Is there room for the Wii U in this gen?

[Negative Creep]

if the backlash against Microsofts plans for the future of gaming is anything to go by (a lot of which sony would like to introduce too, but they've been more media savvy).... the wii u should be the gamers choice of console.....Nintendo first party games usually have loads of content (without DLC and micro transactions) and are incredibly well made.....can't say that about a lot of titles on the other main home console platforms this time.

.....but people (core gamers?) are more interested in the type of RAM a console has, so that it plays a 'better' version of game x which is fine. the wii u's gimmick isn't good enough to sway the non gamers this time, so they're unlikely to sell 100 million.

Nintendo first party games though, will always sell enough consoles to turn a bit of a profit, I would say theres room this gen like there was room for the n64 or the gamecube - they weren't financial disasters AFAIK. the new Mario game is amazing BTW.

It would be much first choice if it had a proper controller. The Wii sold really well but I bet the majority just gathered dust after the gimmick wore off, so people aren't interested in repeating it

[Matt_B]

It would be much first choice if it had a proper controller. The Wii sold really well but I bet the majority just gathered dust after the gimmick wore off, so people aren't interested in repeating it

I'd happily take that bet, as Wii software sales always held up strongly and people don't keep buying games for a machine that's been left in a cupboard. It's still ahead of the 360 and PS3 in terms of overall software sales and even last year, despite a dearth of new releases, Wii games outsold Wii U ones by around three to one.

The problem Nintendo have isn't that people stopped using their Wiis, but that they weren't interested in buying its successor.

[killbot]

It would be much first choice if it had a proper controller. The Wii sold really well but I bet the majority just gathered dust after the gimmick wore off, so people aren't interested in repeating it

So many people talk about the amount of Wiis 'gathering dust' in attics, but I've never seen one piece of actual statistical data to back it up. Ever.

The data I have seen suggests a software attach rate impressivley close to that of the 360 and PS3, and the fact that games like NSMB were being released a couple of years into the machines life and shifting tens of millions of copies suggests that most people didn't in fact play Wii Sports for 10 minutes and then shove the thing in the loft and forget about it.

What I suspect is happening here is that people are thinking 'I lost interest in mine after a week, so I can only assume that everyone else who bought one did as well'. Which is terrible reasoning.

[crusto]

Well, I can 100% say that I am one of those people who shelved the console after a very short while. I have dug it out this Christmas period, mainly (well only) to have some fun on wii sports with my lad.

I've got to say that I've had some great fun with the bowling and baseball. But the minute I tried to play a "real game" I completely lost interest. Top quality titles like SMG 1 and 2, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess and Resi 4 all sit unplayed for months at a time because of a control method I cannot stand.

I have tried my best a number of times to put my hatred of the wiimote to one side and persevere but I simply can't do it. I am a sit down gamer by default and I can't change. I can understand nintendos innovation with its introduction of the wiimote, and it's great for party titles. But I think they missed a trick by omitting traditional control methods and alienated lots of gamers in the process.

Yes the console is undoubtedly a huge success, but I think it could have been even bigger. I'm still glad I own one but a bit frustrated at the same time lol.

The wii u does interest me, but I've no idea how the games control. If it's more of the same I will probably opt out, unless I can get one dirt cheap.

[PlodMadLoon]

As someone whose never been without the latest Nintendo console (first one I bought was the NES circa 1991, and I've bought every new one since) and am a commited Nintendo gamer, I do sometimes find it saddening the way the Big N gets written off these days. We're seen it time and again how they bounce back. This isn't like Sega where they kind of shot their wad early and then made a multitude of mistakes before basically being forced out of the hardware market. Nintendo have consistently managed to hang in there even when things like the N64 and Gamecube faltered. They are capable of mistakes, as are Sony, as are Microsoft. But people IMO always seem all too willing to hasily throw them to the wolves as an also-ran in the console market.

Obviously one problem the WiiU has is that their hardware is a sort of "in between" model. In pure computing terms it's more powerful than a PS3 or X360, but less powerful than a PS4 or Xone. This is a disinct disadvantage given that the WiiU is competing in this generation of consoles rather than the last one.

On the other hand, never underestimate Nintendos ability to innovate. In my opinion they unequivocally *won* the last generation despite the hardware being underpowered compared to their rivals. Why? Because the wiimote changed the game. The biggest sign that Nintendo were out in front of their competitors is nowhere better illustrated than by the way Sony and Microsoft scrambled to get 'their' motion control devices out there into market. Nintendo was leading the front and the others meekly followed. It was somewhat amusing that a console that was really just a pimped up Gamecube was really giving the other two a run for their money.

IMO Nintendo's true strength is first party games. It's all about the software. There remains nothing in my view on any of the rival console to match the sheer fun of a Super MArio 3D Land or a new Legend of Zelda title. Their true weakness? Well I'm less pleased by their need to re-release their back catalogue. Seeing a console where the launch titles include updates of a 15 year old games. As good as that game might be, it'll never get me jazzed up like seeing a brand new title would. Usually it takes Nintendo a few years to follow through on their promise, their launch titles recently are nearly always weak IMO and that hurts them.

