To be released in 2012, the Wii U promises to reflect a ‘new generation’ of console gaming, with an emphasis on rich and dynamic gameplay. The Wii U is all about versatility. Players can switch seamlessly between their television screen and the hand-held controller, which looks like a cross between an iPad and a DS screen. With that mysterious “u” tagged onto the console title, players have been invited to fantasize about a bunch of different, customizable virtual adventures. But what does Nintendo’s emphasis on the system’s fluidity really mean for players?
The Wii U controller features some serious upgrades from the Wii system, which was released back in 2006. Equipped with a 6.2 inch touchscreen, D-Pad, dual analog sticks, bumpers and triggers, the controller is infinitely more complicated than the standard Wii stick. The controller also features a gyroscope, front-facing camera, and microphone. The console will also be the first from Nintendo which supports full HD graphics, and this is a big step in making the Wii U more relevant to today’s gaming audience.
The main Wii U system.
While the Wii covered just about every game out there— from platform games to first-person shooters, to mini games and movement-based games— it generally lacked the type of immersive graphical experiences which other consoles are known for. In a bid to win back players from Xbox and PlayStation, Nintendo has promised that the Wii U will feature titles from some of gaming’s biggest franchises, including Batman, Assassin’s Creed, Tekken and Ninja Gaiden. While details on the releases remain scarce, the announcement of these titles reflects Nintendo’s commitment to attract core gamers to the Wii U. One of the biggest announcements at E3 was Nintendo’s coveted partnership with EA. While it remains to be seen what this partnership will bring, players can surely expect the type of fast-paced, graphically-rich games which EA is known for.
On the flipside, Nintendo will certainly continue to attract casual gamers to the new console, but this should not discourage core gamers from checking out the new system. While some gamers felt that the Wii unfairly favoured casual gamers, it also did big things for the company. The broad appeal of the Wii meant more sales for Nintendo, and it is this money which will be spent creating new, more enhanced graphical experiences for the Wii U.
Initial reviews of the Wii U have been mixed, but it is immediately clear that one of its most distinctive characteristics is that it refuses to be defined by industry standards. While the Kinect software is known for its immersive gameplay, and the Playstation is known for its impressive graphics, developers claim that for the first time, the new Nintendo console will be defined by players. Like TiVo and Netflix, gameplay is also increasingly about “you”— the consumer. More than ever before, players have incredible control over their gaming experiences. We can combine gaming with our work-out routines, and connect with other gamers across the world with just a click of a button from our home console. Gaming is no longer about simply purchasing a cartridge, pushing it into a console, and playing it through from start to finish. The Wii capitalized on a customizable console desktop, where players could arrange game titles and download content from other systems, and the Wii U seems poised to continue this tradition of highly personalized virtual experiences.
The new Wii U controller with built in screen.
But with customization comes increased pressure on us, the players, to make the most out of our gaming experiences. And that means that now, more than ever, players will need to be more familiar with a console’s technical capabilities. While a short video at E3 provided some suggestions as to what the Wii U is capable of, it was not automatically clear what you can actually do with the system. Developers enticed audience members with the promise of a Smash Bros game, to be played across both the Wii U and the 3DS, without really specifying how this cross-platform gaming will work. It is clear that the Wii U supports both the new, touch-screen controller and the old Wii controllers, but exactly how to configure both types of controllers remains to be seen.
With the ‘you’ in Wii U, the pressure is on gamers to thoroughly research the system before buying it. Important details, such as the system’s graphics card, and even the physical appearance of the console itself, were kept largely under wraps at Nintendo’s official launch, with details only slowly beginning to emerge. The fact that the Wii U is not all wrapped up in a neat little package will likely discourage some consumers who prefer products where ‘what you see is what you get.’ For now, the Wii U remains something of a giant puzzle, with the pieces only slowly falling into place. But with its enigmatic appearance also comes a sense of mystery, and it is this quality which likely has gamers so enthusiastic, and also so critical, about its impending release.
