Nintendo Unveils Wii U, Aims for Holiday Release
Nintendo has seen its marketshare and profits plummet in the last year, likely because the Wii, for all its early hype, just isn't that great of a console. Even when it was released it was criticized for having mediocre graphics and the console couldn't put out any true type of HD. To this day, the Wii can only managed 480P HD, compared to the 720P and 1080P that the others are capable of. So running a Wii on a modern TV is asking for ugliness.
Nintendo is trying to remedy this with the Wii U, promising decent graphics. Unfortunately, what we have seen so far matches the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. But those consoles are 6 years old and ripe for a refresh.
But the Wii U does have some interesting tricks up its sleeve.
What is the Wii U?
The Wii U is Nintendo's new console. Mostly we have seen the new controller, which resembles a tablet with a game controller stuck on either side. Initial reports indicate that the Wii U controller is easy to hold and comfortable to play with.That controller gets its own content. That might mean that the controller displays an inventory, or, as with a couple of Nintendo's demos, it could render a player's perspective.
The Wii U still works with Wiimotes. Many games will have multiple play modes, with some players using the controller and others using a Wiimote.
The demoed Zelda game, for example, had two different types of Links: the archer, which used the Wii U controller (and used it like a window into a virtual world, thanks to a compass), and the sword fighter, which uses a Wiimote and controls similar to those in 'Skyward Sword.'
Overall, Nintendo is going to have to work to prove that this console makes sense. As neat as pushing a unique viewpoint is to each player, and as nice higher resolution graphics are, this is a system that is a bit odd. Unlike with motion control, which is intuitive and natural, this is more of an actual gimmick.
I'm going to wait until initial impressions and more games get announced before making final judgement on this thing, however. I was skeptical of the original Wii, too, and that printed Nintendo money for years.
| Template by