
The Wii U era was a difficult part of Nintendo’s history. Despite this, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils- Aimé believes it was a vital period for the company. Speaking on stage at this week's GeekWire Summit, Reggie said the Wii U gave Nintendo a strong idea about what consumers really wanted:
They were telling us, ‘I want to play with this tablet, this gamepad for the Wii U, but as soon as I get more than 30 feet away it disconnects.’ So the core concept, something that you could take with you anywhere anytime, was really compelling.
Reggie explained how the Wii U was not a "beta test" but more of a learning experience:
Without our experiences on the Wii U, we would not have the Nintendo Switch in terms of what we learned and importantly what we heard from our consumers.
Speaking about failure and success, Reggie said the direction of Nintendo wasn't entirely prompted by the Wii U and also offered some words of advice:
We reinvent ourselves every five, ten years…We have to, in this fast-moving entertainment business… [it’s] in our DNA.
When you’re doing well, don’t be excited about that high-flying performance... When you’re doing poorly, don’t be sad. Always have an even keel and always focus on the next big adventure. And that’s what we do.
What do you make of Reggie's comments? Do you think Nintendo is reactive to consumer demands? Tell us below.
[source geekwire.com]
Comments 110
Not a big Reggie fan because I think primarily he’s a BS artist, but i can buy into this. I always felt the Wii U Game pad would’ve been that much better if it didn’t disconnect at a short distance!
The appeal of the Gamepad really was the best thing that could have been incorporated into a future Nintendo console. The Switch nailed it right on the head and then some!
@joey302
I agree. The switch really took the tablet/tv idea from the WiiU and perfected it.
I figured either the Wii U was a beta switch or the switch was a drastically improved Wii U. With this I feel Nintendo is at least listening when there's major problems with systems. Now if only they could listen to us about the Virtual Console and Nintendo online and that stupid phone app.
Unfortunately it sounds like most of these issues are coming from Nintendo of Japan forcing the issue. NOA sounds like it understands the issues but NOJ is insisting.
@Equinox
It's seems like they got lazy in the Wii era. Let's hope that they stay motivated with the switch
It will never be mentioned, but the Switch takes Sony's handheld efforts and progresses them to what the PS Vita originally should have been.
I dare say Nintendo studied Sony's failed attempts and took note of what can really make it work. They provided a handheld console that not only has every controller button the regular home consoles have (a feature sadly missing in Vita), but they added PSTV functionality straight off the bat to make it a TV console.
Finally, they addressed the Vita's horsepower woes and made the Switch able to run truly 'home' console games.
My last Nintendo console (excluding the 3DS) was the Wii. I had no interest in a Wii U, but the Switch ticked all the boxes the Vita couldn't and I'm loving the machine for it.
The Wii U reeked of arrogance to me. Fresh off the heels of the Wii’s mega success they were content with a half-formed innovation and their up-tight licensing rules. The interface was convoluted and every 1st party game shoe-horned the tablet controls into places they didn’t belong.
I’m kind of glad they got knocked off their cloud a bit because it’s birthed a better system and company on most every front.
Wii U has very Beautiful Baby Blue box color + App icon on sideway box cover, but the games library are Not as Beautiful as their outer appearance.
That was one of my main issues with the Wii U. But 30 feet? Try 10. Maybe 12. And God forbid there was so much as a chair between you and the console.
One of the ideas I had pre-Switch was the Wii U could have connected to a router and made the tablet playable anywhere on your own network. If it had that functionality, and if the specs of the Wii U itself were a little bit better, I don't think the Wii U would have failed. It probably still wouldn't have been a roaring success, but it wouldn't have been the disaster it was.
He should have said the Wii U led to the Switch’s library. I’m so excited to move past ports and get some original first party software. 2018 was so sad.
BS artist, he may be. But he does his job very well. In as pressurized situations as that job has to be, u have to be careful how u represent an entire company. Why are people put off by “BS”? It’s the very nature of the game. And his words here are actually good advice for life, not just in context. Give the man a break. He has to operate inside his job’s perimeters for Mario’s sake.
Clear marketing and a less confusing name were also lessons learned from the Wii U's failure.
@Frendo I never really bought this. If someone was interested in the games on the system, they would figure out that it wasn't a Wii.
When I saw it I thought it was just a controller too. But I wasn't in the market for one.
Long live Nintendo, the kings of gaming.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions made the Gamepad the player's cellphone where you could get texts from the characters. That's about as cool as the Gamepad ever got. I do miss the UI with other player's Miis telling you what they're up to. The Switch's screen is boringly streamlined.
Wii U does not have any idea making designer is correctly. Compare a poor PS VITA.
