Reggie on Wii U Support Going Forward

"The Switch is not going to replace the Wii U"

I have a whole laundry list of lies Nintendo has told...

Wow, what a surprise.

Not.

I don't think Nintendo will drop online support for Wii U anytime in the near future, but clearly they're VERY done with Wii U.

Hopefully the same will be true of 3DS after 2017.

And, oh wow, I need that picture as a wallpaper or something. SO gorgeous.

@Phin68 Lol, did he actually say that?

existing video game console to cease receiving stream of new releases, as new video game console is unveiled soon.
more on this in a moment.

but first, more breaking news:
standing under water will make you wet.

In other news, the sky is blue!

@Phin68 I sure hope N3DS and Switch co-existing for "quite some time" isn't the next addition to that list! I'm not ready for the sun to set on N3DS quite yet.

@MitchVogel It wasn't Reggie who said it, but I know there was an official statement a couple months ago. Gotta find it.

R.I.P Wii U. Forever not in our hearts. You will not be missed.

Hope the 3DS follows the Wii U to the grave soon so that the Switch can reach it's full potential.

So much for the switch being the "3rd pillar". I think Nintendo is trying to channel the rest of the gaming market with paid online like xbox/PS4, mobility like phones/tablets, the inability to count to three like Valve... On a serious note though, even as a Wii U owner I am okay with this. I actually hope that they start to wind down the 3DS as well over the next year and really focus all their might behind the switch maybe offering a tablet/Joy-Con only sku to lower the price a bit. The N3DS is a brilliant bit of hardware, and I will sorely miss the 3D, but it is time to move forward.

I'm still going to use the WIiU from time to time, but 3DS will remain my primary console through 2017, along with the PC.

And we'll see what happens with Switch.

@Phin68 https://gamerant.com/nintendo-nx-wiiu-3ds-124/ Ha, Kimishima also said Wii U production probably wouldn't stop till 2018!

Is this finally a confirmation that Project Giant Robot has been cancelled? It's still on my upcoming games list.

Farewell Wii U...
Zelda Breath of The Wild is the last gift for Wii U...
But the Beginning of Switch.
I still enjoy my Wii U as both Wii U and Wii.
Continue the Nintendo's journey, SWITCH !

@MrHero The 3ds has already started to wind down, I think, as it is mostly getting ports and smaller games now. I wouldn't be surprised if development of Ever Oasis was 'switched' to the Switch.

@MitchVogel Well, there you have it!

Not surprise, considering that games today, even in Wii U take time and money to develop, and if the Switch also takes time and money, then, plus, that games in Wii U cannot actually sell the needed for profits, Switch is the only console that will take the focus for give profits to Nintendo and Third parties; and this was notorious for the games that are being developed for the Switch and "will come out soon".

Well, Wii U still have time, but well, not more games coming soon (o soon), but, for me, it's not a failure, because, there are many games really excellent, great exclusives and show a great potential (but never well used).

Wonder how long the lobbies for Kart/Smash/Splatoon will stay active though.

@KirbyTheVampire
I still LOVE my 3DS.
It's too early for 3DS to be discontinued.
There are so many color variation for New 3DS or XL that still selling like hot cakes.
Too pity to be discontinued too early.

@roboshort True, but it is still getting significantly more support that the Wii U had this past year. Based just on the titles announced so for for 2017 the 3DS already outclasses the Wii U's 2016. Either way, if they make games, I will play them!

Well, I guess that's still been longer first party support than Vita was allowed...

As for customer impressions, I can only remember my first - "heh, so DS proved so popular that they evolved its lower part into a whole gamepad?" I didn't mind that, but perhaps such a response isn't something Reggie would have hoped to hear either. So I see where he's coming from.

Well, no poo Poirot.

@Anti-Matter It'll suck when support ends for the 3DS, but it needs to for the Switch to get the maximum level of support.

@ALinkttPresent Project Robot is now Arms.Based on nothing but my own assumptions.

@Phin68 that was long before Switch, back when NX was planned as a third pillar and conceived early enough for Wii U's future to still look repairable. Just like with DS, we heard intentions rather than promises back then, so "lies" is a dramatizing term.

I wouldn't even be surprised to hear that it was Wii U's continuously dwindling performance that led Nintendo to start packing NX with all the tech legacy of their portable AND home units including motion controls and whatnot (sans the still topical 3DS whose concept's wow factor sadly lasted about as long as in cinemas earlier anyway).

Wii will miss U.

@OorWullie If you look at gameplay for Project Giant Robot, it's not similar at all to Arms.

still play online Mario kart / splatoon daily. of course they need to keep the servers up till at least end of year. what would life be without splatoon! im quite worried about how to split my Zelda / splatoon time from 3rd of march to be honest. its a tuff life.

As soon as MK8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2 are out, activity for those on Wii U will drop too and be closed down in no time.

"I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories..."

@ALinkttPresent Well it's 1v1 motion controlled fighting with customisable mechanical arms.I think they just couldn't get PGR to work or be fun in the way they wanted so after some discussions about "how can we make this fun?" and some upended tea tables,Arms is what they've come up with.As soon as I saw Arms,PGR,as different as it looks was the first thing that came to mind.

Thanks for the memories WiiU, whether surprisingly good and insultingly bad.

In the future, I'd like to see Nintendo look into letting 3rd parties run Wii U servers if they so choose or at least leave the door open to anyone who would like to take over. There is a lot of people out there who will miss a lot of online goodness from Wii U. I missed out on original Xbox Live and getting those servers back is unlikely at this point. I doubt Nintendo will roll that way but it's wishful thinking. It really is the only feasable way to preserve online components of game consoles going forward

I think its dreadful that there is no mention of cross-buy on Zelda and FREE upgrades for ALL Wii U owners for upcoming Switch-Wii U ports that Wii U owners have already bought. If Reggie thinks Wii U has been bad for Ninty its been worse for Wii U owners. These are the Nintendo die hards that have kept sales ticking over, despite a terrible games drought, especially over last two years. Whats wrong with
a) rewarding their MOST LOYAL fans for their patience and understanding, and
b) giving Wii U owners a reason/incentive to upgrade.
Capcom have just announced Cross Buy for Resident Evil 7 accross two seperate platforms (PC and XB1)! Yet Ninty wont do it for their own loyal fans!! Im constantly surprised by the amount of PS4 games I purchase that are automatically added to my Vita download list as soon as a Vita port is finished, at no extra cost. Ive never missed a Nintendo console, usually a day one purchase for me - but, if they're expecting me to pay for Mario Kart 8 again.... im officially done.

This is a bit off topic, but some comments really surprised me and made me wonder about one thing:

Why people want 3DS to go into it's grave so much? That's pretty harsh. No one forces you to not play on Switch only, no one forces you to keep using 3DS. If Nintendo will keep supporting 3DS that does not mean the Switch is in any danger. To be honest 80-90% of people who will buy Switch, will probably be Nintendo's loyal fans. Especially if the games will be overpriced and no interesting bundles coming.

Most people I talked to so far about Switch said it looks cool, but they are not interested (most reasons being Sony, heh) and that they prefer playing on console-solely. I think Nintendo clearly shows their current focus is fully on the Switch, but why they need abandon 3DS which is still highly popular in Japan and millions of people still own the handheld? It's not the same case as with Wii U which was in terms of sales (not in terms of the console itself) a failure. That's a fact. But 3DS was NOT a failure. Why are you so unwilling to let Nintendo support both their handheld and hybrid (aka next gen)? Sony still supports PS3 and PSV even though there is PS4 for quite some time already and people still call Vita dead even with the huge amount of Vita games released each month. I'm sorry if I sound mean or dumb, but I just don't get it - the "hate" or "disgust" or whatever I should call the issue you have with 3DS's future support.

Don't you feel pretty selfish thouh? I mean from the perspective of loyal fans that have been playing on 3DS for ages and still want to enjoy online support. Not everyone will be able to afford the new gen straight away and lot of people will stick to 3DS before definitely moving to Switch. Well some people still enjoy their O3DS and don't think about moving to Switch. Personally I'm going to support both the Switch and 3DS.

