• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Is Wii U really coming out next month?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Outside of GAF I dont even know a single human who is interested in one. That includes my gamer friends of many decades, their kids and even my Nintendo fanboy nephews. All of them want iPads for Christmas.
 
Derrick01 said:
While I can't say that it's the least hyped I've been for a console since that award belongs to several other Nintendo consoles, I agree that I'm not feeling the hype and excitement for Wii U outside of gaf which tends to skew heavily in favor of Nintendo anyway. It's not like the Wii which you could tell was building hype at a constant rate in the outside world.
Click to expand...

I call bullshit on that. The release of a PS3 exclusive makes waves on this forum. Need I mention the Killzone gifs/avatars?
 
alphaNoid said:
Outside of GAF I dont even know a single human who is interested in one. That includes my gamer friends of many decades, their kids and even my Nintendo fanboy nephews. All of them want iPads for Christmas.
Click to expand...



So what non-humans you know are interested in one?
 
Burger King kids meals ads are the only advertisements in NA for WiiU right now.

I wonder if they're getting more people (kids especially) interested in the system but I doubt it's a huge number
 
noobasuar said:
I think Nintendo is trying to keep some details close to the vest so competitors won't be able to copy or challenge what they're doing for a longer amount of time.
Click to expand...

What exactly are you referring to here? Online features?

Even if Nintendo kept everything under wraps until launch, that would still give their competition a full year to clone any features. So it's kind of pointless to be so secretive at this stage.
 
So guys. I talked to every person that I know IRL and guess what? None of them even know what a Wii U is. Like, I mean, the hype isn't there, you know?
 
TheGreatMightyPoo said:
Yeah, just like the Iwata Asks about the hardware elightened SOME people, Nintendo isn't a bumbling idiotic company that has no clue what they are doing.

They have a plan.

Does it always work???

Nah.

Do many take issue to it???

Yeah.

The 3DS launch was weak but the lineup(and arguably price) was the reason for that.

They're being methodical with this launch, not being confused.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And in regards to the marketing, those Iwata asks and Nintendo Directs are the perfect way to market to those like us Gaffers who are interested, and that will help with initial stock. Then, as the console is very close to release, the general public adverts can be launched and played more frequently which will likely result in more interest and sales after the initial stock is sold and more are released. It's not that difficult a concept really.
 
My history teacher was talking about how she wants to get a WiiU for her kids for Christmas

Anecdotal evidence is fun
 
qq more said:
SEGA lied about its September release date at E3 and RELEASED it at that very day instead.

...The launch was so bad that retailers started to refuse to sell them shortly after.
Click to expand...

I remember walking past a Electronics Boutique and seeing the stacks of Saturn boxes and saying to my wife "wtf! thats not yet! what are they doing with all those Saturn boxes?".
 
This is a stealth X Factor thread, isn't it.

NO. The advert has not been on. Gary Barlow abusing Tulisa was great though.
 
Im just wondering how word is getting out. They are sold out everywhere where I live (southwest Missouri, hardly a gaming hotspot), yet I have not seen a single ad for it.
 
I know a lot of people hitting the demo stations and getting hyped. Wait until word of it sold out everywhere starts being headline news like it was for Wii, then it will all snowball again.
 
Derrick01 said:
So I was imagining news outlets gushing over it after playing it at E3?
Click to expand...

A. While the media was more positive on the Wii, the mainstream media has been positive on the WiiU as well. There were plenty of concerns for the Wii as well that some you like to act as if didn't happen.

B. Media does not equal general public. The vast majority of the gaming media were very down on the Kinect, and even the mainstream media expressed some concerns. Yet, it sold gangbusters.

Amir0x said:
nothing, and I mean nothing, could be lamer than the DS launch

fucking three straight months of people trying to pimp that abomination Feel the Magic and Super Mario 64 control-stunted edition as a system seller



Naturally, because advertising ALWAYS by default intensifies as a system launches closer. But there was VASTLY more appearances by Wii in media and pop culture by this same relative point close to launch than Wii U has had; it's not even a competition. To say otherwise is simply hilarious revisionist history.
Click to expand...

There was more hype in the media for the Wii no doubt, which I'm sure had a lot to do with the Wii being something completely new with a better/more wide-appealing launch lineup along with a much stronger E3 showing that actually showed what was coming in the next two years from Nintendo. But to act as if the Wii had became a large part in pop culture before it even launched is laughable. Please, provide me these major appearances that happened a month before launch. South Park is the only one that comes to mind, and I myself couldn't find anything else with an extensive search.


