Nintendo pulls out WiiU from GamesCom

[Feels Good Man]

We are wondering: Is Nintendo still certain about the appeal of its Wii U console? The company has just pulled the device from the display of Europe’s most significant video game trade show later this month.

Nintendo confirmed that it has decided not to show the Wii U at GamesCom 2011 in Cologne, Germany (August 17 – 21). The company also canceled all press events surrounding the Wii U and simply said that “security concerns” are the reason why it can’t show and discuss the Wii U.

Security concerns? Seriously?

The Wii U was met with enthusiastic first look reports when Nintendo showed a rather half-baked device on June 7 at E3 in Los Angeles. The console was far from being ready for prime time, but was pitched as Nintendo’s next idea how the company aims to transform the traditional video game console at home. Analysts, however, were generally less excited and we have to admit that we also have concerns about the relatively bulky touch screen game controllers that may not only be expensive, but may also alienate Nintendo’s current customer base of Wii lovers.

We don’t know whether this is the case, but we do know that Nintendo’s previous confidence in its ability to transform the video game market has cracks. The 3DS has completely missed its mark – it was priced wrong and Nintendo could have invested in a technology – 3D- that may not be worth as much as it thought and a dramatic price cut is now put in place to save Nintendo from a catastrophic blunder. Since the release of the Wii in 2006, the video game market has changed and has become incredibly competitive. Nintendo may be strong enough to survive the 3DS, but it may not be able to survive a failure of the Wii successor.

The console following the Wii will have to address the market the Wii so successfully created and expand on it by fixing the errors Nintendo has made with the Wii: The Wii U will need many more third-party games and have more hardcore gamer appeal. In the end, all those casual gamers that are in love with Wii Bowling are unlikely to buy many games – hardcore gamers are the lucrative customer base Nintendo really wants. However, giving up the casual gamer may be a dangerous game and Microsoft is just waiting to attack Nintendo and steal casual gaming customers who are willing to move up, and who are willing to spend more money on hardware, content and services. Nintendo has more than 60 million Wii customers and it should try to keep as many of them as possible.

The Wii U is, in this view, a very controversial console. It will be tough for Nintendo to explain the value of a tablet controller, if it could have integrated the existing DS with the Wii and if we think about the fact that a 2 player system Wii U is unlikely to cost less than $400 – $500. There was nothing wrong with the Wii controller and a simple evolution could have been a recipe for success: A tablet is more complicated and clumsy to use, it will limit the number of people who are able to use such a tablet (young kids, for example, are not likely to enjoy a bulky tablet as a controller) and is, in our view, the wrong way to go for Nintendo.

Pitching a Wii U that changes the Wii’s model of success may be an overly risky move for Nintendo at this time. We have heard before that Nintendo may be reconsidering the tablet-style controller and possibly making it optional. Nintendo’s unexpected decision to pull the Wii U from GamesCom 2011 will fuel more speculation that the console could be changing.

Security concerns? We don’t buy it.

http://www.conceivablytech.com/8684/busine...ering-the-wii-u

 

[Slyakin]

If Nintendo scraps the WiiU entirely and makes a new console that actually works (maybe better graphics and a better controller) I would seriously just abandon Sony and Microsoft for good.

 

[Feels Good Man]

Whoops. Can someone edit the title to "Nintendo pulls out WiiU from GamesCom"? I'll pm a mod

 

[Nathan Drake]

If Nintendo scraps the WiiU entirely and makes a new console that actually works (maybe better graphics and a better controller) I would seriously just abandon Sony and Microsoft for good.

You know how much money they would lose scrapping the Wii U and all of the projects for it at this point? Neither do I, but I'm sure it's a lot.

At least going through with the release of the Wii U is likely to generate income. Trashing the Wii U and starting from scratch would be them digging a hole so deep, it's unlikely that anything they could get out there would be good enough to save them.

 

[JoostinOnline]

They said they started working on the Wii U shortly after releasing the Wii, so there is no way they are scrapping it.

@Slyakin: The Wii U already has better graphics that the PS3 and 360, and TV's have a maximum resolution of 1080p, so they can't really get much better.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Whoops. Can someone edit the title to "Nintendo pulls out WiiU from GamesCom"? I'll pm a mod

Done.

