Wii U, will you?

[Liquorpuki]

A few months ago, Pachter was running around telling everyone the Wii U was gonna fail. Now he's telling everyone it'll be a success.

IMO the box has a whole lot of potential that extends past gaming to the world of media hubs and universal remotes. If you're a Nintendo fan, it's worth it just to see Nintendo IP in HD. If you're a hardcore gamer, it's worth it to play hardcore console games on a portable device while lying in bed. If you're tech savvy, it's worth it to experience the Gamepad and what it can do.

I spent last night playing Nintendoland with my girlfriend and her brothers - playing that Luigi's Mansion minigame which was a lot of fun considering I hate minigames. Then switched over to Mario U playing boost mode on the Gamepad while they try to kill each other. Woke up this morning and played Assassins Creed 3 off the Gamepad while sitting in the living room waiting for the GF to get ready. The only thing I hate is the loading and that's mostly because there's no hourglass or waitbar telling me how long I have to wait, just a static screen. Not that big a deal though.

It's a fun console, solid design, and most of the complaints are either nit-picking or blowing stuff out of proportion. I was actually expecting reviews to be worse because of guys like Pachter who were running around 2 years ago saying consoles were dead and the future is smartphone gaming. Instead most reviewers are cautiously optimistic while acknowledging the console's potential, which I think is about right considering TVii isn't out yet. If you're on the fence about whether to buy, wait for TVii. If Nintendo does it right, it'll have the power to marginalize Roku, AppleTV, etc. It's a feature that'll either give Wii U staying power and turn it into a living room staple, or become dead hype.

[e²Studios]

The remote feature seems pointless if you have a home theater. My TV stays on the same input and has the sound turned off (I have no clue if the speakers on the TV even work). My Onkyo TX-NR809 switches input depending on what I'm watching as well as adjusts the volume etc.

The only thing my Harmony One does with the TV is turn it on or off, giving the Wii U control over my TV remote is useless for me.

I need to look over the features again, maybe I can do more with it but I'm missing something.

[Dagless]

I've just set my whole system up to use that neat-o HDMI sync stuff, and ontop of that there's a Bravia iPhone app to control everything.

I doubt I'll ever use the WiiU to control my TV. It's something my parents would do (maybe. Similar setup to mine), or just less tech savvy people.

So how does it the TV remote stuff work; is it HDMI sync compatible? Does TV get routed through the WiiU? Will there be an iPlayer app?

----------

Originally Posted by e²Studios

Yes, because all consoles EXCEPT the Wii U have had great launch titles, apps, and flawless network services that really show the full potential of the system from day 1 right?

That got me thinking, has any system had a "good launch"? The Wii had those supply issues, the PS3 was just a mess at launch, (Can't even remember the Xbox 360 launch). PS Vita and 3DS had no content for the first 6 months.

[blesscheese]

Originally Posted by Dagless

That got me thinking, has any system had a "good launch"? The Wii had those supply issues, the PS3 was just a mess at launch, (Can't even remember the Xbox 360 launch). PS Vita and 3DS had no content for the first 6 months.

I was thinking the same thing, except, I would say the Wii launch was probably the best launch I can think of--#1 I got one, #2 the console/controls were revolutionary, and #3 a new Zelda at launch! Holy crap! There were also a bunch of really good games besides Zelda at launch, I'm thinking Rayman Rabbids, Madden (oops, I meant good games, not just any games).

I agree, the Wii launch did suck in that they didn't anticipate the demand, which led to constrained supplies for months. Of course, this time around, Nintendo has plenty of stock on hand, or just around the corner, and people are giving them grief for "not having sold out..." Enough already!

I think the PS3 launch may have been the worst, except for maybe the Saturn launch (you know, the surprise launch that caught everybody off-guard, and miffed the industry insiders). Too bad too, I think we need Sony to help fend off the M$ juggernaut, and increase competition.

If a console has more than 10-15 games available at launch, then, that is pretty much success in my eyes. It takes the developers a year or two to figure out the hardware, usually.

[e²Studios]

Originally Posted by blesscheese

I was thinking the same thing, except, I would say the Wii launch was probably the best launch I can think of--#1 I got one, #2 the console/controls were revolutionary, and #3 a new Zelda at launch! Holy crap! There were also a bunch of really good games besides Zelda at launch, I'm thinking Rayman Rabbids, Madden (oops, I meant good games, not just any games).

