A console CAN BE SUCCESSFUL at $300 launch price. PS2 and PS1 are proof of that. But then again, those were aimed at older gamers, mostly male, while Wii U is obviously still being aimed at families.(yes there are some core titles but the advertising is purely for families)

I don't think it will fail. It will sell well and give current-gen consoles a run for their money this holiday. It won't repeat the original Wii's success though.

I think the assertion is that the self-professed hardcore gamer is too stupid to cope with even an incremental difference from what they already know. This assertion may actually be correct, though, so I'll give that one to the author.

I may be breaking some rules, but I think the article is completely idiotic and has the most stupid reasons for why the Wii U will fail. They do not even make sense.
Price too high? The example with the 3DS is idiotic at best, because the 3DS is a handheld. People tend to want to pay LESS for handheld systems, not more. This is part of the reason people do not buy the VITA. However, Wii U is a HOME CONSOLE. It could have sold for MORE and still sell plenty.
The controller? There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, most people wont even really pay attention to those little differences. Those who do will adapt, mostly. The Wii U is also not trying to go after "360" players as if people who play the 360 are all hardcore (when usually they're not really at all).
Why post this article at all, it's complete BS.

I don't understand this fuss about the controller. I watched a video review on Polygon the other day where the guy made the same comment about the controller not being the "traditional layout".

How in the world did xbox become the standard for controllers? They've been in the game for 2 cycles? If anything, if nintendo had changed their layout to become more like xbox's (pretty much just flipping around the a/b and x/y), everyone would've mocked Nintendo for needing to copy their competitors in order to stay in the game.

So shuuuuuuuut up, damn.

Are "hardcore" gamers so dumb that they don't know how to remap their controls in games to fit their needs? I never use default controls for any shooter I play, I always have an account with controls that suit me best. I don't even mentally process buttons in xbox as a/b/x/y, I just think of them as reload/switch/jump/ whatever.

On the controller layout ...

Systems with the buttons going B-A are:
NES, SNES, N64*, Gamecube, Wii, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS

Systems with the buttons going Y-X are:
SNES, Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS

*The N64 could be argued either way TBH

If you can't learn new button layouts on a controller you can't claim you're a "hardcore gamer"

Most likely just three, actually. Remember, a lot of these bloggers are in their late teens/early 20's, and thus too young to remember anything before the Playstation.

Especially if those new button layouts are barely any different than the one you're already using. 
Also, Nintendo did the layout first for these controllers.  Therefore, there's no reason for Nintendo to suddenly change what most gamers are already used to for a smaller minority of people.

This article is so much BS it sickens me. What a dumb fucking author! Really, this MUST be a moron. Most of the fails have already been pointed out.

Seriously pezus, why re-post it here? You should also know it's completely fuck-tarded.

haha but you made me laugh :D that's gotta count for something!!