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Your task is to redo the Wii U GamePad, what would you change/get rid off

C

Coolwhip

Banned
I would turn it into the pro controller with the trackpad of the DS4.

Then sell the console for 250, name it NES, throw in some more graphics.

There, the perfect Nintendo box.
 
T

thewhitehawk

Member
Longer range,
Slightly better screen slightly smaller with better contrast, colors and, in turn, slightly smaller controller design (20/30%).
Better touchscreen
Larger battery
Analogue triggers
Equal distance between A,B,X,Y buttons as in DS4
More clicky buttons, instead of "mushy", a la PSVita
 
L

level44

Member
EightBitNate said:
Capacitive touch screen
720p
Analog triggers
Switch face buttons and right control stick
No camera
Bigger battery
More curved ergomics, like a bigger classic controller
Slightly smaller overall
Click to expand...

It would fall out of your hand or be extremely uncomfortable to hold. Sticks need to be symmetrical.
 
P

phanphare

Banned
I'm actually pretty damn happy with the gamepad

so a better battery

I want to say a higher resolution screen but I actually like the 480p screen for VC games.

the resistive touch screen is great. I use art academy sketchpad so that's cool

I haven't used the camera but I'd still keep it. with twitch really popping off this gen I think Nintendo could hop on that train and everyone would already have a camera to stream

oh they could make the L and R buttons easier to get to. right now the most comfortable way for me to hold the controller is with my index fingers on the triggers so it's a little out of the way to get to the bumpers. small gripe but a gripe nonetheless

also I haven't really seen the need for an NFC chip but I guess that could change at E3 this year

and this probably has more to do with the Wii U console itself but better range for the gamepad would be appreciated. although I can use it in almost every room in my house
 
E

efyu_lemonardo

May I have a cookie?
Not a single post asking for a Bluetooth chip?

If the Wii U pad had that, it could function as a pro controller and classic controller, allowing people to actually play Wii and all VC games on it!

And BT chips are probably like a dollar for the manufacturer..
 
J

jeffers

Member
Shrink the screen (to reduce down the manufacture cost by being a smaller leaner pad, Probably one of the bigger expenses next to the screen). Probably keep same res, will look better on that smaller screen. also less power draw from the smaller one.
Better battery.
redesign pad to be more sleek and less "fisher price" (I dont mind it, but its now been heavily associated and a clean fresh image will help)
Maybe make the camera better, or add one to the back.

Keep IR bar (could see an awesome golf game being made utilising it), its 2 IR leds - its dirt, dirt cheap. only issue with it is visual clutter.
Keep NFC (finally put in card support, Cant see it being that expensive - mainly be the controller, which I'm not sure if its inbuilt or not to the main chips).

edit: Also sell it directly on nintendo site so people with current pad can upgrade, but not retail as CONFUZZLES
 
F

Fourth Storm

Member
I'd get rid of the TV button and NFC. Also, make the damn thing sturdier. The face buttons just feel loose and cheap, at least on mine. Sticks could be tightened and the octogonal gate put back in place. The camera? Yeah, scratch that too. It's so low quality and barely used (still wondering if anybody uses the video chat app), that I'd rather they had just made it an add on.

The screen not being flush with the rest of the pad just makes it easy for animal hair and dust to get caught along the perimeter. Very annoying and takes from the premium (ha!) feel of the product.

The major issue for me, however, is the position of the dpad and shoulder buttons. Was trying to play F-Zero last night and realized how utterly horrendous the Gamepad is for this task. Getting to the shoulder buttons is too much of a stretch and even if I used triggers, the way you need to hold your hand while gripping dpad/face buttons is quite cramp inducing. So I'd probably make the controller smaller.

And get rid of that ridiculous shelf in back. I understand why it's there, but there must be something less ugly they can do to achieve the same goal.
 
M

MaximoffZero

Banned
efyu_lemonardo said:
Not a single post asking for a Bluetooth chip?.
Click to expand...

I will. It would be nice if the 3DS had one as well.

Also, I would give the Gamepad a more nVidia Sheild-like design, smaller with the screen on top. The screen could even be removable so the Gamepad could last longer and be less bulky when the screen isn't in use.
 
P

Pociask

Member
Cheerilee said:
I'd quit.

The Wiimote was a good idea, and was halfway towards becoming the new industry standard. Nintendo should have taken all of the money that was poured into the GamePad (about half the cost of the Wii U) and poured it straight into a console that defined "next gen" a year before Sony did, instead of a controller that contradicted some of the Wiimote's core philosophies (like simplicity) and made a liar out of Nintendo (proving that they don't have ideals, they're all about the gimmick), and whose functionality could easily be replicated by a 3DS or a GBA2 if Nintendo thought that far ahead.

