Hey Malstrom,
I am one of those gamers that is very hesitant to pick up a Wii U. I grew up playing Atari and the NES, so I generally know where you’re coming from. I want Nintendo to fucking rock, but they just don’t seem to get me.
You made a post recently on Core Gameplay. Get the fundamentals rock solid and fun, and that will make everything else better. I think you can apply this philosophy to a console. The thing that worries me about the Wii U is that it doesn’t seem focused on the core gameplay. It is unfocused and full of bloat. Their messages are all over the place and inconsistent. I just want the console to be an entry point for games. Everything should support the games and make them more fun.
My favorite moment from the E3 press conferences was Trey Parker making fun of Microsoft’s Smart Glass software. As a previous e-mailer noted, all three major platform makers have just lost focus on games. Smart Glass, Wonderbook, Miiverse, internet browsing and social media on your U Pad. There are just to many bloated non-game features. Even though some of these features sound relatively simple to implement, all of them eat up resources that could be spent on making good games.
This confuses me as a consumer because I don’t know what job the devices are supposed to do for me. Many of the jobs these features fill are already done better through another device that I already own, or they are jobs I don’t want them to do. Why would I want to browse the internet with my U Pad (or on my TV through Smart Glass) when I can already do that on my PC, which has a mouse and keyboard that is a much better interface than a touch screen? Why would I want to chat with people through my Mario game when there is already Facebook and Twitter accessible via PC, smart phone, or tablet (not to mention I can just call them up on the phone and talk)? Why would I want the heavily scripted non-games that Wonderbook offers when even the simplest “casual” games look infinitely more fun? Why do I care if I can post messages on your Miiverse bulletin boards to get help with a game when I can just go to GameFAQs or do a Google search? If you don’t want people being “Alone Together”, then why are you bothering with all this social media stuff which is the exact cause of people being “Alone Together”? Why are you going to force this Miiverse crap
I am not convinced that the Wii U will be a controller neutral console. Ever since the N64, Nintendo’s first party games have almost always revolved around the company’s “integrated hardware and software” philosophy. Look at all the Mario games that have come out:
N64 – Super Mario 64 – Centered around 3D graphics and the crazy N64 controller, injecting momentum killing looking around and collect-a-thon gameplay into Mario.
Gamecube – Super Mario Sunshine – The main gameplay hook was the water spray which required the analog shoulder buttons on the Gamecube controller.
Wii – Both Galaxy games and SMB5 required the Wiimote’s waggle in some form or another.
DS – Super Mario 64 port supported touch screen controls, which were terrible.
3DS – Super Mario 3D Land – Heavy emphasized stereoscopic 3D.
The only exception seems to be NSMB for the DS.
Do you really think SMB6 will be much different? I am pretty skeptical.They already showcased mechanics dependent on the U Pad. It appears that there are certain items that can’t be reached without a 2nd player using the U Pad to create platforms out of thin air. So there is content that is inaccessible without the U Pad. You sure they won’t take it further? I’m positive that they will require it for other single player games. And if they don’t, then why the hell am I paying money for a freaking screen on my controller?
I am not sure what the U Pad really adds to the Wii gaming experience that makes it truly unique – something I must own.
- I can put a map or inventory screen on it? Is that really easier than having an in-game menu pop up on my TV. All that requires is a button press while I maintain focus on the same screen. In contrast, viewing the map or inventory on the U Pad requires me to redirect my eyes downward bring focus them on something at arms length instead of across the living room. Then I have to redirect and refocus back on the TV. That sounds tiring.
- If I am playing a game on the TV, I can relinquish the TV to someone else and put the game on the controller. I guess that might be nice for kids whose parents want to watch TV, but it’s not something *I* need or want to do. It also seems like a bad business move – instead of getting parents to take an interest in or join in the gaming, it incentivizes parents to kick kids off the TV. I thought they wanted to stop people from being “Alone Together”.
- Regarding “asymmetric gameplay”: I like the term and what it means (different players having different controls and information), but I am not sure Nintendo is going about it the right way. You can already connect two consoles or PCs together ONLINE and get a different experience for each player. They act like this is something totally new to the world of gaming, but the only thing new that it offers is the asymmetric gameplay to happen in a local multiplayer setting. But even that isn’t completely new. There have been split screen co-op games that exhibit asymmetric gameplay. Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light comes to mind. There are games where one person drives a vehicle while the other rides shotgun. Yeah, Pac Man VS was really fun, but couldn’t that be done online? Or with a DS or 3DS?
- I can hold the controller up in the air and view the game through a different lens? First, that sounds tiring on my arms. Second, you can already do this my just pressing a button and switching to a different mode in game. See Metroid Prime‘s different visors or Splinter Cell‘s night and thermal vision.
None of these are compelling enough for me to have to shell out money for a freaking screen on my controller.
The “Third Platform” sounds pretty awesome, as does the USB hard drive, but given Nintendo’s track record, I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s so awesome, why didn’t they mention this stuff at E3???
