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...And What About the Wii U?


On 02/24/2013 at 05:56 PM by rallydefault

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You know, most of us immerse ourselves in video games and information about video games on a daily basis. We visit sites like PixlBit, watch Youtube videos, and, if you're like me, get involved in more forum strife than a healthy heart should be subjected to. But one thing that has really irked me lately is the derisive attitude being leveled toward the Wii U.

Though this is an editorial and I am quite prone to outbursts of gaming passion, I'm not going to talk about the Wii U's specs. I'm not going to talk about Nintendo's marketing strategies or failure to lure in the "core" once again. I'm only going to talk about the blatant disregard leveled at the Wii U by most interenet-going gamers; everything else is for another day and another discussion.

Youtube comments and website forums abound with "Sony vs. Microsoft" debates and technical specification comparisons that are eerily similar to masculine mating boasts- "The PS4 will be able to turn [insert number here] teraFLOPS, while Microsoft's console..." But oddly vacant from these discussions are any mentioning of the Wii U, a system that has been out since November of 2012 and a system that did remarkably well during its launch window given all of the obstacles stacked against it: the economy, the rise of other gaming alternative such as phones and tablets, the increasing accessibility and affordability of PC gaming, and the bad taste left in many "core" gamers' mouths after the family-friendly Wii. Despite all of these barriers to even luke-warm hardware sales in its first two months, the Wii U sold 3.5 million units and managed to rank #3 in home console sales for units sold during its immediate launch, behind only the crazily successful Wii and the behemoth Playstation 2.

So why aren't we hearing more about the Wii U? Despite its launch achievement, the Wii U has been left out in the cold as far as attention goes, even before the PS4 reveal. Most Youtubers I view can hardly be bothered to even mention the system when they discuss the other "next-gen" consoles. The Wii U's gamepad "gimmick" (thus called mostly by those who haven't spent any real time with it) is almost completely forgotten, while days ago the PS4 announcement touted Vita off-TV play and gamers went wild as if they've never heard of such wizardry before. Nintendo's new social network, Miiverse, lives on in the shadows of the ad-riddled Xbox Live, a system that doesn't even allow users to so freely interact without friend requests or microphones (and $50).

Worse than the cold shoulder, though, are the ill-informed, offensive comments leveled at a perfectly wonderful and genuinely innovative console. Accusations of "gimmicky," "child's toy," and "last-gen" are only a few of the most common examples of vile being spewed by internet goers across many forums. Nintendo's lower-than-expected sales are all the fuel needed by some to forecast the total self-destruction of Nintendo as an entity, and even the gaming press seems all too willing to snub the console with flamebait article titles playing to the "fanboy" war.

I've had just about enough. Enough to even change my after-work internet crawl to avoid most gaming websites altogether. As a gamer with a love of the hobby regardless of system, this behavior saddens me.

If only the internet could be more like Miiverse- if you don't own the console or game you are mindlessly berating, your profile does not contain the symbol denoting you've actually played the game, and your comment can automatically be filtered out by other users. Alas, I suppose the internet is a bastion of the personal opinion, if nothing else, and certainly a place where those with the loudest and most frequent typing "voice" will be heard above all others.


 

Comments

Nick DiMola Director

02/24/2013 at 06:06 PM

Heard on this. I really love my Wii U and it hurts that people are already counting it out - publishers included. We should be seeing unbridled support for the system and when talks of new games happen, Wii U should be a given.

It's a great system with some really great features. When those first party Nintendo games start rolling in, I think discussion around it will really heat up. However, I take solace in the fact that Nintendo will profit on the machine and despite the Internet bile, those of us that appreciate the innovation will have something to enjoy.

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:31 PM

Couldn't agree more. It might sound silly to a non-gamer, but it does "hurt" to see all of this negativity out there when you own the system and know it's a ton of fun. I honestly haven't had this much fun with video games for a few years (and I also haven't been as absolutely terrified as Zombi U has left me!)

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/24/2013 at 06:10 PM

Nintendo has always done pretty well by doing its own thing. They've had their misteps but so do we all.  

I feel the same way you do, and while I don't have a Wii U, I wish I did.  There's just not a killer app for it yet that I want, but I hope that will change soon.  Once the first party games come out it will be great, but right now there's nothing really exciting on the horizon but for Wind Waker (which I am insanely excited about).  It's cool that they have games like Mass Effect and Darksiders and Arkham City to appeal to older gamers, but those of us with other systems have already played those games.  

They are just lacking that killer app....  but most of the time the first year of a new console's life is without that, until that ONE GAME comes along.  I don't know what that game will be, but it IS coming.  

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:33 PM

I agree that the killer app isn't out there for the Wii U yet, and that is a shame. There was speculation that Nintendo Land could possibly fill that slot, but even though it's a great game, it's no Super Mario 64 or even Wii Sports.

GamerGirlBritt

02/24/2013 at 06:11 PM

I believe there is a fair amount of consumer bandwagoning when it comes to forming opinions about such things. Because of the internet, all it takes is a less than favorable article from your favorite gaming site for you to form a subconcious distaste for the subject in question. I think the various gaming news outlets are guilty of this as well. For instance, if you read a critical article about the Wii U on IGN, then hop on over to Destructoid, you're likely to see more of the same. And if you seek out that information on even more sites, you'll realize you've been reading the same thing over and over again. Like you said, "those with the loudest and most frequent typing voice will be heard above all others", seemingly getting people to fall in line with whatever they say. 

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:34 PM

We are human beings, and so are swayed by popular opinion. I just want to get this "Sony vs. Microsoft" taste out of my mouth- it's all anybody talks about, and Nintendo is either a complete afterthought or is attacked ruthlessly.

