Parent Trap: Does The Wii U Still Make Sense For Families?

It never made sense for families. One look at the Gamepad and casuals freaked and lost interest while core gamers rolled their eyes and reached for a Pro controller instead.

The only group that the Gamepad appealed wholeheartedly to were Nintendo diehards and video game collectors that pretty much own any and every system/game/accessory every created. So, around 10 million folks or so.

@gatorboi352 Casuals freaked out? More like they ignored it when they found out they needed to spend $350 on a new console to use it.

Because, when kids get old enough to have input they want what the adults are playing. And Parents usually don't want to spend the money... so until they get old enough to squawk about what they want... whatever system is lying around is good enough to keep the kid occupied.

I also think the video game audience is shrinking, kids have other entertainments they find more compelling.

@gatorboi352 I don't think us Nintendo die-hard's make up 10,000,000. I may be one, but the 6 or 7 people I know or have met personally who own a Wii U aren't total fanatics, and usually own other systems. 2 of them are small children. Now, that may be just my experience, but why exactly would a little kid "freak-out" over a controller that looks just like their dad's iPad?

Nintendo isn't lacking in the family-friendly factor; the problem lies more in the fact that, well, it's looks just like their dad's iPad. Why get a Wii U, when dad can just download you Minecraft on his identical-looking device that isn't tethered to the living room? It's not that it isn't interesting, but unless their parents have played Mario when they were kids, they'll probably just say "enjoy what you have."

I don't have any kids but all of my friends that do love the Wii U and the family friendly games. But I don't think they're all in the living room participating like the goofy picture up top.

It always made sense, it's just unfortunate that the marketing never made it clear what it was all about. That was compounded by Nintendo's failure to produce innovative experiences that used the gamepad. The ideas in Nintendoland were perfect for the family market, but Nintendo have fallen back on classic gameplay and rarely innovated with the control scheme. However, regardless of those failings, the Wii U has built up a catalog of games that are still great fun to play and more suited to a family audience than the competition.

The off screen play is also a boon for families, where screen sharing can be a problem and the tablet (due to the stylus) makes games like Super Mario Maker and Disney Infinity much easier to work with. Nintendo have also been fortunate with the explosion of Toys 2 Life games that have arrived during the Wii U's lifespan and have jumped to capitalise on it with the release of amiibo. If only they had exclusive rights to Skylanders, Lego Dimensions or Disney Infinity.

There is one big question mark that hangs over the Wii U though...where is Minecraft? That for me is it's single biggest failing. The single most popular game with young kids is not available on the Wii U, but it's available on every other platform. Consider the ball well and truly dropped there.

Some families in my area are just getting around to buying a Wii U. Birthdays and the holidays represent an opportunity to upgrade so the kids can play the new Skylanders and Disney Infinity 3.0 on a machine that doesn't have a bunch of mature titles they don't want to buy their kids. And it does not get more family friendly than Mario Kart and Mario Party.

The lack of Minecraft is a definite negative. But I know one family in my area that bought an XBox for it and the kids prefer the PC version to it. Still, my kids are clamoring for one for one game they will grow out of in 1.5 years.

It makes sense for my family and the other families that we're friends with that also own the system. Almost every Nintendo game is suitable for kids to play, and almost every single one is a quality game.

We also own a Xbox that get's played rarely by my sons. I'm happy they choose to play Nintendo and the quality family friendly games. Both are not very interested in Minecraft. I'm not bashing it, I've tried to see if they wanted to DL it on multiple occasions but every single time they want to play Smash Bros., or 3D World, or Mario Maker, or Kart, or Punch Out!, or Splatoon.

...but that just my family!

The Wii U has always made sense for families. Sitting around the couch, playing with family members, is what the Wii and the Wii U were designed for.

The problem is the market for that is all but gone. It doesn't matter how well the Wii U is designed as a casual focused, family oriented product, if the casual market doesn't want what the Wii U offers. The casual market has moved on to smartphones and tablets, it was the reason the Wii U was made in the first place, because the Wii was failing, because the transition had already happened.

I'm a married 33 year old with 2 boys. We have a wii u and PS3, and 2 3ds and s 2ds. The wii u is on the living room tv and is on 90% of the time the tv is. Whether for gaming, Netflix, YouTube, Internet. The gamepad makes our tv into a pc-lite. We use the iPad for Facebook basically and have s laptop that is used for work. I grew up as a gamer and continue to play daily. My oldest plays all the expected wii u games, but he play cod and minecraft on the PS3. I played plenty of PS3 over the years, but I call it a dark souls machine. We have well over 300 wii, wii u, wiiware, eshop, and vc games and with great games like Mario maker, which we all hooked on right now, I'm not worried about getting a "nex gen" pay to play console. I see a steambox hooked to my tv before a ps4. I can't wait for nx. Got a launch wii and it's really the best console I've ever had. I personally think that anyone who doesn't see how awesome a wii u really is can not call themselves s gamer. I admit I enjoyed plenty of 360 games, why can Xbox owners admit how awesome a wii really is. For example...

my family loves the Wii U. My son plays it more than our iPod that has Minecraft on it.

of the families I know that have the Wii, they don't know what the WiiU is. it's a poorly named console. it just sounds like a wii with a tablet, which they already have, both a wii, and a tablet.

nintendo has become decidedly bad at naming things. Looking to soon purchase a new new 3DS. do you all have a new 3DS or a new new 3DS? it's a bad name! really annoying when searching on ebay too!

WiiU? sounds like an alternate version of a wii, like Iphone # S as opposed to the regular kind. Casuals didn't freak when they saw the gamepad, they just didn't see it, because in their mind, it's a Wii, and they all have or had Wii's. That and all the WiiU games are pretty much the same games that can be played on Wii! mario kart wii, new super mario bros, smash bros brawl, wind waker (gcn). up until splatoon, there really wasn't anything new. even the darned skylanders are on wii I think!

I think the family market is still present but the competition has enough family content to sway families away from Nintendo. The average dad isn't going to go out and buy a $400 Xbone or PS4 for himself and follow it up with a Wii U purchase. That's why I think it's even more important for Nintendo to get back on track with the NX. Put out the most powerful system and give studios like Bethesda and Take-Two a reason to produce games for Nintendo.

