Wii U General Discussion

[Wii]

Renegade Kid, KnapNok, Yacht Club, and 13AM talk about the lack of innovative GamePad usage

 

The Wii U GamePad is a perfectly fine controller, but it’d be tough to argue that developers have tapped into its potential. Even Nintendo has not yet produced a string of titles that truly show what it’s capable of. For the most part, titles we’ve seen thus far use the GamePad for off-TV play or as a map.

 

NintendoWorldReport reached out to four indie developers as part of a new article that touches on the lack of proper GamePad usage. You can find a collection of their comments below.

 

Renegade Kid’s Jools Watsham

 

“Nintendo helps promote…as much as the game helps to promote the innovative qualities of the Wii U.”

 

“If you’re going to dedicate your time and effort to taking advantage of the unique features of the Wii U, you need for it to pay off in sales if you’re going to be able to continue making games for a living.”

 

“The GamePad is clearly not the revolution that the Wii Remote was. There, I said it.”

 

“The Wii U never lived up to its own potential, even from its creators. You have to lead [by] example, and Nintendo are the kings of doing this, but they failed to deliver with the Wii U in terms of utilizing their own platform, which has resulted in a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

 

“It’s not like the Wii U has failed gamers in a general sense, but in regards to how well the GamePad has been utilized, overall [it] has unfortunately been somewhat of a failure. And that is Nintendo’s burden to bear.”

 

Knapnok’s Lau Korsgaard

 

“(a lot of Wii U exclusive titles don’t) feel like they are ‘fulfilling the potential.’”

 

“I think the problem (if it is a problem) is deeper rooted in the design of the Wii U. The Wii U does a bunch of cool things: It has this GamePad that makes two-screen play possible, it lets you play with your old Wii Remotes, so local multiplayer is easy and cheap, off-screen play makes it possible to continue playing on your GamePad while mom is watching TV. These features are really unique, but also mutually exclusive!”

 

“If I want to make a game that supports local multiplayer, like Mario Kart, I can’t at the same time make the controls depend on a lot of GamePad features. If I want to make a game that lets you continue play if the TV is turned off, like New Super Mario Bros., I can’t make the gameplay be dependent on the GamePad either. I think that is why there hasn’t been made a single game, even by Nintendo, where everything made sense as it just clicked for the system. You simply can’t do everything at the same time.”

 

Yacht Club Games’ David D’Angelo

 

“Introducing such a bizarre, unique gameplay design element exponentially increases that riskiness in both game quality and financial aspects. Incorporating such a unique hardware feature also means the Wii U is pretty much the only option for sales. Cutting off other huge sections of the market is very scary.”

 

“We felt Miiverse was also a big part of the Wii U experience, so that’s how we ended up with the Digger’s Diary. We spent a very large amount of time coming up with this feature. We wanted to create something we thought would be fun and engaging, but at the same time not create something so big and unique that you’d be disappointed if you owned the 3DS or PC versions.”

 

13AM Games’ Alex Rushdy

 

“I think it’s really worth it to put in that extra effort. Wii U owners are looking for games that make use of the hardware beyond off-TV play and a lot of people have been really pleased with ColourMaster and its unique use of the GamePad. Heck, even just the fact that the GamePad allows us nine players instead of eight is something that is really cool and only possible on Wii U.”

 

“I also believe Nintendo really takes notice when you put in the extra care to make your game a Wii U game, as opposed to a game that is simply appearing on Wii U.”

 

http://nintendoeverything.com/renegade-kid-knapnok-yacht-club-and-13am-talk-about-the-lack-of-innovative-gamepad-usage/

 

https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/40073/what-happened-to-the-wii-u-gamepads-potential

[Kav]

Yes a whopping 1 million less units sold than Xbox One. If you think the Wii U is worth £130 then you're tighter than Wii.

 

Ha! I'm not tight, not in the slightest, I just realise that the WiiU is a sub-par console. As does the general public evidently. Lest you forget I bought one at full price at launch, after 2 years owning the console I've very right to deem it's worth!

