Why the Wii U Will Win the Next Generation

There are concerns about the Wii U. Many people are worried it wont be powerful enough and the next consoles that come out are going to crush it. To that Nathanial Rumphol-Janc says... Cool story bro. The DS and the Wii were both less powerful than their competition and ended up being better for it. Let the facts do all the talking. The Wii U has full 1080p HD, it supports 25gb discs, it has an actual legitimate online network, and it's at least as powerful as a PS3, but likely performs even better since it uses newer tech. Yes, the competition will be more powerful, but that merely gives the Wii U the same advantage the Wii had.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Don't really get how you can list reasons on why the Wii U will win next gen when you know next to nothing about the next Xbox and PS4. One of those systems can contain something very appealing to the mass market that no one could have predicted just like no body could have predicted that the Wii's motion controls would appeal to the masses as everyone expected the PS3 to dominate because of the PS2's success.

[Colwyn]

because itll be a win with the fans just like the other consoles will win with their fans

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

I'm talking about in terms of sales. Of course if you are talking about which one is 'better' it'll come down to personal preference.

[LX-General-Kaos]

Sales will be fine. Especially since nintendo has a chance to own the next gen market lone for an entire year. Once E3 comes around nintendo will show the big guns and pretty much put all the doubt away.

[jony_dols]

You should never judge the potential commercial success of a console, by looking at it's predecessor.

Case in point: The Gamecube barely managed 20 million lifetime sales, whilst it's successor; the Wii, has sold over 95 million.

The Wii U might be a success, it could flop or perhaps it will fall somewhere in the middle. Either way, it's kinda pointless predicting this early on. Especially when a lot of the details are still hazy.

[Liefx]

Except the Wii U isn't next Gen.

[DeadlyFire]

WiiU has lots of benefits from launching first.

They have three things they didn't have last generation.
1. HD Comparable graphics. Even if WiiU is the bottom of the barrel with next gen graphics. They will still surpass X360 and PS3's graphical ability. In either case. Many hail PS3/X360 quality graphics as something that could potentially last another 4-6 years. If so what's wrong with Nintendo using that to their advantage?
2. Major Third party support. Major publishers skipped the Wii. This time they are not.
3. An Online network. Something everyone that played on the Wii wanted and many overlooked the Wii because it lacked.

[MysticStrummer]

Yup. Nintendo fans already know they want it just like I already know I don't. I only buy one console per gen, and my personal preference is to go with the one that has the exclusives I want to play along with the multiplats. The "exclusives" part of that equation puts Nintendo out of the running for me until they prove otherwise. For Nintendo fans it's a different story. Once again though, "winning" will be deteremined by sales and not opinion of quality.

[BattleAxe]

To the author of the article I say "cool story bro". Its fun to read articles from delusional people :D

[tehpees3]

It sounds like 720 (or whatever they'll call it) will contain a enhanced verion of Kinect. No idea about PS4. There is no doubt Sony will want a piece of the casual pie as well since its a big market.

[RevXM]

About the ps4 I could see Sony hangin on to core gamers and give us more advanced hardware than the other 2 and push games like they do today.

They already have a strong share of the core market seeing a lot of core gamers prefer the ps3 to the 360 and wii.

Seeing microsoft going the casual route with 360 (Wich probably translates to a lot more casual oriented Next box) I think Sony be smart to try doing better what they already do. To satisfy core gamers.
Trying to compete with Nintendo is insane, competing with nintendo and Microsoft would be the doom but up against Microsoft or all alone being completely unique will get them far and I think Sony will be the most unique next time around trying to have something for everyone but putting the core gamers and system value/functionality first.

Thats what made the ps3 survive and bloom, and that is why Im sure Vita wont flop. cant say Vita will be a huge success (DS, WII, Ps2 etc), but Im 100% sure it will do just fine.

And If MS doesnt come back hard to core gamers then Sony is guarantied major success with a ps3 caliber type system.

So many core gamers out there, yet everyone but Sony seems to be giving all in ATM to this silly all casual gaming trend thing.
SONY would definitively not benefit from changing into being like MS or Nintendo and compete directly against them both at things that they both obviously seem better fit at.
Casual games/Experiences and marketing/advertising or reaching out to people like they do.

[mcstorm]

I am looking forward to next gen i think all 3 are going in different directions and to me it is a good thing as they all give you a reason to buy all 3 of the consoles as they all offer something different. This gen the 360 has been about online and kinect. Ps3 has been about single player and. Blueray and the wii has been about family games.

I think next gen will be different as i think sen and nintendo network will try and close the gap on xbox live but all 3 will have motion controls from the 1st day so most of the games on the console will support the new controllers unlike this gen where you have wii motion+ ps move and kinect half way through the gen but with move 2 wiiu and kinect 2 they will all offer different experiences to the other controllers.

I think next gen will be even closer than this gen though and there wont be a clear winner.

[Lazy_Sunday]

So by that standard, the Wii U isn't going to be next gen, it's going to be a step ahead of this generation but a step behind the next. Like the original Wii, but it was already a step behind.
Basically...
PS, N64: 1
GC, PS2, DC: 2
XB, Wii: 2.5
PS3, 360: 3
WiiU: 3.5
PS4, 720: 4
We've already confirmed the GPU isn't that much more powerful than consoles, so don't expect it to be a part of next gen because, again, it isn't.

[dcbronco]

Not sure how you're coming up with your estimates but they are different from what computer experts say. The 360 has the most powerful graphics chip this generation. The Cell's ability to help the GPU in the PS3 is what gives it the advantage.