NES/nintendo -> Super Nintendo -> Nintendo 64. clear progression of improved console. a super nintendo is obviously better than the regular nintendo, nintendo 64? that's like 64 x better than the regular nintendo right?

gamecube, obviously a different console from it's predecessors.

Wii -> WiiU, These are different?

gameboy -> gameboy pocket -> gameboy color. All different versions of the same thing, obviously stating in it's name why it's different, and though they actually had games that couldn't be played on older handhelds, they were essentially the same handheld with more perks.

gameboy -> gameboy Advance. obvious progression, the advanced one is more advanced!

DS -> 3DS. not so clear as a new handheld, especially after the DS lite and DSi coming out before, just seems like the same handheld with 3D effects.

3DS-> new 3DS. um, sounds like you're just buying a "new" replacement for your aging 3DS. shoot, 3DS advance would have been better I think.

I actually think the original Wii is probably still a better option for families, particularly if they are on a tight budget. They can be picked up for cheap as chips and with the NX just round the corner I'm not sure the Wii U is a great investment for families unless there is a price drop - irrespective of how great core gamers like us find it.

As for the other consoles, they are now priced competitively with the Wii U and do (or will) offer a wide selection of games, including those suitable for children like the toys to life games, minecraft and others. The NX will be competing with them.

Wii U is in big trouble (I know, we all already knew that) when my polar opposite happy camper Andy can't give it a ringing endorsement.

Spent some time w/ my Wii owning teen nephew this weekend,and I told him not to feel bad he doens't own a Wii U, but not to buy one now, b/c NX will probably be out next year. Or wait until Wii U hits $199, so he has some money let for a couple of games. But there's no rush at this point.

I'm a family guy and my kids and I play more Wii U than PS3, but I can't recommend a $300 3 year old system that might have another year left. Glad we've had one for 2 years, no regrets, isn't the same as a recommendation to buy 1 now at that same 2 year old price .

If Reggie never said "NX" to start the E3 Nintendo Digital Event, and if Wii U hit $199 this holiday, and Zelda U was out in 2015 like they said several times, then maybe, but not like this.

I wonder how Andy may have written this piece if Nitneod had announced a price cut to $199? Those toys-to-life games are fun for families, and only Wii U has them all - if you include the amiibo games like Yoshi and SSM and AC:aF. Guess there's still time.

I love how we get one of these weird filler articles every 2 weeks or so

This still shouldn't be a big question for families with kids. Nintendo has been the Disney of game systems for decades now. What about PS4 or XBOX one really cry out "family system"? Grand Theft Auto? Call Of Duty? Halo? That's primarily what these systems seem to offer. Yes, Liitle Big Planet 3 or Rare Replay offer a more kid-friendly experience, and I know there must be more, but Nintendo can always be counted on to excel at family-centered games while still having things that should appeal to the more adult audience (unless you're looking to pop in some Bayonetta with the tykes).

It's hard for me to join in the cries of "no third party support", because it's all but a "who cares?" issue. It's a Nintendo machine, and Nintendo is going to cover most of the bases themselves anyway. Third party games on a Nintendo system are usually more of a distraction while waiting for the next Nintendo game. The issue I have with the other machines is "No FIRST party support". While not fully true, it's the way it feels with those systems. Almost all of their high profile titles are third party, or at least developed by company with their own identity and reputation (like Rare, or Media Molecule). Not enough titles if all you get is the first party games? Tell that to all the people who have put big money into buying their own Ms Pac-Man arcade machine or whichever was their old favorite. One title, that's it.

Even though it still comes down to different tastes in the end, the question of which of the 3 systems is best for families is a lot like taking the family out to the movie multiplex - You could take them to the new Disney/Pixar movie, or the latest Fast and Furious, Zombie Horror or War films. Which seems like a better fit?

The Wii U is probably the best system too play with family n friends.

I clearly remember talking to one parent at a games convention who said she bought her son a Wii U, as the more family friendly option than Playstation or Xbox. But was now struggling to find games for it [that her son wanted to play]. I recommended Splatoon, or buy a PC and get Steam.

Above a certain age, kids all want what everyone else on the playground has, and someone's big brother has a PS4 or X1. Below that age is Minecraft territory. Seriously, there's a reason MS paid $2.5bil for it, and that's because it represents a whole generation of kids. It's like my generation are the Harry Potter generation, whereas this generation is the Minecraft generation. Can't underestimate how much not having Minecraft has hurt Wii U if it was actually aimed at kids.

However, it feels like a lot of Wii U games aren't actually aimed at families or kids at all, even if they might at first appear to be. Yoshi's Woolly World is clearly not a game for 10 year old boys. That yarn amiibo belongs on Etsy, not in GameStop. Amiibos in general are for people who grew up with SNES or whatever. Again, no 10 year olds are gonna know who half those characters are. Wii U is really a console aimed at 30 somethings who are bored of endless gritty shooters and just want something fun and colourful. Even Bayonetta is self-aware enough to not take itself too seriously.

I still recommend the Wii U to families because the games that are currently out make it worth it to own the system. I think with only three games you could justify this system....Mario Kart 8, Smash, Mario Maker. This doesn't even include other awesome games such as 3D World, Splatoon, Captain Toad, Kirby, Yoshi and the many many eshop games that are great games.

The Wii U is still the best console out there for an entire family. One of the stupid simple games on it that illustrates it best is the "Sketch" and "Fronks" games in WarioWare. While vacationing with my brother and his family, those were the two games we played, gathered around the television laughing and having a good time. Simple, stupid and entertaining; and that is something Sony and Microsoft generally forget about. All of this while a 360 and XBO sat there only being used by my teenage nephew (when the Wii U wasn't being used).

The comment from my niece and sister-in-law summed it up. "I want this console just to play this stupid game." Neither are serious gamers. As a group we never did more than Mario Kart 8 and WarioWare and I played Smash with my nephew. That was ignoring Wii Sports Club, Super Mario 3D World, NintendoLand and the other games out there.

@JamesCoote I disagree with you a bit. I have a 9 year old son and he typically prefers playing Nintendo games. We just bought Yoshi on Saturday.

The sheep always follow the flock! I'm happy that my son isn't a sheep.

....I'm also not saying that Minecraft is bad.