 

You seem to forget that the WiiU has been out twice as long as the XBO. Come the end of the generation you'll have to eat your words. The XBO will have sold well, the PS4 incredibly well but watch the WiiU, I doubt it'll even make 15 million in it's lifetime!

Edited April 14, 2015 by Kav

[Ashley]

Yes a whopping 1 million less units sold than Xbox One. If you think the Wii U is worth £130 then you're tighter than Wii.

 

You need to stop batting this around without acknowledging the 12 month difference.

[Fierce_LiNk]

You need to stop batting this around without acknowledging the 12 month difference.

 

There's also the issue of the Xbone not really having a market for it in Japan.

[Kav]

There's also the issue of the Xbone not really having a market for it in Japan.

 

Neither does the WiiU! Haha

[Fierce_LiNk]

Neither does the WiiU! Haha

 

[S.C.G]

Does anyone remember when the Gamecube launched?

 

If I recall correctly, Nintendo actually lowered the RRP to around £129.99 at launch.

 

Those were the days... a different gaming climate as well I know but I reckon if Nintendo were to start bundling Wii U consoles with a pro controller and a brand new first-party title for £179.99 I think it would at the very least sell a little bit better than it is now.

 

Timing would be crucial though, especially if the Wii U only has around two years or so of support left in it.

 

Anyway... E3 is just around the corner so let's just see shall we? : peace:

[Goron_3]

You're clearly either not reading the post or misinterpreting it on purpose.

 

It's illustrative of what marketing can do to boost sales of a product. iPhones didn't just become 'cool' and a 'fashion icon', they were marketed as such. Apple became a cool brand due to its marketing and advertising campaigns. Hence, an iPhone with comparably poor specs, a propensity to shatter when dropped from the smallest of heights - yet a price tag that exceeds that of almost any other device on the market - sells more than any other phone.

 

That's the power of marketing.

 

The Gamecube also failed - yet that had a library of cutting edge technology that was arguably the best that generation. From Rogue Squadron and Wave Race on day one right through to Resident Evil 4 and Twilight Princess in it's later years, the GC had a great library and was priced competitively. Yet it failed.

 

This is marketing. Once a company creates the right 'buzz' around a product it will succeed - or has a much higher chance of success.

 

Nintendo's adverts once featured Nicole Kidman, Ant & Dec and the Gladiators. They were on during prime time TV - Saturday night viewing like X-Factor, Friday night comedy like Peep Show, they even sponsored shows.

 

The Wii U had NONE of that. That lack of marketing push was a major let down. People didn't know the system was out and those who did didn't know what it was! That's all a marketing miscommunication.

 

But stop trying to twist my points - I also clearly said that both the focus of the system, its lack of accessibility and its price were all major issues too.

 

This is a very simplistic view and you ignore a multitude of other reasons why the GC failed. I would highly recommend reading Emily Rogers GC article, it's absolutely superb

 

The iPhone statements also make little sense; to say they are underpowered is a bit ridiculous because from the moment they came out, they've always been one of best pieces of hardware out there. Yes, they may now lack raw specs of an top end android phones but they don't miss out on content. A better example would be to compare the iPhone to the PS4, which is weaker than top end PC's but that's pretty irrelevant in the console industry.

[dazzybee]

I really think Nintendo will lower the course around christmas, and hopefully amiibo won't be rare and be plentiful, more worthwhile experiences and they need to show off all their exclusives. i think it could be a good seller.

[liger05]

You're clearly either not reading the post or misinterpreting it on purpose.

 

It's illustrative of what marketing can do to boost sales of a product. iPhones didn't just become 'cool' and a 'fashion icon', they were marketed as such. Apple became a cool brand due to its marketing and advertising campaigns. Hence, an iPhone with comparably poor specs, a propensity to shatter when dropped from the smallest of heights - yet a price tag that exceeds that of almost any other device on the market - sells more than any other phone.

