Nintendo's Wii U: Next-Generation Gaming or Gimmick?

Nintendo is set to launch Wii U, its follow-up to the highly successful Wii console, on November 18, but it is unclear if it represents an official start to the next-generation of gaming.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Next-Generation Gimmick?

[darthv72]

I mean many with no interest will proclaim its a gimmick but I see it as playing games. So is it wrong to be considered both?

[1upgamer99]

Not a Gimmick. You can use any type of controller you want. If you want you can use the gamepad as an HUD on some games which I think is great. On the fly weapons switching on games like Assassins Creed 3. According to developers-easy to develop for, newer Tech, and more Ram. I think that Nintendo is going to have some great looking games this time around. Will it have PS4's power? No, but it will have the power to pull of some very nice stuff! Activision says that BOPS2 on Wii U has a clear advantage over other consoles, and I for one can not wait to play it on Wii U. I want to see for myself.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Very well said!

[ninjabake]

Oh boy, another one of these lol

[StrawHatPatriot]

It feels to much like one, as not all games really need a second screen, even though it would be nice.

[RFornillos4]

that's where creativity comes in for the devs. if a game doesn't use the gamepad effectively, it's not nintendo's fault (unless if it was a game they made), it's a design problem.

nintendo's been giving the devs the tools for making a game that will change the way gaming is done. it's up to the devs how they will maximize the use of these tools; and that includes the use of the gamepad.

[Akuma-]

i dont recall majority of gamers complaining about the traditional controller. they release a lot of gimmicks but cant stick to them like the wiimote because it is one of the worst controller in history. wii would have been better with a traditional controller. the wii u isnt using a wiimote as the default controller. one thing i learned about playing the wii u is that its a gimmick and the wii u pad constantly keeps me from being immerse to the experience of playing the wii u because of constantly requiring me to look away from the teli and look at the wii u pad.

one of the first thing i try to do when playing an unfamiliar console is to learn the buttons so i dont have to look at the controller but the wii us main gimmick is to require the user to look down on the controller occasionally. the games are lower quality that hd console owners are use to this gen. i wouldn't play most of wii u launch games with their low quality on a xbox or ps3 so i dont see why id buy them for wii u. i played wii u and games like zombie u looks like low quality xbl games that should be cheap. look at zombie u a supposed next gen game by nes fanatics and youll see that it looks a generation below "the last of us''. wii u might need about 3 years to match what ps3 is doing as standard 3 years ago and they might need 5 years to match ''the last of us''.

the proof of the games are there for people to see.

to each his own

the wii u is rubbish in my opinion

[jbgamer]

Yeah these articles are done to make Nintendo fans mad, just ignore these, and let's write our own more honest, yeah even when nintendo needs to be criticized, and stop reading these stories which are just for attention.

[SuperShyGuy]

I wish people would learn what "gimmick" means

A gimmick is a hook that sets your product apart to grab attention.

So yeah the Gamepad is a gimmick.
But so is the Vita's back touchpad and dual analog sticks, as they set it apart from the 3DS.

If these guys were back in the N64 days and seen the rumble pack I bet they would have scream "Gimmick" Nintendo is stupid we don't need any vibration in games that is dumb

[zebramocha]

No,the dual stick let's the vita have comparable console experience and the back touch pad can have certain touch function so your hands don't block the screen.

[RFornillos4]

ok. a gimmick, same as motion controls? and look where it got them (a hundred million or so Wiis sold), and sony/ms getting on the motion control bandwagon.

devs haven't even maximized their creativity in using the gamepad (which in fact is even optional), or maximized what they can do with the machine, so i don't believe this is something you'd call a gimmick.

nintendo's designed a very efficient machine: low noise, low heat, low power consumption, latency between gamepad and screen is 1/60th of a frame (obviously no noticeable delay)-- creating something like this is not born out of thinking for a new gimmick.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Shoot. Wouldnt the Wii U control pad be virtually perfect for virtual reality? Like to an almost a freaky extent? Anybody?