Jon Lewis Staff Writer

02/24/2013 at 06:13 PM

People are quick to doubt Nintendo. Many people have lost faith or grown impatient with Nintendo due to the Wii and Gamecube but they often forget about the quality that their properties are capable of. Sure its bleak now, but give it some time and I think Wii U will be ok, especially with a new Mario Kart, and 3D Mario on the way and 3rd Party games like Watch Dogs and Rayman Legends. My Wii U will be getting a lot of playtime later this year, and when Wind Waker HD comes out...oh man!

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:39 PM

I can attest to that. Personally, I didn't even own a Gamecube or a Wii- I went with the Playstation 2 and Xbox 360, respectively, for those generations. I know exactly how it feels to believe that Nintendo is catering only to the kids. But for some reason, when I started doing my research on the Wii U before it launched, I saw images and video of the gamepad and was immediately sold. It looked so cool and it seemed that a lot of the exlusive motion controls for the games had gone out the window. I knew it was time for me to give Nintendo another try, and boy was I right. I've been playing nonstop since launch and still have games to get to. Honestly it reminds me of getting my NES when I three years old. Sure, the nostalgia is there, but you have to admit: Nintendo has a certain quality to their games that is hard (though possible) to find elsewhere.

asrealasitgets

02/24/2013 at 06:18 PM

While I do think that Nintendo deserves berating for the way it neglected "the core" in it's pursuit of "casual" gamers, I feel that Nintendo has managed to bring games PS3 and XBOX could not. Mainly JRPGs. Thus was able to keep my loyalty. As an adult gamer I haven't had as much time to play games on TV like I used to. Luckily for me, Nintendo DS and 3DS have managed to fill that gaming void for the last 5 years. Especially with virtual console and eShop.Yes, I play PS3, Xbox and Steam, but I really spent more time on DS.

I own WiiU. I feel that "Off TV" play on the gamepad is revolutionary and exactly what I didn't know I needed until I had it. I look forward to WiiU games now. I think they did good with Mario "Off TV". I hope they continue this trend. Unless Xbox and PS4 can do this, I will probably stick to WiiU for the time being. 

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:41 PM

I feel like I'm in a transition period, too. I don't have as much time to game anymore as I used to, and the gamepad off-TV stuff makes it so easy to play before bed or even do some NSMBU challenges while watching a quick TV show or something. It's also nice to use when my girlfriend wants to use the TV or is reading quietly in the same room- it's just like having a really, really nice DS system with you.

brighat

02/24/2013 at 06:32 PM

Once the heavy hitters for the Wii U arrive, such as Mario Galaxy 3, Super Smash Brothers Wii U and Super Mario Kart, sales will explode. As of now, there just isn't enough software. Only NSMBWU and ZombiU interest me and that's just not enough compared to the releases in early 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. I had planned to buy a used Wii U off of Kijiji but the seller refused to show proper communication. I was going to get a Deluxe Wii U and Mario for $375.

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:42 PM

Hopefully some games that interest you will come out soon and you will get to see how great the system is!

SanAndreas

02/24/2013 at 06:43 PM

The Wii U will be fine in the long run, but I don't expect it to ever have the same level of third-party support as the PS4 or Durango. So be it. Nintendo's franchises will do fine, and they have a pretty decent stable of second parties.

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:43 PM

I have to agree; the third-party stuff is going to be few and far between. I do hope that most of it is good, though. For example, I'm glad to see that Infamous is coming to the Wii U as well as Watchdogs.

Joaquim Mira Media Manager

02/24/2013 at 09:57 PM

I can't see which game you were trying to refer to but it can't be Infamous.

rallydefault

02/27/2013 at 03:45 PM

Sorry, I meant Injustice: Gods Among Us. As they say, "My 'b,' yo!"

Julian Titus Senior Editor

02/24/2013 at 07:34 PM

I think it comes down to games. Yes, all systems have a quiet period after launch where nothing is coming out, but usually we know what's coming around the corner. Of course Nintendo is going to bring out all the old favorites with new games, but I doubt those will be rolling out any time soon. Third parties seem oddly mum on what they're working on, and the back half of the year seems oddly quiet.

Of course, E3 will be here before we know it, and there's going to be tons of people talking about the Wii U then. Yes, people probably be talking more about the PS4 and new Xbox, but once there are confirmed games and release dates for things that people are excited for on the Wii U I expect a massive love in to commence.

rallydefault

02/24/2013 at 07:44 PM

I do think E3 will be a big turning point as far as what people are talking about, but I'm also hoping that Nintendo will come back into the lime light a bit earlier when Pikmin 3 and even Lego City launch.

Townz90

02/25/2013 at 06:15 AM

I'll by all means give the console a chance but you can't ignore the fact that it has sold extremely poorly in North America and I mean record low sales figures. It's got a while yet before the PS4 and 720 hit the market and the coming months will probably define how well it's going to do.

rallydefault

02/25/2013 at 05:35 PM

January was a record low, yes. However, November and December were, as I stated, the launch months in which the Wii U actually became the third fastest-selling home console in history.

Townz90

02/26/2013 at 04:56 AM

I really hope it does well. It needs those flagship titles to come out and then post 720 and ps4 it needs to find its voice amongst it's noisy neighbours. I'm by no means discounting it out the race but it needed this 11-12 month headstart.

rallydefault

02/27/2013 at 03:47 PM

It definitely needs to make the most of this headstart. March is shaping up to be a good month with Lego City and Monster Hunter. Pikmin 3 is (supposedly) not far behind, and then hopefully Nintendo can keep pulling out some good stuff at a consistent rate. I believe Metroid is coming up on the VC promotion soon, as well.

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