ElectricBlanketFire
Member
I hate the Wii U as a system but it has some of my all time favorite games on it including the greatest 2D platformer of all time in Donkey Kong Country Returns.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Let's talk launches: Nintendo Wii U (November 18, 2012)
- Thread starter Theslammer
- Start date
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
The dirty secret is that NSMBU is the best 2D Mario game
No, it's not. I barely got half way into the game before I was bored out of my mind.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Outside of the ridiculous day one OS update, the launch was....ok.
It was the next ten months that were a complete disaster. The Wii U may go down as having the worst first year in home console history.
It was the next ten months that were a complete disaster. The Wii U may go down as having the worst first year in home console history.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Also NintendoLand gave my friends and I at least Sid months of weekly fun. We played the shit out of that game
CloudStrife_ca
Member
I got my Wii U about a year after launch that was only due to the fact that I was moving to another part of the country. I know the Wii U is seen as kind of a failure but I liked it. Wind Waker, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8 and then original Splatoon which I almost passed up on but drove around all over the morning of the launch to grab all the Amiibo's and game.
To anyone who's owned the Wii U, it will go down as possibly Nintendo's most underrated console arguably next to the Gamecube.
To anyone who's owned the Wii U, it will go down as possibly Nintendo's most underrated console arguably next to the Gamecube.
Nah, it was a snoozefest for far too much of it. Luigi U was a great addon, but probably a bit too far in the other direction for most people. A happy balance of both rolled in to one title would have been better.
Probably one of the worst launch lineups I can remember. It was the first Nintendo console I didn't pick up at launch.
In fact, I didn't pick it up until nearly a year later. I actually like the Wii U a lot, more than most, but you can't deny that the system wasn't appealing for nearly a year.
In fact, I didn't pick it up until nearly a year later. I actually like the Wii U a lot, more than most, but you can't deny that the system wasn't appealing for nearly a year.
I'm still surprised that they never tried to 'rescue' Wii U in some way, like they did with the 3DS. Nintendo just left it to die.
I still think that if they'd dropped the Gamepad and renamed the console 'Wii 2', then released a Wii 2 SKU with the console + a Wii remote and a Pro controller instead of a gamepad (and patched the system not to require the gamepad) it would have at least recovered a little bit, with a big marketing push. If you remove the Gamepad and push the system focus towards Pro controller & Wii Remote, it was essentially a more powerful Wii.
If they'd done that as Mario 3D World was dropping, who knows. It worked for Sony when they rebranded Playstation 3 as PS3 halfway through the gen alongside the Slim PS3 launch and completely changed its marketing message.
I still think that if they'd dropped the Gamepad and renamed the console 'Wii 2', then released a Wii 2 SKU with the console + a Wii remote and a Pro controller instead of a gamepad (and patched the system not to require the gamepad) it would have at least recovered a little bit, with a big marketing push. If you remove the Gamepad and push the system focus towards Pro controller & Wii Remote, it was essentially a more powerful Wii.
If they'd done that as Mario 3D World was dropping, who knows. It worked for Sony when they rebranded Playstation 3 as PS3 halfway through the gen alongside the Slim PS3 launch and completely changed its marketing message.
OrbitalBeard
Member
I think Nintendo knew internally shortly before launch that the system was in trouble. By early 2013, they likely knew it was in deep trouble and by the end of 2013, knew it was a failure that could not be salvaged. Price drops and new hardware configurations wouldn't have meaningfully grown the install base or produced enough additional revenue to make such endeavors worthwhile. And once third parties completely abandoned ship after less than six months, there was no way to get them back. PS3 had major issues early on, but never on the same level as Wii U. PS3's major hurdle was price. Wii U's hurdle was one that could not really be fixed: it was a completely unappealing product.
IAmtheFMan
Member
The Wii U launch was extremely frustrating.
It was frustrating that Nintendo decided to let the 3rd parties do the heavy lifting and had no super compelling 1st party games at launch. Sure, I had a lot of fun with Nintendoland and I played through NSMB Wii U, but come on. We were in the era of being inundated with NSMB games and it really wasn't a game to me that screamed "holy shit, I need this now!"
It was frustrating that some of the 3rd parties that did give a shit got buried or just were a victim of circumstance. The Nintendo-published NG:3 RE was definitely more polished than the 360/PS3 versions, but was still fundamentally a bad game. Zombi U for some reason I really don't understand got lambasted at launch whereas I still think it's a great survival horror game that's still underrated.
