TreonsRealm

I like Mr. Wards previous work but he is speaking from a purely emotional point of view and not looking at the bigger picture (a major problem with many developers in recent years). He got paid to do a job and he and his team did it (and did it well) but why is he blaming Nintendo for lack of support? This (like many other issues) falls squarely on EA and their complete lack of caring about the Wii U. Why do these developers target Nintendo when it comes to not marketing third party games? It is not their responsibility to do so, it is the responsibility of the billion dollar publisher (EA) to market the game they invested money into. You don't see Sony or Microsoft going out of their way to promote third party games that aren't exclusive to their platform and why should they? You also don't hear these companies whining when Sony/Microsoft doesn't promote their game after a failure (they target their publisher who didn't do their job). Yet somehow Nintendo gets blamed for not promoting a game that came out nearly 6 months after the other releases lacking DLC support and after EA had flat out stated that they were bailing on the Wii U!

The only time the console makers should be providing additional (or special) marketing support to third party's is when that game is a major exclusive to their machine (like Nintendo did for games like ZombiU or Rayman Legends). Speaking of Rayman Legends, look at how Nintendo supported that pre and post hardware launch and how UbiSoft stabbed them in the back by going multiplatform. Nintendo featured it heavily in the advertising of the console, showed it at E3 and even made it the main playable demo in their retail Wii U demo kiosks. Gee, I can't imagine why Nintendo doesn't go out of their way when they always get screwed by the third party's.

As for the indie scene (which Ward is a part of now), Nintendo has been EXTREMELY supportive because this is a fresh start. They aren't dealing with the bloated (and back stabbing) third party's in this environment so they are bending over backwards to help these new company's and their games. They don't require any exclusivity (and are very fair in sharing the profit), they have dropped the monetary barrier to bare minimum, they allow the company's to run sales and patch the games with no strings attached and in some cases, they have even given away development kits and waved the licensing fees. With a deal that sweet, its no wonder that there are well over 120 indie games coming to the machine (and more announced almost daily). These company's are also seeing success with Nintendo because they aren't gimping their releases or screwing Nintendo and in turn, the fans are supporting them (as they should). Mr. Ward should drop the attitude (and bad blood he's carrying from working with EA) and consider supporting ALL platforms like he said he would (Wii U included). He even has the advantage over other indie developers having crafted a major third party game that ran so well on the machine (he knows the inner tech pretty well now). To be fair though, his outburst is well publicized through the Nintendo community now so he may have just burned that bridge (a royally stupid move when starting in the indie scene).

Hey Activision, how about switching the series to every 2 years? We already have Call of Duty being milked to death and Skylanders is actually good (not to mention an actual new IP) so why not take your time and avoid the gimmicks. My son and I love the series and have played the crap out of the current 3 games but it would make more sense to spread the characters out over the year and pace the series out a bit more. Hell, I could give just a few ideas off the top of my head:

• How about something like an adventure disc which would be a new game adventure that uses the existing characters (it could be sold for something like $30). Do it like the expansion discs for old PC games.
• An online game that lets you play with others online (again using existing characters). Do it like Guild Wars where you have a lobby for everyone to meet/interact and then find a buddy to go out on adventures with (or battle with). This keeps things from getting out of control with expensive servers and maintains the co-op gameplay that makes the series so great.
• You could even experiment with a 3D platforming game in the style of the 3D Mario games. This could open up the series to new gameplay elements and if successful would open up the door to alternating the game releases each year since that is an obvious direction they want to go. One year could be a traditional Diablo style game while the next could be a 3D platformer.

These are just a couple quick thoughts to avoid running the series into the ground like Activision has done with Tony Hawk & Guitar Hero and is currently doing with Call of Duty. Also, how about giving Wii U owners access to the HD Wii U version of Spyro's Adventure that was only released in Japan? I would happily pay $20 for a disc only version of the game and I'm sure there are plenty of other Wii U Skylanders fans who would appreciate it. Just a thought.

The reveal has happened and the game is Mad Men Football (another jab at EA). While this is a small indie developer and the game is for the eShop, the idea behind the game is insane but sounds like it could be brilliant fun. It is a retro style American football game which takes historical figures and groups from battlefields, and puts them on football fields! When they say "retro style", I believe they mean gameplay and not graphics and will probably translate to a game that plays more like Tecmo Super Bowl (or maybe even NFL Blitz) as opposed to Madden. Expect to throw passes with historical figures like George Washington which effectively sidesteps EA's NFL license issue. Personally I think that this sounds quite unique (and fun) and provided they can nail down the engine with some tight gameplay, we may have a Wii U exclusive sports title worth bragging about.

I know it would never happen but seeing as Activision is one of the few third party companies supporting the Wii U, it would be amazing if this was part of the Cybertron series and they released a combined port of the 2 Cybertron titles for the Wii U at a reduced price to build hype. I would totally be fine with a solid but quick port that added off-tv play. I think those Transformers titles would be quite appealing to the average Nintendo fan and would be very easy to transfer considering that they use the Unreal 3 engine which is fully compatible with the Wii U. They could throw in a few bonuses (like additional GamePad functionality and MiiVerse support) and call it "Transformers: The Cybertron Chronicles" and release it during this years movie or this fall with the DVD/Blu-Ray release of the film. Just a thought but that would be pretty cool. What do you think?

I don't know why everyone gets so worked up over the lack of third party support for Nintendo. It has not mattered for some time, just take a look at the game sales for every Nintendo home console. The top 10 for every Nintendo console is dominated by their own software. There may be a blip or 2 from a random third party but every single Nintendo console sells based on their own software alone. Now look at Sony and Microsoft's game sales, their machines NEED third party games to survive (their top 10's are littered with software from EA, Activision, etc).

