Wii U - General Discussion Thread

[quote name='io']
So, yeah, not a good sign there for Nintendo - people who bought a Wii early on (after playing it at our house), are around 40 years old, and fairly tach savvy (they own a software company) yet having little idea about the Wii U even after the official release announcement last week.

It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things but I'd say Nintendo definitely has some work to do on ads/branding for this thing.[/QUOTE]


I'm not exactly sure how much marketing Nintendo really has to do in the next 2 months. There hasn't been a new console for 6 years now, pre-orders at various retailers were stopped after 48 hours in most cases, and the impressions of the Nintendo-published titles have gradually improved each time they've been shown. Won't the stories about sell-outs at launch sort of do the job for Nintendo, at least through the end of the year?
 
[quote name='coolz481']I'm not exactly sure how much marketing Nintendo really has to do in the next 2 months. There hasn't been a new console for 6 years now, pre-orders at various retailers were stopped after 48 hours in most cases, and the impressions of the Nintendo-published titles have gradually improved each time they've been shown. Won't the stories about sell-outs at launch sort of do the job for Nintendo, at least through the end of the year?[/QUOTE]

Right, but outside of game sites, does anyone know of the preorder sellout? And like I said, this guy wasn't even aware it was a new system - just thought it was a new controller or portable version of the Wii. So while it may be the newest console in 6 years, do people (ie, the masses) even know it is a new console?

If it sells out in November and becomes a hot Christmas item, for sure people will hear about it. But is that all Nintendo is counting on? It may very well work, but it seems like it wouldn't hurt to do a little work to differentiate this from the Wii. I used to think that was silly until I saw it for myself yesterday (that people can be confused about exactly what this thing is).
 
I have no doubt there will be confusion. The best comparison I have is the yearly iPhone iterations.

I think Nintendo has done a bit to differentiate the Wii U between the Wii already, but it's mainly very subtle thus far.

#1 - The boxes being White and Blue instead of Black
#2 - The tablet being on the forefront instead of the Wii Remote
#3 - The HDMI cable is actually a neat pack-in, considering Sony and Microsoft don't include them
#4 - The game boxes aren't near carbon copies of the 3DS boxes

These aren't really prominent changes, but it's a good start to make it look like a new product.
 
Nintendo has not as of yet started any PR blitz outside of its Nintendo Direct events, so it isnt surprising there isnt much in the way of mindshare outside of the self selecting sort.

We'll probably see something in terms of advertising and national media coverage in late October to early November.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']I think the box for the WiiU is just about the most boring console box ever. It's like they were trying to make it look dull.[/QUOTE]

?? It is just like the Wii box, a simple shot of the unit being offered, albeit a shot that masks the slightly weird looking proportions of the Wii U console itself.

It is very Apple like (and now Amazon) in it's nature and that's a good thing.
 
[quote name='foltzie']Nintendo has not as of yet started any PR blitz outside of its Nintendo Direct events, so it isnt surprising there isnt much in the way of mindshare outside of the self selecting sort.

We'll probably see something in terms of advertising and national media coverage in late October to early November.[/QUOTE]
All they have to do is get on Good Morning America, The View and Ellen saying this is the new hot product of the season for kids. Wii-U is now selling like hotcakes outside of gamers.
 
[quote name='foltzie']?? It is just like the Wii box, a simple shot of the unit being offered, albeit a shot that masks the slightly weird looking proportions of the Wii U console itself.

It is very Apple like (and now Amazon) in it's nature and that's a good thing.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps they are trying to be like Apple, but I don't think they succeeded. But that's just a matter of IMHO, of course.
 
I've been harping on how WIIU is effectively unknown to current Wii owners for a while now not to troll, but to point out exactly that: it's the follow-up to one of Nintendo's most successful consoles, and people don't realize that. We're 60 days from launch and people still don't know. I know exactly 1 Wii family who knows what the WIIU is (and they know they're not buying, at least not at launch). Everybody else either doesn't know or has ridiculous questions that suggest they think the WIIU is an accessory, along the lines of "Does the iPad-thingie let me use the iPad apps?" (yes, that was real).

