180°

What about the Wii U? Developers and publishers keep passing over Nintendo’s ‘next-gen’ console

By Mark Melnychu

The Wii U was technically the first of the current crop of next-generation consoles to hit the market. The only problem is the game development community appears to disagree.

Third-party support has never been one of Nintendo’s strengths, but at their E3 press conference last year it appeared the company was trying to change that. Wii U versions of big games such as Mass Effect 3 and Batman: Arkham City were shown off for the system.

Sadly, the love Nintendo showed devs last year isn’t being returned. When discussing their plans for the PS4 and next Xbox, developers either don’t mention the Wii U, or take the time to say why they’re not focusing on it. So let’s take a quick rundown of who doesn’t love the Wii U so far.

yugovega4015d ago (Edited 4015d ago )

why don't we get rid of the concept of 'next gen' and just say new systems?

yugovega4015d ago (Edited 4015d ago )

just the term screams fanboy now. it's annoying.

haha at fanboy disagrees.

ltachiUchiha4015d ago

Lol yup thats n4g for ya lol.

n4f4014d ago

my name stand for News4Fanbooy

eferreira4014d ago

everything without a soul is dead as a doornail lol

zebramocha4014d ago

@gamma next gen only implies that the system,architecture or what ever is better then the thing that came before it,it gets confusing when you compare it to competing systems and architeture.

yugovega4014d ago

its not confusing at all. lets say ps4 launchs a week before xbox. xbox will be the only next gen system for one week. its stupid. sony is already hard at work on the next gen. the ps5

Aceman184014d ago (Edited 4014d ago )

my friend who's a huge Nintendo fan sent me this link the other day which i found shocking at first but not surprising to hear.

http://www.dashhacks.com/wi...

the link is an article about dev units being returned to Nintendo.

MasterCornholio4014d ago

OMG

Even the ones that were given away for free are getting returned.

Who returns a free dev kit?

Motorola RAZR i

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4014d ago
Kingthrash3604015d ago

I think the 3rd party publishers have learned a lesson from the wii. 1st party nintendo games sell like water in hell but not 3rd party titles...hell even sports games struggle

Blackdeath_6634014d ago (Edited 4014d ago )

best selling game is nintendo land at 1.8mill not exactly like water in hell. monster hunter tri the only game that is interesting is at 0.33 mill

this is the reason why devs are unimpressed http://www.vgchartz.com/pla...
P.S: source may not be super accurate

Kingthrash3604014d ago (Edited 4014d ago )

no ment on the wii that 1st party games sold great ..of corse the numbers aren't super big on the wiiu since not many own one. but I do agree with your reason devs are unimpressed. surprisingly NA is the wiiu's biggest supporter.

Blackdeath_6634014d ago

@Kingthrash360
oh yeah on the wii first party games did sell but the wii offered motion controls something which has never been available and was indeed next gen despite having standard graphics the wiiU doesn't have anything which is considered new or next gen tablets have been around for a little while and the features that are possible with the wiiU controller don't really add a huge advancement to the gaming experience. only time will tell how nintendo will fare in the long run, maybe they need a helping of humble pie after all sony have been having alot of that recently and now they're turning things around.

chestnut11224014d ago (Edited 4014d ago )

I bought mine awhile ago, A 32 gb Deluxe Set with Nintendo land plus I buy a Monster Hunter. What an Amazing Device. Just Buy these People and You would shut up.

I thought it ain't a next gen. It amazingly is. Will wait patiently for games.

I never regret buying a console these way TBH.

Highlife4014d ago

I bought my kids one for xmass and regret it. They don't even play it anymore. They have 3 games and they just sit there. Mario was the same game as the Wii one. Now maybe the console will be better in a year or two if they ever release another game but I should not have bought it yet.

chestnut11224014d ago (Edited 4014d ago )

I don't regret it :P Well then Goodluck,

anyway I got dislikes for purchasing a Wii U? LOL at the fanboys in here, I have my ps3 and Vita guys and I am saying these console is amazing.

Jek_Porkins4014d ago

It's not just the Wii U that publishers and developers will be passing over for a while, even Activision is worried about the new Xbox and PlayStation because it's risky to release and make games for new consoles with low install bases.

