also, if SEGA buy Atlus, we can wait for amazing things with Wii U and 3DS
In the past Nintendo console have even saved third party's from bankruptcy. Right now this console Gen has send more third party's to bankrupt. We Nintendo console gamers don't buy low quality games. So if you are a third party and your game bombs on our console think yourselves "did we do enough to bring a quality product?"
@MaximusMansteel same here.
@Boxmonkey Always? Was your first console a wii?
I would say YES, Nintendo is missing quite a few of those big more adult shooty games, but then Playstation and Xbox have a hideous lack of family friendly games that are actually any good. It's great to have the Arkham games, Darksiders 2, Bayonetta 2, and I guess COD, Assassins Creed and Watchdogs (I'm sure there are others I'm doing a disservice to by missing out), but Nintendo is predominantly a family gaming machine- and it's intentional. It's mascots are Mario, Link, Kirby, Pikmin- not Master Chief, Max Payne, or Kratos. Nintendo could in house produce a fps, but yet they don't- because it would tarnish their kid friendly image. This is what really scares rated 18 3rd party away- apart from the ones who are spending a fortune like Assassins Creed and COD that need to bleed every penny from every machine. Note that Sega's Sonic, the Lego Games, Skylanders, Disney, and Warner's Scribblenauts embrace Nintendo because their games are ideal for kid friendly games.
Personally I'm apathetic about most mature games coming up (aside from Arkham and Bayonetta 2), and I wouldn't want my Nephew or Niece playing them- which is the reason we own Wii U's in this family and not Xboxes.
I think Nintendo's problem started before the GameCube with the Nintendo 64. Their decision to go with cartridges over discs alienated a lot of 3rd party developers. The GameCube just compounded what was at that point already an issue.
In any event, if you're a fan of gaming in general, you will need to own a WiiU plus another console. That's just the way it is these days and it's not going to change anytime soon.
@Dpishere I completely agree. I'll also be buying two consoles for the next generation of consoles, and those two are the Wii U and Xbox One. I won't be missing out on games like Kingdom Hearts 3 as you suggested, and The Elder Scrolls franchise so I will gladly spend money on more than one system. In doing so, I am guaranteed to have the best possible gaming experience for my particular needs in the new generation of consoles.
I bought the Wii U for Nintendo games and in a few months, there will be more than I can dish out money for. I also really hope Nintendo maintains its close relationship with Platinum. The Wonderful 101 looks amazing and I'd love to see more exclusive games from them. If they can keep the quality titles coming, there's no reason for me to get another system. Especially considering there are SO many games that I haven't played on my PS3 yet and those are only gonna get cheaper. I honestly see very little incentive to upgrade to PS4/XB1. The only game that caught my eye for either system was KH3 and that isn't coming until 2015 at the earliest.
i'll eventually own a Wii U in two or three years, after all of the big Nintendo games I want to play are on it, just as I did with the Wii.
At first I was stoked to be able to have a full library of a range of big Nintendo AND 3rd party games for Wii U, in fact I had planned on buying a Wii U instead of any other console this time around, thinking the system would be enough to satisfy my needs.
But this has turned out to be quite the opposite. The Wii vs PS360 debacle is happening all over again, except this time the Wii U isn't selling like the Wii did bc of the motion controls.
I'm a diehard Nintendo fan. Owned SNES, N64, gamecube, and Wii. But i've also owned PS1, xbox, xbox 360, and now I've preordered PS4.
3rd party content, plus next gen graphics, AI, huge worlds, online infrastructure, PSN+ monthly giveaways, indie support, and Sony's exclusives just make the PS4 the console to own first.
I'm interested by Super Mario 3d World but it isn't galaxy and that disappointed me. I'm interested in MK8 but it looks like, i don't know, too much the same, a little rushed if you ask me. Same with DKCR tropical freeze. LoZ WW HD didn't do enough new to the game to warrant me needing the system right now to play that version. Heck, even Super Smash for Wii U looks like not enough of a leap forward. SSBB was the graphical flagship game for Wii, and i was expecting more out of the Wii U version.
Sure Wii U is getting the Ubisoft games I'll be getting on PS4, but the PS4/Xbone versions are going to the definitive versions of those games anyway.
I just can't help shake the feeling that Nintendo truly took a misstep here, and missed a golden opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Microsoft and Sony, releasing an underpowered, overpriced console too early.
Wii U should've been named different and look different to separate itself from the Wii, it should've been delayed an extra year so it could LAUNCH with Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World, Wind Waker, etc. And it should've been significantly more powerful, comparable to PS4/Xbone.
I'm all for Nintendo "doing their own thing" but i think they tried to redo the whole Wii thing and it's just not working out for them. I sincerely hope Wii U picks up, and I will definitely be getting one to play some of my favorite franchises in the future, but the Wii U is not a console to own by itself, just like the Wii.
I'm waiting for more games and a price drop.
I hope that next time around Nintendo chooses to get back into the power game and release the best system, because we all know they can. More power is more than just graphical grunt, it's performance, it's size and scope, AI, etc.
Pikmin 3 is only step 1 in their long list of blockbuster games. We still have Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros 4, "X" (Xenoblade 2), Wind Waker HD, Wonderful 101, DKC Tropical Freeze, and more.
I would like to see a "3DS Player" for the Wii U. The Game Boy Player was something no one asked for, yet everyone wanted. Nintendo just needs to give us surprises like that!
@Erixsan I'm also excited for Sonic Lost World Though personally I've loved every Sonic game I've played, even Sonic '06. Sonic Unleashed is my favourite Sonic game. But I'm different, I guess
As for Shenmue 3 I would personally prefer a re-release of Shenmue 1 & 2 on the Wii U as I've played neither. I've never owned nor been able to acquire a Dreamcast hence I've never played Shenmue 1. Because of that I've refused to buy Shenmue 2 on Xbox since I want to play the first one before I play the sequel (I know that in the Xbox rerelease of Shemue 2 they included Shenmue 1 in a movie form but I want to play it not watch it ).
As long as ATLUS aren't bought by Sony, I hope for great things from them on Wii U & 3DS
I'm fine with my Wii U and PC, as well as my dad's Xbox 360. If there's a third party game I'd like, I could probably get it for PC or 360. The Xbox One just makes me laugh at Microsoft's stupidity, and I have no interest in Sony's crap. And if there's a game I want that's on either of those two systems that I don't care for, then I'm missing out, because I'm not spending $400-$500 just to play one or two games.
@AltDotNerd: A 3DS player isn't a bad idea, but wouldn't that kind of defeat the point of said games being in 3D? Unless if you had a 3D TV.
@UnseatingKDawg It could play DS games as well...
Personally my concern at the moment is, when does the price drop come, and what other bundles is Nintendo going to unveil?
With the $299 White Basic nowhere to be found in the US and the only available bundle being $349 w/ NintendoLand - a game I'm sure is fine to play but it isn't making anybody rush out to buy a WiiU - Nintendo really must have a price drop before the $399 PS4 releases or bundle the WiU w/ Zelda or Mario 3D World.
If the $349 WiiU hasn't sold well the past few months, why would anybody think it will sell well at the same price w/ the same game in package against the PS4 and X1? Yes Pikmin 3, W101, WW HD and Mario 3D will sell some consoles (I may buy 1 after lunch), but not enough for Nintendo to get to their projected 9 million from their current 3.6 million sold.
So, 3rd party game support is the least of their concern at the moment. They already set the precedent w/ the 30% 3DS drop from $249 to $169, people are going to wait until the WiiU price drop. It's only a matter of when, not if.
The other day I was at my local Gamestop to pick up a Wii U game. I was browsing the 3 shelves that they had with Wii U games. And I thought: "Holy crap. The Wii U has no games." I already own NSMBU, NintendoLand, Batman Arkham City and Tekken Tag 2. Why would I buy a game with no DLC or no online on Wii U when I can pick it up on my PC? The third party developers use the same excuse, that nobody buys their games on the platform so they're not gonna develop for it anymore. Well here's an idea: PUT THE DLC, ONLINE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS ON THE PS360 VERSIONS ON THE WII U SO THAT PEOPLE WILL BUY YOUR GAME.
/done
I have been really disappointed with the WiiU so far. I loved it at first and played it more than my PS3 for about 2 months. Then after the rose coloured goggles faded I was left with nothing. 1 decent game gets released once every 3 months and it is EXTREMELY frustrating. More so because I see the potential of the system. For now my WiiU is nothing more than a glorified emulator. I'm not sure what I expected with the wii u..but it definitely wasn't it. I look forward to picking up a PS4 at launch so I could play multiplats (I also really like Sony's exclusives). Looks like this console will be reserved for Nintendo only titles.
P.S. Monolithsofts X cannot come soon enough.