This type of article is about 2 and a half years late. The question of whether the Wii U was still following the family friendly image of the Wii, and actually grabbing hold of the target market, is one that needed to be asked back when those 3rd party titles were first rolling out alongside all of the E-rated platformers of the time.

At this point, the question is rather redundant, since there's not a whole lot that isn't family friendly on the Wii U, compared to every other system out there. Not to mention, PC and mobile have effectively snatched away the lion's share of the Wii's general audience... This, combined with a dearth of deeper and broader experiences compared even to consoles of the past, results in the Wii U not having much to offer compared to it's forebears.

My family adore the Wii U. I bought it for myself, I love Nintendo & Super Mario 3D World was the trigger point for me. My 7yr old daughter plays it, she was playing Tropical Freeze the other day then Runner2, and she uses it for YouTube in the living room. My 4yr old son is mad about Splatoon, Pikmin3, MK8, Smash, you name it. When my neighbours son comes over, or my nieces and nephews?! We play Spin The Bottle, NSMBU, SM3DW, Mario Kart, Smash and it's just great fun. Even my partner plays Splatoon. I love it & I will always wholeheartedly recommend it. PS I know the GamePad has its haters but in my house there's always a fight over who gets to use it, everyone that plays wants to use it

@JamesCoote Agreed, the Wii U was supposedly geared towards a younger audience than the competition... Yet everywhere you look, the only people who really know about what the Wii U has to offer are people who already knew about a title's characters from a previous title in their respective series, or at least knew about a company (such as Platinum) who makes a particular style of title which appeals to them. It's as if Nintendo's marketing team didn't realize they were catering almost solely to Nintendo fans all this time while failing to even focus upon that target audience.

For example, who do they think are buying mass quantities of amiibos? They're mostly not being bought for kids, it's adults such as those on Nintendo Life who buy all this merchandise en masse because they already knew what they were and how to get them. Kids are mostly only ever given a chance to see the Mario and Zelda series figures; just about anything else has to be preordered 1 or 2 weeks ahead of time to even see, much less touch. This results in their supposedly most kid oriented part of their current lineup (toy figurines) being almost entirely relegated to the realm of ruthless adult oriented bidding and stock wars.

That whole situation epitomizes Nintendo's lack of understanding of their own market presence and focus. The marketing and planning teams desperately need to learn from Nintendo's own past marketing methods, as well as reevaluate who their true target market is, then stick with it.

All consoles are TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE MASS MARKET currently
PS1 and PS2 didn't explode in sales until they hit the $200 price mark.
Wii only succeeded at the $250 because Wii Sports was a competent pack in game for the most part.

Wii U suffers from:
$300 price, making it a psychological sticker shock regardless of how many games you pack into it for the mass market
Confusing name that doesn't convey it as a new system
Horrible and then dead periods of marketing which only adds to the confusion.
Lack of colors for the system, it only still comes in black!!
Lack of Special Edition designs
Lack of protection for families online
No unique must have features.

PS4 on the other hand:
Is viewed a system for those who want to play violent action games such as Assassins Creed.
It is also viewed as system with mature games such as KillZone, Uncharted, The Order, Destiny, [insert M-rated title here]
It's not viewed as family friendly or mass market friendly.
It's viewed as lacking content for families and those not interested in M-rated games.
It also costs $350!
Not Backwards Compatible
It also seen as focusing too heavily on multimedia features
Not friendly to those who aren't men playing online.
No unique must have features.

Xbox One:
Still has the stigma of not playing used games in the public eyes
Has limited gaming features
Too expensive at $350
Bad sales
Lack of games compared to PS4 (the gap is growing every month)
A system for those who play shooters such as Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield and others.
Lacking in family friendly content
Lacking in content for those who don't like M-rated games
Not friendly to those who aren't men playing online.
No unique must have features.

Right now consoles are selling to "hardcore" gamers who need their shooter and sports fix, those who bought the system to play games coming in the future, and those who are fans of the each console maker.

The mass market is not buying consoles yet for a variety of reasons including price and content.
The mass market = those who aren't "hardcore" gamers and/or fans of the hardware markers.

The main problems this gen are quite simple:
Microsoft, Sony and most 3rd parties narrowed their releases to target this one group... 15-35 males who play shooters, realistic sports games, realistic racers, and AAA M-rated games. These are the group referred to as "hardcore" gamers in the sales data.
If you aren't in this group, you will be disappointed in their offerings.

Nintendo offers practically nothing for this group and offers content for the other groups, but due to mishandling of the Wii U and the price they haven't been able to capitalize on it yet.

The other issue there is no must have unique feature to this gen.
The previous gens all had must have unique features to drive sales.

NES had the new fangled D-PAD and two face buttons (which most declared as gimmick back then) compared to the controls of the day.
Genesis had "Blasting Process", the arcade style controller, and games for the "hardcore" gamer.
SNES had the mode 7, the new fangled triggers, 4 face buttons in diamond form (which many decried as a gimmick).
PS1 had CDs, audio playback, CGI graphics that blew Nintendo 64 out of the water graphically (Sony's marketing said so), voice acting, cutscenes, and eventually a dual analog controller (1998/99)

N64 had full 3D graphics, the first analog stick, the expansion port on the controller, rumble pack, etc... (many were decried as gimmicks).

Dreamcast had first full 128 bit system that promised fully rounded 3D graphics, and it ran Windows CE.
Oh lets not forget it being able to play online seamlessly over dial up.

PS2 main feature was the DVD player (was the cheapest one on the market when it launched). You could now play your movies in full 480p resolution. Oh Sony also claimed it could do pixar graphics and accurately render emotions of 3D characters. Sony claimed it could do 80M+ polygons blowing DC and GC out of the water graphically.

Microsoft promised to make gaming for men. They promised full online gameplay, DLC, patches, and other goodies with Xbox.

Xbox 360 promised full 1080p graphics, HD movies, more online connectivity, state of the art graphics that would blow your PC out of the water.

PS3 promised full 1080p movies with Blu-ray, full HD textures in games, 1080p games, multimedia support that would render your multimedia device useless. Oh It did have games...

Wii promised new way to play games that would use your motion and retro games too.
Also speaker on the controller...

This gen didn't really bring anything new to gaming outside of off TV play, headphone jacks on controllers, touchpads/screens to consoles, ummm more 1080p games.... Miiverse is my favorite next to off TV play.

