Wii U, will you?

[Mac'nCheese]

Why does it seem that noone is really into this new console yet there are news stories about all the preorders being sold out? No hype yet loads of sales....Doesn't make sense.

[leahswift]

The only reason for me to buy Wii is Xenoblade.
Otherwise I stick to my PSP

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Why does it seem that noone is really into this new console yet there are news stories about all the preorders being sold out? No hype yet loads of sales....Doesn't make sense.

Produce less consoles than the what the market asks for = Instant sell out.

Several companies use this strategy, as it gives good PR.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Why does it seem that noone is really into this new console yet there are news stories about all the preorders being sold out? No hype yet loads of sales....Doesn't make sense.

A number of factors..

1) Trust & the hardcore market

Wii won over the casual market to the detriment of the hardcore audience. Now they are trying to go back to that audience and trying to build that back up - but the problem is the hardcore have found a new home in Xbox villa and Sony boulevard, and are not in the mood to move home right now, especially for what could be a short stay...

Add the fact the Wii U offers little more than their console they have been playing for the last number of years other than the tablet screen. The true merit of which is far from proved especially after the early promise of motion controls turned out to be nothing short of inaccurate aiming, imprecise controls for certain game genres and a lot of unnecessary wiggling...

2) Timing (economy & the next gen)

The Timing is awful. With the average age of gamer now estimated to be 30, this hits right at home. We all are still feeling the effects of global recession, and those holding onto their jobs are facing increased uncertainty, lower wages and higher taxes all at the same time. Disposable income has become precious.

It's a a hard sell for a $370 (premium) Wii U right now and with $59.99 retail price for games which have been on other platforms for a long time and are now either available in the cheap aisle (darksiders 2) or even repackaged with additional content (mass effect trilogy), making the full priced Wii u offering a further harder sell.

On top of being price conscious consumers we all know the next next gen consoles will be announced in a matter of months, with predictions of massive hardware / power difference over the Wii U it puts us on guard.

We all know it was third party developers that jettisoned the Wii when it came clear in order to do multi platform titles they would need to produce a stripped down or entirely different Wii game due to the madsive gap in hardware between the 360/PS3 & the wii . To the point where people just didnt buy the poorer wii product and eventually third party's just decided to take the Wii out of the picture altogether.

The Wii U does face this going forward too, not so much in the next 12 months, but in the years after that. It's too easy to dismiss it as a concern, but when reviews and hardware industry analysts are also echoing similar concerns it makes people think a little first.

A lack of clarity on the exact specs (that processor is still looking to be a bit of a dog going forward if the rumours of 3 core 700mhz are true) and the fact games are in many cases nt as good looking as current gen counterparts takes the excitement and expectation levels down to a gentle simmer when they should be at 'boil' with just a few days to go...

3) Interesting pre-order sell out

Despite all that its still seemingly sold out of its pre-order allocation, so maybe this is a clear indicator that the time is actually right for new hardware and there is a thirst for it, but the fact there seems to be little excitement or hyperbole or even care in most consumers you would question who actually has pre-ordered this. Are they people like me, early adopters, who are aprehensivly thinking this might be a short term relationship but I'm gonna enjoy it whilst I can... Therefore find it hard to be truly 'excited' .


We will see how the Wii u fares 'after e3 2013' that will truly be the testing time.

[e²Studios]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

A number of factors..

1) Trust & the hardcore market

Wii won over the casual market to the detriment of the hardcore audience. Now they are trying to go back to that audience and trying to build that back up - but the problem is the hardcore have found a new home in Xbox villa and Sony boulevard, and are not in the mood to move home right now, especially for what could be a short stay...

Add the fact the Wii U offers little more than their console they have been playing for the last number of years other than the tablet screen. The true merit of which is far from proved especially after the early promise of motion controls turned out to be nothing short of inaccurate aiming, imprecise controls for certain game genres and a lot of unnecessary wiggling...

2) Timing (economy & the next gen)

The Timing is awful. With the average age of gamer now estimated to be 30, this hits right at home. We all are still feeling the effects of global recession, and those holding onto their jobs are facing increased uncertainty, lower wages and higher taxes all at the same time. Disposable income has become precious.

It's a a hard sell for a $370 (premium) Wii U right now and with $59.99 retail price for games which have been on other platforms for a long time and are now either available in the cheap aisle (darksiders 2) or even repackaged with additional content (mass effect trilogy), making the full priced Wii u offering a further harder sell.