But back to the article. I don't own Wii U, but is it truly sad news to see they broke their promise. The big talk about Switch NOT being replacement for the Wii U and 3DS seems really laughable now (unless NL posted a fake article). I wonder what will be the tale of the Switch in 4-6 years in the future. Same as Wii U? Or as 3DS? Maybe even better? Only time and the first sales will tell...

@Phin68 Couldn't said it better haha

@nhSnork Actually it was not so long ago (pretty recent article) that I read the official Nintendo statement saying the Swith (yes the Switch, not NX) won't replace Wii U and 3DS. That's why I dislike people who make promises they can't keep or break them easily. Better no promise at all than an empty one.

@Anti-Matter high 5! The lifespan end for 3DS is inevitable, but I hope it won't happen any soon. I don't get why people think a Nintendo's support of 3DS will be in any way for the Switch. The Switch is already inferior to 3DS (EDIT I think everyone else got that I meant superior, not inferior, but just in case someone else misunderstand I did meant to say that 3DS is inferior to Switch, not opposite) in terms of hardware and graphics. But it's definitely the most comfortable handheld I ever had with tons of great titles I can spend hours of gameplay in.

@fluggy Sadly that's how I would call Nintendo's (and any company making profit) "cash grab" strategy. As long as they can make money of it, they will keep making ports and enhanced versions of their games while forcing those who already own the game to purchase it again for a full price with no benefits. One of the reasons I was so unsure while deciding if to go for 3DS or Vita. 3DS won, because their games are just my taste and while Vita gets lot of visual novels which I miss playing, Nintendo's games are just more... fun in general.

It's sad that we have to worry about Wii U multiplayer severs going down. Xbox 360 and PS3 have them up and running still. Nintendo do like to shut things off pretty early though.

@Peach64 That's true indeed. I remember they supported PS2 for many years even after the PS3 was already out (PS2 was the only Sony product I ever owned, surely purchsed for Final Fantasy titles lol). My little cousin still plays on PS3 everyday and loves it. Of course he would love to get PS4, but this is just another proof that old does not always equal to bad. I feel really bad about how the Wii U ended up... I didn't even got a chance to try it, heh.

Glad to see they're still supporting online. Confirming that Breath of the Wild is the last game is like confirming chips taste nice at this point though.

@fluggy Well Wii U Zelda is £20 cheaper than the Switch version ,at least its RRP is so I guess that's their way of apologising to Wii U owners.If the Switch wasn't on the horizon it would have cost £49.99. I never really expected an upgrade discount for Zelda tbh,let alone a free upgrade.Same goes for MK8,I doubt there'll be a discount.At best,maybe some free MyNintendo points.I do think they should thank Wii U owners in some way though.I'd guess 90% of Wii U owners are the dedicated fans that have stuck with them so maybe a "thank you for your loyalty" gesture of some free VC games would go down well.At this stage it would cost them nothing to do but would generate a lot of good will.The fact they never even gave Wii U owners a free platinum point game on MyNintendo though makes that very unlikely to happen.They just want to sweep it under the carpet and forget about it it seems.

@Peach64 to be fair, the termination of the wii and ds online services wasn't entirely up to Nintendo.

Well they did tell us that last year when nothing new was announced for it.

It was 18 months after wiiU launch that the Wii servers went down and that was due to some mobile company buying them. It wasn't just Wii and DS affected. By that time Nintendo had stopped pushing system updates out and people who were still wanting to play Mario Kart and Smash Bros. online were able to softmod their systems easy enough to continue to play on alternative servers #cough# or so I've heard 😜

Welp, Reggie is admitting the Wii U has failed.
Did not see that coming.

@Tasuki
I think Wii U had more absolute must own games than Virtual Boy actually had games

Any system that has even one game that registers on your favorites of all time list is deserving of honor. Real gamers value games... not trash them.

@cheonsacz Sir, congratulations for your post. I couldn't say better. As a 3DS/Wii U owner, i agree with everything you said.

I'll miss having new games to play on my Wii U, but with a good library of decent games including Zelda, VC, Wii games and Wii's VC games (specially Neo Geo and Sega Genesis games), i have a lot to play on my Wii U since i just bought myself a Wii Remote and Nunchuck. I'm doing everything i can to make the best use of this console. Also, i hope that they can mantain the 3DS going for at least a year and a half or so. I love this thing.
I'm not taking any risks with the Switch, however. I invested a lot of money on both platforms and even though It was worth It, it has been a painful experience for me, specially with the Wii U.
This is my second Nintendo console (first was the 64), and i wasn't really lucky with my choice, though i don't regret a bit buying this console since i was able to play many awesome games like DK, Pikmin 3, Smash Bros, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Mario 3D World, Mario Maker etc. and play games that i always wanted to try but never had the chance, like Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. But as someone who lives in Brazil, buying Nintendo games here is not a pleasant experience for your wallet since we have to pay 5-6 times more than the average price of 60 bucks, even though we should pay only 3 times more, but politics and their taxes...
Anyway, i still love my Wii U and i'm quite happy with It, and with my 3DS too. I'm still having tons of fun with both.

@cheonsacz "The Switch is already inferior to 3DS in terms of hardware and graphics." You're kidding, right? The Switch is even superior to Wii U! It doesn't mean that I want the Switch to replace the 3DS though, because I'll miss the 3D screen. :

@JaxonH Agreed the WiiU had at least 8 must have titles.

Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, 3d World, DKTF, Smash bros, Xenoblade X, The Wonderful 101, Yoshi's Wooly World and Zelda Botw.

Like it or not the wiiu had a great array games both big titles and indies.

@JaxonH The wiiU has actually been my favourite console... Before that it had been the Dreamcast to be honest but once again that had some amazing exclusive titles (at the time) before Sega threw in the towel. Despite Nintendo announcing this will be their final game I am in no hurry to upgrade. I've got a solid library of games and it suits my needs. I was really looking forward to Switch reveal but over the last week I've considered everything and mabey because I'm getting old now and had consoles since my old Grandstand and pretty much kept up with the console race I'm not ready to move on yet.

@RootsGenoa First I don't own Wii U, I never did and I don't plan to. I don't watch videos with Wii U gameplay so I can't compare. So no, I'm NOT kidding. Second I pointed that out only because people think 3DS being supported by Nintendo will stand in the way of the Switch, but I'm not going to repeat my comment.

@xandexdur_ Thank you, but I'm not sir. If anything "Miss" would be more precise haha XD yes same for me with the 3DS. I invested in it, bought it just recently (last year in summer) so I don't plan on throwing it out of the window and purchase Switch right away. I will save for it, but not buying it dy 1, maybe not even this year. And yeah, tax is always killing me. Though I'm shocked to hear the tax is even higher in Brazil than here. Can't imagine how they will price the Switch games including tax :-/ Would be great if we had unlimited wallet and could just spend... or if they just made the tax smaller...

@fluggy I'm also interested in this. I watched Gamespots interview with Reggie last night and he recognises this is an issue. He mentions the new account system on the Switch. Was unclear whether this would benefit people who are already in the Nintendo ecosystem, or just those going forward. I would place my money on the latter.

@cheonsacz Yes, but you could have said that the Switch is too big for a handheld, that its battery life is closer to the the one of the original 3DS, and that it doesn't have Streetpass - precisely because Nintendo doesn't consider the Switch as a pure handheld system. So yes, I agree on the fact that the Switch is NOT a suitable replacement for the 3DS.
But saying that "The Switch is already inferior to 3DS in terms of hardware and graphics" as you did (or did you mean the Wii U??) makes people think you have no clue what you are talking about. 3DS screens are 240p when Switch screen is 720p, for instance.

I love my WiiU, it was a great lil machine with some amazing games, I'm going to be getting BOTW for WiiU and Switch, WiiU for mainly collection purposes. I'll still play it as I play alot of top Wii games I missed out on and other game that won't come to Switch ever or a long time port

Online functionality needs to stay for Sm4sh needs, at least until a port of it arrives on the Switch!

By the looks of it I got no chance to get a switch at launch so I am getting Breath of the Wild on Wii U. Besides that I have lots of games on it to play. I never get rid of my old systems when a new one comes out. The new always have an inferior lineup for at least a couple of years. Or we get the remastered hell of PS4/Xbox One that will be heading to switch as well.

