What would it take to save the Wii U?

[prfsnl_gmr]

I think that the continued lack of an exclusive, "killer app" for either the PS4 or Xbox One will do more to help the WiiU than anything else...

[Opa Opa]

I still think they should've made Skyward Sword a Wii/Wii U game like they did with Twilight Princess. I distinctly remember people buying a Wii to play the "superior" version.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Sales are just too low, third-party developers have abandoned the system because it isn't profitable and isn't convenient to port to, and (most importantly) consumers simply don't care. That's three major strikes against the system. Even though Nintendo's first party software tends to be absolutely top notch, that's not enough to change their fate in my opinion.

Gamecube didn't sell well, but moved enough units to keep support from at least some major third parties. Do you really think that will continue with Wii U? Feels to me like Wii U is going to trail off much faster and harder than GameCube did due to a lack of software.

Hmm. I think the biggest issue the Wii U has in retaining a lot of that 3rd party support is that it's comparatively a very weak console. The second the PS3/360 stop getting multiplatform support is the same time the Wii U stops as well. On top of that, the U just isn't enticing to people. Why would I buy a multiplatform game on the U when it's cheaper to get it on a 360 and offers a very similar experience on the surface? Or even worse than what you could get on the One or PS4?

Third party support was very strong at launch. While lots of the games were relatively old, there were a ton of 3rd party games. They had Call of Duty, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Madden, and Batman right out of the gate.

They still have some of that support. Activision, Ubisoft, maybe Square Enix and Capcom are still on board and Nintendo seems to be taking steps to publish things themselves just to get the game on their system if the third parties don't want to do it (Ninja Gaiden). A lot of smaller, self publishing developers are finding Nintendo pretty cooperative at this point.

Yet, game sales say everything and while every Nintendo release seems to hit the top 10 I can't think of a single 3rd party Wii U game since Sonic Racing that has sold favorably. It's a strange situation where the system install base is relatively okay (still more than One but less than PS4) but nobody is buying games for the thing. Very Wii-esque in that way for sure.

I still think they should've made Skyward Sword a Wii/Wii U game like they did with Twilight Princess. I distinctly remember people buying a Wii to play the "superior" version.

Seeing that game in Dolphin I have no idea why they didn't. There are assets in that game that are far too high resolution for SD and yet they're in there.

[dsheinem]

I think that the continued lack of an exclusive, "killer app" for either the PS4 or Xbox One will do more to help the WiiU than anything else...

I would bet that in a month more people will have Titanfall on Xbox One than will have any one of Wii U's games.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Nothing can save the Wii U. Nintendo would need to have made a traditional console that meets the graphical requirements of the opposition, not develop any games and pay developers an egregious amount of money to secure exclusive titles. Do I think that is the right thing to do? Not at all.

Nintendo is its own worst enemy. 3rd party developers want cross platform titles and they can not do that with the Wii U Gamepad as well as with the graphical limitations of the system. Sure it isn't really an underpowered machine, but isn't as powerful as the PS4 or Xbone and for developers that means they have to do things differently in the development process for a port. Add to it that those developers are going up against Nintendo themselves, a company that will definitely outperform them if given the choice to consumers.

With the Gamepad, it forces 3rd party developers to spend money trying to do something different and take chances and that is not theoretically feasible for them. They want to tow the line and go with what they think works.

For indy developers, the Wii U could be a haven for unique and revolutionary game ideas. The problem again is that it limits you on your audience. If they develop a title that utilizes the Wii U gamepad in fun and unique ways, than that game can only be on the Wii U and maaaaaaayyyybbbbeeee on a tablet platform. That means less money and then less incentive to develop for it.

The Wii U isn't doomed and it never will be, but it will not meet the success that it should have because a series of factors that are a part of the market. I love my Wii U and I feel that it has providing and can provide such an awesome and unique experience. Will it continue to do so? I don't know. I hope so, but with the lack of support it is an uphill battle.

The upcoming Batman game is not even being released on the system, continued proof that cross-platform games may not see the light of day for the system.

What is even more baffling is the fact that the 3DS will sell like hotcakes and have 3rd party developers lining up to release titles that sell well, but they can't see the feasibility of doing the same thing on the Wii U, which is essentially a super high powered DS for your home.

