The Wii U line is E3's most popular experience

@TheDetective: The Wii and Kinect went on to sell bazillions. So, what's you point? And these devices need to be made, even if the industry wasn't quite ready to support them on a traditional "hardcore" level, because they bring a new way of thinking to gaming and game design.

@MGTrey

How much they sell has nothing to do with what matters to the consumer. How much fun are they to play months after the purchase? That matters

@PSN StaticShock: I think that's a completely naive view of consumerism. Especially when it comes to entertainment hardware. What a device is worth to someone is not easily measured with the time it's relevant to their interests. And the amount of sales is very indicative to how receptive the general consumer base is to the technology and its applications, so that they may be identified and targeted for future uses of said tech. Especially in the area of motion gaming, of which all but the most traditional and stubborn of the pre-existing gaming population have accepted with open arms.

@MGTrey
But look at what was don with the tech. Waggle dominated over the sort of motion the hype said we woudl get. On the Kinect, Rail shooters seem to be the only major application, save for dance central.

Both really failed to achieve what they were sold as, so we should be just as skeptical with the wii U. We've seen this song and dance before, and frankly, i'm not buying it as of yet.

@MGTrey

The Wii was pretty much an epic fail (not from a sales standpoint), and I'm a pretty hardcore Nintendo fanboy. We were promised motion control gaming and the device we were given didn't function that way at all. We never got true 1:1 motion gameplay until the Motion Plus came out, and by then 3rd party devs stopped caring and quit making Wii games. Even Nintendo has barely supported Motion Plus with a few Wii Sports games and Zelda coming up which will probably be the Wii's last hurrah.

So yeah, I'm going into the next gen far more cautious myself.

@acefondu

I agree but also disagree. Motion Control-wise it is sad that nobody makes use of the motion plus. It's also sad that you can waggle your way through many a game but in some ways that can be a bonus (since you can't do that on kinect or move). I prefer Wii's motion controls to Move's though. Move is more precise but precision /= fun. Humans are not precise to begin with, it's even worse when you can't even play a light gun game without it being 'too precise' to shoot!

The best Wii games only use motion in a gimmicky fashion making it a failure to that degree. Wii Sports/Wii Sports Resort, Carnival Games, Just Dance 1&2, EA Active, Tiger Woods, etc. these games sold like hot cakes to the casual crowd who mostly didn't play video games. It also influenced Sony and MS to come up with their own solutions and probably led to the gyros in all of our phones. It also put Nintendo on top again with tons of money (despite their lower stock value recently) so they can take higher risks.

@Istari Spartan
p.s. If your going to argue about the cost of the tablets.
Those who want it, afford it.

@Istari Spartan
Except... well, for one, if it were everything you said it could've been: it wouldn't really be what consumers really want in a tablet.
Not that they wouldn't want it --- but it'd be more than they asked for, with the price too high for those who weren't sure whether they try it in the first place.

Heck, look at Apple's products. Mainly the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
Those things weren't at the top of their tech when they first came out.
No, they were the first ones marketed to the main public, while previous, less affordable, less stylish, products were given only to those within the right businesses.

Of course, as each iPod, iPhone, and iPad was upgraded, the price would only go higher or stabilize... which actually made it far more expensive, as the tech became cheaper over time for the other companies.

See... difference is: the iProducts started off well due to great marketing and a fairly reasonable price for the mass market. If they were able to go more expensive, it was due to how popular Apple had become to the public.
... and trust me, as much as Nintendo is a household name, people don't go out buying and using Nintendo products daily... people used their iPods daily before the iPhone came out, and people used the iPhone daily before the iPad came out.

So... if Nintendo came out with a high-end "tablet" for a high price. It'd be an "oooo" and "ahhh" product... but then people would think it's too expensive to try. Gamers would say they'd buy it, but only half of them actually would - and the common/casual public would need at least one more generation of Nintendo love in order to guarantee sales...

@Istari Spartan

"p.s. If your going to argue about the cost of the tablets.
Those who want it, afford it. "

Really? I want a Maserati, but that doesn't mean I'll ever be able to afford it. People want many things, but that doesn't mean they can. I think that whatever the cost of the tablets is a very valid argument. I would argue, but since no one knows the price of the tablets or the WiiU in the generally I don't want to make a pointless argument about something with so many variables and end up looking like a douchebag in the future. ;P

I'm with you in hoping the new console does well. It has a lot of potential and only time will tell if they utilize it.