The GPU rumored to be in the Wii U is 4xxx series ATI. The 360 GPU was based on an 1xxx series ATI. There were huge increases in ability between the 1xxx series and the 4xxx. Not sure how the current generation would still be considered more powerful. I also assume that you believe that a gaming PC from 2008 was inferior to the PS3 and 360 too.

An 4xxx series GPU coupled with a Power7 4-core CPU will blow all previous consoles out of the water by a ton. It will be several times more powerful. The rumors that the Wii U will be 20% weaker than the next Xbox makes more sense given the rumored parts for the next Xbox and the belief that it will be 6 times the strength of the 360.

But I actually believe the next Xbox will be more than 6 times the strength of the 360. That's because I believe they are using a lower end GPU because they intend to have dual GPU's fused to 4 core modified Power7 chips. Designed to work with C++ AMP. That way the next Xbox will have 10 to 12 times the power of the 360. Maybe more. There's a lot of computing power in all of those GPU transistors.

[Lazy_Sunday]

Yeah, I'm coming up with my estimates the same place you are. Our brains! lol...
I'm not putting the 360 ahead of the PS3 because of standalone GPU strength, and yes, the 360 has a 512MB DDR3 GPU, the PS3 has a 256 XDR GPU, but the PS3 makes up for it with it's 3.2GHz Cell that in a way bridges the gap graphically, and gives it the slight advantage performance wise. It also has blu-ray, so it can utilize bigger textures without compression but we rarely utilize it for third parties. Yes. We both know these things. Don't understand your conflict.
Look, I'm a PC gamer. When I look at consoles and what I used to play I look at graphical capacity over time, and measure that per console gen, simplify it and make it easier to understand. In terms of 3D graphics, we really started with the Playstation and the Nintendo 64. So they're generation 1. Then we have generation 2, which is the PS2, GC, and the DC. But Xbox had better graphics then any of those consoles, so it's a step up graphically, but not PS3 or 360 quality. Are the Wii's graphics as good as the PS3 or 360's? No. Are they better than the PS2 or GameCube? Yes. Are they better than the Xbox? Not really.

I'd rather not speculate on what will be in the next 360 and PS3, rather, the power it will have. I say that the WiiU will be outdated when the PS4 and whatever the Next Xbox is based on simple logic: the WiiU is being made before the next consoles have been announced using bargain bin technology, therefore, the next consoles will use better hardware that's slightly above bargain bin, and the WiiU will not be able to compete. My speculation is that Sony and Microsoft will not profit for the first year or two on their next consoles, despite the failing economy, they will invest in decent graphics technology that's good enough to be a step up and not just a step forward. We will not have true 1080p 60FPS graphics next gen, but I could imagine Skyrim at 720P running 60-80FPS on next gen hardware on high PC settings. CoD this gen runs at 600p to run at a constant 57-59 FPS, keep that in mind.
You probably know this. I said, and I quote: "We've already confirmed the GPU isn't that much more powerful than consoles, so don't expect it to be a part of next gen because, again, it isn't." It's a step forward, not a step above, and most likely that's where it will stay. Based on your logic, I don't see a disagreement between our ideals, rather a consistency between them. I just chose not to write a wall lol, but I'm capable of it.

[Anon1974]

To me it has nothing to do with power. Like the author mentioned, all you have to do is look at the Wii for evidence of that. To me, it's an issue with the controller.

As a father, I would not buy this for my kids and the reason is the tablet controller. There's just one. We don't know if Nintendo will add support for multiple tablet controllers but we know they've told developers not to count on it, so don't make games for multiple controllers.

So, which of your kids or their friends get to use the uber controller? I'm sure they'll all just share and rotate out and it'll never, ever be an issue. Any parent knows better than that. This is going to be a nightmare for families. The Wii was about bringing together multiple people to game together. You throw just one super controller in the mix and see how quickly that falls apart.

I'm sure it'll be fun. I've always been a huge Nintendo fan, and still am despite the Wii not being my thing, but I will not be buying this for my family unless there's support for multiple tablets, and then it depends on the price.

[digitaleraser]

You're dead-on with why it isn't going to be a great system for families. I get the sense that, at least for the first year, they're going to try and target lapsed non-casual fans as early adopters...except that everyone in that group is just going to be thinking about how much their Wii collected dust before they got rid of theirs, and won't want to invest in this new one.

Between that, and how tough its going to be to educate casual gamers that the Wii U is a brand new system (not a controller) and that Wii U games do not play on the Wii, I'm predicting a pretty dismal first year for the console.

Maybe they'll try to rescue it with a significant price drop and a handful of free downloadable games, like they did with the 3DS? That's probably the only way I could be convinced to buy one during its first year.

[hazardman]

I wonder if your gonna be able to use the wii controllers as well!

[showtimefolks]

who knows we are at a point where wii-u comes out this year than xbox360 next fall and ps4 the fall after or even in 2015. and we could have xbox360 announced next year and come out in 2014 and ps3 either 2014 or 2015.

wii won because it had a gimmick that worked and worked well, nintendo is known to take some risks and i respect that about them but a lot of things have to go their way for them to outsell xbox720 and ps4, but if it gets a 2 year head start you never know.

my only concern is that both xbox720 and ps4 will have much better specs than wii-u, also this is the 1st time nintendo has joined us in HD era so we will see. I will tell you one thing i am very excited about wii-u i just hope they will allow us to play the games with a regular controller

[Blacksand1]

For get it PS4 coming out next fall when 720 come out.

[user3903999]

I agree, no one know what the PS4 or next XBOX will be.

This article (from a nintendo fanboy website) about Wii U wining is based on speculation and rumors on the internet. It's factless and bias.