On top of being price conscious consumers we all know the next next gen consoles will be announced in a matter of months, with predictions of massive hardware / power difference over the Wii U it puts us on guard.

We all know it was third party developers that jettisoned the Wii when it came clear in order to do multi platform titles they would need to produce a stripped down or entirely different Wii game due to the madsive gap in hardware between the 360/PS3 & the wii . To the point where people just didnt buy the poorer wii product and eventually third party's just decided to take the Wii out of the picture altogether.

The Wii U does face this going forward too, not so much in the next 12 months, but in the years after that. It's too easy to dismiss it as a concern, but when reviews and hardware industry analysts are also echoing similar concerns it makes people think a little first.

A lack of clarity on the exact specs (that processor is still looking to be a bit of a dog going forward if the rumours of 3 core 700mhz are true) and the fact games are in many cases nt as good looking as current gen counterparts takes the excitement and expectation levels down to a gentle simmer when they should be at 'boil' with just a few days to go...

3) Interesting pre-order sell out

Despite all that its still seemingly sold out of its pre-order allocation, so maybe this is a clear indicator that the time is actually right for new hardware and there is a thirst for it, but the fact there seems to be little excitement or hyperbole or even care in most consumers you would question who actually has pre-ordered this. Are they people like me, early adopters, who are aprehensivly thinking this might be a short term relationship but I'm gonna enjoy it whilst I can... Therefore find it hard to be truly 'excited' .


We will see how the Wii u fares 'after e3 2013' that will truly be the testing time.

This is the first console in a while that I haven't pre-ordered. Nintendo lost me with the Wii, it sits and collects dust while my PS3, PC, and Vita get all the play time from games I actually enjoy playing.

I'd think Nintendo would learn after the Wii, but they're back at it with gimmicks, that controller.. why.. and only 1? Thats great its finally up to par with the PS3 graphics wise but someone needs to tell Nintendo that they caught up with 2006, its 2012 nearly 2013 and you can expect Sony and MS to come out guns blazing with their next consoles and will likely make the WiiU look antiquated again.

They lost their hardcore market with the Wii, while its a small segment its a vocal segment. The casuals are still staring at their dust collecting Wii they bought with maybe 1 game in addition to what it came with, they're not gonna jump all over this, and the media is all but absent from this release. I'm not sure who bought all the pre-orders or dare I say Nintendo limited the shipments to create a sell out but the hype train left the building and it doesn't look like its coming back anytime soon.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by e²Studios

The casuals are still staring at their dust collecting Wii they bought with maybe 1 game in addition to what it came with...

Yep we've had the rise of smartphones since 2007 onwards and now the casuals are about playing $.99 cent games on the go, and not $59.99 party games any longer.

Nintendo really has a lot of convincing to do. My gamecube has gotten more gameplay in the last 6 years of wii lifetime than my Wii ever has.

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Why don't you just play your GC games on the Wii? At least you have one less console attached.

I wonder how many games casual gamers buy compared to hardcore gamers, for a given console..

[Mac'nCheese]

Thanks for all the imput. I have actually never cared to get a new Nintendo system right away. In fact, before the wii, I don't remember there being any problem getting a new one when I wanted. Maybe I waited, maybe they had enough, I really don't remember. But now, and I can't even tell u why, I'm getting all OCD for this one. Keep bugging the store about any news, refuse to wipe the wii memory for trade in to the last minute before I get the new one, keep checking blogs and sites for any scrap of new info. And for what? A universal remote and a new Mario game.

[boy-better-know]

From what I am reading, the game pad is not a gimmick at all. And I can see why people ae thinking that. Obviously it depends how it is implemented.

Personally, I am not that bothered about the ability to watch something else whilst continuing the game on your controller. As I don't share my TV. However, it will be nice having instant access to things that may only be on the pause screen.
I am sure some developer will use it in a way that we haven't thought of yet and blow us away.

What will be interesting to Sony and Microsoft is how successful the Game pad is. If it is actually incredibly useful, could we be expecting a mini screen on our Playstation and Xbox controllers?

----------

PS. any Americans getting a Wii U at a midnight launch tonight? If so, initial impressions would be great.

[blesscheese]

Well, I'm into it!

But the issue is, the games I really want have been delayed I might break down and get Assassin's Creed III, but, I'm so backlogged in games, there really isn't a point.

