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Nintendo: We Should Have Explained Wii U Better (Gamasutra)
- Thread starter Wolves Evolve
- Start date
RPGCrazied
Member
At first I thought the controller was the system until I saw the console itself in one of the videos.
Ronok said:
EXACTLY, people who did not get it was a new console did not look close enough. I mean they could have screamed it but since the damn thing looks like a rounded Wii I think people would still be confused.
I don't care who this pisses off but if you only thought this was a controller you are a bit slow.
They did not show specs because they are not finalized, and lord knows if they showed what they anticipated them to be and something changed GAF would hang them for that shit as well.
GoldenEye 007 said:
As someone who was initially confused during the first minute of the conference, I can explain that their constant "the new controller..." stuff, the name, and Nintendo's long heritage of add ons made it seem that this thing could be a controller and not a new system. The initial games they showed did not seem to require huge processing power - I remember some stuff with Miis, Othello and Super Mario.
I'm not sure how by the end of the conference you could not understand that this thing couldn't be just an add on controller, but Nintendo didn't do a very good job so I'm not shocked by confused people.
IrishNinja said:
I didn't get the tension everyone saw in that interview at all. It seemed to me like Reggie and Geoff know each other and when Geoff said he wasn't aware of the other roundtable, Reggie raised his voice in a "WOW, you actually admitted to NOT knowing something!" kind of smartass reaction.
GoldenEye 007
Member
I didn't call anyone stupid. Lack of basic logic maybe or jut not stepping back and thinking critically, but not stupid. And E3 is geared towards enthusiasts. I feel like a major number of followers, both fans and media, know what a firmware update is and isn't to address that particular comment of mine.jmdajr said:
They go through them frequently with the PS3/PSP/X360/iPhone/Android use.
Edit: jay, I guess. But as I was watching it, I took those initial demos as proof of concept videos for the controller. Then as you stated, they finished with some game announcements and developer impressions. None of which are anywhere close to what the Wii could dream of.
Zombie James
Banned
At least he's smart enough to realize what was going on. It was a new system reveal that said nothing about the system... that doesn't help anyone. Casual gamers get confused (even people in the media, apparently) and hardcore gamers don't get any real info about what the system is capable of.
I honestly didn't have a clear picture on the "console" until I watched Keighley's interview with Reggie on GTTV. Their conference did nothing but leave me with questions. And I honestly can't imagine this thing making 2012 at this point. They just don't have enough together yet it seems and don't want to speak on the major talking points.
I'm going to say spring 2013' release at best.
I'm going to say spring 2013' release at best.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
GAF analogy time:
WiiU unveiling was dedicated to the controller not the console, you know the thing that will run everything so the goddam controller can do what they show it will do
It would be like Apple of going hey iPad3 is coming but then go on 30+ minutes on the new micro-fiber cloth magnet attachment, that now doubles as a cup holder
People: iPad 3 Specs?
Apple: We'll get to that, but don't you see how amazing iGenie is
People: New functionalities?
Apple: Soon, but look @ we have created, such a masterpiece, we created something even God would be jealous of, our work is truly revolutionary
People: Isn't it just a cloth with magnets attached?
Apple: Free if you pre-order
People: SOLD!
WiiU unveiling was dedicated to the controller not the console, you know the thing that will run everything so the goddam controller can do what they show it will do
It would be like Apple of going hey iPad3 is coming but then go on 30+ minutes on the new micro-fiber cloth magnet attachment, that now doubles as a cup holder
People: iPad 3 Specs?
Apple: We'll get to that, but don't you see how amazing iGenie is
People: New functionalities?
Apple: Soon, but look @ we have created, such a masterpiece, we created something even God would be jealous of, our work is truly revolutionary
People: Isn't it just a cloth with magnets attached?
Apple: Free if you pre-order
People: SOLD!
Nintendo stock as of now is still higher than their stock was after the Wii's first christmas, when it was selling gangbusters, along with the DS.1-D_FTW said:
Want to know the last time Nintendo stock took a dive. After they showed the 3DS. It hit 31.50. Was that a confusing conference? Nintendo stock goes down after E3. It's not as much a reflection of the conference as it is the holiday season ending and earning reports coming out. Even if their conference was the best ever, it would see a little bump.