I have a laptop powerful enough to play all current games for PC (not on ultra, but big whoop). I don't need a second system to satisfy what my laptop already does. Steam, Wii U, and 3DS is much more than enough for me. I'm not the type of person that needs the "newest pair of Nikes". I don't have enough time or money that I could buy and enjoy all of the worthwhile games for all 3 of the above mentioned. The Wii U will have great 3rd party exclusives like the Wii before it to complement all of its quality 1st party games.
With what's being offered on my owned systems, there is simply no need. I personally think that it's irresponsible to buy every major title that comes out across all systems to simply not be able to play them until much later. Honestly, who has the time? A trustfund baby with no job and no other hobbies? The people I know that buy up what they want, sacrifice jumping into the next game while leaving past purchases unfinished. I'm still working through SMT 4. Still working through FE. I plan on getting Pikmin 3 down the road, but not until my time with the games I have is up. By then, W101 will be released and I'll probably get that first. Steam/WiiU/3DS for the win.
You Guys hit the mark perfectly the reason the Wii U wont sell is because the Third Party games are not worth having on the Wii U. I know the Wii U will do fine in the future cause of all the 1st party games coming. the real problem is Third party support is very BAD. i have to say can we name a few Multiplatform games that the definitive version is the WII U? No because they dont be trying for the Wii U. Now if third party games be treated equally on Wii U like the others than the Wii U will be the best selling system. But until that happens all We Wii U owners got is the first party games
A huge Zelda fan also a huge Wario fan but as for most of nintendo's other franchises, I can generally take them or leave them, 1st party and indie only isn't enough for me to buy a console, so might skip wii u entirely or more likely pick it up much later than I did wii, not blown away by what the other 2 are offering next gen wise either maybe steam box will offer something more interesting.
I just have to throw this out there, but the Wii U is already selling at a loss. Maybe that's why there hasn't been a price drop? It would sell more consoles, but at what cost?
The wii u will be the only home console I own because I can only afford one and can't live without Nintendo exclusives. I will cry a bit over KH3 though :,(
The wii u was a natural replacement for my broken wii. I'm really happy with the additional games and features so far.
The big survey question that should be asked is this:Whos to blame for this trend of no suport to nintendo systems aside from nintendo themselves? Is it A:Nintendo?Should they be opening there wallets to garner third party favour? B:The devs? Should third party devs take "a risk" on nintendo systems and put as many of thier multi plats on the wiiu and see what happens? Or C:The gamers?
Theres no right answer,but personally id honestly go with C. Sometimes the devs really stab us in the back,sniper elite 2 and arkham origins prime examples.But they dont give us these features because they know a majority will not buy the games and only buy nintendo games. Also I was quite frankly discusted and ashamed to call myself a gamer yesterday when,upon reading the splinter cell interview,instead of highlighting we are getting loads of extra features no other version is getting(OpSat gamepad play,off tv play,gamepad mic support) almost EVERYONE raged at the lack of a small feature and called ubisoft lazy and that they would now "never buy an ubisoft game again". Its these kneejerk reactions from gamers that will slowly kill the wiiu in a couple of years.
So heres my soapbox opinion. Gamers attitude's MUST change or not only will the wiiu perish but the video game industry as a whole will crash.
To anyone who has read this far thank you for reading!
The Wii U is in a next generation console and released first my guess is that Nintendo will release the big guns at least in time with the new PS4 and Xbox one launches. There's also something about the used game policy that Nintendo doesn't have in any shape or form right now Sony has it and left it upto developers to implement and Xbox one has had to turn back on their used game policy.
I think when the PS4 and Xbox one come out things will start to really unfold and well and truly the Wii is not a part of this generation although it has similar power so devs are always saying not enough units sold in and their only real comparison is the current generation so far but comparing to consoles that have been around for so long is more than a little unfair IMO.
@Marshi Agreed. I read through the comments of the Splinter Cell interview and shook my head. More people were crying about no offline co-op than were focusing on everything else that Splinter Cell Wii U will have vs the other versions. With everyone sharpshooting the bad and being so quick to raise torches, why would 3rd parties support that. Only a few level headed commenters and the editor looked at the whole picture, everyone else zeroed and started whining.
@marshi - dude - I agree with you in regards to the reaction being too strong with the Splinter Cell thing. That being said, with WiiU's two screens, it would have made local co-op the most complete. Add this to all the other WiiU only features, and suddenly you have the definative version of the game. IGN would have lost their doodoopoopoocacadoodles, because suddenly the WiiU would have won something. Would have done something right. But we didn't get local co-op, now did we? So what are they going to say?
WiiU got gimped. Again. Stay away. Blah blah blah. Developement staff are dime a dozen to these companies. Need a feature added quick? Put more staff on it.
Watch the profanity please — TBD
These big developers are on their way out anyway we'll see what happens coz they all moaning about how much it costs while the Iphone and Smart phones enjoy the indie revolution where all the new talent currently resides
Dig a little (assuming you guys have development--not PR, development--contacts) and you'll find out exactly why games like Batman (among others) have no online MP component.
(Hint: it has nothing to do w/ their [third parties] unwillingness to include it and everything to do w/ tools, or the lack thereof, provided by a co. whose name starts with 'N' and ends with 'O'.)
@Marshi Glad to hear I'm not alone out here. lol. I'm very excited about Splinter Cell and I think the extra touch screen features seem to be awesome. I like that he said they're not just there for the sake of being there as a gimmick but actually for the sake of good gameplay. Yeah local co-op with two screens would be awesome but not having online or being delayed would be way worse. But I guess people are going to complain no matter what.
@WiiLovePeace
Well, I liked Sonic Unleashed and Sonic 06 too. But my favorite game is hard to select, actually I playing a lot with Sonic Generations and Unleashed Mod too, but my list is:
Shenmue 1 & 2 on the Wii U is confirmed (also for PS3), I think (don't remember)
@shad0w-7 Dont get me wrong,im as annoyed as anyone else with "gimped" ports,and yes,having local co op would be groovy! But my point was the attitude of gamers must change.In this age of social comunities and being closer than ever to the devs in terms of hearing us. As another has said on here,why would devs suport the wiiu if its fans refuse to buy any of thier games. As I say its crap we miss featurer but one side has to give leeway and it wont be the devs,theyre making money
PC, 3DS and WII U are enough for me. I still have my psp, PS3,X360,tablet & phone for back-up. If PS4 gets some awesome JRPGS then i'll consider it, but seeing as i brought my PS3 for JRPGs and that turned out to be a mistake i doubt it.
Wii U and 3DS are good enough for me. However, I've been getting back into vintage games and systems again, so that is taking up way more of my time than current games and systems.
I only want to spend the time/money on only Nintendo first party games as they are the games I get the most from anyway.
I also greatly enjoy replaying games so with a limited gaming schedule the at times longer gaps between Nintendo releases is a great thing for me.
I'd like to have those 3rd party blockbusters, but I can only afford to keep up with two systems, and I've chosen the Wii U and 3DS...
I love Nintendo and I love my Wii U.
But I will have to get some (Quite a few actually) games on Steam (I refuse to purchase another console) as third party support for Nintendo is crap… It can’t be that hard to port to the Wii U with the Wii U Pro Controller being so similar to Xbox/PS controllers.
With the above said… I still mostly play Nintendo Games and I get the most enjoyment out of first party Nintendo titles... And I have a very limited gaming budget
It’s very disappointing when I games I really want (Skyrim/Dragon Age/Doom 3 BFG) don’t come to Nintendo, but that’s why I will always have a PC/Steam as my “back-up” system.
@Marshi
To be honest with you, the "extra features" on Splinter Cell for me are just Wii U basic functionality. Any game has off tv play on Wii U, the Opsat may end up being little more than what Batman AE did (a launch game) and the Gamepad Mic option, although appreciated, is there because there is no local co op, hence needing communication online.
I agree that other devs are lazier or won't support Wii U altogether, but had they announced a patch for the local co op (as they kinda did by announcing all DLC will be there) then we would have no reason to complain.
I agree. I can't afford both the Wii U and another home console. That's why I am becoming a PC gamer once I get a couple hundred bucks for a decent and cheap basic gaming computer sometime later this year or early next to the play the third party games that are not playable on the Wii U. It's not worth getting another console, because I'd already have a Nintendo, and most games could be played on a PC at better quality. Plus, the PC has tons of features that the other consoles couldn't compete with.
The Wii U needs more third party games, and I will be sticking with Nintendo until the day I would not exist. I would still be cheering for Nintendo after death. I don't understand why nobody is supporting the Wii U, the current competitors wouldn't even exist without Nintendo. They changed the video gaming industry. It's time for some respect around here!