The GamePad was fundamentally wrong, if you ask me. The right balance of price and capability is "the Wiimote", and the GamePad not existing. If my boss refused to accept that answer and told me to rework my answer in some way that made it so that the GamePad was the best price and capability, then I should quit. Or if I really needed the paycheck, I'd say that... I dunno... the GamePad needs 3D. The system should support 3D Bluray, and the GamePad should deliver it, even if your TV can't/won't.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've said it several times - Nintendo should have done a Super Wii, based around the Wiimote Plus being standard. Simple, easy to use, now in HD and with Blu-ray, and oh it can blow away every other console when it comes to graphics (keeping in mind a similar or even earlier release date). Priced at only 299. If they wanted second screen gaming, they should have made the 3DS natively capable of doing that - maybe even make the 3DS a 3D blu-ray player, via the Super Wii.

But to answer the spirt of the question, remove the screen from the Gamepad, and put in a holographic projecter as in Star Wars or Sea Quest. Almost useless for any actual gameplay, but what a neat gimmick! By default, ROB the robot is in the projector, and gives tips as you play the game on how to beat it. Of course, the tip is to call 1-800-NINTENDO.
 
A

Astral/H3X

Member
MaximoffZero said:
I will. It would be nice if the 3DS had one as well.

Also, I would give the Gamepad a more nVidia Sheild-like design, smaller with the screen on top. The screen could even be removable so the Gamepad could last longer and be less bulky when the screen isn't in use.
Click to expand...
Now imagine trying to play Zombi U like that and you'll see why that's a bad idea.
 
H

HighJumpBoots

Banned
Hero of Legend said:
Not even the first couple of sentences...
Click to expand...

image.php


On topic: I'd get rid of this resistive stuff. Or at least adopt a Vita-like screen. Nintendo certainly went cheap-o on the screen, and while it doesn't really matter that much, if I could change something, it'd be that. Also, I'd make the controller a little smaller, too. Fit it more around the screen and reduce some space between the buttons.
 
M

mackattk

Member
Bigger battery and better screen/resolution. Really the only two things I have a problem with. Oh, and maybe a hardware switch to turn the screen on/off.

Oh, and cheap replacements if you ever do need one. Replacing the damn thing costs almost as much as buying a new/used Wii U package.
 
T

The Abominable Snowman

Member
I would've housed the internals of the Wii U into it, chopped off Wii BC to save a few watts (Or make it a bit more powerful), and housed it with a huge battery. BC with 3DS

Or adversely, just made it the Pro controller and made a tablet/PC app to stream games instead of trying to control the hardware.
 
Iorv3th

Iorv3th

Member
I find it uncomfortable to hold, just doesn't sit in my hands well. Would make it more angular for the grips or something, also no right stick above the buttons nonsense. The triggers and bumpers I would make more springy and more like triggers.

But I don't think changing the gamepad is going to help the wii u out any. It's a problem of the OS and power of the system and Nintendos relations with third parties.
 
C

CANLI

Member
Nothing (just a bit the resolution, it will be enough). Ninty, don't listen complainers.

Most of people here complain a lot. They never lived the 80' and 90' period when all the games were at 70-80 euros.

I found the gamepad great. It's a big idea. I know Ninty will find some ways to make it practical.
I love using it on Wii Fit and Nsmb u.
 
H

Herne

Member
Coolwhip said:
Battery too? Watching netflix is a pain. After watching a few episodes its empty.
Click to expand...

I have yet to see the battery go down all the way to tell you the truth, but that's because I have it sitting in a cradle alongside Wii Remotes and they're all always charging. But yeah, battery does seem to be a big complaint - so that and the screen, I guess.
 
P

phanphare

Banned
HighJumpBoots said:
On topic: I'd get rid of this resistive stuff. Or at least adopt a Vita-like screen. Nintendo certainly went cheap-o on the screen, and while it doesn't really matter that much, if I could change something, it'd be that. Also, I'd make the controller a little smaller, too. Fit it more around the screen and reduce some space between the buttons.
Click to expand...

I always see this and I just chalk it up to a perception issue. every other smart device uses a capacitive touch screen so most people just think that's how every touch screen should be.

but can you tell me the benefit of having a capacitive touch screen on a gaming controller? aside from multi-touch because for some reason I think that'd be a hassle on a game controller
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Smaller. Longer battery life. Analog triggers.

