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No matter which way you slice it, the Wii was an absolute home run for Nintendo. The system brought a new section of the population into the gamer fold and its now familiar motion controls created quite a stir amongst the video game community. So with its successor poised for a release later this year, you'd think anticipation would be at a fever pitch — but it isn't.

In the weeks leading up to the 2011 E3 video game expo in Los Angeles, Nintendo hinted that their new console would finally satisfy those who identify as "core" gamers. Core gamers are the players who ensure each new iteration of Call of Duty and Madden continue to break records, and Nintendo completely lost touch with them after introducing the much more casual-focused Wii.

The reveal of the Wii U during the conference did little to excite that very vocal segment of the market. And while gameplay teasers of titles like Battlefield, Darksiders, and Ninja Gaiden seemed impressive, it was soon revealed that the games were not yet running on Nintendo's new hardware, so it's impossible to tell how the ported titles will look or control.

Can old be new again...and again?

Nintendo's seemingly unshakable habit of rehashing games and characters from bygone eras doesn't appear to be slowing down with the Wii U. Both the Mario and the Pikmin franchise have already been confirmed for the system, and if we were betting on it, we'd put money on there being Zelda, Super Smash Brothers, and Mario Party titles in the Wii U's future as well. Unfortunately, that may not be enough to get seasoned gamers to plop down another $250 or more on a console whose predecessor had little to no third-party support to speak of.

A recent trailer for the Wii U version of Ubisoft's Rayman Origins shows off some Wii U-exclusive features, including the ability to use the tablet controller to manipulate objects within the game world as other players make their way through. It looked like a neat feature, but the fact that the video showed just one player using the new tablet controller — while the rest of the players were left with what looks like standard Wii remotes — gave social network users plenty to groan about.

Nintendo appears to be banking on a boost in graphical power — seemingly on par with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 — and the abilities of the new tablet controller to wow consumers. Unfortunately, many seem decidedly un-wowed at this point, and it's unclear if the company has a plan to win back the core segment, or if they will simply rely on the Wii's popularity to make the Wii U a must-have product.

The company's newest earnings report showed its first annual loss in 30 years, which was fueled by dwindling Wii sales and rather grim launch figures of the new 3DS handheld. If Nintendo hopes to avoid a similar debut for its Wii U console, the company may need to make a drastic change, though it remains unclear if they are ready to do so.

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/growing-doubts-over-nintendo-upcoming-wii-u-console-172049063.html

Again, this is like 2005 all over again...

We know next to nothing about the WiiU, I.E its launch date, the launch games, the price, the graphical power, the dev support, the online etc.

People need to stop overreacting. I'm fairly certain people are just waiting for Nintendo to fail...

And how was the 3DS launch grim? If the 3DS had a poor first year, what hope is there for the Vita...

Again, this is like 2005 all over again...

We know next to nothing about the WiiU, I.E its launch date, the launch games, the price, the graphical power, the dev support, the online etc.

People need to stop overreacting. I'm fairly certain people are just waiting for Nintendo to fail...

And how was the 3DS launch grim? If the 3DS had a poor first year, what hope is there for the Vita...

Well E3 2012 is when the true unveiling of the console is going to take place. So I am not sure why people are obsessing on things that they know nothing about.

I am also not sure why people don't realize that the 3DS actually sold 16.5-17 million in its first year. Detractors always talk about it like it sold 2-3 million. I am not sure if you guys actually believe this, or what your deal is. The fact remains that the first year sales were higher than any other console in history.

Doubts have been growing for nearly twenty years now. Still not matured.

3DS in its first year on market outsold the PS3 + 360 combined in their first years on the market. 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f64/donny2112/Sales%20Numbers/WWConsoles-7.png

Not too bad, also considering the 3DS launched in the slower spring months (right in the midst of the Japanese earthquake no less) whereas 360/PS3 both launched during the holiday season. 

If Wii U can clear 16.5-17 million in its first 12 months on the market, I think that'd be pretty damn good. I don't really even think they need some "drastic change" to sell the Wii U, they just need a killer app or two and a $299.99 price point with some decent marketing. 

Well, Nintendo pretty much shattered those with the gigantic success of the Wii, and the collapse of the Playstation market.

I think Nintendo will continue its ascent in sales. It is going into next generation stronger than it did last generation; and it is also not doing anything inherently wrong (Like they did with N64 caretridges, Cube being marketed as PS2 for children, and PS3 costing more than double its competition). The biggest announcements are on the horizon as well.

I can see Wii U beating 3DS's record - hopefully Nintendo doesn't squander potential sales like it did with the WIi. Many people didn't buy a Wii because they couldn't get one.

I don't see Wii U topping Wii sales, but I think the industry in general may see a decline in hardware sales as a whole, especially if Apple does begin to move more and more into the gaming sector. I think MS may make some gains but largely on the back of a collapsing Sony. 

If Wii U can get a healthy 75-85 million userbase, perhaps more active and a bit more core gamer-ish than the Wii was ... I think that'd be OK.

I mean for crying out loud, back in the day the NES sold only 65 million units and it seemed like every second household had one and that was plenty large enough of a userbase to facilitate the sale of so many different hit games.

Wait, you mean there's a Mario game coming for this? What an outrage!

And Nintendo lost money. 

The Sega Saturn would have been the highest selling console in history if it was $1 too.