I find it sad that it led to the Switch's success because I actually liked the Wii U and its unique features. Having a map or inventory on hand during gameplay helped a lot in games such as Lego City Undercover, Zelda HD releases, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, etc. Heck, the Game Pad is even the reason Super Mario Maker on Wii U remains the superior version even today.
Now, I still do enjoy the Switch and I don't regret it for one bit and I still hold hope that it gets more and more of the games that people want, but in terms of innovation and uniqueness, the Wii U had the edge for me. Heck, it even has Folders and a much better menu on both its system menu and the eShop. Simplicity is one thing, but the Switch in this regard needs to learn a thing or two from the Wii U.
@StephenYap3 hear hear
"but as soon as I get more than 30 feet away it disconnects"
How many consumers even got the advertised 30 feet range? Mine capped out at like 10 even on day 1, and then completely crapped out in 2015, not even 3 years old.
I hope Nintendo realizes that the Wii U was more than just a commercial failure. It was a horrible piece of hardware that was poorly supported. I'd like to think Nintendo has learned, but in many ways the Switch's success is simply from looting the Wii U's corpse for valuables. It doesn't take effort to re-release already made gems.
I'm sure we'll see this interview again when they repeat their cycle of one bad/one good console due to over-confidence in their ability to pack everything with gimmicks
It's refreshing to hear Reggie acknowledge that the Wii U failed and learned from their mistakes(unlike Sony who blamed everyone but themselves for the Vita's failure and dropped support like a hot potato)
But yeah, the Switch does feel like what the Wii U should've been. The lack of hype and marketing was the biggest mark against the Wii U imo. I still don't think it was because of the name or how "confusing" the game pad concept was. The Xbox One name is 10x worse, but that sold well enough(because it was marketed well).
Isn't the Switch screen the same size as the U's gamepad?
I just assumed they took unsold Wii U gp screens or whatever and repurposed them for the Switch's use.
I don't usually comment on things like this, but this is outrageous! Everyone is thinking about the Wii U as "TV or GamePad". "OR"! Not "AND"! The Wii U was best when it used both screens asymmetrically. That's how it was designed.
Remember having the GamePad player be different then the Wii Remote /Pro Controller players? Or not having to resort to splitscreen? Or showing different views on each screen? The Wii U was what made this possible, made it AWESOME, but the Switch can't do that. And for that, I will always prefer the Wii U.
Although, that marketing SUCKED!
@Pete41608 "I just assumed they took unsold Wii U gp screens or whatever and repurposed them for the Switch's use."
If they did that, then those screens not only magically changed from one point resistive touch screens to 10-point capacitive, but also changed to higher quality LCDs at a higher display resolution of 720p instead of 480p, during this "Repurposing".
Amazing what leaving unused materials in a warehouse will do: Like wine, it matures apparently.
@StephenYap3 I very much agree. 2 screens > 1 screen.
I would hope that any good company can learn and grow from their failures. As much as I love the Wii U, it wasn't marketed well and was never really used to its full potential.
@Knuckles-Fajita was the stability update 😉
@ArticFox but we have our mobile screen now...
@setezerocinco No one complains about other consoles being stationary. Remember, the Wii U was a console, the GamePad was a controller that happened to have a touch screen. People think of the GamePad as the system, and the console as a dock, like the Switch. That isn't it at all.
Plus, there's only one of those "mobile screens".
The gamepad’s battery life was too short. It really needed to be 3-4 hours instead of the measly 1.5-2 hours battery life.
I'd like to say to Reginald some stuffs :
_I have a dualscreen experience on my Wii U.
_I can play with a second player, one on each screen(GP and TV).
_I have immediatly the backward compatibility of the Wii librairy on the system.
_I have an incredible Eshop with an outstanding Virtual Console.
_I play ONLINE for FREE.
_I have Netflix integrated and works wonderfuly.
_I have an Internet browser, fast and responsive.
_I can play almost 8 hours non stop with the 2550mAh battery.
_My gamepad is ultra comfy to hold compare to the flat Switch.
_All my accessories of the previous system are instantly usable on my Wii U(Wiimote, controllers etc...)
_I have A REAL D-PAD to play 2D games.
Sooo, from my perspective the Wii U is FAAARRRR better than the Switch and even in terms of games. Because without all the Wii U's HITS, the catalogue of the Switch will be really poor...
@Mrtoad They changed it to 8 hours soon after release.
@Cobalt Thank you! I thought no one else realized this! But unfortunately, many great Wii U games cannot be ported to Switch (unless you used two Switches...).
By the way, does anyone else like the GamePad's grip and top analog sticks (as opposed to diagonal or lower)? Or just me?
@ArticFox
Here where I live, a lot of people prefer the Wii U over the Switch in term of comfort.
How the hands fall naturally with that little border on the back, it's just PERFECT !
