Everything You Need To Know About Nintendo’s Wii U

29 responses to “Everything You Need To Know About Nintendo’s Wii U”

1. 

   Joel

   June 8, 2011 at 8:09 am

   That controller looks… interesting…

   I wonder how much it’ll cost in Australia 🙁

   Reply
   1. 

      weresmurf

      June 8, 2011 at 8:33 am

      Expenssssssssssssive…. I’m betting 199 per controller?

      Reply
2. 

   Strange

   June 8, 2011 at 8:21 am

   It’s a ridiculous name. It’s also a bit confusing because mostly the pictures shown are of the controller, making it easy to forget it’s an actual new console rather than just a new controller.
   Also, hearing the name Wii U reminds me of the U-Draw.

   Reply
3. 

   Powalen

   June 8, 2011 at 8:26 am

   To be honest, I’m a LITTLE disappointed. I thought for sure that they’d be ditching the Wii branding (not that I didn’t like the Wii), but I suppose then it wouldn’t really have made sense using Wii controllers with the new console. (Though they could have always released re-branded Wiimotes or something).

   I think the tablet controller is interesting and I’ll be looking forward to hearing more about it. I’m sure it will be comfortable enough.

   I just think that this console is going to have an uphill battle reclaiming “hardcore” people (the people that lash out at the first mention of Nintendo) because of the Wii brand.

   Reply
   1. 

      shaun

      June 8, 2011 at 8:35 am

      Pre E3 i was in 2 minds at what the name would be…. I didnt see them using ‘Wii’ as their last few systems didnt really carry over the name from the previous. BUT ‘Wii’ is a strong name in the casual market and I thought they would want to keep it for that reason.

      in the end it will just be known as the U

      Reply
4. 

   Boomtish

   June 8, 2011 at 8:28 am

   Nintendo have lost the plot.

   Reply
5. 

   Andrew Burdusel

   June 8, 2011 at 8:28 am

   I’m not really digging this to be honest. It seems really distracting to have to constantly have to look down at the controller.

   Reply
6. 

   Awnshegh

   June 8, 2011 at 8:33 am

   Great idea. If the controller screen gets a good work out and all the AAA games get a Wii U release then it could be a winner. It really all depends on how much Ninty helps out 3rd party devs.

   Reply
7. 

   Johnny Sweetbread

   June 8, 2011 at 8:47 am

   I knew it. Nintendo fail. Wii fail.

   I don’t want to sit there holding an iPad sized controller. You’ve got to be joking!

   Reply
8. 

   Roh

   June 8, 2011 at 8:51 am

   All I can think is’ wii (on) U’.

   … like R kelly.

   Reply
9. 

   Glenn

   June 8, 2011 at 8:52 am

   The real question, does it have HDMI??!?!?!

   Reply
   1. 

      Glenn

      June 8, 2011 at 8:53 am

      Do’h, listed in that first link that it does

      Reply
10. 

    Dissection

    June 8, 2011 at 8:56 am

    I like it.

    It’s different and cool. Be interesting to see how they incorporate it into big name games. I’ve always liked the multiple monitors on my computer and I love the DS. Bringing that into the realm of consoles could make for some very cool applications.

    Reply
11. 

    Marty

    June 8, 2011 at 9:13 am

    I reckon this looks pretty awesome (I don’t even hate the name that much…) but the biggest problem for me is that it arrived about a year too late, I finally joined the ps3 party about a year ago and have no intention of updating my console for at least a few years – oh well at least I can count on a couple price drops by the time I get on board 🙂

    Reply
    1. 

       Peter Richards

       June 8, 2011 at 9:30 am

       I know what you mean, but I don’t think you will get five years as games will stop coming for the PS3, quite possibly within 2 years and then the impetus will be there to get something new.

       Reply
       1. 

          f4cti0n

          June 8, 2011 at 10:24 am

          Where did you get that logic?

          Reply
       2. 

          Marty

          June 9, 2011 at 9:43 am

          I dunno – if the lifespan of the ps2 is anything to go by… 🙂 Another factor is that I watch and record all of my TV through playTV and it’s awesome! But I guess for me the biggest factor is that I’m getting to the stage of life where whilst I still love games and will always play them, I just don’t have the time and money to commit like I used to. Between my steam collection, my DS Lite and now my ps3 collection I have more games than I physically have time to play anyway – heck I have ps3 and steam games I haven’t even played yet!

          Reply
12. 

    moloko

    June 8, 2011 at 9:18 am

    You don’t need a TV to play the console, you use screen on the control. Targeted at families, controls designed to be cheap enough to afford. More grunt to keep in front of the other 2 competitors for a couple of years and a new type of control for developers to use with the power they needed. This will make a shit load of cash for Nintendo. Don’t think like a hardcore gamer, think like a older adult with children.

    Reply
    1. 

       OzHuski

       June 8, 2011 at 9:30 am

       Im an adult with no kids, and im still excited 😛 Misses cant bitch at me being in front of the TV all the time if I can curl up on the lounge and still play my games.

       Reply
13. 

    Glenn

    June 8, 2011 at 9:22 am

    I also just realised, the name could have been worse… They could have called it the WiiII

    Reply
    1. 

