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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Does the new miiverse update pretty much prove Nintendo is putting out a gamepadless Wii U this Christmas?

Roma on 22 July 2014

more options just means more options and not the removal or replacement of the gamepad



    R.I.P Mr Iwata :'(

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super_etecoon on 22 July 2014
Lucas-Rio said:
super_etecoon said:
Lucas-Rio said:
The main problem for this is that in some games, you need the gamepad like W101 where some actions only appear through the second screen.

It would split the base between suer who can play all games and others who can't. And there is nothing on the box of older games indicating if gamepadless customers could buy it.

While it would allo great pricing at less than 200$, it may create more confusion. That's sad because if Nintendo had not used the gamepad at all, the Wii U would have probably been over 10 millions at this point.

Proof for this?  Without the Gamepad, people would ask, why should we get a new system.  HD would not be enough.  More power wouldn't be enough, either.  Nintendo is not the system people buy for Multiplats or amazing graphics.  You can't change that with one hardware release.  The sales simply support your own feelings about the machine.

The Wii U would have been at least 100$ cheapest, and price count for Nintendo consoles.

Wii and GC were priced lower at launch and Wii U was priced quite high (350$ for the main model). Without the gamepad, the Wii U would be priced at 200$ with a game now.  The gamepad wasn't worth it (speaking in term of sales).

Just because the Gamepad costs $100 to manufacture, doesn't mean you can just save $100 by not including it.  You still have to put some kind of controller in there.  What would they have done?  Used the Pro Controller?  Hmm...people would have said, just buy a 360 instead.  Put in a WiiMote plus?  Hmm...if you think Nintendo has trouble differentiating the box from the Wii now, could you imagine that?  Honestly, as a gamer, I love everything about the WiiU gamepad.  It doesn't do anything less than the other controllers and just enhances the experience.  It is worth the investment and more than makes up for teh price difference.  I ended up getting a handheld and a console controller.  

People pay ridiculous amounts of money for tablets.  Ridiculous.  Far exceeeding their value.  Price really isn't the issue.  It is appeal.  And removing one of the WiiU's only selling points just reduces that appeal.



Tlozjb on 22 July 2014

Nintendo won't drop the Gamepad, this thing is just to make the Eshop more accessible, becasue it was seriously annoying that when you wanted to go to the Eshop, you had to have the Gamepad charged.

Unless they want another expansion pack situation, because of the Amiibos, and the upcoming gamepad-centric games coming next year, they will keep the Gamepad. They surely don't want another cannibalizing sales situation on them, specially now. There is also the case of having to patch various games.



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-1 = Negabeasting. -5= NegaRampage. -10 = NegaBurst

Lucas-Rio on 22 July 2014
super_etecoon said:
Lucas-Rio said:
super_etecoon said:
Lucas-Rio said:
The main problem for this is that in some games, you need the gamepad like W101 where some actions only appear through the second screen.

It would split the base between suer who can play all games and others who can't. And there is nothing on the box of older games indicating if gamepadless customers could buy it.

While it would allo great pricing at less than 200$, it may create more confusion. That's sad because if Nintendo had not used the gamepad at all, the Wii U would have probably been over 10 millions at this point.

Proof for this?  Without the Gamepad, people would ask, why should we get a new system.  HD would not be enough.  More power wouldn't be enough, either.  Nintendo is not the system people buy for Multiplats or amazing graphics.  You can't change that with one hardware release.  The sales simply support your own feelings about the machine.

The Wii U would have been at least 100$ cheapest, and price count for Nintendo consoles.

Wii and GC were priced lower at launch and Wii U was priced quite high (350$ for the main model). Without the gamepad, the Wii U would be priced at 200$ with a game now.  The gamepad wasn't worth it (speaking in term of sales).

Just because the Gamepad costs $100 to manufacture, doesn't mean you can just save $100 by not including it.  You still have to put some kind of controller in there.  What would they have done?  Used the Pro Controller?  Hmm...people would have said, just buy a 360 instead.  Put in a WiiMote plus?  Hmm...if you think Nintendo has trouble differentiating the box from the Wii now, could you imagine that?  Honestly, as a gamer, I love everything about the WiiU gamepad.  It doesn't do anything less than the other controllers and just enhances the experience.  It is worth the investment and more than makes up for teh price difference.  I ended up getting a handheld and a console controller.  

People pay ridiculous amounts of money for tablets.  Ridiculous.  Far exceeeding their value.  Price really isn't the issue.  It is appeal.  And removing one of the WiiU's only selling points just reduces that appeal.


Price has always been the issue for underpowered hardware who isn't based on the latest technology. That's why 3ds flopped harcore at 250$ as well. Nintendo shoot himself in the foot by wanting to make the consumer pay their hardware more than 300$ for a tablet like controlled that people don't care about. People were interested by the Wiimote, they couldn't care less about the gamepad.

As a new Wii U owner since the release of MK8, I can say that I did not buy the Wii U for the gamepad, it looks cool, it is quality, but I don't need it. If Wii U had the classic pro controller in the box, i would have been fine.

I buy the Wii U for MK8 and future Nintendo game, not for a tablet like controller and especially not for things like Nintendo Land. I also did not bought the 3DS for the 3D effect, eventough I quite like it in some games.



Dunban67 on 22 July 2014

I would be very surprised if they got rid of the game pad- but it does seem like this update has been done w future Changes/applications in mind - just not sure what they might be-



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the_dengle on 22 July 2014

Meanwhile all other signs point to them doubling down on the GamePad (Amiibo, Mario Maker, Star Fox, Captain Toad, Rainbow Curse...).



toot1231 on 22 July 2014
episteme said:
Maybe a new revision, but no gamepadless version.
Even many games that you can play with the Pro Controller alone won't start without the GamePad.


false.

hit x on the controller to use it like a cursor.



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Cream147 on 22 July 2014

As people have said, it's very clear that Nintendo are doubling down on the Gamepad. You've read the situation completely wrong. Allowing eShop to be usable with the Wiimote just clears up an unnecessary annoyance.



archer9234 on 22 July 2014

It's not gonna be removed. It will just be left in the box by whoever doesn't want to use it. Having the shop and Miiverse be only usable with the gamepad. When it displayed the same image was just showing people Nintendo was being a jerk. Just like how they never allowed the GC controller or any other controller to navigate the Wii Menu.



snowdog on 22 July 2014

They'll never release a GamePad-less SKU. Not going to happen.