The sticks and buttons are heavenly placed and everything is under control without any problem. With the Switch, my fingers have to be placed in a kind of unnatural position to play my games. The problem is solved by using the pro controller but still, what a shame... And BTW, the Wii U pro controller is far superior to the Switch one too...
@Cobalt I never thought I could agree this much to anything.
Also, the Switch Pro Controller has a crap d-pad and I don't like diagonal analog sticks, so I use the SF30 Pro.
@Mrtoad
The high capacity battery is phenomenal, if you can find one.
@Equinox It's not too surprising. When they're on top, like the Wii, they get complacent, and then when they get knocked down in the market, they have to work to get back up.
Well, okay, NES to SNES might be the exception. But SNES to N64, they kind of were riding their brand name success. (making the critical mistake of sticking to cartridges, which nearly killed the third-party support, especially from Japanese developers)
Wii U or Switch.
One of these consoles can: play every single Wii game released, play downloable DS, SNES, N64, GBA, Wii games, watch Netflix, Crunchyroll, YouTube, Amazon, browse the internet, oh and Mario Maker.
While the other... cannot.
This might sound like childish banter but it's still incredibly frustrating how much they gave up for Switch, and even if some of this stuff might come later, the Wii U has it right now.
Granted I do not own either, as I prefer 3DS for portable gaming and I play Sonic Heroes on a daily basis on my Wii with component cables. Which not even the Wii U can do, bleh.
@Cobalt,
Your negativity as always is much appreciated,although you do not give Nintendo enough credit for it's efforts with the Switch imho.
@SuperGhirahim64 People heard of the Wii U.
They just gave it a wide berth. Either they already had a Wii and didn't see the reason to upgrade or they didn't want a Nintendo console in the first place.
The fact that Switch doesn't need a TV to be hooked up to was the main appeal for me.
As much as I loved my Wii U I honestly feel as a console, it just wasn't very good. It was a design thatbsfreamed "experiment" and needed a unique design feature to attract buyers. The dual screen ended up being more of a hindrance by taking your eyes off the screen in games like Wind Waker and Deux Ex to make quick changes. And in some cases developers were shoehorning it in. Some people compare it to the DS / 3DS but the big difference is screen proximity and the inability to just move your eyes rather than your entire head.
Secondly, the Wii U was billed as being able to stand up to its competitors in terms of power, yet it failed to offer that. At least the Wii and Switch either offered a reduced price or a feature (portability) that gave a good reason for being less powerful than its competitors. The Wii U on the other hand had none of that.
The Wii U kind of reminds me of the Sega Saturn, a console that has a strong following but failed to succeed in the market for a combination of marketing mistakes and design choices. The problem is most people go on about the former but not the latter. Even if Nintendo had marketed the Wii U better and a little more early support, I highly doubt sales would have improved by much (20-25 mil tops).
The main reason for the Wii U's failure is unfortunately it wasn't all that great a console and it wasn't what people ultimately wanted.
@KingMike,
Without a doubt,Nintendo just simply expected all those Wii owners to go out and buy a Wii U,they put very minimal effort and advertising to make people outside their core audience realize it was actually a new console,rather than just an expensive Wii add on device.
Of course we also have to consider that the audience that bought a Wii were not actually there anymore,as they had moved onto tablets and smartphones.
The problem with Wii U was that they didnt have enough software at launch to demonstrate why the game pad was essential, outside of Nintendoland. Had Super Mario Maker debuted alongside the hardware, it likely would have changed the system’s fortunes a good deal.
@Unblowupable5,
I still doubt the Wii would have sold that much better even with more killer apps,as it's main problem was that it was not a very good looking bit of tech,and trying to compete with cool looking slimline tablets was always going to be a struggle imo.
The Switch on the other hand looks good,and the more casual audience will be far more enticed.
@johnvboy What negativity ?
I talk facts !
And you know, when you'll realize that the Switch that you know RIGHT NOW is just a beta system, you'll understand probably better what I meant by saying that the Wii U is "better" than the Switch...
Because, the "REAL" Switch will come next year, sadly...
I'm sure they weren't even sure if it would be a hit or miss. Weren't stories about those either when they showed the specs? Or were hiding the specs or something like that after PS4 released their specs.... it was a little quiet i remember. But still happy for people who enjoys the Switch of course. Gaming on the go is just great
@Cobalt It's cute and all, but if you think the Wii U ports are what solely makes the Switch library great, boy do I have news for you...
Yes, as a pure home console, the Wii U excels in some areas, at the cost of extreme clunkyness and the inability to even run proper home console games. Switch has the ability to let you play it anywhere anytime. It's the true unification of a handheld and a home console.