"Reconsider" seems a little too much. I think they just don't have anything really to show. They had little to show outside of tech demos at E3 and I don't think they have much for Gamescom.

But nothing for the 3DS?

 

[Nathan Drake]

They said they started working on the Wii U shortly after releasing the Wii, so there is no way they are scrapping it.

@Slyakin: The Wii U already has better graphics that the PS3 and 360, and TV's have a maximum resolution of 1080p, so they can't really get much better.

Graphics can always get immensely better. You just have to continue to fall back more and more on the console to do the work, while you wait for other technology to catch up.

 

[Slyakin]

As for the topic itself, I think that maybe they really don't have much to show at all. It must still be in development. The console in itself looked pretty prototype-ish.

 

[KingVamp]

If Nintendo scraps the WiiU entirely and makes a new console that actually works (maybe better graphics and a better controller) I would seriously just abandon Sony and Microsoft for good.

You don't want touch controls for your gaming on your TV? Why wouldn't it work?

Don't negative thoughts happen when PSV was hold back at e3 or was that hold back
a rumor.

You replied so quickly. O_O

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Let's say they are really reconsidering, they could just want scape the controller and use the wiimotes instead of the whole console or is that still to much?

That defeats the entire purpose of a WiiU and just makes it a "Wii HD". So basically you'd pay more for a system that does almost the exact same thing as a PS3 (with a Move controller). People are stupid but they're not that stupid.

 

[Slyakin]

If Nintendo scraps the WiiU entirely and makes a new console that actually works (maybe better graphics and a better controller) I would seriously just abandon Sony and Microsoft for good.

You don't want touch controls for your gaming on your TV? Why wouldn't it work?

Don't negative thoughts happen when PSV was hold back at e3 or was that hold back
a rumor.

Oh no, it's not that. I just... really want a more traditional experience again. Of course, I'm still excited to see what the WiiU can do, but...

I guess we can't always get what we want.

 

[machomuu]

Let's say they are really reconsidering, they could just want scape the controller and use the wiimotes instead of the whole console or is that still to much?

That defeats the entire purpose of a WiiU and just makes it a "Wii HD". So basically you'd pay more for a system that does almost the exact same thing as a PS3 (with a Move controller). People are stupid but they're not that stupid.

I dunno, there are some pretty stupid people.

 

[Joe88]

@Slyakin: The Wii U already has better graphics that the PS3 and 360, and TV's have a maximum resolution of 1080p, so they can't really get much better.

why dont you actually wait to there is actual games out first instead of using tech demo's as benchmarks
unless you mean the stolen gameplay footage from the 360 and PS3

 

[Slyakin]

@Slyakin: The Wii U already has better graphics that the PS3 and 360, and TV's have a maximum resolution of 1080p, so they can't really get much better.

why dont you actually wait to there is actual games out first instead of using tech demo's as better graphics
unless you mean the stolen gameplay footage from the 360 and PS3

And how PS3/360 tech demos "steal" footage from PCs.

 

[hunter291]

Seriously.... are you shittin me ? Argh -.- No WiiU to see for me

 

[KingVamp]

Let's say they are really reconsidering, they could just want scape the controller and use the wiimotes instead of the whole console or is that still to much?

That defeats the entire purpose of a WiiU and just makes it a "Wii HD". So basically you'd pay more for a system that does almost the exact same thing as a PS3 (with a Move controller). People are stupid but they're not that stupid.

I thought about that just right after I edit, but some people might just want a more powerful wii. (which we still don't know how powerful)

How many games are there design specially for the move?

Anyway, it probably would be to much trouble to even come up with something else in the last second to replace the controller.

 

[c_house]

I highly doubt Ninty would reconsider the WiiU. Developers were going crazy for it at E3, and some are already developing games for it.

 

[Slyakin]

Maybe not re-develop, but redesign? That could be a possibility... right?

 

[machomuu]

Maybe not re-develop, but redesign? That could be a possibility... right?

That would be nice.

 

[Gahars]

Well this does not bode well for them.

To say that I wasn't thrilled with the Wii U when it was unveiled would be an understatement, so a little retooling may help to remedy that.