I don't know how you can ignore these signs or pretend that Nintendo's playing a calculated game here. So much of the WIIU, whether it's the console, the library, or the marketing, is just all over the place or up in the air. Nintendo's still using these 60 days to figure out how they want to sell this. The recent release on Nintendoland needing the Network for effectively Miis only is a good example they're working out tactics through public announcements rather than having planned it out in advance (as they should -- they certainly had time for it).

And to answer the point on there not being no network co-op play in Nintendoland: yes, I know it isn't a revelation to Nintendo fans, but I think it may be to many others. Especially given that the charge for the Nintendo Network places an emphasis on that feature and perhaps creates the expectation of online co-op play in notable titles. I don't offer it as a criticism of Nintendoland, I'm just pointing out that in drumming up "features" for the WIIU announcement, it's clear they didn't think it through. They should have anticipated that question rather than stammering their way through a response to it.

Anyhow, if they're looking for grassroots/viral type stuff, they're stuck. If they have a plan, it's very delayed. No matter, I don't care how many GS pre-orders are out there, that's not nearly as much an indicator of future success as the current PR/marketing void.

I guess the plan is for lightening to strike twice. Good luck with it, N.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']I think the box for the WiiU is just about the most boring console box ever. It's like they were trying to make it look dull.[/QUOTE]

I dunno... I think it looks like pretty standard.

hero_box.jpg

51xVKRQPIeL._AA300_.jpg

411d9xAlGRL._AA300_.jpg


[quote name='foltzie']Nintendo has not as of yet started any PR blitz outside of its Nintendo Direct events, so it isnt surprising there isnt much in the way of mindshare outside of the self selecting sort.

We'll probably see something in terms of advertising and national media coverage in late October to early November.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, most normal people usually don't pay attention to these kind of events. I remember being able to pre-order my Wii pretty easily and everything went nuts shortly after launch (if I remember correctly).

Nintendo still has to do lots more of these Wii U experience things like they did with the Wii experiences at malls and stuff. I don't think they've done any TV yet and I will be very surprised if they don't do a big ad in the previews of Disney's Wreck it Ralph.

It's still September. People aren't thinking about Christmas yet.
 
[quote name='dothog']I've been harping on how WIIU is effectively unknown to current Wii owners for a while now not to troll, but to point out exactly that: it's the follow-up to one of Nintendo's most successful consoles, and people don't realize that. We're 60 days from launch and people still don't know. I know exactly 1 Wii family who knows what the WIIU is (and they know they're not buying, at least not at launch). Everybody else either doesn't know or has ridiculous questions that suggest they think the WIIU is an accessory, along the lines of "Does the iPad-thingie let me use the iPad apps?" (yes, that was real).

I don't know how you can ignore these signs or pretend that Nintendo's playing a calculated game here. So much of the WIIU, whether it's the console, the library, or the marketing, is just all over the place or up in the air. Nintendo's still using these 60 days to figure out how they want to sell this. The recent release on Nintendoland needing the Network for effectively Miis only is a good example they're working out tactics through public announcements rather than having planned it out in advance (as they should -- they certainly had time for it).

And to answer the point on there not being no network co-op play in Nintendoland: yes, I know it isn't a revelation to Nintendo fans, but I think it may be to many others. Especially given that the charge for the Nintendo Network places an emphasis on that feature and perhaps creates the expectation of online co-op play in notable titles. I don't offer it as a criticism of Nintendoland, I'm just pointing out that in drumming up "features" for the WIIU announcement, it's clear they didn't think it through. They should have anticipated that question rather than stammering their way through a response to it.

Anyhow, if they're looking for grassroots/viral type stuff, they're stuck. If they have a plan, it's very delayed. No matter, I don't care how many GS pre-orders are out there, that's not nearly as much an indicator of future success as the current PR/marketing void.