@MrHero Yeah. It looks like the 3ds will make it at least to next year. The wiiu's support was pretty bad in 2016, but I suppose we should be thankful that Nintendo did continue to support it because many people thought they wouldn't after e3 in 2015. Probably the same type of people freaking out about the Switch now.

Wii U died 2 years ago. It just wasn't made official back then. Even today it's still not official.

@Phin68 What you're talking about is standard business practice. Sony said they would keep supporting PS3 after PS4 launched. Nintendo said the DS was to be alongside the GBA not to replace it. That's just how marketing works. To say "This console will be dead soon" before your new one launches would be idiotic as it would basically be telling people not to buy your old console without providing them an alternative.

Reggie gets a lot of stick for telling what people perceive as 'lies'. But that's the nature of PR

I love my Wii U and we'll be playing it for a long time yet. Heck I've still some games I've yet to open, Bayonetta 2 I'm looking at you. Sad to think that just last night I pre-ordered the last Wii U release from Nintendo themselves though! Breath of The Wild from gameseek, just under £40, Nintendo UK Store are having a laugh looking £60!

I can understand why people are a bit salty that the Wii U's dead. I'm upet too. It is a great console that never reached its full potential.

That being said, they obviously couldn't financially support themselves with it. They did well to support it for this long.

Hopefully they can continue to release games on the 3DS. I can't imagine them funding the creation of too many new unique games for it now, but maybe we'll get some cool localisations from Japan and maybe some joint Switch/3DS projects.

@RootsGenoa I think you misunderstood. I wasn't saying Switch is worse. I was saying that Switch is superior to 3DS. I just mistyped inferior and didn't notice til now. Again I don't own Wii U, I never did and have no reason to talk about it in terms of comparison. And I was talking to someone else by the way. I will fix the wording though.

btw: English is not my native language

@cheonsacz I understand! English is not my native language either, and it is quite difficult to have an argument and find the right words. :

What about the 3DS? When will hear any news about its online services? Can you guys do a report on that?

Does anyone have any information?

There's still tons of new levels to play every day in Super Mario Maker, and I'm trying to record as much as possible. I'm really hoping that by the time they do pull the online plug, there will be some kind of Mario Maker Deluxe version on the Switch, or, at the least I've stockpiled enough videos to schedule them for long enough until a sequel/deluxe version comes out.

I'm doing 15-30 videos a day currently, but, as soon as I get news that the online is going to go down, I'll have to cut it down to maybe 6-12 just to stretch out the days, but I'll be hurting in the wallet because of it.

No more Wii U? Whoohoo! Ahem I mean, this is outrageous!!

@JaxonH this. Wii U's may be Nintendo's most underwhelming home console to date in terms of sales, but it's by no means a literal failure. 13 million may be a meh number by this industry's standards and comparisons, but outside them, it's more than some countries' population. And the platform has seen many games that made a splash.

For me the WiiU died a while back.
OK, that's not strictly true but all recent games bought have been secondhand and still to be played.

As for the servers I can forgive Nintendo for no long term support because MS and now Sony charge for online and can therefore maintain them longer. Hence the X360 that launched before the Wii is still maintaining online gaming.

I expect far longer online game lifetimes now from Nintendo who are asking for my hard earned rupees.

In other news, the water is wet.

We knew this was coming when the last big release was Paper Mario. It is a relief that online services will be around for now, I do hope that since the servers belong to Nintendo know, they won't be shutted down as the Wii servers were.

I do want to beat the crap out of Telethia for tickets in XCX in the global missions, after all.

This isn't shocking anyone. We all knew it was coming. It's just not viable to continually support an aging console. I don't get why everyone expects Nintendo to when Microsoft and Sony don't either.

I love my Wii U but I honestly worry about the day when my Gamepad doesn't work and the system is essentially dead. I believe it's the only system that requires such a specific piece of tech to control it. I recently decided to buy a second console refurbished from Nintendo and it's basically new. I have no idea where they get their refurbished consoles from but it's basically new and it cost me less than $300 Canadian. My Wii U collection is now secured! Bring on the Switch.

Sometimes one has to cut losses and move forward. So we enjoined wii u while it lasted.
What bothers me more is the fact there is no talks about wiiu mk8 Battle mode update. Also on switch mk8d no new racing levels really I don't play splatoon, not a fun of Zelda so no reason to buy switch till disent library builds up.

@Nintendofan83 Same things worry me. I love my Wii U and if something will break gamepad screen, than console is dead. Too bad you can not buy separate gamepad.

Wii U's last real year on the market was 2015 and even then it was clear by e3 2015 Nintendo was basically done with the console. 2016 we got Color Splash and that was about it of major note. We did get some good indies, ya know, 6 plus months after they had already been out for other consoles, but indies are no real subsistute for Nintendo titles which have always been in short supply for the Wii U. Droughts of 3-4 months between releases were woefully common and honestly I'm hoping the Switch is everything the Wii U wasn't.

Wii U was simply a really underrated system. I wonder what Reggie will miss most about Wii U.

@eeyore - I bought a refurbished gamepad online and once I got it, had someone clean and slightly repair my gamepad so I will have 2. Using the refurbished until it dies while my original sits in the Wii U box as a back up.

I was hoping to buy a 2nd Wii U as a backup when they dropped in price but that isn't happening. I figure the gamepads will be well worth my investment if I ever decide to sell them

Rest in Mario's spaghetti, never forgetti.

@MitchVogel Yes they did on multiple occasions :/

I'm kind of sad that so many seem to be eager for the 3DS family to end. I'm not ready, that's for sure. They're great little systems, especially for kids! I know all good things must come to an end, but I hope the wind down is a slow one.

I'll keep playing online Splatoon for as long as I am able. Still need to reach level 50!

I'm hoping Wii U online infrastructure stays up through at least 2017.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE At the beginning of 2015?

I'm guessing you forgot about Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Yoshi's Woolly World, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Mario & Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Paper Mario: Color Smash, Star Fox Zero/Guard, Mario Party 10, Pokkén Tournament, and Kirby & the Rainbow Curse?

@Phin68 The same was said about the DS

@Phin68 -Oh good lord, are you serious?

No console should ever be retired or replaced, even after years of you same people whining about what a failure it was?

This is what is so sad about gaming community: You always come at everything with a cynical agenda, and you always try to make everything into a point of negativity and complaint.

I caught someone trying to do the same thing you're doing here on another website, he claimed that Nintendo lied about the switch being a "third pillar" and when I finally pinned him down he had to admit the quote was over a decade old and in reference to the DS...

Well...I guess you're pretty pissed that Nintendo stopped supporting the NES, huh? Give me a break!

@Mega_Yarn_Poochy - It's falling on deaf ears.

That person only comes here to repeat negative stuff and distort everything to always make Nintendo the bad guy in the worst way.

End of an Era. WiiU is one of if not my favorite console so far. I am sad to see it go and I wish that it had performed better on the market, but I have tons of gems to play and many more fond memories to make. Thanks again Nintendo.

@eeyore In Japan they actually released a limited amount of gamepads to be sold individually from the console. Unfortunately it's region locked so doesn't help NTSC or PAL. You could always try and find an individual gamepad on eBay.

@SM4SHshorts: Interesting point. I thought the MOST newsworthy info in the above quote was that Big N would continue to support MK8 and Splatoon online (I assumed it would end Fall 2017). But your comment highlights the omission of Sm4sh from that otherwise bit of good news.

@Gerbwmu You can't find Wii U's in stock anywhere now. As soon as rumours started about production ending, people started to snap them up. Many, myself included, wanted a second system once the price dropped but it never happened. It stayed at launch price the entire 4+ years. Nintendo's online store is a great option in North America.

Heck... Nintendo pulled life support from the Wii U in most practical ways in late 2015. They wanted to distance themselves from it so badly you could taste it.

@IceClimbers until the next one comes out on switch. mario kart will still have a month afterwards of everyone being on wii u (although tbh i'm pretty sure the Switch will be easier to search for as everyone will have all the track packs. that REALLLY split up the playerbase on wii u. 4 different sets of matchmaking in one game.)

splatoon will easily thrive till 2 comes out and smash doesn't even have a next iteration announced. That game will still last awhile.

the wii u's online is still gonna live for some time to come and may or may not get a boost back up when switch goes paid service.

@fluggy now hold on there, theres a fairly major flaw you're thinking right there. While I do agree a discount would help it, you're comparing buying an exact same version of a game to two different versions of a game.