[morkendo23]

I believe the WII appealed more to the masses for one simple reason an one simple REASON ALONE!!
everyone is NOT!!!!!! into first person shooters.
there are hundreds,thousands of people who like simple easy going games.everyone dont need to feel they need to hunt for bin ladin,hitler,sadam hosain in every military type game.why is american gamers BRAINWASHED (programed)to think no farther by these type of games??? this is why nintendo wii WILL!! win again. they have VARIETY sony, MS dont. a company cant be stuck on hardcore only. those who have a ps2 and wishing to buy a ps3 for there love of ps2 games in hoping their game cross over to ps3 will be HIGHLY disappointed like sidescrolling games as I am. I would welcome WII U with open arms. any company provide Variety casual & semi- hardcore gaming (minus blood,gore) is a WINNER for me. any video game offer (virtual reality killing) as a hobby is not a game for me. and no im not a hardcore gamer never will be.
I represent CASUAL GAMERS on hardcore site. im not here for agrees but be a voice for simple casual gamers of yesteryear.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

lol

Casual gamers don't need a voice since they are the majority to begin with.

Casual games dominate the market. There are less games that require skill than there was before. There are less games with thought provoking stories than there were before.

And for the record blood and gore first person shooters =/= hardcore gaming. Hardcore games are games with depth (i.e Metal Gear). Go back to playing your wii fit please.

[AWBrawler]

You are my freakin' hero man! Finally somebody else speaks up and explains everyone isn't all for FPS. Heck I play Angry Birds for hours sometimes and Pushmo, but I still have time to play the "core" titles like my JRPGs, RTS, Turn based Strategy, Platformers, and sidescrollers.

Variety is what makes gaming so grand, and as Reggie Fils-aime stated "Content is King" And let's face it, if you care about more than just Map Packs and FPS Download content, Wii clearly had the best content.

From the great wiiware games like Lost wind,Lit, Jet Rocket, and Zombie Panic in Wonderland, all the way down to the type of game experience that the other consoles lacked, such as Endless Ocean, Fragile, and Mii party.

Wii was the place to be for people who don't take gaming way too serious and think everything needs to be M rated and bloody, and there are now, and forever will be more that think this way, than those that only want M rated bloody gore realism.

[Kos-Mos]

@outside
Blood and gore is hardcore?
Go outside and see the world kid.

[SonyPS360]

There's no reason to doubt it, because the Wii won this generation a long time ago. Sales, my friend. Sales.

[Queefy_B]

I cant see people getting bit multiplat hits like battlefield and cod and other online heavy games over playstation and xbox consoles, as currently (We have to see what nintendo network is like) so currently they will be just relying on a graphics upgrade in hope of selling the 3rd party games, also a big thing is nintendo platforms dont have trophys/achievements which is a big incentive for alot of gamers and will want the trophys+better online of the other two consoles, so i highly doubt in terms of third party the wii u will win next gen, they will need amazing first party games and it will probably be expensive.

[rdgneoz3]

Yep, people for some strange reason tend to like digital points for things they do. Hell, Sony created trophies to get on even grounds with achievements.

In the words of Kevin Bulter, http://www.youtube.com/watc... .

As for Wii U's hardware being able to do a lot, it won't help too much with multiplats since many devs try to keep the different systems around the same level. One system might have a few features they can add in if they wanted to, but not every one does.

[AtomicGerbil]

Sony created trophies because the userbase wanted them, if it was all about keeping up with the competition we'd have avatars akin to Microsoft and Nintendo.

[JayD-1K]

@ flat
Did you forget about HOME?

[dcbronco]

The graphical advantage will be large for the Wii U so developers will develop for it. It is also basically a beefed up 360 CPU and GPU so it will be easy for them to develop for. It is everything developers have wanted. More power, easy programming and a disc with more space. Plus that added power will be used for things that can't be done on the PS3 and 360 like more physics and better AI.

[AtomicGerbil]

@JayD-1K

Home has never been compulsory, and only features if you download it.

[Brosy]

It makes me wonder just how 3rd party developers will treat the Wii U. They will probably just release games for 360, PS3, and Wii U simultaneously. Meaning it will be up to the developers to decide if they want to do extra work taking advantage of the Wii U's extra power. I suppose alot of it depends on the toolkit nintendo sends out. I don't know, but who knows until we finally see.

[LX-General-Kaos]

The wii u probably will win next generation.

[ziggurcat]

not exactly. the wii u will have only just caught up with the current gen. once the next MS and sony systems are released, the wii u will not be "next gen."

@ LX-general-kaos:

there's no doubt that the next playstation/xbox will be faster/more powerful than the wii u and by that time, the wii u will be (more or less) obselete. we may see something from MS this upcoming E3, but i don't think we'll see anything from sony until E3 next year.

[LX-General-Kaos]

Next gen is not always about graphic capability. Even though we have all seen the zelda in engine footage at E3 its clear to see the wii u is beyond just catching up. It also sports a fancy new next gen controller and is said to be a hell of a lot faster then current gen.

Also as of now we dont even know if the new xbox or ps4 will be much stronger then the wii u. Thats just what people want to believe. We as a group will find out at E3 2012

[Hicken]

Based on what, exactly? The most we know about the Wii U is that we'll likely see another entry in all of Nintendo's firs party franchises, and that it will have that tablet-style controller(that's currently gonna be a one per console thing). Oh, and that it won't play Blu Rays.

Ahem, but specs-wise, we know next to nothing about the Wii U. And even less about the PS4 and nextbox. So what is this confidence of yours based on?

[Lex_Dangerously]

I hope your mother gets raped by a bunch of niggers.

[Titanz]

I have a strange feeling that those same people who taught Nintendo had burnt them for two generation (Gamecube, Wii), will except the Wii U with open arms.