I guess the plan is for lightening to strike twice. Good luck with it, N.[/QUOTE]

You're being serious? They have marketing plans about a year out at this point. You may disagree with how Nintendo is handling the marketing and that's fine. Your opinion is your own but don't think that they're scrambling around like :whee: we need to figure out how to do this. That's ridiculous. It's beyond ridiculous.

Will the WiiU be as successful as the wii with everyone and their grandmother buying it? Probably not. But that doesn't mean they're just sitting on their thumbs hoping lightning strikes twice. You know how nintendo is marketing this? What are your bona fides?
 
I'm not worried about Nintendo's marketing strategy. The casuals that made the Wii a sales juggernaut weren't hyped about it two months before launch. It took holiday sell-outs by the Nintendo core and months of Al Roker waggling on morning tv for the thing to really go into overdrive.

We've already seen the core fan base rally. The rest will start falling into place. Don't expect 150 million console sales, but it will do just fine.
 
[quote name='Scobie']I'm not worried about Nintendo's marketing strategy. The casuals that made the Wii a sales juggernaut weren't hyped about it two months before launch. It took holiday sell-outs by the Nintendo core and months of Al Roker waggling on morning tv for the thing to really go into overdrive.[/QUOTE]

That's not true. The example I point to a lot of the time is one of the Williams sisters and Conan playing Wii Sports on his show. I'm pretty sure that was outside of the two-month window, and that generated a lot of interest. But it wasn't just that, there was enough interest ahead of the launch for an entire South Park episode to be created about a console that hadn't launched yet. That didn't just spring up, the SP people had to have known about the console in advance for that to happen.

I guess if everything seems all to plan to the locals, there's nothing I can contribute. I don't see discussion here using facts/observations so much as weak-willed reassurance. Have at it. You've confused discussion with trollery, perhaps because if you engage the discussion honestly, there's a lot of evidence out there to suggest that Nintendo's hoping more than they are planning or creating a new experience. But I don't know, TVii could be a killer app.
 
[quote name='dothog']That's not true. The example I point to a lot of the time is one of the Williams sisters and Conan playing Wii Sports on his show. I'm pretty sure that was outside of the two-month window, and that generated a lot of interest. But it wasn't just that, there was enough interest ahead of the launch for an entire South Park episode to be created about a console that hadn't launched yet. That didn't just spring up, the SP people had to have known about the console in advance for that to happen.

I guess if everything seems all to plan to the locals, there's nothing I can contribute. I don't see discussion here using facts/observations so much as weak-willed reassurance. Have at it. You've confused discussion with trollery, perhaps because if you engage the discussion honestly, there's a lot of evidence out there to suggest that Nintendo's hoping more than they are planning or creating a new experience. But I don't know, TVii could be a killer app.[/QUOTE]

Well, the Conan v. Williams thing seemed to have happened a few months after the Wii was launched. (Feb 2007) http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/conan-takes-on-serena-in-wii-tennis/

Also, the South Park thing happened in November a few weeks before the Wii's launch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_God_Go

...I think Nintendo is focusing on the Christmas season and it's still September. The only Wii U advertisements I've seen have been in GameStop, so I suspect that they will have a big push as it gets closer to when kids will start figuring out what they want for Christmas.
 
[quote name='dothog']That's not true. The example I point to a lot of the time is one of the Williams sisters and Conan playing Wii Sports on his show. I'm pretty sure that was outside of the two-month window, and that generated a lot of interest. But it wasn't just that, there was enough interest ahead of the launch for an entire South Park episode to be created about a console that hadn't launched yet. That didn't just spring up, the SP people had to have known about the console in advance for that to happen.[/quote]

Did some research. That Conan episode happened in Feb 2007, three months after the release of the console. The South Park episode aired three weeks before the release of the Wii (which was part of the joke.)

Funny, but the announcements seem to mirror the announcements for Wii: release details in Sept for a November launch.
 