So the answer the thread question: Is there room for the Wii U in this gen? I would say "Yes". A game space without the true innovation of Nintendo on a good day would be a very bad thing indeed. And I do think that the naysayers who write them off do so at their peril, because Nintendo can (and HAS) pulled the metaphorical rabbit from their hat before. As this subforum says, 'It's All About The Games'.

[Negative Creep]

Well, I can 100% say that I am one of those people who shelved the console after a very short while. I have dug it out this Christmas period, mainly (well only) to have some fun on wii sports with my lad.

I've got to say that I've had some great fun with the bowling and baseball. But the minute I tried to play a "real game" I completely lost interest. Top quality titles like SMG 1 and 2, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess and Resi 4 all sit unplayed for months at a time because of a control method I cannot stand.

I have tried my best a number of times to put my hatred of the wiimote to one side and persevere but I simply can't do it. I am a sit down gamer by default and I can't change. I can understand nintendos innovation with its introduction of the wiimote, and it's great for party titles. But I think they missed a trick by omitting traditional control methods and alienated lots of gamers in the process.

Yes the console is undoubtedly a huge success, but I think it could have been even bigger. I'm still glad I own one but a bit frustrated at the same time lol.

The wii u does interest me, but I've no idea how the games control. If it's more of the same I will probably opt out, unless I can get one dirt cheap.

Exactly the same for me. There are plenty of great games for it, but all I could ever think when trying them was that I wish I could just use a proper controller instead. It's fine for Wii Sports but I just find it a massive hindrance for the likes of Metroid Prime

[AmigaJay]

Of course there is room for the Wii U in this gen (this coming from someone who loved the early 90's when 10 pieces of hardware would be in the same market at the same time!)
I just got my Wii U for xmas, i have to say bar getting it online (grr Nintendo! same problem with the Wii too) we are loving it in our house, there is NOTHING on the PS4/XB1 to interest us at the minute (though spring brings some more interesting games) loving the gamepad, and multiplayer has never been so fun (Nintendoland - Ghosts, Mario Chase, Super Mario 3D World) have so far been very impressive and brought the family closer together for some gametime, yes there's a shortage of decent games, but if i buy only 5 a year then you know Nintendos first party games are gonna deliver.
But i agree about the Wii controller being a right pain, but the main reason i bought a Wii U is the gamepad and at last you can play games the way they should be played (i.e sitting down! and not waving your arms around!)

[Lost Dragon]

@Killbot, i could'nt even begin to give you any 'figures' for Wii's bought and now gathering dust, but from personal circle of friends who bought Wii's and why and what became of them:

2 guys bought a Wii for the missus (for Wii Fit) inital interest soon waned, Wii was boxed back up, put in storage, Luke and his missus split, so no idea what happened to that.Girl i knew bought one for her sister, loved it, then sisters boyfriend showed them how to run back up games on it (did same for her DS+his PSP) so they never bought anything original for it after that and Wii only brought out at family events.

Shaun bought one for his kids, they loved it, but then moved onto Kinect/360 which he bought in a bundle deal, Wii was replaced under TV by 360.

So yes, very limited numbers, i grant you, but from people i know who did buy Wii's and still have them (Alex had 1, sold it soon after, but he's since bought a Wii U, loves it), they were either replaced by something else or people did'nt buy huge numbers of games.

[Lost Dragon]

To be fair though, i've seen this 'pattern with friends on more than just the Wii though:PSP's bought to run CFW, then up on Ebay within weeks, ditto DS machines, 360's bought, then sold or traded because all the mates are playing nothing but COD/FIFA on PS3 etc.PC owners who own both PS3/360, were only using both for the exclusives, so long dead on my friends list, think last time i saw Mike online on 360 was Minecraft and i know his PS3 was switched on for 1st time in years just to play GTA5.So Wii is not alone in being bought, then neglected.

[pratty]

It would be much first choice if it had a proper controller. The Wii sold really well but I bet the majority just gathered dust after the gimmick wore off, so people aren't interested in repeating it

It's people's own fault their Wii's gathered dust. To say it's Nintendo's is to say Nintendo should have done every Wii owners game shopping for them. Look at every Wii for sale in your local classifieds, look at the total shovelware fest that is their game collections. They might have Mario Kart or Wii Sports Resort if you're lucky, but that's probably only because it came with their Wii (Nintendo doing their game shopping for them). These people thought it was better value to buy 3 shovelware games at £10 each than to buy Super Mario Galaxy for £30, and then they have the cheek to say the Wii was crap based on their self-sabotaged experience of it.