This gen just gave us a modest boost in graphics with no advancement in gaming and controls.
Obvious this gen is relatively boring and uninteresting to last gen, borderline stale.

So apparently everybody decided to write essays in the comment section for this article... chill people.

Yes, for families with young children the Wii U has always made sense. For everybody else and for those who care about third party games it makes sense to have a Wii U and one of the other two consoles.

My Wii U is awesome. It's unfortunate that many others do not agree.

I think that once Nintendo had succeeded in their mission to expand gaming's audience with the Wii and DS, they didn't know where to go next. They made a more gaming-oriented console, but they marketed it towards the millions of kids who got a Wii or DS in the past. But those kids have grown up and likely become more invested in gaming, and those who haven't are into the whole smartphone.tablet thing. As for whether it makes a good choice for families, that depends on how big the household as a whole is into gaming. Me? I like my Wii U. A lot. Because I play videogames and its games are my kind of games.

Thank Andy, and great read. I agree with almost everything that you say and I completely love my Wii U. Nintendo does the one thing that has stood the test of time, they continue to make games that are fun to play! There is something to be said for a game like Dark Souls or Skyrim or Assassin's Creed, but those are games that you play for the challenge or for the experience. For me, what makes Nintendo stand out, is that I rarely play a game they make without a smile on my face. And this speaks to why I love using this as my primary system for family play. Games like Nintendoland, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Kart 8 are games that our family have spent hours on cheering and shouting and smiling the whole time. And then, there are single player experiences like Splatoon and Toad's Treasure Tracker that I love for my kids to play solo because I know it's safe and super fun. And the one thing that is commonly overlooked is the Virtual Console. I have been able to introduce my kids to games like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Excitebike and Punch Out and it all gets sorted on my dashboard next to Smash Bros. I love being able to share that history with the kids. Anyone who asks me what console to buy, when the family is involved, I always say Wii U without hesitation.

One small bit of concern though is the the focus on the Gamepad and the lack of 3rd party. The Gamepad is a novel idea and at the beginning it's super fun, but outside of a few good games (Nintendoland and Super Mario Maker are obvious) there is little to no reason to have it. However, the cost of the console is high simple because of including it. It would have been smarter for Nintendo to push a console for $200 will an option to buy the GamePad at $100. And trust me, releasing Super Mario Maker in a bundle with the GamePad would easily have sold for $150! With the higher barrier to entry, I think it causes pause for families.

The other glaring issue is what that Nintendo has had since the N64 (the Wii being an exception). There is no good 3rd party support. Sure, you get the big family games like the LEGO games and Skylanders, but there is little else to offer more adult gamers of the family. If a parent is buying this to play Mario Kart with their kids, but then would like to play Call of Duty once they are in bed....sorry. You will have to buy a whole other console for that experience. Sure, it's nitpicking, but if you are looking for a one stop shop for the family as a total, it is a worthwhile concern.

In the end, I love my Wii U and would recommend it as a purchase to anyone, I would just caution that you are sure you know what you are getting into. If you want something to bridge the gap between playing with your kids and then enjoying more mature stuff when you are alone, you may want to kick a few more tires!

My 2 young sons love the Wii U. Plenty on it for them to play and our iPad with minecraft and a ton of other mobile games only sees use when they arw arguing over the Wii U and the other decides to go find some other game to play but that doesn't make my household the norm.

Personally I would have a family Wii U pack with either physical or digit versions of Wario, Wii Party U, and NintendoLand, include a motion plus wiimote and numchuck and offer it at $249.99 on black Friday as the ultimate family gaming pack to entice a few of the Wii Families to upgrade. Everyone who reads this on NLife will complain about the games included but these are easy and fun games that anyone can play

You have a console that plays games in High Definition, and it's backwards compatible with a library of software exclusive to the biggest family friendly videogame system ever seen in gaming.

Of course the WiiU still makes sense for families.

At this point in time, I think it's a little overdue for a price drop.

I think the price point is the issue more than anything for families. The wiiu has a great all around library even without the third party support (it would be nice if it had it though, but I've never played a console that totally filled the gaming needs by itself) and the BC makes it two systems in one. VC makes it more than that. However for families that don't take part in the "wars" the price point is too high still. Families are cheap because they have other obligations...so honestly unless the kid is either an only child or has a serious interest in the hobby there is no reason to pay 250-300 for ANY game system. If Nintendo does swan song the system two years of new game support plus a 200 dollar price point should have systems flying off shelves.

Am I the only one who thinks Nintendo needs their own Toys to Life platform? I mean it can just be one game per console that gets updated yearly, I'm sure parents would flock to that value over the competition.

Do the Lego games even come to Wii U anymore? Do kids play sports games? Along with Minecraft, these are fairly huge things

Most people look at the controller and think that's it...it's a one-player system. Nintendo messed up with advertising it, not showing that it plays Wii games and uses the Wii controllers, that was their biggest mistake, besides just losing 3rd party support and the fact that they should have named it differently...it was the lack of advertising. Mix that with the bad launch games, and the fact that you had to wait almost a year for something that was really good to come out, left people in the dust.

Other than that, exclusive Wii U family-friendly games: Super Mario 3D World, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10, Wii Party U, Wii Sports Club, The Crood's Prehistoric Party, Hello kitty Cruisers, Sing U, Family Party Obstacle Course, Game And Wario, Game Party Champions and Just Dance Kids 2014...plus, there's a few others that haven't come out on any other system.

PS4's exclusive family-friendly games: Knack, Tearaway Unfolded, Little Big Planet 3, Sing Star Ultimate Party and a few others.

I don't know about the Xbox One, but giving that this is still a question that shouldn't be asked until the systems are deeper into their life cycles, the PS4 and XONE will definitely have more family games in another year (which would put those two in the same date with the Wii U)...those two will also have more exclusives.

What I think should be looked at, and if the NX is coming out 2016 or 2017, look at when the Wii U is done, add that system's years, look at the other two's in that same time year frame, then look at exclusives and family games...that would give the best and most honest answer instead of people complaining about the other companies.

All of the systems have their games that make them a want...I love nintendo and will always support them and their games, they have the games that keep on making you come back to. I love Sony too for their games that they make. No matter what, every company has their games, and to answer the question in all honesty...nintendo is and always will be the family company...even if their system flops, they just need to ADVERTISE and start thinking about what people want in a system, instead of thinking they know and get it wrong.