The Wii had a great selection of third party games and exclusives despite not having some of the games that PS360 had. Those consoles meanwhile missed games like Swords & Soldiers, Muramasa, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Just Dance and No More Heroes. Some later appeared on other consoles as well, like the port of No More Heroes 1 and Swords & Soldiers on PS3, and Just Dance became a multi-platform title. But you still can't get a lot of Wii third party games anywhere else, especially not another console.
But if Wii U could replicate the Wii's third party legacy, it would have a great game selection on its own.
If the 3rd party developers actually spent time making a decent game for the system, maybe things would be different. But too many devs just want quick cash with cheap ports. Which is sad because no one wants to buy a watered down version of a game that omits everything that made the original version special. And of course, this makes developers think "this console stinks, our port won't sell at all!", yeah, I wonder why
@Erixsan Agreed, all the Sonic games I've played are awesome imo, though I have not played them all. One day I will.
Also, sadly you're getting "Shenmue 1 & 2 HD" (which lives in my dreams ) confused with Yakuza 1 & 2 HD a real game confirmed for Wii U & PS3 in Japan here: http://bit.ly/19Gt8mC
The Wii U was never going to be enough, not just because of missing third party games, but because of the first party games that other companies can offer. There hasn't been a single generation where I could say that one console would do the trick, and I didn't expect this one to be any different.
Focusing on third party games though - unless they're exclusive games like Sonic Lost World, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 - I don't see myself buying anymore for the Wii U. For the majority of the games I'm interested in, if they're not botched ports, they're just completely ignored by the community. For example, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is a really good port, but nobody was ever online, and none of my friends play it on the Wii U. Because of that, I've switched the Wii U version for the PS3 counterpart. I understand that if everyone had this attitude, no games would be supported and the cycle would continue, but I don't have the patience to see if the situation changes. I am buying the PS4 for Sony's exclusives, but because I have friends ready to buy one, I'll also get my third party games for that system as I'll be guaranteed to have someone to play the games with.
Still, it's not at all disappointing to have the Wii U just for exclusive games. If you ask me, the type of first party games that Nintendo have to offer are the best in terms of quality. As long as Nintendo continue to provide exciting exclusive games, I'll continue to buy their consoles, with or without third party support. I bought the Wii U specifically for Super Smash Bros., so if I can also get the newest Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario and Pikmin games, as well as the potential F-Zero, Star Fox, Sin & Punishment, Wave Race and/or 1080 Snowboarding games, those are just more great reasons to own one. Yes, I want games like The Crew, Destiny, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, but if they're not as good as they should be on the Wii U, or if they're just not there at all, I'll look elsewhere.
Ever since i been into gaming i've always had a computer and a console, and since the gameboy a hand-held to.
Sure the wii u does need more third party support, but i mainly bought it for Nintendo games so i'm fairly happy.
I will stick with Wii U and 3ds, then upgrade my aging pc, I won't be rushing out to get a PS4 or Xbox 1 any time soon.
I only had a Wii last generation. Sure, I missed a ton of games. Did that bother me too much? Not really, I was kinda busy playing good games on my Wii. You can't play everything that is released in a generation, you make choices, and I'm happy with mine.
So Wii U shall be the only console I'll own this generation and I don't have a problem with that. Nintendo is really the only console manufacturer left I can relate to, they still make things the old-school way. The overall triple AAA productions of the industry look very bleak to me, I don't want greyish, generic shooter and action games.
Im lucky to be a PC gamer only need one system this gen the wii u.
@Relias this did start in the N64 era for Nintendo still cartridge based made some dev's unable to make it work look at old square they had to move FF7 to the PSX they have had a hard time since then getting 3rd party support back since then most dev's that made games for the PSX also got locked into contracts for there second/third games in the series to help promote sony as a good alternative (Sega/Nintendo, well there was a few others but backing was much lower for them) and a "cool" machine for the non-gamer back then.
I wouldn't gimp myself with just a Wii U.
@Cohort what are dev's gonna make for the Wii? it was old hardware just basicly a overclocked NGC, with moition controls the Wii was marketed for every one but gamers. How is say, Crysis meant to run on the Wii? when they where having a hard time getting it to run great on a PS3/XB360 (not hard as in couldn't do it but as nice as there PC version, well for PS3/XB360) you just couldn't get it on a Wii even if you tried unless you removed half the game most 3rd parties didn't make games for the Wii because there games wouldn't sell they didn't make them for the Wii because there was no point making them work on it. The Wii has sold the most system's why do dev's not make game for it? because no gamer is gonna be playing it for 3rd party titles I think that out of how many Wii's that have sold that hardly none of them are to people that actuality played games on it like the few of us here do, most use the other 2 or PC
I was hoping to be Wii U only this generation, but looking back I think the writing was on the wall the minute Rayman Legends went multi platform and the specs for PS4 & Xbox 1 were publicly revealed. Third party devs have all year been looking for excuses not to support the Wii U. Like others have already mentioned the relationship with third party devs started with the N64 and haven't really recovered. As I mentioned in a previous article Nintendo now have to start investing for the future, buy Atlus set up new studios but this will take time.
More importantly for me I don't want to miss out games like the Witcher, Dragon Age, and the new Mass Effect game. With this in mind I have pre- ordered a PS4
@Samurai_Goroh You have a good point with the FPS/3PS games companies how long can people put up with the same poopiedoodlebuggieloviedoodles before they say enough and just stop buying them but I like alot of what 3rd parties have to offer so i have to stick to other platforms and PC to get the most enjoyment for me
Watch the profanity please — TBD
@Farmboy74 yeah the difference in power to the PS4/XBone has me worried even if they do get some of the bigger 3rd party people wanting to make games work on there system there still seeming (you can't really tell how much power the Wii U has) like it might not get a lot of possible Multi-plat games because of the gap in power
Classic catch 22 is right. They give us inferior ports and then complain that Nintendo gamers didn't buy it. Well, I wonder why?!
i feel this is a dark time for us wiiu owners, week in week out we get nothing on the eshop we have had no offers to make us feel good and it seems like im being poopoodoodielumplebuggied on! id santaglause, were is my no more heroes 3! thank life for wonderful 101
Watch the profanity please — TBD
its good to see everyone here having a united front on this good on everyone. I think i actually agree with everyone on this, im finding myself playing black ops 2 all the time on my wiiu which just plain makes me sad!
I could TOTALLY go Wii-U only this gen, but I have chosen to buy a PS4 as well (already pre ordered), and will eventually buy Xbox One (when price drops a bit, and it's confirmed the system won't gobble up discs or self destruct).
I could also TOTALLY go 3DS only on the handheld front, but I chose to buy Vita as well. To me, Nintendo consoles are a necessity, and the others are a luxury. A fine luxury I might add, but a luxury nonetheless- I just couldn't make due without my Wii U and 3DS.
I don't know why people are flailing their arms in frantic uproar over 3rd party support. For one, Wii U will have more must-have AAA 3rd party games IN ITS FIRST YEAR ALONE than any other Nintendo console since the 16-bit era. For two, the Wii U's future is not dependent on 3rd party support, contrary to popular belief. Can anyone name one Nintendo system since the SNES that depended on 3rd parties to reach success?
Look at the 3DS. Did 3rd party support help the 3DS become the number one selling gaming device in the world right now? No. And likewise, after reaching that level of success, did 3rd party support flock to the system? No. 3rd party support won't bring success to Nintendo consoles, and success on Nintendo consoles won't bring 3rd party support. THAT'S the truth of the matter. So to anyone who believes the Wii U's sales numbers are what's hindering the console's 3rd party lineup, it's just not true.
3DS is the fastest selling gaming device in history to reach 30 million units, it's selling more than PS3, Xbox, Vita, Wii and Wii U all across the world, and yet, you don't see publishers bringing many ports over to the 3DS. A few big ones here and there, but nothing more than the Wii U is getting. In fact, I'd argue the Wii U is getting MORE AAA 3rd party support than 3DS. It comes down to this: 3rd party publishers don't want to bring their games to Nintendo consoles REGARDLESS, not because of sales. Sales numbers have just become the common scapegoat, that's all.
Wii U will become successful once Nintendo has an impressive 1st party lineup to advertise to the masses. That's what always sells Nintendo consoles, and that's what will sell the Wii U. Not price drops, not 3rd party support, not more powerful hardware.... but Nintendo games. Those other factors CAN play a role in bolstering success, but ONLY if the 1st party games are there. If not, well, we've seen what happens during this past half year, haven't we.
I think most people here will have either a PC or another console. Multiplatform releases prove disappointing even when they do bother to come to the Wii U. More interesting will be third party exclusives built from the ground up for WiI U. This will only start happening when the WII U starts selling.
Here's where I stand: Third party games that do come to the Wii U, I'll get AS long as they only lack one feature that isn't of much significance to me. Any other third parties that are on other consoles, I'll get for the PS4 (when I can afford one).