As for the complaining about a new Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros being just another iteration, what about Halo, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, God of War, etc. that endlessly poop out sequels and everyone just laps them up? Why is it ok for those games to pump out endless titles (sometimes EVERY freakin year) but Nintendo catches flack for doing this when they do it like once for each console? Talk about hypocrisy. I can't blame them for not wanting to do a big budget new IP because when they do, nobody buys it (Wonderful 101). The funny thing is that had Wonderful 101 kept the original design which starred all the Nintendo characters, it would've been an easy million seller (kind of makes me sick when Gamer's and journalists beg for new IP's).

Also, why is everyone just wishing for the Wii U to go away? It's like nobody can shut up about it despite it not really having an impact on the other 2 machines. At this point, the Wii U doesn't even try to compete with the PS4/XBOne yet everyone keeps acting like it does. I'm also confused how this is even an issue for "Nintendo Fans" who buy each of their consoles. The third party thing has been going on for so long (over 15 years) that I can't see how anyone bought the Wii U with the expectation of having the supposed triple A titles from other machines. I know Nintendo said they had good partnerships with third party's but that happens every generation and like clockwork, those same companies bail on Nintendo after the first year. It happens every time and fans buy Nintendo machines for Nintendo games (refer to the beginning of my post about the top 10 in software sales), so why get upset when it happens again? You know what you're getting with the Wii U and at least this time, we are getting a MASSIVE level of indie support to supplement first & second party software so it's a win win situation. I have every Nintendo console (as well as many Sony, Sega & Microsoft machines) and I have enjoyed the hell out of the Wii U and will continue to do so as Nintendo releases more games for it.

@goonow - Both Disney Inifinity and every version of Skylanders (including Swap Force) have sold the most on the original Wii. Same for Just Dance, I have a feeling we will see Wii versions of all three through 2014 (it's even possible for 2015 if the sales remain highest on Wii).

It could go either way but I would be very surprised considering the Wii version was the highest selling version of the game. Same thing with Skylanders which still sells best on the original Wii. Disney would risk loosing a BIG chuck of the sales base for the game and I don't think they could afford to do that when the series is so young.

Of course, they could try and team up with Nintendo and help sell the Wii U by advertising the Wii U version as the lead platform for the game (essentially drive that Wii userbase over to the Wii U). They could do this by featuring playable Wii U units in their store with the game, create a Wii U Disney Infinity bundle similar to Skylanders and even offer Wii U exclusives. Just a thought.

I can understand their stance on consoles (especially their issues with the 360 and WiiWare limitations) but why not throw Super Meat Boy on the Wii U? It's by far the most indie friendly of the Big 3 and I'm sure Nintendo would be happy to nullify the initial cost to get them on board. I have it on Steam but would happily support it on Wii U and they could probably get Nintendo to allow some kind of crossover content. Of the 3 indies featured on Indie Game: The Movie, they seemed the least pretentious and I think their games would be a nice fit for the Wii U. As for the 3DS, while it is popular, I know their is a bit more of a barrier to getting indie games on it (such as the case with Binding of Isaac) so I can understand them not want to go through the headache.

@ULTRA-64 Rare was 100% 2nd party seeing as Nintendo owned 49% of the company in the N64 era and they exclusively made Nintendo games. Nintendo was offered to purchase the company but sold their stake to Microsoft because Rare was not producing enough high selling games by the time the GameCube came out to be worth the investment.

Just Dance sold well because of the Wii was already a smash success, it was not responsible for selling consoles. The best selling Just Dance games are Just Dance 3 (2011) and Just Dance 2 (2010); both of which came out in the waning years of the Wii so they were selling to existing owners, not selling new consoles. Turok's sales were a drop in the bucket compared to games like Zelda, Goldeneye and Mario 64 (all system sellers) and people were hardly buying the console just for Turok games. Resident Evil 4 almost sold more on PS2 than Wii and GameCube versions combined (quite sad when you consider its technical inferiority to both Nintendo versions).

Look at the top 10 selling games for N64, GameCube and Wii and you'll see that Nintendo is the one selling their own machines by a wide margin. Do the same for Sony or Microsoft and you will see a mosaic of 3rd party games in their top 10's. The numbers don't lie and despite what the industry would have you believe, Nintendo does not need 3rd party titles to survive. I'm sure that things like Just Dance, Sonic, Lego and Skylanders will continue due to solid sales but the days of AAA 3rd party titles having an impact on Nintendo are way back in the days of the SNES. The industry as a whole needs to realize this, get over it and move on. They need to let the Wii U (and all Nintendo machines) be what it is and stop trying to think that Nintendo is even trying to be on the same level as Sony or Microsoft.

@Kodeen I agree and am fully aware of that but their physical numbers tend to give a descent and somewhat conservative estimate of a certain game. I agree that the digital PC sales are likely higher but WB's excuse is still a bit flimsy when the whole picture is taken into account. Also, it doesn't change the fact that as a whole, the game really bombed compared to the 2 previous games. Many companies (including WB) still fully support DLC for a game despite poor sales due to relatively low investment and no physical product to worry about so sales of over 100,000 should be enough to complete DLC they had already started.

@Kodeen The numbers are on VGChartz and for NA, Batman: Arkham Origins is sitting at:
PC - 70k
WiiU - 110k
In all, I think WB is far more disappointed in the overall sales failure of Origins (which is under 4 million total sales across 4 platforms) when compared to Asylum (over 7 million across 3 platforms) and Arkham City (over 9 million across 4 platforms).

One thing that has me curious is why the venomous hatred for the Wii U? I can understand Wii U owners complaining about bad third party support and even potential buyers having issues but there is an overwhelming air of hatred towards it from Sony/Microsoft fans, the gaming media, third party's and analysts. It's almost as if it has become hip and stylish to hate on it despite the machine having little impact on the party's mentioned above.