@Mando44646 Lego Dimensions and Lego Jurassic World came out for Wii U...I'm not sure if Lego Marvel Avengers is coming out next year or not, but in all honesty, almost all of the Wii U's retail games are kiddie-platform titles

@Xenocity Actually, on the download side, there is a lot of family-friendly games that are available for the other two systems, and since downloads are what is holding the Wii U together, they should be counted to. My kids love the PS3 and the PS4...lots of family games on the PS3, and they are coming for the PS4 (Kung Fu Panda 3, Adventure Time, Digimon, another Rabbids title, New Hot Shots Golf, Snoopy's Grand Adventure) and my kids love playing Rabbids Invasion, Tearaway Unfolded, Uncharted (which is rated T, not M), Little Big Planet 3 and a lot of the titles available as download...there's actually more, but in honesty, you are right, that there isn't enough. I hate shooters and I'm not really that big into the M-rated games (if I can't beat them, I don't like them)...I'm more of the gamer that likes platform titles, adventures, simulation, strategy and puzzles...which is why I have a Wii U.

Wii U just needs a better and bigger variety...they should have more retail releases (like PS4 and XONE have download titles released as retail titles too)...this is important for people who don't have the internet. Older games (I'm 35) remember just putting the cartridge in and starting it up, we don't like to wait for downloads and having to go online in order to buy a game...give the option to also see it as a retail game.

Back to the point though, there are family games for the other consoles too...just making a point. Good article though!

@rjejr much like the Gamecube my friend the Wii U will be an overlooked GEM...i look at the quality of games and replay value and the Wii U has both. But at the same time i truly appreciate the type of games the Wii U has and STILL has on the way! I have 168 hrs in DKCTF yup 201% and im number 5 in time attack for 1-K and 589 hrs in MK8...the replay value is beyond the hours i put in to other games like Last of Us and i was the type to put over 10 hours into the "demo" called Ground Zeros which i still play but not like MK8 or Splatoon. All are great game experiences but the Wii U for me and my family has been the most apprecited console and to me regardless it shinning brighter than the rest

There's nothing mystifying about it. The Wii U makes sense to a very specific family where the kids don't like Minecraft but do like Nintendo games. Where they specifically want Amiibo. Where they like to play multiplayer but don't like sports games. Where older players looking for single player experiences love Zombiu, Bayonetta and older Batman games and aren't bothered about GTA, MGS, The Witcher, Arkham Knight etc. Where they love the online play of MK8 and Splatoon but aren't bothered about the latest COD, Battlefield or Halo (or sports games). A family where nobody is bothered about racing games or Uncharted or Little Big Planet or Star Wars. Where they're happy with a machine that will be dead in a year.

But after selling to those 6 families....

@Mando44646

Yeah Wii U has a good supply of Lego games but like Just Dance, Skylanders etc. they're not a selling point when they're on the other platforms as well

@neolego

"If a parent is buying this to play Mario Kart with their kids, but then would like to play Call of Duty once they are in bed....sorry. You will have to buy a whole other console for that experience. Sure, it's nitpicking, but if you are looking for a one stop shop for the family as a total, it is a worthwhile concern."

That's not nitpicking, it's a perfect summary of reality-the reason the other machines sell more (aside from better tech and marketing) is they actually do offer something for everyone.

@TheDavyStar Most people who discovered gaming through the DS or Wii are now playing games on phones or tablets instead, they don't need big and complicated games that potentially have huge replay-value, they just want easy-to-play stuff to while away a bit of time with, and if they can get that on the phone or tablet they already have, why spend money on a seperate console?

@rjejr Good to see you being yourself again bud. My Cyber-Liver cant take much more.

On that note, articles like these highlight one of the many many reasons I'm on happy pills now. The amount of **** I get for owning one of these boxes. Ignoring it's my primary console, this thing has some sort of stigma attached it to it that seems to bring owners nothing but misery and I don't know why.

@electrolite77 LOL...you're stating almost the same thing I stated, as most of the people commenting are saying that it's the best thing out there. I like the Wii U, but the PS4 gets more play time due to the variety of games available retail and download...there's just more. Nintendo is for nintendo games, and that's the way the whole Wii U has been treated...even nintendo doesn't really seem to put the time and effort into the system (the games are fast and quick to play and don't really show the greatest of graphics...just cartoony in HD). They're trying, but most of the Wii U games seemed rushed (in the fact that there could be a lot more content into each title like the Wii games were). Mario Kart 8 was not my favorite Mario Kart...still love the N64 and Gamecube ones more...Smash Bros was missing the love of the Wii version...in my opinion, and I found too many glitches in New Super Mario Bros U, which I ended up liking the 3DS version better. Also, before everyone starts bashing me here, if nintendo was giving the Wii U the love it needs, and if they were listening to fans...we'd have an Animal Crossing title coming that's not a cheap party game...but it's almost like nintendo doesn't want to make a high powered title that could only sell a million copies total...they want the higher copies sold. If the Wii U did a lot better, then we'd see bigger and better games and more variety, but it almost seems that they're just making small games to keep the owners happy, and working on the next system (NX) instead. I have to admit that the Gamecube had a lot of variety...even a lot of 3rd party support, and it's library was good size with many games that I purchased on it (we own over 170 titles). Gamecube was my favorite in that generation, even though I also owned the PS2 (for their titles), but Gamecube got the most play value, and still does to this day. I loved the PS3 last generation, but I've lost the replay for most of them...nintendo I always end up coming back to.

@WanderingPB Wii U may be a great console to own, or get as a gift from a wealthy uncle, but I'd be afraid to recommend it to any of my working class family or friends at $300 b/c if I did either the price would drop the next week - the $350 - $300 for the Deluxe was announced a week after I bought mine - or Nintendo would finally have a Nintendo Direct all about the NX Home console coming out in March 2016. If it hits $199 before that NX ND announcement I'll recommend it. Still time, but not much.

Oh, and the price drop isn't compeltly about the price - there may be $300 worth of hardware in there - but it's been 2 years since the last drop, in the videogame world that makes a price drop due. Especially for a system selling 10 mil in 3 years. PS4 dropped $50 in 2 years and at 25 mil it's selling just fine. If anything the $50 drop is more about news exposure than anything, ringing that big "SALE!" ice cream truck bell so everybody comes a running. PS4 was going to sell fine at $400, but Sony wants better than fine, and better than Microsoft.