[dawgsfan117]

Accept

[Finch]

This will be the first console I am going to skip. Just ain't feeling the Nintedo vibe no more haven't in awhile. I'm just done with Nintendo! Can't wait for next gen but for me Wii-U won't be part of my house hold.

[PimpDaddy]

I didn't hit disagree. But I do think it is kind of early to make a decision. I want to see the console specs, price, online network setup, and games before making my decision.

[Finch]

Its not the system really, its the games. Grow out of the Nintendo wash and repeat games they have. Feel like I been playing the same games for decayeds! So that's why i'm done with them.

[dcbronco]

There is already a lot of hardcore support for the Wii U. Darksider, Ghost Recon Assassin's Creed. Add the EA sports. Funny that many of the hardcore games that people play also appeared on the Wii but people seem to ignore that. Call of Duty has a Wii version. So did Far Cry. If they developed down to the Wii, they will surely develop up to the Wii U. Especially since it will be more of what they really want than the 360 and the PS3.

[MysticStrummer]

Sure, multiplats appeared on the Wii, but the Nintendo usual suspect exclusives are a huge turn off for many gamers. Some feel their status as adults being threatened by playing the same games they played as children, and some just plain lost interest in those games. I personally am in the latter group and Nintendo will have to show some new material to win me back.

[dcbronco]

They aren't playing kids games. Madden, Call of Duty or most shooters aren't kids games. There are people that were playing a PS2 ten years ago when they were 10. Are you saying the PS3 is off limits to them. What console should they be playing. The Wii U will have the power to render Call of Duty at a higher level than the PS3 and 360. It already has AAA hardcore support. Previous Wii consoles were underpowered compared to what others were doing. This time, at least for one year, they will be by far the better machine. And given the power of modern systems, it should be enough for a huge part of the population. And there will be developers there because the it should be cheaper to program for and it should appeal to customers because it should be $100 cheaper than the other two consoles.

[DrJones]

You were never in the Nintendo crowd anyway, so you won't be missed.

[PopRocks359]

Repeat games? If you're seriously going to sit there and tell me that Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy are one in the same or make the same accusation with Wind Waker and Twilight Princess then I will kindly ask you to GTFO.

Use of the same franchise over the years is not re-releasing and it never has been, particularly when each new installment provides new innovations and freshens the experience with them (unlike the current lineup of blockbuster military shooters). Nintendo has released ports and remakes, sure. But that doesn't suddenly force the sequels into the same category; especially when they are spaced out as much as they are. The yearly gap between main Mario and Zelda titles is typically half of a decade. This mold was broken when TP and Galaxy sold as well as they did.

Finally, next to no Nintendo exclusives have been announced for Wii U. In fact, save for a handful of third party titles, no launch games have been announced. To make this decision right off hand is a jump of the gun. You're free to to make that decision just as I am free to tell you that I believe judging the console based on its games so early is ridiculous.

[Smashbro29]

Sales? Probably. To the real gamers? Maybe. Depends on where the PS3 and 360 stand power-wise.

[BitbyDeath]

Wii U's tablet does not seem very casual friendly imo

I think either Sony or MS will win nextgen because Kinect 2 will likely be way better than what we know it as now and Sony may also claim first if they release the VR they have been working on.

I don't think Nintendo will get first this time around based on what they have shown off so far.

Casuals are not tied to certain game franchises they will go where-ever looks the most fun and easy to use.

[GearsOfWar]

I agree with what you said about Microsoft and Sony releasing new tech, but the Wii U seems very casual to me.

Think about it, how many casuals own iPhones? How many own an iPad?

Tablets and touchscreen technology have proven to be casual friendly.

[ChickeyCantor]

Touch screen not "casual" friendly?
My friend, your ignorance is showing.

[DarkBlood]

cant wait to pick up the wiiu i know i will enjoy the games like i do with every other system i own and play on

[DarthSidious]

Nintendo games (Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros, Mario Kart), usually only apply to babies. That's Nintendo's market: Babies and little kids. Nintendo is not for TRUE gamers in the 21st Century.

[PimpDaddy]

So you know a lot of us so called "TRUE" gamers you speak of grew up with Nintendo consoles. All those Nintendo games you just listed still have major appeal to "TRUE" gamers. I know plenty of people who play Uncharted, Gears, Halo, Killzone, COD, BF that also play Mario, Metroid, Zelda, etc...

I have to laugh at people such as yourself that go around acting like they are some sort of "ELITE" gamer. Only on N4G do you find people who base their status in life on the types of games or consoles they own.

[Main_Street_Saint]

I am sorry but I have to disagree with your statement about Nintendo. Yes, Nintendo's software indeed leans towards family oriented titles but playing them doesn't make you less of a "gamer;" just as playing Gears of War or Call of Duty makes you more of a "gamer." You are using rather broad strokes in your definition of a "gamer."

When I was much much younger, the Atari 7800 was in the market but according to you I'm not a "real gamer." I remember when the arcades were alive and thriving. If I wanted I could have an elitist attitude and tell you that you are not a "gamer" if you have have not played:

a) The classic Atari machines, or
b) Played in a real Arcade.

Also babies cannot play video games as they do not possess the needed visual acuity or hand/eye coordination.

[stragomccloud]

I've look after kids a lot, and believe me, Zelda is waaaaaaaay too difficult for young children.

That said, TRUE gamers don't feel like their "manhood" is threatened just because they are playing a game starring a pink puff ball. TRUE gamers play the gamut. Based on this opinion, I would surmise you're in middle school? Trying to "look cool" in front of the "big boys." Now, take a step back, and with an open mind, try playing Zelda Skyward Sword, or Super Mario Galaxy 2.