Wii U can have one player on the gamepad and one on the TV? Switch can have two or more players on either the Switch screen or the TV. Your point?
Yes, you can play wii games and decades old games on a virtual console. But you can't play new games. The Wii U started out only capable of running the previous generation of games even with extreme compromises, with nothing to offset it.
Switch is offset with handheld/tabletop mode, AND with some compromises it can run current-gen games that weren't made for the system. The system can also run current-gen games developed for it without issues.
Finally, while dualscreen is a cute gimmick, I couldn't be happier that they finally moved away from it. Bloody hell it was obnoxious. There's a reason nobody else did dualscreen. The 3DS was a roaring success, but if you look at the facts, it had garbage resolution and most games didn't bother with the dualscreen for anything but ridiculous things. Heck, some games had the menu on it but without actual touch screen functionality.
Your "facts" are nothing but rose-tinted glass echoes of a gimmicky failure of a console that very few even knew existed or cared about, even amongst Nintendo fans.
I also have no idea what you mean by "the REAL Switch". This IS the real Switch. It's called Nintendo Switch. It's the console. A hardware revision is unlikely to happen next year, a new console completely out of the question. And a hardware revision doesn't mean the original Nintendo Switch isn't the "REAL" Switch. It'll always be the real Switch. And Nintendo won't make games that can't run on it either.
Latest News: New Switch coming next year
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-plans-new-version-of-switch-next-year-1538629322
@Retupmocnin Treat it as a rumor at best, especially when coming from WSJ. They've lost all credibility in the past few years, especially after they actively tried to destroy a certain YouTuber's reputation by lying in their articles and creating media that was heavily edited in order to portray nazi tendencies in out of context clips based on satirical jokes.
@Retupmocnin
Yayyy, that's awesome ! :/
People are gonna realize that they have invested in the BETA version of the real Switch :
OLED SCREEN 1080p
More powerful
Better energy management
etc...
PS : I start to understand why there is no news about METROID Prime 4, Bayonetta 3 etc... MAYBEEEE because those games are gonna use the EXTRA power of the "real" Switch to make them look and play better...
If it turns that I'm right, I swear I'm not gonna buy the newest version...
Eh. For me, the Switch is worse than the Wii U and 3DS because it removes dual-screen funtionality. The Switch feels like a step back, because it's basically just Wii remotes again, but portable this time. The Wii U had that, plus dual-screen stuff, and a microphone for online gaming.
Although, a simple console can be great if there are great games. I finally bought a PS4 this year after waiting for its library to improve, and am absolutely loving it. However, the Switch simply doesn't have a good enough exclusive library to make it worth a purchase yet.
@Blizzia said "Switch has the ability to let you play it anywhere anytime"
_For 2 hours and in the shadow GREAT what a genius thing... :/
"Switch can have two or more players on either the Switch screen or the TV. Your point?"
_My point is that I need 1 Wii U to play with 2 players, one on each screen ! If I'd like to do that with the Switch, I have to buy 2 SWITCHes... GENIUS AGAIN !
"Yes, you can play wii games and decades old games on a virtual console. But you can't play new games. The Wii U started out only capable of running the previous generation of games even with extreme compromises"
_I CAN'T PLAY NEW GAMES ? Muhahahahahahahaaaa...
They listen to the fans...by releasing all the games we happy few already played on the Wii u while at the same time NOT making new, interesting games for us. What fanservice!
@RainbowGazelle
You describe FACTS as FACTS ! I'm totally sharing the same opinion.
@Cobalt
2 Hours? Maybe if you're purely playing BotW, lmao. Also, who the F doesn't have a powerbank nowadays? I've got a tiny-ass one and I have a minimum of 7 hours of battery time outside with a fully charged switch and the tiny-ass powerbank. Without the powerbank (and not playing BotW), it's like 4 hours. That's plenty.
You need 1 wii u to play with 2 players on two screens. You need 1 switch to play with 2 players on one screen. You don't need to buy 2 switches for most games, and wii u's "2 players on two screens" isn't universally supported either.
Yeah, you can't play new games. It's fine if you wanna play poorly aged games and all, but the Wii U is a failed gimmick, and well, sales prove it. You can try to spout all the bs you want about the Wii U being better, but you're a tiny minority. The Wii U sucked. Objectively. Sucked.
@Henmii Except they're doing both things... You're just extremely picky if you've had zero games you wanted to play so far.
That's ENTIRELY on you.
I love my Wii u
@Cobalt
It's still a portable even if you bring a powerbank... Are you mentally impaired? The powerbank just extends its batterylife. 4 hours on its own is, as I said, plenty already.
The Switch is plenty small though. Fits in my pocket, joycons in the other pocket. Also fits in my jacket. And I also have a case I put it in that I can just jam in my bag. I see zero issues. The Wii U Gamepad is huge and clunky compared to that, and you can't bring it anywhere you want either.