@Volcanox "Good to see you being yourself again bud."

I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but I reread my post, and though it is negative, it's deservedly negative based on current circumstances, and I'm ok with that. I don't do spin or rose colored glasses. I'm positive enough when it's merited. Just hasn't happened on here in about 6 or 7 months. I'm hard pressed to think of the last big positive news item. New 3DS coming to US I suppose, but that's fake good, as in "what took it so long?". The Jeopardy music is playing in my head but I got nothing. Seriously, what was the last good news? OK the port of arcade game Pokken Tournament onto Wii U next year. That news broke Aug 21, 2 months ago tomorrow. Cheers?

@rjejr

I don't know. I think I'm about to throw up from these pills.

@Volcanox Maybe they make a suppository version. (That's probably only funny if you've seen the film Trainspotting, which I highly recommend, well if your into watching people OD on drugs. I probably wouldn't like it new now, but it was the right time and place for me, instant classic.)

@rjejr i understand where your coming from my overly zealous friend but i disagree. Infact i personally dont even believe a price drop would move that many units because even though the Wii U has great quality games it is truly a console for Nintendo fans. Im not defending Nintendo and stating people are wrong and they are right they obviously made some mistakes but the people who solely judging the Wii U based on sales are just as wrong. I buy Nintendo consoles day 1 because i can always expect their quality games and fun experiences where as i wait for Sony and Microsoft to drop price and more importantly to release exclusive games. What do the PS4 and XB1 offer aside from slightly better visuals? Phantom Pain runs great on my PS3 but most importantly plays the same...from the beginning you've mentioned that the Wii U needs a price drop and hey im all for saving money but they are making great games and even with 10 million units they still have many games passing the 1 million mark which is impressive for a "dead" console. I recommend the Wii U because it has more games you will play for more than 1 play through and the experience of having the gamepd you CAN NOT get anywhere else. before u mention the PS4 and Vita how are they together?...exactly the Wii U is unique and thats why i feel its like an overlooked GEM! its annoying i have to look up things w/ the idriod in Phantom Pain when i know the if it was on the Wii U the game pad would make that experience much more immersive. I buy and recommend consoles to play games not watch movies and facebook...and years from now i'll be playing the Wii U with my grandkids and explaining to them how happy i feel being able to share that experience with them...and complaining about Splatoon's horrible level selection in Battle dojo...what a gyp!

EDIT: how much money does it cost to own the PS4 and Vita together? sorry i shouldve read before sending

@WanderingPB Well I never said I would recommend a PS4 or Vita. If somebody asked me this holiday what console to get their kid I would say PS3, I'm sure it will be on sale somewhere this holiday for $150, or $200 w/ a family type game, Lego D or Disney or something. If they had a PS3 already I'd tell them new 3DS XL, or for a kid that $99 2DS w/ Yokai Watch. After that they're on their own, I'm not being on the hook for a $300 potentially obsolete system. If Ninnteod wants me to recommend their products they have to give me reasons. And not just great games. The year has just been too quiet on the game front and too loud on the NX front, and I don't like that combination.

@rjejr as always my friend i have much respect for you but politely disagree...a PS3 for kids? with partial mandatory installs and games that are also available on the Wii U? except for Minecraft and Adult Mature game exclusives? LOL! a PS3 is still $249 and in order to move those SKU yeah i agree they will have to drop that price especially since most are abandoning it for PS4! and i was using the PS4 and Vita as an example of how the Wii U gamepad gives players a unique experience and price but i know you wouldnt recommend it did you notice how Fallout 4 is now using the vita? people just dont want to admit the gamepad functionality is great

and the Nintendo online store has refurbished Wii U for $200 plus its exclusive library makes it easy in my opinion to recommend and again an obsolete console that has an increase sales of 110% LOL! whether the Wii U has another year or 2 the reason to recommend the Wii U IS ITS EXISTING GAME LIBRARY to which my friend you can not experience elsewhere! i love my PS3 and its exclusives but that doesnt mean i am blind to the facts or should i say hours spent actually playing games.

and maybe this is where we are just different but i ONLY buy consoles to PLAY games. yeah i agree flip floppers are jumping on the NX bandwagon hype but this holiday im going to be playing Super Mario Maker, Wooly World, Fatal Frame, XCX and then Pokken Tournament, Starfox and Legend of Zelda Wii U i also have games on my PS3 that needed my undivided attention. If your just buying a Wii U this holiday 2015 i have to say you have a ridiculous amount of games to choose from whether its playing new or catch up the Wii U library stands tall! I was going to mention DKCTF again but then we would sound like old ladies bickering...uh...well...more so LOL!

@rjejr

I've been asked about Wii U for a relative and I couldn't really bring myself to wholeheartedly recommend it. The existing library is good and Wii BC may be of some use to them but I know they want to still be able to get new games for it in 2 years and beyond, plus the Dad of the family is into his sports and one of the boys loves Moto GP. They still may go for a Wii U but I couldn't in all consciousness push them towards it.

@WanderingPB This past Christmas I bought a PS3 for $169 - holiday sale, not the standard price - and that included the $65 Disney Infinity 2.0 Avengers starters set, which I wanted to get for my kids anyway, so that made my PS3 about $100. If there is a $200 Wii U this holiday which includes DI 3.0 or $250 for Skylanders Superchargers - I spent $100 for the Dark set - then I would recommend it to people. PS3 also had Lego Batman 3 and a couple of other "Family oriented" bundles last holiday. And I happen to like the fact that I can buy a PS3 w/ Disney Infinity for my kids and then play Skyrim or Last of Us after they go to bed. And we play Minecraft on our 2 PS3 together and I only had to buy 1 $20 copy of the game. My sister bought a Wii on my recommendation years ago, but it is only used for her husband and son to play Madden and some Cablea hunting type games. I'd tell her to get a PS3 over a Wii U b/c no Madden on Wii U.

And don't forget, Nintnod likes backwards compatibility. If I tell somebody to buy a $300 Wii U now, and there is a $300 NX Home console available next holiday that plays all Wii U games, then I look like an idiot, and I don't like looking like an idiot. Again, not knocking the console, knocking the current circumstances.

