According to an email obtained by WiiUDaily from a Japanese retailer, Nintendo has set a launch
date for the Wii U - the North America launch of the new gaming platform is currently set for November 18, 2012.
Nintendo releasing the Wii U in November comes as no surprise, as it makes the new system available for the Christmas rush.
Nintendo's Wii U will be able to produce full HD graphics, but the biggest innovation is its tablet controller with a color LCD touchscreen. Although the idea of the Wii generation being able to support HD graphics is appealing to some,developers who spoke with Games Industry International project it will not have the same level of computing power as its main competitors, the Xbox 360 or the PS3. Overall, the developers said it's a great attempt to modernize Nintendo's Wii, but some doubt the console is capable of “keeping up” with current state-of-the-art in gaming. So, we will have to wait and see if the Wii U will meet its production goals, and how it prices what seems to be an incremental update. And how Microsoft and Sony will react to this new generation of Nintendo (price cuts anyone?).
Source - Wii U's release date leaked by retailer - rumor Games Industry International
BJB - Edited copy, added graphic and link.
I understand wanting to innovate and move ahead, but I am not sure this is the right move. I think the aspect of the Wii brand that caught people's attention was the ability to take part in fun activities at home in a physically active way. I think they could expand upon that aspect of their gaming system as opposed to adding HD and touch screen to a controller. Yes, HD is nice and a popular feature, but certainly not if it drops performance quality. It is a gaming device and is competing against the ever popular Xbox. I think they should be looking at different ways to innovate and move their brand forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brittany that the reason that the Wii made it big while competing with the likes of PS3 and XBox was because of the interactive ability that the ages provided. It was not the graphics that meant anything or caused anyone to buy the system. However, I believe that the idea of creating a controller that can be charged and taken on the go is pretty cool. Although gameboys and other hand-held system seem to have taken the back seat to smart phones, the idea that you can quit your game on your TV and then take the controller with you and finish your game. It will lose the interactive ability and aspects that made the game physically active though.
ReplyDeletehttp://e3.nintendo.com/hw/#/about
I agree with the other two people, as that was the main reason I bought a Wii, but it seemed to lose its appeal for me after some time. It was a innovative idea at the time, but now there are things such as Xbox Kinect and Playstation Move now. I think that this is another great idea, but I am not sure how long it will hold its appeal, because like Ben said there is always smartphones and even tablets now for mobile gaming.
ReplyDeleteI think this will sell at the beginning then just like most gaming technology, it will fade out. I'm just like Nick, I bought the Wii and I lost interest in the game over time. Then I bought Kinect and now I never play it. As I said before, I think I will sell at the beginning then it will fade until something else comes along.
ReplyDeleteNintendo is losing it's grasp. The Wii is a fun console for party games and family time, but is not enough for hard core gamers because it is gimmicky.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider is this thing's size. Is this really supposed to be a portable gaming system? It's as big as a Sega GameGear. Consider the PS Vita that recently came out. It can fit in one's pocket, if need be, and still supplies great graphics.
I think the big three (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) need to understand that they're going to eventually be beat out by apple and other smartphone companies. As technology becomes cheaper, phones (as they already are) will double as portable systems for gamers. They should start focusing back on the console.
Absolutely I agree, Nintendo has done a pretty good job of one uping itself for decades now but I think they're reached a stalemate.The Wii is so extremely interactive and exciting, if I wanted to play yet another hand-held system I would just play my DSi. And Jamison is right the thing is beastly, they laughingly refer to this thing as hand held, why would they go this route? I mean the the DS, DSi, and 3-DS are pocket size, why is this console so big? This will not be as huge as the Wii but I'm sure it will garnish some buyers, hard core gamers can't resist the "next big system" so it will do fine i'm sure. And yes as for the three big companies, it's Apples world, we just live in it.
DeleteI actually have not heard of this invention or that Nintendo was releasing this new gaming system. I honestly do see how they want to bring them back into the spotlight and have a way for them to gain new revenue but I don’t know how well this will do. Everyone loved the Wii when it first was brought out but with playstations and xbox it is starting to die down especially when the xbox connect was released. I do like that the screen is HD though, I think that is a great move for them to make with the new system. The touch screen was good move as well. I know Nintendo can only compete so much against the xbox and playstaions but I think it will attract more of the younger generations and if it at a good price they might bring themselves back in the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though game consoles are all trying to keep up the jones. Very rarely does something original originate from them. If it's not Wii it's Playstation or Xbox and they all ultimately end up wit the same "exclusives". It will be interesting to see what Wii does with this but to me... it's nothing new.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Cade
Not sure why this is considered "new". It seems like it's just a giant updated Gameboy. If they could find a way to keep it interactive and not rely solely on the d-bad and such, it might catch on. It just seems like there are smaller, more efficient devices that would trump this.
ReplyDeleteI think that like all other things Nintendo releases, besides the Virtual Boy, this will be incredibly popular.
ReplyDeleteThis website gives some estimations as to how much it will be sold for: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/wii-u-components-cost-180-price-point-300-2012049/
It sounds like a lot, but so did the Wii costing $250 when it came out. Especially during the holiday season when people are willing to spend more money than normal.
What sets Nintendo apart is that it has many iconic series such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, etc. that will sell millions of copies every release, more than Microsoft and Sony have. They also have the reputation for having video games appropriate for the whole family. When parents are looking for a gaming system for their children, they aren't looking at the hardware capabilities, but for what kind of games they want their kids to play.
In my opinion, when it comes to game consoles, the only thing keeping Nintendo in the same category as PlayStation and Xbox is the classic games like Mario, Zelda, StarFox, etc...It is things like the tablet controller that kind of confuse me. I have already come to terms that Nintendo would never compete graphics-wise, but the classic games would be worth it. However, it seems like by them innovating their controllers every time, they are pushing some people away (like people who like to play video games).
ReplyDeleteYes, I know the Wii is a great family system and the motion sensor was cool till Xbox made it better with Kinect, but maybe instead of innovating, they should try to conform? I would be first in line for a Nintendo system that had graphics like an Xbox. Mario and Zelda in HD!? That would be awesome. But this is just my opinion.
-David Comm