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Gamerace on 12 April 2012
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mike_intellivision said:
Gamerace said:

*rolls eyes* I've been saying this since 2006. Nintendo always intended Wii to be a five year system. In 2006 HD rates were insignificant. Nintendo internally argued about whether to go HD or not, but felt it would be more cost effective to go without, the next system would be HD and but that time HD would be pretty standard.

Their thinking was sound. Wii sould incredibly well, had lots of 3rd party support and won the generation. Not to mention was the fastest selling and probably the most profitably console in history.

Problem is, it's past it's expiry date. Wii U should have been out a year (or two) ago as was Nintendo's original plan. I believe Wii's stellar sales plus Apple's presence in the portable market caused Nintendo to focus on 3DS instead (dispite DS still having incredible sales) instead of Wii U bumping Wii U's launch to this year. In hindsight, I think that will prove to have been a major mistake. It's controller is no longer innovative and Wii U's graphics look dated even before it launches.

If the system was meant to be a five-year effort, then the most the WiiU is "late" is one year.

--Agreed, although 2 years ago WiiU would have been an amazing revolution.

No other console has a tablet controller, so it is innovative in that arena.

--Except for tablets themselves - which have become a major source of game playing and competitor to traditional consoles (although PS3/360 specialize in big theatrical experiences, Wii does not and many Nintendo games could easily be done on an ipad (NSMB, Rythym Heaven, Big Brain Academy, Fire Emblem, Pilot Wings, Kirby, etc.).  Having a tablet, a lot of 3rd parties will likely port tablet games (WiiUWare) blurring the line between WiiU and an Ipad further.   If the general consumer views WiiU as a competitor to Ipad - it's DOA.  No one will pay $50 for a game on a tablet when they can get a similar game for $5 on ipad.    If Apple or Android allow TV play of tablet games (likely), that'll further blurr the line.     Bottom line: There is nothing innovative about playing a video game off a touch screen in 2012. 

--Note: I'm not arguing core gamers here.  Core gamers are irrelevant to Nintendo's success.  They havn't supported Nintendo in a major way since SNES or maybe N64 and WiiU won't change that no matter how many VGChartz users buy it.   Nintendo needs to retain/regain their expanded Wii audience and in that respect I don't (currently) see WiiU as being able to stop the bleed to Ipad/tablets/Kinect.  Slow it maybe.

And I am not sure how the graphics for a console for which we have not seen any full demos or games can be said to look dated.

-- Considering no matter what report you listen too, WiiU's graphics will look a lot more like 360's than something cutting edge.  That is to say, like graphics from 7 years ago (2005 when 360 launched).  That's dated.

Mike from Morgantown