Splitting the screen is a game feature. It's different depending on what games you play. Besides, it doesn't change anything. You stated you needed two switches to play together, I proved you wrong. Supported games require 1 switch, just as supported games require 1 wii u with gamepad + 1 TV.
The Wii U didn't only suck for people without personality. It just sucked. Those are the facts, it has nothing to do with reading on the internet about it. The general consensus was that it was a failure of a console, and sales proved it. If you can't comprehend that, you're delusional.
It doesn't mean it wasn't fun to play on the Wii U. But it does prove that it wasn't popular, a direct result of it not being a good console for anyone but a very niche select audience.
Your reality is nothing but a delusional lie. The Switch has received plenty of new great games already, and continues to do so every day. The Wii U hasn't had any support in forever.
Heck, the Wii U tanked its games so badly that they have to port them to Switch to get some bang for their buck. That says it all really.
Good to see a company learning from their mistakes. And the Wii U was a SERIOUS mistake (though the flat earthers who defend it on here won’t like to accept that). It was a stupid idea in the first place then badly executed. He’s basically admitting that it wasn’t a very good Console and they had to do better with it’s successor.
It’s a hard sell when you’re trying to persuade people to buy a System that’s tethered but underpowered, lacking software, has a painfully slow OS, can play some games Off TV but not others and with no uniform handling of how to move gameplay to the Wii U screen, is region locked, has a terrible Online Account System and a Gamepad with a cheap 480p capacitive touchscreen but still poor battery life.
“No wait potential customers, weve got some gimmicky two screen nonsense and er....it plays Wii games”
“Yeah, how much are PS4s again?”
Wii U was a fun game system with a few annoyances: Slow UI, multiple menus for game. If I had a wii vc game on sd... I had to go to wii menu, then sd menu. So annoying. Wii u gamepad requirement on games was a pain. especially since mine has broke twice, expensive to fix via nintendo and expensive to get a used one. Loved the games though, mario 3d world, mario maker, zelda remakes in hd, smash 4, mario kart 8.
The switch: also is a fun game system; but has annoyances too. The joycon controllers are uncomfortable and seem to always be discharging regardless of use. The switch's wii u ports have new features... very annoying if you own the old ones. Not enough new content to warrant buying the game again. So I won't be trying them. other switch games are fun; with more 3rd party too. master blaster, Sonic Mania, mario odyssee.
Wii U was a fun game system with a few annoyances: Slow UI, multiple menus for game. If I had a wii vc game on sd... I had to go to wii menu, then sd menu. So annoying. Wii u gamepad requirement on games was a pain. especially since mine has broke twice, expensive to fix via nintendo and expensive to get a used one. Loved the games though, mario 3d world, mario maker, zelda remakes in hd, smash 4, mario kart 8.
The switch: also is a fun game system; but has annoyances too. The joycon controllers are uncomfortable and seem to always be discharging regardless of use. The switch's wii u ports have new features... very annoying if you own the old ones. Not enough new content to warrant buying the game again. So I won't be trying them. other switch games are fun; with more 3rd party too. master blaster, Sonic Mania, mario odyssee.
Oh god, the Wii U vs Switch discussion rising once again. They always take their chance, don't they.
@Equinox they are at their best when they are last! What a brilliant oxymoron
The Wii U's level of failure is down to its confusing name and how Nintendo marketed the damn thing. The Wii U was always going to fail, but much less so if it had been marketed properly by Nintendo.
I remember older members of my family and friends who had the Wii, tell me they thought the Wii U was an add-on to the Wii and not a whole new console.
I think had the name been "Wii 2" instead of "Wii U", and actually marketed as a new console, they would have picked up twice as many sales, getting to the mid 20s, still a failure but not a total disaster.
They could have probably dragged a it to 30 with the extra 3rd party support they'd have gotten for passing 20m.
The Wii U was never going to be a 50+m selling console no matter what Nintendo had done with it but it certainly would have done much better had Nintendo marketed the damn thing properly, id say 60% of the Wii U's failure was down to poor marketing.
I did like my Wii U at first but the game pad needed constant charging and wasn’t really that comfortable anyway. Plus playing on the game pad was nothing like playing on the tv as it was so blurry at times. Of the games I’ve double dipped on (Hyrule Warriors/ Tropical Freeze) I much prefer playing them on the Switch.
Edit: Plus Mario Kart
@Blizzia,
Only must play so far is Mario Odyssey, and of course there are a few other nice games such as Mario+Rabbids or Xenoblade chronicles 2. However, for the rest its all downloads (of course there are quite some good downloads, I know). My point is, as far as new, great first-party retail titles go this year is gigantically lacking. Only the new Smash, wich may have very little single-player content (single player content is a must for me). Sooo many ports this year. I think this year is quite dissapointing!
