I didn't think this day would come after my immense disappointment with the Wii, and my high hopes for PS4/Xbox One, but I am actually considering buying a Wii U based largely on how disappointing the launch game offerings from Sony/MS seem to be. I just can't justify a $400 or $500 purchase to play KZ: SF, or KI, which are the only current launch games that interest me.

Having said that, has Nintendo improved their online offerings at all? Do they have a proper account system like XBL and PSN, or are games tied to the console?

Also, how is the friend system, and voice chat for games? I'm a very social gamer, and feel that it is a requirment for any online game to support voice chat. If I can't use voice chat when games like MK 8, and Smash come out I will be so annoyed!

Thanks for any info/insight you guys can provide!

How is this even possible?
I'm the total opposite, I would rather pay 400 or 500 dollars on a console with top notch hardware rather than $300 on something just to play a similar Mario game I could play on my current wii! Just my opinion tho, your opinion is perfectly fine

It's not about the hardware, it's about the games, sadly. I can think of a few games that are already out for Wii U that I think i would enjoy playing, and 1 game each for PS4, and XOne. I don't really want to spend more money to play less games right now. This will obviously change as more releases come along for Sony and MS, but we're a long ways off from games like Destiny, Halo 5, Uncharted, etc.

It's really sad that I have one and I can't tell you how the friend system works. I don't know a single person who has one, so it's not easy to be a social gamer on it. I do know people buying the PS4 at launch, so I'm ok there! But the account system is tied to the console, I know that much. It's very annoying for saves, and has stopped me buying anything from the store.

When I first read this thread my first thought was "lol, I'm sure this thread will be filled of Sony/MS fans trying to persuade him to purchase another console"

Sadly, I can't help you Lulz as I'm the anti-you I guess. I basically don't care about online/social functions on a console. I haven't played online with my Wii U since I got it on launch day and the only reason I sometimes use the internet is to use Netflix/browse and update the console.

Their online has been improved drastically... Friendcodes are gone on the wiiU, instead you now have "Nintendo ID" which is basically the samething as what PSN and XBL have. However, the accounts are still tied to the system but you can still retrieve your games if they get stolen by contacting Nintendo and sending a police report... (Yea its gay but w.e.)...

I think the wiiU is the best console to have until really good games start to come out for PS and XB. Plus you don't have to pay to play online. Also for majority of the wiiU bundles out there, its still offering the deluxe promotion which means with ever purchase you make on the eshop, 10% = credit to buy games... 6 $60 game purchases = 1 free $60 game basically...

WiiU also has the miiverse which is basically forums for games but you can draw and view other people's drawnings and ask questions and etc... You can also send your friends drawnings and messages like this too...

You can also use wiiU chat to make VIDEO calls and etc with friends and family

I would say that it clearly has the superior line up at the moment given the 1 year advantage AND the fact that it has backwards compatibility unlike his rivals. You can probably pick a bunch of Wii jewels for 50$ or so alongside whatever Wii U game interests you.

I'd rather say that you should evaluate why you have had issues liking the Wii, since it's a pretty darn good console in my honest opinion. Then you should move on with U.

The online has improved. There's better DLC support, full games can be downloaded, etc. As for account unification, not really quite there yet. The friend system is tied through the Miiverse, which is Nintendo's social network on the console (soon coming to 3DS as well). You can now send friend requests, no more pesky friend codes, yay! As for voice chat, I think certain games allow it (like Call of Duty). Overall, I think the Wii U is obviously better now than it was at launch, having more games and all, like Pikmin 3, Sonic Lost World, Zelda Wind Waker HD, and Super Mario 3D World, to name a few. Anyway, it's your decision :D

The online system is certainly better than anything Nintendo's ever had before, but it's never been their big focus and it never will be. It exists, I've used it, it's perfectly fine, but you've likely got your PS3 and/or 360 if you really need to immerse yourself in that. What you should get Wii U for is the games. It took a while, but there's some great ones now. I think if you're just getting one now and have played nothing, there's enough here to satisfy you until well in 2014 when it seems like the game releases will start ramping up. The exclusives are pretty strong, and while there's certainly holes in its third party software - ultimately it's got a lot, a lot of the big third-party offerings of the season (AC4, Arkham Origins, CoD) are here, albeit in not as online friendly forms. And ultimately - it's 299. That's not much. And you'll have it and you'll have it forever and there will be things to play. And I mean... in the scheme of things you HAVE to get it if you're a gamer... what are you going to do - not get Smash Brothers? Might as well do it now when they're going deal crazy.

Ultimately, if you like Nintendo, get this. It won't perfectly replicate the Sony/Microsoft experience if that's your bag, but Nintendo is taking steps in the right direction - offering something closer to that while still offering their inherent unique Nintendoness that Sony and MIcrosoft will never have. It's been true in the past, it's true now, and it'll be true in the future - Microsoft/Sony make better consoles. Nintendo makes better games. And ultimately consoles are just tools for playing games.