I agree, the Wii launch did suck in that they didn't anticipate the demand, which led to constrained supplies for months. Of course, this time around, Nintendo has plenty of stock on hand, or just around the corner, and people are giving them grief for "not having sold out..." Enough already!

I think the PS3 launch may have been the worst, except for maybe the Saturn launch (you know, the surprise launch that caught everybody off-guard, and miffed the industry insiders). Too bad too, I think we need Sony to help fend off the M$ juggernaut, and increase competition.

If a console has more than 10-15 games available at launch, then, that is pretty much success in my eyes. It takes the developers a year or two to figure out the hardware, usually.

The Wii had a bad launch as well, the media hype behind it was giving its momentum. Zelda at launch because it was a title developed and slated for the GCN that was ported to the Wii.

[MacRumorUser]

I'm still struggling to justify a purchase tbh.



I have most of the launch titles on other formats (Assassins Creed 3 PC, Tekken PS3, Sonic Racing I've already bought ps3 version but not recieved yet) so I'm trying to convince myself that I should re-buy Sonic for the Wii u and just sell my ps3 copy when it arrives which in hindsight seems like 'mad thinking'.

Even trying to convince myself I should buy Call Of Duty for Wii U despite not liking any previous Call of Duty games and the Wii U having the roughest framerate, and knowing in my heart it'll probably never be finished or played online..

Darksiders 2 was going to be a purchase but then it came on Steam for €16.99 instead of €59.99 for the Wii U version so I bought it from there instead.

That leaves with me with the likes of Assassins Creed 3 but I've bought that for PC now too

Even downloadable titles like Trine 2 I have already on PS3 and Mac/ PC .



So realistically other than repurchasing a couple of titles specifically for the Wii u I'm left with New Super Mario Bros & Zombi U as my only games that ill probably play and that makes €500 a lot to justify...


Not to mention I have lots of games to play and finish from the last few weeks alone (Far Cry 3, Lego Lord of the Rings, Hitman Absolution, Assassins Creed 3, Sonic Racing Transformed, X-Com, Max Payne 3 (steam sale again), Sleeping Dogs, Assassins Creed Liberation, Persona 4 golden, Professor Layton, Borderlands 2, Little Big Planet Karting ) on top of the myriad of other uncompleted titles like Transformers, Lego Batman 2 and Catherine...





As soon as I've talked myself into buying it, I've just as quickly talked myself out...

Aghhh.. My heart wants what it wants (new gadgets) but my head says (don't be silly)....

[blesscheese]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

I'm still struggling to justify a purchase tbh.

Aghhh.. My heart wants what it wants (new gadgets) but my head says (don't be silly)....

IMO, you'll probably be happier waiting, clearing out your backlog of unplayed games, and then buying 1st quarter or so when there are a couple of Wii U games to play and rotate through, and really feel like you got your money's worth.

I really am looking forward to Colonial Marines and Lego City Undercover...I bought Assassin's Creed only because I hadn't played it yet, and I am mildly surprised and impressed, but, as you said, that wouldn't make you happy.

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

So realistically other than repurchasing a couple of titles specifically for the Wii u I'm left with New Super Mario Bros & Zombi U as my only games that ill probably play and that makes €500 a lot to justify...

That's what I'm doing too. Mario, ZombiU and that Nano game, Lego City is out soon. I've got countless other games to finish, to start. No need to stop playing other systems!

[MacRumorUser]

Well just back from GameStop as they had a 25% extra trade in weekend, and took a number of old titles and managed to get €445 in in-store credit, so basically it pays off the Wii U console Deluxe Zombi U bundle and gives me €25 off NSMB2...

So that takes care of that. Guilt is averted and I can get one without feeling I'm wasting my money

[Carlanga]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

Well just back from GameStop as they had a 25% extra trade in weekend, and took a number of old titles and managed to get €445 in in-store credit, so basically it pays off the Wii U console Deluxe Zombi U bundle and gives me €25 off NSMB2...

So that takes care of that. Guilt is averted and I can get one without feeling I'm wasting my money

Holy! They gave you that much? How many games did you trade in? Maybe their trade-in values are higher in Ireland compared to the crappy trade-in-value of the US.



Also, to stay on the subject of the WiiU, I have been reading many devs are complaining of weak CPU.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by Carlanga

Holy! They gave you that much? How many games did you trade in? Maybe their trade-in values are higher in Ireland compared to the crappy trade-in-value of the US.

15 games, comprising of 3DS, PS3 and a couple of PS-Vita games (which are now free to PS+ subscribers) and an old DSXL that has been sitting in the press for nearly a year never used.

