What would it take to save the Wii U?

[pvt_awol]

Lately I've been thinking about this alot. I have a Wii U that is gathering a lot of dust. The thing is, when there is a good game to play, I play it and I have fun. Nintendo can push the hardware if they only had some good games. And I'm not talking about Smash Bros, or the latest 3D Zelda. Of course I want those games, but Nintendo is heavily overlooking something here: Nostalgia.


I'm not sure about the rest of you, but the most fun I've had on a Nintendo product in years, was playing through New Super Mario Bros. Wii. (and in 2-player.... man the arguments get heated!)

Anyway, it got me thinking, I grew up with Mario so it makes sense that a fun 2D platformer with Mario on it would have me enjoying it.

So here is my thought: Why isn't Nintendo giving this treatment to their other classic franchises? Donkey Kong Country Returns was brilliant..... but, Nintendo screwed up by forcing you to use motion controls and not other control options. I haven't picked up DKC Tropical Freeze yet, but I plan to.



What I'm getting at, and what I want to see is: New Super Metroid U. Don't make it an FPS Nintendo! Don't make it like Other M. Make it the same way you did NSMB. That would sell consoles. Ok? Need more?

I was playing The Witch and the Hundred Knight on PS3 the other day (awesome game!) and it got me thinking...... Nintendo did a good job with Zelda a Link Between Worlds.... but why not New Legend of Zelda U? THAT would be a system seller! Give it the classic isometric overhead view, give it the classic hack 'n slash, and there ya go. I would imagine that these games would be much easier to make than their counterparts (Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime, etc.) So why isn't Nintendo doing this? Play on the nostalgia! But in a good way!

Discussion? Am I off my rocker here even bringing this up?

[Hazerd]

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =2&t=39608

[SNESdrunk]

but Nintendo is heavily overlooking something here: Nostalgia.

I think the response you're going to get is, "Wait, Nintendo has made nothing but 80 gazillion incarnations of the same Nintendo characters over and over and they're OVERLOOKING nostalgia??"

I get the spirit of what you're saying -- I'd love a Super Metroid/Fusion/Zero Mission game for Wii U, or any SNES classic remake for that matter.

[samsonlonghair]

Yes, a "Zelda U" game would sell some consoles. A Pokemon game for WiiU would really shift some units too.

Anyway, it got me thinking, I grew up with Mario so it makes sense that a fun 2D platformer with Mario on it would have me enjoying it.

So here is my thought: Why isn't Nintendo giving this treatment to their other classic franchises? Donkey Kong Country Returns was brilliant..... but, Nintendo screwed up by forcing you to use motion controls and not other control options. I haven't picked up DKC Tropical Freeze yet, but I plan to.

I'm going to disagree that Nintendo is forgetting nostalgia though. The games you asked for have already been released on WiiU. New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze already have old-school platforming covered. If anything, 2D platforming is the strongest genre for the WiiU.

I think what Nintendo needs is a compelling original game that could only be played with the tablet controller. Wii sports sold us the idea of using the wiimote for motion controls. So where's the breakthrough game that I couldn't possibly play without the WiiU tablet? I'd like to see a game that incorporates both screens in a truly new way.

[isiolia]

I'm not sure Nintendo is overlooking nostalgia. Given all the various titles they publish, it's not fair to say it's all they do, but I'd say it's something they bank on.

In a way, the Wii U's sales are actually in line with that. The Wii was an anomaly. Otherwise, Nintendo's home system sales have been on a downward trend since the SNES. Possibly because they're depending on nostalgia, but haven't been as successful at creating an attachment to their mascots and franchises since the 8 and 16-bit days. In turn...new customers that'll continue buying their games into their 20s, 30s, and beyond.

I think it's more likely that the Wii U has already largely sold to the brand-loyal customers that would buy the system on the strength of more throwback titles. It's at least on their radar. The low numbers are just indicative of how that base is shrinking.

They need the opposite - more reasons to buy the system that aren't nostalgia oriented.

[CavZee]

There's no "saving" it. The whole concept was a swing and a miss. It will have it's fair share of worthwhile games and exclusives that are enticing for some but in terms of mainstream success it will be lucky to reach Gamecube levels of appreciation.

I own one and enjoy it's offerings but that's just reality.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I always forget the Wii U "needs saving" until I go on the internet. While the system has been on almost all levels a flop, it's a system I really really enjoy. It will sell about as well as the Gamecube which is fine I think. When it comes to innovation, you really just have to keep throwing things at the wall. Sometimes they stick (Wii, DS), sometimes they fail miserably (Virtual Boy, Wii U).

Nintendo has system sellers they have yet to pull out and many of those are arguably much larger than all their other IP but the 2D Mario series.

Mario Kart 8 is in May. The previous Wii title sold about 35 MILLION copies. Smash Bros. U is coming out some time in 2014, the previous one sold about 12 million copies. Of course, the Wii has a much larger install base at the time of release of both of its respective titles. Who knows whether either of those will sell Wii Us but they really are pretty much the last thing the U has to really move units. If the hearsay on the internet is to be believed, many people are really waiting for those two games.

It's really strange to me how poorly the system is doing considering it is essentially a giant, relatively powerful DS. I feel like a huge, huge problem with the system is the branding and marketing. I see PS4 and XBone ads everywhere. I saw a few ads for Tropical Freeze when that came out but otherwise Wii U advertising has been absent from basically every aspect of my life.

[ejamer]

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[Violent By Design]

If anything Nintendo is whoring out the nostalgia aspect.

[BoneSnapDeez]

It would be interesting to see the demographics of Wii U buyers. While the Wii gained a reputation as a "kiddie console" it seems as if the Wii U is most popular amongst us older folks who want to play another installment of Donkey Kong, Metroid, and the other games we grew up with. Middle school kinds want a COD-box and couldn't give a monkey's toss about a new Nintendo system. The old-school Nintendo fanbase just isn't big enough to move enough units and the lack of 3rd party support is going to be a huge problem.

The "Wii U" name was a mistake. Not as bad as "2DS" but still a blunder. It's confusing to consumers. Hell, I didn't want to my wife to know I bought a Wii U so when she spotted the gamepad I just told her it was a new Wii accessory. She believed it.

The console won't be a total flop like the Virtual Boy. It will have GameCube-esque sales and a solid library of games. I'm happy to own one.