It was frustrating that the rest of the 3rd parties largely phoned it in with feature-less ports, late, or inferior versions of their existing games. Obviously releasing a full priced ME: 3 in the setting of other systems getting Trilogy is the biggest offender.
It was frustrating that the UI was clunky, and decidedly non-Nintendo like, and that the initial update was a pain in the ass. It was also buggy and prone to hard crashes.
Lastly it was frustrating that Nintendo struggled so much to get out the games. There was all that speculation that Nintendo had trouble with developing in HD for the first time. I don't know how much stock there was in that vs. just self-assurance and unpreparedness following the success of the Wii, but clearly they didn't have much compelling software until some time into the console's life.
But TBH, if these growing pains led us to where we are with the Switch, then they obviously learned a lot from those pains and I'm actually strangely glad they went through it. The Switch is everything the Wii U wasn't; quick, snappy, easy to understand with clear messaging and PR, a great library thus far (including a clear monumental 'Killer App' in BOTW) and an extremely exciting future and... oh yeah complete versatility in portability and convenience.
It was frustrating that Nintendo decided to let the 3rd parties do the heavy lifting and had no super compelling 1st party games at launch. Sure, I had a lot of fun with Nintendoland and I played through NSMB Wii U, but come on. We were in the era of being inundated with NSMB games and it really wasn't a game to me that screamed "holy shit, I need this now!"
It was frustrating that some of the 3rd parties that did give a shit got buried or just were a victim of circumstance. The Nintendo-published NG:3 RE was definitely more polished than the 360/PS3 versions, but was still fundamentally a bad game. Zombi U for some reason I really don't understand got lambasted at launch whereas I still think it's a great survival horror game that's still underrated.
It was frustrating that the rest of the 3rd parties largely phoned it in with feature-less ports, late, or inferior versions of their existing games. Obviously releasing a full priced ME: 3 in the setting of other systems getting Trilogy is the biggest offender.
It was frustrating that the UI was clunky, and decidedly non-Nintendo like, and that the initial update was a pain in the ass. It was also buggy and prone to hard crashes.
Lastly it was frustrating that Nintendo struggled so much to get out the games. There was all that speculation that Nintendo had trouble with developing in HD for the first time. I don't know how much stock there was in that vs. just self-assurance and unpreparedness following the success of the Wii, but clearly they didn't have much compelling software until some time into the console's life.
But TBH, if these growing pains led us to where we are with the Switch, then they obviously learned a lot from those pains and I'm actually strangely glad they went through it. The Switch is everything the Wii U wasn't; quick, snappy, easy to understand with clear messaging and PR, a great library thus far (including a clear monumental 'Killer App' in BOTW) and an extremely exciting future and... oh yeah complete versatility in portability and convenience.
OrbitalBeard
Member
The rest of your post was great, but I'd like to highlight how right you are here.
The Wii U's first year must have shaken Nintendo to its core. The Switch's 2017 lineup is a direct response to that disastrous period in their history.
I see where you're coming from but I find it hard to accept that making a 'Wii 2' would be a completely unappealing product, when its predecessor sold 100 million. That's like saying a 'Playstation 2' would be completely unappealing just because it has the same controller with a bit more power.
If it had been pushed with a Wii Remote focus alongside HD graphics, as an HD Wii, the gamepad would have (rightly) long been forgotten and I think the sales could have improved a little. All they'd really need to do was take the gamepad out, put a Wii Remote in and give it a new name on the box, and it would have at least sold better - even though it would have never ever got near Wii numbers with such a samey follow up.
It wasn't just the console decisions that were weird with Wii U, it was games too. Nintendo abandoned Wii Sports, making that weird-ass downloadable remaster of the original instead of a new game at retail. Nintendo murdered Wii Fit, making that stupid Wii Fit U with a bizarre add-on, instead of just making Wii Fiit 3. There was no Wii Play 2, either. They took all the games that made the Wii so popular and completely abandoned them all, except for Mario Kart (which turned out to be the system's best-selling game - what does that tell you?).
Great games came to the Wii U, but the console itself was a dumpster dire from start to end. Launch OS was slow as all hell and the overall experience was at best mediocre. The OS sped up over time, but still is clunky and slow. The controller was and forever will be just flat out ridiculous (Mario Builder justified it, kinda).
With that said, a lot of great software came to that awful hardware. Fortunately, most of it will be ported to the Switch.
With that said, a lot of great software came to that awful hardware. Fortunately, most of it will be ported to the Switch.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Would it have sold better? Maybe.