To look at Nintendo's stock and say 'Well their fucked. Investors have the magical powers to gauge the popularity of a device." is a little much. If this conference has any real long term effects, we will see it once the 3DS line-up rolls out to stores with Zelda remake and the like. The WiiU is irrelevant in terms of stock right now. Maybe some people panicked, but once the holiday hits and Nintendo is doing $30-40 a stock who is going to give a shit.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I was chatting with two other people while the conference was going on. I heard the rumors. They heard the rumors. Now, I never became convinced that I had been hoodwinked, and that they pulled a switcharoo, but there was quite a bit of second-guessing going on. There was a lot of "wait, this isn't just a controller, is it? There's new hardware, right?"Futureman said:
To say that you weren't confused is different from conceding that it could have been perceived as confusing. The console itself wasn't showcased prominently, and pretty much looked like a Wii next to the big screen TV. They showed games that looked like Wii games in the initial reveal. They just kept harping on about the controller. I mean, I knew that new hardware was coming, but that was a preconceived assumption I had, and I didn't stop second-guessing it until I saw the demo of the bird flying around and the reveal of third party software that wouldn't have appeared on the Wii.
GQman2121 said:
No way. A full year is a lot of time, and we already know of 3rd party games running on the system.
Besides, there is no way Nintendo can continue to rely on the Wii until then. Not with sales falling and an extremely sparse release list.
I think June-July 2012 is right on point, possibly a bit earlier in Japan.
evilchicken
Member
I assumed they would just talk in detail about the hardware/online at next year's E3. That will be more than enough of a spotlight to clear up confusion before launch.
I do think they messed up this conference though.
I do think they messed up this conference though.
M.I.S. said:
I suspect evolutions of tech; Thinking back to what we had available at the time of the Wii (and presumably pitching at a similar pricepoint), I'm not sure it was realistic to stream video of that quality at that rate. Could be wrong, mind.
Also, I think they may have wanted the duality of purpose; it could be a touchscreen or it could be a "window on the world".
jonnybryce
Member
See how we've turned against eachother? That's exactly what Nintendo wants!
The name is terrible and wasn't explained clearly.
The NEW CONTROLLER got way too much time.
While young, so many basic statements were left unmade. We can only focus on the NEW CONTROLLER for so long.
Most consoles are invisible. To say that you won't be paying attention or interacting with it directly and thus you don't need to know about it is really peculiar. The issue is Nintendo likes to talk without saying anything and this is a presentation where a lot needed to be said especially when you position this as a call to hardcore gamers.
or something.
The name is terrible and wasn't explained clearly.
The NEW CONTROLLER got way too much time.
While young, so many basic statements were left unmade. We can only focus on the NEW CONTROLLER for so long.
Most consoles are invisible. To say that you won't be paying attention or interacting with it directly and thus you don't need to know about it is really peculiar. The issue is Nintendo likes to talk without saying anything and this is a presentation where a lot needed to be said especially when you position this as a call to hardcore gamers.
GoldenEye 007 said:
Watch the Wii reveal trailer again and see how they kept mentioning "New Controller" instead of "New Console". Showing it off with Wii games didn't help either. I was thinking back and forth as to whether it was a new controller or whether it was a new console. It was only until after that trailer that I realized it was a new console. Very easy to see why people got confused over this whole conference.
GoldenEye 007
Member
I mean, I guess. But it's like Nintendo dropped the ball on their first possession in the first quarter of a football game... I think it'll be a minor if not non-existent issue come a year from now...jmdajr said:
Especially as more game announcements and screens/videos come as time goes by.
remnant said:
Getting quite worked up, are ya. It was a moronic, confusing reveal, period. No references to a new console in their intro video, but rather "the new controller". Over and over, and over, and over...and over. And then using Wii-level graphics to demonstrate game ideas, well that was just plain stupid.
gcubed said:
What does this mean? PS3 was revealed with detailed technical specs, playable tech demos and CG bullshit. It was clear what it was.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
They should have teased a new system instead of showing one that obviously wasn't ready for public viewing (as evidenced by PS3/360 2011 games montage).
Could you imagine if at the end of their conference they said "and now a little taste of something we'll be showing next year" and played a little bit longer clip of Zelda HD? If you really want to cock tease even more, you pull the camera back from someone playing it on the a TV to reveal the new system sitting there and the player holding the new controller. Heads pop, you spend a year refusing to answer any questions about it, other then saying it is running on future hardware.
Could you imagine if at the end of their conference they said "and now a little taste of something we'll be showing next year" and played a little bit longer clip of Zelda HD? If you really want to cock tease even more, you pull the camera back from someone playing it on the a TV to reveal the new system sitting there and the player holding the new controller. Heads pop, you spend a year refusing to answer any questions about it, other then saying it is running on future hardware.
evilchicken
Member
GraveRobberX said:
That's not the same at all. The controller is the CORE of the WiiU experience, a cloth is not the core of the iPad3 experience.
It's more like detailing advanced features of iOS version X in one conference and then talking about the hardware at the next one.
jonnybryce
Member
jett said:
Yeah that was seriously moronic.