• Sony/Microsoft fans: does the Wii U's existence have some impact or bearing on the PS4/XBOne market? No, so why can't they stop talking about it?
• Gaming Media: Aside from Nintendo based sites like this, is there a reason to report on negative Wii U press outside of click bait articles? No but sensationalized "Nintendo is doomed" articles get people to their sites and start flame wars among fans.
• Third Party's: They've already made the decision to bail on the console so why keep talking about it in a negative light? Just ignore the thing like they ignore the OUYA or tablets since the machine isn't a part of their bottom line.
• Analysts: This is the one group that you could argue should talk about the Wii U negatively but why are they so publicly vocal about Nintendo when their recommendations are for investors? What is the rational behind someone like Michael Pachter stating his opinions about Nintendo so publicly while not doing the same level of talking about Microsoft and Sony? Once again this is a situation of negative click bait and the fact that Viacom and Microsoft are financially in bed with each other is problematic (Viacom owns GameTrailers which is where most of Pachter's Nintendo "opinions" come from).

I've had the Wii U since February 2012 and have been quite happy with it. I bought it for the exclusives and the indie library and I am happy with what it is offering. I am disappointed by the lack of a select few third party games but those games were not part of my decision to buy it. While I have owned (and still own) every Nintendo home console, my expectations for third party's are as low as possible because I have watched the trends over the years and third party's have little impact on Nintendo consoles. Nintendo games alone are the reason anyone buys a Nintendo console and in the case of the Wii U, the indie library is their new third party support which is smarter from a financial standpoint. While the Wii U has some problems, it is far from the disaster people make it out to be. Nintendo will continue to support it just like they did the GameCube so the Dreamcast analogy is plain ridiculous. In the end, we will get our Nintendo games and they will sell in the millions and Nintendo will survive.

@LoBo The demand isn't there because third party's have been doing stuff like this to Nintendo fans since the N64 days. The reason it has had such a ripple through the years is because Nintendo fans tend to stick with their consoles through the years and don't forget the poor treatment on each successive machine. By comparison, Sony and Microsoft fans have often jumped between machines or just own both. Also, third party's don't have to compete with stellar first party software on those consoles and in turn they don't try as hard because they know their games will sell (this is why things like constant patching and on disc DLC has largely been accepted with third party's). When you add that most major third party games are now available on PC (and aren't gimped) which most Nintendo owners have, there is little reason to buy third party on Nintendo consoles when you know what will happen.

These companies have done this to themselves so I have little pity for them. Nintendo has survived for over 3 console generations on their own software so the loss of third party's is being blown way out of proportion. The N64, GameCube and Wii were all sold by stellar first and second party software (If you don't believe me, I challenge you to find a single third party game that was a system seller for Nintendo in the same way GTA III was for the PS2). When you consider that the Wii U already has 5 titles with over a million in sales each (all first party) then this whole third party thing really doesn't matter.

Here's my question, is WB cancelling the same DLC for PC and PS Vita? I only ask because the Wii U version outsold both of those in America and if either of those versions of the game get the DLC, then we know that WB's excuse is BS and they are targeting the Wii U specifically. Personally, I was expecting something like this after the Wii U got shafted by WB on Injustice (with all DLC on disc) and the cut multiplayer on Batman (I'm waiting to get it for like $10 at this point).

@Guybrush20x6 - Actually, the season pass worked nicely for those who purchased it considering they got all current DLC for free due to the refund. It was also quite nice for Nintendo to do this when they could have left it in WB's hands who would've likely NOT given a refund at all. If you read the user agreements, these companies are not obligated or required to give your money back so my hat off to the Big N.

If they went for a USB attachment to use DS carts (like the GameBoy Player), I would have been sold but going digital for DS games that most people still own is a no go. The only way this could work is if Nintendo gets their act together and iron out cross play between their platforms. At this point, it's quite ridiculous that you have to choose which version of a digital game you want between 3DS & Wii U. For example, the fact that Castlevania II for NES hit both consoles on the same day and you have to choose which one you want to buy for $5 is just plain stupid. This is even more infuriating when you consider that the required Nintendo Network ID can easily utilize this feature. While I am against the cries for Nintendo to go third party or put their games on smartphone (a horrible idea), I do feel they need to get their s#!t together in regards to their own devices and how they work together. Combine this with the painfully slow virtual console release schedule and Nintendo is clearly throwing money down the tube.

Oh come on EA, just admit that you are royally butthurt that Nintendo turned down your garbage Origin system for the Wii U online service and you want to get back at them (I am soo thankful Nintendo didn't use Origin)! Every statement EA makes for not supporting Nintendo just comes off as a pitiful excuse. The Wii was one of Nintendo's most "kiddie" systems and EA supported it with a ton of games because they wanted a piece of one of the biggest selling consoles in history.
The only reason EA jumped on the Microsoft bandwagon is because they expected to control their software through Microsoft's horrible DRM. Anyone notice how they suddenly got all chummy with BOTH Sony and Microsoft when Microsoft backed off their DRM policy?
The only thing that made me sad about the lack of EA was the loss of Criterion but now that the founders jumped ship to start their own independent company, I don't see the loss of EA support as a real problem for Nintendo.

It would be nice to see:
-A Wii Remote option for pointer controls so it could operate like the Wii version of Netflix (and eliminate the battery issue of the GamePad)
-An option to continuously play without user input (would be very useful when doing a marathon on a TV series)
These seem like obvious upgrades but they are still missing.

I've gotta say, I am really appreciating the big Nintendo indie developers more and more and love supporting their great games (Renegade Kid, WayForward, etc). They don't make lame excuses about why they can't support Nintendo and in turn, the Nintendo fans support them and make them profitable. Traditional third party's could learn a thing or two from them but it's probably too late for them considering they have burned every bridge possible with the Nintendo community since the N64/GameCube days. My Wii U has about as many indie games downloaded to it as actual retail discs I own for it. Outside of Cult County, the biggest thing I want to see happen for Renegade Kid is for Nintendo to hire them to make that Wario Land Virtual Boy port (talk about a day 1 purchase!). Thank you Renegade Kid and thank you Jools, you rock!