Would it have been worth the effort? Doubtful. A defacto relaunch like this wouldn't have been ready to go until around late 2014 and would have been an incredibly expensive risk. Nintendo would essentially have to deprogram everyone's understanding of Wii U via clever marketing and then try to sell them the same system again under a different name.
I think Nintendo was smart to cut their losses, offer decent support for the core Wii U userbase, and focus the majority of their future efforts on mobile + NX after it was clear Wii U was a failure.
That's it though. I don't think most people had any understanding of what Wii U was. That's reflected in all the anecdotes about 'tablet for Wii' confusion and, frankly, the sales figures. They should have just pushed Wii 2 like it was a new console and quietly buried the gamepad forever more. Only geek types like us would have even known any different.
It's amazing that in 2017 we still get people who believe this to be the case. The Wii U was shafted before release. Nintendo tried to recapture what it interpreted as the core, which a decade before had been labelled the casual FIFA/Call of Duty crowd. The people they'd brought into the fold with the Wii had felt abandoned after years of droughts and what got rebranded as casual games dried up.
A more powerful Wii wouldn't have done better because people moved on from the Wii. Mobile became their new home and its taking the Switch to offer something new in order to bring back devs and gamers.
Getting rid of the Gamepad might have made it cheaper but who was going to buy a cheap Nintendo? Not the FIFA crowd, they were all on PS360. No party chat, no achievements, it was worse at the game with two existing competitors.
And look at the Xbox One. Got rid of Kinect and became a cheaper PS4. And it's a shadow of the 360. The XOX is removing the power disadvantage but why would a PS4 owner sell their library and switch to Xbox any more than anyone would've done the same for a cheaper Wii U?
Sony didn't fight back with a rebrand, they tried to claw back parity, invested in titles and kept a foothold in EMEA regions.
The Switch represents more than hybrid technology, it's hybrid philosophy. Nintendo can dedicate itself to one platform and gives people confidence that if they buy a console, they'll get the games they want.
Yeah, I think people overestimate how many consumers even knew about the Wii U. It could definitely have been repackaged and rereleased. But it would've needed some improvements to be worthwhile and I can believe they just didn't think the effort was worth it. But when you think about it, the Wii is just a small upgrade to the GameCube with new (but revolutionary) controllers. The 360 had a second life with the Kinect. And the PS3 kept getting new pushes after its initial failure. it's not unheard of.
I'm not sure how they could have repackaged it in a way similar to how they went from GameCube to Wii. Perhaps it might've been worth it if they had improved the Wii integration so it was more seamless. No switching OSes to access old content. No two eShops. Gamepad functionality on VC Wii games. It should've been their ultimate classic machine. Able to play all their old systems and can even emulate the DS line. Honestly, as it is, the system is nearly capable of all of that. So it isn't a huge stretch to think they could've made a machine like this.
I skipped it completely at launch (the name, the presentation, etc. all really had me feeling down on it), and even when I did buy one later (the WWHD bundle along with NSMBU), I still wasn't convinced I'd made a smart purchase. The years that followed would prove me wrong though, as the exclusives on it proved to be of the highest quality. It became my most played console for those years from about when SM3DW released all the way through to BOTW.
Without it, we probably wouldn't have the Switch, so its existence, even if unsuccessful, was and is still very important.
Without it, we probably wouldn't have the Switch, so its existence, even if unsuccessful, was and is still very important.
even though the Wii U pretty much failed, it still gave me a good time with several games and it was also the system that kickstarted my youtube channel (i made a video of beating NSMBU the day i got it and that video got like 2 million views for some reason). for that it will be always my most important system.
ironically, those things might be worth quite a lot many years from now when good condition gamepad replacements become rare.
My main memory of the launch is:
ironically, those things might be worth quite a lot many years from now when good condition gamepad replacements become rare.
I was very very excited for Wii U and ultimately it was a great purchase for me. I've joked with my friends that Nintendo made the console just for me, as it had so many of favorite games. It really felt catered to my tastes (which unfortunately were not the same as the masses haha).
Also NSMB U is a fantastic game. It gets some flack for being same-y, but it's really well made.
