Wii U First Impressions

My friend got up early on November 18, Sunday morning so he could pick up a Wii U from GameStop the moment they opened their doors at launch. It's funny, because he didn't even pick up the Wii at launch, or the DS, but every other N-brand console and handheld where he's been old enough to buy on the day of release, he's been there. Naturally, I tagged along.

Now I've made it no secret that the Wii U hasn't generated much excitement out of me. It's hard for me to get jazzed about a system that, essentially, will just offer a resolution bump for games very similar to ones Nintendo released on the Wii. At least, that's been my attitude before I've had a chance to see one in person. But how have my beliefs changed now that it's finally out and I've had a chance to actually play with it?

WeeiiooUUUUU

Hey! Guess what! The price and release date was announced for the WiiU, and it's exactly what everyone thought it would be! Actually, there's a $350 Deluxe SKU we didn't know about, which comes with Nintendo Park and a bunch of other goodies. Shock and awe everybody! The WiiU is coming in 2012!

The Real Problem with Vita

By my count, I've written about the Vita in-depth four times. One of which was technically about the 3DS, but it came hand-in-hand with many Vita comparisons. I seem unable to talk about one without the other, but I realize now I may have been missing the bigger picture.

It's not hard to do, because it seems like they both target the same market, and it's still a market without any other contenders. But while dedicated gaming handhelds is a two-horse race, both the 3DS and the Vita share a daunting fight with many other mobile devices for essentially the same goal: providing on-the-go entertainment.

The 3DS enjoys the safety of Nintendo's protective sphere of niche appeal. Nintendo will always provide experiences with their own franchises that no others can, and that means they'll always have a certain market to themselves, and one that has been proven over and over again to be non-trivial. Whatever happens in the tablet and smartphone space, they're essentially safe.

Vita in progress

The Vita launched in North America and Europe with a lot of fanfare from those already seeking it, but with little allure for those who weren't. This was despite a hard marketing push and one of the strongest launch line-ups in gaming history. Many will cite the price, and with a short supply of evidence going against that theory, one can't help but agree. Memory cards obviously aren't helping that either.

Fueling this reputation is a score of those who will call the system nearly DOA, and overall the picture being painted by industry pundits is one of doom and gloom. As an avid peruser of videogame forums, I don't have to tell you how ugly discussions can get when the subject is brought up. Obviously a lot of people feel the system has hit a dry spell of software, and enthusiasm levels are low, whereas others (namely people who bought the system) would rather view things more optimistically. Obviously the Vita suffers from unfavorable comparisons from the nearly-a-year-older Nintendo competitor, which has sold over 17 million units worldwide after almost 15 months on shelves.

The Vita has sold...almost 2 million. At first glance it seems as though you might as well bury the thing in a coffin and move on with your life. After all it doesn't have a Mario Kart or Pokemon to pull it out of the ditch, and it doesn't look like it'll have a price drop any time soon either.

Looking ahead at the WiiU

In my first rambling about the WiiU, I made the following statement:

Reggie went on stage and told the E3 audience that many felt the hardcore folks weren't being catered to by Nintendo. This is something they wanted to change with the new system, so they created a system for "you", meaning the audience he was speaking to at the presentation consisting mostly of hardcore gamers. We're so confident this system will appeal to you, he said, that we're even putting it in the name. So, that in a nutshell is how they explained away the reason behind the U.

So we're a couple months away from the next E3, and that is when the real selling is going to have to happen. Nintendo is going to have to pimp their next home console like it's the last home console they make. Why? Well, if they don't sell anybody on it now, what are they going to do? Drop the price on it four months later?

We're saddled with two burning questions that need answering when the big June convention takes place:

• What does the WiiU offer hardcore gamers?

• What does the WiiU offer casual gamers?

Looking ahead at the Vita

It's 2012, and as of today, the PlayStation Vita is only two weeks away. New games are continuously being announced for it, like Unit 13 and Mortal Kombat. Games are up for sale on PSN, Taco Bell is doing a promotion for giving away the system, and the early bundles are getting ready to ship out a week early to impatient pre-orderers. Hype is mounting for the new handheld that could, and it's taking on a lot more followers as it grows.

The Vita is not without its challenges. Heavy on the minds of Sony and the most hardcore industry followers is the abysmal sales in Japan following a single week of decent launch numbers. Like the 3DS before it, many take it as a bad omen with far-reaching implications. Calling it dead before it's had a chance at long-term success might seem dumb to most, but there a handful of folks with a mentality of absolutes, and a whole news industry that makes that sort of speculative sensationalism their business. Of course, some said the same things about the PSP, but somewhere out there it eventually felt out a place for a foothold, and rose to phenomenal success in an isolated, but no less fervent niche. It's always better late than never.

Stumbling for a Comeback

There are few things as bad as when you realize that the entire time you've known something you've been completely wrong about it. Sometimes it's as simple as using the wrong fork at a fancy restaurant. Sometimes it's as bad as telling Chinese people that you "bite purple duck nipples" as a way of exhibiting your mastery over their language. Every time it happens it's embarrassing, and causes you to have to back-peddle in some form or fashion, which can be injurious to your pride. For Nintendo, that time came a couple weeks ago when they announced they are going to drop the price of the 3DS $80 by mid-August, although the actual realization undoubtedly came much sooner than that.