If there was two versions of one game on the PS store, it would only share the one you bought. not both of them. Get what i'm saying?

@cheonsacz Oh sorry for the mistake then miss lol
Yes, unfortunately taxes here are quite high for eletronics. To make It worse, Nintendo actually is not supporting our country anymore, so If you want to buy a Switch, Wii U or 3DS, you have to buy an imported one, which of course, makes the console and the games more expensive yet...
It's not easy to be a Nintendo fan in Brazil lol
And i bought a 3ds this year so i'll definitely wait a lot until they lower the price of the Switch, until then Wii U and 3DS Will definitely keep me busy.

Good. The Wii U has become my least favorite Nintendo system. It looked promising, but more and more was disappointing about it. Everything about the system is a joke and a bad investment. It's time for Nintendo to kill the Wii U.

I'm also glad that the 3DS still has support! A much better system than the Wii U for sure.

@Phin68 They said the "NX" would not SIMPLY (!) replace the Wii U or 3DS. That's not a lie, because it's not the same statement you are putting in their mouths.

Switch, for a few stubborn and greedy reasons will follow a similar life cycle -Nintendo will be in panic mode by its second year when Mario doesn't ignite sales following a initial sell-through.... and the bundles they try to 'add value' are seen as peacemeal - they will no other option than get some responsible consumer pricing, but it will be too late to be a Wii-like success..... I expect, overall, a Gamecube-like life cycle, and if we have quality worthwhile (not gimped games like Mario Tennis, for example), than by that time, it may be worth it.

We shall see!

@Mega_Yarn_Poochy GAH! All games I still have to beat. What am I doing with my life?

They better support the VC a bit longer. Completely ridiculous how bad they botched this system.

It's a bit ironic that one of the companies that ignited my passion for gaming has over the last several years really thrown water on that passion. I'm tired of their bs, promises, marketing double-speak, ill conceived launches, distribution and supply manipulation, greed and over-inflated self worth. I'm taking a break from their marketing babble and over-priced future and giving myself some room to fall in love with gaming again.

It's insane that you can't buy a brand new Wii U online right now. I have been trying to find one by about a week. Best Buy has even delisted the thing on its website. Walmart, Target, Gamestop, Amazon don't have it either, only from third party sellers for a crazy amount of money. I expected the Wii U to slowly fade into the sun with some semblance of dignity after the Switch was released. I am impressed at how quickly it was tossed to the curve to rot more than 2 months before the release of the Switch.

Given the fantastic 3DS support for 2017 compared with poor support of the Switch, I think unless Nintendo's hiding a lot of Switch stuff for events like E3 that Switch will have a much shorter lifespan than Wii U.

Damn shame the Wii U isn't that popular - part of what killed it was the name itself. Bit ironic, as the console name sounds like an ambulance siren.

@Nintendofan83
Eh ?!
Even Wii U gamepad still region locked ? (Example, my Wii U is USA but my Wii U pad is Japan)
Gosh...!

The Wii U had its five holiday seasons, so I don't have any beef with them finally putting it to sleep. My one regret is that I never managed to release something on it myself. :'-)

Reggie's own quote on Wii u, "Reggie also had an interesting comment regarding the Wii U's failure, admitting that the company was never clear enough on why consumers should make the jump to the console."

Quite honestly rinse and repeat when it comes to switch. Those trailers who exactly are they marketing too. Is it casual gamers or is it Wii U owners. In my honest opinion I have been an on and off again gamer for 30 years and I draw the line at the Wii U when it comes to Nintendo anyway. The Switch to me looks like a slightly improved Wii u in terms of graphics and power. I by no means am a graphics junky but from what I've seen so far when they show MK8 comparisons and Splatoon comparisons are so minimal to me. I feel that nintendo really isn't giving me a reason to want to upgrade and furthermore seeing the division among nintendo sites makes me wonder how are they going to get other gaming communities interested in this. Over priced hardware and peripherals that will run about 500 to 600 by the time you get the console and accessories with no games still. No thanks I have invested enough in Wii- U and the Switch honestly the only positive thing going for is portability but then again only 2.5 hour to 3 hour battery life. Well it was nice while it lasted goodbye Nintendo at least for this generation. I will not be making the Switch.

@GrumbleVolcano I agree with that and its funny that you say that. Last night my wife and I were laughing at how lame the switch looks and their pricing of it. I too think it will have a shorter life span than the Wii - U. I'm also calling it that they will sell a little under the Wii - U. When you factor in some Wii-U owners that will upgrade as well as 3DS owners.

Before anyone bashes these comments since this is a Nintendo site. I am a Nintendo fan. I have owned all their hardware except Wii only because I wasn't gaming at the time and to be honest this is the only console that has rubbed me the wrong way for mainly the reasons I already mentioned before.

@Anti-Matter Yes, I believe the region lock works for the Gamepads, too. I distinctly remember Nintendo Life writing an article about it.

@YellowFighter Nah. The virtual boy is easily the worst. It was embarrassingly rushed and only had a few games.

The Wii U actually had a good library of games, great internet browser and Miiverse (occasionally).

@MitchVogel That's contradictory though, if production is getting stopped then surely it's getting replaced?

@Phin68 It's only a lie if they knew at the time they knew that they were going to be done with the WiiU when the switch came out at the time of the quote. I don't know but their first intent may have been to keep WiiU development going for awhile after the switch was released but then the decision changed because they had to reconsider all of the factors. It's like if I tell my kids that we are for sure going to go swimming today but when we all pile in the van it doesn't start and after much tinkering and exploring other options I am forced to conclude that we will not be going swimming today. My kids might whine and call me a liar but I didn't lie, I thought we were going swimming. I was just wrong because things happened beyond my control. You could be right though, he could of lied, but he also could have simply been wrong.

@Nintendofan83
Aw man...
I will never able to paired my USA Black Wii U with Japan White Wii U gamepad...
My Black Wii U looks so boring...

Oh, wait... if only White Wii U gamepad is USA from 8 GB bundle.

@RootsGenoa I'm glad we finally sorted it and cleared the misunderstanding. I didn't think of it as of argument, it's just I rarely use emoticons so my comments may seem more serious/mean than they were intended to be. Sorry for the confusion

@xandexdur_ Haha that's all right. It's hard to tell one's gender just by their comments or avatar. And I feel you... in my country there is such a small Nintendo fanbase that I havent met anyone with a Nintendo console/handheld in years and my streetpass hit last year was 1. Too bad they stopped supporting Brazil, I always though such a big country would get more attention. I recently checked the Switch price and they raised it again in two local stores there from 315 bucks to around 340 - with no bundle or anything extra. Just because of tax... while others will get it in most countries at 300 :-/. I'm slowly giving up hope of getting Switch at all and I may get a second one 3DS instead heh.

@Action51 Uhm wow there... I think everyone should calm down a bit. NO ONE is saying or implying that Nintendo should support 3DS forever. The support will end one day, same will come in future with the Switch. It's something that is inevitable in the world of gaming. BUT it does not have to happen tomorrow, on the launch day of the Switch or even this year. I see nothing bad about Nintendo continuing their 3DS's support. I'll be glad if they will support the online service (and their servers) as long as possible, but that does not influence my opinion on Switch. The price and the price of the games does, but that's a different thing for a different discussion. I'm pretty sure @Phin68 wasn't implying in any way that Nintendo should support all the old gens. But unlike NES (not counting NES mini) which has been "in the heaven" for many years (heh many decades more likely) 3DS IS still a huge success in Japan, still managing to maintain second place right after PS4. There is no need to rush and end all support for a handheld that still sales and is the main profit of Nintendo. Wii U is a different story since it was a failure in terms of sales, but everyone I know who owns Wii U, they don't regret buying it. I actually envy Wii U owners because they got lot of awesome titles and is sad to see Nintendo abandon it completely...

Also this is not some old news from years ago mistaken with a different console/handheld. The statement of Nintendo's Switch not being a replacement for the 3DS is pretty recent. Nintendo also said (confirmed) pretty recently that Switch is not backward compatitible with 3DS/Wii U (physically I think, not sure about digital since I don't know much about this stuff). I wonder though why it bothers you and others so much. It's not like Nintendo said they will continue support 3DS forever and abandon Switch. And no one is forcing people to keep playing on 3DS or buying the titles that will be released this year on 3DS, and not to move to the Switch, quite the opposite. But I think many like me who have average month payment and love gaming don't really want to spend on a hybrid that didn't showed much yet with overpriced games.

