I think the WiiU is 'doomed' because of the controller.

[Alphachris]

I agree. I grew up with Nintendo but most of the "innovations" felt like a drawback to me.

Take the DS. The stylus is working perfectly with games like Professor Layton or Phoenix Wright. But for most other games it is a handicap. If I hold the stylus in my right hand, I just cant use it to press the buttons. So instead of 4 buttons I can just use the stylus limiting my actions. The only Action-game I can remember that worked with the Stylus was TWEWY. With games like FF3 or FF 4 I simply could use the "normal" controls and it was ok.

So I bought the DS "despite" the stylus, not "because of". The stylus just created hype and games like Brain Age or Nintendogs were promoted through the mass media. Language Trainers were marketed and Parents got the impression that the DS was a means of "Edutainment"... But I do not think that most of this gamers will come back. This hype is over since this sort of games are available on the phones. Exclusivity has gone.

The Wii brought us Motion Controls ( Although I have played Eyetoy years before). Once again the media caught up on this and Wii Fit was the actual catch. In a time where the Media tells us that children are becoming fatter and fatter the idea that they can lose weight while playing was a major selling point for the Wii for parents since children are sitting while playing. The Wii was a major success saleswise, but if you dig a little deeper and see which sort of games sold on the Platform... or better which sort of games did not sell well despite the huge install base.

Once again I bought the console "despite" the motion controls. To be honest, in games like Silent Hill or Epic Mickey the controls were simply hurting my experience. I bought games like Epic Mickey 2, Aragorns Quest or Sengoku Basara for the PS3 just to avoid motion controls. The Classic Controller, however, was great. I really enjoyed playing Klonoa. Ok, so I really think that a great part of the Wii gamers will not buy the Wii U since they already lost interest in the Wii (if we take software sales figures as a measure) and I do not think that many Non-gamer who bought the Wii will buy sequels as much as common gamer do.

The 3DS tried to make 3D as a main feature and it did not go well. I personally do not like 3d and I still chose the traditional version of the 3d version of movies at the cinema. That 3D is still the reason why I haven't bought a 3DS yet as I do not like paying for a service that I would never use. But now that Kingdom Hearts is available I may buy it finally on my birthday.

The Wii U goes the same way. I want a console just for gaming like I use to since 1986. I just want my standard controller. I simply do not need 2 screens since I can't look at the TV and at the controller at the same time. It didn't work with the Dreamcast years before and it won't probably work with the Wii U as well. The only good idea is that you could play without the TV...

So, since the DS, WII, 3DS and the Wii U Nintendos "Innovations" were drawbacks for my personal taste that ultimately hurt my gaming experience. Nintendo might win casual gamer for the current generation that are more likely than not to pass the next generation... but at that price they lose the interest of those who are looking for a pure gaming experience (people like me who prefer a standard controller and do not like gimmicks). So, all in all, I agree with you that the controller is a problem for the Wii U, but I do not think that the Wii U is "doomed". It will sell "normal" numbers for that sort of console concept... the Wii and the DS were heavily inflated by Media reports who drew public interest to these devices.

So, since I was criticizing Nintendo for its decisions I have to be fair and say some words about Sony too. The PS3 tried to become "the" home entertainment hub in the living room. Many features of the initial PS3 lead to high costs and Sony lost its market share. Most people simply did not need the PS as entertainment hub, since they already have a PC/Laptop for the internet. So in Fact people were paying for features that they simply didn't want. But Sony realized that and brought the Slim gaining back their market appeal, at least in Europe.

The Playstation was a clever concept. Like the Name says, it is a "PLAY"station. Gaming should be the main focus. I like that Sony still uses its standard controller and I hope the PS4 will keep it... it is simply perfect to me and I do not want it to change. Instead of trying to change the Hardware they should try to give me a wide variety of available Software. In Fact the Hardware innovations has lead to a decrease in genres. The online Gaming focus has lead to an abundance of Shooter since competitive online gaming works best with shooter. The Motion Controls have lead to an abundance of Minigames, etc.

The Vita is the next device where I do not like the controls. Have you ever played AC 3 Liberation? Tell me if you like pickpocketing by pressing the circle button or by using the touchpad on the back more? Tell me if you like the minigame where you have to point the back camera at a light... these features are simply not working well and are simply hurting my game experience. And these minigames are getting so boring fast because they are always the same.

Thats the problem with all the "innovations". They simply drive the price of the device. And since you have to pay for them they should be used in the games. But there is no simple way how a game could really benefit from new input devices. At first it my look like a novel idea, but after some times it gets old very fast. I just can't stand these minigames any more where you have to balance when you are going over a tree branch/rope/etc.

I think that the Problem with the industry is, that they are simply trying more to sell me the same product again and again with only little variations instead of trying to find new settings, characters or stories. Final Fantasy is a good example for me how you can reinvent a franchise with every new entry (even if some people would have prefered Square-Enix to make a Final Fantasy VI-2/-3/-4/-5/-6/etc. instead of new approaches like FF X, XII or XIII).