I think Iwata explains best what is happening here with the Wii reception prior to launch compared to WiiU reception prior to launch:

Iwata said:
Another subject is the Wii U. There are some media reports saying the Wii U may not be a revolutionary product like the Wii. When I was interviewed by media reporters overseas at E3 recently, their comment was, “The Wii appeared to be a promising product to succeed from the beginning; however, Wii U does not look that way.” People have forgotten what the real story was. For the Wii, before its launch and right after its announcement, the feedback was similar to that of the Wii U. In other words, when something unique comes up, it’s difficult for people to understand it at the beginning. A lot of misunderstandings and pessimistic observations, like, “Will a product like this really spread in the market?” prevail and then after some time, after being able to experience it, the atmosphere changes. In fact, when the Wii was showcased at E3 in 2006, there were a lot of news stories which reported the strong receptions of the Wii by the visitors to the show; however, the questions I was asked then and there were all tough questions. Almost every one of the reporters asked, “How in the world are you going to compete with SONY or Microsoft with a product like this?” Everyone has forgotten what the real situation was. Then, in hindsight, I think some people say, “I was convinced about the success of the Wii from the beginning” only after looking at the results. Nintendo has to fight the lasting impression of the Wii business that once exploded. We know as our mission that we have to fight strongly before the launch time and overcome this situation. However, we ask you to understand the aspect I just described.
Click to expand...
 
alphaNoid said:
Outside of GAF I dont even know a single human who is interested in one. That includes my gamer friends of many decades, their kids and even my Nintendo fanboy nephews. All of them want iPads for Christmas.
Click to expand...

If I recall before the Wii was released there wasn't any real mainstream interest in that either. But it sure did take off......
 
My hype for the Wii was astronomical back in 2006; the prospect of motion gaming back then was a genuinely exciting thing. The Wii U on the other hand is barely a blip on my radar. I see nothing that gets my blood racing or captures my imagination, just a console that keeps getting comparisons to other systems that came out 6 years ago and a whole lot of focus on a gimmicky touchscreen controller that's positively shrug-inducing. The selection of launch titles isn't much better. I could allow myself to express some modicum of interest in Rayman Legends if I wasn't convinced it'll be available on every piece of hardware under the sun in 6 months time.

I agree with the OP really. When it comes to home consoles of any generation, I usually have found a way to accumulate hype in the build-up to release, even if I'm not buying said console at launch or anywhere close to launch. The Wii U though... it's just a total non-event.
 
jerd21 said:
Im just wondering how word is getting out. They are sold out everywhere where I live (southwest Missouri, hardly a gaming hotspot), yet I have not seen a single ad for it.
Click to expand...

I think people really underestimate what "the new Wii" means to some consumers.
 
Nintendo approaches launches a bit weird these days and it started with the Wii to some degree. They don't see early advertising as a must because the thing is going to sell out right away. After the sell out they begin advertising in time with new shipments and the hype truly begins.
 
It's my least hyped Nintendo console because I'm 24-years-old as opposed to 18 with Wii and 13 for Gamecube. My gaming habits have changed and I don't really experience "hype" with anything anymore, outside of a few exceptions. I mean, I have a 3DS because my brother wanted to jump in but I didn't really give two shits, even though I've now played some great games on it.

All this said, I'm looking forward to the Wii U in some capacity. Playing NintendoLand and NSMBU with friends will be a blast. I'm also interested in toying around with Miiverse and experimenting with the Gamepad's functionality in general. The Wii was a great console that I enjoyed from the get-go but it was really the years worth of multiplayer experiences that made me truly appreciate it, so now I'm willing to let the Wii U have its "slow burn" as well.
 
antonz said:
Nintendo approaches launches a bit weird these days and it started with the Wii to some degree. They don't see early advertising as a must because the thing is going to sell out right away. After the sell out they begin advertising in time with new shipments and the hype truly begins.
Click to expand...

That's essentially what I've said in my post just up there. And it makes perfect sense, I wouldn't call it weird at all. With such success through brand recognition Apple and Nintendo are capable of doing that quite well with initial stock. Backfires may occur down the line in relation to software and sales such as the 3ds but overall the strategy is likely to be most effective.
 
Why is "gimmick" constantly brought up to denounce or downplay something???

A "gimmick" is usually only as good as the creative mind that gets to utilize it.

The Wii had a "gimmick" controller and with the right minds, something new could be created.

The Wii U is the same thing, there's a lot of potential, will depend on developers' imagination.
 
At least I saw an advertisement stand in the local Saturn yesterday. No demo station or anything. It's been the first time I've seen anything Wii U related in Germany. I suspect supply is quite low yet. Maybe Apple nabbed all the resources at Foxconn fĂĽr IPads this Christmas, eh.
 
In some ways I think Nintendo are seriously underplaying the release, but then I also believe that with no marketing they won't be able to make as many as they can sell for a couple of months, so marketing being spent now would seem like a waste.
 
Dennis said:
If I recall before the Wii was released there wasn't any real mainstream interest in that either. But it sure did take off......
Click to expand...

The Wii was all over the Media months before it released, there was even a South Park episode about it.
 
Derrick01 said:
While I can't say that it's the least hyped I've been for a console since that award belongs to several other Nintendo consoles, I agree that I'm not feeling the hype and excitement for Wii U outside of gaf which tends to skew heavily in favor of Nintendo anyway. It's not like the Wii which you could tell was building hype at a constant rate in the outside world.
Click to expand...

lol

There are all kinds of fans here. It doesn't skew in favor of Nintendo, it all depends on what threads you go to. If you are constantly in Wii and Nintendo related threads you will find Nintendo fans there. Hype is not that meaningful anyways, DS wasn't exactly hyped at the start, many people thought it was lame but it built a strong fanbase whereas the hype for PSP was very high. From all accounts it seems like Wii U is doing fine.
 