The most important thing is the games. There are no games announced that I consider must have. SMB6 is nice but it looks a bit phoned in, kind of like SMB5. The “waa waa” music factor is through the roof. Most of the areas on display look like rehashes. Why can’t there be different characters with different abilities, like in SMB2? I never got into Pikmin, so Pikmin 3 is one of those “maybe I’ll try borrowing this from a friend” games. Nintendo Land looks like a big snore fest. Like they are trying to sell me something based on their existing IPs without showing me the actual games, which is insulting. I’m not that dumb.
Nintendo just seems like they are trying to sell me something based on potential. But all that potential seems to revolve around the U Pad and social media features and none of that excites me.
Ah well. I’m gearing up for a third Dark Souls playthrough. By the way, I found it odd that you dismissed that game so easily in response to an earlier email. You’ve praised old school values, developers building living, breathing worlds, and even dark fantasy. I figure it would be right up your alley, since it oozes all three.
The art style is actually very good in my opinion, if you’re looking for dark fantasy. Compare these screens to various games you’ve (directly or indirectly) praised for having compelling worlds:
Now you may say none of this is “new” to you, but if that’s a reason to not play a game, then why would you play SMB5? And after all, games must be PLAYED. Right? I should also note that I’ve put about 150 hours into Dark Souls (like you’ve put 200 hours into Diablo 3) in two playthroughs, so trust me when I say the content is there for the money. It comes out on PC in August, fyi.
All right, this e-mail has gone on long enough. Keep fighting the good fight!
I’ll check out Dark Souls when it comes out on PC.
Concerning the Wii U, I think you’d agree that…
-NOA isn’t marketing it well.
-Social Media is now in decline. No one cares. (Mii-verse seems something the marketers are excited about as a marketing tool directly in the console.)
-U-Pad shouldn’t be required to play games. (“Let me play with the controller I want.”)
It’s difficult to respond because we don’t have much information. The presence of the Pro Controller and Reggie’s comments imply the Wii U will be a controller neutral console. We know Pikmin 3 can be played without the U Pad.
I have no idea what games Nintendo plans to release next on Wii U after the launch titles. If I did, I wouldn’t be allowed to say it anyway. I think everyone is curious as to whether we are going to get anything interesting or are we just going to get the standard formula of Mario Karts, 3d Marios, Aonuma Zeldas Smash Brothers, etc.
I am getting more and more annoyed at the Miis. I would like the game console to not make me feel like a five year old. I would like options concerning Wii U’s OS. I would like to turn off all the Mii crap. If I can’t turn off Mii-verse, you might as well call it ‘spy-verse’ since that is what it is.
I do think the biggest problem with the Wii U is not the console or the games but the marketing. Reggie Fils-Aime has a track record of hiring bad vice presidents. This latest guy looks like he’ll be flaming out like Cammie and that other woman. The fact that we are talking together how confused we are about the system points out how bad the marketing is.
The Wii U brand is awful. This is also a marketing issue. History shows consoles using the same brand tend to sell less than their predecessor. Remember all those analysts saying the PlayStation 3 would wipe everyone out because of ‘the brand’? That didn’t happen. Wii was a new brand, and it was accepted despite no brand recognition. Slapping the Wii brand on this console is not a good idea just as slapping the DS brand on the 3DS was a bad idea.
All I have to go on is my instincts. My instincts tell me that the Wii U is going to be dismissed, ignored, and yelled at in very unfair ways. Underneath all that, the Wii U is going to become a fan favorite. If high quality games are put out regularly, the Wii U is going to have an intense fanbase very fast.
I always look at a game console in the context of playing it through twenty years. The Wii is problematic because games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit aren’t aging well. But 2d Mario games never age.
When the SNES launched, no one realized there was something special going on. We took it for granted. When I look at some of these Wii U titles, I think they’ll still be interesting and fun to play decades from now. Super Mario Brothers 6 of course will. But Pikmin 3 could age very well too. At least it is not brown and gray like all the HD games on the other consoles. It appears colorful and is a bright game. We need more of those. Nintendo Land is a huge question mark at the moment.
I must confess that the more I read and learn about the Wii U (being Malstrom, that is what I have to do of course), the more I like it. And I couldn’t stand the 3DS. But I have no hostility at the Wii U but just cautious curiosity. When I ask myself, “What games do I want to buy?” I come to Super Mario Brothers 6, maybe Pikmin 3, Assassin’s Creed 3 (Wii U will be the superior version of the game. Besides, I’m a sucker for Revolutionary War stuff), maybe Batman, and maybe renting that Platinum strange game. I couldn’t care less for ZombieU because I’m not into zombies. I believe that game’s appeal will drop to other people when it gets ported to other systems.
I really want to know more about the Wii U shop and downloadable games. Can I finally get Pac-Man Championship Edition?
And what about online multiplayer? How will this be done? Nintendo has been quiet about it. They point to Mii-verse as ‘their online strategy’ and that worries me. I don’t care about all that crap. All I care about is playing games with my friends online and being able to communicate to each other.
As the Wii U gets closer to launch, I think we’ll have a clearer understanding of the console as the fog of fumbling NOA marketing evaporates.
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