no it's not.
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Target doesn't know what a Wii U looks like
- Thread starter Wario64
- Start date
no it's not.
KennyLinder
Member
The console:
Looks like a Wii
Same shape pretty much as a Wii
Same name as a Wii
The 'U' part of the logo is very very poorly designed and thus missable
They released a Mario game at launch which looks the same as the one on Wii
IT LOOKS LIKE THE LAST CONSOLE THEY MADE.
GrizzledGrump
Banned
Wow. It really didn't hit home until I saw the OP. Damn, Nintendo.
The Wii U seems to be the new controller add-on for your Wii.
The Wii U seems to be the new controller add-on for your Wii.
Ricerocket
Member
hahahaha
This is not surprising. The first thing you can see is a huge gamepad overlapping a tiny console that looks exactly like the Wii. OF COURSE there is confusion Nintendo!
This is not surprising. The first thing you can see is a huge gamepad overlapping a tiny console that looks exactly like the Wii. OF COURSE there is confusion Nintendo!
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
I find the downfall of the Wii U fascinating. It's just a clusterfuck on every possible level.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
To be completely honest, this is still a marketing failure from Nintendo more than a design failure. The original sin of their Wii U marketing was the initial reveal video presentation: holding up the gamepad and saying "this is our new console". Trying to hide the console itself from view. They actually made it sound like either a tablet or a Wii add-on, going for that "high concept" abstract simplicity.
That was the event which had the full attention of the mainstream press and the public, and they blew it worse than possibly anyone ever has.
That was the event which had the full attention of the mainstream press and the public, and they blew it worse than possibly anyone ever has.
patrickthehedgehog
Member
Probably too late to change the name, but they really need to make the hardware look different. It's so nondescript anyway that they have a ton of options to make it stand out.
Hopefully this ad will get the message across to Nintendo.
Hopefully this ad will get the message across to Nintendo.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Calling it Super Wii wouldn't magically make people spend $350 on something with no appeal. The Wii name just has a lot less cache than Nintendo expected.
Wal-Mart does this as well. Sin and Punishment 2 as well.
I am surprised Sin and Punishment has shelf space.
This is entirely the problem for people who don't visit neogaf 24/7.
If you are a mom you go into a store to buy a WiiU gamepad for your kid, probably think it is $100 or less (on par with the Wii Fit mat or something) and then get told it is $349, laugh and leave.
I don't frequent GameStop, per se, but have been there and overheard this exchange 3 or 4 times in the past year or so.
If you are a mom you go into a store to buy a WiiU gamepad for your kid, probably think it is $100 or less (on par with the Wii Fit mat or something) and then get told it is $349, laugh and leave.
I don't frequent GameStop, per se, but have been there and overheard this exchange 3 or 4 times in the past year or so.
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Oh god the worst part was I didn't even notice a difference until the follow up picture.
Law Abiding Stranger
Banned
I don't think the name SUPER WII would've prevented sinkhole sales.
gigantor21
Member
I saw the picture in another thread and thought the problem was the free Gift Card, LOL.
Seriously, though...damn.
Seriously, though...damn.
It's a pretty big problem. I don't think they have conveyed that it's an entire new console yet. All they have been doing is talking about the gamepad.
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
You would probably be firing the top dudes from their Japan headquarters then lol since it seems like this was really a case of "lost in translation".
SEGAvangelist
Gold Member
Wow. This is so sad. Poor Wii U.
Hm. Well, why is that acceptable in the case of something like the iPad (not too familiar with the look of the different revisions) but not with the Wii and Wii U?
Does it have more to do with the look of the product or actually the marketing?
KennyLinder
Member
Not much confusion here that they're different systems.
captmcblack
Member
I didn't realize people were collectively that stupid.
But I guess I have to accept that people en masse really truly were confused by Wii U vs. Wii.
But I guess I have to accept that people en masse really truly were confused by Wii U vs. Wii.
I had friends that really thought the Wii U is just a new gamepad.
Also you can often win a Wii U at tv shows here in Germany but most of the time they will tell you that it's a Wii.
Even I, a gaf poster, had problems distinguishing between consoles at first. It's definitely a problem.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Come to think of it, doesn't Nintendo even shy away from referring to the Wii U as their "next generation console" in ad copy and commercials? I can't recall seeing anything major where it's highlighted as a game console. They're very abstract about it.