It's like me buying a Mercedes and putting lighter fluid in the petrol tank, and wondering why it doesn't run so well, then going crying off to BMW or Audi, because Mercedes didn't hold my hand and tell me not to fill the car with lighter fluid, even though Mercedes themselves (amongst others) were providing quality petrol for it.

And yet Nintendo still sold a respectable amount of quality Wii software, so while Nintendo may well lose the shovelware buyers and not repeat the runaway success of Wii sales, they still may be able to target the 34 million Mario Kart buyers, the 28 million NSMB Wii buyers, the 12million SSB Brawl buyers, the 12 million Super Mario Galaxy buyers etc.

[pratty]

2 guys bought a Wii for the missus (for Wii Fit) inital interest soon waned, Wii was boxed back up, put in storage,

So games consoles where bought for people, who I presume weren't gamers, with one specific 'non-gaming' purpose (keeping fit) in mind, and we're to be surprised they ended up in the loft, along with all the ab-roller and thigh master and all the other excerise equipment they thought they'd use.

This is not a Nintendo fail, Nintendo provided a piece of equipment to aid with their fitness goals, they got bored of it, just like people get bored of going to the gym after losing their January entheusiasm. Nintendo sold consoles, and Wii-fit boards to people who weren't even gamers. Yes I'm sure thye'd have hoped to convert them into nintendo gamers, but they still earned console sales from people who really had no business buying game consoles in the first place. I'm skeptical Nintendo will be able to do the same with the Wii-U but that doesn't mean that the wii-U can't provide something to actual gamers.

Shaun bought one for his kids, they loved it, but then moved onto Kinect/360 which he bought in a bundle deal, Wii was replaced under TV by 360.

People move on, you can't play two consoles at the same time, something has to gather dust. I suspect if the Wii had come after the Kinnect the opposite would have happened.

I've got shocking news for people, all those classic retro games you own, they're gathering dust. Even all those great hardcore games of last gen - gathering dust, GTA, Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Arkham Asylum, all gathering dust.

[Lost Dragon]

Yep, in case of Luke, Wii was bought to keep the then, missus happy, she was'nt a gamer, got bored, moved on.Forgot to say my sister had a Wii for the kids, but then they (her and her husband) would just buy stuff left right and center, just to keep kids quiet, he bought a PS3, but never saw him use it, besides not spoken to that side of the family for years, so no idea what happened to either console.Plus your spot-on with gym's, people sign up, go a few times and...that's it.Seen it also with push-bikes, company did a 'cycle to work scheme', get to buy bike at reduced price etc, lot of people took it up, now just a mere handful still use said bikes.Human nature...

Looking at my current set up:360-not used for gaming in months, modded Xbox, occ.blast, PS3 the main device at mo. (Xcom, Dark Souls etc), given a DS for Xmas-i've so far switched on, then off, PSP had couple hrs play in last 10 days, but i tend to stick to 1 game, 1 device these days.

[ToxieDogg]

But the minute I tried to play a "real game" I completely lost interest. Top quality titles like SMG 1 and 2, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess and Resi 4 all sit unplayed for months at a time because of a control method I cannot stand.

I have tried my best a number of times to put my hatred of the wiimote to one side and persevere but I simply can't do it. I am a sit down gamer by default and I can't change.

Can you not play Super Mario Galaxy or Zelda or Resi 4 on the Wii sitting down? I've managed it, from beginning to end on all of those games.

I find it really strange that people who play games using the Wii remote seem to feel compelled to stand up and wave their arms around like a madman when the games don't actually require that level of input from the player at all.

Exactly the same for me. There are plenty of great games for it, but all I could ever think when trying them was that I wish I could just use a proper controller instead. It's fine for Wii Sports but I just find it a massive hindrance for the likes of Metroid Prime

I found Metroid Prime 2 much easier and more enjoyable to play through on the Wii after the initial 10 mins of getting used to the controls. Much, much easier to look around and scan the environments. It's genuinely interesting to me how many people seem to be able to adapt to different control schemes fairly easily, yet many others can't once they've been taught one way of doing things.

[pratty]

But the minute I tried to play a "real game" I completely lost interest. Top quality titles like SMG 1 and 2, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess and Resi 4 all sit unplayed for months at a time because of a control method I cannot stand.

I have tried my best a number of times to put my hatred of the wiimote to one side and persevere but I simply can't do it. I am a sit down gamer by default and I can't change.

Can you not play Super Mario Galaxy or Zelda or Resi 4 on the Wii sitting down? I've managed it, from beginning to end on all of those games.

I find it really strange that people who play games using the Wii remote seem to feel compelled to stand up and wave their arms around like a madman when the games don't actually require that level of input from the player at all.

Yeah, most games don't require anything more than a little wrist movement.

The Wii was awesome for FPSs, I found the Wiimote better than dual analog.

[Mootown]

I've got room for Wii this gen, under my TV now are a PS4, Xbox One, and a Wii U. It fits! Definitely room there. No space issues.