I guess you're right about the box design. Seeing the 3 of them together, it does look like par for the course. They are all boring looking. :)
 
[quote name='dothog']I guess if everything seems all to plan to the locals, there's nothing I can contribute. I don't see discussion here using facts/observations so much as weak-willed reassurance. Have at it. You've confused discussion with trollery, perhaps because if you engage the discussion honestly, there's a lot of evidence out there to suggest that Nintendo's hoping more than they are planning or creating a new experience. But I don't know, TVii could be a killer app.[/QUOTE]

Nobody is calling you a troll. You always have pretty well-reasoned and interesting opinions around here.

Thing is, there is a groundswell happening... Penny Arcade has pretty much endorsed the thing, the general press reaction has shifted from Pachter-esque doom and gloom to a warm reception, even Pachter is impressed, pre-orders have sold out, the launch line-up is stellar and has created a lot of buzz, and we still don't even have all the system details yet.

Nintendo is doing just fine. Their biggest challenge will be ensuring there are enough consoles to go around for all markets.
 
There was a lot of similar doom and gloom when the Wii launched that countered a lot of the wide-eyed optimism.

At that time, I suggested strongly that we'd need to wait two years minimum to see what would happen. Those two years saw a few basic trends:
  • the sell through was incredible, with shortages lasting a good while
  • there was a good dosage of "late" third party support as they tried to play catch up
  • the usual post-release drought interspersed with high profile 1st party games

Following that, the sales continued almost solely based on first party releases, with the occasional release from someone other than Nintendo directly. Third party support largely dwindled, which has always been a convoluted problem because the issue is multi-faceted (competing with Nintendo's own games, the games themselves being poorly made, no support from Nintendo in terms of advertising, a slew of shovelware clogging up the shelves, etc).

The deal though is that the sales continued largely until the end of 2011; it's really only been this year that they've dropped off, which again is the result of several things.

The Wii U is going to follow a similar path, at least initially. The sell-through for this year is almost all but absolutely guaranteed. Following that, it will depend almost entirely on first party games to drive further sales - the first 3D Mario, Retro's project, franchise titles, ultimately Smash Bros, etc. There may be a third party game here and there that ends up being exclusive, or at least a multiplatform title that helps keep the system in the gamer community's eyes.

We won't know how well it can perform until E3 2013 at the earliest, when it's likely that Sony and Microsoft will announce their next-gen systems. At that point, either third parties will move on with projects - most American based dev houses are already doing this - or they will continue to go after the established Wii U userbase (which will almost entirely depending on sheer mnumbers or hardware/software sold). If the former happens, then it's the Wii situation all over again, at which point you have to re-assess the market trends and see what is going on. If it's the latter, Nintendo is sitting fairly pretty.

The Wii's entire premise was disruption. The Wii U's is an alternate of this - shock and awe. Nintendo is betting on entering the market with at least a year without competition by dropping a new system in to re-invigorate the home market. Part of this strategy relies simply on "people want something new." Part of it relies on showcasing a unique interface. Part of it is trying to appeal to third parties more this time around; I suspect we'll see more Nintendo-as-publisher deals going down rather than hoping that a third party upholds their exclusivity agreement (think Capcom in the Gamecube era).

We can debate all we want right now, but we won't know for a year minimum, and really two years is more realistic. It's going to heavily hinge on when Sony and Microsoft are planning to release their systems, how well the Gamepad drives sales, and whether or not third parties start to feel more comfortable on a Nintendo system. If one of those things goes wrong but two go right, Nintendo is ok. If two or more go wrong, they are in trouble. I'm not counting on a three-for-three scenario.

I wouldn't start advertising until October at the earliest. The system is already getting sold out on pre-orders. I have no idea if that means the entire first run of production or is simple the pre-order production. Either way, it's going to have an installed base by December, and if third parties are smart, they'll get their best offers out on the table right now to get in on early adopter sales. You can decry this all you want as ports and whatnot, but faced with a brand new system, people WILL buy games, and Nintendo is leaving the door open (again, though not as brazenly as with the 3DS) for third parties to be successful.