If third parties keep expecting low sales then they should step up their game to show why it should be worth buying on a Ninten system. Ninten is known for innovation and content so they [third parties] should do the same for the system. You can't just make a generic port and expect it to sell on a Ninten system; that's like trying to mix oil and water.
@Marshi I agree with you fully, but I'm concerned this will fall on deaf ears as they play the "Ubisoft" sucks card over and over again. I'm not defending the lack of co-op play in the Wii U version of Blacklist, but why not look at all the cool features that the Wii U version is getting that Xbox 360 and PS3 owners could only dream of. Not to mention, barring co-op play Ubisoft has already said that the Wii U will get the same modes and DLC as the other versions.
And here lies the problem that people are often blind to. I can understand people calling out companies when they serve up inferior ports of games. PS3 owners had every right to bash Bethesda for an inferior version of Skyrim. And I would even say that people have a right to bash Akrham Orgins over the lack of online play.
But Ubisoft has gone above and beyond to make Wii U owners happy, and they get bashed time and time again. Yeah, Rayman Origins getting delayed sucks and maybe they were hoping for too much when they said that sells of Zombiu were low, but they have done pretty good by Wii U owners.
Blacklist does not seem to be a quick and dirty port to make a fast buck off WIi U owners. It seems like Ubisoft is taking this just as seriously as the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. But rather then focusing on all the cool Wii U exclusive features that the other platforms aren't getting, everyone is focused on one feature the Wii U version is not getting. Does it suck that the Wii U is not getting it? Yeah, but Ubisoft is doing everything in their power to make Wii U owners happy.
And the sad reality is that this horrible cycle will keep going. Blacklist on the Wii U will likely sell less then the other versions, and when the next Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, or Assassin's Creed does not come out on the Wii U every one will cry foul over how Ubisoft hates Nintendo.
And the sad fact is that Ubisoft is honestly trying, but they seem to be fighting a losing battle. But when that day comes, I want people to stop and think about how Ubisoft has supported Nintendo and the WIi U.
Because barring Rayman Origins, they have been one of best supporters of the Wii U. Heck, they have been one of Nintendo's best supporters since the Gamecube era.
Something to keep in mind while we bash them.
@Caryslan well said mate,said it way better than I could!
@JaxonH Third-party support did help the 3DS, especially in Japan. Monster Hunter has done just as much to help the 3DS as any of Nintendo's first-party games. And let's not forget how Bravery Default, AA 5, and numerous third-party games have been solid sellers on the 3DS and have helped the system.
Monster Hunter especially is just as important as any Mario, Animal Crossing, or Fire Emblem game. The Monster Hunter games were a major reason why the PSP has a huge resurgence in Japan for several years, and was even the reason why the PSP managed to beat the DS on the charts several times.
Nintendo getting it on the 3DS has basically hurt the Vita's chances in Japan. Imgaine how much 3DS sales will explode when Monster Hunter 4 arrives.
Third-party is a large reason why the 3DS has been so successful, and to act like it means nothing is a foolish notion.
All of Nintendo's handhelds have had strong third-party support. Look at the DS and GBA if you want some great examples. In fact, I would say their third-party support surpasses the SNES in some cases, since even the SNES often split third party titles with the TG-16 and the Genesis.
I just want to say this much, I think the battle between the Vita and 3DS would be different then it is now if the Vita had kept Monster Hunter. Given the sheer popularity of that game in Japan, it would have been the major title that would have sold Vita systems.
The 3DS might have still been in the overall lead, but it would not be as night and day as it is now. This is why the third-party support matters for Nintendo, and a key reason why the 3DS is leading in sales.
@WiiLovePeace Oh T_T
@AlexSays Agree with you there. I'm both a PC gamer and a console/handheld gamer, so I don't really miss a lot, but from you guys' point of view, it seems that the Wii U is missing a lot and I think so too. Even though Nintendo has good/great support for indie developers, it still misses a lot of third-party games. If the Wii U doesn't get that in the next year or two, then call it a "Walker" and go get a PS4/Xbox One.
I look at things in two different ways...
1/ Nintendo did the casual/different thing with Wii and that scared the boring "hardcore" people, all that moving scared the lazy buggers, and the third party got way too use to doing the same thing and only supporting PS/Xbox fans. They haven't left the past yet, developers have gotten REALLY lazy...
2/ After the Wii, Nintendo needs to prove that they want to compete, they need to help secure the "hardcore" games and do more effort to make Wii U seem like a great choice for there games. Lots of hardcore Nintendo fans moved on to PS/Xbox consoles cause Wii wasn't giving them what they want, time to step up and give more effort in working with teams they haven't worked with before to get these big hits, like GTA or Destiny etc.
Those are just two different view points I have on both sides, I think the first point probably hits closer to home though, with the 2nd point being a huge concern.
@hydeks You've got it backwards. The Wii was Nintendo's console for a lot of gamers that they had abandoned with N64 and Gamecube, and had a broader, more diverse lineup. The Wii U, trying to chase some third-party titles like Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed, ended up once again abandoning a lot of gamers, which is why they aren't buying the console, and the game lineup has been very sparse and dry. If Wii U starts getting more Wii-like games again, sales will pick up as well.
Nintendo should have continued with the Wii direction on Wii U.
@S_T_K Do you work for EA? As that's pretty much word for word what an EA rep would say...
Which ever way you want to dress it up the install base was there, obviously the machine couldn't handle some 360/PS3 games but that doesn't excuse the terrible PS2 ports and shovelware that was dished out, it was just plain lazy. The machine was certainly capable of a lot better...
Nintendo has far too few games, over too long a timespan to properly sustain this console on its own. It has a real problem on its hands with the Wii U. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 are going to have a fantastic holiday season with high profile software release: Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4 and Gran Turismo 6, just to name a few. Then you have the next generation consoles, which will sell well at first and then drop off after first year, as they always do.
This will take a lot of focus away from the Wii U. Yes, it will do well this holiday season, but I'm starting to have serious doubts if it will be enough to push this console into the eyes of the mainstream media, whom have practically written the console off for the moment.
If a Wii U game is good, then I'll consider buying it - 1st party or 3rd party - it doesn't matter. It's that simple.
@sinalefa well said
this is really sad we buy a console and no support for third partys on the wii u
first party will be strong on the wii u and that's it
I know I will end up with 1 console this generation! I don't have enough money for a second console! I am pretty pissed though that I have to miss yet again a lot of cool games, and Nintendo has yet again cut on the hardware (weak graphics)!
But I want to play Mario 3D land and the upcoming Zelda, so I need a Wii u! And I have already 2 games for it! But I think it's still to risky (and it's still to expensive) for me to buy a Wii u just now! I am waiting for the right moment!
If the Wii u doesn't sell better the upcoming 6 or 8 months, I may wait for it's succesor or just buy a PS4!
I have a Nintendo to play Zelda and Mario, and a few others. And for watching movies (Netflix, Amazon, etc).
I have an Xbox360 to watch Game of Thrones (on HBO Go). If they would port HBO Go to the U then I would sell that pos Xbox.
PC gamer here. I'll try to get whatever multi-platform third party games come to Wii U (like Watch_Dogs), but games that are missing too many features I'll probably get on Steam sales. Games that will most likely miss Wii U entirely like Final Fantasy 15, I'll hope for a PC version and EA games like BF4 I'll wait til they drop to $10 on sale like BF3 on PC.
Between 3DS and Wii U games — retail and indie games — there are more games than I will be able to completely play this generation on Nintendo platforms. Gamers are whiners!!! We complain about stuff too much. We all complained about lack of triple A third party games on Wii then look how poorly these games sold on Wii U at launch. I just picked up Mass Effect 3 on sale and intend to play it instead of complaining about lack of games. I download all the new and exciting indie games instead of complaining. Too me, Nintendo is still the best. Wii U has been great and will continue to be great! Just like Gamecube was great!
Watch the profanity, please — TBD
Also I predict the X-Bone and PS4 will struggle at first too.
@Caryslan
Your point has merit, and I will agree that yes, some 3rd party games have made a positive impact on the 3DS. However, the 3DS would have succeeded on 1st party content alone. Monster Hunter can be attributed to some sales of hardware in Japan, but not so much elsewhere (Europe and North America). And yet, the 3DS is dominating in all regions, not just Japan. 3DS was hitting its stride in EU and NA before MH3 Ultimate ever released in other regions, and was primarily due to games like Mario Kart 7, Mario 3D Land, and New Super Mario Bros 2, with more recent entries such as Fire Emblem Awakening, Luigi's Mansion, DKC Returns, and most recently, Animal Crossing really solidifying the handheld's place in the market.