PS: Hey Jools, how about releasing Dementium HD & Dementium 2 HD for the Wii U? I would love a retail disc with both games but would still be thrilled to purchase off the eShop.

Awesome news and just cemented my decision to but the sale version for 3DS over Wii U. Now all we need is Nintendo to allow Jools to remake the AWESOME Wario Land Virtual Boy for 3DS that he posted the screenshot to on his Twitter.Ever since the 3DS was announced, that has been one of the main games I wanted Nintendo to port and I can think of no better group for the job than Renegade Kid. Please Nintendo, make this happen!

Personally, I know it's a longshot but I would really like to see an announcement for a Bayonetta Special Edition for Wii U. Maybe some added content and a budget price to get Wii U fans pumped for Bayonetta 2. Yarn Yoshi and a surprise announcement would also be nice but I've got my expectations in check. A dream announcement would be for a new Star Fox on Wii U. We don't need the game right away, just a tease to get the hype train rolling. Just a thought.

The SNES Mystical Ninja is a great game but I have been waiting since the Virtual Console on the original Wii for Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64). That game is so underrated and I would love to see it (and Goemon's Great Adventure) on the Wii U Virtual Console. I know it's a longshot but they really should bring those games over.

My personal rule of thumb is that a console has to have at least 5 truly exclusive must have games (games not available on any other console) before I buy. Sadly (or some might say happily), last generation left me with only the Nintendo Wii as I simply could not find 5 must have exclusive titles on either PS3 or 360. There were some great games but I could only find 1-3 on either system I would consider owning each console for (on the plus side it saved me a ton of cash). This generation is shaping up in much the same way as the PS4 and XBone only seem to feature FPS, Sports and Open World games that feel REALLY derivative of everything from last gen. The Wii U has been a game changer for me with its Off-TV play allowing me to have access to its games with or without the TV (a massive plus when you have a family). Also, while the third party support is garbage, the Wii U will hands down have the best "exclusive" library and best indie game selection of all three consoles. Nintendo doesn't need to be the biggest seller to be profitable and I expect total sales numbers will fall somewhere between SNES (49 million) and N64 (32 million) which will be quite respectable and very profitable for both Nintendo and the companies who provide exclusive titles for the system.

@1337man1233 Because Two Tribes had announced that both Europe and US were getting the "buy Toki Tori and get Toki Tori 2+ for 60% off" and then said that the US would not be getting the promo at the last minute. I don't hold it against Two Tribes but it's still pretty lame that we lost out on the promo with no real explanation as to why. Now to be fair, Two Tribes did say they would do something at a later date to make up for it but haven't announced what that is.

Toki Tori for $2 is a no brainer considering how good it is (had it on WiiWare many years ago) but it's a damn shame we got screwed on the 60% off of Toki Tori 2+ deal. I was all set to download both but I'm holding off on 2 for now. Also looking to own Wii Sports Club but I'm waiting on the eventual physical disc release of the entire game.

The system doesn't look bad but much like the Zelda Wii U, I personally despise not getting a physical copy of the game. Nintendo has generally been good about their approach to digital downloads but I'm not a fan of this shift towards counting the digital game as the "included game" when you technically don't own it. They should know by now that anyone who would buy a "special edition" of one of their systems is primarily a Collector and would want a physical copy of the game (it seems like a way to double dip considering most people I know who bought the Zelda Wii U sold the download ticket to buy the physical version). It's not a big deal with something like Animal Crossing considering its personalized "daily play" style or including a digital Mario Kart with one of the standard systems but it's unacceptable for a Zelda themed system.

This feels like no big loss when you consider that we dodged a bullet with Aliens: Colonial Marines but got saddled with garbage like Walking Dead (Not the good one) and Fast & Furious: Showdown. I would happily give up a lot of the licensed crap on the Wii U in exchange for some of the higher profile releases Nintendo fans missed out on, the Transformers Cybertron series on PS3/360 jumps to mind. Hey Activision, if you're listening how about giving us both games on one disc and throw in some extra goodies (like Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition)?

As for the retail excuse for Young Justice, that's the dead giveaway that they simply didn't want to bother (WB has been pulling a lot of BS with the Wii U this year). The eShop effectively eliminates the retail risk (cost) and we've already seen it work for Fist of the North Star which had no retail disc and Tank! Tank! Tank! which bombed at retail but found new life through its eShop "pay for what you want" model. I just wrote a 2 piece article on my site titled "Is It Really Worth Supporting Third Party's On Wii U?" and Warner Bros. didn't score as high as you'd think. They are in the same boat as UbiSoft right now and I could see both companies drastically pull back support next year unless Xbone and PS4 fumble and they need to make games on a Nintendo console again. A scenario that has happened many times in the past with third party companies and Nintendo consoles.

"Do some new s#!%" - This coming from a guy who has only 2 major franchises to his name in his close to 20 years in the industry. He should know better than anyone how hostile the video game industry is towards "new s#!%" (The Wonderful 101 illustrates this perfectly). It's quite funny how he also ignores all of the new franchises and IP's Nintendo has introduced over the last 5+ years simply because they aren't "hardcore" and he personally doesn't care for them (Wii Fit, Brain Age, Steel Diver, Wii Sports, Nintendogs and more eShop titles than can realistically be listed and they are all fresh new franchises).

Also, John Carter, Mars Needs Moms and Disney's idiotic "Vault" marketing shows that Disney makes horrible decisions and doesn't understand their audience well at all (seriously, what kind of company say's "you can't buy our movies because they are in the vault"). Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars are doing well because there were safeguards put in place during those purchases to prevent Disney from taking too much control (because it is well known how Disney will run something into the ground). On the surface, I can see what he is trying to say but he clearly doesn't have a real grasp on the whole picture and is speaking from a selfish (and emotional) point of view. His claims of being a "true Nintendo fan" come off as hollow due to his lack of understanding what makes the company special. He sounds more like a nostalgic fanboy who wants Nintendo's IP's (and only the one's he likes apparently) on his system of choice (which in turn would take away what makes their games special as Nintendo's hardware is an integral part of what makes their games special in the first place).