 

That's the power of marketing.

 

The Gamecube also failed - yet that had a library of cutting edge technology that was arguably the best that generation. From Rogue Squadron and Wave Race on day one right through to Resident Evil 4 and Twilight Princess in it's later years, the GC had a great library and was priced competitively. Yet it failed.

 

This is marketing. Once a company creates the right 'buzz' around a product it will succeed - or has a much higher chance of success.

 

Nintendo's adverts once featured Nicole Kidman, Ant & Dec and the Gladiators. They were on during prime time TV - Saturday night viewing like X-Factor, Friday night comedy like Peep Show, they even sponsored shows.

 

The Wii U had NONE of that. That lack of marketing push was a major let down. People didn't know the system was out and those who did didn't know what it was! That's all a marketing miscommunication.

 

But stop trying to twist my points - I also clearly said that both the focus of the system, its lack of accessibility and its price were all major issues too.

 

At the same time you could argue celebrities had no problem advertising a product which was 'must have' and one of the hottest products on the planet.

 

Word of mouth alone sold the wii.

 

The situations are not comparable. The wii u is a platform on life support.

 

Kav is actually making a reasonable point - one of the Wii's strength was it was in the impulse buy range. At £179.99 with a game, it was a steal!

 

You would literally see people walking out of Tesco with one as part of their weekly shop. Nintendo had hit the mainstream and their product was instantly recognisable and affordable.

 

The Wii U was always just out of that impulse buy range, and without a game it was quite pricey.

 

I'm obviously not saying they should give the Wii U away. But if you look at the way Sony trounced the Saturn and the XBO, it's no coincidence that in both cases the system was unveiled after their competitor's system and at a $100 less! That's a major win.

 

Whilst I also acknowledge that Nintendo can't afford to make the sizeable losses Sony and MS can, they also have to be realistic and assess that the Wii U wouldn't have the same initial 'grab and buy' appeal that the Wii did.

 

The wii could of sold at £279 and it still would of flew of the shelves. The price wasn't the issue with the wii u. The product was the issue. The PS4 has sold great at £349 with no price drop since launch. It's all about perceived value and the wii u at £299, £249, £229, £199 at times has still not being a product which the market sees as value for money.

 

The idea you can just drop the price and people will buy the console is far too simple.

 

I remember when blackberry were giving away playbook tablets and the end result was the same. Nobody gave a damn.

 

If the product is wrong it really doesn't matter how cheap you go.

Edited April 14, 2015 by liger05

[Sheikah]

Yes a whopping 1 million less units sold than Xbox One. If you think the Wii U is worth £130 then you're tighter than Wii.

You realise the Wii U has also had a year head start, right?

[Retro_Link]

Ronnie knows it all to well, he just seems to think it doesn't matter.

[Clownferret]

I love the Wii U, I love the Gamepad and if the 3rd parties hadn't jumped ship it would probably be my favourite console ever.

That said, they took control of the industry again last gen and should have released powerhouse Wii2 this gen which would have left Sony and Microsoft with nowhere to go, instead they have limply handed control back to Sony this gen.

I think it's bullshit that we still have to choose, consoles should run all software just like a CD player, DVD player MP3 player etc

[Happenstance]

I think on some level the Wii U was always going to struggle. Nintendo had burnt out their new casual market by the end of the Wii's life so they couldnt depend on them anymore and they had spent a generation drip feeding their more hardcore fans. I know a lot of you loved the Wii and thats fine, it definitely had its fans but it also had just as many who were completely turned off by motion controls or bought the Wii, played it for a while and then the console just gathered dust in a corner somewhere.

[Kounan]

To include my self into the discussion.

 

I am still waiting for my Wii U (I've got it for 250 euros in Germany - Mario and Luigi bundle and it did sell out in a few days from the shop who was selling it), but the thing I am probably looking most to is the game pad, as I will be able to play it away from TV. Don't get me wrong, I prefer to play it on TV, but because of a specific situation, I usually only have time when I go to sleep (so can play it in the bed for half an hour or a hour), or when my daughter is a sleep and she often sleeps in the TV room, so I can't use the TV.