[Monstar]

Why is it nintendo go on and on about creativity and being different and unique with controller design and how we play games, yet when it comes to games...WHICH IS WHAT MATTERS, they ALWAYS fall short? No variety, more kiddy trash and rehashing the same franchises. Since the cube, Nintendo is a joke of a company..they live in lala land and they can't get over them selves. Make some fucking good games that isn't Mario or Zelda...it's the Wii all over again. Zombie WiiU will be the Red steel of this generation...all hype, promises of powerful hardware and when it comes out is more broken and ugly than we can imagine.

Who gives a shit about innovations if you don't have the games to back it up.

Unless you're 12, Wii failed beyond belief with what was promised.

The latest Ninja Gaiden 3 is a good example, the WiiU version can't even keep up with the 360 and PS3 version, hardware that is 6 years old. Not ONLY that, the new controller offers No new unique play abilities..that we can't just enjoy on a standard controller. Gsus f'en christ Nintendo.

So yeah, so far...GIMMICK.

[jmc8888]

Kiddie trash? You must be one of those gamers from the last 10-15 years, because if you owned a NES/SNES when it was for hardcore gamers, you'd realize that Nintendo's 'label' was a temporary one.

ZombiU is kiddie? Ok
BLOPS2?
Mass Effect 3?
Assassin Creed 3?
Aliens: Colonial Marines? Yeah because baby aliens bursting out of someones stomach is what every mom wants their 1st grader to see and play.

ZombieU got a score of 92. So 'red steel' of this generation it's not.

Wii isn't Wii U. But I guess you have to be old enough to remember more than George W Bush, or perhaps Bill Clinton as President to know that.

Actually Ninja Gaiden 3 (which I'm not a fan of) the best version is going to be on the Wii U.

Actually the hardware is quite better than the 360 or PS3, but I guess you don't know specs. Must not build your own computers. Because if you did, there's no way you could say that knowing that those are based off of tech 7-9 GPU generations earlier.

The controller has no unique play abilities that you can't enjoy on a standard controller? Yeah because I can see an Aliens motion tracker on my Xbox 360 controller...oh wait, I don't see that. I don't see inventory screens, or loadout/killstreak screens. I don't see maps.

The only reason YOU don't see them, is because you haven't been bothered to LOOK for them. See no evil, hear no evil.

Actually I'm 34, and have been gaming since before the NES even existed. In fact I was using Apple DOS command prompts to launch games on the Apple II before the NES even existed (even in Japan).

The gaming world didn't start with Playstation and Xbox. It started a long time before that actually. Even Pong wasn't the first real video game. Magnavox Odyssey.

So wrong about Nintendo always for kiddies, and thus always will be for kiddies.
Wrong about the gamepad having no unique play abilities.
Wrong about ZombiU.
Wrong about the power of the Wii U.
Wrong about the games, as the most selling 360 game would barely crack the top 10 of Wii games in numbers sold.....and the top selling 360 game was Kinect Adventures....as you would call it...kiddie trash.
Wrong about the Wii, as it delivered what was promised, and because it wasn't really what I wanted, I didn't buy it. Almost did, but decided against it.

What in your post are you right about? You're just trying to justify old misconceptions that you wish were solid but really are just fantasy.

So far, it's only a gimmick to the ignorant and uninformed. Which are kind of the same thing, it's just the ignorant even when presented the information, refuse to believe the obvious.

[chronoforce]

the wii didn't fail 3rd party Devs couldn't be bothered to make unique experiences on the console and I don't mean stripped ports, the wii is a platform it has tools and must be used effectively Nintendo seemed to do it even Miamoto has been saying do Devs there's no Secret or no hidden tools we use. Alot of 3rd party devs don't take nintendo seriously because they are still at that stage where only men play video games and a man's game has to be "epic" and "awesome" just look at how saturated the market is with shooters and action titles with "epic set pieces"
the wii didn't fail 3rd parties failed and that will stay the same as long 3rd parties continue to be uncreative the wii was a chance to branch out and make different experiences it is by no means a perfect console it was designed to pick up and play and be fun. everyone wants to create emotional games that connect with people.Nintendo wants you to connect emotionality with people because of the games. the wii did what is said on the box I think the wii u will as well, I don't count that as a failure.

