Wednesday, May 23, 2012

New Information Revealed About The Wii U: Should We Care?


I just read an "in depth" article about the upcoming Wii U console, and to say I'm underwhelmed, is an understatement.

Let's look past the fact that Nintendo isn't confirming ANY of the hardware specs (ignore the bogus claims of PS3 and 360 besting graphics) and get to the meat of the information available.

One: Nintendo is still calling the new console the Wii U. Why? Who knows. Nintendo is in love with stupid names for systems.

Two: Nintendo is rumored to be more accessible to third party developers. This is supposed to mean that gamers may get more games than Mario 95 Galaxy Warrior Princess, Mario Kart 52 Tokyo Drift, and another god damn Wii Sports Resort cleverly titled Wii U Sports Resort! Didn't see that coming, Nintendo!

Three: The new Wii U console will offer entirely new ways to game. I'm actually really confused by this. Since when is holding a giant brick with a touchscreen a new gaming experience? Wait, it has touchscreen game controls? Holy shit! Apparently, the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Playstation Vita are only pretending to have touchscreen controls. Gyroscopic controls! Oh my, another new experience! Obviously, the six-axis PS3 controller has been omitted from gaming history. HD (maybe) graphics! Welcome to the party Nintendo, six years late.

Four: Online gaming ability. Wow! Really? Has Nintendo finally realized that people love online gaming? That's only 20 years behind the curve, Nintendo. Thanks for playing, though.

The list of games semi-confirmed for the Wii U are certainly varied. From the aforementioned Wii U Sports Resort, to Assassins Creed 3, the new console is trying to cover every gaming demographic known to man. To me, this is going to be the biggest downfall for the Wii U. Nintendo should stick to what it's good at, rehashing 25 year old IPs and getting people to pay for them. I don't think any hardcore gamer is going to be chomping at the bit to get a Wii U. Of all the descriptions of the upcoming titles and how they will use the "new" technology, none of them sounds remotely interesting or innovative. For instance, playing an MMORPG, you can use the Wii U screen to constantly display your inventory. How the hell are you playing the game then? With a standard Wiimote? What the hell is the point of that? Pay $300 for a glorified inventory screen? I don't think so. Racing game? Use the Wii U to steer a car! Ooooh, I can hardly wait! (Cue sarcasm).

To sum up the Wii U, I guess I would have to say, "not interested." The system seems to be too little, too late, as far as graphics are concerned. The plan to offer more of the same franchises, literally, is a huge turn off. Some very powerful company heads have already spoken out against it, saying that it isn't going to offer anything new or exciting, hence their respective companies' lack of support.

Perreault Out

15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I just want to say sorry. You were right. This is the worst major console in history by far, and I'm going to enjoy seeing is flop and forcing Nintendo to finally go third-party and make hardcore games.

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  2. Hot air indeed.

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  3. Replies
    1. How is posting my opinion whining?

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  4. Did you get beat by a nes controller when you were little ?

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    Replies
    1. Is it wrong to want real innovation?

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  5. I understand being critical, but you're acting so sure of things you really have no clue about. The intelligent thing is to just accept that you don't really know what Nintendo is doing and to wait for more information. Plus, I don't completely understand the way so many seem to have written off Nintendo in the manner that they have. At various points in its history, Nintendo has been a leader in the industry both on the software front and the hardware front (not to mention that Nintendo houses Miyamoto—probably the greatest video game designer ever). It is illogical to assume that all things will always be as they are now, especially given the context of history. I also have a very hard time believing that Nintendo will not at LEAST match the current consoles. Such a machine is within a reasonable budget, even with the additional screen on the controller. Plus, I think Nintendo realizes now that the "casual" market is a somewhat fickle one with customers of little loyalty. I expect them to put serious effort into reclaiming "hardcore" status to some extent.

    I do agree with you on some minor fronts. It is reasonable to be skeptical. There is reason to be concerned about the "power" of the Wii U as it relates to the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles, which will at the very least have the the technological advantage of being released later. Only time will tell us how big that gap will be—and there IS a CHANCE that all the next generation consoles will be of similar specifications; but we won't even have an idea until Nintendo releases more information.

    Personally, I think Nintendo is walking very risky ground with this console, and in more ways than one. They have a lot to prove. If they under power their system, it will fail with third-parties in the long term (however, Nintendo has enough manic fans to at least survive if that happens). They need to prove they can still make good games for both the "casual/social/party" market and the "hardcore" market. They need to show games and features that are unique and really utilize that controller. Those are the sorts of things that I think are most important to think about, and there are answers to none of them. To argue otherwise is ungrounded.

    I know much of this comes across as very pro Nintendo, but that is only because you are so illogically convicting. I'm just trying to talk a little sense into you.

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  6. Waaaaah, Waaaaaah. Waaaaaah, me no like Nintendo. Waaaaaaah.

    Baby want his bottle?

    queer

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