Oh, and I should have mentioned I bought a Dreamcast the Christmas before they discontniud it. It's still my 2nd favorite console behind PS2, but I still clearly recall being greatly annoyed at that fact, Not as annoyed as Wii U getting the price drop after an entire year of Iwata saying it wouldn't, but that's twice bitten, once shy for me from now on.

@electrolite77 Yeah, I'm all for saying it's a great system w/ some great games, but when it comes to somebody else spending their money on my say so, that's more responsibility than I want.

@rjejr LOL! even though we dont always agree i always appreciate your perspectives on this site my friend or maybe i find our debates much more entertaining LOL!

If we are going to discuss "Holiday" sales then my friend im going to stop u right there b/c just like the PS3 the Wii U had sales bundles available as well with greatly discounted games and bundles at great prices. Im not knocking on the PS3 my son and I continue to sink hours into Minecraft but we are talking about regular prices and options correct? Discount Holiday Sales dont count b/c thats based on each store and what prices they offer competitively plus most places will throw in a gift card to which you can buy another games for free or cheap either way you look at it. Right now at Gamestop and TRU website the PS3 is $249 regular price no holiday discount or bundle. obviously throw in a sale and its Happy Dayz and though that price is cool the Fonz is cooler!

My #1 console i always say is the Gamecube b/c Double Dash helped me realize why i play games for...fun but i spent more hours playing N64 and the Dreamcast...regardless my friend both the PS3 and the Wii U are a must have in my book and this "circumstance" you refer to is a reality to every console towards the end of its life cycle but the difference is that i dont need to recommend a PS2 because most of its games has an HD remaster on the PS3 right?

You realize the PS4 is NOT backwards compatible or else you WOULD recommend it heck that to me is a no brainer i would even buy a PS4 right now! so you do realize we dont know if the NX will be backwards compatible especially if the "disc less" rumors are true? True they usually are but so was the PS2 and Sony cut that off early in the PS3 life cycle so who knows what will happen. You would tell someone to skip MK8, SM3DW, SSB4, SPLATOON and other exclusives just for Madden? Now thats quite MAD ;p but i understand it depends on the person playing too they may prefer 1 madden to a exclusive nintendo library just like i prefer my exclusive nintendo library to broken 3rd party games and i can count them in 1 hand exclusives that or ok... besides once a new console releases the older console is going to be cheaper thats just facts and there are many people who only buy consoles at the end of their life cycle so whether you get a Wii U/PS3 now or later they both have a great library waiting...but understand my friend NOT EVERYONE plays games with REAL replay value hence why we have Gamestops and a "Madden" every year...I value games like Starfox 64, Double Dash, MK Wii, Splatoon because they DO have a unique replay value that expands beyond its generations...not a games like Last of Us which was AMAZING on the PS3 and only looks AMAZING-er on the PS4 but plays the same ya know or Madden that is a reskin of the year before....Double Dash is different from MK8 (and yes better ;p ) just like Wind Waker is different from Skyward Sword and Prime 1 is different from Prime 3...its just we have different values my friend thats all besides its just my perspective and appreciate you listening instead of attacking but if you all of a sudden start praising DKCTF i will know you were abducted by aliens and i will never respond to ur comments again! LOL!!

@electrolite77 You are correct. However, if you are focused on gaming as a Family, Nintendo does offer more content then either of the competitors. I own an Xbox One so I can play the games that I want to play, but I still fully support the Wii U as the best all around console with family together as the primary focus.

@rjejr I understand what you are saying with the suggestions. If the hypothetical person who hasn't gamed since 5th Generation asked me it would greatly depend on the age of the child in question and whether the parent would want to also play. I think for a family to game together, the Wii U/PC combo still is the best option.

For a teenager, I probably would steer them towards either PC or XBO at this point. The XBO is making a hard drive (EDIT: sorry, no pun intended) with Gold membership and all 360 games being backwards compatible with XBO moving forward. That is four games (you own) a month for $60/yr. That is a serious bargain, and it is hard to beat it anywhere.

For a smaller child, I would probably recommend either the Wii U, 3DS, or 2DS system (depending on how much parental control is desired over the activity). I believe in letting a kid be a kid for as long as possible and Nintendo still are the masters of building wonderful games that tend to stay in the E or E10 rating groups. While most of the other publishers focused on that segment of the market also publish everywhere else, you miss on Nintendo elsewhere. Neither Sony, Microsoft, or even PC really focuses on that market anymore.

@neolego i concur my friend

@Darknyht well said!

@Darknyht I should probably add I know little about Microsoft's Xbox consoles only Halo and GoW so I would probably never recommend one having never owned one. We looked into getting the kids a 360 a few years back as Kinect was all the rage and they had a family friendly bundle w/ Disneyworld Adventures and a sports camping game, but the reviews for the 2 games were bad, and I didn't think it was right to need gold to stream Netflix. I think we just spent a lot of money on games that year instead, whatever was out holiday 2 years ago.

My original reaction when the Wii U was unveiled was something like "Wow that's a great idea and I bet that'd be a lot of fun, but who's gonna want to keep that giant gamepad in their living room?"
Not to mention that in order to sell it at $300 (really $350), and still make a profit, the gamepad wound up being both underpowered and lacking in battery life which meant keeping it tethered for play sessions longer than an hour. Even with this horrendously weak gamepad, the system could only support one at a time and if yours broke you were mostly SOL.

@WanderingPB Good thing we're having this discussion on here and not on Miiverse, that 400 character limit would be a problem.

I bought a Gamecube 2 days after it dropped to $99. I would have bought it sooner but we didn't have Nintendo Life back then, so when I saw it in the store for $99 it had been 2 days since they dropped it. I also picked up 4 games from the cheap Players Choice list - Starfox Adventures, Luigi's Mansion, SSBM, and Super Mario Sunshine - that totaled about $100, so that was $200 for a console and 4 games.

I think that experience has also conditioned me to wait for the price drop and Greatest Hits lineup of games, b/c you know its coming. Bought my PS2 when it hit $199 and Final Fantasy 10 was out. Bought a Wii at $249 only b/c Amazon was having a lottery at launch, they were so difficult to get, so I bought it with a bunch of Amazon credit I had. I can't recall what my Dreamcast bundle cost, maybe $150? It was from a clothing dept store, maybe Korvettes, that was either going out of business or getting out of electronics.