[Smashbro29]

Just because something is family friendly doesn't mean its for "babies". Some of the most classic American films are family friendly but you don't hear anyone going around saying they're for babies.

Doesn't need to have blood and swearing to be "mature".

[MysticStrummer]

I don't personally like those games either, and won't buy another Nintendo console until they show they can come up with something that interests me, but defining true gamers that way is just silly.

[mamotte]

oh, Someone didnt have enough bullets, blood and sex in his breakfast.

Grow up already, you havent even tried a 100% game on a SM Galaxy game.

[Ness-Psi]

you aint a real gamer until you completed an arcade game on 1 credit and have you initials up on its score board...those were the days, when "Arcade Perfect" meant everything.

and the fella who thinks nintendo games are for babies is a halfwit.

[Dfooster]

The wii won the console collecting the most dust award.

Ok Nintendo tapped into this whole fitness, family fun thing, but that market is so volatile and offers no allegence to Nintendo whatsoever, it's just as likely they won't want to buy into the wii fad again and the middle aged ladies will just join a proper gym and the family will find something else to do on a Saturday night.

I think the wii was a one time fad and to try and do it again could be the death knell for Nintendo if they are not careful.

By not providing a machine that can offer multiplatform releases on par with Xbox and Sony will ultimately finish Nintendo off possibly as early as next gen.

[IRetrouk]

I agree that the Wii was a really successful fad, saying Nintendo could fold as early as that though I think is wrong, they have made massive profits this gen and all at a low cost to them, they will b fine even if the Wii u doesn't sell as well as the Wii, I'm looking forward to seeing what it can do.

[hellzsupernova]

um they made a loss last year of over 800million

[IRetrouk]

Yeah, compared to what they were making, what do u think happened to the 5 years of profit? has it suddenly been lost or something

[PopRocks359]

@hellzsupernova

Yeah, but their profits were calculated at about 7 billion. Meanwhile Sony's financial loss was well over 2 billion. I heard no one freaking out over that.

There's no way in hell Nintendo is even close to falling out of the console race. Believing otherwise is hardly realistic.

[Malice-Flare]

i'd say that's about right, unless the other two can pull a surprise, or Apple finally joins the party...

[DarthSidious]

So true. If Apple enters video games, the Big 3 are kinda done. I love my Mac, iPad n iPhone but PLEASE Apple, please don't enter video games. I want to enjoy my 360, PS3 n Vita and their successors for many more years!

[krazykombatant]

how in the hell would the big three be done??? If anything i'm sure they would compete even more, since the Apple console would probably be wayyy overprice.

Seriously, people need to stop sucking apple's ***** its ridiculous.

[arnyftw]

Lol, yeah they're done, who wants to play games when you can play apps on your tv?

[OcularVision]

Apple did join the console market years ago. and they failed. miserably.

They know that the console market isn't profitable in the first few years. Apple won't take the risk or displeasing shareholders with a move that would disrupt their income by billions/year.

[Malice-Flare]

that was pre-Jobs Apple and not solely Apple (Bandai was there too). i meant post-Jobs Apple with the iTunes infrastructure behind it...

[Chrono]

To be honest, I don't think so. But Wii U has its own fanbase. Wii U can be a competitor to PS3 and X360 only.

[Ness-Psi]

theres the operation bluewave movement. to get people interested in the wii u.

https://twitter.com/#!/OpBl...

you should see some of the people following this from all over the industry.

[SKUD]

I'd really like to know what percentage of the millions of people who bought the wii if they are still playing it?.

[Main_Street_Saint]

I can't speak for the others but I still do. I have other consoles but I don't have a lot of time so I usually alternate between my consoles.

[Shok]

I still do. And I own a PS3 and gaming PC as well.

[PopRocks359]

Me. I also own a 360, PS3, PS2, 3DS and a PC. All accumulated over the years.

[AWBrawler]

I still do, I'm expeting a copy of Trace Memory 2 in the mail soon, and will be getting Xenoblade soon, and I live online with MHTri

[DarthSidious]

The next Xbox will win the next generation, just like it won the current one. More people in the US (the world's largest gaming population) have 360s than PS3s, Call of Duty and many multiplats usually play better on the 360 because it's an easier platform to develop for. And then there's Xbox Live, which has tens of millions of paying subscribers. It might not be free, but you get what you pay for. The 360 hasn't seen a price cut in years (PS3 has) and all through last year, it was the #1 selling system. Nintendo is in serious trouble. The Wii U is their last stand. Nintendo might have fooled people with the Wii, but most won't be fooled again. The Japanese companies can't even make good RPGs anymore. Always bet on the American company.

[BitbyDeath]

Worst comment ever, everything you said has no weight into how they could actually win.

[stephmhishot]

Sony has clearly learned its lesson in terms of creating a platform that is "easy" for developers to work with, just look at the Vita.

Its funny that you would give MS the free pass for next gen as its clinging to its lead over the PS3 whereas Sony was dominating last generation and still managed to screw things up. Who is to say that MS doesn't have a few missteps with their next console like Sony?

Right now, the only advantage I see the next MS console having is infinite advertising dollars. To their credit, Microsoft did a better job of attracting the casuals at the end of their console's life cycle as opposed to Sony. A camera that replaces a controller? Admittingly, a little more sexy than another motion controller.

Still, at the end of the day, when the next generation does arrive, all three companies start at the same number of sales, zero. And the reason Nintendo was in serious trouble this fiscal year was because of their initial awful 3DS pricing, not because of the Wii.