Anything else would add too much cost to what is already a bad idea that made the Wii U price unattractive to many potential buyers.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
phanphare said:
I always see this and I just chalk it up to a perception issue. every other smart device uses a capacitive touch screen so most people just think that's how every touch screen should be.

but can you tell me the benefit of having a capacitive touch screen on a gaming controller? aside from multi-touch because for some reason I think that'd be a hassle on a game controller
Click to expand...

It works a ton better for gaming IMO. Stuff on Vita like Tearaway does touch screen stuff that would never work well in a resistive screen like on the 3DS or gamepad. It doesn't work well to go between stylus and regular controls but is bet intuitive to just lightly tap or swipe with your thumb.

In reality though, I find touch stuff gimmicky for the most part and prefer games that just use traditional controls.
 
R

Riedinizzo

Banned
Honestly not much - maybe update the build quality. Improve the battery, slim it down, slap a nicer screen on it. It 'feels' like outdated tech.
 
P

phanphare

Banned
dmaul1114 said:
It works a ton better for gaming IMO. Stuff on Vita like Tearaway does touch screen stuff that would never work well in a resistive screen like on the 3DS or gamepad. It doesn't work well to go between stylus and regular controls but is bet intuitive to just lightly tap or swipe with your thumb.

In reality though, I find touch stuff gimmicky for the most part and prefer games that just use traditional controls.
Click to expand...

can you give some examples?

for instance in Wind Waker HD I always drag and drop when I switch items. works like a charm. same with ALBW. and I never use the stylus in gaming situations, only for stuff like the browser and art academy. for art academy specifically I would not want to trade the accuracy of the resistive touch screen for a capacitive one
 
R

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Smaller screen, 3-4 inches tops
Bigger battery
More ergonomic bezel
Lose camera
Include button to turn screen off for games that don't need it.
 
S

SweetJohnnyCage

Member
I've only played a handful of games on my Wii U, and all I'd like to change is the battery life. Having to plug it in every couple hours of gaming is really really annoying. Other than that, I enjoy the gamepad.
 
M

Mango The Magician

Banned
-Better battery
-Maybe ditch the glossy finish, though it being the same material as the back of it, might make it look cheap.
-an ability to turn it off without turning the system off.
-allow it to connect to the system via wifi/4g so you can play your games on the go.
-improve its range.
-some kind of way to play Wii games that use the classic controller on the pad.
 
C

coldfoot

Banned
The Gamepad feels massive, so I'd make the screen a little smaller, from 6.2 to 5.2. Keep the same resolution, ditch the camera and NFC, make the bezel smaller at the top and bottom, make triggers analog, enable turning the screen off to save battery (this could be an OS function).

None of these changes besides the analog triggers would increase costs.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
phanphare said:
can you give some examples?

for instance in Wind Waker HD I always drag and drop when I switch items. works like a charm. same with ALBW. and I never use the stylus in gaming situations, only for stuff like the browser and art academy. for art academy specifically I would not want to trade the accuracy of the resistive touch screen for a capacitive one
Click to expand...

The game is full of swiping things in the screen to file back paper things to open doors or make stairs. Tapping enemies to finish then off. And various other ways of interacting with the environment. It also used the back touch panel for poking up through the button if the screen to hit underneath enemies in certain spots or to launch yourself into the air.

Gameplay stuff like that doesn't get done much on the DS or gamepad as a resistive screen isn't responsive enough to light finger touches. And using a stylus along side traditional controls just doesn't work well. It's really either traditional control gameplay or all stylus gameplay when it comes to resistive second screens.

All the inventory management etc. works equally well on both IMO. Only advantage of resistive is writing and drawing type stuff as it is more precise. But I don't care for any of that stuff.
 
JaseMath

JaseMath

Member
The biggest problem with the gamepad is that when anyone uses a touch screen device, there's a pre-existing set of expectations people have. These are typically premium looking (and feeling), responsive, well-built, high value items. The Wii U gamepad is none of these things. It's built with chintzy, glossy plastic, it's clunky, the buttons make it intimidating to the average user, the screen is lo-res and unresponsive (comparatively), and the whole thing just screams "CHEAP!". I mean FFS, the thing rattles when you shake it.

They would literally have to start from scratch for the gamepad to make any kind of impact with the the average consumer.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
anon_mastermind said:
Have you used the Wii U gamepad? It works well without the stylus and doesn't need a capacative screen.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I had one and sold it off recently. Was a bad purchase was I'm not that into Nintendo stuff anymore and it has little else.

It is better than 3Ds for sure, and fine for item selection etc. Its still no where as responsive as a capacitive screen and something like Tearaway wouldn't work well on it.