Oh well, Nintendo Land looks like it will keep me occupied for a bit . I'd like to invite my wife to play with me, but I don't think she wants to enter my man-cave (I still don't have a flat-screen TV--our CRT TV refuses to die--so I have to hook it up to my computer monitor).

[-SD-]

So who's got one then? Initial thoughts? Or are you still downloading the system update

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by blesscheese

Well, I'm into it!

But the issue is, the games I really want have been delayed I might break down and get Assassin's Creed III, but, I'm so backlogged in games, there really isn't a point.
).

That's my biggest problem too. I want one, I know I'll get one, but the games I want aren't available for launch here. Rayman & even Scribblenauts aren't launch day games here.

I also too have a backlog of software to finish and its not helped by the games im getting in the next 10 days including PC versions of FarCry 3, Assasins Creed 3, Hitman coming in the next week, Sonic Racing, Little Big Planet Karting & Lego Lord of the Rings on my PS3 due very soon now and Persona 4 Golden on my Vita on top of all those....

So yeah my backlog isn't getting any better (too many games to name but includes Sleeping Dogs, Xcom, Catherine, Darksiders 2, Lego Batman 2 etc..)

So I'm now in a limbo state.

Reviews for Mario look great, Nintendoland ok (won't be playing this multiplayer so lts of content ill never experience), but with early port issues for games like Arkham and Zombi U a good game but not essential I just don't think I can justify €500 for a Wii U (zombi u pack) and an extra game or so...

Originally Posted by T'hain Esh Kelch

Why don't you just play your GC games on the Wii? At least you have one less console attached.
..

My Panasonic Q is the sexiest console ever and puts the Wii to shame and deserves to be seen far more than the Wii. Besides the Wii is an ugly mess with all its flaps open for controllers and memory cards..

Besides my Wii is Pal, all my GameCube games bar a couple (80+ games) are NTSC. That's the reason if I'm honest I still have it. Because its import I can't sell it or trade it in locally.

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

My Panasonic Q is the sexiest console ever and puts the Wii to shame and deserves to be seen far more than the Wii. Besides the Wii is an ugly mess with all its flaps open for controllers and memory cards..

I guess the difference is that I'm one of those guys that hides electronic TV accessories as much as possible, so I took it for granted that you could switch any consoles as you preferred.

First review from Engadget. Positive, but with definite room for improvement. Their 3 game reviews can be summed up to "Mario looks awesome in HD, is better than the last Mario" and nothing else.. :P

[peskaa]

More reviews coming in:

The Verge: 7/10
Polygon: 6.5/10
ArsTechnica: Incomplete

Consensus appears to be a system that has flawed hardware (slow CPU is causing long load times, resistive touchscreen is poor leading to missed inputs, terrible battery life) and currently an unknown quantity regarding software (namely Nintendo's online services). Gaming wise, quality is variable between being worse than the PS3/360 and on-par, although use of the Gamepad is rather mixed with developers being unsure of what to do with it.

Games themselves seem to be scoring pretty well at the moment, for the first party titles at least. NintendoLand, Mario Bros and ZombiU appear to be the titles to buy.


This has reaffirmed my do not purchase decision. I was worried that the Gamepad was going to be flawed, and it looks like it is. Why couldn't Nintendo put a proper capacatitive touchscreen in there?

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Price I guess. Given the low quality screen and lowsy battery on top, I really think the pad decision was a bad idea.

Edit: I think TheVerge put our thoughts into writing in just the way we anticipated:

But these moments of brilliance are for the moment overshadowed by the clumsiness of the system. It's a brand-new paradigm for video games, and there are clear and frustrating growing pains: the GamePad is too often confusing and illogically implemented, and it creates some really odd gaming experiences, especially when you're playing with friends.

Then there's the fact that the Wii U itself, with its chintzy materials and giant charging bricks, seems more like a prototype than a polished product. The touchscreen is a mess, the controller feels like someone mapped the buttons wrong, and even the console is bigger and clunkier than it should be.

In all, the Wii U is still as much a tech demo as anything else. It can do remarkable things, but exactly what those things are and how we can best use them are yet to be determined.

[Dagless]

The Mario reviews have swung me back, got another preorder down - just the Premium Wii U and Mario.