Also NSMB U is a fantastic game. It gets some flack for being same-y, but it's really well made.
capylikesgames
Banned
I remember saving up paychecks from my very first job in anticipation. This was the very first console I worked for and acquired on my own, so the Wii U is very special to me. I remember my family being appalled by how much money I put into the launch, but it was worth it. It was actually selling out at stores initially, which is hilarious to consider now. I couldn't get my hands on a 32GB bundle, but I don't regret grabbing the 8GB model, which is still kicking to this day (I still remember the cashier trying persuade me to pay for an expensive warranty; glad I saved that cash). Target had a buy two games, get one free deal at the time, and I remember grabbing NSMBU, Arkham City, and Nintendo Land. I had a lot of fun with family and friends playing the first party stuff, and it was nice to settle down and sit through Batman once the day was done. I could go on forever if this was a general appreciation thread, haha. Maybe there were better experiences to be had on other platforms, but the Wii U launch was very unique, and I'm glad I got to be a part of that.
Poltergust
Member
What still baffles me is how Nintendo allowed NSMB2 to be released on the 3DS just a couple of months before the release of the Wii U. It made NSMBU almost redundant (despite being a much better game).
eXistor
Member
Some great launch games for sure. I never understood how people disliked the launch line-up so much. The triple whammy of NSMBU (one of the greatest 2D platformers ever made), Nintendoland (one of the best mini-game compilations ever made) and ZombiU (very solid and fresh take on survival horror) ensured the WiiU was getting some serious playtime inthe beginning months.
I think it's the best side-scrolling Mario game since the SMB3/SMW days. I know a lot of folks will say I mistyped YI, but eh.
ZombiU was where it was at. Still one of my favorite games. Lots of fantastic ideas and probably one of the few games in the whole system's life that the gamepad added something to the experience and felt relevant.
As a person who owned a WiiU and at least several dozen games for it, it does feel like Nintendo wasn't quite sure what to do with their franchises through that era. We had some real standouts like Pikmin3, MarioKart8, and an amazing new ip in Splatoon, but a lot of the games felt kinda phoned in and their art styles felt lacking in personality or bold direction (ie. NSMBU).
I did love my time with the system, but I think one of the most important part of its legacy is that it appears to have given Nintendo a massive kick in the pants to get its shit together. Now with BOTW, Splatoon2, ARMS, Odyssey, Mario+Rabbids, etc - it feels like we might be entering another golden age of Nintendo. BOTW and Odyssey in particularly feel like all time franchise highs to me and I have very high expectations for Prime 4 and the other first party games coming down the pike.
That said, WiiU launch wasn't terrible for me as some of the 3rd party ports I hadn't played yet and ZombiU gave me something substantial to dig into early on...it was the next 12 months that were absolutely brutal.
As a person who owned a WiiU and at least several dozen games for it, it does feel like Nintendo wasn't quite sure what to do with their franchises through that era. We had some real standouts like Pikmin3, MarioKart8, and an amazing new ip in Splatoon, but a lot of the games felt kinda phoned in and their art styles felt lacking in personality or bold direction (ie. NSMBU).
I did love my time with the system, but I think one of the most important part of its legacy is that it appears to have given Nintendo a massive kick in the pants to get its shit together. Now with BOTW, Splatoon2, ARMS, Odyssey, Mario+Rabbids, etc - it feels like we might be entering another golden age of Nintendo. BOTW and Odyssey in particularly feel like all time franchise highs to me and I have very high expectations for Prime 4 and the other first party games coming down the pike.
That said, WiiU launch wasn't terrible for me as some of the 3rd party ports I hadn't played yet and ZombiU gave me something substantial to dig into early on...it was the next 12 months that were absolutely brutal.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
I felt the trifecta of NSMB U, Nintendo Land, and Zombi U was a pretty strong reason to get the system at launch. All very solid games.
eXistor
Member
It started with the most boring one and that almost killed the series from the get-go for me. If you can look past the safe and bland aesthetic and music (definitely downsides in every game) you'll find some of the best level-design in 2D platformers. I'm baffled how people prefer Rayman Origins and Legends over NSMB, they're like amateur-hour in my eyes compared to the master-class of game-design of (most of the) NSMB games.
Theslammer
Member
I think 'Wii 2' would have been easier to identify than Wii U. I knew what the Wii U was, but it almost sounds like an extension of the Wii, rather than a successor.
I think you hit the nail on the head, most people never got past the bland visuals. I for one did and played most of the entries in that series - you are absolutely right the actual level design was spot on and some of the best around. If you slapped on a retro mario art style or something cel-shaded or just plain more interesting I think it would be a far more highly revered subset of 2d Marios than the sort of punchline most people treat it as.
It also suffered by being used as a launch title and a way to promote the new system. Looking mostly identical to the original Wii version except HD and some added effects didn't do much to help people distinguish. Especially when most ads used the generic World 1 levels that a casual observer would be unable to distinguish from the first game in the series.