[cyhm3112]

Wii u is less powerful than PS3 and Xbox 360, it has a weaker GPU with less shaders and a less powerful CPU, the only thing it is better is it has more ram which is dirt cheap these days. 2GB of ram cost you $5 or less. And a lot of stupid people still believe it is more powerful than PS360, hahahahahahahaha

[chronoforce]

sweet! tell me more about the WIIU's cpu what are the clock speeds, how many threads per core,what about the gpu core,shader and memory speed. it must be a privilege working for both IBM and AMD.(before you go there Devs have said the clock speeds are lower not that it was less powerful)

[jmc8888]

Same tricks won't always work twice? How is the gamepad a 'trick' that's been used twice?

Nintendo innovates in ways beyond raw specs. It's not the first or even the 2nd time they've innovated on their controller. The first nes's gamepad was light years ahead of the competition. The SNES's had shoulder buttons. N64 had an analog stick, a trigger, and an add on rumble pack. Gameboy started the handheld market. 3ds had 3d without glasses. Wii had motion controls. Now they have a gamepad.

So really their 'tricks' have been innovation, and I wouldn't call that a trick. Especially since they're still around, and just about everybody copies their innovations.

The article comes up with an arbitrary and asinine 'point system' to decisions, and even gets them wrong.

The article states how gee, Sony and MS have ideas of how to compete with the gamepad 'blueprint' that Nintendo now has. Except, they think their jalopy can beat a NASCAR. The Vita and Smartglass are two completely different technologies. They don't do what the gamepad does. They can't be made to do what the gamepad does, because then it would have to be something completely different. They also aren't going to include them with every console they sell, thus devs aren't going to make a very big effort to support them. So how is it minus 1000 points when the competitors think they have a product that has no chance in hell of competing with the gamepad, costs hundreds of dollars, won't be packed in with the system, and devs won't support it? Sorry smartglass and Vita are square pegs in a round hole, and the CEO's are too dumb to realize it (normal in CEO-land) so they aren't planning for alternatives. That gives Nintendo a definite head start.

So with that arbitrary system what is +500 points? What would the difference be if it was +1000 or +1million. I mean really, who writes these articles that make up a scoring system that means nothing, and miss on badly on the things they are scoring them on?

[MegaLagann]

One; it's next gen. It's more powerful than 360/PS3 and generations are determined by time of release, not by power. Ouya is less powerful than PS3/360 and yet it's an eight gen console.

Two; learn what "gimmick" means. In marketing, anything and everything is a gimmick. It's something that differentiates you from you competitors that you use in advertising. Xbox Live is a gimmick, PS3 using Blu-Ray is a gimmick, Nintendo TVii is a gimmick, they're all gimmicks.

[jmc8888]

No it differentiation. Gimmick denotes illegitimacy. There's something that by sleight of hand gives you an advantage when on face value it shouldn't.

Differentiation and innovation are not gimmicks.

Now let's see how right I am (wrote the above before googling)

From Wiki
"In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature. It began, however, as a slang term for something that a con artist or magician had his assistant manipulate to make appearances different from reality. Such things as the manipulating of a gaming wheel led to the idea of a "gimmick" being used. Musicians often use gimmicks such as Slash's top hat, Angus Young's schoolboy uniform and Deadmau5's mouse helmet[1]"

[timothylittle]

TL;DR the facts; just relied on random wikis instead.

[ZeekQuattro]

You took the words right out of my mouth MegaLagann.

[profgerbik]

It's not even first glance looking at the system or it's attempt at innovation that says gimmick to me. I had high hopes for this system believe me I did, I actually thought for once Nintendo was going to do something better.

