Yeah, I can agree on that. I don't mean every game has to use it, but I wish there were more games that used it in a unique and creative way.

If Nintendo knew the answer to this question, the system would have sold double - regardless of all other factors. The Wii U was a half-measure from the ground up. No one element was followed through on, as Nintendo tried to play all sides at once.

I doubt Nintendo themselves would even know that. They wanted the core with Zelda, Bayonetta, Donkey Kong, Pikmin 3, Zombie U and Smash. The casual with Nintendoland, Mario Tennis, Mario Kart and a few others. But in the end they couldn't appeal either and only the core Nintendo fans.

They aimed for everyone and ended up missing everyone instead. Marketing, game droughts and other factors were never the real issue; the product itself was just highly flawed at its core and I always said it was down to a lack of basic appeal. Here's what I had to say on the matter roughly 4-5 months before it released, I don't think anyone can argue with this post in hindsight:

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=4619667

You lose me a bit on the 'Wii's serial flopping "hardcore" 3rd party titles' argument. Besides that I completely agree you were right.

One of the greatest, if not the main, flaw of WiiU's concpetion is that they haven't designed the console with a specific target in mind. As you said, they just tried to please everyone basing on their previous console of choice. They tried to get the Wii audience offering party games, NSMBU, Mario Kart and the likes and they tired to lure into the Ps360 fanbase with the 3rd party ports the Wii missed.

When you look for a target audience, the most common thing to do is to segment the market basing on customer's defining traits like demographic varaibles, behaviours, expected benefits, etc etc. They clearly haven't done that. If they had reflected on expected benefits it would have been clear that Ps3/360 were looking for cutting-edge hardware on a new console, also that former Wii owners were looking for very accessible and affordable games and more social interaction. The WiiU short-lived both of those expectations.

I think this is why a certain someone kept arguing in the UNITY thread that there was no such thing as demographics, that it was just a made-up term. If one admits that demographics exist, one also inevitably sees the problem with the Wii U and its clear lack of aim at any one segment.

They thought they could get both this time around.

I don't remeber the UNITY thread honestly, buy yes demographics exist but they shouldn't be considered a static or even a tangible entity. While the population remains pretty much the same (or changes slowly over time), a new way of segmenting the market can lead to new labels to define demographics.

Also I'm completly against the casual/hardcore dichotomy, it's very reductive and easily misleading.

I clicked your mom on the poll as I seriously think they were aiming for all those moms who bought it to do fitness etc I can last all the women in my family who bought a Wii but didn't bother buying a WiiU and it is a long ass list. They bought the Wii due to Oprah, Ellen and other women magazines and shows, never used it,and the WiiU didn't even bother to buy as the craze was over and they learnt (partners and husbands telling them off for buying shit and not using it) not to go down that road again.

Funnily enough I bought the WiiU instead but I just didn't enjoy anything other than Bayonetta 2 and NS3D. I wanted more 3D platforming, a new Zelda, a new Starfox, but I got non of that.

They tried to appeal to everyone, but the end result was a product only some hardcore Nintendo fans liked. It's the only Nintendo console with truly shitty 3rd party support. Even the damn N64 had some 3rd party gems here and there.