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Should Nintendo have dropped the gamepad back in 2013 to reduce console price?

V

VertPin

Member
Let's face it. The WiiU desperately could have used a price drop two years ago.

The gamepad is a gigantic factor to the cost of the WiiU. It also happens to be an uncomfortable, heavy controller. Lots of people also prefer to use the pro controller, myself included.

Anyways, let's say the console dropped to as low as $199.99 if Nintendo dropped the gamepad, would you have bought one? Would there have been more hope or success for this console back in 2013 if Nintendo just dropped the gamepad?
 
P

Platy

Member
Even Kirby Rainbow Curse are better than ANOTHER price drop.

People would still be "will wait for 150 with splatoon and 3d world"
 
V

VertPin

Member
Interceptor said:
No.
Click to expand...

image.php


Alistair Roo said:
.
Click to expand...

image.php


Can you explain your reasons for "no"?

Trogdor1123 said:
It should never have been a requirement in the first place. Should have just stuck with the pro controller 100%
Click to expand...

100% agree with this.
 
I

iidesuyo

Member
No, but it's time for a slim version.

Something that doesn't feel like Fisher Price and has decent battery life.


People would still be "will wait for 150 with splatoon and 3d world"
Click to expand...

That would be a great bundle. They used to do it!

NES + 4 Controllers + 3 games, why not

754776600_v2_4_Big.jpg
 
T

Theanine3D

Member
Price isn't the main reason the console hasn't sold well.

The GameCube costed only $99 for a long time, and it still got trounced by the much pricier and weaker PS2.

I don't think removing the GamePad would have helped Nintendo much at all.
 
G

GamerJM

Banned
I think it would have helped console sales, but it wouldn't have been financially beneficial to them overall with the work it would take to implement + the lack of NFC stuff.
 
N

Neoxon

Junior Member
If Nintendo dropped the GamePad in 2013, we would have had...
  • No Amiibos
  • A completely different Splatoon (that may not have even been as good as it is now)
  • No Super Mario Maker
So yeah, they shouldn't have. Maybe they should have made a cheaper GamePad, but not ditch the thing altogether.
 
T

Theognosis

Member
No. Games need to be migrated to Nintendo's next handheld which requires a touchscreen. This is exactly the reason why Nintendo had to abandon Wiimote motion controls because that's useless on a handheld.
 
V

VertPin

Member
Question for those who are replying with "no".

Would you be disappointed if the NX doesn't support the gamepad?

Interceptor said:
I would but your Avatar quotes let me doubt you are interested in an answer anyways.
Click to expand...

I am interested, why else would I have asked the question?
 
jobrro

jobrro

Member
There's a lot of things they could have done to become more competitive, especially pre-launch and in the development stage, but I don't think removing the GamePad from the SKU would have helped too much mid-gen and it would have created many compatibility issues. The Wii U was confusing enough for non-informed consumers.
 
A

akidnamededdy

Banned
The Wii U is what it is. Drop the price and people who were never gonna buy one anyway would be here posting about how it's still too much and the account system is whack and whatever else.
 
U

Umibozu

Member
nintendo manufactured their consoles(wiiU) early on, whether or not they included the gamepad wouldn't have made them more money. The gamepads were already manufactured at that point, whether or not it was included wouldn't have meant higher profits.

So, no.

Would a lower entry cost have moved more units, yes, but that would've lost nintendo more money and they were selling their consoles at a loss.
 
C

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
I can't find the source for it now, but I remember reading that Nintendo apparently had a contract for like 12 million gamepads from the start of the generation. Assuming I'm not misremembering (which is entirely possible) that would mean there wouldn't really be a point in dropping the gamepad because they already bought them and haven't sold through their initial allotment.
 
D

Dicer

Banned
no
No
NO!!!!

For fucking fuck fuckity fuck sakes No...stop asking the answer never changes.

Just because people dislike the pad, it's not the reason for the lack of success for the Wii U.

Also, without the pad we wouldn't have Splatoon and Mario Maker

Let it go, drop it so on and so forth.


No.
 
S

Stallion Dan

Member
Yes.


Cost of entry was and is still too high. Sitting here years later looking at Wii U sales, nobody gave a crap about the Gamepad.
 