@Paddle1 Discontinuing of a product is not the same as replacement though. Switch is not a next gen for Wii line. It's not called Wii U 2 and has different approach. They just discontinued the production of new Wii U consoles, but there won't be any "New" Wii U coming. You still will be able to play on your Wii U, but you won't be able to get a new one (if it gets broken) or new titles with the new Zelda being the last one. Wii U WAS replacement of Wii (and one of the reason it was profit failure since people didn't felt the need to upgrade from Wii) and same goes for 3DS replacing the DS line. But Switch is very different. Wii U was sadly failure even though it had many great titles.

@Rman12 This. Too bad I can't give more hearts than one. You said (worded) it very nicely and in much less paragraphs than me lol (I just don't want to spam the comment's section by replying to everyone separately so I just re-edit and put it in my original/most recent comment heh).

Was this a surprise to anyone really? I'm pretty tired of being told lies straight to my face from Nintendo. I knew that the Wii U was over when you saw the Wii U's lineup from June 2016 until now. Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Color Splash. Only 2 games in 9 months? That practically screamed dead system. And that was even before they announced that they were ending Wii U production.

@cheonsacz. I gave you a heart as well but unfortunately like you said only can give one of them. Funny thing though is when I was seven years old. I remember new neighbors moved next door and that was my first experience playing Nintendo. I saved up every penny and when I saved 107.00 for the the 8 bit console back in 1987 I was so excited I ran to the store when we got to the mall. Fast forward to 2017 and now quite the opposite. I am now running away from Nintendo - LOL. Back then still a business to make profits of course but something has drastically changed about this company and basically they don't care what consumers want anymore. Oh well I have no regrets and only wanted to give my two cents about how I feel about the Switch and they still don't get it. To me they lost that same spark and magic they had and my excitement has died towards Nintendo. I will still play my Wii - U which I do actually love and buy as many Wii - u titles and wii titles before they are hard to find and the price gets jacked up on Ebay.

I'm sure nobody was surprised by this. It's been clear for awhile now that BotW would be the Wii U's swansong on the first-party front.

On the plus side, supposedly Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is still coming to the Wii U.

@cheonsacz Nintendo isn't just going to not have a home console. If they're stopping production of the Wii U then they must have another home console, which turns out to be the Switch. Logically those two claims can't both be true at once unless they left the market. If it's getting discontinued, it's being replaced. I think you misunderstood my post.

@Phin68 I recall Iwata saying the Wii and Wii U would coexist.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2011/06/07/nintendos-iwata-wii-and-wii-u-will-coexist-wont-compete-with-ipad/#51a6974f2e21
And more recently Reggie saying the Switch and 3DS would co-exist
http://www.hofmag.com/nintendo-switch-3ds-will-coexist-says-president/213371

Beyond that I haven't seen anything stated by Nintendo that the Wii U and Switch would co-exist. The Wii U has been on it's way out for some time with no new games announced since what, Paper Mario? As for the 3DS we have already seen a fairly good roadmap for the console late into this year.

Nintendo sure loves its backtracking.

@Peach64 not all 360/PS3 games have their servers up tho

"We really are at the end of life for Wii U"

At least he's honest. No third-pillar nonsense.

@Paddle1 I don't know how many times we will need to repeat it, but once again - Switch is hybrid. Both handheld and home console. That's what it makes diferrent. You can't connect Vita to TV and you can't bring Wii U pad outside at will. Switch connects both.

I figure the Wii U has about a year of online before they drop it down to just the shopping channels.

@Varelius
No. Not really. I own a Wii U and Mario Kart 8. My Wii U is basically finished after March 3rd!! I'm one of the customers (suckers) keeping Nintendo ticking over these last 4 years having bought many retail games! I might think about buying a Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe IS NOT A NEW GAME! Its a 3 YEAR OLD GAME with very little new content! Ive barely had a game to play on Wii U for 2 YEARS!!! Theres no flaw in my logic... I'm a lifelong Nintendo diehard who's at the end of the line with them. If Nintendo wants me to upgrade to Switch after enduring 4 years of the worst performing console EVER, they better be giving me some incentive. Charging £50 for as 3 year old game I already own IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT!!!

@cheonsacz The Switch is called a home console by Nintendo, therefore it replaces the Wii U. Sure it's also a handheld, but that has nothing to do with what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that if they were going to discontinue the Wii U there would have to be something in its place.

Should we be looking forward to a price drop on your wiiu games then Nintendo?

Not surprising, but at least the console can go out with a bang with Breath of the Wild.

I still want one though. I still want those first party titles.

I hope that the 3DS online services will stay up until someone figures out how to make an amateur one.

@Phin68 (I see now several people have chimed in on this, but others don't seem to be getting the point so...) Even if that is what was said, and it's not, that would not be a lie. You are confused or intentionally misleading.

That is a plan that failed, an unfulfilled promise, or at worst disingenuous characterization of the plan (which would be hard to prove actually). It could only be a lie if Nintendo had traveled to the future knew exactly how things would turn out travel back in time and then tell it differently.

Again, others have said it, but don't blame this US citizen for being sensitive to fake news, willful deception and people parroting it to dramatic effect burying any facts in a sea of bull feces on this day of all days. lol.

The Switch is going to follow the WiiU. They're repeating the exact same mistakes and adding a few new ones. Hybris and karma.

Reggie is not an idiot, he just sound like one since he is pretty much obligated to stick up with any dumb decisions made by Nintendo of Japan

I'm hoping we'll see a little more VC support for Wii U. Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn seems like a logical title to me.

Switch's fortunes will largely depend upon converting 3DS buyers I'm guessing. I can't see anyone bypassing another home console for it.

@Phin68 Yeah, I remember them saying that it "would not compete with the 3ds or Wii U..."

This is what I found disappointing- was how the system was abandoned during its last year.

@Sceptic at least it is using modern architecture and is easy to develop for/port to......

I only want one more game for the Wii U, just one (besides Zelda):

PLEASE NOA! PLEASE RELEASE THE SECRET OF MANA FOR VIRTUAL CONSOLE!!!! The Japanese Wii U Virtual Console has had it for years.

A new Mario Golf would've been nice too but I suppose I can get World Tour for the 3DS to satisfy that fix.

the wii u is always gonna be an awesome virtual console machine. with wii vc built inside.

It's not a big surprise but sure it's sad to have it confirmed. I'm sure the servers for Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon will be up and running for a while, simply because there's so many people who still play those games (combined, they sold approx. 11 million copies) and I don't see the Switch selling so strongly as to justify closing the servers for the previous console, at least this year.

All in all, I think the WiiU audience did a great job at buying games - some of the first party titles sold a lot more than AAA games on other consoles, and if you think of the incredibly small user-base, it's unbelievable. Those sales kept Nintendo afloat, no doubt - so it's sad to see the console AND its owners being swept under the carpet like dirt.

I have no idea why Nintendo recalled all the consoles from stores, nor why they didn't mention anything about the future of the console unless when asked directly (even Breath of the Wild on WiiU received next to no mention recently). It seems that because of the astronomically bad reputation of the WiiU, they are literally trying to erase it from people's memory. I don't know, but if that was the case, it would be another major mistake. Sweeping products and customers under the carpet if plan-A doesn't work is never a safe move, because now I - a WiiU owner and Nintendo fan - have even less reasons to trust the company than somebody coming from Sony/Microsoft consoles.
People may say it makes sense "financially" but I'm not so sure about that anymore: I mean, if Nintendo has earned a reputation for being a collective of lazy, greedy basterds, they must be doing something wrong.

So, eh, I'm not surprised - just disappointed that Nintendo decided to end the "WiiU chapter" in such an unstylish manner. Ironically, they put more care in killing Club Nintendo than the WiiU.

To all these people barking about Reggie lying and evil Nintendo's dubious practices:

What did you expect? - Should Nintendo continue to support all it's platforms forever, even the ones that were commercial failures?