I do think that Nintendo could have provided a little more information during the press conference regarding the Wii U, meaning during the conference itself. There was information regarding the system that was clearly made available on the floor, but some of that should have been in the conference too.
However, I wasn't confused by it or thought it was the worst hardware reveal of all time or anything. I mean, would it have taken a laser show with Slayer playing to say "this is our new console and its hardcore" for everyone? Nintendo seems to be veering into becoming a company that utilizes "hands-on" experience to sell their technology while providing "enough" of the technological talk to get the tech-heads interested. They always stress now that selling their systems requires getting it into the hands of people to try it out. Because that doesn't do so well for crazy hardware people that need to know what minerals make up their components, it falls flat. For me, and for many people who have no idea what E3 is or even care, the right information will get to them easily and in a polished manner, and they'll get to try out everything, in-hand, to see if they want it. I wasn't sold on the Wii idea either until I tried one a few months ago, and now I want one. There are just different audiences, and Nintendo's challenge is finding the right balance of their desire for hands-on experience and casting out information for the tech heads and pixel counters.
As objectively as possible, and I watched this with my girlfriend who literally has never played a game in her life, and though she wants a Wii for Wii Fit and all that and knows about the console, we both knew that Nintendo was talking about a new console in the press conference. Besides all the developers saying that it was a "new console," she pointed it out during the first video, right beside the TV, because I was missing it looking at what the tablet was doing. We both could tell it was a new system.
I also liked how they showed instances of the games from casual (that first video) to "hardcore" (the 3rd party developer video). Getting EA's blessings from the CEO was also nice as well, and it showed a commitment to the new console.
Now, after the conference, more news has been coming out talking about the console and the tablet, some of the games being planned for it, and some hints that can be made from things people are saying that may or may not be anything of worth. But, E3 doesn't just end at the end of the press conference; a lot of floor time and interviews have taken place and more information will be coming in, from all the console makers and game developers.
Do I think it was rushed? No, but it is early hardware, and it has gotten people talking in all manners of ways. That's a start. Nintendo just has to continue work on this thing, keep providing information about it, feeding people hints and all about what to expect, leverage traditional media to get the console in people's minds, and they will do very well.
However, I wasn't confused by it or thought it was the worst hardware reveal of all time or anything. I mean, would it have taken a laser show with Slayer playing to say "this is our new console and its hardcore" for everyone? Nintendo seems to be veering into becoming a company that utilizes "hands-on" experience to sell their technology while providing "enough" of the technological talk to get the tech-heads interested. They always stress now that selling their systems requires getting it into the hands of people to try it out. Because that doesn't do so well for crazy hardware people that need to know what minerals make up their components, it falls flat. For me, and for many people who have no idea what E3 is or even care, the right information will get to them easily and in a polished manner, and they'll get to try out everything, in-hand, to see if they want it. I wasn't sold on the Wii idea either until I tried one a few months ago, and now I want one. There are just different audiences, and Nintendo's challenge is finding the right balance of their desire for hands-on experience and casting out information for the tech heads and pixel counters.
As objectively as possible, and I watched this with my girlfriend who literally has never played a game in her life, and though she wants a Wii for Wii Fit and all that and knows about the console, we both knew that Nintendo was talking about a new console in the press conference. Besides all the developers saying that it was a "new console," she pointed it out during the first video, right beside the TV, because I was missing it looking at what the tablet was doing. We both could tell it was a new system.
I also liked how they showed instances of the games from casual (that first video) to "hardcore" (the 3rd party developer video). Getting EA's blessings from the CEO was also nice as well, and it showed a commitment to the new console.
Now, after the conference, more news has been coming out talking about the console and the tablet, some of the games being planned for it, and some hints that can be made from things people are saying that may or may not be anything of worth. But, E3 doesn't just end at the end of the press conference; a lot of floor time and interviews have taken place and more information will be coming in, from all the console makers and game developers.
Do I think it was rushed? No, but it is early hardware, and it has gotten people talking in all manners of ways. That's a start. Nintendo just has to continue work on this thing, keep providing information about it, feeding people hints and all about what to expect, leverage traditional media to get the console in people's minds, and they will do very well.
Wolves Evolve said:
Maybe we've grown accustomed to self-flaggelation from Satoru Iwata but he's become quite good at apologizing for things like this.
I didn't watch the presentation until later on their e3 site and there was no confusion.
Although I think the author makes the mistake of equating this showing with the Wii reveal in 2006 when the console was mere months away.
Mr. B Natural
Member
The concept is about as halfassed as the unveil. It's a double whammy.