R

RichiRamjag

Member
The Wii U could have used some better launch titles and further support of the titles that did launch. Price wasn't a huge factor and it still isn't when you can buy them from Nintendo for $200. If you have games that people want to play, they'll pay.
 
G

greg400

Banned
NamikazeBurst said:
But then we wouldn't have Super Mario Maker.
Click to expand...

It could've worked with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or it could've been on 3DS.

Neoxon said:
If Nintendo dropped the GamePad in 2013, we would have had...
  • No Amiibos
  • A completely different Splatoon (that may not have even been as good as it is now)
  • No Super Mario Maker
So yeah, they shouldn't have. Maybe they should have made a cheaper GamePad, but not ditch the thing altogether.
Click to expand...
Splatoon would be better, an on-screen GUI map is something that game needs. Only thing that would be missing is the gyro, which should've been in the pro controller.
 
R

Richie

Member
Hell no.

In the overall scheme of things I'm sure the trainwreck that the Wii U has been commercially speaking will only be good for Nintendo in the long run. They have to learn from it and we can only benefit.

While they learn their lesson, Mario Maker, Splatoon and VC on the bed for me.
 
K

Kriken

Member
Could the Wii U have been saved? Excuse me, my wall doesn't have enough holes it it already, I'll go fix that
 
G

GoldStarz

Member
VertPin said:
I am interested, why else would I have asked the question?
Click to expand...
Because you want reassurance for your own opinion? You've already displayed passive aggressiveness and you don't seem to require an additional answer beyond "I didn't care for it" for those who answered "yes".
 
J

James Scott

Banned
VertPin said:
Question for those who are replying with "no".

Would you be disappointed if the NX doesn't support the gamepad?



I am interested, why else would I have asked the question?
Click to expand...
Depends, of course. But without the game pad you wouldn't have every single console supporting amiibo (they'd need to buy an adapter which would limit their market) and the pro controller is super limited just leaving a weak system without unique features.
Maybe if the pro supported motion controls. And "we'll make a pro controller with motion controls" wouldn't work too well since this would be presumably post launch. They'd also have to patch a lot of software to work without the game pad (even if the game pad isn't used too much for some games, earlier games required it to boot up)
 
V

VertPin

Member
Interceptor said:
Yes. But luckily the gamepad is here to stay. ^^
Click to expand...

Are we so sure it will stay with the NX? I'm not meaning to sound rude here, but it sounded like Nintendo wants to abandon the Wii entirely with the NX.

I'm all for gamepad support, but what would be the point if there is no backwards compatibility (I'm assuming its not going to be a thing with the NX)?

GoldStarz said:
Because you want reassurance for your own opinion? You've already displayed passive aggressiveness and you don't seem to require an additional answer beyond "I didn't care for it" for those who answered "yes".
Click to expand...

Didn't mean to sound passive agressive, sorry. Just legitimately curious.
 
N

Neoxon

Junior Member
Shikamaru Ninja said:
Sure about that? Unless you mean connecting your NX hand held to your NX console.
Click to expand...
VertPin said:
Are we so sure it will stay with the NX? I'm not meaning to sound rude here, but it sounded like Nintendo wants to abandon the Wii entirely with the NX.

I'm all for gamepad support, but what would be the point if there is no backwards compatibility (I'm assuming its not going to be a thing with the NX)?



Didn't mean to sound passive agressive, sorry. Just legitimately curious.
Click to expand...
The recent patent did mention a controller with a screen. So the concept of the GamePad may not go away (which makes sense if they're sticking with a handheld with dual screens), but the screen itself may be smaller for ergonomic purposes.

greg400 said:
Lolwat

All you need is an input device like a mouse, Wii Remote IR would not limit anything.
Click to expand...
I was referring to your 3DS version suggestion. And if I recall, the Wii U doesn't support anything USB-related except the GameCube Adapter & a keyboard.
 
G

greg400

Banned
Neoxon said:
I was referring to your 3DS version suggestion. And if I recall, the Wii U doesn't support anything USB-related except the GameCube Adapter & a keyboard.
Click to expand...

I'm saying the Wii Remote IR would act like a mouse, making everything possible.

And it would be fine on 3DS, would just need a zoom feature.
 
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