You're right, to act as if 3rd party support has NO impact on sales is a foolish notion, and I should have been more clear in my assertion. My point was that the 3DS by and large became successful based on its 1st party titles, and the sales charts show that. If Monster Hunter were as impactful as you say as far as selling units, I would think it would have given the Wii U more of a bump than it did. But you are right, when MH4 hits it will really sell units in Japan (being a brand new entry, finally), and it will be interesting to see how well it fares in other regions.
The 3DS has some 3rd party support, for sure, but if you compare the system to Sony or MS consoles, where 3rd party support makes or breaks the console, it really doesn't have that much as far as system-selling 3rd party software. RE Revelations, MH3, and Kingdom Hearts surely helped the 3DS to a degree, but I don't think the console would have ever reached its current status, finally breaking the Xbox 360's 2 year dominant streak in the US, on those games alone. In fact, without the 1st party support, I would consider the library for 3DS to be unimpressive, to say the least.
Consider this: http://www.vgchartz.com/platform/42/nintendo-3ds/
If you look at the chart of the best selling 3DS games, the top 10 best selling games are ALL 1st party games, with the exception of Monster Hunter which places 8th. And of the next 10 best selling games ranking 11th to 20th, half of those are 1st party titles. And if you if you look at the next 10 best selling games, ranking 21st to 30th, half of those are 1st party titles.
The fact of the matter is, the 3DS is the number one selling gaming device worldwide because of Nintendo's 1st party titles- that's how it's always been. Yes, you are correct, 3rd parties DO impact sales, but not to the extent people think they do (and the sales chart demonstrates that fact). Furthermore, consider that despite 3DS being the best selling gaming device, do we see it receive parity with other consoles? No. For the status it has achieved, the 3rd party support it receives compared to Sony or MS consoles is a disgrace.
The 3DS is not receiving a Call of Duty exclusive or even a port, Rayman Legends is coming to every platform EXCEPT 3DS, there won't be a port of Kingdom Hearts 3 either, for 3DS OR Wii U, Square Enix isn't bringing a Final Fantasy to the handheld, nor will we see a new MGS entry on 3DS or Wii U (Kojima ports an old game, but won't bring new ones like Metal Gear Rising Revengeance or MGS5 to a Nintendo console, even if it's the hottest gaming device in the world). The list of publishers that refuse to work with Nintendo, or minimize the support they do offer, even in the face of blatant success, is staggering.
The Wii U will succeed after enough 1st party must-haves are released, with or without the 3rd party support. True, 3rd party support could serve as a catalyst and speed up the process, and more 3rd party support could certainly improve sales numbers to an extent, but by and large the console's success hinges on Nintendo and the software they provide.
From my standpoint.. Im going pcwiiu.. I will definitely miss some great ps4, tittles.. But.. Its okay.. Ill buy a ps4 in its later years
The promise of great 3rd party support is what made me decide to buy the wii u in the first place. So yes....getting butchered 3rd party titles is definitely getting annoying. Especially when I have a 360 sitting here too...and the games for both systems are priced the same.
Wii U and 3DS combo is more than enough, I have had enough of the generic multi plat machines from sony and microsoft.
Hey, I actually managed 100% majority vote this time around!
But seriously, third parties like Capcom and Ubisoft are becoming a huge joke. I'm actually beginning to think we'll have to rely almost solely on indie devs to fill that hole in Wii U's library.
Edit: Dang! I voted differently for the 1st question!
I'm doing Wii U + PS4 in terms of home-consoles this generation of gaming, mainly to fill the gap for Wii U releases and for some third party games I really wanted like Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III.
If the next Sonic games are also for Wii-U then I'm okay with just a WII-U.
@JaxonH You're also forgetting Indie support. There are quite a plethora of indie games on the 3DS that's popular.
@S_T_K That is true but the reason I went with Gamecube I guess is because Nintendo finally went to disks...they had a powerful enough machine.. and good controls and still was ignored.. I did not know Sony did that... so basically it was almost like what Nintendo did in the NES era(Which gets thrown up time and time again as to why Sega could not compete.. and is used.. because of the unfairness of the policy to justify some of the hate Nintendo gets?? that is very interesting.. I know it's different.. but still very interesting) anyway.. I think you understand the point I was making... so I am not going to argue.. I will say this.. thank you for teaching me something new.. I shall take notes and look it up and learn more about it..
@Mahe they originally abandoned there first fanbase actually. I knew alot of Nintendo gamers right up till the end of Gamecube, than the motion games came around and they abandoned Nintendo in favour of systems with the traditional controller.
Wii did make a huge new fan base for Nintendo, but they also really screwed over there old fans who liked everything traditional Now it feels like Nintendo wants both, and they don't know how to do it.
I think this because basicly all my friends loved Nintendo and played video games for years, but right when Wii came around, I was the only one that liked the change, the rest of them moved on to 360 or PS3, and only because it came with a traditional controllers. Sad, but true
I couldn't find anyone to play FIFA 13 online with, but there are always people online to play Black Ops 2. I'm not surprised there will be games without online, but it is a risky choice, as you have to calculate whether the savings of cutting a feature will outweigh any lost sales.
@Ronoh so you admit that if you own a PS4 or Xbone you will need to own a Wii U...that is..if you are a fan of gaming in general?
@JaxonH well said
Sales wise, the last time a Nintendo console had a 3rd party game that sold systems was Goldeneye on the N64. Goldeneye sold 8 million units and the closest game sales wise for a 3rd party since then was Just Dance 2 on the Wii (5 million). I know Mario and Sonic at the Olympics sold more (7.09 million), but it was a collaboration with Sega.
Yeah I'm happy to trade 1000 dudebro shooters for quality masterpieces like Pikmin 3, W101, X and all the other awesome stuff from the indies in the next few years
All I can say is I would buy a Wii U if it had third party support, it won't have Kingdom Hearts 3 which is deal breaker for me, I also doubt they would get any future Arkham games after Origins as the game is probably going to move to Unreal 4 which is not supported by Wii U, also lack of WWE is a dealbreaker since I'm a big wrestling fan, since Wii had the poopiedoodliest WWE games ever (even worst graphic and features wise than PS2 versions) I have no confidence Wii U games would be any good even if they eventually get wrestling games
@hydeks i played all nintendo console but one i did not like the wii now i have a wii u and i love the gamepad and hd games been a hard core gamer for a longtime
wind the wii came out i had a ps3 and it was my bigs mistake had more problems then my friend had on the xbox 360 so i heard about the wii u and the gamepad and came back to nintendo
I'm going to stick with the Wii U. I dealt with an entire generation of Wii and I loved the second and first party offerings and touched the third party when I wanted a change.
The only way I'll get more games on the Wii U is by supporting it so... [opens wallet] ...bring on the games.
Prolly going wiiu only unless ps4 or xbone just look incredible in a couple years. But there's plenty of content on wiiu.
I don't think a Nintendo console has been enough since the SNES. I look back at the Cube and N64 libraries fondly, and even the Wii, but not having any other consoles at the time would have been depressing. Instead, I have the other consoles as my main systems, and my Nintendo consoles for the Mario games, the Zelda games etc, along with the No More Heroes and Xenoblades and that always works out fine.
I don't think it will get better from a third party perspective either. PS3/360 ports are possible, but right now not enough people are buying them to make it worth the money to make, but in a couple of years, those PS3/360 games are going to dry up, and no matter how high the Wii U's sales, it's not going to be possible to port PS4/Xbone games. It's just like the Wii, highest selling console of the generation, but there's no way they'd get titles like Elder Scrolls, Bioshock, Assassins Creed, GTA etc running on it.
I'm just thankful I don't have to make a decision between this console or that console anymore. I love knowing that when a great game is released, I can go buy it.
Going to go all PC and Nintendo this gen. I just can't find a reason to really buy a PS4 or Xbox. I hate Xbox and a lot of fighting games are starting to come to PC gradually, so I am just going so ask for a Wii U this Christmas and save up for a PC.
I own a Wii U, I enjoy my Wii U and I don't pose myself questions.
When people have time to debate, I use that time to play Pikmin 3.
Ok here I go: I'm a very big Nintendo Fan and (I kind of) I agree with everyone, on how Nintendo needs more support on Third-Party games and more content. But to be honest with everyone here I think Nintendo doing everything they, can to make it to the "Top" but everyone here complains on how it needs more stuff let me get to the point. Nintendo needs more time and the stupid Wii U just came out!!
Nah, I´ll had more than enough gaming with WiiU, 3DS and PS3.
Right now I'm thinking of going PC and Nintendo for next gen, and maybe getting a PS4 a few years down the line. I want to hold off and wait to see how things go before making a decision on which console to pick, in the mean time theres more than enough out there to keep me busy.