They've also practically wrapped up Japan already, with Monster Hunter and Bayonetta. That's a big cornerstone of their strategy; we'll see how it pays off. A lot of people have noticed that Nintendo seems to be aggressively hunting down franchises that started on the NES/SNES - Shin Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest, etc - and trying to bolster it with some modern day hardcore titles (again, Bayonetta).

Come back in a year and we'll talk.
 
I laugh at the people that make the argument that since the controller costs half of the entire package, the console must be crap. Let's look at the current Wii being sold:

Cost New: MSRP $140
Stuff included:
Wii
Motion Plus controller (MSRP $40)
Nunchuck (MSRP $20)
Sensor Bar (MSRP $20)
Wii Sports (MSRP $20)
Wii Sports Resort (MSRP $40)
Total MSRP not including console: $140

Conclusion: OMG, the Wii must be worth $0!!!!
 
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Strell, you're soothing like Gold Bond medicated powder. I agree with pretty much everything you said.

[quote name='crunchewy']Too… many… words….[/QUOTE]

So sorry that you find these waters to be deeper than the OTT.
 
Strell - get your bullshit well reasoned posts out of here and create some more lyrical paeans to El Hoardo!

By the way, I'm still waiting for mine.

-----

On another note, I don't think dothog is a troll. I just don't understand how he could with a straight face tell us that he doesn't think Nintendo knows their marketing strategy yet for the next 60 days. This is a japanese company we're talking about. They probably have the next 500 years mapped out like Harry Selden. (Geek reference for y'all.) Like I said, they might get it wrong (but seriously, Nintendo are masters at marketing) but there's no way they don't have one.
 
[quote name='KillerRamen']I dunno... I think it looks like pretty standard. [/QUOTE]

iverson-practice-meme-generator-box-art-we-talking-about-box-art-beadf0.jpg


When I read the comments a page back I actaully went and googled those packaging images as I was about to post the same thing :lol: I think the Wii U's text is placed that best though. Easiest to find what critical information needs to be read the quickest without any visual clutter, the signature of this current culture's packaging design.

--
Also from the preorder thread I guess Sir Fragalot had similar Target in store preordering experience.
 
Reggie will certainly do a tour of the usual TV shows closer to launch time and give out units (or at least games) to members of the audience. Jimmy Fallon may give the system an entire segment. Ellen too.
 
Nice post Strell. I do have a question though. What is the best way to support the WiiU in regards to keeping third parties interested? I pre-ordered a deluxe system last Thursday morning at Gamestop and intend to purchase 2, maybe 3, games. One will definitely be NSMBU. For the remaining games, I have several in mind but am currently undecided. Will third parties respond more to purchases of older games (Batman: Arkham City; ME3), Nintendo published titles (Bayonetta 2), new shared third party titles (ACIII; COD-BO II; Aliens: Colonial Marines) or new exclusive third party titles (Rayman Legends; Lego City Undercover)?
 
For anyone who is enthusiastic about video games in general, and game design in particular, the WiiU is going to be an eventual purchase. You may not get one at launch, you may wait to pick one up after a price drop, but you will eventually get one. And here are the reasons...

1. It is a Nintendo console
and thus is the only way to continue playing Nintendo first-party software. Nintendo games will always be one of the best reasons for buying Nintendo systems. They still haven't lost their touch, and as long as that development magic persists, their first-party offerings are going to be justification for a separate hardware spec.

2. It has unique hardware that comes with the basic system
and this means that we are going to be seeing some unique game experiences for the system. They may end up being few and far between, but WiiU-specific games are going to exist. There's always some developer willing to take a risk on designing software around the system's specific hardware. While Microsoft and Sony have been much more tame in their approach to their basic system hardware, Nintendo has been much riskier with the Wii and now the WiiU.
 