To answer the questions from the article, I will "stay up on the Wii U" as long as Splatoon's online mode is supported (and I think the Switch will faily equally or even more than the Wii U did). I just really hope they won't hit the kill switch soon... it's already frustrating how they not only failed this console but also let it die so quickly, the least they could do is to let people play their online games (Splatoon, MK8, Smash and others) as long as they want, until nobody plays them anymore (let's not forget that Splatoon seems to have several things that Splatoon 2 won't have). I know this probably won't happen, but I'm talking about a few years of online support. After all, there aren't many gamers on that platform, so keeping up the services can't be that expensive...

@spizzamarozzi

Spot on. Confidence in the Nintendo brand could be at it's lowest point ever. The Switch presentation did nothing to change that as reactions, by and large, are mixed even within the Nintendo community. As a Wii U owner, Nintendo has given me no reason whatsoever to run out and buy a Switch before Odyssey comes out. Despite what delusional fanboys say, BotW looks almost identical to the Wii U version with an extra 180 vertical lines of resolution. Somehow I'll slog through at 720p.

(Let me just pause to mention the hypocritical fanboys who insisted for the Wii U and still insist for the Switch that graphics and resolution don't matter, yet have no problem telling the world how "clearly inferior" the Wii U version is and they can't wait to play "the definitive version" on Switch.)

I know why they pulled the Wii U. It's because they didn't want Wii Us sitting on store shelves at $299 (ridiculous) after they've announced a new console for the same price. Also, the Switch will be SCARCE at launch (thanks to underproduction to create artificial scarcity) and people who still want to play Zelda may have purchased a Wii U for the opportunity. Nintendo didn't want that to happen. They would be perfectly content NOT selling one more single Wii U.

@fluggy Street Fighter. Resident Evil. Guilty Gear. BlazBlue. Persona 4 arena. Uncharted. The list goes on.

This is not something new. so let me make it more clear.
You bought Vanilla Mario Kart 8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a different version. It is not Vanilla 8.

owning GGXrd does not entitle you to the recently announced upgraded version of GGXrd R2.

You can be angry all you want, it doesn't change anything lol. Just don't buy it.

Lastly...march 3rd does not spell the end of mario kart 8 on wii u because deluxe doesn't even come out till april. and even then it'd take a longer time for the switch base to actually populate and then buy deluxe to move on from the wii u.

Also not too sure why you're complaining about software since the wii u got nintendo's best software in years. I can't say i don't know a person who hasn't complained about the existing games on the system.

If TL:DR and just skip to the last paragraph, lol XD

@Paddle1 Uhm no I will continue to disagree. Wii U was on downfall (or going downhill if that sounds better) long before we heard the rumours about "NX". The console failed miserably and Nintendo are smart enough to distance the Switch from the Wii U as far as possible.

Switch is hybrid nothing can change that, it's a fact. One of a kind. Switch was never intended to replace Wii U since Wii was completely different approach at gaming and target audience - Wii as family friendly, perfect for party games , sport-friendly (ideal personal fitness trainer), typical Nintendo style. On the other hand there is Switch, targeting mostly adult audience (gamers), different approach, completely new look, connects handheld and console gaming perfectly, finally offers some well known titles targeted at bigger fanbases than just those of Nintendo and offering games for wider audience than games made for Japan market only (which was a huge issue on 3DS, the lack of localizations of many great Japan only titles without an option to import only through using exploit, since 3DS is region-locked). Skyrim be a great example of a bight gaming future for the Switch (if it sales well, ehem).

Maybe less powerful in terms of power (didn't try so can't judge), definitely weak launch line (subjective opinion), ovepriced accessories and games, lack of information. But so far it had much better start and response than Wii U/3DS and it's not even out yet and I already love half the announced games. Switch has potential and needs to show it off, which is something Wii U failed badly at - but that's for different topic. This is not about if Switch is superior to Wii U or not. This is not even about replacing Wii U. Yes Wii U failed in sales, but I all I hear from Wii U owners is praising the titles Wii U managed to get. This is about ending the support for Wii U officialy rather than using excuses and finding reasons why developers had to cancel this and that game and make it Switch-only.

Wii U was badly marketed and that was like shooting their own eye, but it definitely was not a bad console that deserves such a quick "death" and abandonment. I really feel bad for those who invested hours of gameplay (and money) into Wii U games, who supported Nintendo by purchasing Wii U titles even though Nintendo always seemed to avoid anything that was/is Wii U related and iignoring all the issues. An in the end they get nothing in return. And I pretty much regret missing out on this gem, but I'm more a handheld type of a gamer. Nintendo just pretty much gave Wii U owners a slap across the face.

And just because Nintendo calls it a home console, it still does not make it a Wii U replacement (not a direct one at least). Nintendo can call it anything they please but most important is the purpose of their product and where lies their goal - which is, believe it or not, connecting handheld and console gaming for now. Wii U tried something similiar but failed which just added more reasons why people thought Wii U was just a bad enhanced version of the Wii.

@aaronsullivan Hi there, for now I'm a complete stranger, but I'm pobably one of those you mentioned that chimed on what @Phin68 said. I think he mostly meant it as a half joke made out of disappointment, I can be wrong though since he has yet to comment on the matter (which he is not entitled to of course). I wouldn't call it lying, I said before to me it's just a promise they broke and didn't keep. But promises are often what trust is supposed to be build upon. And seems humans never learn (say hello dear politicans). I just hope they will keep the promise about ŠDS support, but judging from the games still announced for the 3DS, there is a undying hope.

I'd imagine Wii U wasn't worth maintaining a day after Switch's release. It's just too bad all those exclusive VC titles they made system-exclusive that could also be on 3DS aren't going to end up there.

I think they'd be wise to keep the 3DS going until they see the Switch put out consistent sales numbers, and then let it go. I assume they're doing that anyway though.

And also oh man @sillygostly why doesn't your comment have a million likes? Classic.

@Tasuki
I never said it was a success, I said it should be honored for the great games it offered. Round here we care more about games than sales, and don't take jabs at a system offering great games just because it sold poorly, or praise a system with no games just because it sold great.

And no, it was not "just like" the Virtual Boy. Last I checked Virtual Boy was horrible, only one color and 22 total games released. And sold nowhere near 13-14 million. Wii U is more like Vita, Saturn, Dreamcast, Mega System and TG16 saleswise. No not a major success, but it's not exactly the same thing as selling 750k like Virtual Boy or PSVR

@CharlieSmile clearly you've never owned a PlayStation or Xbox, where their outgoing consoles are supported years after the fact. Stay in that NDF bubble.

No Day One Switch purchase for me. Probably not even a Year One buy. I will buy Breath of the Wild for Wii U on the day it releases though. Have they confirmed the release of the Wii U version to be the same day as the Switch version?

There were so many indie games on PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, and Vita that I would have loved to have seen on Wii U... if even half of these smaller releases were released on Wii U, it would have softened the blow. I loved Guacamelee, Severed, Don't Starve, and Binding of Isaac.

2016 was a very bad year for the Wii U and a bitterly disappointing one for the faithful Wii U owners. It was a pretty great one for 3DS though.

@cheonsacz Okay. I just meant that if the Wii U was going to stop production that there would most likely be something in its place for Nintendo to release games on. It doesn't even have to be the Switch or a home console, even the 3DS ended up getting a lot of the Wii U's ports.

The effect is the same, if the Wii U were discontinued in 2018 then it's going to be obsolete as far as Nintendo is concerned. Switch or no Switch.

@gatorboi352
You were saying? Don't delete the comment. Am I fanboy for enjoying video games and valuing that? Honest question. Because last I checked I'm pretty sure that's what makes you a gamer. You want to accuse me of lying about not owning all the systems and playing everything? Just to help you out here, there's a gaming PC, PS4 Pro, PSVR, Vita, Wii U, New 3DS, Xbox One, and as you can see, I've already made room for the Switch. Contrary to popular believe this site is actually home to people who still actively play and enjoy video games.

photo uploading

Now, let's see what you've got.... since you're so quick to label others and accuse them of lying about owning all the consoles and playing everything. That's no small accusation you make, but as you can see from above... you're wrong. Do you actually play everything? I've got both the hardware and the games to back it up. What do you have? Aside from... ya know, perpetual insults and accusations. There are people in this world who do nothing but complain about video games, and then there are those who actually play them and enjoy them.

