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[jroc74]

I mean, sure. There was probably no chance of the Wii U being a huge success on its own.

But I am absolutely positive they U'd themselves out of at least GameCube totals. Change it to Wii 2 without changing a single damn thing about the console and they would have had millions of more units sold just on sheer marketing clarity.

Oh I agree about that too.

Sometimes it's best to just keep it simple.

I remember how some didn't like the name Xbox One.

 

[FyreWulff]

to give you an idea of how much of a monster the ps2 was, it was already at 23-24 million sold when the GameCube and Xbox released.

It took the GC/XB their entire lifespans to sell what the PS2 did before they even got out

 

[chaosblade]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

 

[Madao]

I just hope Nintendo doesn't start to feel that every single one of their games underperformed because they were on the Wii U and that they can re-release all of them, even those that were never commercially-viable despite the Wii U. Games like Color Splash, Captain Toad, Pikmin 3, and Mario Party 10 can stay marooned on that console.

don't you dare diss the Capitan Todd!!

 

[FyreWulff]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

the console's install base and perception go hand in hand with game quality. Ocarina of Time was considered one of the greatest games of all time, they still got clocked by the Playstation.

 

[TheDinoman]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

Well, as it turns out, there's more to it than that. You also need appealing hardware.

 

[The Horror the horror]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

The PS2 didn't fly out the gate the way it did solely because of its launch titles.

 

[Astral Dog]

Mario Kart 8 still sold millions of copies for a 'failure'release

 

[ScientificPizza]

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

The Nintendo home console before the Wii U sold over 100 million units

 

[joker3782]

Oh I agree about that too.

Sometimes it's best to just keep it simple.

I remember how some didn't like the name Xbox One.

I still don't like the name Xbox One. Still can't believe they called it that. Same with the Wii U.

 

[Maximo]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

Yep seems like you don't understand considering a System is way more then just its games.

 

[Ravidrath]

I do really hope that we see Bayonetta, Tokyo Mirage Sessions and some of the other Wii U gems end up on the Switch.

Mario Kart 8 still sold millions of copies for a 'failure'release

It's not a failure in an absolute sense, but it is a relative one.

Mario Kart on the Wii sold 37M copies, and Mario Kart 8 sold a quarter of that.

 

[ScientificPizza]

I do really hope that we see Bayonetta, Tokyo Mirage Sessions and some of the other Wii U gems end up on the Switch.



It's not a failure, but it is a relative one.

Mario Kart on the Wii sold 37M copies, and this one sold a quarter of that.

Sure, but it sold 8 million copies on a console that only sold 12 million units. That attach rate is *insane*

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Makes me wonder though, why did the GameCube flop as hard as it did? That first year was insane, far bigger than Switches first year (out of what we know).

The lack of high profile Japanese games like Final Fantasy (outside of Crystal Chronicles), Dragon Quest, and high profile Western games like GTA, Guitar Hero, and Battlefront. That all being the result of 1) limited disc space preventing increasingly popular open-world games from making it to the platform, 2) a lack of online features when online gaming was beginning to become popular, 3) residual damage from the N64 gen (when Nintendo lost a ton of its Japanese support) and prior, and to a lesser extent 4) certain aspects of the GCN controller (less inputs and a layout unfriendly to certain control schemes). Edit: The GCN also lacked CD/DVD playback at a time where it was a big thing, and both the PS2 and Xbox supported it.

This was also before Nintendo managed to capture a sizeable chunk of casual gamers with the Wii/DS, and lacks the benefit of portability the Switch had. It also didn't help that the Mario and primary Zelda game on the console didn't mesh with a lot of fans at first. Meanwhile Breath of the Wild is almost universally loved and Odyssey seems to be the game many Mario fans have been dreaming of since Super Mario 64.

Edit: And yeah, of course there's the fact that the PS2 was already an enormous success by the time the GameCube dropped.

 

[chaosblade]

Yep seems like you don't understand considering a System is way more then just its games.

I really don't. I guess part of it is because I'm a PC gamer first so any console is nothing more than a DRM box, they are all essentially the exact same thing to me. Especially now that all of them charge for basic functionality like online multiplayer (so it's safe to say I'll never play online on a console again).

Console has games I want -> I buy that console. The idea of passing on a console that has games I want and then buying it's successor for those exact same games and port begging for further games from that system is just baffling to me. Yet it's common as hell.