@SonicMC broooo the Joycon discharge is a big issue for me... But i figured out what it is and why it happens and how to fix it.
Follow these steps:
1 have switch on handheld mode with the Joycons attached, use the wire to charge instead of the dock, now while the game pad is on and before you charge it, click the little Joycon icon, you can then see your Joycons and console and how much charge each has.
Plug the charger in, what will happen if you have the discharge issue, is either the right or left Joycon would not charge, you can see which it is here, so take the charger off and do this:
unslide the effected Joycon, on the middle of that Joycon slider is a little botton (not the two side bottons), without touching anything else, press that little botton, do it while the Switch is on the Joycon page, the Joycon will disconnect, then after 2 seconds hold that same botton down for 3 seconds, the light will flash,
now this is super important, while its flashing, slide the Joycon back into the Switch and plus the charger back in while still on Joycon page
Both Joycon and Switch should be charging now, if not just repeat till it works, trust me. Also do NOT turn the Switch off while you charge like this, just put it on sleep mode and every 30 mins check to make sure its still charging properly on Joycon page on the UI.
I recall a slightly different take about the Wii u and the handheld screen. It was advertised as a controller that allowed you to switch play from the TV to the controller screen if someone in the house wanted to watch TV. It was advertised like this and Nintendo had to change their advertising because the claims were false, due to the fact that most games did not allow this feature.
The distance from controller to Wii u console was not an issue for Nintendo because it was only designed to work in direct contact to the Wii U under the TV you had been playing on. After all it was just a controller with a screen.
To be fair to Nintendo is was probably designed as an innovative step forward but turned out to be a gimmick that Nintendo would not let go. Gamers wanted a game an a pro controller but Nintendo insisted on including the controller screen as part of the game. It ruined games like Pikmin and Starfox.
So not quite as Reggie sees things.
@Henmii That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. The problem is that any lack of new games is entirely on you, because plenty of games have been released this year. Just because we haven't seen 20 first party titles it doesn't mean the year has been disappointing.
Again, some things, such as "must plays" are optional and purely subjective. I do not deem Super Mario Odyssey a "must play", in fact I have no plans to ever play it. But you do.
The simple fact of the matter is that it is a great game, of course. But it's not for me. But that's not Nintendo's fault. That's mine. Just as it is your fault that this year has been disappointing for you, because you didn't like what came out.
We got a metric ton of quality games this year, and more are coming. I've bought like 25 games so far in 2018 alone for Switch.
Absolutely bonkers how many quality titles we are getting.
From a corpse, rises a bed of roses. The perfect analogy for my relationship with both consoles.
Uhm.. they don't listen to the customer.
I always though the Wii U gamepad got WAY too much hate. I thought it was a great controller, but the short distance away from the console itself before it would disconnect was always my biggest gripe. I couldn’t even leave my room and my gamepad would disconnect. The idea of a portable console is great, and I’m glad the Wii U (if nothing else) lead to the Switch’s and it’s main feature
@Aaron1207,
They do listen,we just think we are the entire market,which we are not..so they don't just listen to an internet forum posting minority,they will listen to the feedback from the 20 million or so Switch users when they click those like buttons.
What's sad is the Wii U actually had basic features that have still not been implented on the Wii U. Streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon. A private message system. Folders! Why does the 6 year old console have this stuff, but the new one doesn't?
Wii u nailed so many things, which the switch has yet to do!
Voice chat!
Apps!
Messaging!
@Cobalt Then why in the world are you even bothering with the Switch? Sounds like a waste of your time and money for something you obviously don't like. So why?
@Cobalt please sell your switch and don't buy a new upgrade lol.
The Wii U was a gimmicky boring thing and I have to say that from my library of almost 60 games now I have two nintendo games that released first on Wii U (mk8 and DK)...
@UmbreonsPapa
I like the Switch but I don't like people who spit on the Wii U BECAUSE they have read that on the net and... done...
The success of the Switch is, for a big part, due to the Wii U awesome games... and when you add the fact that the Wii U has stuffs that the Switch is not able to do... hum... I'm sorry but the Wii U deserve more respect...
You know what is the problem today ? Simple, if you're not a lamb or a sheep, you're a bad person...
I always knew the Wii U had its fans but frankly its now teetering on pathetic. Like defending agressive wasps and calling everyone stupid for not liking it because you believe everyone should enjoy being repeatedly stung.
The only “advantages” I got from the Wii U has over the Switch is it has a “traditional” virtual console (which despite what some people may say, is only really appreciated by a limited number of retro gamers to its fullest) and that external hard drives are cheaper than micro sd cards per GB. Everything else is dependent on viewpoint, preferences and if you are willing to make sacrifices to help other elements.