People are saying good things about the Wii U, but in the current economy you wont see a ton of risk taken when there is little to no chance of reward or payoff. Personally I would have loved to see the new SimCity on the Wii U, but EA are kind of acting like babies, there is opportunity to make some money and sell some games, but not every third party game is going to blow up on Wii U.

lizard812884014d ago

Yeah, I think when the PS4 and the Nextbox comes out, Nintendo should get a boost, due to its bigger install base.

DoctorMontalban4014d ago

Red Leader standing by.....lol. I agree with the sentiment in your comment, but EA is a public company so they act in accordance with their shareholder/fiduciary responsibility, sometimes in the interest in gamers, insofar as we help them with their primary objective.

V0LT4014d ago

I own one and I really feel it is priced just a tad too high. Also, the low amount of GB that you get is kind of an insult.

LOL_WUT4014d ago

Nintendo had the casuals in mind when developing the Wii U. ;)

CEOSteveBallmer4014d ago

let's just hope nintendo can once again count on casual gamers since most of them are already satisfied playing on tablets and smartphones.

Show all comments (50)
80°

How Many More Victims, Like Garry's Mod, Will Nintendo's Hurtful Crusade Create?

Hanzala from eXputer: "As Nintendo takes out 20 years' worth of stuff from Garry's Mod, I watch in shock, thinking why it continues to hurt and discourage its fans."

RiseNShine4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

The irony that some of the most disgusting business practices come from companies like Disney or Nintendo, i can't even begin to understand what terrible damage was Garrys Mod making to Nintendo bottom line, imho they're getting pretty nervous about where they're heading in the future, handhelds are no longer something exclusive to Nintendo, from Steam Deck to many others, now you can play the latest games and pay a fraction of the price on Steam sales, so it's up to their exclusives, which just on their own would make hard to justify purchasing a closed overpriced hardware with outrageous price policies (Super Mario Odyssey is still 60 euro 6 years later!), and as a home console they're always underperforming compared to Sony or Xbox.

gold_drake3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

i cam guarantee you, that their exclusives alone is what drives switch sales. they sell in the 10s of millions of copies.

nintendo created their franchises to be sort of nostalgia driven, exclusive only on nintendo.

people will always buy the pkmn games as they always bring in new younger fans amd is family friendly

mario kart, the same thing, mario games in general.

zelda games are system sellers. animal crossing for the casual gamers.

nintendo doesnt need third vame devs essentially. they made sure with the switch and the limitations that they looked more to pc ps and xbox.

its sad, but nintendo is more than fine with what they're doing. they positioned themselves to appeal to the more casual gamers.

but to your point, im not sure why they're doing this rly.

Inverno3d ago

Look at how they handled Nintendo games being streamed or uploaded on YouTube in the past. They killed Yuzu and Citra even when they had nothing to do with ToTK being leaked, not to mention it was basically unplayable on emulation the week it was leaked. Smash Bros tournament, that was fairly recent. They shut down their online services without any care for purchases made. I bought a switch after skipping their last 2 consoles and handhelds but I don't plan on buying anything Nintendo in the future. They take things to the extremes, they legitimately hate their fans. They're honestly right up there with the likes of Acti, EA, and Ubi, only difference is that they disguise themselves as being family friendly all the while being shady.

80°

Nintendo's Massacre Of The 3DS And Wii U Is Finally Complete, Regrettably

Hanzala from eXputer: "The cruel hammer of Nintendo has fallen. Farewell, 3DS and Wii U, you surely brightened my life and many others; you won't be forgotten."

280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple10124d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref24d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde24d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander197224d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville24d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff218323d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos23d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 23d ago
isarai24d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref24d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan24d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis00723d ago (Edited 23d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander197224d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

24d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197224d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

24d ago
24d ago
Zeref24d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde24d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander197224d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander197224d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref24d ago (Edited 24d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier23d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto24d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff218323d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto23d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 23d ago
Hofstaderman24d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts24d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate23d ago (Edited 23d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts23d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic23d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

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