 

[Phatcorns]

I don't think anyone forgot that Wii U was a failure.

Haha perfect.

 

[zeexlash]

Also reminds us that Nintendo put out some really amazing games for the system.

 

[K.Jack]

I honestly think calling it Wii 2 would have given it at least 2-3 million more sales. Maybe even more than that.

Super Wii was the move, imo

 

[bachikarn]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

The Wii U was really unappealing. Apparently people like Nintendo games but not enough to overcome the terribleness of the Wii U. Seems like there are quite a bit of lapsed Nintendo fans.

 

[Jubenhimer]

It's just goes to show how good marketing, compelling software, and actually good hardware can get you rewarded. The Wii U was all around, badly designed, ill-conceived, and atrociously marketed. The Switch fixes many of these issues, and Nintendo has learned a whole lot from that mess. Thus, they're being rewarded for making an actual compelling product.

I also hope the success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the Switch destroy the whole "Wii was a fad, casuals are gone" narrative that so many like to push. It's an oversimplification of what exactly went wrong with Nintendo during the Wii U era. The Wii U didn't fail because it targeted casuals, it failed because it wasn't a very attractive product. If you make an attractive product, people will buy it. That's how consumer entertainment works.

 

[DOWN]

Does this mean the odds are getting high that we will see the Wii U Zelda titles come to Switch? Like Wind Waker HD getting a port or digital port?

Hell they should do a collection that includes TP HD and WW HD at retail for Switch.

 

[Schopenhauerian]

I honestly think calling it Wii 2 would have given it at least 2-3 million more sales. Maybe even more than that...

They should have called it the Super Wii. People would have understood.

I've heard stories from someone in retail and he said WiiU was a nightmare for him because people just didn't understand how it worked. He'd get WiiU games back because people were surprised it didn't work on the Wii. I bet some of us even have similar experiences by just overhearing things in stores. I once saw a family picking up the red Wii mini and a WiiU game. Clerk had to explain it wouldn't work. It was never clear that this was an entirely new system. You can't blame people either, it was confusing if you're not following the news closely…

The Switch made it abundantly clear that the WiiU was like a ghost system, only visible to the hardcore.

Very few people in the scope of the market actually knew the Wii U was a game system. To the general audience, the Nintendo Switch is the first Nintendo system they have released since the Wii.

Yeah, just did a search to see what I could come up with, along these lines:

2013:
http://kotaku.com/5992182/nintendos-efforts-to-explain-the-wii-u-just-took-a-turn-for-the-absurd

2014:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=825925

2016:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/4k46qh/even_in_2016_retailers_dont_know_the_difference/

 

[Empyrean Heaven]

Th Wii U had some good games released for it so I won't say it sucked, but it certainly was a failure for a good reason.

Hopefully Nintendo continues the trend of Switch re-releases. I'd love to see some of the best games, like Mario Maker, Mario 3D World, Star Fox Zero (with proper analog controls), Captain Toad, Hyrule Warriors, Color Splash, and Pikmin 3 see a re-release.

Oh, and Smash of course, but I think everyone sees that one coming.

 

[The Hermit]

WiiU was shit through and through.

It had a few games, but that's it. Was only worthy for Mario 3D land, Donkey Kong TF and Bayonetta 1&2 (at the time, since Bayonetta has a PC version now).

Even Zelda is a worse version than the Switch ( I can actually visit and explore towns without feeling nauseated).

And it deserved the sales it had.

Nintendo should release some of its best games on the Switch so more people can appreciate it.

 

[Bronetta]

Would have done Gamecube level numbers at least if they cut the gamepad out and packed in a Pro controller.


That gamepad has to be one of the worst decisions they ever made. Jacked up the price at the expense of the consoles hardware power.

A $300 WiiU without the gamepad would have been much more powerful than the $300 WiiU with a gamepad we got.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I always buy Nintendos at launch. The thrill of a new Nintendo machine enamors me like no other. They're miracle machines brimming with promise and opportunity. But it's always a risk - it's a gamble every time. You never know what exactly you'll get out of your time with the console or how long you'll stick with it. Even though I am always an early-adopter, it's not uncommon for me to check out mid-generation.

