Deserves a quote.trudderham said:OK, so I just wasted 10 minutes going through the Wii U launch trailer. There's not a single reference to a new console. Only a new controller:
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Nintendo: We Should Have Explained Wii U Better (Gamasutra)
- Thread starter Wolves Evolve
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Well, I see what they were doing; like the Wii it was all about the controller and how it changes games. But it was confusing for a while, especially when they showed off Mii-focused games. It was only when the bird video and Zelda popped up that it was clearer it was a new console (and also me spotting the device under the TV during the first part of the unveiling.)
Yeah, I think they done goofed. At least Iwata admitted it.
Yeah, I think they done goofed. At least Iwata admitted it.
It still all depends on the software, that's the tipping point. While DS' new input method was fairly intuitive, it didn't sell the system out the gate to its main audience. They picked up when games like Brain Training, Professor Layton, Nintendogs, etc appeared for the system.avaya said:
Wii exploded at launch because it had this software at launch in the form of Wii Sports.
Wii U will require software along those lines, and I'm sure they know that. Gamecube franchises won't do it.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Yeah I honestly think there was a lack of organization in that.
But I am still wondering why people are asking for games on a system that has yet to launch even on next year.
But I am still wondering why people are asking for games on a system that has yet to launch even on next year.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
1-D_FTW said:
Great point and I can only think of two reasons:
1) It's of equal power.
2) The specs aren't finalized yet. As we could see with how disorganized the conference/post-conference was, it appears to still be very early.
I do disagree with you on one thing, though--you say Nintendo risks only Nintendo fanboys buying this system. I wholeheartedly disagree--this system still targets the exact same group the Wii did and taking advantage of the tablet craze is a wise business move that sets the system apart.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
avaya said:
You may not like what they're offering, but saying that "The controller brings nothing substantively new to the table" as you did in your first post is clearly wrong. The multiplayer they showcased at the show is something that has never been done before.
Whether people want that is a different story.
Neo C. said:
1 picture for 5 seconds of the console would have done the job for me and most people even, heck why didn't they have it on a little platform in the middle of the stage, their whole conference was left open to interpretation to what exactly the WiiU was because they were talking about how it interacted with the Wii peripherals and stuff, at which point I thought the WiiU WAS a peripheral.
It's their fault for mentioning the console in name only and making me try to fill in the blanks, then moving straight to the controller the way they did.
Oh, definitely. They have plenty of time. The sooner they make sure the message is conveyed correctly and the misinformation is stopped, though, the better.gerg said:
Most gamers go where games (or, better, "gaming experiences") are, including the "casual" or expanded audience. They bought the Wii in droves to have a certain experience.gerg said:
Branding does also have a certain influence, though. Not definitive, as proven multiple times throughout the different generations, but it does imply some sort of bias: if you are satisfied with your current platform, you are more likely to buy its successor than to switch gears for an equivalent console (unless it's perceived as capable of delivering an objectively superior experience).
Maybe. Making sure there's more differentiation with the Wii while still making clear the WiiU is a successor of the brand, though, can only be helpful.gerg said:
Definitely.gerg said:
Alexios
Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
No it doesn't. The video was the controller's presentation after the Wii U system had already been announced. So of course the controller's video shows the controller. Duh.Man said:
Also, this didn't exactly take long to show up on their website.
Then they had interviews, roundtables, allowed people to see and play the thing and of course ask the helpers their own questions, etc...
Again, these weren't commercials to get soccer mom #49349 to buy it. It was an E3 presentation, in coherent English and with hands-on time.
I don't know about you, but when someone says "our new home console" over and over, I get the impression that they're talking about a new system...
I can see how few people were confused, but not many as there were. But, I do agree that there was too much emphasis on the controller and not the actual system.
I can see how few people were confused, but not many as there were. But, I do agree that there was too much emphasis on the controller and not the actual system.
We knew since late april/early may that a new console was going to be shown at this E3, if anyone at GAF thought it was just a new controller for the Wii, well i wonder where they were for the past month.
Sure they could have done better and should have shown the actual console, but we all knew this wasn't simply a new controller. Especially with the videos of games/demos clearly better looking than Wii games.
Sure they could have done better and should have shown the actual console, but we all knew this wasn't simply a new controller. Especially with the videos of games/demos clearly better looking than Wii games.
To be honest, I don't think that the Wii U has much more power than PS360. In that case they would have shown something to differentiate the Wii U from the current gen consoles, I'd say.Plinko said:
Though, even if it is considerably more powerful than either consoles, Nintendo hardly could go outside and say "Hey, our console is the most powerful console you've ever seen and blows the competition out of the water!". It simply wouldn't be credible after they taught for half a decade that graphics aren't important.
Jocchan said:
Sure, and I think it actually easier to convince more interested, core, consumers (for whom gaming as a hobby is a big part of their life) than those who can go with or without the latest releases. That's why I think that there may be reason to lean towards the casual audience rather than the core audience with the naming and branding.