[AWBrawler]

Oh please, As an American I can admit, we fuck shit up lol. never bet on the American Company. Look how screwed our cars are, our trucks, computers, TVs, heck even Bluray players.

Japan makes reliable stuff, So I'll forever be rooting for Nintendo and Sony, and the gen XBOX wins, will be the gen my way of gaming will be threatened, because that would mean everything would be westernized like DMC and Final Fantasy XIII ...... oh the horrors

[Koloss]

Nobody knows what's going to happen, or who's going to "win" next generation. We don't even know if "Wii U" is the final name.

[deno]

I believe the wii u is going to be big.

[Main_Street_Saint]

Its too soon to even declare a winner... yet! But I am pulling for Nintendo.

[deno]

I hear you. Just have faith I guess.

[Brettman2008]

I just can't see the Wii U having anywhere near the success of the Wii. The Wii was a freak, nearly everyone I know bought a Wii, even the people who were definately not gamers. The Wii U is quite different to the Wii and will probably be priced a fair bit higher at launch. Also, they are miles behind in on-line services with the Wii and have a lot of ground to makeup. The Wii U is also arguably being released too late as Wii sales have slipped alarmingly over the last year in contrast to the Xbox 360 and PS3 which had record sales last year. Admitedly this could be due to the saturation of the market with the Wii having had amazing sales prior to this.

I think Microsoft and Sony will also give details about their next consoles at this years E3 (for launch late 2013) to take some gloss of the new Nintendo console. Microsoft, in particular, should also agressively cut the price of the Xbox 360 this year. Microsoft and Sony also have had some lead time to change their consoles specs. It wouldn't surprise me if either Microsoft or Sony put a touch screen on their controller in a bid to take away any perceived advantage the Wii U has.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the Wii U will do well but I just can't see it winning the next generation. Microsoft's gaming division is profitable and they will be gunning for number one spot with a likely much improved Kinect and enhanced Xbox Live. Sony will also be hungry to get back to the top with presumably an evolution of the current Playstation.

[birdykilla]

I think we can all agree that there are some really great games in each genre. I'm not sure how anybody can say COD sucks and needs to die. When there were so many people who loved to play games just like it. (Goldeneye, Counterstrike) If you liked to play those games then COD doesn't need to die. It might need to switch it up a bit, maybe it will with a little competition. Even with that said MW3 and BF3 are still quite fun and a blast at times. How about people stop nitpicking games and just go spend time playing them, enjoy your time with them. Eat.Sleep.Play!

[ipe]

There is one thing which is often forgotten.
Considering this wiiU gamepad and other specs, and that N ll want to make profit on hardware, retailers margin, there is no chance wiiU ll be less than $400.
History showed us N hardware DOESNT sell at higher price, period. If next ps and xbox arre around 400 range same as wiiu, i d bet my life on ps/box, especialy playstation.
And there is still big ? about their online.

wii was $250 most of its life, while ps3 was $600,500 , 360 was $400 at launch.

[Zichu]

Don't think it matters which console will get more sales. As long as each console gets a good amount of games and is actually an upgraded version of its predecessor overall, that's all I want...

[RevXM]

From the Article:
"and the only real downfall is that the screen, last we heard, is not multi-touch. Of course, that's always something that can be added on later "

Add later? whats thats supposed to mean?
If Multitouch could be added through a firmware update I think the Wii-u would already have it.

If nintendo started making multitouch controllers
those with the old controllers would be left behind like with 360 and its HDD issue (you know arcade model etc and games requiring some storage space), and kind of like the 3DS and the Circle pad.

So I dont see that happening.
But they can change it before they start to manufacture their system though.

[Khordchange]

Changed later as in Upad Plus, where they add that feature later on like wii motion plus. Not that hard of a concept to understand

[RevXM]

Overlay add on touch pad or something?
... hilarious. :D
Bub up, thats funny. :)

If they actually were to do it the controller would need an advanced I/O port on it, dont know if it does. Either way... NO, just no. Multitouch would need to be there from the start or never... add on peripherals like that are almost always kind of dumb.

[Blastoise]

Wonder if they will FINALLY make some New IP's...

[N311V]

Most people I've spoken to that bought a Wii seem very disinterested in the Wii U. Most of them just say something along the lines of "meh, I haven't touched my Wii in years, no reason to buy a new one". We'll see what happens though. After all I never expected those same poeple to buy a console in the first place.

[josephayal]

WHY NOT? The WII U is the Ultimate HD Console

[matey]

1st off every1 i speak to about WiiU are excited and say outright that they will buy 1,No 1 complains about wii even with all the bashing online 90% of wii owners except it 4 what it is which is a moderate powered console 4 social MP in the same room gaming with the odd Amazing hardcore game every now and then MH3,NMH2,MG2,ect but it dominates in the music/casual gendre and thats whats booming right now every1 nows its not Nintendo's HD hardcore effort thsts why people like the wii,and cant wait to see what they do with HD.

The WiiU these are FACT's last March had equal power to a HD4850 Iwata's words and thats the very 1st dev-kits power,these are facts you can find out easy if you google it,tnen on the 2nd dev-kits they were twice the power of previous so twice the power of HD4850,then most recent dev-kits were alot more powerful than expected much much more powerful than 2nd dev-kits so work it out,HD4850 is graphically 70% more powerful than Rumoured 720 gpu HD6670 and that was WiiU power in its 1st stage so WiiU is many times more powerful than the Rumoured xbox720 FACT LOOK IT UP.