I wouldn't go that far, but I think of the Origins and Legends games as having more in common with the DKCR/TF games due to level length and some of the isolated temple/chase levels having a rather high degree of difficulty in order to run them without dying. But even then, still very different games.
I loved the games on Wii U and am very happy that I got one around launch (picked on up about a month after launch). The hardware itself was and is terrible.
Nintendo Land, in particular Luigi's Ghost Mansion was awesome with friends and still is. I didn't particularly enjoy playing it on my own but it wasn't built for that even with single player only stuff in there.
ZombiU was a fantastic concept that probably could have done with a longer development time to boost review scores and hence sales but I really enjoyed it.
New Super Mario Bros. U is easily the best 2D Mario in the New series of titles but it wasn't the right time for it. I enjoyed my time with it but never felt like playing past the credits and didn't play much of New Super Luigi U either when that wad released.
After launch there was nothing for a long time. Wonderful 101 didn't click with me, Pikmin 3 didn't either and I only played through half of that. For me it wasn't until Super Mario 3D World that the Wii U had a must have game. Such a great time both single player and multiplayer with friends.
In the end, Wii U had a slim line up of software gated behind an unattractive hardware proposition and it is pretty clear that Nintendo mismanaged the transition from Wii to Wii U. I would point to a focus on rescuing the launch of 3DS and difficulties in transitioning to HD development as the key reasons behind this.
Nintendo needed to try to extend the life of Wii with a Wii HD or something in 2011 to give them more time to develop the hardware and software for Wii U. However I have to be happy with the way things went considering we now have the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo Land, in particular Luigi's Ghost Mansion was awesome with friends and still is. I didn't particularly enjoy playing it on my own but it wasn't built for that even with single player only stuff in there.
ZombiU was a fantastic concept that probably could have done with a longer development time to boost review scores and hence sales but I really enjoyed it.
New Super Mario Bros. U is easily the best 2D Mario in the New series of titles but it wasn't the right time for it. I enjoyed my time with it but never felt like playing past the credits and didn't play much of New Super Luigi U either when that wad released.
After launch there was nothing for a long time. Wonderful 101 didn't click with me, Pikmin 3 didn't either and I only played through half of that. For me it wasn't until Super Mario 3D World that the Wii U had a must have game. Such a great time both single player and multiplayer with friends.
In the end, Wii U had a slim line up of software gated behind an unattractive hardware proposition and it is pretty clear that Nintendo mismanaged the transition from Wii to Wii U. I would point to a focus on rescuing the launch of 3DS and difficulties in transitioning to HD development as the key reasons behind this.
Nintendo needed to try to extend the life of Wii with a Wii HD or something in 2011 to give them more time to develop the hardware and software for Wii U. However I have to be happy with the way things went considering we now have the Nintendo Switch.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Of course Wii 2 is easier to identify than Wii U and that's what Nintendo probably should have gone with from the start.
But rebranding Wii U as "Wii 2" two years after it launched would not have been a good idea. Nintendo was incredibly smart to cut their losses after 2013 and start fresh with NX/Switch. There's no point in continuing to put resources into a project you know has failed. Wii U was a nothing like PS3, which was an appealing product held back by a high price tag and a somewhat lacking lineup early on. I think what some are failing to realize here is that by 2012, the Wii branding was already starting to become toxic and by 2014, it was a completely dead brand.
I definitely don't overestimate it. I worked retail at the time of Wii U's launch and it was almost impossible to sell consumers on the system, because the entire concept was either too confusing or they simply didn't care. Very few people knew about Wii U for two reasons:
1. Nintendo marketed the console horribly. Which is honestly kind of understandable, because it can be very hard to market an unappealing product.
2. People lost interest in the Wii brand.
I think point #2 is especially important and why Nintendo was smart to move on.
CanUKlehead
Member
'Unprecedented' support from EA is what I recall, and makes me throw up a little in bw fits of laughter.
Within months, ghost town. Maybe expectations were high that NCL finally sorted 3rd parties, but that laughable start made me ignore the Wii U until NCL's own heavy hitters--Mario Kart/3D World/Bayo 2--arrived in 2014.
Basically, there was nothing at launch that made me want a Wii U and the subsequent press soon after didn't do them any favours.
Within months, ghost town. Maybe expectations were high that NCL finally sorted 3rd parties, but that laughable start made me ignore the Wii U until NCL's own heavy hitters--Mario Kart/3D World/Bayo 2--arrived in 2014.