Cap'n_RDM;9976367 said:
Nice post Strell. I do have a question though. What is the best way to support the WiiU in regards to keeping third parties interested?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this is a difficult answer. It isn't difficult to come up with the answer, it's just that the content of the answer is an up-hill slog.

Nintendo needs to prove that modern "core" gamers will buy games on the Wii.

When I say "core" I mean the modern, Call of Duty-loving, Madden-playing, Halo-obsessed Dude-Bro. The current 3rd-party development scene is geared toward catering to this specific crowd. And this is exactly the kind of audience that the Wii failed to cater to. There were numerous instances of games ostensibly targeted toward this demographic on the Wii that tanked financially.

With the WiiU, Nintendo needs to get those kinds of games on the system, and then have them shift comparable numbers to the 360 and PS3. That is a fairly hefty challenge. A lot of that crowd is already content with their current gaming setup, and is not likely to shift over to the WiiU.

Nintendo's best bet is to try to cater to "lapsed" gamers. This was a crowd that was initially strong supporters of the Wii. It often consists of young families, parents who grew up playing Nintendo but had abandoned the hobby over time. This crowd is an easy sell for the WiiU, and could help to support sales of more 3rd-party friendly software.

Ultimately, the issue isn't with Nintendo, but with 3rd-party developers and the rut they've driven themselves into. 3rd party development never took off properly on the Wii because no 3rd party developer understood the appeal of the system as well as Nintendo did. They took the wrong lessons from the examples that Nintendo provided and missed the boat.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']For anyone who is enthusiastic about video games in general, and game design in particular, the WiiU is going to be an eventual purchase. You may not get one at launch, you may wait to pick one up after a price drop, but you will eventually get one. And here are the reasons...

1. It is a Nintendo console
and thus is the only way to continue playing Nintendo first-party software. Nintendo games will always be one of the best reasons for buying Nintendo systems. They still haven't lost their touch, and as long as that development magic persists, their first-party offerings are going to be justification for a separate hardware spec.

2. It has unique hardware that comes with the basic system
and this means that we are going to be seeing some unique game experiences for the system. They may end up being few and far between, but WiiU-specific games are going to exist. There's always some developer willing to take a risk on designing software around the system's specific hardware. While Microsoft and Sony have been much more tame in their approach to their basic system hardware, Nintendo has been much riskier with the Wii and now the WiiU.[/QUOTE]

I mostly agree but they are really treading on thin ice with reason #1. It is hard for anyone to argue that the latest versions of their major franchises were anything more than retreads of prior versions. I'll give a pass to SMG2 since it was a direct sequel and probably the best Mario game they have ever made but the others haven't been that impressive (although they are still good to great games, generally).

I guess by now you know what to expect and it's either good enough to justify the purchase or not. For me, the latest Mario used to be enough but now I need to see at least 4-5 first party core games before I'll bite.
 
[quote name='Javery']I mostly agree but they are really treading on thin ice with reason #1.[/QUOTE]

While this might be true for you, for Nintendo as a whole it is not a risk at all.

Nintendo is not just the master of selling nostalgia. They are also the master of keeping their brands fresh for new generations. They are very good at selling Mario, Metroid, Kirby, Zelda, etc, to the children of today, as well as the children of yesteryear.

The die-hard example of this strategy in action is Pokemon. By the standards of any other gaming franchise, Pokemon should have died out half a decade ago. Instead it is still going strong, and selling better than ever. And its NOT because its original audience is still playing it. Babies-first-RPG is simply finding new babies to cater to.

Nintendo's first party offerings are their bedrock. It is the sturdy foundation that can keep the company going strong even through the lean times. Fiddling around with bizarre hardware is a more modern wrinkle that they are experimenting with. But at the end of the day, their first-party development is what really supports the company.
 
Rayman Legends is still up for pre-order at Newegg for $49.99. Amazon and Best Buy, at the least, have it at $59.99. So I don't know if Newegg's price is a mistake or what, but I'm not taking any chances and pre-ordered it there. :)
 
[quote name='crunchewy']Rayman Legends is still up for pre-order at Newegg for $49.99. Amazon and Best Buy, at the least, have it at $59.99. So I don't know if Newegg's price is a mistake or what, but I'm not taking any chances and pre-ordered it there. :)[/QUOTE]
Thank you. Just grabbed a copy :D.