The Wii and the 3DS left a horrible taste in my mouth and yes I bought and played both a lot but I always found myself asking why is Nintendo selling the most yet they make the cheapest devices?

Well the more and more I read about the Wii U the more and more I saw the same lack of features every other system they made had. Again asking myself why with the Wii U? They could have made something with more features, they can afford to make something better but they don't...

It is the lack of features in the controller tablet and the system itself that make it feel like another gimmick. The thing is the controller is quite limited, to think Dev's will be able to take advantage of a controller that still uses a VGA screen and single touch is kind of absurd.

Most Dev's are having a hard enough time with the Vita and using it's touch screens. Problem about that though is the Vita has much more functionality than the Wii U's tablet just in general. It supports multi-touch on both touch screens and has more cameras (yea cameras might not seem like much but they do indeed add to the functionality of the system or how it could add more in the future).. If Dev's are still struggling with all that, how can they take advantage of something more restricting, with a single touch screen, one touch screen and one camera?

Not even that but people go on and on about it's more powerful but all I have seen is the thing cannot handle a lot on the screen at once like 7 year old systems can. That is disappointing enough, I am not some graphics whore but I am tired of Nintendo half assing their products when I know and everyone else knows they are doing the best in the game industry right now.

You people can continue to support that, but I am no longer support Nintendo anymore. The 3DS was the last draw and seeing the 3DS XL without a second analog stick really? That just put the icing on the cake for me.

It just doesn't make sense that Microsoft and Sony sell far less and still produce higher quality products than Nintendo's especially now... and Sony? Cmon they are losing money left and right and still put out better devices than anyone gaming wise and from a hardware perspective.

Before I could understand when Nintendo was first jumping onto the big console train but now they are the biggest in the industry .. so why.. just why are they always still the most outdated and the only ones constantly cutting costs with their devices to pinch pennies?

[profgerbik]

I also thought ZombiU was cool also but now seeing the videos and more of the game I am not impressed at all, the graphics are weird in the sense they feel so animated and still carry that low quality feel the Wii offered.. Yea I said it because clearly I owned a Wii and gave it a full go, I should seem similarities like that in the games at least, especially not new IP's. The game play was far from impressive either because like I had said the animations were just lack luster making the game look like yet another Zombie game..

I am tired of buying Zelda and tired of playing Mario on my 3DS, I never thought Metroid was that amazing, sure it's the best shooter Nintendo has but still I am just dead tired of these games being remade.

Don't think I am some stupid fan for anyone either, I could careless about CoD, Halo or any of these other over done games in the same exact way. It's been remade and is always never any different.

I guess if you are some young kid still living off your parents or some rich guy who can just spend money on anything you want that is fine, buy as many Wii U's as you want.

As I have grown older though I don't spend money frivolously just because something seems cool. I need to know how it works, what it is made of and what it will offer in the future.

As far as I can see the Wii U with it's lack of functions and it's lack of processing power realistically it just cannot last long. I am for one not looking forward to some add-on Nintendo will sell later to try and compensate once again for the lack of functions their products offer or their choice to cut production costs on their next system.

What bothers me the most about Nintendo right now is they are getting by with so little, every system they make is honestly not a huge improvement from the last at all and it's almost like they make their systems with the intentions of already having another waiting to be sold later.

I don't even like Microsoft at all really but even they don't do that and Sony for sure doesn't. They put out the best devices they can and each time it is a pretty impressive leap from the last they had made.

Nintendo just seems to have lost it's way focusing on nothing but sales and how to make sure a system sells, instead of giving their user base the best possible gaming experience from them and their systems.

No gaming company is perfect but Nintendo has changed greatly over the years. Ever since the Gamecube which was a huge gimmick in almost every aspect of it's design and what it offered has come out, they have never been the same or maybe Reggie (a marketer, not a gamer) had a hand in this change.

I mean Nintendo's new president is a complete joke, the guy knows nothing about games period. Every single company he worked for previously has nothing to with gaming. He knows how to sell and that is exactly what Nintendo does best and no one can argue against that.