I had a Wii U. I tried very hard to get the most out of it. After all, who could deny those games? Almost every franchise that got an entry on the Wii U saw the best game in its series on the console. But my ability to enjoy these games was heavily, dramatically, and undeniably compromised by the quality of the device itself. I hated my Wii U. I hated the UI, I hated the technology, I hated the GamePad, I hated how light the Pro Controller felt, I hated how poorly the Virtual Console was curated, I hated so much about it. And I buried this distress and I denied how much I disliked the machine because I wanted to believe good games could be played on anything.

But this was a lie I told myself.

The truth is, the system is not just a means to an end. It is not invisible or trivial. The console is a stage. It's a picture frame. It's a dinner platter. It has a great deal to do with how games are presented and how they feel to play. Just like you wouldn't serve a filet mignon on a styrofoam plate or frame a Picasso in plastic, a game like Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros 4 should never have been confined to a system as paltry as the Wii U.

I feel similarly, perhaps even more severely, about the 3DS. But that's a different topic.

I played MK8 on the Wii U for plenty of time, but I never bought any DLC or even completed the base content. There was something about the Wii U that made the game feel small. Constrained. Like red wine in a paper cup. As I became more and more disillusioned with this sorry chapter of Nintendo hardware, even Nintendo's strongest output failed to enchant me.

I skipped everything. I watched good games go by. I sat out of historic launches. I missed everything and that's my loss. But I would not, in any realistic circumstance, subjugate myself to the Wii U to enjoy them. They are a lost catalog. They are Nintendo's burned library of Alexandria. If anything can be salvaged from the Wii U and 3DS library for future generations to benefit from, they will need to be transcribed into a new and preservable format.

The long story short here is that I'm playing Mario Kart 8 on my Switch and it's an incredible experience. I am overjoyed every time I begin a race. The system is snappy and responsive and bright and crisp and this glorious game finally has the stage it deserves. It's a Hell of a show.

It's the reason that Zelda Switch, despite being a nearly identical experience to the Wii U, is a "Switch game" and always will be. Playing Breath of the Wild on Switch feels like something new and exciting. Playing Breath of the Wild on Wii U, which I have given a shot, sucks. I hate it. I hate the Wii U. No game, even a game I put 200 hours into, can shine on the Wii U.

If there are more people like me - insane and scrutinous - it makes sense MK8D has such unexpected fervor. It is free now. Be free, summer child, and leave your prison behind.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Really makes you think.

 

[KratosEnergyDrink]

WiiU was shit through and through.

It had a few games, but that's it. Was only worthy for Mario 3D land, Donkey Kong TF and Bayonetta 1&2 (at the time, since Bayonetta has a PC version now).

So you missed many of the best games of the last 5 years.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

Does this mean the odds are getting high that we will see the Wii U Zelda titles come to Switch? Like Wind Waker HD getting a port or digital port?

Hell they should do a collection that includes TP HD and WW HD at retail for Switch.

That would be bad-ass.

Even better?

Zelda Collector's Edition 2: TP HD, WW HD, OoT HD, and MM HD. With the latter two being ports of their 3DS versions. They already upscale really nicely to HD.

 

[AuthenticM]

I always buy Nintendos at launch. The thrill of a new Nintendo machine enamors me like no other. They're miracle machines brimming with promise and opportunity. But it's always a risk - it's a gamble every time. You never know what exactly you'll get out of your time with the console or how long you'll stick with it. Even though I am always an early-adopter, it's not uncommon for me to check out mid-generation.

I had a Wii U. I tried very hard to get the most out of it. After all, who could deny those games? Almost every franchise that got an entry on the Wii U saw the best game in its series on the console. But my ability to enjoy these games was heavily, dramatically, and undeniably compromised by the quality of the device itself. I hated my Wii U. I hated the UI, I hated the technology, I hated the GamePad, I hated how light the Pro Controller felt, I hated how poorly the Virtual Console was curated, I hated so much about it. And I buried this distress and I denied how much I disliked the machine because I wanted to believe good games could be played on anything.

But this was a lie I told myself.

The truth is, the system is not just a means to an end. It is not invisible or trivial. The console is a stage. It's a picture frame. It's a dinner platter. It has a great deal to do with how games are presented and how they feel to play. Just like you wouldn't serve a filet mignon on a styrofoam plate or frame a Picasso in plastic. A game like Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros 4 should never have been confined to a system as paltry as the Wii U.

