www.technicalworld.webs.com

Technical World

Contributor
CRank: 7Score: 26510

The Problem With The Wii U

Ever since Nintendo officially announced their next generation console at E3 2011 people have been sceptical. Stocks immediately dropped, rumors spread that it's underpowered, and people saw a new Dreamcast coming. But this is why I think that while there is clearly something wrong with the Wii U it will be okay.

It's underpowered. There's nothing else to even say about it. We don't need to be told it's just kind of a given. Even if Nintendo makes a system more powerful than the PS3 or Xbox 360 the next iterations of those systems will be even more powerful. And while Nintendo may think it doesn't matter, it does. Nintendo has pretty much shown that they need the Hardcore back. The majority of what they've shown for Wii U and 3DS is going after gamers. But the problem is, if the Wii U isn't more powerful than their PS3 then they aren't buying it. To fix this it needs to be at least a little more powerful to act as a bridge system for that specific audience waiting for the PS4 or Xbox 720. The casual market either is on board with Apple or won't buy a Wii U until two years after launch. So once the competitors' systems come out and that audience leaves they still have customers. And then on top of that the Nintendo loyal will stay with them throughout the system's entire life. But this is still a bit of a stretch. The bottom line is it needs power and lots of it.

But with power you need more. Gaming isn't just graphics it's the expirience. But Nintendo seeks to differentiate themselves once more. Touch screen, microphone, NFC, and connectivity between two screens. But they need to convince us more. First off let us know exactly how many controllers we can use with a screen and it better not be one. And if they can't all use a screen they need to make a new remote that replaces the Wii remote with Wii U branding and a fresh look. Relying on old consoles controllers looks dumb and makes you feel like you're playing a Wii HD. It needs to be a little more than that. In fact any Wii accessory that is going to be used in a Wii U game needs to be redesigned for the Wii U like the zapper. The classic controller, balance board, and whatever else they use. But come E3 this needs to happen.

On top of that what people are after today is online connectivity. The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live have been providing this since '06 while Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection has not. Nintendo wishes to fix this with the Nintendo Network but people are sceptical that it will be able to compete. With years to perfect PSN and XBL the Nintendo Network won't be up to speed. But that's not true. Nintendo has already been working on it with the 3DS. Nintendo Video, Swapnote, and the eShop are great examples of better attempts at an online service. And once the 3DS becomes fully compatible with the Nintendo Network, Nintendo would have had the time to experiment and perfect it's service too. That fixes that whole problem.

While I agree with the majority that Nintendo might lose ground with the Wii U they won't fall out of the race but get a wakeup call that not all systems print money unless you know exactly what you need to do.

mamotte4399d ago (Edited 4399d ago )

Can you tell us all the source of your statement "It's underpowered"? And I mean real sources, with names. Not " a developer" "a developer" and "another developer". Look, like these, wich you can google easily:

THQ: “WiiU is just a lot more powerful than current HD consoles it does 1080p very easy.”

Epic: “It will do things current HD consoles simply can't do, it's going to be a powerful box.”

Crytek: “WiiU devkits are very powerful,the specs are very good”

Vigil Games: “We had the game at the same level as high end pc version in a matter of days and a few lines of code got the game up and running on tablet in 5 mins.”

EA: “Wii U is not a transitional platform, it is a true next generation system.”

Who should we believe? Anons? Oh, and btw: You're sending to hell all indie developers that makes great games with little power.

Now, if you want some story lessons: The 32bit PS1 sold more than the 64 bit N64. The underpowered PS2 sold more than the Gamecube. The Wii sold more than the 360 and PS3. "underpowered" doesnt mean "low sales", you know.

Technical World4399d ago

I didn't mean it like that, I mean that once the PS4 and Xbox 720 come out, no matter how powerful the Wii U is it won't be as powerful as them. I based it off of the fact that Nintendo tends to go for cheaper hardware (which I actually prefer because it's cheaper to buy and the games are fun) than other competitors. Plus once Sony and Microsoft see the Wii U they will be able to make their systems even better than it since they won't be releasing a system for a while after considering they haven't even announced anything yet. My point was they're screwing themselves out of the hardcore once the rest of the next generation consoles come.

Technical World4399d ago

And I didn't say it would have low sales either. I said that Nintendo may not strike gold like they think they will. I still think they'll do okay and be successful with it but not to the extent of the Wii.

Game3s4399d ago

So which console you think will have the most sales next gen?

Technical World4399d ago

In the US it will probably be the Xbox 720 (In American). As much as I hate to admit it (I play Playstation and Nintendo) I think that with the amount of people that play the 360 and the popularity of Xbox Live it will continue to the next generation. They have millions of fans who will always be Xbox loyal thanks to the 360 with COD, Halo, Xbox Live, Kinect, and more.

Technical World4399d ago

But I still think the Wii U will be a strong bridge console. Until the PS4 and Xbox 720 are released it will do great and even once they do come out it will still stay afloat with casual gamers upgrading from their Wiis. But I just don't think it will be number one like Nintendo expects it to be. But come E3 that may all change, we'll have to wait and see.

Game3s4398d ago

Was the PS3 a major power increase over the 360 even though the 360 was released a year before the PS3? NO

So stop think the next box or PS4 will be a big jump over the Wii U in power, it is all speculation.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4398d ago
birdykilla4398d ago

I still need to upgrade from my 2004 PC before I jump into "Next-Gen" on top of that I've still yet to purchase a Wii and grab all the sweet games for it. Along with my backlog of games that need to be finished for my PS3 and 360. I've got games to last me for quite a few years. Once the new consoles are around $300 and come with a good deal (games) I might pick one up. That won't be until 4 years after release so around 2017. I'm not early adopting this time around. I'll save some money and finally finish my backlog. Hopefully we can get Left 4 Dead 3 this gen or I might have to reconsider!

60°

Helldivers 2 has taken over the real world and become the talk of the town

Helldivers 2 has become the talk of the town as players are seen discussing the game in real life with their friends and even strangers.

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
Kornholic23m ago

It's a sure sign of scraping the bottom of the barrel when you are "creating" "news" out of Reddit posts.

50°

Stellar Blade New Game Plus mode available on launch, April 26

Stellar Blade launches tomorrow, and that’s just the beginning of Eve’s mission to save humanity one slice at a time. Today we at Shift Up are excited to reveal that New Game Plus will be coming to Stellar Blade at launch on April 26, so players can continue their journey across Xion after the credits roll. The new mode included expanded gear levels, new costumes to wear, and a suite of new skills.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
CrimsonWing6919m ago

What a time to be alive where NG+ is actually a feature at launch, boys!

60°

Dedicated Helldivers Did the Impossible, Surprising the Community and Devs

Everyone expected that the Order to defend 10 planets would fail. But, Helldivers 2 players did the impossible, surprising everyone.

LG_Fox_Brazil19h ago

There was no way we would allow bugs or bots to ruin our lifestyle