Hardware shmardware... I need that game. (same reasons I got the Vita. It wasn't for the heavy weight, short battery life, expensive hardware and expensive download games. It was for portable Rayman Origins, Wipeout, etc)

[peskaa]

You're buying for a single game? A game which most reviews have said could have been done on a Wii in terms of concept, it just has slightly better graphics? I personally wouldn't pay £300+ for that...

Each to their own I guess!

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by peskaa

You're buying for a single game? A game which most reviews have said could have been done on a Wii in terms of concept, it just has slightly better graphics?

Like all launch titles ever?

[MacRumorUser]

I watched 17 minute footage of Zombi U. It looks awesome and really scary. Like the first 'condemned' was on the xbox's launch (and still remains one of the best fps games this generation (forgetting the poor sequel)).


I dont like the black but at €419.99 for the premium with ZombiU it's just a lot cheaper than the cheap model by the time you add the extra's.

I want a white model but at €319.99 (i've got an old HDD for it anyway) but by the time I add the €59.99 for NintendoLand, Zombi U each and the €49.99 for a pro controller and €19.99 for a sensor bar makes the similar package though still miss the controller stands etc..

€509.95 Almost €100 more which is basically two extra games I could add to the black package.
(Tekken Tag & New Super Mario Bros)



I just don't know whether to pick up my pre-order or not.... The next 10 days are make up mind time..




_______________________

Just read

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-zombiu-review

9/10

So that's 8/10 Nintendoland, 9/10 mario, 9/10 zombiU and Scribblenauts got awesome review on IGN too. 8.8/10

I think I'm going to get it and hope Pikmin and Rayman come soon in the new year.


_________________
Aghhh

IGN gave Zombi U 6.6/10 :( Now I'm all confusicated again :(

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

Just read

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-zombiu-review

9/10

So that's 8/10 Nintendoland, 9/10 mario, 9/10 zombiU and Scribblenauts got awesome review on IGN too. 8.8/10

I think I'm going to get it and hope Pikmin and Rayman come soon in the new year.

Not a bad start!
My preorder includes ZombiU and Mario, might drop in NintendoLand too (really enjoyed that at E3). The fact that it's just a minigame collection doesn't bother me, I still play Wii Sports once in a blue moon, it's still great in multiplayer.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by Dagless

Not a bad start!
My preorder includes ZombiU and Mario, might drop in NintendoLand too (really enjoyed that at E3). The fact that it's just a minigame collection doesn't bother me, I still play Wii Sports once in a blue moon, it's still great in multiplayer.

Just updated my post. IGN didn't like Zombi U Will have to wait and see overall on Metacritic.

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

Just updated my post. IGN didn't like Zombi U Will have to wait and see overall on Metacritic.

As pointed out by someone on the Eurogamer comments section - the scores for ZombiU are all over the place.
Still going to keep it regardless of the score, the ZombiU Bundle comes with the pro controller. So you can think of it as a £35 controller with a free game (at least that's what I'm doing! If the game is good it'll be a nice surprise).

It's all about Mario and those download titles fer me, and securing a platform to play the new Smash Bros when that's out.

[peskaa]

I'll rely on you lot letting me know how it is after a few months of play time. I really don't want to buy another system for it to gather dust (Wii, 360).

ZombiU also scored 5/10 from GameInformer and 4.5/10 from Gamespot. Owch. Metacritic user score is 7.1 currently.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by peskaa

I'll rely on you lot letting me know how it is after a few months of play time. I really don't want to buy another system for it to gather dust (Wii, 360).

ZombiU also scored 5/10 from GameInformer and 4.5/10 from Gamespot. Owch. Metacritic user score is 7.1 currently.

Yeah it reminds me of Condemned : Criminal Origins reviews which were a mixed bag too, though I thoroughly enjoyed that game. Very similar mele style feel to it.

Seems to me some of the poorer reviews of Zombi U are missing the point of the game in that's it basically a survival horror and not a FPS with an abundance of guns and arcadey feel.

Seems like they were expecting 'Left For Dead Wii U' which the game clearly isn't.

Edge magazine gave it a 7 which tallies with the meta-critic score but I don't put much faith in that score at moment because its only from user reviews and not critic reviews.



Actually this is a great review

http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/18/zombiu-review/

[zap2]

Currently, no. The funds just aren't there.


But it's on the top of my play list. My Wii doesn't get used as much as the 360 in my apartment, but it does get some solid use from time to time. And I see the Wii U getting even more.