Defend it to your dying days but in the end the only FACT is that the Wii U was a FAILURE. And frankly I’m glad Nintendo put it to bed as soon as it had the chance lest it embarass itself any more.
Soooooooooooooo, am I the only one who loves and enjoys the Wii U for what it was/is, and loves the Switch for what it is/will become?
They're similar products because of off screen play/not 100% needing a TV to enjoy what they offer, but they're still completely different products as well.
To me the Wii U was not a failure because I LOVED it, and still do; but, I'm not the company making the console and funding it, and if financially Nintendo class it as a failure, then so be it, fine. Not just that but the numbers don't lie. It's a fact that they only sold about 14 million units. As a fan of the console though, it was not a failure.
I loved the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast, and I'm sure you can bet the deeds to your house that SEGA consider them a financial failure, again though, as a fan personally, I don't consider them a failure at all because once again, I absolutely love them.
I play my Wii U more than i play my switch... I haven't really played my switch in months
I thoroughly enjoyed the Wii U, I knew before I bought it the machine was on its way out...but I have to say I prefer the Switch by a fair margin.
@ArticFox,
People like ourselves who post on video game forums are in the minority,so when we say Nintendo do not listen to people ,we are looking at it from our point of view thinking everybody is just like ourselves and Nintendo are not taking our concerns seriously.
This is of course not true as the majority of Nintendo Switch owners will be more than happy with their console,and will have little problem with Nintendo as a company.
@johnvboy That... wasn't what I was saying.
You know, no one seems to get it through their minds that the GamePad is just a controller for the Wii U, which JUST SO HAPPENS to have a touch screen. Why are you complaining about limited range? It's the same as other consoles. The Wii U was always at its best when the two screens worked asymmetrically. Off-TV Play is just a situational convenience. Does no one remember Nintendo Land's multiplayer, with the GamePad player being different? Or the GamePad being Bowser in Mario Party 10? (I have been in fights over the GamePad in these games). Or better yet, having the map, inventory, or an alternate view on the GamePad?
Also, on power, the Wii U has a higher CPU clock rate, and all processors are faster on Wii U than undocked Switch. (I will concede that a docked Switch has a slightly faster GPU, but only GPU, and only docked. Plus a bit of RAM.)
I blame the Wii U's failure on Nintendo's horrendous reveal/marketing, and on devs who didn't realize that you don't need a gimmick to have a fun game. Implement GamePad (and motion controls for GamePad and Wii Remote) where it makes sense, don't force it. They're making Switch games, they could have made Wii U games.
Please pardon my rant.
@baller98 Except... the GamePad is the main controller.
@baller98 You can use Pro Controllers for multiplayer. Only Nintendo Land didn't use them, I believe. All they needed to do in order to show it was a new console was to call it the Wii 2 (which, coincidentally, rhymes with Wii U).
@johnvboy that's total bs. If they did listen then they wouldn't have made so much mistakes. I'm not saying that nintendo should be perfect, but they just don't learn a lot of their previous mistakes. And just fyi: i was never speaking about just us, the nintendolife subscribers
@ArticFox Nintendo failed the marketing on Wii U (that's a given) but however I disagree that marketing is it major issue. The things that you describe that it can do is just things that are not compelling for a majority of the gamers (casual or die hard). On the other hand the hd portability is a major major benefit that sells systems
@Aaron1207,
So how do you know what the wider video game market feels?
@johnvboy uhm... the Wii U had problems, but I don’t think it’s main problem was that the hardware wasn’t cool looking. There have been plenty of examples of hardware that looked great from the outside that didn’t sell well, and plenty that didn’t look good but sold well. The main disconnect, as I see it, was that there wasn’t enough compelling software at launch that sold consumers on why dual screen gaming was a selling point for a home console. If Mario Maker was a launch title, that piece of software alone illustrates what made the game pad worthwhile. It may not have made it a complete success, and we’ll never know for sure, but I think it likely it would have been a better demonstration than what we got... which was Nintendoland, and... I guess maps and inventory are kinda nice on the tablet, but you’re gonna press pause for those anyway, so they may as well be on the TV.
@GuruOfGreatness this guy gets it!
@Balta666 You are very right, dual screens don't sell systems. The games that use dual screens sell systems. We really needed to have a better mix of games that did and did not use the GamePad, to say, "Hey, it's here, it's cool, but it's not going to get in the way of great games." (The greatest games DID use it, however.) For the reveal and marketing, Nintendo should have used Nintendo Land, which really proved why dual screens are awesome.
I also had an idea: what if by pressing a specified button on certain games, such as Splatoon, the two screens would swap? That would allow greater flexibility (and latency, I guess).