So for anyone who doesn't need off tv play (I.e. Anyone that doesn't have to share their gaming tv) the gamepad is pretty useless as it's just a menu/map/inventory screen/useless mirror of tv screen depending on game and drives the system cost up $100-150 probably.
 
W

wsippel

Banned
Just make the screen smaller and make the whole thing smaller, and use a higher capacity battery.


Rvaisse said:
Vita says helllllooooooo !
People seems to forget we already have a videogame system with a capacitive screen, and yet the benefits of using a capacitive touchscreen are still nebulous.
Click to expand...
The GamePad screen's main application is drawing - capacitive screens are not suited for that. The only real alternative would be Wacom tech, and that's way too expensive for a gaming device.
 
P

phanphare

Banned
dmaul1114 said:
The game is full of swiping things in the screen to file back paper things to open doors or make stairs. Tapping enemies to finish then off. And various other ways of interacting with the environment. It also used the back touch panel for poking up through the button if the screen to hit underneath enemies in certain spots or to launch yourself into the air.

Gameplay stuff like that doesn't get done much on the DS or gamepad as a resistive screen isn't responsive enough to light finger touches. And using a stylus along side traditional controls just doesn't work well. It's really either traditional control gameplay or all stylus gameplay when it comes to resistive second screens.

All the inventory management etc. works equally well on both IMO. Only advantage of resistive is writing and drawing type stuff as it is more precise. But I don't care for any of that stuff.
Click to expand...

ok cool thanks. so pretty much just swiping? I think I would prefer the accuracy over swipe gestures

again I really think it's just a perception issue that resistive = cheap because smart devices don't use one. that's just my opinion though

dmaul1114 said:
Yeah. I had one and sold it off recently. Was a bad purchase was I'm not that into Nintendo stuff anymore and it has little else.

It is better than 3Ds for sure, and fine for item selection etc. Its still no where as responsive as a capacitive screen and something like Tearaway wouldn't work well on it.

So for anyone who doesn't need off tv play (I.e. Anyone that doesn't have to share their gaming tv) the gamepad is pretty useless as it's just a menu/map/inventory screen/useless mirror of tv screen depending on game and drives the system cost up $100-150 probably.
Click to expand...

ha! I live by myself. off-TV play is fantastic and I use it all the time. I actually prefer to play some games off-TV like Nano Assault Neo. the other big use I have for off-TV play is if I want a football or basketball game on in the background but still want to get some gaming in. so yeah it's not just for people who share their TVs. just the other day I caught the 4th quarter of the Heat/Pacers game while collecting K-O-N-G letters in Tropical Freeze

ymmv of course but to make an assumption about anyone but yourself is not the best move imo
 
C

Cube1701

Neo Member
For the most part, I really like the GamePad. The only changes I would make are:

- Have the improved battery by default.
- Analogue shoulder buttons.
 
S

Steph_E.

Member
Here For The Free Feed said:
i can't think of a game that used the camera (apart from zombiu extras) but to those saying ditch the camera wouldn't it make the wiiu video chat useless? it's a great feature, so i can't agree with that.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying they make great use of the camera, but off the top of my head: Nintendoland
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Wii Fit U
Mii maker (if you could call that a game)
 
S

Starwolf_UK

Member
Thing is the removals the OP makes save like $1 (the camera are probably 640*480 so cost nothing). A bit more without the rumble (patent payments etc). Plus they need to keep the camera for all that hot DSi emulation. Come on, Face Training...

I'd say NFC is the big thing that has to go assuming it has license costs associated with it. The two big NFC figure games on the market use their own USB systems anyway. As for the only Nintendo use, patch Pokemon rumble to use a USB solution (then again it is ambrella, remember crappy Pokemon ranch didn't even get support for Platinum outside of Japan let alone HG/SS).

Speaking of rumble. To quote a salty Sony, rumble is so last gen (I turned it off on my Wii remotes).

Erm...lose the speakers too (I take it that it is like the wii remote speakers, only a handful of games used them well), keep the headphone port and make make a speaker add on though.

Changing size will help as won't a smaller screen need less light and thus increases the battery lifespan. It might make art studio and miiverse doodles harder to make but whatever.
 
P

PotionBleue

Member
Starwolf_UK said:
Erm...lose the speakers too (I take it that it is like the wii remote speakers, only a handful of games used them well), keep the headphone port and make make a speaker add on though.
Click to expand...

There's no point in removing speakers when off-TV play is supposed to be the big feature of the thing, used by most games, not to mention the Wii U GamePad speakers are very good.
 
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