Your opinion on the Wii U

[daniel]

It looks like it'll be more powerful than the xbox 360 and PS3, but not substantially so. With the gimmicky controller and non-inspiring specs they'll likely keep their target audience and sell a lot more shovelware. I foresee Sony and M$ leapfrogging it by quite a margin and again fighting it out for more old school gamers.

[Derek‽]

I like the idea, in that Nintendo has (almost) finally figured out how to correct some of the major complaints I've had for years. It remains to be seen how well these changes will be implemented. More power is A-OK by me, and if they have a proper network infrastructure that can handle proper online gaming, then that's just dandy too.

A controller with a screen is nothing new, but I like the idea. The ability to switch back and forth between the TV and the controller screen is appealing if you want to keep the console in your living room and feel like playing a game while others in your house watch TV. I think this feature has been over-hyped, but that doesn't take away from the usefulness of the concept. It's just so ridiculously big that it seems as if it would almost be a burden for a core gamer to use. Using the screen to display status messages from games being played on the TV is one thing, but I just know it's going to become a horrible element of games' designs to use it as second screen to control the game in the same way the DS does.

Ultimately, I feel it will be too little, too late. I can't see core gamers putting down their PlayStations and Xboxes for the opportunity to play many of those same games on a different platform. Not unless they have a serious urge to play Mario. I believe most gamers are content with their current system of choice and have little incentive to switch or otherwise divide up their time. We all have our friends lists on XBL and PSN, so why should we ditch them and start from scratch? We all have digital purchases tied exclusively to our accounts on other platforms, so why should we migrate to a new console where we can't access this content? We all have overpriced accessories that work only with one console, so why should we buy a new one that will require new accessory purchases? We all have extensive game libraries that cost us hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Two to three years ago Nintendo might have had a chance, but we're committed at this point. Nintendo's best hope of getting converts is that they can steal loyalists away when their competitors release their next round of consoles.

I've been rather back and forth as to whether or not I want to get one. If I end up getting a replacement PS3 then the answer is no, but otherwise I might. It'll dependon how promising it looks next holiday season.

[Luke]

Looks ok, I won't be buying one though

[K]

The Wii U? It's a GIANT DS. The tablet you hold is the touch screen aspect, and the TV is the top screen. >>

[Hero]

Jun 13, 2011 19:08:10 GMT -8 Derek‽ said:

I like the idea, in that Nintendo has (almost) finally figured out how to correct some of the major complaints I've had for years. It remains to be seen how well these changes will be implemented. More power is A-OK by me, and if they have a proper network infrastructure that can handle proper online gaming, then that's just dandy too.

A controller with a screen is nothing new, but I like the idea. The ability to switch back and forth between the TV and the controller screen is appealing if you want to keep the console in your living room and feel like playing a game while others in your house watch TV. I think this feature has been over-hyped, but that doesn't take away from the usefulness of the concept. It's just so ridiculously big that it seems as if it would almost be a burden for a core gamer to use. Using the screen to display status messages from games being played on the TV is one thing, but I just know it's going to become a horrible element of games' designs to use it as second screen to control the game in the same way the DS does.

Ultimately, I feel it will be too little, too late. I can't see core gamers putting down their PlayStations and Xboxes for the opportunity to play many of those same games on a different platform. Not unless they have a serious urge to play Mario. I believe most gamers are content with their current system of choice and have little incentive to switch or otherwise divide up their time. We all have our friends lists on XBL and PSN, so why should we ditch them and start from scratch? We all have digital purchases tied exclusively to our accounts on other platforms, so why should we migrate to a new console where we can't access this content? We all have overpriced accessories that work only with one console, so why should we buy a new one that will require new accessory purchases? We all have extensive game libraries that cost us hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Two to three years ago Nintendo might have had a chance, but we're committed at this point. Nintendo's best hope of getting converts is that they can steal loyalists away when their competitors release their next round of consoles.

I've been rather back and forth as to whether or not I want to get one. If I end up getting a replacement PS3 then the answer is no, but otherwise I might. It'll dependon how promising it looks next holiday season.

Honestly, this is pretty much how I feel also. I loved what I saw at E3 (even if I didn't completely understand the point of the tablet until I watched the press conference), but I'm still skeptical as to whether or not it will attract the third party developers like promised.

I think price will be a huge issue also, I can't see myself paying anymore than $350 for it at launch considering it doesn't offer TO much more than it's competitors do (which are both cheaper than that at this point, right? I don't follow the PS3 much at all).

I'll definitely get it eventually (Mario I couldn't care less about, but I need me some Zelda every now and then), but we'll see how it actually fares.

[Derek‽]

Jun 14, 2011 15:01:42 GMT -8 Hero said:

I think price will be a huge issue also, I can't see myself paying anymore than $350 for it at launch considering it doesn't offer TO much more than it's competitors do (which are both cheaper than that at this point, right? I don't follow the PS3 much at all).

This is something I had meant to mention in my previous post but forgot about. Nintendo's claim that the Wii U "won't be cheap" indicates a huge mistake, which could be the final nail in the coffin as far as its adoption by competitor's loyalists is concerned. You can get a new 360 for $200 and a new PS3 for $300. If the Wii U doesn't launch at or under $300 then there's no sense in even releasing it at all. It absolutely needs to be cheap. Especially if they allow publishers to price games at $60 (or possible above?) like they do on other consoles.

In fact, game pricing may be an indicator of how much third-party support the console gets. Cross-platform titles won't really get an expansion on sales, as people who want Battlefield and Assassin's Creed will already have another console to play it on. The Wii U will only, for the most part, take these title's sales from other platforms. If games don't keep their $50 price ceiling, I think Wii fans are going to be rather upset and Nintendo will lose one of their advantages. However, that's up to a $10/copy loss in revenue for publishers, which may not justify the additional expenses associated with porting and publishing for yet another platform. While it seems like it's getting a lot of third-party support right now, I think we're going to see that support dwindle after a couple years.

Speaking of third-party support for cross-platform games, am I the only one who's realized that the games announced could end up being released up to a year after their initial launch on other platforms? The incentive for a gamer to switch is practically nonexistent at this point.

[Hero]

xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1176197p1.html

A Challenger Has Appeared.

Time Splitters is my all time favorite FPS, so I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this.

[Eliy Beats]

Wee always seemed kiddish to me although super smash bros was the game on it.

[Xperience]

Looks like a Sky TV box mixed with a first gen Xbox 360.

[Former Member]

I don't really get the concept of the Wii U, but it seems pretty cool.

[Sir Neless]

Well I like the idea seems good to e I will be getting it right after I get the X box 360 then I can have all the consoles no but seriously I want to get it.

[The Dancing Lock Guy]

Never tried it. Have no opinion on its game-play. Looks like an over sized etch-a-sketch from what I've seen.