 

The pad is almost like a second console and I don't get it why is it a problem for people (I didn't use it yet, so maybe I'll find out).

 

Also, I think that Nintendo needs 2-3 more big games, shooting games (Splatoon could be the one, Starfox), RPG (Xenoblade Chronicles X could be that one), or a horror game (they need something for that), while they really have a good collection of other games (Mario bros, Super Luigi, Mario 3D, Mario Kart, Smash Bross, Zelda, they have some shooters nice shooters, Lego City Undercover, Bayonetta 2, Monster Hunter Ultimate, Batman Arkham City, Pikmin, Donkey Kong, Rayman, Captain Toad, Kirby, Wonderfull 101, Hyrule Land, some popular "old" games, lots of indie games and they also have some sports games but not the newest ones) and when the 2-3 games are out they should start again a massive advertisement with nice prices (nothing to low) as people still think that there are no games for the Wii U.

 

I am sure a new marketing campaign would sell a good number of consoles as now they do have enough games they can show (and they have to show it during the marketing campaign).

Edited April 15, 2015 by Kounan

[Aneres11]

Haven't turned my Wii U on in an age (purely because I've bee gaming on my 3DS / XBONE a lot recently) and decided to power it up to do any updates I may have missed in time for MK8 DLC. Also, I am going to play through MK8 again today as I have a day off and am really in the mood.

 

Just to throw the thread out of its normal bitchy hostile environment ( ) I loaded up the eShop and I have to say, it's so impressive.

Not just the content, of which there seems to be loads of stuff since the last time I checked it out, but the layout of it.

It just looks so lovely. I have both PS4 and XBONE and the One's shop is utter crap to navigate, PS4 is decent but the Wii U's is a breath of fresh air!

 

I realise I may be alone in thinking this but I just like how everything is laid out. It loads quickly compared to the launch days, there's big bright game banners and buttons to press, which make weak people like me press them then want to buy damn you Mario Party 10! and there's so many classic games on there for so many Nintendo platforms that it's literally a haven of gaming goodness!

 

Really impressive. Nintendo are not perfect, but they do some things really well! : peace:

[dazzybee]

Also, I think that Nintendo needs 2-3 more big games, shooting games (Splatoon could be the one, Starfox), RPG (Xenoblade Chronicles X could be that one), or a horror game (they need something for that),

 

It may get the new COD this year (other than last year it got them and they were pretty impressive, 2 player online one on the gamepad and one on the TV is great.

 

As for Horror, I would really recommend Zombi U, some people don't like it but I loved it and thought it was one of the most inventive horror games in a long long time. Also this year Fatal Frame 5 is getting released.

[Rummy]

To include my self into the discussion.

 

I am still waiting for my Wii U (I've got it for 250 euros in Germany - Mario and Luigi bundle and it did sell out in a few days from the shop who was selling it), but the thing I am probably looking most to is the game pad, as I will be able to play it away from TV. Don't get me wrong, I prefer to play it on TV, but because of a specific situation, I usually only have time when I go to sleep (so can play it in the bed for half an hour or a hour), or when my daughter is a sleep and she often sleeps in the TV room, so I can't use the TV.

 

The pad is almost like a second console and I don't get it why is it a problem for people (I didn't use it yet, so maybe I'll find out).

 

I think Nintendo really thought there was more value to Off-TV than there was in reality. These days people tend to have a number of screens around the home, kids have TVs/computers/monitors in their bedrooms, or there's at least more than one in the house somewhere. Even the cost of them second hand/new isn't that high of a barrier these days either.

 

I'd be interested to see how you feel once you have it also - one other big problem I had was the range of the off-TV, the Gamepad can quite quickly start dropping out - almost making it redundant unless you essentially actually wanted to use it in, or rather close to, the room where the console is. Of course, experiences may(and do) vary but I've found it less than what I'd like personally.