So that's just the way I roll, budget conscious. Also why I'll probably never own another Apple product.

@rjejr LOL! yeah this wouldve drove me insane on miiverse!

I actually the same way but the PS2 burned me...i was lucky enough to get it at launch but i was also one of the ones that had to send it back to Sony after 8 months because of a problem with the disc drive...my xbox collected dust b/c i didnt want to pony up $50 buck for a remote in order to use the dvd player and Halo single player bored me so my N64 stood with me but that where my Dreamcast saved me with a ridiculous amount of Marvel vs Capcom 2 that rivaled my Starfox64 and GoldenEye play time!!! but thats when i decided not to participate in the following generation. My friend let me borrow his gamecube and i played Double Dash like i have never played a video game before! That's why i believe 1 great game can be worth buying a console and every other game is just an added bonus

i held off on getting a Wii until the limited Red bundle released with NSMB and that Wii was backwards compatible for $199 plus they already had MK Wii, SMG and of course DKCR so yeah that was a no brainer for me LOL! my PS3 i got the Last Of Us 500gb bundle for $199 and all the games i wanted were $10 - 20 buck so uh yeah MONEY IN THE BANK!!! LOL!

The Wii U i bought at launch and yeah the drought and 3rd party drama sucked but overall my son and I have played the Wii U the most and only go back to the PS3 for Minecraft inbetween Wii U games and of course i do the same except Metal Gear will always have me under its spell...the series i just brilliant to me...LOL uh so yeah u can say i sorta like MGS

savings are important i agree and its never wrong to be a wise shopper but if they ever decide to re-release Dreamcast i would buy it in a heartbeat because of its library regardless if its "obsolete" or not thanks again for putting up with my stubborness

@WanderingPB Well there ya go, we're pretty close across the board, though I never played Double Dash - I think it's still $50 if you can find it, $20 on VC and I might pick it up - and I'm waiting to own a PS4 for MGS so I can play whatever the final cut GH or GOTY edition has added to it.

And don't worry, I'm sure I'll be recommending a Wii U to people at some point, just not right now. I am hoping some of my kids friends get 1 for Christmas b/c Skylanders and Disney Infinity have online play, and the only person we know w/ a Wii U is their cousin a few states away, but his dad hasn't put it online yet. I even gave him my Guacamele code as incentive but still no. I wanted my kids to have some Wii U friends. Maybe they would even start playing Splatoon again.

@rjejr not only do i have Double Dash but my gamecube library is 57 games total! and when i dont use my red wii i use my back up Platinum GCN with S1 video cables Double Dash is not for all especially 150cc the cpu goes from difficult to DKCTF! LOL! and its double team is so much fun woth each character having their own specialty and its co-op can be a disaster or krazy awesome depending if u both work together. but unfortunately since there is no GCN titles on the VC you'll have to wait for the NX or get the original either way i recommend it plus it has the most difficult and best Rainbow Road of the series in my opinion!

Im happy to say that Metal Gear doesn't usually folly the GOTY trend others do. MGS Legacy on PS3 will run u about $30 NEW on AMAZON and you get every single Metal Gear released on console from the NES to the PS3! you also get 2 download codes for the PS store for the PS1 MGS and VR missionsand it includes the HD release of MGS2 and Snake eater!!! Absolutely recommend it new b/c used you might not get the codes for the original MGS and VR missions so yeah Legacy is the way to go! Ground Zeros is $18 and Phantom Pain i got for $40 the only difference between PS3 version and the PS4 version is that the PS3 runs at 30fps and PS4 runs at 60fps other wise the game is the same and absoultely amazing! by the time i get a PS4 (probably when they release Last Guardian) i will repurchase GZ and PP for the PS4 b/c it will be cheaper and i just love MGS that much...yup im a sucker like that too but at least im waiting doesnt that count for something? LOL

My son plays Splatoon with 1 friend online but i feel Nintendoe dropped the ball because my son wanted to play Splatoon together co-op with me and also that Battle Dojo is a joke plus why arent all the new levels available to play in the battle dojo? we're still stuck with the original 5?! Damn it Reggie that and Fatal Frame w/ no physical release and Triforce heros w/out a 2 player mode?...what a joke...hand me a pitchfork rjejr and my son and I will head down to NOA with u and ur boy

@WanderingPB Wow, that kinda went downhill fast from Double Dash to Splatoon, huh? Don't let all of my negativity wear off on you, stay positive. Splatoon dropped the ball in a few spots - no voice chat, no dual Gamepad. I'm looking forward to Spaltoon 2 on NX when they get it right. Game sold too well despite those limitations not to get a sequel. Maybe my kids friends will buy NX as well so they have someone to play with. Good launch line-up, decent marketing and a competitive price could go a long way towards success.

@rjejr what irony when its you my friend thats tells me to stay positive LOL!!! if we continue to switch roles like this we may actually have Nintendope scared right?! LOL!

i may be a "whiny Nintendo fan boy" but i am also very "logical" even though those two terms dont quite often go together ;p

Splatoon vchat didnt bother me but having split screen w/ dual gamepads wouldve been pretty friggin sweet that and of course having all the levels i PAID for accessible in Battle Dojo! LOL!

As for the NX...im just waiting to be surprised by Ninty again...even though the Wii U wasnt a great success...to me its library was well worth the price of admission! and if i ever veer towards negativity im sure you'll keep me in check...hope ur boys Bar-Mitzvah was awesome!

@WanderingPB Bar mitzvah was awesome, thanks.

If Nintendo finds a way to make the miraculous hybrid then everybody should be extremely happy. One console for all the great handheld games like Kid Icaurs, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, Monster Hunter and Animal Crossing on a big screen tv and Pikmin, Mario, Zelda and Splatoon always in your pocket to play anywhere and any time. It would make us all wonder why they were ever separate systems, and separate sets of games, to begin with. The holy grail of gaming. And it might actually happen next year.

@rjejr i concur my friend...the force is strong with you

In the end it was ahead of its time. Playing with GamePad with games like Zombi U or Mass Effect 3 or Arkham City and so on is a magnificent experience. But it didn't have the wide appeal. People preferred the boring old controllers and the lesser experiences, and people got what they deserved.