I expected around €250, so was blown away with the amount of credit I got.

Had I chose to take 'cash' instead of in-store credit however it would have been only €185...... A massive difference to keep the credit 'in store'.....



Plus I guess games are more expensive here at €59.99 ($78) so obviously trade in price would be more than the states I presume.

Originally Posted by Carlanga

Also, to stay on the subject of the WiiU, I have been reading many devs are complaining of weak CPU.

Yep it's the biggest issue. PS3 is very CPU centred console, 360 is very balanced, but Wii U is very GPU driven which will for a while cause issues in porting games over, and may be a serious hindrance when multi-platform development moves to the true next gen.

I think for launch titles the games on the Wii U generally fare better than the PS3 ports of 360 games at the PS3's launch. Of course that was 6 years ago, so expectations are a higher now-a-days.

Basically buy a Wii U for Wii U software going forward. I'll be picking up a true next gen next year anyway.

[Carlanga]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

15 games, comprising of 3DS, PS3 and a couple of PS-Vita games (which are now free to PS+ subscribers) and an old DSXL that has been sitting in the press for nearly a year never used.
I expected around €250, so was blown away with the amount of credit I got.
Had I chose to take 'cash' instead of in-store credit however it would have been only €185...... A massive difference to keep the credit 'in store'.....
Plus I guess games are more expensive here at €59.99 ($78) so obviously trade in price would be more than the states I presume.

Yeah, they definitely have way more TIV than here. 15 games would have to be new releases to get that much trade in back! I think when the 3DS was out they were giving $100 TIV for the XL, but my guess it prob. has come down a good chunk. Those extra $18 must suck to get a brand new game though.

Yep it's the biggest issue. PS3 is very CPU centred console, 360 is very balanced, but Wii U is very GPU driven which will for a while cause issues in porting games over, and may be a serious hindrance when multi-platform development moves to the true next gen.

I think for launch titles the games on the Wii U generally fare better than the PS3 ports of 360 games at the PS3's launch. Of course that was 6 years ago, so expectations are a higher now-a-days.

Basically buy a Wii U for Wii U software going forward. I'll be picking up a true next gen next year anyway.

I don't have the cash to buy new consoles until maybe 2015, so my PS3 will have to suffice until then. I do think is hard to convince someone to buy Batman for the WiiU for $60 when they can get it for cheap on the PS3 or 360. I think ports should have started lower than MSRP to get more people interested in trying the game on the WiiU.

[blesscheese]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

So that takes care of that. Guilt is averted and I can get one without feeling I'm wasting my money

or you can do that! Glad to hear that guilt has been averted!

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by blesscheese

or you can do that! Glad to hear that guilt has been averted!

resistance is futile

[e²Studios]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

resistance is futile

You're a early adopter, dare I say gadget whore just as I am.. lol.. I knew you would get one. I'm just surprised I got one before you did.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by e²Studios

You're a early adopter, dare I say gadget whore just as I am.. lol.. I knew you would get one. I'm just surprised I got one before you did.

A gadget whore!!! I'll have you now I've never done anything kinky to my gadgets lol...



Well two week release difference between US & Europe and region locking meant it wasn't worth importing.

Had they staggered release so that it wasn't released till spring, I'd probably have just imported.

[Taustin Powers]

MRU, didn't you somehow know all along that you would get one on launch day, no matter what?

I am very curious to see how the Wii U does commercially.

I think it lacks the accessibility and simplicity to capture the casual audience like the Wii did. Grandma had fun picking up the Wiimote and waving it around, watching it make things happen on the TV. I don't think she's gonna take to the big controller and dual-screen concept as easily. And the improved graphics are not going to sell it to her.

For the "hardcore" gamer, I'd say the processing power is lacking. It's only an incremental step over the PS360 performance-wise, and the next generation will be here rather sooner than later. It's kind of something to "hold us over" until the "real" next gen arrives, IMO. So are the dual-screen concept and the next wave of Mario/Zelda games really enough for people to open their wallets right now? People who are just *slightly* less enthusiastic about gaming than you guys are?

Nintendo have surprised me in the past, so I will be watching with interest. It's no sale for me though, I'm just not interested in "creative controller concepts" at this point. That's why I never wanted a Wii either, although I love Nintendo's game franchises.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by Taustin Powers

MRU, didn't you somehow know all along that you would get one on launch day, no matter what?

true.