I've written at-length about handhelds on many occasions. The last time I wrote about the 3DS in particular, it was enthusiastic, but cautious on its prospects. That was a while ago though--shit, that was before we even knew the official name of the NGP. Things are a little clearer about its future now, and there's a lot to recap that has happened since that last rambling, so let's just quickly go over it.

So, back to the Wii 2

Or, I'm sorry, the "Wii U". As much as you'll hear it on message boards, Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else in the gaming circle, you're going to hear it from me too: the name just sucks. Hard as it is for me to fathom though, there are actually supporters of the name, and generally they cite the predecessor from which this new console owes its branding heritage to as reason why. The Wii was laughed and scoffed at, ridiculed and made fun of, but look at it now! It's synonymous with fun and all-inclusive gaming! It's something everyone the world over can recognize! And while those arguments may be true to some extent, the situation is a bit different here. It's understandable to want brand recognition to continue on into the next generation, and I have no problem with what they've done on their handhelds with their choice of the 3DS name. But this isn't just a bunch of childish adults making potty jokes and saying it sounds stupid. If you look at the logic they used on the name Wii, then sure, alright, it sorta makes sense. People can come to understand that, and eventually move on. But what's the logic of Wii U?

Reggie went on stage and told the E3 audience that many felt the hardcore folks weren't being catered to by Nintendo. This is something they wanted to change with the new system, so they created a system for "you", meaning the audience he was speaking to at the presentation consisting mostly of hardcore gamers. We're so confident this system will appeal to you, he said, that we're even putting it in the name. So, that in a nutshell is how they explained away the reason behind the U.

One small step for gaming, one giant leap for Nintendo

Rumors are surfacing for the 100th billionth time about Nintendo releasing a Wii successor. I'm not going to call it the "Wii 2" or "Wii HD" because I think those are stupid names, even as temporary standbys. Nintendo only made a direct "sequel" console once when they made the Super NES, and even then, it was not called the "NES 2". Lately they've preferred to come up with original names, but I think it would be cool to put "Nintendo" back into the actual name of the console. It's more iconic, makes more of a statement about who they are, and gives the system more of a impactful presence in the market. It wouldn't be GameCube, Xbox and PS2. It wouldn't be Wii, 360 and PS3. It would be the Nintendo, 360 and PS3. It puts the others in their place, because what other company can claim true leadership of the console market? Nintendo not only is the leader of sold units, they are what started the modern era of consoles. Others can only bow in reverence to their legacy. It would pay homage to the old Nintendo, the one fans used to know and love, and if there's ever been a time to win back their old fans, it's now.

WiiDS

So the 3DS is upon us, and I'd be remiss if I didn't make a post on it. After all, I espoused my enthusiasm for it some time ago and have written at length on the handheld market in general. I intend to do a great deal more writing on the subject in the future too, and that includes this.

I was excited about the 3DS. Reading through the first rambling I wrote about it, it sounds like a rabid Nintendo fanboy extolling the virtues of an infallible portable gaming monarch. Having enough time to let the heat leave the room, and now able to hold the system itself in my hand, I can approach the subject with a little more temperament this time around. The 3DS will be a great system, but it won't be perfect.

PSP Too

When I gushed about the 3DS earlier this month, talking about how it will probably be the best handheld Nintendo's ever made, and how some of the innovations within it were 'huge', I had no idea Sony would be announcing their Next Generation Portable so soon after. Yes, January just wasn't crazy enough with new announcements and developments, between 50,000 tablets shown off, most with Tegra 2, NVIDIA's Project Denver, Windows 8's ARM support, AMD's CEO leaving, NVIDIA and Intel's settlement, Sandy Bridge's launch, OCZ leaving the RAM market, new cellphones, gaming news, and tons and tons of other shit too numerous to be counted...no, we had to close this phenomenal month with the friggin PSP2 unveiling.

This was one of the first unveils I was actually present for (online at least) when it happened live, and let me tell you, it's pretty exciting to be there right when something like that occurs. Technically the name hasn't been finalized yet, instead referred to as the NGP by most circles, but I refuse to use that, preferring the more universally recognized acronym. Rumors leading up to the PSP2's announcement really started several years ago, but as these things tend to do, the accuracy much improved as time approached the supposed due date. Just a couple days before the announcement, a spec list showed up with some pretty ridiculous suggestions, but it turns out, almost all of it has been shown to be true. The PSP2 is pretty much a gadget fan's wishlist brought to life.

Into another dimension

How do you like the new décor? Nifty eh?

It's 2011, and everyone's getting ready for one of the most awesome years in years to hit them in the face. As a PC gamer, I'm looking forward to things like Rage, Crysis 2, and lest I forget....fuckin Duke Nukem Forever. But the biggest gaming event this year in my book is outside the PC space. It's the 3DS.