I feel similarly, perhaps even more severely, about the 3DS. But that's a different topic.

I played MK8 on the Wii U for plenty of time, but I never bought any DLC or even completed the base content. There was something about the Wii U that made the game feel small. Constrained. Like red wine in a paper cup. As I became more and more disillusioned with this sorry chapter of Nintendo hardware, even Nintendo's strongest output failed to enchant me.

I skipped everything. I watched good games go by. I sat out of historic launches. I missed everything and that's my loss. But I would not, in any realistic circumstance, subjugate myself to the Wii U to enjoy them. They are a lost catalog. They are Nintendo's burned library of Alexandria. If anything can be salvaged from the Wii U and 3DS library for future generations to benefit from, they will need to be transcribed into a new and preservable format.

The long story short here is that I'm playing Mario Kart 8 on my Switch and it's an incredible experience. I am overjoyed every time I begin a race. The system is snappy and responsive and bright and crisp and this glorious game finally has the stage it deserves. It's a Hell of a show.

It's the reason that Zelda Switch, despite being a nearly identical experience to the Wii U, is a "Switch game" and always will be. Playing Breath of the Wild on Switch feels like something new and exciting. Playing Breath of the Wild on Wii U, which I have given a shot, sucks. I hate it. I hate the Wii U. No game, even a game I put 200 hours into, can shine on the Wii U.

If there are more people like me - insane and scrutinous - it makes sense MK8D has such unexpected fervor. It is free now. Be free, summer child, and leave your prison behind.



Really makes you think.

very well said

 

[night814]

Let's never talk about the WiiU again. Just enjoy smash on until a switch version comes out.

 

[Currygan]

basically, people are starting to feel a bit too enthusiastic about Nintendo, what is this foolishness, let's just remind 'em of the company's recent failure which noone under 78 years old has actually forgotten, har har

 

[The Horror the horror]

Only regret about those Wii U games is that a lot of them that tried to genuinely capitalize on the Gamepad second screen gimmick won't see a home on the Switch. Games like The Wonderful 101 and Nintendo Land are shipwrecked on that console for in-game features that depend on the Gamepad device.

 

[Bending_Unit_22]

Only regret about those Wii U games is that a lot of them that tried to genuinely capitalize on the Gamepad second screen gimmick won't see a home on the Switch. Games like The Wonderful 101 and Nintendo Land are shipwrecked on that console for in-game features that depend on the Gamepad device.

Just wait until Nintendo announces you can use a second Switch to replicate the gamepad functions for those games. The sky will be the limit for Switch sales then (along with Wonderful 101, Nintendoland, etc.).

 

[Dyle]

I'm glad the Switch is off to a good start but I'm worried that Nintendo will completely disappoint with their premium online services and lose all this good will overnight. I want to believe that it'll be good but considering the pathetic value of mynintendo they don't have a good track record in their recent endeavors.

 

[Ogodei]

Would have done Gamecube level numbers at least if they cut the gamepad out and packed in a Pro controller.


That gamepad has to be one of the worst decisions they ever made. Jacked up the price at the expense of the consoles hardware power.

A $300 WiiU without the gamepad would have been much more powerful than the $300 WiiU with a gamepad we got.

The fact that they didn't cut the gamepad for cost purposes by Christmas 2014 was the sign that they were cutting their losses and running. Christmas 2014 could've been big for them if they had done a gamepad-free SKU for $200.

 

[random25]

Everybody already knows how badly the Wii U flopped in sales. I'm not sure what's new to point out about that.

 

[killroy87]

The fact that they didn't cut the gamepad for cost purposes by Christmas 2014 was the sign that they were cutting their losses and running. Christmas 2014 could've been big for them if they had done a gamepad-free SKU for $200.

Is there an example in gaming of a console revision rendering a selection of it's library literally unplayable?

Love it or hate it, some games needed that thing.

 

[Jubenhimer]

I'm glad the Switch is off to a good start but I'm worried that Nintendo will completely disappoint with their premium online services and lose all this good will overnight. I want to believe that it'll be good but considering the pathetic value of mynintendo they don't have a good track record in their recent endeavors.