I'd have found some justification no matter how thin and veiled it was

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by e²Studios

I need to look over the features again, maybe I can do more with it but I'm missing something.

I think the disruptive nature of TVii isn't so much that it uses the Gamepad as a universal remote, but that it innovates on universal remotes by turning them into guides with internet connectivity, second screen technology, and social networking. Logitech and other Universal Remote manufacturers don't have the infrastructure to do this. Microsoft and Apple could do it through Smartglass and the iPad, but not as tightly integrated.

[peskaa]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

I think the disruptive nature of TVii isn't so much that it uses the Gamepad as a universal remote, but that it innovates on universal remotes by turning them into guides with internet connectivity, second screen technology, and social networking. Logitech and other Universal Remote manufacturers don't have the infrastructure to do this. Microsoft and Apple could do it through Smartglass and the iPad, but not as tightly integrated.

With 3 hour battery life? Nah, universal remotes are useful because they run forever of a set of AAs, whereas the Gamepad needs to be charged on a daily, or several times daily, basis. You can't just leave it on the coffee table for regular use.

You might use the TVii functionality when you sit down to play a game on your WiiU to turn the console + TV on, but it doesn't make sense as a regular browsing device.

Tablets could do it, with their circa 10hr battery life, if they had IR blasters, which they don't currently. Third parties could step in here and make a killing.

[Dagless]

So TVii is just a guide?

Think I'll stick with iPod for that functionality. Bravia remote app, TV schedule app with reminder functionality (great when you're not by the TV). I thought it was like the PS3 Play TV thing, where the TV signal is fed through though console so you can record it.
If you're playing a game and it notifies you a TV show is about to start, that'd be cool (I put my iPhone on silent so don't hear little notifications).

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by peskaa

With 3 hour battery life? Nah, universal remotes are useful because they run forever of a set of AAs, whereas the Gamepad needs to be charged on a daily, or several times daily, basis. You can't just leave it on the coffee table for regular use.

......

Tablets could do it, with their circa 10hr battery life, if they had IR blasters, which they don't currently. Third parties could step in here and make a killing.

Even a 10 hour battery life is too short compared to your Harmony remote so you gotta look at intangibles and what else gets brought to the table. Gamepad has a 3 hour battery life but it's chained to your living room/bedroom anyway just like a regular remote. The dock makes it pretty painless to recharge - just stick it on the TV stand. Tablets have a longer battery life but they're less likely to be near the TV when you need it.

The main thing they're trying to do with the TVii is create an enhanced control system for everything TV related - cable, DVR, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc. The control system is internet enhanced and capitalizes on second screen technology (40% of everyone who watches TV has a tablet or smartphone in their lap while they're watching - Nintendo is the first to integrate the second screen into their system as a primary component) and social networking. Right now, everything is piecemeal and rarely integrated.

Your friend recommends you watch some movie but you can't remember the name and even if you do, you don't know what time it's on TV or if Netflix has it. Or you're watching the movie and your girlfriend recognizes some actor and starts trippin out and you go back and forth about it for a minute until you fetch your phone and look it up on IMDB. All this stuff would be instantaneous on TVii. Everything would be bridged - sounds stupid and trivial but even making trivial things easier creates value.

I watch a lot of NBA basketball, part of which involves hitting refresh on my phone's browser to get updated stats. If Nintendo can automatically send real-time stats to that Gamepad whenever I switch to a game, it's a plus because I wouldn't have to be screwing with my phone for 3 hours.

Originally Posted by Dagless

So TVii is just a guide?

Yeah it's just a guide with a lot of bells and whistles. If they fail, it'll be nothing more than a guide/remote. If they succeed, it'll be an ecosystem that can't easily be duplicated.

[TedM]

I shocked they sold out at 400k units. That just seems like a lot of people having faith in a failing system. I suppose there is still time to prove me wrong.

[2nyRiggz]

I just can't do it I have a backlog of games that's going to keep me busy well into the new year. I'm only interested in one title so far and that's ZombieU... I can't do it.

I just bought for the PS3 Hitman Absolution and got Dishonored at Walmart for $25...far cry 3 this week. I'm going to hold on just a little bit longer on the WiiU.


Bless

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Originally Posted by TedM

I shocked they sold out at 400k units. That just seems like a lot of people having faith in a failing system. I suppose there is still time to prove me wrong.

That's 50% less than what the Wii sold in its first week. But initial demand doesn't tell us much, as it may just be a sign of how production was leading up to launch. We'll know after the first 3-6 months, how demand has been for real.