Well but there you have a big issue regarding any third party support (either AAA, AA or indie) as it is very unlikely to get them on board. Even on the Wii you had only a hand full of notable games from third party that used the motion controls to an acceptable performance.
For my part I can say that the dual screen don't appeal to me as I prefer single player games and those things that you mentioned are mostly couch co op related.
@Balta666 I feel that we have barely touched the possibilities of dual screen, especially single-player. I believe the Wii U has incredible potential.
BTW there's a lot of vs along with the co-op you mentioned. Vs is the best type of local multiplay, especially on Wii U.
Look, I do not disagree that has potential but like I said not even the 100+ selling Wii managed to put the third parties to proper use its features... I am not that guy that only cares about specs and visuals (hell I never owned a ps or xb as I have been mostly low specs PC gamer most of my live) but what most people want is normal controls gaming (no vr, montion or other bs) and for the most part that is what switch is providing and that the Wii U unfortunately could not deliver past the launch
@Balta666 Honestly, I have to agree with that entire statement.
‘I want to play with this tablet, this gamepad for the Wii U, but as soon as I get more than 30 feet away it disconnects.’
I never felt like this. IMHO anyone who did just didn't understand how it works. The Wii U was a genuine stationary console, not a handheld disguised as a so-called hybrid. You weren't supposed to take the Wii U Gamepad that far away because it's a stationary device for Iwata's sake!
Well spoken, and the Switch has been a testament to that philosophy. Nintendo gets it wrong sometimes, and sometimes they get it right, but I'm still glad they're a company that tries to do and be different for the sake of the videogame industry. Love em or hate em, thank goodness Nintendo exists.
If Iwata was alive, he would have seen how the Wii U could be a success.
@johnvboy something called research. They have the money and the facilities for it. It isn't that hard. It is not the question if it is possible. The question is if they want to invest in that. Probably they don't. But don't get me wrong, i've been a nintendo fan since I was four. But right now I see just a stubborn company
@Aaron1207 To research... what?
@Knuckles-Fajita
I handed you a chance to teach instead of tear down, yet tearing down is what you decided to do in your condescending tone. Lol
Excellent Knucks-Faji.
#TheMoreYouKnow
@Pete41608 You didn't hand anything.
You said something on the internet that is the equivalent of "My iPhone got a software update that makes it waterproof" only not quite so asinine.
Now I think about it they could have lotentially repurposed some capacitors or something if they were just laying around, but the actual screen panels themselves, yeah no they kinda got thrown out. Don't see those coming back.
Unless they make some kind of 4DS.
It's funny you mention repurposing spare parts though as the Pro Controller just uses a 3DS battery. God knows how many of those they had laying around.
@Blizzia,
Everyone its own opinion of course, but I personally didn't buy a Switch for Wii u ports and downloads. The downloads I can get anywhere, at better prices.
@Henmii Well you aren't just getting wii u ports and downloads. You're getting a ton of quality retail games as well.
Maybe you can get the downloads at better prices, but on the go? No. You gotta think platform value into this. A title that you can only play tethered to a pc at €5 less than if you could play it on your Switch, ANYWHERE?
That's €5 I'll gladly fork over for the ultimate comfort.
And honestly, anyone saying the Switch library is just wii u ports and downloads... Probably just shouldn't own a Switch. It's just a case of being picky to the extreme, because I've already bought or pre-ordered 40 games this year. 40. Freaking. Games.
And I'm not just someone who goes around buying everything. I say no to plenty of games. Yet I still have more quality games that are interesting than I can possibly play.
If you feel like buying content on another platform is better for you, go ahead. But that doesn't give you the right to complain about a lack of software on the Switch. You're actively choosing not to buy the software on that platform, despite its availability.
That's on you. Not them.
@AlienX You can plug a Wii U with an RGB SCART to get 480p image on a CRT !
You can use component too on the wii U.
@Blizzia,
You have a point about the "on the go" gaming, but I always play at home. Most downloads are also available on Smartphones and tablets, I guess. But then you don't have buttons.
@Henmii Most downloads aren't available on smartphones and tablets though. Only a very tiny number are. Try going on the eShop, browsing the most succesful indies and tell me how many of them are available on smartphones and tablets. The number is very, very low.
And yeah, no buttons on a smartphone or tablet instantly makes it inferior.
It's fine if you want to play your games on something else because you're always home when you play, but then maybe you should just settle with Nintendo Switch being your bedroom / cooking / toilet visit / cba sitting up handheld device, purely meant for playing a game whenever one comes out that interests you.
But it is still a decision that has nothing to do with the volume of content the Switch offers, since it offers a crazy amount of content considering how early in its lifetime it is.
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