I enjoyed Need for Speed: Most Wanted U but that was strictly because it came from the excellent team at Criterion (Burnout is my favorite racing franchise and to this day I still play Black and believe it is one of the best console FPS titles alongside TimeSplitters). I only bought it to support them and wouldn't have given it a second thought had it been from any other team seeing as I don't really care for the Need for Speed franchise as a whole considering EA has really run the thing into the ground and feels more like a licensing vehicle for cars and music.

Honestly I would have been far happier with a truly decked out special edition of Burnout Paradise made specifically for the Wii U. It would have been a game FAR better suited to Nintendo fans due to its focus on fun over racing (exploring the city is so insanely enjoyable in that game). It would have been far cheaper to produce in turn not needing to make so much money to be profitable (the car licensing fees alone are needless costs). I could imagine the game with all of the DLC from the 360/PS3 versions along with the camera feature on 360 using the Gamepad camera. The graphics could have looked even more amazing seeing what they did with Need for Speed. A 2 player co-op using the Gamepad and TV as 2 separate screens (like Black Ops 2) would have been amazing. They could have teamed with Nintendo to offer themed vehicles based on Nintendo characters and even sound effects along with new challenges like jumps, stunts and billboards. The game was old enough that other system owners would probably love to revisit it with the new features. The possibilities are endless and it felt like a real missed opportunity. Most important, it would have been an opportunity the rejuvenate the Burnout franchise which has been sorely missed now that there are WAY to many driving franchises that focus strictly on racing. I kind of wish EA would just sell Criterion and the Burnout franchise to Nintendo, that would be freakin amazing considering those guys really like Nintendo and it shows in the work they put into Most Wanted U. Just a thought seeing as EA has shown no real interest in the franchise anymore.

Personally, I think this had the potential to be the first Wii U million seller from a third party back in February and would have stopped some of the third party's from bailing on the Wii U. I knew countless people who were holding off on the system until this very game due to it being exclusive and how amazing the demo's were. At least the Wii U version is the best seller but I can't help but think that someone at UbiSoft got ripped a new one after seeing these crap sales and after investing in the additional ports destroying their reputation with the Nintendo community. It's a shame really and just shows that sometimes, there are serious merits to remaining Nintendo exclusive. Just look at games like Epic Mickey, De Blob, House of the Dead Overkill, Resident Evil Chronicles Series, etc. All games that did better as Nintendo exclusives and in some cases were destroyed after going multiplatform in sequels.

I thought Kung Fu Rabbit was supposed to be half price like the European eShop this week? What happened?

While the price may seem steep, you need to consider the bigger picture:

• You can now choose to purchase each game instead of buying a full set where you may only play 1 game regularly like the original release (most people I knew only played Bowling on a regular basis)
• The games are now HD, fully support the superior Wii Motion Plus and feature full MiiVerse integration (there is development cost in doing this so they have to pay for that somehow).
• The biggest thing to consider is full online play for FREE! Consider for a moment that if XBone or PS4 gave away similar games for free, you would HAVE to pay monthly for online play. Nintendo is the only next-gen system offering free online play so paying a little more upfront for that feature is a small cost overall.

I am also expecting 2 additional options once all games are available:
1. eShop Discount on all games together similar to the StreetPass games on 3DS
2. A retail disc for $50 that includes a Wii Remote Plus similar to Wii Party U

Overall the whole thing is a pretty smart move and really quite progressive for the traditionally conservative Nintendo. Wii Sports was a major selling point for the original Wii and with the correct marketing, this can help move Wii U. The Wii U is now only $50 more than the original Wii at launch and offers a lot more as a console (MiiVerse, Internet Surfing, Full Backwards Compatibility, A robust eShop service, etc.). Off-TV play alone has allowed me to game a LOT more than before since my wife and son are always wanting to use the TV when I'm in the middle of a game. The Wii U is becoming a better system with each passing day while still feeling like a game console. No offense to XBone or PS4 but their obsession with social networking and TV integration makes them feel more like some weird hybrid of a PC and smartphone and less like game machines.

Much like Sega and Sonic Lost World, my vote is for a Nintendo exclusive Mega Man game/series that Nintendo has a hand in developing/publishing. Great nostalgic games are going to become a major selling point for the Wii U and having beloved franchises like Sonic, Mega Man, Donkey Kong and Mario will go a long way for the system. A lineup like that would easily cement the Wii U as every gamer's second system of choice.

Just look at the Smash Bros. reveal at E3, everyone freaked out about Mega Man's inclusion. Combine this with the fact that Mega Man has always been most successful on Nintendo consoles and his largest fanbase are gonna be Nintendo fans. Hell, Nintendo could probably pay Capcom to make the character exclusive to their consoles and then hire Keiji Inafune's company to develop the games and oversee their development. I'm not getting my hopes too high but this scenario makes a LOT of sense from a business standpoint and fans would have a nerdgasm at the announcement.

This double standard thing has gotten a bit out of control. Let's put all of the pissing and moaning about Nintendo's Wii U pricing in perspective for a moment.

• The Xbox 360 (A machine that is nearly 8 YEARS OLD!) still sells its basic 4GB version for $200. The versions that most Gamer's would buy average about $300. The $100 version REQUIRES a 2 yr Xbox Live subscription adding a minimum of $120 totaling $220.
• The PlayStation 3 (Out for nearly 7 years) still averages around $300 with some bundles going as low as $250.