The problem with My Nintendo is mostly that it came out way too early. It's clearly designed with Mobile and Switch in mind, and the 3DS and Wii U were never going to be long-term pillars for the service. I'd still wait till it has a few more years to mature before writing it off, especially once the Switch does get actual My Nintendo integration in the future.

 

[Sylas]

I really don't. I guess part of it is because I'm a PC gamer first so any console is nothing more than a DRM box, they are all essentially the exact same thing to me. Especially now that all of them charge for basic functionality like online multiplayer (so it's safe to say I'll never play online on a console again).

Console has games I want -> I buy that console. The idea of passing on a console that has games I want and then buying it's successor for those exact same games and port begging for further games from that system is just baffling to me. Yet it's common as hell.

Thw Wii U had games that I want but not enough to justify a purchase. It's a sentiment that I imagine a large number of people shared. Now that there is a Nintendo console "worth having" it makes sense that the people who wanted the games when they were on the Wii U but didn't buy a Wii U would want them on a Switch.

 

[jnWake]

I'll never understand. To me a console is nothing more than its games, and I can't logically put together that the Switch would succeed with the exact same games the Wii U failed with.

I guess more than anything it says people don't want home consoles from Nintendo.

I don't remember Wii U launching with a very highly regarded Zelda game. Switch is also cheaper.

 

[FyreWulff]

Is there an example in gaming of a console revision rendering a selection of it's library literally unplayable?

Love it or hate it, some games needed that thing.

it would had ramifications for third parties down the line. If you're a third party you can at least trust Nintendo won't bail on a standard peripheral out the line trying to get more sales .

 

[jrush64]

I finally held a Switch today. It was so nice to feel, for real. I cannot wait to get my own.

 

[Dyle]

The problem with My Nintendo is mostly that it came out way too early. It's clearly designed with Mobile and Switch in mind, and the 3DS and Wii U were never going to be long-term pillars for the service. I'd still wait till it has a few more years to mature before writing it off, especially once the Switch does get actual My Nintendo integration in the future.

But why should we wait for it to improve when it's been out for more than a year and has only offered worse rewards as time has gone on. I've lost hundreds of silver points already due to them expiring and tossed several hundred more on 3ds themes right before those points expire. That's a bad look no matter how you look at it.

 

[rekameohs]

Wii U deserved its fate; that hardware is a disaster. The GamePad is one of the single worst decisions Nintendo has made. Bring all its good stuff over to Switch!

 

[koss424]

8 million people got the inferior Mario Kart

Goddamn, every day I feel worse and worse for people who thought the Wii U would turn into something

Don't feel bad 4.5 years of good times on the WIiU here Great library for single player and multiplayer couch. I still have a back log of games to finish.

 

[Jubenhimer]

But why should we wait for it to improve when it's been out for more than a year and has only offered worse rewards as time has gone on. I've lost hundreds of silver points already due to them expiring and tossed several hundred more on 3ds themes right before those points expire. That's a bad look no matter how you look at it.

Because the 3DS is on it's last legs and the Wii U is dead? Like I said, My Nintendo was developed for Mobile the Switch first and foremost. And since the Switch doesn't have all it's features yet, I'd wait a little while longer to see what it offers for the Switch, they have a Switch rewards section coming soon, so there should be some interesting stuff, or not. We can only find out.

 

[r3ddvil]

Would have done Gamecube level numbers at least if they cut the gamepad out and packed in a Pro controller.


That gamepad has to be one of the worst decisions they ever made. Jacked up the price at the expense of the consoles hardware power.

A $300 WiiU without the gamepad would have been much more powerful than the $300 WiiU with a gamepad we got.

The irony of your suggestion is that the Switch, with its better quality screen, smaller form factor, and larger battery would probably be even cheaper if configured as a straight up console with a pro controller. It'd probably be a $99-$149 box........and yet it sells.

 

[CazTGG]

Makes me wonder though, why did the GameCube flop as hard as it did? That first year was insane, far bigger than Switches first year (out of what we know).

Its killer app got ported to the best selling DVD player that doubled as a game console, with said port being announced months before the game released.

 

[NimbusD]

Yep. Literally the only reason I bought mk8 for a second time on a new console is that I know 12 people who own a switch and only knew 2 people who owned Wii us and never once played online with them.

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Wii U was so bad. Nintendo must be a crazy place to work