I'm entirely convinced that if Nintendo released Nintendogs + Cats for the Wii U instead of for the 3DS as the launch bundle instead of Nintendo Land, the Wii U would have exploded far more.
First, it would have showcased the tablet's promise far better than Nintendo Land could have. Same as the DS, but bigger.
Second, dogs and cats are far more relatable to a casual audience than obscure Nintendo characters.
Third, it would have shown off how good games could look on the Wii U. Realistic fur and environments. Open world.
Four, it has the same replay value that games like Animal Crossing have. It's hard to stop playing.
Five, everybody loves dogs and cats. Everybody.
Six, it's easier to market to someone who doesn't usually play games. Metroid Blast isn't.
But Nintendo is a smart company. They've made mistakes, but they've made more money than anyone who will ever comment on these forums. All three of the consoles have. The Wii may have been a fad, but it was a calculated one. The 3D for the 3DS wasn't the kind of jarring jump that the DS was. It was clearly meant to be to the DS what the GBA was to the Gameboy; a perfection of the original.
The Wii U is very clearly not that. If it was, The Wii U would have come with a VR head set and it's controller would have been an upgraded version of the original Wii Remote(Plus) like the Razer Hydra or the STEM System. It would have come bundled with a travel simulator, not a conventional game. That's the perfected version of what the Wii was. (and a way more interesting concept to me than the Wii U)
The Wii U is trying to do something different from the Wii. It's difference is much more jarring. That's why the naming convention doesn't make sense to me. Why didn't they just name the console itself the "Nintendo Gamepad?" That get's the point across that the system is completely different and not an upgraded concept, highlights what is exactly different, and sounds good.
Why did they design the system so similarly to the Wii? There are 101 different shapes and sizes to chose from. Even an illuminating icon would have been enough to make it look different. A different sheen would have done it. A pattern on the front or top of the box that was unique to the system. Anything. Maybe even everything, but most importantly, something.
I already spoke of my sentiment of their game bundle choice. Nintendogs + Cat's would have been better. Here's another though for the U.S. A Nintendo exclusive Football game called Quarterback or Coach: NFL. (The N is for Nintendo) One of the most innovative uses of the Gamepad and casually appealing games on the Wii U was Madden. You could make out plays on the gamepad and then see them play out on the game. If they made a visually impressive game like that where the main gameplay came from drawing out strategic plays on the gamepad and then playing as the football players from a behind the back view it would have been unique, exclusive, and had massive appeal to it's chosen market.
But like I said, I think Nintendo should have gone with VR instead. But that's just me. Release it with a game called Impossible Dream or even a simple "Virtual Reality Simulator." In the game is a just a simulator where you get to explore different impossible places. One is just a home on a beautiful island. One is a space mission to the moon. One is space flight simulator with aliens. One is a roller coaster theme park. One takes you skydiving. One let's you explore a haunted mansion with ghosts. A driving sim etc. THAT has market appeal. Even if the console were priced at like $500, it would be considered affordable, it would have continued what the Wii did, the name "Wii U" would have made sense, and it would have been a well calculated fad sparker. And for the hardcore crowd? Aside from the obvious "Call of Duty VR" appeal, there would be the exclusive Metroid VR. In fact, any first person game would essentially be an exclusively superior Nintendo experience. They could have had a Netflix: Theatre Mode, where you could watch your movies in a virtual movie theatre with an audience. (Obviously with an option for no audience.)
Oh, and you could still play games on the TV if you wanted.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but didn't. Maybe they still can, but I doubt that they will.
Still, Nintendo has a smart team. They wouldn't have done the Wii U if they didn't have something up their sleeves. My guess is the development time hit that game the hardest.