[CavZee]

I think that the continued lack of an exclusive, "killer app" for either the PS4 or Xbox One will do more to help the WiiU than anything else...

I would bet that in a month more people will have Titanfall on Xbox One than will have any one of Wii U's games.

I can that being a reality, even though it's a painful one.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I think that the continued lack of an exclusive, "killer app" for either the PS4 or Xbox One will do more to help the WiiU than anything else...

I would bet that in a month more people will have Titanfall on Xbox One than will have any one of Wii U's games.

Probably. The game's reception has not been overwhelming, however, and although it is probably the closest thing to a "killer app" for either system, it is hardly a system-moving game. (The PS4, which has...the new Infamous game???...continues to outsell the Xbox One by a significant margin.)

My point was, until one system or the other has an application that makes owning it a "necessity" for most people, the Wii U will continue to be a viable alternative to either system. (In other words, the longer the PS4 and Xbox One go without an exclusive, "killer app", the longer Nintendo has to come up with a good strategy for selling the Wii U.)

[casterofdreams]

It seems these last two consoles were primarily platforms for first party games and franchises.

What they should do is pay third party developers to make games from either dead or dormant franchises and publish those out on the Wii U.

I agree that Nintendo is its own worse enemy but they can fix this if they ease up on some development and out source.

[isiolia]

With the Gamepad, it forces 3rd party developers to spend money trying to do something different and take chances and that is not theoretically feasible for them. They want to tow the line and go with what they think works.

The larger problem with the Gamepad is that its inclusion majorly cuts into what hardware Nintendo could otherwise have put in the box (or the retail price). Developers don't have to use it, nor do they have to go to the Wii U if they want to do second screen stuff.

It's not even a matter of cross-platform. MGSV: Ground Zeroes has an iOS and Android companion app that includes second-screen sync and info (if the servers are working, which they were not when I played it ), along with stand-alone content (like base management).

I'd have to guess that creating that (and the servers to support it) would take more than putting similar functionality into a Wii U title...but that's the one home console on the market that game didn't get ported to.
Offhand, Beyond: Two Souls also has a companion app, though one that can be used as a touch controller as well.

Point being, there are developers integrating this kind of stuff for platforms where there's no expectation for it. I suspect there's more to it than second screen integration taking more work. If someone is one-record though, saying they just haven't figured out how to really do the platform justice probably keeps a lot more bridges unburnt.

[BogusMeatFactory]

With the Gamepad, it forces 3rd party developers to spend money trying to do something different and take chances and that is not theoretically feasible for them. They want to tow the line and go with what they think works.

The larger problem with the Gamepad is that its inclusion majorly cuts into what hardware Nintendo could otherwise have put in the box (or the retail price). Developers don't have to use it, nor do they have to go to the Wii U if they want to do second screen stuff.

It's not even a matter of cross-platform. MGSV: Ground Zeroes has an iOS and Android companion app that includes second-screen sync and info (if the servers are working, which they were not when I played it ), along with stand-alone content (like base management).

I'd have to guess that creating that (and the servers to support it) would take more than putting similar functionality into a Wii U title...but that's the one home console on the market that game didn't get ported to.
Offhand, Beyond: Two Souls also has a companion app, though one that can be used as a touch controller as well.

Point being, there are developers integrating this kind of stuff for platforms where there's no expectation for it. I suspect there's more to it than second screen integration taking more work. If someone is one-record though, saying they just haven't figured out how to really do the platform justice probably keeps a lot more bridges unburnt.

I feel companion ap and gamepad are two completely different things. First, I find that companion aps are clunky, unresponsive and not conducive to a proper gaming experience. To use them, I have to set my controller down, pick up my phone/tablet and use it, whereas with the Wii U I need just touch the screen.

Also, when you talk about servers and ap downloads, realize that those will be gone and unuseable in the future, unlike something built into the game and hardware.

Yes I know that the pad hampers the hardware output of the system, but to say that using the PS4 or Xbone, their controllers and a tablet is the same is pure poppycock! ....that's right poppycock!