I have a wiiU, ps3, and x360, i wont be buying a ps4 nor x-one for about 2/3 years.
all the games that are coming now, i buy for the WiiU, i enjoy the Gamepad the most, its teally unique.
when the new games arive, yes the WiiU can stand on its own, but only if the wiiU gets a fare treatment
I didn't answer the last question - I have a Wii U but, for the first time since buying it last year, I'm actually beginning to regret my purchase. There's no way I can afford another system, so I'm stuck with what I have but I'm beginning to think I should have got a PS.
When Nintendo first announced the Wii U they were very vocal about wanting to reclaim the 'core' video game audience and acknowledged that they hadn't delivered the right experiences for this market on the Wii - that got my hopes up that they were courting the big third party publishers. For a variety of reasons, I think they did that but that it didn't work.
The decision to launch with third party games only (NSMBU and Nintendoland aside) meant that there was no reason for anybody who already had a PS360 to buy a Wii U. That those games were often delayed, inferior ports exacerbated that situation by suggesting that the console wasn't on a par with the others. An idiot could have predicted that software and hardware sales would suffer off of that basis, and they have. Now, those poor figures can be used by industry analysts to allocate resources for developing and releasing software - figures which are, as ever, divorced from context.
A Nintendo system is for playing Nintendo games. Third party games are a bonus. The console should be just for playing games and be inexpensive. £199 pre loaded with a killer game like Mario Kart 8 and the Wii u will fly off the shelves this Christmas.
I think Nintendo will step up the game once Xbox One and PS4 come out. The 8th gen 3rd party multiplats will only show up with those consoles.
As for the Splintercell thing. I think they didn't support co-op because 2 GamePads can't be used yet. They could have just used traditional controls, but they probably couldn't figure something out, or didn't want to.
I think the Batman thing could have just sharde servers, but whatever.
There's alot companies aren't doing right now that I think will be fixed in the coming months.
The sad fact is the Wii U is going to miss out on a huge amount of brilliant games, just like the Wii before it. As someone who loves a broad range of games, I can't restrict myself like that.
I'm sure once the first party library is built up the Wii U will become an attractive second console, but therein lies the problem. How many people say they only buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games? How many say they don't care about "brown shooters" and mature rated games (as if that is all that is on other consoles)?
Nintendo's challenge now is not to secure multiplats, but meaningful third party exclusives across a broad range of genres. They do not have the resources to single-handedly support the Wii U!
I'm getting a PS4 next gen (after being with Xbox since they started) and a Vita...
Between those, my Wii U, 3DS, PC and iPad I'm more than catered for
When released the PS4 will be my main console, then the PS3 for games that don't make on the PS4 like Dark Souls 2 etc. Which you'll never see on the Wii U, sadly, then the Wii U.
I find it a bit 'frustrating', and I'll skip Batman on release because of this utterly dumb move, like I skipped buying Sniper Elite 2 again for the same reason. I'm a bit disappointed Splinter Cell will lack local co-op, because I always enjoy local co-op and Wii U has the best possibilities. Spies vs. mercs is way better fitted for online, but co-op should be primarily local, especially given the two screens. But I'll get that game, because I love the series and there's been obvious extra effort on other parts of the game, namely the most important one: single player, with great use of the gamepad. Ubisoft has proven the gamepad's value again. Off tv is a great addition too because I love that feature and its possibilities.
I was planning on getting a second system past halfway this 'generation', but with both having paid online, and my unwillingness to pay for such standard features for a secondary console -and therefore missing parts on my disc I already would've paid for- I won't get any anytime soon.
Also, I do NOT approve of Micro$ony's business schemes. Playing dirty in the interactive entertainment business without caring for the product but only for the numbers... It's called cheating, and it's simply not done when playing/working with other human beings, with only your undeserved 'victory' over their complete annihilation in mind. I refuse to support that.
I'm sad they won't support online for Batman. The multiplayer looks very interesting. Not a deal breaker for me though, but very disappointed.
But this has always been the way it seems for Nintendo system owners since the N64. Expect to miss third party content, because most third parties never seem to bring the quality and do quick dirty ports, with exceptions.
Most of the multi-platform releases just don't interest me enough to consider buying another machine. I say this as someone who bought a lot of third-party titles on the Wii previously. I don't really need every blockbuster to appear on Wii U, just some decent ones. I'll be disappointed (and surprised) if Samurai Warriors 4 doesn't make an appearance, but I'm not buying another machine to play one or two games.
As I stated earlier, I won't be buying another console other than Wii U this generation. But I might end up buying a new computer, for reasons unrelated to gaming that is. My current laptop is for work only, it's quite old and doesn't play any game made past 2008 even on minimum settings. Wii has been my only home gaming platform for the past 5 years at least, and I might add that I buy a lot of 3rd party games for it too.
If I do buy a new computer, with a medium range graphics card at least, I should enjoy a couple of multi-plat games on it and thus making PS4 and One even more unnecessary for me. Because these two machines feel more like Playstation and Xbox-branded PCs than videogame consoles, honestly. And when it comes to computers, I'd rather buy HP, Lenovo or Dell. Some franchises might not be released on PC nor Wii U, but let's face it, in a world where even the Final Fantasy main series started to suck a long time ago (and it pains me to no end), I should not miss a great deal.
3rd Party Devs have too much power in the industry at the moment. My own interest in titles from the likes of the "Big 3" (EA, Activision, and Ubi) has been of the little-to-none variety. I'm not part of the demographic they like (12-25 year olds), stopped being into the Madden/CoD's after the PS2/Cube era, and I see through most of their crap after years of being a gamer and paying attention to history. Plus the quality of their games have been so inconsistent at best, despite the fact they're major studios with bigger budgets. This gen is about 1st party, retro and Indie games to me, anything beyond that I can play on my PC.
Same argument since the N64.
Next talking point please.
I don't hold handhelds in a separate category, so....3DS and Wii U for me this gen with the occasional PC game.
Lack of third party definitely hurts the console, but truth be told, I use my PC to play almost all the multiplatform games that interest me. The only reason I see to get consoles is the exclusives, and in that regard Nintendo beats the opposition quite handily in my opinion.
So it's gonna be Wii U, 3DS, and PC for me this generation.
No, the Wii U is not enough on it's own. You need one to play all of the great 'Nintendo' games that are going to be released during this cycle, but if you want any other kind of gaming experience you need another console. I recently bought a PS3 so that I could play the God of War series, DmC, a Need for Speed game that doesn't freeze constantly like Most Wanted U, Infamous, and Tales of Xillia. None of those games will ever grace the Wii U, so for this gamer at least, the Wii U on it's own doesn't cut it. I can't wait for Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8, but those games alone aren't enough.
Lack of some 3rd party games is rather annoying, and the ones that do make it are generally late, missing features, or poorer quality than their PS3/360 counterparts. What is more annoying than that though is having no first party games. Nintendo really need to start publishing more games themselves to get the library up. Wii U fans won't be bothered by not getting the usual FPS or 3rd person action game doing the rounds on the other console when there are exclusives like Bayonetta and W101 and Lego City Undercover. That's only 3 games and two of them aren't here yet. But we need more games like that. Coupled with an onslaught of 1st party and indie games, we should be set.
And in any case, if Nintendo can sell the Wii U to the more dudebro kind of Xbox gamer as a second console, well I say that's just fine. To me, I love Nintendo, but I will need a PS4 to complete my gaming and multimedia needs in my lounge room. Just like I did this gen with my Wii and PS3 making a pretty good combo.
At least Wii U should have good collection of JRPGs like Tales of series, Disgaea series, Level-5 games, Square Enix games, Atlus games.
I see no hope for Sakaguchi's on PS4 and I don't like Xbox One. Looks like Microsoft doesn't care anymore about JRPGs since Lost Odyssey. By considering this and Monolith's X, I'm rooting for Wii U to be the winner this gen.
Great article that sums up a lot of the issues with Wii U right now and the fact that it really is in a bit of a catch 22 situation.
Of course, in my opinion that situation was created entirely by Nintendo initially and every single thing that's followed has been a result of those initial failures and blunders at launch (and some that even existed before launch), be it lacking tech or features in the hardware or controller, under powered graphics, no truly AAA universally acclaimed 9+ first party killer-app games at launch, clunky firmware with terrible load times, a price that seemed too high for many people based on what they were getting, confusion among the casuals as to what the Wii U was exactly...
We can blame third parties all we want but the reality is that they simply respond to the market and potential as they see it and for them the Wii U didn't and doesn't have enough market or potential to truly excite them and make them want to develop games for the system.
Nintendo dug this hole but we're the ones stuck in it.
Every single generation there's the same huge argument. "You can't JUST have Nintendo's system."
Well if you want to play Nintendo games you can't JUST have a single other system either. So I don't get what's so special about the situation.
Wii-U and Ouya for me, this generation. MS and Sony can shove it with their DRM-bloated consoles. Although neither will currently admit it, both consoles will have crippling DRM tech built in; it's only a matter of time before they activate it.