Everyone knew the Wii U was going to be dead in the water when the Switch would have been announced...I knew it was basically dead last year in the beginning...the lack of games and the fact that nintendo was hinting at the NX, showed that nintendo was mainly focusing on the NX (Switch now) instead of the U. However, if there are games that you love on the Wii U, and games that (let's say 10-20 years down the line) something makes you hook it back up and play it again, then it's worth it. If you got enough play time out of the console, it's worth it. I bought the Dreamcast with my bonus check...was excited for it! Bought the system and Sonic Adventure on it...ordered a subscription for the magazine, got the first 2 issues, then a check for the rest of my subscription and found out the system was ending. I quickly raced out and bought more games (I now and still own 46 games for it), more memory cards, more controllers and a few rumble packs for it. Still, even with that system being a flop, I loved it and played it to death! It's back in it's box in storage now, but there's always that chance I'll bring it back out of hiding and play it again! Anyways, what I'm saying is that if you love a system (no matter if it's a flop or hit) and you have plenty of games you treasure on it...it was worth the cost!!! I may not own a Wii U anymore (got rid of it a few years ago), but still...I did love Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 was okay (sadly didn't like smash on it, liked the Wii's version better for the story). Just like the Switch, even if it flops, you know there will be some games on it to make it worth it.

Back to the online servers, I think Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U will last for a little while longer, at least close to the holiday season, but then...just like probably most of everything else on the Wii U, it will end and come to a close. I'm not sure about the apps on it, and I'm sure the store will still run on it (the Wii's store is still open on it...at least it was before I got rid of the U), just nothing new to come on it.

@JaxonH Glad I'm not the only one with a bunch of systems and games! From the start (even though most of mine are put in storage right now), I own...Atari 2600 (113 games for it), NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Gamegear, Nintendo Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, DS, 3DS, New 3DS, PSP, Vita, Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, N64, Gamecube, Turbo Grafx 16, Wii and...not something that I'm proud of, but found it for $20 bundled brand new with 4 games for it...the Virtual Boy. Lots of games for each too!!!! And you're right, it's just plain fun and a nice hobby.

@Tasuki
No, there's no defending here. I fully acknowledge Wii U sales and the fact it's not a success, and never claimed otherwise. There's no reason to. The system is dead... and long gone.

But what you did was not state facts, what you did was take a potshot. There's a difference. Saying it should "go to the wall of Shame with Virtual Boy" isn't your every day factual statement. So I'm letting you know that not only are your facts wrong sales wise between the two but great games should be acknowledged and recognized on any system regardless of how they sell. And that goes for Wii U, Vita, PSVR... any system with good games.

@Tasuki
Listen dude, you are free to discuss the faults of Nintendo all you like. I'm not standing in your way. Discussing faults was never the issue here.

But it's fanboys like you (since you went there first I'm going there) that take pleasure in insulting games and platforms that have ruined this site. Because it's no longer a calm and rational discussion about video games here anymore, it's just potshots and insults. It's not "let's discuss the shortcomings of Wii U", it's "look at that shameful system, like Virtual Boy". Is that your idea of discussion? It's not even factually accurate, for someone who claims their statement was "just facts". You take potshots and then get defensive and lash out when anyone calls you on it. A moderator who bans people for breaking the rules then goes and curses in the forums. You're just chock-full of hypocrisy.

Don't think for a second I'm accusing you of only doing it with Nintendo cause I've seen you do it with Sony too. Taking pot shots at PSVR just because you don't like it. While it's OK to not like something learning to express that dissatisfaction in a rational way is key to having meaningful discussion. Even "stating facts" can be abused in a non-constructive manner. And this site has just let loose with unconstructive posts lately.

Actually, I hear WiiU's software sales were very very good despite low console sales, so it wasn't a complete failure, and still managed to last much longer then the Virtual Boy. Also, just 'cause something isn't a huge seller doesn't make it bad. Remember how badly "EarthBound" sold when it first released? Now it's among the best selling Virtual Console games.

I've only had a WiiU a li'l over a year, and despite the hateraid it gets, I don't regret getting one. I have many good games for it, (more then I did my Wii, and some other systems) I enjoy chatting with friends in WiiU Chat, enjoyed Miiverse, it's other aps, and such.

In fact, honestly, the Switch is probably the first Nintendo system I'm not looking forward to. Expensive price tag, expensive subscription online services, a 6-hour battery charge isn't promising for portability, no backwards compatibily with past systems/games/controllers. All the things I liked about Nintendo's past systems aren't really reflected in it.

I will admit, some games look cool though, but that's about it. I may get one some day, but for now I'll stick to WiiU, and hope the Eshop will still get some updates.

"When NX is launched, there already will be a certain volume of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U hardware widely existing in the market, so from a software business perspective, it would be highly inefficient to stop releasing titles for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U right after the launch of NX," - Satoru Iwata

I guess that didn't pan out exactly, but then no-one really believed it at the time either. It does feel like the Wii U and its owners have had a raw deal and really that can only be blamed on Nintendo. Yes they make decent hardware, yes they make some amazing games, but the company is always so sure of itself when it comes to marketing and it never seems to learn from its mistakes. It is disheartening to be a Nintendo fan a lot of the time. It seems to me the company needs to do a lot more ground research and less going off its own initiative.

@Phin68 It isn't replacing the Wii U, it is a new tier. The Wii U was the successor to the Wii in Nintendo's home console line. Just as the 3DS is the successor to the DS in Nintendo's Dual screen handheld line. The Switch isn't a continuation of the Wii line. It is a new line for Nintendo of hybrid systems. I know the media constantly harps on this, and everyone else follows along, but just because the Switch isn't replacing the Wii U, doesn't mean that the Wii U is staying around. Replace means taking ones place. The Switch is not taking the place of the Wii U, the Switch is not a stationary console, it is something else.

I know the whole reason the media did this is because of the whole Game Boy DS thing, which the media also misrepresented, and everyone else followed suit. The DS did not replace the GBA either, it was a new tier, of dual screen handhelds. It was not of the Game Boy line, but again, this doesn't mean the Gameboy Advance was going to live forever.

@Tasuki
Mmm, no actually, Id say it's more the flood of unconstructive posts on this site lately that's reaching critical mass... I know some people could never understand this but, it starts to grate after a while. And if anyone speaks up about it, they're immediately branded with insults.

Maybe your intentions weren't to take a potshot, but it wouldn't be the first time, and there's been so much of that going around lately that naturally people's patience starts wearing thin.

@Peach64 I will NOT support Nintendo and the switch if they shut off servers on the Wii u.

@Beau_Skunk I feel exactly the same. I still love the wii u for the simple reason that between it and the 3ds I have an enormous library of Nintendo games from past systems available. With the Switch it's pretty likely I'd only get one game for it in the first year, and it's a game I could also just get on the wii u instead, and 400$ Canadian plus tax seems like an awful lot extra to pay. So yeah, the Switch looks like a great piece of hardware, but it's not very appealing at the moment. Until the Switch has a few must have games that I can't play on any other console, I can't see myself getting one. My enthusiasm for it was considerably diminished after the presentation.

@JaxonH Please don't report a comment and then ask the poster not to delete it. That's just wasting mod time and makes it harder for us to take your reports seriously. Thanks.

After all these years Reggie actually gave a straight answer?
At least I 'll have the piece of mind knowing that Pikmin 4 will never see the WiiU.
Breath of the Wild will be my last Nintendo game. I'm not dealing with Nintendo again after the WiiU.
With the exception of the Wii, every Nintendo home console successor has has sold less than its predecessor. If this trend continues the Switch will sell less than the WiiU and be a bigger failure.

@Paddle1 Oh I see now. I thought you meant the Switch was made only as replacement for Wii U , but this makes sense

@JaxonH Now I'd like to visit your place, looks like a heaven for a gamer :3

@jbopatrick glad to see someone who also agrees that Wii was a different line. I think that's what Nintendo wants to avoid, people confusing Switch with another "Wii".

@fluggy You got it for free because it was the same version. Thats what you don't seem to be understanding here. Of course it was for your vita, it was a cross buy. CROSS BUY ONLY WORKS ON THE SAME VERSION.