These prices are current and don't include things such as used or store specific deals but they show that Nintendo's pricing is actually well in line with what they are offering (anyone who has spent actual time with the machine and doesn't already hate Nintendo can confirm this). The issue has not been pricing but games, always has been and always will be and this will change in the fall. Personally, I think people should be complaining that Sony and Microsoft still have the prices on their last generation consoles so high considering their extreme age.

Microsoft launched the 360 with 2 different models for $300 and $400 and their 2 current models sell for $200 and $300! That is only a $100 difference in 8 YEARS! I realize that the bundles and configurations have changed to supposedly justify the cost but anyone familiar with technology knows that these machines should both be much cheaper at this point in their life.

The Wii U has a lot going on from a technology standpoint, many developers who are actually making games for the thing have stated this repeatedly. ACTUAL Wii U developers have stated on multiple occasions that the Wii U is more powerful than PS3 and 360. Ironically, it's always the developers who are NOT making games for the thing that state it is not powerful enough (always coming off as an excuse). IF Nintendo were to introduce a price cut this fall to assist their own software lineup, I believe it would be no more than $50 and only on the Black model (to $300). It's far more likely that, much like PS3 and 360, Nintendo will simply start bundling more games/accessories with the machine at the same cost. A Nintendo Land/Super Mario Wii U bundle with Wii Remote & Nunchuk included for $350 would be very attractive next to their strong first party lineup this fall.

A Nintendo console with a focus on awesome first party games and creative indie titles, count me in! No offense to "traditional" third parties but personally, I have grown increasingly tired of the same old stale FPS and Open World formulas over the last 5-6 years. Almost every game on my "must have" list (that isn't Nintendo first party) is an indie game for either computer or Wii U (Off-TV play has become a major selling point with me and my family).

Just posted an updated version on my site for anyone having trouble with the broken link. Enjoy

@Peach64 May want to double check your numbers. The VITA has been out for over a year and a half and hasn't even broken 5.5 Million systems and yet oddly gets more third party support that the Wii U!? As for the PS3, it took the system nearly 3 years to shake bad press (for pricing) and poor hardware sales and still had very robust third party support despite games selling considerably worse on the console than the 360. While the press blasted Sony for hardware pricing, they didn't hound Sony about dropping out of the hardware business or creating a new console and third parties consistently threw support behind the machine even during their absolute worst period. The Wii U sales are crap right now but that is because every company has used every excuse possible to bail on the machine (of course the thing will sell poorly if there are no games released). Nintendo is also expected to have every game in their library available just after launch while the first party software for the 360/PS3 was largely awful for their first year or two. It is a double standard that has always dogged Nintendo while a company like Sony can do just as bad if not worse and both the industry and press will champion them where possible and turn a blind eye to other things.

Out of curiosity, did the industry have this same level of hatred for the PlayStation 3 when it sold like absolute garbage for nearly 3 years? How about the VITA which continues to flounder yet people keep saying things like "its got really nice hardware". It seems like Nintendo is the verbal punching bag for the industry simply because they won't fall in line with the "standards" set by companies that came after them. Ironically this has gotten worse with a machine that is their most mainstream since the SNES. The Big N should just go back to making really unique hardware that bucks the mainstream since that is when they do best (like the DS and Wii).

@unrandomsam - Wayforward games (and even many of their licensed titles despite publisher restrictions) are both technically impressive and great from a gameplay standpoint. Given the limitations of 2D, they craft some of the best gameplay experiences and variety for their games. Their Mighty series is a great example of this with each game being drastically different from the previous while still being great games (most developers would create slight variations and stamp it as another quick cash grab sequel). Their games are also quite challenging where most of the industry is obsessed with dumbing things down as much as possible. As for innovation, I would argue that their 2D games have more innovation in them than whatever me too FPS is pooped into the market every couple months. Much like hollywood, most of what is released by the major publishers is either a sequel or so derivative of another game that it may as well be a sequel (especially true of numerous "new" franchises).

As for your article, if you had bothered to read it and actually researched the game, you would know that the so called "nerfing" of the game is completely optional. You can switch the super easy mode on it you choose or you can make the game super hard if you choose. I have no doubt the option of making the game easier was dictated by Disney to appeal to the younger crowd but Wayforward knew the old school audience for the game and has designed it to allow games to customize the difficulty through the options menu.

Considering the quality of their work, it's quite unfair to claim they put less effort into their work (it's actually quite rude, can you make something better?). For one, the 2D art produced for their games is WAY more difficult to produce than any 3D model in something such as Halo or Call of Duty (2D animation is a labor of love and one hell of a commitment which is why 2D animation has declined so much). They are also one of the few companies that balances their licensed game work to fund their original games which has allowed them to thrive while many companies continue to crash and burn. It's also worth noting that their licensed titles are actually good which is rather impressive given the typical trends of most licensed video games. I stand by my previous statements about Wayforward, they are one of the best "mainstream" indie developers in the market today and continue to be major (and financially successful) supporters of Nintendo.

@Magusnake - They are pushing on digital because it is unfortunately the future of the industry. In all honesty, Nintendo has been the most reserved in their push which I personally appreciate as I hate digital retail releases for home consoles. They are even releasing the Super Luigi U as a retail disc which I didn't see coming but I love it as I would have NEVER bought the DLC. I expect Microsoft to be the first to push for all digital in the future with Sony doing the same shortly after. I expect that Nintendo will hold onto physical retail releases as long as they can but they will work digital into their strategy as "another option" for those who want it. Based on the most recent sales figures, digital has actually been a big part of recent Wii U game sales. Personally, as long as I can get my physical disc games, I will support digital through digital indie games on the eShop (I've got Shovel Knight already paid for on my Wii U through Kickstarter .

@GamerJunkie - Why does "when the time is right" sound like they will charge for it? It sounds more like they would wait until late summer/fall to capitalize on the bigger push from Nintendo on first party software & eShop (kind of like a second launch/special edition). Considering the precedent set by Trine 2 & Mighty Switch Force, it's way more likely that it will be advertised as a free update for existing owners. It sounds pretty fair when you consider that the game hit the eShop over 3 months before Steam (and they are still giving Wii U owners the bonus content).

