Wii U: If You'd Designed the Wii U, How Would You Make it More Appealing as a system/SKU?

[Eddie_Raja]

Mythmaker1 said:

The Wii U is in a tough situation right now, and most would agree that it's a lack of quality games currently available. While I'd say this is definitely true, if the Wii demonstrated anything it's that a system can be made compelling out of the box. By contrast, when I bought an Xbox 360 years back, it was to play other games than what came in the box (Marvel Ultimate Alliance).

The question, then, is if you'd been given the choice, what changes would have made the Wii U more appealing in-box? Assuming the same games available at launch, and the same level of marketing, would you have cut the power to offer it at a lower price, or increased the power and sold it at a higher price? Ditch the GamePad, make it optional, or double-down with an even better screen? Change the design of the casing, or the controller, the box, or even the name?

Or if you think the console itself is fine, would you have changed the SKU's? Different games bundled-in, or other models besides the Basic and Deluxe?

Strength Upgrade:

1) No 8GB bundle, just one 320GB bundle.

2) 3GB of 2133MHz RAM instead of 2GB of 1600 MHz.

3) Quad core CPU instead of 3 core.

-The things I just listed would easily remove its current bottlenecks and allow it to be around a third as strong as the Xbox One instead of about a sixth.  These extra bells and whistes would cost only about an extra $50.

 

Marketing/Release Changes:

1) Make it glossy Black instead of White.

2) Release it in 2011 to get a 2 year headstart on the competition or force them to release unfinished hardware.  

3) Call is something simple like "Nintendo HD."  This thing simply isn't a Wii, and people should know it.

4) A standardized and fully functional online network to compete with PSN/LIVE

-This system would then be easily differentiated from the Wii and looked at as a great new thing to transition to from the Wii.

 

Overall the changes I made would for better (In my opinion) or worse drastically change the positioning of the Wii U:

- It would be out a full 2 years before its competitors, with a console easily 2-3 times stronger than current gen offerings with a slick tablet screen for controlling all of your media to boot.  

-Releasing at $399 in 2011 wouldn't be insane next to the $300  PS3 considering its extra grunt.  Then in 2013 a smooth price drop to $300 would position it perfectly between the PS4 and PS3 price/power.  

-Once the price drop happens nintendo could advertise the Wii U's tablet-controller as a universal remote for your DVR that would essentialy make the Xbox One's features seem "Me Too!"

-Third parties would happy to bring full/new games to the console and program them to take advange of the addiquite RAM and Storage.  The fact is the current Wii U doesn't have enough RAM to make much of a difference to third parties over current gen, and the 8GB version makes it impossible for them to release big patches or DLC easily.