What I mean to suggest with the Wii U's current branding is that, as much as it runs the risk of not differentiating the Wii U enough from the Wii, it also has greater ability to say "This offers (new) experiences so similar to previous ones! You don't lose anything in the transition!"
I guess, in general, that that's the dual-sides of familiarity.
Indeed. As we've both agreed, Nintendo's got lots of time to make sure that that will happen.
Mojojo said:
I'm sure the connotation of "Ultra 64" carries so much weight with all the new gamers who started gaming with the Wii.
I guess I don't think that "U Wii" is better than the "Wii U".
ColonialRaptor
Member
The way that Reggie just cut to the Wii U didn't seem right, it wasn't dramatic, he just started talking about it like oh yeah, lets talk about this next like it was just next in line - nothing heaps special to talk about or anything.
It's a problem / blunder that managers and people in charge that are really close to projects experience when they know everything and the fact that THEY know everything then precludes to themselves that as soon as they mention it to other people those people should understand it as well as THEY DO.
It was poorly done for sure, not enough information was given to clearly define what Reggie was talking about and there was too much "New Controller" in the intro trailer, plus the repeated name DOES NOT HELP AT ALL, Nintendo has never really done this before on home console space (I suppose NES to Super NES) but Wii U is just a crappy name - I know why they kept the name, I know they want to bounce off the success of Wii, but it's just a bad move.
It's a problem / blunder that managers and people in charge that are really close to projects experience when they know everything and the fact that THEY know everything then precludes to themselves that as soon as they mention it to other people those people should understand it as well as THEY DO.
It was poorly done for sure, not enough information was given to clearly define what Reggie was talking about and there was too much "New Controller" in the intro trailer, plus the repeated name DOES NOT HELP AT ALL, Nintendo has never really done this before on home console space (I suppose NES to Super NES) but Wii U is just a crappy name - I know why they kept the name, I know they want to bounce off the success of Wii, but it's just a bad move.
gutter_trash
Banned
naming it with a U will be confusing as well through language barriers for different regions.
using numbers like 2 as in Playstation 2 works way better than Playstation U which goes huh
using numbers like 2 as in Playstation 2 works way better than Playstation U which goes huh
ColonialRaptor
Member
gutter_trash said:
It's like calling PSP / NGP the Playstation Vita, also a crappy name and a crappy idea.
gutter_trash
Banned
wrong because PSVita is a completely different name than PSP.. it's a different nameColonialRaptor said:
it's not PSP V
This is actually something I don't understand. The Wii was a huge success, but is the brand name still that strong today? The sales of the console decreased strongly during the last months and in my impression most casual players are feeling fed up with the Wii. On top of that the name "Wii" is poisonous in many audiences ("hardcore gamers", the "cool teens"). Is it really a good idea to stick to it?ColonialRaptor said:
UnblessedSoul
Member
Wii U will sell worse then the ps3
B_Rik_Schitthaus
Banned
gutter_trash said:
Agree, LoveFilm group DS and 3DS games together
Example:
http://www.lovefilm.com/browse/games/ds/new-releases/
Adding a U to Wii will make people think its just a peripheral like Wii Fit, Wii zapper, Wii Mothion Plus ect.
POWERSPHERE
Member
The Wii brand is too strong, of course they're going to use it.
But not showing the console was a huge fuck up.
That said, i'm fucking AMPED for this to come out.
But not showing the console was a huge fuck up.
That said, i'm fucking AMPED for this to come out.
Ushojax said:
I don't think the WiiU will have a branding issue mainly because we've only had a 1 iteration of the Wii, however the 3DS naming comes after the DS, DSlite, DSi and DSiXL. And the GBA's official name is the GB Advance. The WiiU is just... U.
Edit: Well if they think it's a peripheral like the Wii Fit, and Wii + then probably but after their conference I'd be amazed if they fucked that up a second time.
Nintendo's Wii U showing reminded me of the Revolution Controller reveal, you know 12 months before release.hamchan said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUDJgnIaz9w
Unlike last time Nintendo actually had 'footage' instead of just people waving the controller around and third parties responding to their new plan. So I'm confident the next showing will be all smoking machines, the new Mario from EAD Tokyo, Super Smash Bros. trailer and stuff.
People with much more than a layman's knowledge confused, fans disappointed, largest gaming event of the year squandered, lowest stock prices in five years and they didn't make a huge blunder?
It boggles the mind how they could completely botch something as routine as a new console reveal. We had to wait for an independent blog video before we even got aything remotely resembling a proper introduction ffs. Nintendo is so caught-up in their plans to take the path less traveled they forgot to put their pants on before starting the trip.
It boggles the mind how they could completely botch something as routine as a new console reveal. We had to wait for an independent blog video before we even got aything remotely resembling a proper introduction ffs. Nintendo is so caught-up in their plans to take the path less traveled they forgot to put their pants on before starting the trip.