@blahblah55

Not that I dsagree with you, but with the pace of current technology developement, if your not cutting edge at release, chances you're soon left behind. Already, Nintendo seems to have (apparently) missed the boat (again) with a single touch screen. see what I mean?
Also people like their products to be as versatile as possible. And, if Apples success is anything to go by, there are many many people who are willing to pay alot for their tech.

@ Gray,

I see your points.

But a Maserati is in a different league. For the average person a Maserati would cost the equivalent of several full years wages. A gaming console could be purchased by saving up for several months, or even easily bought within one months wages for some people.
We're talking about household tech here.
How many people do we all know (including me) who are on medium to low incomes but have several consoles, handhelds, tablets etc simple because we desired it?

@Istari Spartan

That will probably be Sony or MS's next tablet controller. That type of controller would be way too expensive right now. Sounds awesome though.

@Istari Spartan

I kinda feel that the tablet controller should have been the console and the box just be a receptor for what the controller transmits. That way you could truly take it wherever you wanted. When you get home, just sit in front of the tv and have everything in beautiful true HD quality.

So, I'm definitely in agreement of beefing up the tablet, and diminishing the actual "console" part.

@Comet 20

I agree. In particular, hearing Chris Grant talk about any Nintendo-related products is the worst, he clearly has some sort of axe that needs grinding.

@Comet 20

Well in talking with any one of my friends, who aren't at E3 mind you, but just in looking at the controller (specifically the button layout) and the setup, the reaction is the samed mixed bag.
"well I don't know. I mean it looks kinda interesting but it depends what they're going to do with it and it it looks like the controller and console are going to be expensive"

That's the general read the average gamer seems to have on this. Not pre-judging too harshly but definitely on the fence.

@Comet 20

It's not just the controller. Like I mentioned before. Announcing NO first party games, and giving us the same old song and dance with the video of about 10 devs praising the system, doesn't give people a lot of confidence. Throw in a stylus controlled touch screen, poor button layout, most likely no hdd internally in the system, and it's easy to see why people are cautious.

In short, we were promised a LOT of what they are promising with the Wii U back when the Wii was shown to us. As a huge Nintendo fan, the Wii really bored me to tears after 2 years of ownership. All the games I wanted to play were on the other systems, the lack of HD was fine at first until I upgraded to an HDTV set, and the motion controls I used to stand up for, I soon realized could be done with a 1 inch shake of the remote.

I'm going into this smartly instead of blindly giving Nintendo my money again. And I suspect others are doing the same thing.

@Comet 20

We'll see if everyone still loves the new controller once the 'new Nintendo product' magic wears off, and people start using it for more than a few minutes at a time.

@Shockwave

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk19/Threddd/wiiudissapointmeanbr.gif

@Shockwave

"we were promised a LOT of what they are promising with the Wii U back when the Wii was shown to us."

Like what? What did I miss?

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Hey, at least it's better than Sony's line of, "Nothing new. Ever."

@Shockwave

I feel like there's really no pleasing the Nintendo haters. Remember, this thing is a year to 18 months out. Nintendo is going to slowly trickle out details up until it launches and next year's E3 is where it's really going to shine. So what did they do this year? They brought out solid third-party support and down-played what they have in the pipe. Isn't that the quintessential complaint about Nintendo consoles? So they addressed it. They also teased about a revamped online system and showed different ways that the new controller can be used. No one that plays games and has half a brain should have been confused during their announcement. If you thought they were only talking about a new controller and not a new console, you're two-thirds to a r*tard.

As for the ergonomics of the controller, the only sites bashing it are Joystiq and Sony.com. Everyone else says it's light, comfortable, and the button layout makes sense once you hold it. As for the HDD, I'd rather have the USB alternative that they've given us than a pricey proprietary option.

@Comet 20

Yeah, I like how Joystiq puts a hyperlink in "mixed reactions" but it only leads to one of their posts. All I have been reading is that the controller is comfortable, light, and easy to use. I have been reading that it's fun, and there is a lot of potential. No one else seems to be confused except Joystiq here. And I read a wide range of sites from Joqstiq to GI to IGN, GonNintendo, Destructoid, etc.