I read "doom and gloom" and I'm catching up with the games backlog on my Wii U - maybe I'm just not a "real" gamer any more?
@Pod
Well...
You need a Nintendo system if you want to play Nintendo games and maybe use a couple of interesting features and services unique to Nintendo's systems but you need one of the other consoles if you want to do everything else; watch DVDs/Blu-Rays, listen to your music library, have access to a great selection of truly great AAA third party games, have access to those other consoles own features and services that the Nintendo systems don't have (like Kinect/Move or game DVR for example), want to be easily able to store all you digital content without having to buy external devices, have proper next-gen graphics and power...
So, basically, it's very hard to get by with just a Nintendo system in this day and age, for your average gamer and entertainment consumer, but it's far less difficult to get by with only one of the other consoles unless Nintendo's first party games trump absolutely everything else.
Nintendo games are great but they aren't enough to get by with only the Wii U for me personally, that lacks so many other things I absolutely want and need in my current gen entertainment console.
@Kirk
I know what you're saying. But I don't consider music and Bluray something my console needs to do, and I quite rarely consider AAA third party titles "great".
"Everything else" is thus mostly reduced to exclusives for the other platforms, and to me personally, those are trumped by Nintendo's offerings.
I'm not saying I won't own another system. I'm just saying that if we are indeed talking about video games, and the best of the kind here, then I could never get by without the current Nintendo system, regardless of what else I owned, and neither could anyone else if they wanted to play Nintendo games.
@jrob23 I think I understand what you're asking so let me clarify.
If you're a fan of gaming in general, what you like can vary greatly. For example, I like good, fun games, period. I've been playing since 1989 on the NES. I like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Pushmo, Fire Emblem, and lots of other Nintendo games. But I also like Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Medievil, the original Spyro trilogy, the original Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Ratchet and Clank, Beyond Good and Evil, Halo, Virtue's Last Reward, Grand Theft Auto, Ni No Kuni, Mortal Kombat, NHL games, Dark Cloud (and anything released by Level-5 really), and hundreds more. I can't play most of those games on a Nintendo console. And that's OKAY to me. If I want Animal Crossing (currently at 300+ hours) - I know where to get it. If I want Kingdom Hearts 3 - I'll get a PlayStation 4 to play it.
Nintendo developed games are consistently high quality for the most part. But they aren't the only great games that have been released in the last 25 years. Even though I'm more inclined to buy Nintendo software before anything else, I'm not blind to the fact that there's plenty to love out there.
I buy Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games, ever now and then Capcom comes along with a great title like Monster Hunter Ultimate and I'll buy that. Sony survived off of 3rd party with the ps and ps2, but gamers want quality and forced Sony to adopt 1st party developers like Naughty Dog to barely take the 2nd place spot from Microsoft. The industry is shifting to want 1st party games they can trust are good. I'll buy assassins creed 4 and watch dogs but all other 3 rd party developers can keep their games in their safety net xbox 360 and ps3 and hope to get some accidental purchases.
The only DRM console's i've seen is the Wii U & Xbox One, until it did a 180 leaving the Wii U as the only console to have DRM.
@banacheck Wii U DRM is evil! Really? Digital purchases are tied to the console, it that what you mean? Same thing on Wii, DSi, 3DS, no news here. As I fully intend to continue buying retail games on physical form, I can lend them to friends and resell them anytime I want. Don't pretend that's what would happen in the Orwellian version of Xbox One, because we all know it wasn't. As much as people like to accuse Nintendo of falling behind the times and being stuck in the 80's, they never wanted us to go to 1984.
I still believe the Wii U will be the equivalent of what Nintendo had to do on the N64 and that is prop themselves up the whole way through with their 1st and 2nd party games while getting late or reworked ports and missing out on a ton of 3rd party games. They'll survive but will have to be on their A-game and lean on the 3DS to get through.
@Ronoh right. my point was it sounded like you thought the necessity of owning another console on top of a Wii U was a bad thing and limited to the Wii U. Whereas I was trying to clarify that no matter what console you have, there are great games on the others and you will most likely need to own more than one to hit that gaming sweet spot.
Buying Nintendo consoles keeps the cost of my hobby low.
But there is no way I'm going to buy broken third party games at full price... I have no idea what publishers are thinking.
Its the whole cycle that keeps repeating, I don't buy third party games because they are broken or missing features, so third parties don't want to put any effort into it because I don't want to buy their broken crap.
The only one that needs to break that cycle is third parties. I am the customer. I am not a charity. If they want my money they have to give me what I want.
Until then, my Wii U is pretty much going to be a first/second party machine, with the occasional third party gem.... just like the Wii. Thats not my fault, thats the fault of lazy third parties.
@rmeyer What do you mean barely taking 2nd place (Sony)? You mean as far as the "console race" is concerned? If you look at terms of sales, then yes the Wii is the top dog, but it's definitely not the top console of this generation. That would rightfully go to either MS or Sony.
As much as some Nintendo fans can't stand to hear this, but 3rd party support DOES matter. Not purchasing some awesome titles just because they aren't coming to the Wii U, or any Nintendo console only makes the gamer miss out entirely.
@Ronoh I definitely agree with you. I understand that there are some who can't afford, or just refuse to buy another console for their gaming. I have always been a guy that purchase all major consoles to experience the fun factor that each provides. Obviously the games is what makes the console. There are exclusives for each console (mainly Nintendo and Sony) that are beyond epic, then you have the 3rd party games that's not available on Nintendo systems, but the other 2 has them. This is why I do have all consoles. To me, it maximizes the experience that much more.
@Rafie I meant barely take 2nd from Microsoft. Nintendo owns 50% of the industry right now no way was I saying Sony was almost 1st. I think Sony will be fine but they had a despicable last 8 years losing almost a billion one year.
Nintendo has more nonviolent games and it's the reason why I buy it.,
However the best game I gave played were actually not from Nintendo. Sonic, Rayman and silent Hill... I don't think Nintendo can only rely on first party games.
"As much as some Nintendo fans can't stand to hear this, but 3rd party support DOES matter. Not purchasing some awesome titles just because they aren't coming to the Wii U, or any Nintendo console only makes the gamer miss out entirely."
@Rafie nonsense.. the only games I'm missing out on shooting games.... can't say I'll miss it.
@element187 "nonsense.. the only games I'm missing out on shooting games.... can't say I'll miss it."
Yup, that's that way of thinking from Nintendo fans that I was referring to. Every game isn't shooters.
@AltDotNerd: True. Didn't quite think of that. A good number of DS games would work quite well on the Wii U.
Sony and Microsoft don't have any exclusives I care about, and 99% of multiplats worth playing come to the pc. And a middling pc will be better for them than any console anyway.
I think I'll do just fine without a PS4 or Xbox One, thanks.
Until 2001 we was the best.
Best hardware
Best first party
Best 3rd party titles (rogue squad. Many plattform, Silikon knights)
2002 arrived and our videoludic life was lost
I dont know if this was Iwata or other but if you are like me you started loving console with supernint. And N64 you know what i mean.
@ninten2000 You think the N64 had a better game library then the playstation?
@Jared1984
I think N64 had the best library of all the TIMES more good of my ''dear'' Commodore Amiga too
@ninten2000
Yeah, no. I'm a self admitted Nintendo fanboy, and I'll freely admit that the PSX has a much more extensive library with overall better games. The n64 is a great system with a lot of good stuff on it, but its library pales in comparison to the psx.
Also, the N64 was the start of the problems that plague Nintendo to this day. Squaresoft refused to work on the console at all, Nintendo's refusal to switch to disks pissed off more third parties, and even though the system was more powerful, the limited cartridge space of games limited devs who wanted to make large games.
Because of this, what little multiplatform titles there were on it were usually worse than the PSX's.
Lastly, using the release of the Gamecube as the end of Nintendo? Really? The Gamecube failed to sell because of the image problem it had, caused mostly by anti marketing on behalf of Sony and Microsoft, but made many great games in that time.
Pikmin, Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Smash Bros Melee, the list goes on. The Gamecube has some of the best games Nintendo ever produced on it.
@wombatkidd
Gamecube was a good console but less of that promise
N64 was the ludic perfection
Square? What you do with Square when you have the World under your foots?
I Got my Gamecube, i cried for the Rebirth demo cried for happy for i was dreaming allready another empire of the Sky other hundreds of nights playing with my friends and i joined a lot the r.squadron re4 timesplitters and one of the best game of all the times fzero x but Gamecube promis me more and that promis missed no Gamecube but someone in my lovely Nin.
But i never talked about the "end" of Nin. That is a Word for kids and in only a Nin superfan. End of company economically you can talk when there are economic problems and the supersold Wii is not the case. I talk about Nin. Way and the other way they go after N64
@ninten2000 GC was a better console than N64. Almost on par in power and graphics with the Xbox, GC was really my favorite console of that generation. Although I have all 3 from that era, I liked my GC more than the other 2.