Gonzo The Great
Banned
They should have dropped the Wii name altogether. Even the Nintendo U sounds a lot better by comparison.
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
Is that a game pad on top of the WII? What the hell is that!?
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
There was a rumor going around before release that it would just be called "Nintendo." Even that would have been better.
Let's be honest, though--the name issue is just a part of the major problems this system has.
KennyLinder
Member
iPad 2
iPad with Retina Display
iPad 4th Gen
iPod
iPod 2nd Gen etc
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
iPhone 5
The closest to what you're saying is iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but Apple have this really clever thing called marketing to tell people what the new phone is and what it does. It's all about awareness, and without, you're fucked.
ElRenoRaven
Member
It is. I've seen it at Gamestop when in there and at Wal Mart. I've seen people walk away after being told that no it's not an addon and actually a new console that's 350 bucks. They're like oh crap really. I thought it was an addon for my Wii. It's happening. The general public is not as knowledgeable about things as we here are. We're the hardcore of the hardcore. We live and breath games. They don't. So of course they're going to be "stupid" when it comes to this. Nintendo hasn't done anything to show them it's not an addon.
Dead Prince
Banned
when you play a playstation you are playing smart.
Not much confusion here that they're different systems.
MemoryHumanity
Member
Almost feel like this was done on purpose. Like...how can you get it wrong? The GamePad comes in the same box as the Wii U. That's the only place you can get a Wii U GamePad seeing as you can't buy them separately.
Ah, so I guess the naming conventions make it clearer for the public at large concerning what product they're getting (plus Apple marketing).
I seem to recall them even avoiding mentioning the word "console" at the initial unveil of the Wii U. Even I thought that this might have been an add-on right after watching that with all of the confusion going on.
I agree. Target must have something gainst Nintendo.
PumpkinPie
Banned
You can use the Wii U upright too!
Cbajd5
Member
Why wouldn't they just use the system image nintendo uses everywhere?
That is, the same image they use on their website.
They have to be doing this on purpose.
That is, the same image they use on their website.
They have to be doing this on purpose.
That's not false, but you're just missing the point. People are blaming Nintendo for what's a pretty obvious issue with the design/marketing of their system. If the Wii U wasn't THIS similar to the original, no dumb graphic designer would make this mistake.
Besides, it isn't really news that a lot of people simply don't know what a Wii U looks like. Their original presentation in itself was a great way to generate confusion, what with the huge focus on the gamepad and ignoring the system itself.
Anyhow, this thread is just gold. It's one of those real life bloopers that actually says a lot about what's going on with the system.
KennyLinder
Member
"We need this advert doing, the assets are in the Nintendo folder"
"OK cool"
"Errm, yep that's it, seen it on the box in the store"
To a non-gamer, its very hard to tell the difference.
Do Ford come out and make the exact same looking car as the last one? No, they change it. Same fucking thing.
They could have at least put a flame decal on it or something.... NOPE JUST ROUNDED EDGES! It's longer too... Please understand. I still love the shit out of my Wii U btw.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
As well, the dog that isn't barking here, is this: people are asking about something for their Wii. This kinda suggests that no, not every Wii is in the closet collecting dust. There could be an audience there, but Nintendo's marketing has truly been this terrible.
sixteen-bit
Member
The graphic designer had to be trolling.
Yep. Remember when they first revealed it? A lot of gaffers were even confused then about it until it was explained further by Nintendo. How can they expect the general public to know without them explaining? Even their advertisements, which I haven't seen for a while, didn't relay the message clearly.
ElRenoRaven
Member
Not necessarily. You have to figure they photograph a bunch of different items. Odds are those items are collected and laid on shelves until being shot. So I can easily see someone going back to the shelf who may not be knowledgeable going back grabbing the wii and going oh I need the addon and grabbing the pad that is sitting there. Now I don't know if that's how it works. I don't do professional photography for circulars etc so it may not. But I can see how it could happen.
Yup. They have made it a point to avoid using the term console when talking about it. Half the time it is advertised you don't even see anything but the controller.
Petrae
Member
To the ConspiracyMobile!