 

When I was a kid, off-TV play would have been close to a godsend, but right now for my own situation(non-family, own place) it isn't really worth too much in general, except maybe functioning as a handheld when I wanna slob out and play a game AND watch TV at the same time - but I actually have another TV for that if I really felt the need.

[Clownferret]

To include my self into the discussion.

 

I am still waiting for my Wii U (I've got it for 250 euros in Germany - Mario and Luigi bundle and it did sell out in a few days from the shop who was selling it), but the thing I am probably looking most to is the game pad, as I will be able to play it away from TV. Don't get me wrong, I prefer to play it on TV, but because of a specific situation, I usually only have time when I go to sleep (so can play it in the bed for half an hour or a hour), or when my daughter is a sleep and she often sleeps in the TV room, so I can't use the TV.

 

The pad is almost like a second console and I don't get it why is it a problem for people (I didn't use it yet, so maybe I'll find out).

 

Also, I think that Nintendo needs 2-3 more big games, shooting games (Splatoon could be the one, Starfox), RPG (Xenoblade Chronicles X could be that one), or a horror game (they need something for that), while they really have a good collection of other games (Mario bros, Super Luigi, Mario 3D, Mario Kart, Smash Bross, Zelda, they have some shooters nice shooters, Lego City Undercover, Bayonetta 2, Monster Hunter Ultimate, Batman Arkham City, Pikmin, Donkey Kong, Rayman, Captain Toad, Kirby, Wonderfull 101, Hyrule Land, some popular "old" games, lots of indie games and they also have some sports games but not the newest ones) and when the 2-3 games are out they should start again a massive advertisement with nice prices (nothing to low) as people still think that there are no games for the Wii U.

 

I am sure a new marketing campaign would sell a good number of consoles as now they do have enough games they can show (and they have to show it during the marketing campaign).

 

The gamepad is the best thing about the Wii U and yet gets the most stick. It's worth it just for off screen play and as @dazzybee pointed out 2 player multiplayer. Since I've had my PS4 I've realised just how great the gamepad is as there is only a small window every day where I can get the tv to myself. People moan that it's made the console too expensive but it's still the cheapest console you can buy even with an extra pro controller so I really don't get the negativity.

[drahkon]

I've realised just how great the gamepad is as there is only a small window every day where I can get the tv to myself.

 

Off TV-Play is great, and trust me I'd use it if the Gamepad wasn't so incredibly clunky and uncomfortable.

 

It needed to be much smaller.

 

I use off TV-play on a different console (:p) a lot because the device is way more comfortable.

[Ashley]

I find off-tv play to be kind of nice, but as I can't use it in my bedroom I have to stay in the living room and we have two TVs anyway so...

[bob]

Yeah it's great, but I wish the range was a bit better. It would be great to be able to play in bed, but I can't, even though it's right next door to the living room.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Yeah it's great, but I wish the range was a bit better. It would be great to be able to play in bed, but I can't, even though it's right next door to the living room.

 

That killed off-tv play for me straight away. The one thing I thought it would be good for would be for gaming in the bedroom for example with the console in another room. Could barely get out of the living room and connectivity was lost. I was gutted. I bought the WiiU just before the summer and thought I could game in the garden with it but noooope.

 

If you've got kids and they're hogging the tv, then I suppose it is useful. But, there's just so many work arounds in this scenario that it's almost a non-issue. The fact that you can record tv these days is a plus, or you can watch something on a tablet or laptop, it almost solves the issue without the need for the WiiU pad.

 

It was good for Sonic Racing (especially the multiplayer) and it worked well for Need for Speed, but it was unplayable with something like Arkham City due to the fact that you really needed a bigger screen to navigate where you were going.

[Kav]

I have the same problem, I have to be in the same room to use my Gamepad, the signal is so weak.

[bob]

I can use it in the kitchen, but who the fuck wants to play in the kitchen.