       Marty

       June 9, 2011 at 9:43 am

       or the Wii+

       Reply
14. 

    question.everything

    June 8, 2011 at 9:25 am

    I think I unconsciously made myself wake up at 4am to see the initial updates from E3. In the five hours since, I’ve done a lot of thinking about the Wii U.

    The name is interesting, and reflects the nature of what they’re trying to achieve with the system. It’s all about U (you). If you want a casual gaming experience using motion controls and the original Wii controls, you’ve got it. If you want a hardcore gaming experience, you’ve got it. If you like touch screen games, you got em.

    But what’s going to sell me is their online gaming system. Xbox Live and the PSN (despite the bad security, it’s still a good system) are the benchmarks. Nintendo’s friend code system isn’t going to cut it in the hardcore market.

    I was just as excited when the Wii was announced, and now I barely play it. This time, I’m being cautiously optimistic. They’ve got great support from developers, and quite possibly the most interesting control idea ever put forward (motion + AR + touch screen + traditional + wtf). It’s a ballsy move, I’ll give them that. If they have a killer launch lineup for when the console ships, it’s probably going to be a success.

    I think that’s what ruined the Wii for me. There was so much emphasis on motion control, that I just lost interest. And those games that focussed on traditional control schemes just weren’t that good. Here’s hoping that the Wii U provides more for guys like me who come home to sit on the couch and relax, not jump around in their boxers.

    Reply
15. 

    Rod

    June 8, 2011 at 10:13 am

    My first perception is that it’s trying a little too hard to be all things to all people.

    Jack of all trades, master of none.

    Reply
    1. 

       EvanT

       June 8, 2011 at 10:52 am

       “…but oftimes better than master of one.”…is how the rest of that expression goes.

       My preliminary thoughts are along the same lines: there will be better platforms for a lot of different games and usage: PS3 for media, Xbox for online environment, but a console that can do everything somewhat competently would be preferrable to a console that excels at just one function.

       In my opinion, anyway. We will see how it plays out, in any case (pun unintended, believe it or not).

       Reply
16. 

    Haydn

    June 8, 2011 at 10:36 am

    I feel that Nintendo is trying to alienate everyone with this, and see if they can get away with it. Look at it this way.

    Causuals – I know at least 6 people who own a Wii just for things like Wii Sports. Even if that thing has motion sensing, I don’t see it being practacal. Imagine Wii bowling with a 6″ tablet.

    Parents – when a parent walk into EB to get a console for their kids they get a Wii for the less violent games and the pricetag. Now you tell them, for their 3 kids they’ll need 2 more controllers, and I don’t see them being less than $150-200 here for a tablet, not to mention kids break DS’s, so they will break these, meaning more money.

    Gamers – Mostly alienated by the Wii. I game to relax, that’s why my Wii doesn’t get turned on after a hard day of work, it only comes out at parties.

    Elderly – Everyone has stories of the elderly getting a Wii for Wii fit and the like, I don’t see them jumping on board for that confusing controllers.

    Handhelds – So you can use it without a TV? Like a handheld? Except they’ve removed the best thing about handhelds, portability, as far as I can tell, the controller is useless without the nearby console.

    So who exactly, WILL buy it?

    Reply
17. 

    NegativeZero

    June 8, 2011 at 11:35 am

    There are a whole pile of unanswered questions for me still.

    1) How many of these enormous controllers are they going to support at once? Not just one surely, that would ruin the whole “We” aspect of the brand.

    2) Does it ship with a sensor bar and Wii remote as well?

    3) Will developers be able to make Uii-spec games targeting the Wii input?

    4) Is it backward compatible? Assuming so, will it upscale Wii games?

    5) Does it still have ports for plugging in Gamecube controllers? If it’s backward compatible with Wii, is it also still compatible with Gamecube?

    6) Do they seriously expect people to spend hours playing with that enormous tablet in their hands?

    7) Is the new controller remotely ergonomic? Does it have some kind of moulding or grips or something at the back, or is it just a flat board? How much does it weigh? It might feel light when you’re using it at E3, but it’s probably tethered to a charger and not running off a battery, and an iPad feels light in short bursts but you wouldn’t want to be holding one like a controller for an hour or more…

    8) How much is this thing going to cost? It looks enormously expensive.

    9) What’s the point of the screen? Seriously, I don’t get it. They were trying to make a push for the multiplatform market, but supporting the screen is going to mean writing a whole bunch of extra stuff specifically for that port, right? Does the main system do the rendering and just push the video to the tablet, or does it push just data and each game needs to have a specific program written for the tablet to display it correctly? Can you push the console’s video directly to the tablet rather than showing it on the TV? Are there any practical uses for this other than gimmicks? (may tie into the question regarding how many of the new controllers a single system supports)

    10) Who the hell decides their branding? No, seriously. We need to know so that no other company ever uses that agency, for the good of everyone. 😛

    Reply
    1. 

       NegativeZero

       June 8, 2011 at 11:49 am

       Extra question:

       11) Who do we need to beg to to get a port of/sequel to Okami made for this?

       Reply
18. 

    DENAz

    June 8, 2011 at 11:49 am

    Yeah really not liking the massive controller. Even if it is light, its just wouldn’t feel right

    Reply
19. 

    STENDEC

    June 8, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    *Looks at controller*

    Ergonomics? What’s ergonomics?

    Reply