Basically, there was nothing at launch that made me want a Wii U and the subsequent press soon after didn't do them any favours.
I think a slightly more accurate way to put it would be to say that the Wii brand was toxic for the people that actually knew what a Wii U was. I remember during launch several gaming outlets doing launch coverage, showing themselves playing Nintendoland and answering user questions. The amount of misinformation they were spreading was astounding. I watched a video of two guys getting the resolution the system could handle wrong, whether it had backwards compatibility, frankly some real basic shit about the system. People like to brush it off as Nintendo doing a bad job at explaining the system, but that's horseshit. By the time the system launched, anybody claiming to be a "games journalist" or hosting a fucking video meant to inform consumers about a product should be educated on the matter, or should be professional enough to admit when they didn't know something rather than to straight up misinform their viewers. It really turned me off from a lot of games media.
Astral Dog
Member
Poor Wii U i loved it, Switch is going to be better but Wii U was the start of Nintendo HD games, Platinum partnership, Warriors, etc.
-Stranger-
Junior Member
Lol i gotmmy Wii U in January of this year.
Very LTTP but ive enjoyed it alot so far.
Great games
Zelda Breath of the Wild
Super Mario 3D World
Toyko Mirage Sessions
Pikmin 3
Bayonetta 2
Shame miiverse ends soon.
Does that mean no more online multi as well?
I know Splatoon 1 still has a healthy community.
Very LTTP but ive enjoyed it alot so far.
Great games
Zelda Breath of the Wild
Super Mario 3D World
Toyko Mirage Sessions
Pikmin 3
Bayonetta 2
Shame miiverse ends soon.
Does that mean no more online multi as well?
I know Splatoon 1 still has a healthy community.
Aw fuck! I forgot about the DDP! That combined with Best Buy's occasional 20-25% off eShop cards made going primarily digital too easy...though I kinda regret it. So they did well in suckering me in.
OrbitalBeard
Member
It's really not though. This is the worst system introduction in Nintendo's history, easily. Regardless of any misinformation the media may have spread, Nintendo did an absolutely horrible job introducing and marketing the machine.
Man, what a complete disaster. I mean, sure you look at the list of launch games and think it's not so bad, but there's nothing there that's must have. New Super Mario Bros U was the 4th game in the series in 6 years and at that point it couldn't have been less exciting. I'm a Nintendo fan and even I had no interest getting it at launch. I ended up getting it for $170 when it went on clearance at a store here in Australia 18 months later after it bombed super hard.
The entire marketing and product placement was terrible too. By 2012 the Wii brand had lost all its mindshare, so they come up with something that tonnes of people genuinely mistake for a Wii peripheral.
The entire marketing and product placement was terrible too. By 2012 the Wii brand had lost all its mindshare, so they come up with something that tonnes of people genuinely mistake for a Wii peripheral.
Theslammer
Member
Ah, so that being what you meant, I agree. I caught you guys mid-convo, it seems, and thought we were talking about how to originally brand it.
I agree with the PS3's description. I know that first year, many games seemed to disappoint (Lair's reception is still vivid to me), but the machine itself and some of the games that were announced (LittleBigPlanet and MGS4 for me specifically) seemed very, very appealing. I just couldn't afford the thing or ask someone to gift it to me, haha.
This video never stops being completely baffling. Nintendo's marketing was in such a sorry state for the entire Wii U era.
I also don't think naming the console Wii 2 would've made it a success, whether it launched with that name or they pivoted to it later. There was a seismic shift in the consumer electronics industry in between the launch of the Wii and Wii U. Plus, naming it the Wii 2 would still be doubling down on the same fundamental error: Nintendo assumed that because the Wii was successful, its successor would be too. They made the same mistake for the 3DS, including pairing it with a largely unappealing gimmick (Gamepad:3D display). Obviously the 3DS went on to be much more successful than the Wii U, but I think Nintendo lost an entire generation by taking its successes for granted.
Of course, the Switch is a different story.
My memories of launch were walking into Best Buy about 4 hours after they opened to pick up my preorder and seeing so many unsold Wii U's that they literally had them stacked as high as I am tall and no one was in the game section other than me and the guy working the register. Also getting the system home and setting it up and then......waiting an hour and a half for the update to download and install. And then finally being able to play a game only to find out that it literally took about two minutes to enter and exit a game. The Wii U hardware was a complete piece of crap when it launched. I did like Mario, Nintendoland, and ZombiU though. Then what was it another 6 months before more games came put?
It's certainly the best 2D Mario since World.