Something to keep in mind is that while the 3DS was financially successful, it also hurt Wii U sales. Nintendo were competing against themselves. Today Nintendo’s software is no longer fractured between 2 different systems. Now every game is under the Switch umbrella which prevents the long droughts between games that we experienced during that era. If you were a Nintendo fan in November 2012, you could pay full price for the console experience or you could pay half price for a truly portable experience. Nintendo were sending mixed messages by releasing a tablet that functioned like a tethered controller. What if it breaks? The battery life was not up to the standards of a console player. There’s just so many things that went wrong and it didn’t help that the 3ds library was almost 2 years old at that point. You could disable the 3d gimmick if you didn’t like it. There was no option to disable the Wii U gamepad. It was baked into every aspect of that system. Nintendo gave themselves no room for failure.
I worked retail at the time and it was at least 10 times a shift I would need to answer "why can't I play Wii U games on my Wii?" People absolutely thought it was just a controller for the Wii.
I honestly don't know how anyone thought the WiiU wasn't a new console - it was always pictured with the new base hardware which had a much more rounded design than the Wii. The problem it had was a lack of third party support. Nintendo were basically going it alone for the WiiU's lifespan whilst wii and Ds were littered with shovelware from every developer wanting a piece of their installbase. WiiU could have had a much smoother launch if they'd made the base console an outlandish colour - Orange or purple like the gamecube - something that set it apart from the Wii... The Switch actually adopted this approach - it's asymetrical joycon design on one of the launch models set it apart. Another way they could have increased Wii-U sales is to make it compatible with DS and 3DS games - an add on card reader - like the super-gameboy via the USB ports would have increased the console's software library considerably... and allowed DS and 3DS owners to play their games on their TVs. I do think the WiiU concept is worth returning to though for nintendo - at present the switch docks with the TV - but if they can eliminate any latency (the WiiU had basically none) they could return to the Wii U concept via an add on to the switch or its successor... perhaps a Wireless receiver unit that plugs into the dock.
I think you’re looking at it from a lense of a gamer. Most people arnt looking at the edges of the console like that, therefore they thought it was the same thing. The outlandish colors idea tho I’m 100% for that. How awesome would it have been if we got translucent systems again!
To this day, my parents still think the Wii U is a Wii accessory. I showed my dad a copy of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, and he said it looked like a cool "wii game."
I love my Wii U. Have owned mine since 2000. I've defended this game console to death. Now their have been multiple games taken straight from Wii U . Xenoblade X, And a few other titles. So keep on playing your Wii U and keep the console cheap . Since it's so HATED. And Obsolete. But yet the games are Expensive. But it sux .?
@JobenJonzalez No, just DS games from the WiiU's eshop Virtual Console, which sadly only had 31 games :( But yeah it would have been cool if the WiiU had a slot for DS and 3DS either on the WiiU itself or the Gamepad. At least you can customize the visual lay out in many different ways.
Breath of the wild is a Wii U game. They delayed the game so it could play on the switch. So just another banger stripped from the Wii U library. I'm playing Xenoblade X TODAY. Not in March . So take that switch.
I’m the type of person that has kept all there consoles. But the wii u was the first console I didn’t really care to give away. I modded it and everything. The only time the console felt redeeming was when i was finally able to play with my switch pro controller. Any game that forced me to use the pad was a turn off. I gave it away to my cousin. He is actually enjoying it. I will stick to my wii.
Something to keep in mind is that while the 3DS was financially successful, it also hurt Wii U sales. Nintendo were competing against themselves. Today Nintendo’s software is no longer fractured between 2 different systems. Now every game is under the Switch umbrella which prevents the long droughts between games that we experienced during that era. If you were a Nintendo fan in November 2012, you could pay full price for the console experience or you could pay half price for a truly portable experience. Nintendo were sending mixed messages by releasing a tablet that functioned like a tethered controller. What if it breaks? The battery life was not up to the standards of a console player. There’s just so many things that went wrong and it didn’t help that the 3ds library was almost 2 years old at that point. You could disable the 3d gimmick if you didn’t like it. There was no option to disable the Wii U gamepad. It was baked into every aspect of that system. Nintendo gave themselves no room for failure.
Such a dope comment thank you, a lot of amazing points here that 100% should be considered when we look at the Wii Us failure together.
I worked retail at the time and it was at least 10 times a shift I would need to answer "why can't I play Wii U games on my Wii?" People absolutely thought it was just a controller for the Wii.
That’s amazing to hear. I think we all had an idea people were genuinely confused, thank you for the confirmation!