StuBurns said:
In some ways I think Nintendo are seriously underplaying the release, but then I also believe that with no marketing they won't be able to make as many as they can sell for a couple of months, so marketing being spent now would seem like a waste.
Click to expand...

Marketing beginning now is not a waste. They should hype it up so people would want the console. Once people know it's hard to get their hands on one, they'll want it even more.
 
Even though I'm not picking one up, a new console launch is always exciting. What I find odd is that non one seems to talking about it at all. My gamer friends, my not gamer friends, people at work, no one. People talked about the Wii coming out with excitement.

Not saying it's not going to a fun launch, but there's a definite lack of hype, at least in my anecdotal experience.
 
i think it has more to do with it not being the same kind of "jump" that the gamers that drive the industry expect. They are betting the farm on their new base of casuals and it is yet to be seen if it'll work or not. Sellouts during the holidays are a given but so is word of mouth. With lots of households moving up to the 360 over the past year i'm wondering if there will be any backlash when the difference between the 2 isnt as great as it was in past generations.
 
There's a lot of other games coming out, the media aren't talking about WiiU (or embargoed?) so the boards aren't hyped.

I think a lot of people got dusted with the Wii and are going to hold off. Comparisons to the Wii are pretty worthless.
 
I think part of the problem is the Wii U is missing a launch killer app. No Zelda, no Metroid, no 3d Mario (sorry, NSMB is nowhere near as good as the Galaxy series). ZombiU looks cool but I don't think it'll be as good as many people are hyping it up to be.
 
TheGreatMightyPoo said:
Why is "gimmick" constantly brought up to denounce or downplay something???

A "gimmick" is usually only as good as the creative mind that gets to utilize it.

The Wii had a "gimmick" controller and with the right minds, something new could be created.

The Wii U is the same thing, there's a lot of potential, will depend on developers' imagination.
Click to expand...

The word gimmick is just a fancy word people use to throw out the doom card.

Also a touch screen has already proved its usefulness with the DS line.
 
I was at my local Kmart today and they had the WiiU branded Wiimotes out already and I went "Oh yeah, that comes out soon." I have it pre-ordered and I'm not sure I even want it. There isn't a single game I'm interested in, I just pre-ordered because I might end up wanting it and it might be hard to find.
 
Sissel said:
I think part of the problem is the Wii U is missing a launch killer app. No Zelda, no Metroid, no 3d Mario (sorry, NSMB is nowhere near as good as the Galaxy series).
Click to expand...
NSMB's "goodness" is subjective. Some people do prefer it to the 3D games. I get your point though, as 3D Mario games are gaming events for me, personally, where 2D Mario games are now like passing experiences, good but not necessarily exciting.

That said, NSMB U is a killer app. It's a system-seller and will put up big numbers on its own.

Given how much positive exposure Rayman has, that game could actually be a killer app as well. It's weird to say, but the game is being shown at demo kiosks everywhere and impressions for it have been glowing, so you never know.
 
I was going to get one just to take part in launch fever - which I always find fun and one of my favorite things about this hobby. But I don't think I'll have the money when launch comes. Will probably cancel my pre-order and get one maybe early next year.
 
Sissel said:
I think part of the problem is the Wii U is missing a launch killer app. No Zelda, no Metroid, no 3d Mario (sorry, NSMB is nowhere near as good as the Galaxy series). ZombiU looks cool but I don't think it'll be as good as many people are hyping it up to be.
Click to expand...

Yet it sells 10x as many copies. Outside of some new system/genre defining IP like Wii Sports or Halo, you can't really get a bigger launch title then NSMBU.
 
Two weeks before release they'll start advertising it much harder, and all the way through Christmas. TV advertising is so immediate that there is literally no point in advertising for anything that is not available right now. Pre-orders are a nice bar of measure for the company, but they don't advertise for pre-orders. Once this thing hits store shelves, expect to be beaten over the head with it.
 
Sissel said:
I think part of the problem is the Wii U is missing a launch killer app. No Zelda, no Metroid, no 3d Mario (sorry, NSMB is nowhere near as good as the Galaxy series). ZombiU looks cool but I don't think it'll be as good as many people are hyping it up to be.
Click to expand...

NSMB is definitely a killer app.
 
Lack of online info has kept me in total no hype mode as that is very important to me. I have a pre-order but I'm flipping it so I won't be hyped until I pick up my own personal unit further down the road when there are more exclusive games for it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Polymega Remix, a legal way to emulate your retro games on PC, is shipping next month
Retro Hardware 
11
210
Xion_Stellar replied
Mario Kart Wii Deluxe X is out...with 752 tracks
30
2K
spookyfish replied
Do you really anticipate Microsoft will be out of the "console" game?
2 3 4
155
596
Sooner replied
  • Poll
Borderlands 4 came out 7 months ago, is it worth getting?
21
349
Celcius replied
  • Poll
Is Xbox One the Microsoft equivalent of the Wii U?
2
58
963
Xaeroxcore666 replied
Top Bottom