That's the issue here. If they did a bad job unveiling a very intuitive idea, the idea would have answered its own questions for them (in hindsight, the Wii motion demos did this pretty well) OR if you had a bad idea but explained it very well, you would have your questions answered for you despite the ideas not really being congruent or well conceived. But the WiiU has neither.
It's like this -
A good UI doesn't need explanation. A good well thought out UI is self explanatory. No need for a tutorial and if you have one, it can be brief and weak and it really doesn't matter too much.
A bad UI doesn't have that luxury. It needs a nice long and well explained tutorial so the user can find their way.
A bad UI with a bad tutorial leaves people confused and aggravated. That's the WiiU. Poorly thought out ideas meet poorly thought out presentation.
That's the issue here. If they did a bad job unveiling a very intuitive idea, the idea would have answered its own questions for them (in hindsight, the Wii motion demos did this pretty well) OR if you had a bad idea but explained it very well, you would have your questions answered for you despite the ideas not really being congruent or well conceived. But the WiiU has neither.
It's like this -
A good UI doesn't need explanation. A good well thought out UI is self explanatory. No need for a tutorial and if you have one, it can be brief and weak and it really doesn't matter too much.
A bad UI doesn't have that luxury. It needs a nice long and well explained tutorial so the user can find their way.
A bad UI with a bad tutorial leaves people confused and aggravated. That's the WiiU. Poorly thought out ideas meet poorly thought out presentation.
Mr. B Natural
Member
WiiU might have been ok if they didn't already whore out the Wii this and Wii that names for games and products. It sounds like an accessory because we're already trained to think that way.X26 said:
Captain Tuttle
Member
Yeah, Wii U is a terrible name, causes confusion. How much time passed between Nintendo saying "Revolution" and the final decision on "Wii"? Is it too close to launch for the Wii U?
Steve Youngblood
Member
Forget for one moment that we are superdorks who speculate for hundreds of pages about the potential specs of something code named Café. Are you with me? So, you've got an initial reveal. The person on screen is playing what looks essentially like New Super Mario Bros. Wii on what essentially looks like a Wii console next to the TV. They then show off how the new controller has a screen that can play that Wii-looking game without the TV while his buddy watches a baseball game. Cut to the controller being used to conceal where a pitch will be thrown in what looks exactly like a modified version of Wii Sports baseball. Cut to Othello. Cut to the controller being able to interface with the balance board -- a Wii accessory.remnant said:
Again, I understand going "I'm a superdork who knows his gaming news, so I wasn't confused." I am absolutely baffled, however, that you can't -- at least on a hypothetical -- understand how this reveal may have been somewhat confusing. That doesn't mean that you have to admit that you personally were confused. But it does mean backing down from the stance of asserting that anyone not on the same page with you and the Nintendo PR team are idiots.
Deku said:
But that was the kind of expectation that had built up.
I'm sure they weren't ready for that, and instead, we got something more than a teaser, but less than a real demonstration. It ended up in a very uncomfortable middle ground.
Plus there is the simple fact that the simply failed to make a coherent pitch on the console. They talked about "wide and deep", with an attempt to bring in hardcore gamers along with their expanded audience from the wii, then they showed a demo reel with a 90% focus on expanded audience stuff.
Mr. B Natural said:
Shockingly, I agree with you on this topic. The name is a mistake, and it will create confusion in the market early on - which is not what Nintendo wants. I've had a number of people ask me if I was going to 'upgrade to the new DS' like I did 'the previous ones'. The fact that they're using Wii Remotes and all its other peripherals will just exacerbate this issue. They could've have honestly kept confusion to a minimum by calling it Wii 2.
People, no matter how out of touch with gaming and its happenings, would get that name immediately.
Hydrogen Bluebird
Member
worst console name ever.
I agree it was a pretty unclear presentation, but at the end of the day any journalist worth their salt should have left the building knowing what it was.
People have seriously short memories about the PS3 reveal, don't you guys remember the lies about dual hdmi out, a gigabit hub and how we will be watching blurays on one screen and playing a game on the other?
People have seriously short memories about the PS3 reveal, don't you guys remember the lies about dual hdmi out, a gigabit hub and how we will be watching blurays on one screen and playing a game on the other?
Jokes and Riddles
Neo Member
Nintendo certainly screwed up their elevator pitch to the world.
I'm still confused about it and have been researching the thing ever since. I'm sure Nintendo will smooth this out before launch. For the record, I'm still buying one day one, but I feel I'm going to be more surprised that anything at this point.
I'm still confused about it and have been researching the thing ever since. I'm sure Nintendo will smooth this out before launch. For the record, I'm still buying one day one, but I feel I'm going to be more surprised that anything at this point.
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