Nintendo are still not done on specs there leaking them out slowly so competitors cant kniw the final power but its already got a GPU many times the Rumoured Xbox720 try 4x easy FACTS ARE THERE ALL OVER THE NET HD4850 WAS WIIU POWER A YEAR AGO A GPU TWICE THAT OF XBOX 720 AND ITS GOT INCREDIBLY MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT SICK OF THESE ANTI NINTENDO ARTICLES FACTS ARE WIIU IS THE BEAST OF NEXT GEN.

[catch]

You don't happen to have any links to sources to support all your "facts" do you?

[ChickeyCantor]

I don't want to put him down, but he hardly has any punctuation to go with.

Let a man dream!
LET!

[NYC_Gamer]

The Wii-U could have the biggest install base since many people love Nintendo first party software which will now be all in HD.

[OcularVision]

By that logic, the PS3 should've been the number one selling console the second it launched seeing as how over 100m PS2s were sold at that time.

[dark-hollow]

Most popular PlayStation games went multiplat.

[AWBrawler]

@Ocular
not really, Mario is more famous than mickey mouse now, And Nintendo still owns the 2 highest selling video game franchises ever.

[contra157]

If Nintendo can sell millions with their gimmick wii with that garbage controller/remote then well I can't see this not selling well since the industry is flooded with noobs. This should be successful if not then Nintendo is in trouble and will have to rely even more heavily on their franchises

[Stansolo]

With the world upside down at the moment what with world recession, sony, microsoft, and nintendo have to be careful how they price their next gen consoles. If they are to highly priced sales will be low.
The world is changing, things are not what they used to be.
Imoa I would hold the next gen console back for 5 years to give the world time to recover from the economic down turn.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

While we haven't seen an of the games for the Wii u. It will be hard for any hardcore gamer to think its a contender when the games are only going to look slightly better than ps3 and 360.
I have been gaming for over 25 years and it's hard for me to get exited for new versions of Mario Zelda and Mario kart.

[mamotte]

It's like saying that actual consoles are not contenders since their games look and performance way worse than a PC game. Do you play, or do you count the polygons?

[GamingNtek]

1 thing to say, yeah right!

[Shok]

Looking at the Wii, and the fact that the Wii U will have a head start, why would you write it off already?

[LX-General-Kaos]

Theres no point on this site man.

[bergoo]

This site is for immature raging fanboys to argue at each other. Shok, come to neogaf, theres intelligent conversations there.

[Zephol]

i dont believe wii u win the next gen. but is not for hardcore gamers

[Nes_Daze]

Nintendo is all about the casual market, that's the only reason they might really "win" again. I always see kids with Wiis and the DS, that's just their market, and I'm not interested in Zelda, or ANOTHER mario, or ANOTHER metroid. And I sure as hell don't want to play on Nintendo's infant online network.

[Bob570]

HAHA!! Nope.

[n1kki6]

Did a 12 year old write this? The dumbing down of journalism.

[Abriael]

It's not journalism, it's a fansite.

That's why fansites shouldn't be considered valid sources of opinion pieces exactly like personal blogs.

[n1kki6]

I understand that. I guess I was speaking more to the topic. How or why would someone write about such a topic with virtually no information about the next generation of consoles. Not to mention they are marketed to different demographics. No it's not journalism, yes it's a fan site, but how many people will actually differentiate from the two?

[Duoma]

lol yeah ok...all i know us that the wii supposedly "won" this generation and everybody and i mean everybody i know hasn't touched theirs after the novelty wore off.
Wii was and is still good for the nintendo faithful who love the core franchises and even those most people are starting to grow tired of.

if they dont beef up or put in new spins on their core franchises and invest in new Ip's i dont think they are going to do too hot next time around. Same goes for their online model.

[StraightedgeSES]

Half of you guys need to do research before commenting because I'm reading some of these comments and it seems that some of you know nothing about the Wii U

[Thepcz]

a lot of people are completely ignorant of the wii as a gaming platform. They think it only has party games and mario games, which is so far from the truth.

So the people saying wiiu will be the same- ie for 'soccer moms,' are ignorant about the experiences available on wii and inevitably wiiu.

Xenoblade is the best game i have played in the last decade. period. And i own a ps3.. Last story is another monster of a game, along with all the other brilliant games people are ignorant about.

Do your research before you trash wii and trash wiiu before it has even been released or even fully unveiled!

[stragomccloud]

Thank you. To me it's really sad that so many gamers have deprived themselves of games like Skyward Sword, No More Heroes, Sonic Colors, Fragile, and bla bla bla I could go on. The reasoning always seems so stupid to me. It's dumb because it has "shit*y graphics," or "It looks too kiddy." The problem is though, that since many gamers already have a preconceived opinion before playing a Wii game, he or she won't even let themselves enjoy it. It's a sad thing, indeed.

[GraveLord]

The website is obviously biased but its true. Wii U is launching first so it has a huge advantage.

[Gr81]

Can't really use this sort of logic. These things are so unpredictable so anything can happen. The thing that will determine the winner is the same things that have always determined the winner and that is the quality content in the software.

It has nothing to do with tech and everything with the games. We will see at E3 what Wii U brings to the table and if it is compelling enough, and affordable enough for mass consumption.

[Redcrimson101]

Great article. I think nintendo will do just fine. All Sony and ms has been doing is copying nintendo for years. Everyone watches nintendo then capitalize off what they do. That alone probes that nintendo is the best lol. Sony and ms has playing following the leader for some time now. Reading these comments I can see that they're a lot if Sony fans. It's okay to like the system that you own but facts are facts. Nintendo is finally giving gamers what they want, online games, dlc, better hd gfx what else do u guys want? I think a lot of haters doesnt want to see nintendo take back that thrown and crush their favorite little system/s lol. If it were t for nintendo years of innovation gaming would've died years ago and wouldn't exist today. Without nintendo there would've been no Sony or ms systems, come on man be real with yourselves. Nintendo will crush the nextbox and ps4. Sony had there run. There finished. Ps3 is boring lagging in sales and their exclusives don't sell. Google it. Men lie women lie numbers don't. A ps4 won't save Sony but put them in an even deeper hole in depth. Oh and just to correct the author, the wii u is way more powerful than the ps3.