Also i never said the wii u was a success. calm down. What i did say was there IS a very strong library of games on it. I never said these strong games was up your alley. A person's purchase is different per person. Now chill and understand what i'm telling you here.

@Tasuki I found a place that deals with vintage toys...basically what they call a 'Geek Store'. There's a Neo Geo there that he wants $50 for...but he has no games for it...this is the same place that I found an unopened Virtual Boy for $20, and just so he could get rid of it, he had 4 games for it too (those four were also unopened) that he bundled with it...not that bad, considering it will probably be worth money in the future...never opened it, as I remember playing it in stores when it came out, and it gave me a headache, but just wanted to add it for collection-type thing. The Turbo Grafx I don't have many games for...hard to find for, and when I do find games for it, they're outrageous in price. Other than that, you have a good collection too! I'm actually glad to know that there are other people like me, that collect them.

@Ralizah Whaddya mean by "hopefully the same will be true of 3DS after 2017"?

@Nintendood Hopefully Nintendo will transition development resources away from 3DS entirely and focus everything on the Switch.

@YellowFighter Doesn't make it any less worse.

@fluggy I don't know how many more times i have to tell you. Its not the same version.

http://gamestopplus.com/Image/covers/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-cover888742.jpg

Release date: July 10th, 2008.

https://fanboydestroy.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/persona-4-golden-vita.jpg

October 3rd, 2012.

4 year difference.

Do these look the same to you? yeah? well thats cause ones PS2 original while the other is a slightly upgraded version, years later, for the vita.

Does buying this on PS3 digitally net you the vita version? no. no it doesn't. Even though its the same game but slightly upgraded? thats right, it still doesn't. Why is this?

Because they're different versions.

edit: i'm done responding to these and your adamant stance on not understanding of what crossbuy is and how it works. Honestly, i wouldn't be surprised if you threw another tantrum because the dev you like releases another port to another platform but doesn't allow crossbuy or "a free upgrade" (as you seem to so desperately want) to it since its a different version.

Wii U was a great console with great games in my opinion, but the name sucked and it never caught on commercially. As much as it hurts to say that as a Nintendo fan it's true. Wii U did give me some great gaming moments though so I will always be grateful for that. Zelda will look better on the Switch and I can take it anywhere on the go so I'll be picking it up on Switch. When I finish Paper Mario Color Splash it will be my last game on Wii U and I think it's a very appropriate game to end the system with. It's an underappreciated, unique, hidden gem that sadly a lot of people will never experience.

@Beau_Skunk I'm really glad someone else feels like I do. I'm sure there are many but you said a lot that hit home for me. The Switch looks GREAT — don't get me wrong. But right now, financially, I've taken a hit... just got married this year, working myself out of a ton of debt, huge backlog of games to finish... And what's really weird is that I'm finally understanding what WiiU was truly about now. I recently started playing Twilight Princess again for an attempt to finally beat it once and for all and the ability to play off TV and just the HD remake in general is really making me appreciate the WiiU more than I have in a long time. It must be all the hype in general. Up until now 3DS has been my primary. I plan to keep my Wii U forever. There's just something about it that makes me love it-- must be the VC and all the good games. (There are plenty bad ones too but the good ones are GREAT.)

@capitalism glad you called out Color Splash-- finally just ordered it tonight on Amazon lightning deal for $31. FINALLY get to play it

@JaxonH - Thank you for showing off what it means to be a true gamer. The people that spend more time complaining then playing are the worst.

As for me, I have a gaming PC, 3DS, Wii U, and a bunch of retro consoles (PS1, N64, etc...)

I don't own PS4 or XboxOne, but not because of some brand loyalty thing, but because most modern western AAA gaming holds no interest for me.

You can dangle 50 different Battelfields, Ubisoft shooters, and Uncharteds in front of me, and while I won't refuse to touch them or tell people they can't enjoy them...they simply do nothing to motivate me to buy a console.

Besides, I can get all my Dragon Age, XCOM, Shadowrun, and Serious Sam on PC. Other than that, I mostly enjoy Nintendo games. Playing through Pokemon Moon right now.

@Action51
Well, I would at least recommend playing Bioware games. Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Dragon Age...

Trust me there's some good Triple A games. Not all of them obviously. For some people it's all they play and n I'm really not into all of them. But there are a lot of good ones and if you've got a PC you could grab them on and play with a steam controller and Switch Pro controller for the rest.

There were really only a couple I was hoping would come to Switch. Well there was more than a couple but there were two that I really really really really wanted to see.

Mass Effect ANDROMEDA and Final FANTASY XV. Oh well that's why I own other consoles and a gaming PC. It just would have been nice to play those games on that smaller screen even if they took a visual downgrade

Official confirmation that Project Giant Robot is kill. I can't wait to hear about its development and cancellation in some future interview.

@Ralizah Considering the 3DS was quite successful, and that many including myself still have one, I'd hate for it to get killed off too. Nintendo doesn't need to get rid of all their products just to make Switch a success. Besides, back when they were focusing more on WiiU games then 3DS ones, that didn't make any difference.

It's bad enough it doesn't get VC games anymore. (Besides the occasional SNES game only New3DS owners get.) I don't understand people that want Nintendo's current systems to die in favor of the Switch. Not all of us can afford to upgrade to one.

@Beau_Skunk I still have a 3DS as well, and it'll likely continue to get third party support. 3DS is almost six years old at this point, though, and its drawing development resources away from the Switch, which needs all the games it can get. It's time for Nintendo to move on and embrace their current gen hybrid.

@Ralizah I'm sure they're already putting most of their resources into it already, but they can't put all of their stake in it, as they're also trying to focus on other things too, like Mobile, that upcoming amusement park thingie, merch', hidden projects, and such.
Plus in case it fails they need a backup system like the 3DS which helped their business through the WiiU era.

The Switch looks nice, but honestly it doesn't look like a replacement for the 3DS. (The 6-hour battery life, larger size, and such, also makes it less portable then a 3DS.)

@Ralizah "Hopefully Nintendo will transition development resources away from 3DS entirely and focus everything on the Switch."

That would really suck.

@Beau_Skunk
I agree. Especially with how impressive the new models' super-stable 3D is, considering there's no competition for that technology really, I think some people won't be interested in completely giving up such a unique visual experience, and will still be bringing their 3DSs with them.

I realize their idea is to replace both Wii U and 3DS, but why should people settle for a portable system that isn't as convenient or even capable of all the things a 3DS can do? I'm just hoping they realize that it isn't a replacement, and continue to support both. I think with the huge number of people that own 3DSs now, who won't be able to get a Switch for whatever reason (or even be interested) is more than enough reason to keep making games for it as long as they continue to sell.

@Beau_Skunk The 3DS is ancient tech at this point. It's not really feasible to keep it around, as sales are dying out (the device has largely found the bulk of its audience) and its hardware limitations will just hold back future game development.

The Switch can succeed, but it'll require Nintendo to go all-in on it. They've already demonstrated that, given the time and resources needed to produce HD games, they can't support two systems adequately. The Switch is an elegant solution to this problem. I wouldn't be surprised if we got multiple form-factors over the years: for example, a "Switch Mini" that shrinks the screen and improves battery life. But keeping the 3DS around for too long would be a terrible idea.

Besides, even if Nintendo stops producing content for the system, it's not like third-parties are just going to immediately drop it.

@Ralizah Actually, I hear the 3DS is doing fine, (outsold every console, including PS4) and the New3DS's faster tech has actually modernized it more.

The Switch can be successful without having to destroy the 3DS, or their other products, (the "NES MINI" proves other low-tech products can still be successful, so your argument that "outdated tech should be forgotten in favor of more powerful HD systems" doesn't hold much water. It was actually this logic that killed some game systems.)

And honestly, I'm not all that impressed with the Switch. Expensive console, expensive accessories, expensive subscription services, and such aren't something I'm looking forward to, and if anything will hurt the system, it will be those factors, not the 3DS. Plus the lack of some features the 3DS & WiiU offered like backwards compatibility kinda turn me off too. This is the first upcoming Nintendo system I'm not looking forward too, but some games for it look great, so I might get one sometime when I know more about it, and it has more games & features to offer.

@tedko I totally agree. I don't see a huge bonus with the switch. the Wii U and a 3DSXL work great. Sure the switch lets you take the console game 'on the go', but it's a lot of money to fork out.