I don't know if it's the fact they know they can never get ahead of their competitors so they have this "Sell it while we can" attitude or what but I am not supporting a company that makes more money than any other gaming company and still makes the cheapest devices out of them all.

However you perceive my rant I could careless, you also can't deny Nintendo's systems are in fact the cheapest made and produced hands down and always were. For me it is just not acceptable anymore that they still choose to pinch money wherever they can when they have so much more potential.

[Ricdog]

I cannot see how Zombie U is of any less quality than say Splinter Cell or Ghost Recon (all made by Ubisoft), so I don't know where this low quality HD came from.

The Wii U isn't really lacking any functions as of now, since with today's net a simple update could add enormous content to the Wii U. We have yet to fully now the exact specs of the Wii U, but it does appear to be a moderate upgrade from anything the ps3 can offer.

Your problem with Nintendo (not that thats a bad thing) is that its an efficient company. Nintendo produces what it needs to at the BARE minimum. If something is not issential, then it is not worth the cost to Nintendo. Which means they produce affordable yet unspectacular systems.

I'm ok with that, since you pay for what you get. But I can see how some are not.

[Max-Zorin]

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[ger2396]

I personally havent played one yet, but it does look intriguing. The only issue I have is that the majority of games coming out for the wii u are already out or will be on other consoles.

[RFornillos4]

i believe out of the 31, only 7 are ports. so it shouldn't be a big issue really. and considering that in a few months or so, we'll be seeing more games for Wii U.

[Shnazzyone]

I'm starting to think the word gimmick is an instant indication the author might have brain damage. Get a thesaurus games "journalists".

[Sheep4life]

Gimmicks are what casual gamers buy. Hate me, but it's true. Almost 100 millions consoles sold (Wii). I have family that has never owned a video game console or never played a game in their life. In fact, these same individuals told me to get a life and that I was a loser.

No, I don't play Halo or CoD, but I still play action/ RPG and many other games in different genres. However, I wil not play the 100th rehash of mario or zelda. Also, I refuse to rebuy games that I bought 25 years ago on the NES for the 50th time on the DS, 3DS, gameboy, or whatever iteration they are selling these days.

As long as we continue to buy these products and support these developers, they will continue to rape our wallets and misinterpret the gaming community. Enough with the gimmicks, make games longer with more robust gaming mechanics and story.

I want to hear what the characters have to say instead of the world telling the story. It may have been good 25 years ago, but we are more sophisticated gamers. Also, why no achievements or trophies this time around Nintendo? Don't give me that crap that Nintendo doesn't need them until you try them. Friends codes anyone? Why no Bluray player? Can we play CD's in our WiiU? They do have a browser I suppose /shrug. What about an internal hard drive? Oh yeah, that would raise the cost of the console if we included one of those. However, we forgot to mention in the HD world Hard Drive space is over rated, right? I have a 1 TB HDD in my console, and I don't have movies or full game installs on it, just games on it.

I said last generation the Wii failed the gamer, and I stand by my opinion. Haven't seen anything from the WiiU that changes that. By the way, newegg has some great sale on external hard drives if you need one for your WiiU. Make sure to tack that on to the 300 you plunked down for a console with 32gb or 8gb on board memory. Have a great day folks, got to get a few more trophies to platinum Dark Souls. Peace.

[StrawHatPatriot]

I don't think it;s fair for Nintendo games to be considered rehashes or kiddies. Just because they have more brighter environments and aren't all about shooting or having realistic looking shit all the time that doesn't mean it's meant for kids only. And the Mario "rehashes" are for hardcore gamers that were too young to play the older games, and hey, he's iconic as a character. The Wii still has games that appeal to older gamers, and in fact they had some of the better games this gen (Xenoblade was probably the best RPG game this gen). Plus, it's the third-party companies like EA that NEVER wanted to take advantage of the Motion Controls, and instead released basic games with downgraded graphics.