Also I realized, Nintendo getting good franchises like SMT is probably their plan. I mean back in the SNES days, SNES had most of the good RPG games and Nintendo platformers. Genesis had more of a focus on action type games.

Maybe Nintendo is going for the strategy of yeah we don't need Gears of War 17, or Halo 25, and the people who bought a WiiU don't want it either because they have a x-box for that. But they do want, fun, unique experiences that Nintendo and other games like Bayonetta 2 can offer. I really think if Nintendo could land a SMT or Square Enix exclusive on the Wii-U then in Japan they all but won and in America the niche market might be really excited. Then again, I am still waiting on a US Release Date on Pandora's Tower, lol.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']While this might be true for you, for Nintendo as a whole it is not a risk at all.

Nintendo is not just the master of selling nostalgia. They are also the master of keeping their brands fresh for new generations. They are very good at selling Mario, Metroid, Kirby, Zelda, etc, to the children of today, as well as the children of yesteryear.

The die-hard example of this strategy in action is Pokemon. By the standards of any other gaming franchise, Pokemon should have died out half a decade ago. Instead it is still going strong, and selling better than ever. And its NOT because its original audience is still playing it. Babies-first-RPG is simply finding new babies to cater to.

Nintendo's first party offerings are their bedrock. It is the sturdy foundation that can keep the company going strong even through the lean times. Fiddling around with bizarre hardware is a more modern wrinkle that they are experimenting with. But at the end of the day, their first-party development is what really supports the company.[/QUOTE]

I know all about Pokemon. My 6 year old is bigtime into it.

One thing the Nintendo brand is known for is being family-friendly and a quality game play experience. There aren't too many times that Nintendo swings and misses.

[quote name='crunchewy']Rayman Legends is still up for pre-order at Newegg for $49.99. Amazon and Best Buy, at the least, have it at $59.99. So I don't know if Newegg's price is a mistake or what, but I'm not taking any chances and pre-ordered it there. :)[/QUOTE]

And they are doing the $12 off preorder thing again, apparently.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328611
 
I just want Earthbound 3 or Mother 4 on the console. I know that is way more than too much to ask for from Nintendo, but that would be a very loud niche market they would satisfy.
 
[quote name='Predator21281']I just want Earthbound 3 or Mother 4 on the console. I know that is way more than too much to ask for from Nintendo, but that would be a very loud niche market they would satisfy.[/QUOTE]

And it would really keep console demand up for quite a while.
 
[quote name='Josh5890'][quote name='Predator21281']I just want Earthbound 3 or Mother 4 on the console. I know that is way more than too much to ask for from Nintendo, but that would be a very loud niche market they would satisfy.[/QUOTE]

And it would really keep console demand up for quite a while.[/QUOTE]

Given that Mother 3 sold just 400K copies I dont think it would be a system seller, but something Mother related would certainly get Nintendo some love from that admitedly hardcore fanbase. However, I think most of those fans would be in line for the next Smash Bros too... So... Yeah...

Edit: After posting I thought upon the fact that 400K was mostly Japan... So maybe they would move some systems in the US if there is in fact some latent Mother demand, but I still think those same fans will be in line for whatever is the next SSB game since it contains Mother characters, ect.
 
[quote name='confoosious']Best way to keep 3rd parties interested? Buy WiiU 3rd party games at launch.[/QUOTE]

I did this for the Wii by preordering Raving Rabbids and Elebits. I was "doing my part" not only by supporting a 3rd party, but by putting that preorder in at GS weeks ahead of launch. The manager of this GS was very cool, though, and saved me a preorder for the Wii so I was very grateful for that - I did not have to camp out for it. He just knew me from frequent shopping/trading there. I preordered Rayman, Elebits, and some extra controllers as a result.