Wildstar75
Member
Conference was a train wreck. 15 minted of Zelda orchestra music. And then they barely show skyward sword? They tease new home system....then show 3ds. Finally they show a new controller using footage what mostly looked like wii games. And then they show ps3/xbox footage. And not even top tier games. Everyone was confused...is this a new controller or console. A lot of people thought the CPU was in the contoller. Their highlight games announcement was a fricken Lego game. And they didn't even show it. And the announcement by ea? I still have no idea what that was about. EA is running your online?
I was responsible for keeping a friend in the loop over gchat and for the first few minutes I told him it looks like Nintendo is releasing a new controller for the Wii, not an actual new system. I figured it out as the conference went on, but it sure wasn't crystal clear.
I also swear someone, Reggie or Iwata, said there is no console, that the controller is the system. That had me scratching my head for a while.
I also swear someone, Reggie or Iwata, said there is no console, that the controller is the system. That had me scratching my head for a while.
-Minsc-
Member
I wasn't confused in the slightest. First off, I read the Cafe rumours. They indicated it was a new, more powerful console with a touch screen controller. Game information was to be streamed wirelessly to the controller. Second, during the demo real I immediately noticed this "box" sitting to the right of the TV. Looked like a console to me.
Now, all that said. If I never read the Cafe rumours then I highly believe I would have been confused initially.
Now, all that said. If I never read the Cafe rumours then I highly believe I would have been confused initially.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
wrowa said:
Not necessarily. It's quite possible the system is at such an early state they don't have much running on it, much like the 360 at its reveal. In the other thread people were posting early screenshots of the 360 and they look horrible--nowhere near representative of what was released.
neoanarch said:
They can do both.
After the shitty way they revealed this system during E3, they need another event this year to make the situation clearer and help build a proper amount of hype. The next E3 will be right before it launches, and that is too late.
Majanew said:
Despite the problems, they still beat MS... I'm not sure about Sony.
Jarmel said:
I totally agree. Few of us are new to these kind of announcements. Like others, I kept waiting for Nintendo to cut to the chase. Ok you have a very cool looking new controller. But why do you keep showing it playing normal wii games? You do have a new console right? Right?
Is that gonna be as powerful as the current consoles? More powerful maybe?
You do have a new console right?
So yeah, they dropped the ball on their delivery. They know it, and Iwata said as much in his statement. Should have been like : "Not only do we have a new console that's more powerful than anything on the market right now, check out our revolutionary new controller which will interact with it!!"
My GF loves the controller, which means Nintendo already has our money (even tho I swore never again after Wii). Oh well =p
Krowley said:
Depends on the launch window. They're probably going to release Fall 2012 in which case next E3 is more than appropriate.
PaNaMa said:
Yep. Hardcore people are all about the details. Should have showed a spec sheet, showed the physical controller and console and held both up. Say then what developers were behind them and announce a few games for WiiU. Also mention how they are aiming for a Xbox Live type of online.
megashock5
Member
LaserBuddha said:
I actually hope that's the case and the price isn't inflated like the 3DS after the positive response.
Also, now that it's been mentioned - adding an "i" to DS for a revision and then adding a "U" to Wii for an entirely new system could definitely be confusing to the average consumer.
Nintendo's only real mistake was assuming that everyone understood that they were announcing a new system. Most every criticism about the conference can be covered by that explanation. Simply put, they needed to differentiate it from the Wii better than that. The damage is done. No amount of "should've" while change it. What matters is what they needed to do to fix it:
Last year, they made the rounds on several morning and late-night talk shows. Have they done that this year? If they haven't, they need to. And when they do, they need to make sure they strongly emphasize that it's a new console first. I would actually shy away from calling it "a next generation console" because of how Apple has redefined generations. I'd focus on calling it "new" and the "successor to Wii." And then make sure every press release the follows emphasizes the same. And then make sure you're ready for a real full reveal (including actual games, pricing, and online details) by the fall conference.
I don't think I'd do anything else besides that. There's still a year's worth a build-up to go. I'd avoid releasing spec like the plague... Talk about confusing. Anything more than the amount of RAM, and even the hardcore community starts scratching its head. It only opens themselves up to unequal comparisons from people who don't know what they're talking about but think they do.
Last year, they made the rounds on several morning and late-night talk shows. Have they done that this year? If they haven't, they need to. And when they do, they need to make sure they strongly emphasize that it's a new console first. I would actually shy away from calling it "a next generation console" because of how Apple has redefined generations. I'd focus on calling it "new" and the "successor to Wii." And then make sure every press release the follows emphasizes the same. And then make sure you're ready for a real full reveal (including actual games, pricing, and online details) by the fall conference.
I don't think I'd do anything else besides that. There's still a year's worth a build-up to go. I'd avoid releasing spec like the plague... Talk about confusing. Anything more than the amount of RAM, and even the hardcore community starts scratching its head. It only opens themselves up to unequal comparisons from people who don't know what they're talking about but think they do.