Wii U will be okay

[VideoGameCritic]

Reports of the Wii U's death have been great exaggerated.  I'm really surprised to see various media reports calling it a "failure".  It's only been out for one year for Pete's sake.

Talk of the PS4 and Xbox One really dominated the year.  I think a lot of people feel in love with the specs for these systems.  However, I think it will soon dawn on people that these systems aren't that big a jump over the last generation.

When that happens they will be looking for one thing: games.  And the Wii U has the most promising line-up for 2014 including a new Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros, Zelda, and an exclusive Bayanetta.  I think you'll see people warming up to the system gradually.

It's important to note that while the Wii U's sales are very disappointing, Nintendo does not have money problems.  A lot of people are comparing Nintendo to Sega, but it's not a good comparison.  Nintendo is kicking ass on the portable side which will buy them time for the Wii U to gain traction.

[Segatarious1]

I agree, but only to a point.

As 'good' as the 3DS is doing, it could be better. Well, duh, but I do think we are seeing the impact of $40 portable games. Nintendo has done an admirable job in their price protection of software, but I do feel they are slowing losing the war, even with the battles they have won. Like the DS and Wii, western support is largely nonexistent, so Nintendo is making most of the bank on this console, which is good and bad.

With Wiii U it is more obivous. Wii U came out 2 years later, and has not gotten established as fast - Mario World U is the best Mario they have made in years, but it is not reaching a broad audience. They have Mario Kart ready to go soon, which is great, they need another system seller. It seems like it is just taking more than it should to get this console moving forward, and I do think, again, it is Nintendo fighting a losing war on the software front that is keeping the mainstream gamers from jumping in.

More than that, it will be interesting to see how many ppl continue to jump into PS4 and Xbox as they hit the winter dry spell.....

However I would not be worried about Nintendo dropping support of Wii U, they have too much invested. It is similar to Vita, I think, except you get much better and much more first party support from Nintendo, and Nintendo continues to get 3rd party Japan to make games for it (Hyrule Warriors latest exp), and you are going to get nice indie support here and there.

[NewModelArmy1]

It may not be dead, but it is on life support. I agree, it will be ok just as the GameCube was. I don't think the 2014 game releases will save it. If Mario 3d cannot move millions of units, nothing can. Frankly, I am tired of these same franchises. Nintendo needs some new ideas that highlight the unique controller. So far, they have failed miserably at that.

[Rev1]

I would agree. The Wii U has struggled a lot this year but it isn't going the way of the Virtual Boy. I'm going to pick up one the first day Smash 4 comes out and I know some of the games you listed will be big console sellers. It may not come even close to the Wii's sales but it will survive.

[Edward1]

I don't own any of the new three systems.  However, out of the three, the Wii U will probably be the one I purchase first.  Its the cheapest, and has the most original games I want to play.  The tablet controller seems highly gimmicky though.

The system will absolutely not be a failure in the way the CD-I, Jaguar, 32x, etc were.   However, I could see it being another Dreamcast.  In other words, it could have a lot of awesome games, but not sell well.   I hope that's not the case, but time will tell. At the very least, I think Nintendo's repuation is better than Sega's was in 1999.  Also you are right, Nintendo has a lot more money than Sega did.  So if the system isn't that successful, it probably won't doom Nintendo.

[darkrage61]

Eh for me the Xbox One's line-up looks more promising then the Wii U's(I don't really see Bayonetta 2 doing huge sales).

[Weekend_Warrior1]

So the PS4 and Xbox One aren't a big jump over the last generation... but the Wii U is?? 

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=Segatarious], but I do think we are seeing the impact of $40 portable games. Nintendo has done an admirable job in their price protection of software, but I do feel they are slowing losing the war, even with the battles they have won.
[/QUOTE]
I agree.  I love my 3DS a lot, and I think the average Nintendo made game on it is worth $40.  However, since getting my new Blackberry, I haven't been tempted to start it up.  Not that I think "Bad Piggies" is a better game than 3D Land, but by the time I power on the 3DS, I can already be into a level of "Bad Piggies" and can have it finished in 30 seconds.  And that game was free.  The fact that a free game is taking time from my $40 game, a $40 game I quite like, is kind of bad for Nintendo.  I have a lot of games I got free.  I have a lot less piles of $40 lying around. 

Still, I'm getting the new Zelda tomorrow, so hopefully that can knock some sense into me.  I was obsessed with PC games there for awhile too after all. 

By the way, everyone needs to get "Bad Piggies."  Ignore the game proper, and just go to the sandbox thing.  If there's something wrong with making a multistage air ship/helicopter that tows a pig on a motor cycle, I don't want to be right. 

Check out some of the stuff people made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICm-M-3cgbM

[NewModelArmy1]

[QUOTE=Weekend_Warrior]So the PS4 and Xbox One aren't a big jump over the last generation... but the Wii U is?? [/QUOTE]
Exactly what I was thinking. Wow Nintendo is into HD! If you haven't noticed, Nintendo gets a pass on this site.

[weallmissedme1]

When did he ever say the Wii U is a substantial jump? He NEVER said that. NONE of them are. It's a shame my PC can completely wipe the floor with the Wii U, PS4, and Xbone.