This time I think I may do the Ubisoft thing again but with what I assume will be a much, much better game in Rayman Origins. As of right now, I have NSMB and Pikmin 3 preordered. That would have been enough for me but I didn't realize Pikmin 3 wasn't a launch title. I just assumed it was since at PAX they had it up and running with what were other launch titles (NSMB, NintendoLand, ZombieU).

But if Rayman is a launch title, I might just go for that and "do my part" again by buying a 3rd party game at full price - something I rarely do for any system at any time ;). But yeah, I do feel like supporting Ubisoft since they are really putting themselves out to support this new system.
 
[quote name='confoosious']Best way to keep 3rd parties interested? Buy WiiU 3rd party games at launch.[/QUOTE]

I just pre-ordered Rayman Legends at newegg for $49.99. I'm going to be picking up AC III and Batman as soon as there is a sale ($50 or so). I'm definately giving Wii-U as much 3rd party support as I can.
 
[quote name='io']But if Rayman is a launch title, I might just go for that and "do my part" again by buying a 3rd party game at full price - something I rarely do for any system at any time ;). But yeah, I do feel like supporting Ubisoft since they are really putting themselves out to support this new system.[/QUOTE]

Rayman (Legends) should be awesome.

Truth, though, is that there's a decent chance I'll have to cancel my WiiU preorder. :( I'm not really sure we should be spending that much money this year. :(
 
Rayman Legends, Assassin's Creed 3 and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate are definite 3rd party buys for me. I MIGHT get TTT2 if my Wii Fight Stick works with it and NG3 if it's a lot less terrible. I might also get ZombiU if it turns out okay.

Again, it's pretty stupid how many good games are at launch. I just keep rattling them off as I go.
 
Maybe I'll finally take the plunge with Monster Hunter as well. I own the Wii version but have never played it. I might try to sell that off and get the new one. That isn't a launch title here in the U.S., though, is it?
 
Hopefully MHU wont be a full price release (knowing Capcom it wont sigh) since even though its got new content its base game is still 3 years old, for once Capcom do the right thing please. Hell while they're at it hopefully they can port Mh4 as well to utilize the cross play feature.
 
I really want Nintendo to have great 3rd party support. I plan on making it my only console next generation if possible (with help from PC). If GTA V comes to Wii-U (still just a rumor) I'm getting it. If Final Fantasy XIII-19 comes to the Wii-U, I'm getting it. It is clear that Ubisoft is supporting the Wii-U and EA is showing some support. Hopefully Capcom does alot more than just Monster Hunter (which will be big). Square-Enix is giving us Dragon Quest X but more support would be great (especially if they bring back old franchises). Atlus could make some great games for the Wii-U as well. There is alot of potential support for the Wii-U and I'm going to do my part to help.

One aspect that seems to go under the radar is WiiWare support (or whatever they plan on calling it). I remember developers saying that they wanted to bring Marvel vs Capcom 2 to Wii Ware but they couldn't because of the Wii's capabilities (mostly HDD space if I remember). Now I want to see how the online store competes with PSN and Xbox Live marketplace.
 
First party wise, I think I'm definitely getting Super Mario Wii U and I want Pikmin 3. I'm also very interested in the Wonderful 101.

Third party wise, I'm definitely getting Rayman Legends and Assassin's Creed III. I'm interested in getting Black Ops II, Ninja Gaiden 3, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Mass Effect 3, but I'll probably wait for a sale on most of them. I'm also thinking about double dipping on Batman Arkham City to see what it's like to have the Bat Computer on the GamePad.

...I also really want Transformers Prime to be good, but I have my doubts.
 
Are you guys preordering all your games you plan on picking up on launch day? I just remember when the Wii launched it was impossible to find the system, but it seemed like every place was well stocked with Wii games.
 
I probably will but I only plan on pre-ordering a couple-Super Mario Bros U, Epic Mickey 2 & Maybe ZombiU.
 
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