@Rafie
i can understand you loving Gamecube. GC was a very good console but never near to N64.
Gamecube in some games showed it was a bigger power horse of x too, get Rogue S. get Fzero X if well programmed Gamecube kicked the x far away.
But N64 was the more power, playable, good looking game system ever created.
@Boxmonkey Probably because many other people wouldn't buy another console of they could have mario and gta on one console so deals are made to ensure that doesn't happen and if we do get major support the pubs are instructed to remove on major feature in the Wiiu version. Seems like a rigged market more than anything because when it doesnt play out like this the third parties do fine.
That's why Im considering not bothering with another console this gen Im mostly sticking with Wiiu and if I gotta have it then Pc.
I highly doubt Nintendo owners look at a box and say that's not irst party so it's a no buy! All we get is excuses friom third parties. Ever since non gaming companies entered the console biz it's been rigged this way.
Nowadays, third parties know that Nintendo make the best games and don't want to compete with them on their own system. That's the sad truth. That's why you always get people crying for Nintendo to make games for mobile platforms....you don't hear people saying Microsoft or Sony should go that way because their games simply aren't as universally loved.
On saying that, it was back in the N64 days that Nintendo really started to alienate third parties....the N64 was infamously made hard to develop for because Yamauchi thought it'd put off poor developers.....which backfired, as it just meant that a lot of the games weren't as good as they could've been. That and going with restrictive and expensive carts when their competitors were using discs was a massive mistake, and unfortunately the damage was already done by the time the Gamecube launched.
Things are different now of course, but a lot of third parties have either already jumped into bed with Sony and Microsoft, or are terrified of competing with top quality games like Super Mario Galaxy. At least the Wii U isn't going to get the same amount of shovelware that the Wii got.
No regrets on my Wii U purchase. Just going to keep supporting the system. If I don't get some third-party titles; that's fine. I'll still have a nice selection of games to go with. And even if I don't, I still have the Wii's library to fall on when there's a drought in releases.
Sure there haven't been any heavy hitters lately, not counting Pikmin 3, but I just got about six Wii games I missed out on or hadn't heard about that are great fun.
Sure the Wii U isn't all about the Wii games, but having the option is also quite nice.
@UnseatingKDawg Then we are at an agreement, good sir.
Nintendo fans love Nintendo games and you turn first to those for unrivaled playability and level design, but the HD generation has introduced so much innovation and opened up the indie market so much thanks to download games (that are cheap) that it's hard to be a fanboy anymore, I gave up my loyalty near the Wii's end.
Nintendo makes their own best games but there is just too much going on to try and stick with Nintendo and once you've got the good Nintendo games prices are so high that you probably have nothing left for 3rd party games so why bother taking a chance. That's my mentality unfortunately and I can't be alone. (not that their not worth paying for but they don't change it up with enough smaller games at lower prices). Even as a lifelong Nintendo fan it's hard to justify an expensive Nintendo console/games now when the 1st party games are slow in coming and far between, theres just too much other good, consistent content out there now. I am a fan of great video games and Nintendo hasn't offered a value proposition for this massive exploded market so I'll have to wait until they can truly bring it or stick to software. And to address someone above the triple A games on other machines are absolutely no longer interactive movies, there is amazing stuff, I skipped it for so long as a N fan and now it's hard to look back since WiiU hasn't delivered anything interesting or new. Why is it such a surprise that it's not doing well? drop a real modern detailed HD game like a new Metroid or Zelda and I'll jump back on in a heartbeat. Mario is all but dead, I'm not 13 anymore.
@Ren
Now thats exactly why I'm holding off on getting any next-gen console. Console launches are slow so you'll end up having to buy everything brand-new at full price for quite a while to build up a decent library for your new machine, and Nintendo is the worst of the bunch in that regard. Not much of a point waiting for price-drops on games that rarely do so. There are still DS games that cost as much as the latest game in the series on the 3DS.
I like both Sony and Nintendo but I'm not blindly buying either console for a select few games and hoping games I'm interested in keep coming out, not for a 300+ machine.
I know I fall into the statistic that I buy Nintendo for Nintendo exclusives, but I do. I do the same for PlayStation as well. I will be buying the PS4 for the PS exclusives more than anything else. I barely play ANY 3rd party games. The only one's I'm looking forward to are Arkham Origins and WatchDogs.
I can't really comment on the future but last generation I got by with my wii and picking up key releases I missed such as Batman, Mass Effect, Bioshock and Dead Space on PC. My current PC is not going to cut it in the coming gen though. On the other hand I'm going to have to pick up a PS3 at some point to get the games I missed. It is looking like I may have to get a PS4 as well for pipeline titles such as Final Fantasy 15 Kingdom Hears 3 and the Division. Althought the Wii U lineup has been sketchy so far there is at least one game a month (from 3rd parties) I'm craving for but if 3rd party support doesn't pick up I'm going to have to go somewhere else.
I expect the 3rd party situation to get better but it won't be anything that's note worthy.
@Cohort sorry late reply but i don't understand what you mean what EA would say? Those PS2 ports to Wii what games are you talking about? Also that last question in it self says it all wtf would dev's port games from a PS2 to Wii when they could have been on the NGC. Honestly the Wii U will not get the major 3rd party support with in ~2 years, there just gonna have there games and the inde's making games for it. IMO this console should have been out 3-4 years ago and the Wii should have been out mid life of the NGC kinda like a NGCi
The reasons some third parties have for not doing anything aren't exactly good, it's like a network cancelling a show "because the viewer had to watch it in order to appreciate it" (this is a true excuse; look up Police Squad!).
They don't need third party support in the same way the NES didn't need it when it first launched. The difference there is the NES had a plethora of Nintendo games ready to go.
The WiiU will eventually get it's games but they still need a price drop to increase the install base.
The problem is that controller is going to lose them a lot of money, and they're not even making the most of it. They led us to believe it would be this great innovation in gaming like the Wii Remote was, but it just isn't. Some neat features yes, but not revolutionary. Also it confuses the uninformed about how you actually play the system. "Is it a console? is it a handheld? What if I want extra controllers?" Not really big hurdles for experienced gamers, but if they want to expand their audience, over complicating things is not the way.
I think they should have stuck to basics, made a budget HD system with a normal controller designed for playing Nintendo games, then released it when the games were ready. That's what most people buy Nintendo systems for afterall.
Nintendo are strong enough to hold their own. That's why they beat Sega in the console wars of the 90s and why they continue to grow strong. Both MS and Sony however are utterly reliant on TP developers and should they disappear, both companies will be in a lot of trouble when it comes to the console market. Judging by post E3 reactions it looks like the XBone have a difficult time ahead of them.
What annoys me are the lame excuses TP developers come up with for excluding features from Nintendo. It shows that they're not competent enough to provide a consistent and overall top-quality that you see in Nintendo games. Nintendo are notorious for holding back games but then they're also renowned for producing games of the highest calibre, moreso than any other company in the computer games industry!
Considering I only need to add another $50 dollars to get a PS4 I would rather go with that. I think it's still an ok system but they should have dropped the piece of crap controller and used the money for it to add more power to the system. It really wasn't as revolutionary as Nintendo thought it would be, which is making me wonder how much though Nintendo is putting into their systems (I mean they thought a 3D screen on the 3DS would be revolutionary and change gameplay which it doesn't and even nintendo gave up on advertising the 3D screen). Also Wii U!? REALLY!? The name is terrible and confusing to the uninformed people like the grandparents and mom which Nintendo keeps trying to market this console to. They really dropped the ball this time. I like Nintendo but lately I keep thinking what the hell are they thinking. It's not all doom and gloom, I do expect it to be successful but I expect it to be gamecube successful which is ok at best. I'd say instead of dropping the price or the console just change the name, so the uninformed consumer can know it's more than just a tablet you stick on to your Wii.
PC and WiiU, best of both worlds:
I discovered something incredible this last console generation... I don't like most non-Nintendo triple A games. I got a PS3, and after buying several AAA games I thought I was missing on because I only had a Wii, I realized I really didn't like them that much, I mildly liked some but they were too expensive to only get mild entertainment. The games are not bad, I just don't like them. I discovered I don't like the realistic visuals, the melodrama in some stories, and most importantly I don't like ANY shooting gameplay. For a moment there I thought I just didn't like games anymore. Along came the indi games on PSN and suddenly I realized I just don't like the big names on the market, but I still like games. The AAA market has turned away from me, all but Nintendo that is. I'm happy with my WiiU, because now I know I don't care for any current third party games, and the ones I want are coming to WiiU or PS3. (except KH 3 , but one game is not enough). My eyes for a second system are on the Steam Box.
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