@A Sandwich

So, nobody remembers the big "Revolution" controller reveal at TGS 2005?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPK3WxUH8Qg

Look familiar? They ran a video that showed theoretical uses for the controller. And that was all they showed.

There were no games announced. There were no demos available to play. Just a keynote speech from Satoru Iwata...Nintendo didn't even have a booth at TGS that year.


So I don't get where all the Wii U backlash is being directed. It's just like the reveal for the Wii at TGS 2005...

...only this time, they had playable demos...

...and a bunch of third-parties not only pledging support, but announcing actual games.

What was everyone expecting? A release date, pricing, full launch game list and a blowjob? The goddamned thing doesn't come out for another year, doesn't it stand to reason that they would systematically release this information over the next 12-17 months?

My only concern has to do with those analog...nub/disk/things. I would prefer actual analog sticks that protrude from a spherical base...like every other console analog stick ever. But, again, there's a lot of time between now and the console's release date. The Wiimote certainly evolved between TGS 2005 and E3 2006.

Condemning this thing when it's so, so far from launch is incredibly short-sighted.

@SHADO1980

I agree. Nintendo hasn't even finalized the WiiU hardware yet and won't be released until late next year. We still have one more E3 to see what it can do. Experience is the key. I was not sold on the Wii until I played Excite Truck at a Game Crazy Store. I immediately loved it and have enjoyed it ever since. Yes, it has some crap games (all systems do). But I remember playing more good ones than bad. And I can think of at least three people that have bought Wii because they liked playing it at my house. I'm going to give people the benefit of the doubt. They will try it and if they like it they will buy it. How can you make a logically decision about something just by looking at it when it's meant to be experienced?

@Urethra Alfredo

The only "mixed" reactions I've been reading are from Joystiq.

@A Sandwich

Every other publication I've read has mentioned how comfortable and light it is compared to their expectations. Hardly mixed.

@A Sandwich
Then you probably go only to Joystiq. All the websites I've been going to have mixed reactions. And they're not fanboy websites either.

@PointlessPuppies

Bullshit. Links or you're a liar.

@PointlessPuppies

Here, I'll help you out. This is a sample from Destructoid's positively glowing coverage. They practically wanna marry the f*cking thing:

"The main thing I took away from this demo was how comfortable and easy to use the Wii U's controller is. Those of you who are intimidated by the thing because of it's large size need not worry, it's very light and easy to manage. Dropping the game down from the TV to the controllers screen was also a cinch.

As someone who never took to the bulk of the of motion controlled titles on the Wii, it's great to know that the Wii U's default controller works so well with "traditionally" controlled games. The only thing that took a little getting used to was having the left analog stick on above the face buttons, but even that only took a few seconds to adjust to."

Here's what Ars Technica had to say:

"We're calling Nintendo the "winner" of the big E3 press conferences. Everything else was interesting, but Nintendo has truly offered something new... once again."

Kotaku, IGN, etc. all love the Wii U. Joystiq, inexplicably, seems to be playing the contrarian card just because they can. But seriously, I'd love to see your long list of outlets that dislike it.

@A Sandwich


is it true you can only use one WiiU controller at a time? If so, what do you think about that in the overall picture.

@OrangeGamer

Day one purchase, even if the asking price is 349-$399? That's a lot to ask for what they're offering a year from now. The console update would easily sell for 249 alone, and there's no way those controllers will go for less than 100 each (my personal guess is 129). That's a lot fo money to be spending on an unproven product, even if they defy expectations and release the bundle for 299.

@Rageous
Well, the costs might be lower a year from now. Even if not, I dunno about Orange but sure, a $400 price tag wouldn't put me off buying one. I mean it's only $400, who cares?

Obviously if you're a kid or a student or unemployed or you have a really crappy job, than $400 is a lot of money (so would $300 or $200 be). But given the average age of gamers is thirty-whatever now, that sort of figure isn't outrageous for a game system that will probably last five years.

Supposing it comes out roughly a year from now for roughly $400, that's no problem. Anyone who wants it can just start saving now: you only need to put away $30/month.