I honestly don't know how anyone thought the WiiU wasn't a new console - it was always pictured with the new base hardware which had a much more rounded design than the Wii. The problem it had was a lack of third party support. Nintendo were basically going it alone for the WiiU's lifespan whilst wii and Ds were littered with shovelware from every developer wanting a piece of their installbase.
WiiU could have had a much smoother launch if they'd made the base console an outlandish colour - Orange or purple like the gamecube - something that set it apart from the Wii... The Switch actually adopted this approach - it's asymetrical joycon design on one of the launch models set it apart.
Another way they could have increased Wii-U sales is to make it compatible with DS and 3DS games - an add on card reader - like the super-gameboy via the USB ports would have increased the console's software library considerably... and allowed DS and 3DS owners to play their games on their TVs.
I do think the WiiU concept is worth returning to though for nintendo - at present the switch docks with the TV - but if they can eliminate any latency (the WiiU had basically none) they could return to the Wii U concept via an add on to the switch or its successor... perhaps a Wireless receiver unit that plugs into the dock.
I think you’re looking at it from a lense of a gamer. Most people arnt looking at the edges of the console like that, therefore they thought it was the same thing. The outlandish colors idea tho I’m 100% for that. How awesome would it have been if we got translucent systems again!
To this day, my parents still think the Wii U is a Wii accessory. I showed my dad a copy of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, and he said it looked like a cool "wii game."
That’s amazing thanks for sharing lol
wii u is the best console ever made! and i don't care that mcuh that it failed im happy enough it exists :)
Hell yea love this comment! I like the Wii U too, playing to this weekend in fact haha
@@JobenJonzalez nicee! what were you playing? :)
Twilight princess! I’ll prob do Windwaker after I beat it lol
Same.
Loved it back then and I still love it now
The name didn't help it. I knew someone who thought it meant Wii University when it came out
Absolutely despicable!
@fffwwe-c3mads should have said “Wii would like you to go to school”
Ws all around lol
I love my Wii U. Have owned mine since 2000. I've defended this game console to death. Now their have been multiple games taken straight from Wii U . Xenoblade X, And a few other titles. So keep on playing your Wii U and keep the console cheap . Since it's so HATED. And Obsolete. But yet the games are Expensive. But it sux .?
I don’t think it sucks. I just Nintendo did a better job marketing it to people. The Wii U library was so great
3ds might work
It did work luckily lol
They revived WiiU in a form of Switch
And the games!
@@JobenJonzalez yeah, it's like Nintendo saying, hey take a look at these games you have missed out. lol
Fr tho. I wonder why twilight princess and windwaker get the short end of the stick tho?
@@JobenJonzalez considering they have just been remade from gc/wii probably that's one thing they considered.
Hope we get it for switch 2
I really wish they would show that you can get DS games on the WiiU.
And we should have got Soul Calibur 2 HD on the WiiU.
Wait you can play 3ds games on the Wii U?
@JobenJonzalez No, just DS games from the WiiU's eshop Virtual Console, which sadly only had 31 games :(
But yeah it would have been cool if the WiiU had a slot for DS and 3DS either on the WiiU itself or the Gamepad.
At least you can customize the visual lay out in many different ways.
Breath of the Wild was not held for the Switch. It came out on both platforms.
Bro if you don’t think that BoTW could have released a year earlier idk what to tell you… that game was 1000% held for the switch release.
It was definitely intended to release for Switch hands down
no it was always intended for the wii u, the game was literally finished in august 2016.
Agreed, that game was ready for at least a yesr
That and if you played the game on the Wii U, the map and the menus are totally made for the Wii U pad 100%
3ds > Wii u
3ds super carried during the Wii Us lifespan
Breath of the wild is a Wii U game. They delayed the game so it could play on the switch. So just another banger stripped from the Wii U library. I'm playing Xenoblade X TODAY. Not in March . So take that switch.
That’s a dub for the Wii U!
I’m the type of person that has kept all there consoles. But the wii u was the first console I didn’t really care to give away. I modded it and everything. The only time the console felt redeeming was when i was finally able to play with my switch pro controller. Any game that forced me to use the pad was a turn off. I gave it away to my cousin. He is actually enjoying it. I will stick to my wii.
I love this, my kids funny enough also LOVE the wii u as well. Idk maybe the wiiu pad is close enough to a tablet that they like using it more.
Get out is crazy 🤣🤣
Lmao thank you I thought it was deserving
It was definitely a flop
Thankfully
@@Wario1382sad 😢
Yes but at least we got the switch now