As for prices, eShop indie games go on sale all the time now (many as much as 50% off) which is very much in line with what other services offer. Nintendo has made it clear that the indie developers are in charge of pricing and control the sale prices. Their pricing is in line with other services as well and if there is an issue, the developer can permanently change the price of the game (Little Inferno launched at $15 and was later changed to $10 even offering a limited time sale for $5). I also haven't seen this "missing content" you speak of, most of the games match content or even offer more. The late issue comes into play when Nintendo finds a problem and forces the developer to fix it (as is the case in the article above).

As for bugs, I have only run into these with third party disc based games which is rectified by said third party through patches (which is unfortunately a standard practice on ALL platforms including PC). Also I never said that Wii U games have no bugs, I simply pointed out that if Nintendo finds them before release such as the case with D&D they make the developer fix before release. Also, there have been cases where the Wii U version of the game is the definitive version of a game as stated by the games developer (Trine 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted). I am by no means downing on the PC as I use mine for a lot of gaming but the Wii U brings a lot to the table for many games and features such as off-TV play, multiple control options and local multiplayer make the machine a very viable choice for many eShop releases.

@Cyberbotv2: Most of the Kickstarter games are for PC with a Wii U version coming at the same time or shortly after. Actually, there have been quite a few instances where a project was struggling to reach its goal and blew past its goal when a Wii U version was added to the stretch goals (Armikrog immediately jumps to mind). Nintendo closely watches both the indie scene as well as Kickstarter and often assists the developers in becoming a licensed Nintendo developer in order to bring their games to the Wii U. I personally report on Kickstarter games coming to Wii U on my site all the time and there are roughly 1-3 games per month that have a Wii U stretch goal. Nintendo has gone to great lengths to open the Wii U to the independent market which is why I don't think they are that worried about the third party situation. The Wii U is becoming a first party/indie game platform and I think that is by design. I've looked at the numbers in great detail and third party games have not been essential to Nintendo home consoles since the SNES days.

In the case of Telltale Games (developer of The Walking Dead adventure games), they are already licensed with Nintendo and have brought MANY of their games to the Wii & WiiWare (Sam & Max, Back to the Future, Monkey Island, Homestar Runner). I'm not sure why they didn't bring Walking Dead but I'm sure they would use the excuse that the crappy Activision FPS didn't sell well on the machine although this would be a poor excuse considering that Nintendo has made the eShop as close to "risk free" as possible. I would recommend if you want those games on Wii U, form a petition to show there is an audience and contact Telltale to bring the game to the eShop.

@ GamerJunkie - That's not a fair way to approach purchasing games on the Wii U (or any other system for that matter). By that argument, you should never buy an indie game on your console of choice and just wait for the Humble Indie Bundle to pay what you want. That's kind of a messed up way at looking at things and really screws the indie developer who poured their heart and soul into the games.

As for Toki Tori 2, the developer has flat out stated that they will be bring the Toki Tori 2+ content to Wii U. Indie developers are not "out to get you" and have been pretty fair compared to the way traditional third parties nickel and dime you with DLC and different versions. Wayforward (one of the best mainstream indie developers) has given updates to their Mighty Switch Force series free of charge since launch, same with Trine 2 (which is an awesome Wii U game, the best version in fact).

If you want to wait for the cheapest version (on any platform), that's fine but putting a blanket statement "Don't buy stuff like this on Wii U" is unfair to Gamer's and the Developers.

@cdude - It's ironic you mention the best sounding and most original games are coming from Kickstarter seeing as there are no fewer than 15 of those very Kickstarter games confirmed and coming to Wii U (with new ones popping up monthly). Hell, for every third party game that bails on the system, there are 2-3 indie titles being announced for the system. Seeing as the big budget third party games will end up causing a crash in the industry, Nintendo has wisely focused on bringing the indie community to the Wii U. This summer/fall will see those indie games start to come to the Wii U (Shovel Knight, Cloudberry, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dream, etc.) and those combined with Nintendo's own first party games (at least one per month starting in August) will allow the system to stand out as something truly different from what Sony/Microsoft are offering.

@Knux - I wouldn't worry about DuckTales Remastered. It's being handled by Wayforward and they have a TON of experience with Nintendo's eShop/WiiWare platform. Hell, they are some of the best 2D developers and biggest Nintendo supporters in the industry today (I have almost every one of their original franchise games and love them all). I wish Nintendo would contract them to do a 2D Metroid for 3DS and Wii U, how freakin sweet would that be!

Capcom on the other hand has lost much of what once made them great. A lot of their teams have gotten lazy and rush poor products for a quick buck. I still want this game but I have to applaud Nintendo for calling them out and not allowing them to take advantage of them.

Since it sounds as if the game is completely episodic, they should lower their funding goal dramatically and focus on doing one episode at a time (each self contained). Their design doesn't seem to lend itself to the same scope as Eternal Darkness so they need to approach it from that standpoint. They should also make it Wii U exclusive for home consoles since the machine offers the most gameplay possibilities in terms of hardware. The Gamepad, motion control, camera, Miiverse, etc. are near limitless in terms of using the "sanity effects" to screw with the player. If the chapters become successful enough, they can bundle all chapters together and create a new chapter (like Alex Roivas) to link them together and then release it as a physical disc. Precursor Games needs to stop think they are developing a big budget triple A game and begin designing it like a smaller indie game.

@Chillama - Seeing as this is Nintendo's first big true HD title (in terms of scope & scale), I'm quite happy with the texture work. If this was like 3-4 years into the Wii U life cycle, I would have an issue but considering the depth of gameplay and massive amount of content for a "first generation" Wii U game, it's quite impressive. Keep in mind that Nintendo is just entering the HD development cycle so they have to learn the advantages of HD and how to utilize it to its fullest. I personally think this is why they are holding off on games such as a new Metroid or Mario Galaxy, those games are graphical showpieces so they want to make sure they have a good grasp on the tech first.