[Blastoise]

There is so much fail in that little rant that i dont even know where to begin

[MadMen]

wii u will fail

[C0MPUT3R]

Like the Wii shared ports with PS2. The Wii U will share ports with the PS3 & 360.
.
The other hurdle I see with the Wii U is when it comes out it will be the most expensive console on the market, only to play the same games the 360 & PS3 have.
.
Nintendo guys will buy it for Mario, Zelda, Metroid etc., but the system is going to be a
hard sell to PS3/360 guys (offers games they already have or can get on their system).
.
and a hard sell to casuals (already have a Wii collecting dust, more expensive than PS3/360).

[Abriael]

The Wii U MIGHT win the next generationm simply because Nintendo has a ton of rabid, blind fanboys like the one that wrote this "article". :D

[Gr81]

Fanboys didn't save Sony from from pulling up the rear this gen did it?

Success on gen is not garaunteed to another.

[stragomccloud]

Well they sold nearly 100 million Wiis and 150 million DSs. Why not? Nintendo + finally some more power under the hood(a la Super Nintendo, N64, and Gamecube... Wii was the first gen that Nintendo underpowered their console...)=full of win~!

[lugia 4000]

Why the PC will win the next generation.

Problem?

[artdafoo]

Child please, itl be full of shovelware featurIng characters with no arms just lIke the Wii

[Inzo]

For the Wii-u to win the next gen it must be part of the next gen. I think this is going to be a big misfire from Nintendo.

[vader1231231]

lol

[Adolph Fitler]

The huge advantage Wii-U has is time...If it boasts even as little as a 10% advantage over PS3/360, it will sell in spades with it's new gimmicky controller.

[Half-Mafia]

While your at it, can I have next week lotto numbers.

[Conzul]

As an old ninja master once said:

"Powerful console is much taller than I, so he may walk over me. But I, I am simpler, much *shorter* console, so I may walk under him and about him, quietly taking his cookies..."

Ninja masters are wise so listen to them and respect their words.

[honkyjesus]

Direct from ZeldaInformer.com?

[badkolo]

so its ok that nintedni is pulling a wii, i dont get that

so it will sell well then be underpowered once again, games wont flock to it as they will concentrate on the new ps4 and xbox 720 and then the wiiu will die just like the wii did,

[Arnagrim]

Obviously a site named zeldainformer would be completely unbiased making such a statement. /s

[jacen100]

its getting the big games there gonna be the best we have seen them yet in console history in both visuals and interaction with the second screen, im looking forawrd to that alone cant wait till E3

[bigjclassic]

Well, I still enjoy the Wii and Nintendo games and buying the Wii U day one. Looking forward to Dragon Quest X, Darksiders 2, Ninja Gaiden 3 and Madden 13. I have owned my PS3 since day one, and next gen is welcomed by this gamer.

[nik666uk]

A machine's only as good as its games

[Ascalon94]

No.

[ZeroWil]

While I'm sure it'll do great, I do expect another crappy launch window. The Wii had a good launch, but that was simply because of Twilight Princess. Seriously, I don't want to see another drought of good games for a Nintendo system.

[madpuppy]

God, I hope not, that is all we need, more boring pap from the big "N".

the king of taking something old and used up, dumping a coat of shellac on it and selling it as new and amazing.

[NeoTribe]

That controller looks rediculously retarted. Just sayin. Hope that isn't really wut it will look like. Plus nintendo is a more child oriented console. There gonna drop those honkin tablets constantly and break em. How much u think it would cost to replace. Maybe instead of a wrist strap it will come with a tablet to body harness.

[DOOMZ]

No thanks....

[oldfriend86]

I love Nintendo and all, but I don't think so this time.

The Wii was revolutionary with its motion controls. I'm looking at the Wii U and questioning the iPad controller. Other than the fact that it looks uncomfortable during long gameplay, I'm afraid of breaking the thing.

[Legionaire2005]

Tell you what I will get the Wii U to replace my Wii, but not at launch. I want to test the waters on how good it would do during launch before I buy. Will it beat the next generation of Xbox and Playstation? I don't know its too early to tell. I truly hope it will get third party support it deserves. It would be great if the Wii U can run Unreal engine 4, now that would show the true power of the system. I would like to see another super mario smash bros game on the system with better online play. The last game had an lackluster online where you just play people for 2 minutes!!! What a joke, an people don't really play it much online. Even if the next generations of consoles are mountain times powerful than the Wii U, the Wii U biggest advantage is the low price point.

[Ck1x]

Hear is what i love about freedom of speech and opinion. As much as most of the community here hates Nintendo's guts it will fuel their success! These are the same people that spelled doom and gloom for both the Wii and 3ds(how many times do you hear the gimmick and fad words being assocated with these 2 consoles?)... Everyone loves rooting for the underdog and no matter how successful Nintendo was this last generation. Most of you here try and deny that fact and still place them in the underdog spot! People did this exact same thing with Apple and look at how dominant they are now... Nintendo has been around for much longer than either Sony or Microsoft put together in the gaming industry and they know how to keep themselves relavent and in demand. So at least give them that respect, they are a very smart company and will be involved in gaming for some time to come...

[mamotte]

I'll wait for the games to do the talk. Not the console itself. Hope Nintendo learned something with the 3DS launch lineup.