After doing some research, it turns out that Nintendo found a bug in the games online multiplayer and is making Capcom fix it before release. I find it funny that it's considered a "nightmare" when Nintendo simply wants a game to work properly on the Wii U. I understand the need for patches for unseen bugs after release but companies have no right to complain if a bug is found before release, it's their responsibility to fix it. Third parties have gotten lazy since Sony and Microsoft don't enforce quality control resulting in a lot of games needing to download patches almost every time you turn those systems on.

@ banacheck
I was not arguing if PlayStation owners love indie games or not and I was also not questioning the current console/portable situation (If I was, Microsoft's iron grip with XBLA crushed Sony's PSN in terms of sales numbers). I am also not downing the quality of indie titles on Sony's machines as they do have a solid lineup. My comment was posing the question for the "next gen" situation of indie games on PS4/Wii U and which console will ultimately yield better sales for the many indie games coming to both consoles. Both consoles will have a good selection but Nintendo has put a much larger focus on the indie market (this is why we are seeing 2 or more indie games announced for the system each month).

I don't know where you are seeing all of these trailers for indie games on PS4 because outside of E3, there has actually been very little compared to the big AAA titles announced for the console. On the other hand, the Wii U is constantly seeing new indie games announced each month as previously mentioned. My question is meant to start a conversation, not spark a fanboy war between Sony and Nintendo fans. Both companies are doing well with the indie scene now but the Wii U's poor situation with third parties ultimately gives indie games a bigger focus on the Wii U where Nintendo's own games draw in the audience who will turn to the eShop for more games (both for convenience and value).

As for the current situation, while I like a lot of the PSN indie games, the PC is the real "place to go" for indie games with the 360 unfortunately following it up (a byproduct of Microsoft's early strides with XBLA and their iron fist control of the games).

We know the Wii U will be the strongest machine for exclusives this generation (in terms of first party software). Third parties will continue to whine about the machine and have flimsy support for it. Here's the big question:

With Sony and Nintendo having similar open policies towards indie games, which system will those indie games be most successful?

I have obviously left the Xbone out of the equation because Microsoft seems to show a bit of contempt for independent games. Personally, I think Nintendo has set the Wii U up for a "gold rush" in terms of indie games (for every third party game not being announced for Wii U, we see 2-3 indie games announced for the machine every month). Nintendo has always sold their machines based on their own software (third parties haven't had a major impact on Nintendo machines since the SNES era). By focusing on the indies who can easily fill the gaps left by third parties, they have crafted a machine that focuses on a sector of the industry that will survive the impending crash brought on by increasingly inflated budgets and diminishing returns (we're looking at you EA). Sony will have to focus on first/third party software meaning that while their policy for Indie games will be great, they will ultimately be lost in the crowd due to gamer's focusing on the "next big thing" coming to retail each month. It's just a thought but I think this is part of Nintendo's mentality in their approach towards the machine. They are essentially creating a home console that won't have the stigma of being a "PC-like" game machine (which is something I've seen constantly brought up about PS4 & Xbone).

Pachter down on Nintendo again, color me surprised (sarcasm alert). Anyone with half a brain has managed to connect the dots and see that he gets paid by Viacom which in turn got a half billion dollars from Microsoft for advertisement and pushing their product (Google "Microsoft Viacom Deal"). Remember that Viacom OWNS Gametrailers which is where he spews his insight through. This is why he is NEVER as down on Microsoft as he is on Sony and especially Nintendo. He has a vested interest in seeing a Nintendo home console go down while constantly talking about how Nintendo should go third party and put their franchises on Phones and Xbox. It would benefit his "Analyst job" as well as his Gametrailers job.

Truth is that Nintendo doesn't need the major third party's and this REALLY irritates them and the industry as a whole. Look at the Wii and name one third party that actually amounted to more than a drop in the bucket for that system. Look at the numbers and you'll see that first party software was the ONLY thing that was really successful and drove the machine. Just Dance was one of the very few major successes and it hardly "sold" the machine (it simply appealed to the millions who already had a Wii). Couple this with the fact that Nintendo actually profits on their hardware and you'll quickly see that Nintendo doesn't NEED to sell a hundred million consoles to be profitable. The Gamecube was their lowest selling home console but it was extremely profitable for them in terms of both hardware and software. Nintendo is not a bloated conglomerate like Microsoft and Sony with a 100,000 employees (Nintendo barely employs over 5,000 employees). They can afford the current situation with very little problem while a similar situation for Sony or Microsoft would spell certain doom. Pachter is saying his BS through a filter of Microsoft money and looking at the situation from a typical US corporate structure point of view that sees everything as pure profit and nothing else. Brand value does not factor into that equation because US business values don't allow for it.

The Wii U will finally prove that Nintendo really doesn't need the third party's and will instead smartly focus on stellar first party software with a major backing from the indie community due to Nintendo's open arms approach to the eShop. Sony and Microsoft will both have major struggles due to their machines being so PC like and going against far more PC gamers this generation than any previous one (remember that Steam really exploded during the last generation). This coupled with hardware power becoming much less of a driving issue this time means that exclusives and innovation will be the big driver this time around (Remember that the Wii U has both the Gamepad interface AND the Wii Motion Controls so developers can run wild with ideas).

@GearsOfWarU It's out on everything else (PC, PS3, 360) but the Wii U version is supposedly still in the "approval" process according to Capcom. While this is possible, I find it a little suspect considering how many indie developers claim that Nintendo allows self publishing on eShop. Capcom managed to have RE: Revelations and Monster Hunter as well as multiple Virtual Console titles hit the eShop with no real problems so I am curious what the actual hold up is on D&D.