Ben-DutkaLet me make this plain:
Had PlayStation 4 and Xbox One burst out of the gate and dominated 2014 with a slew of AAA titles and eye-opening productions that introduced a glorious new era of gaming, the Wii U would've been dead in the water. I mean, more dead than it is now.
The point is that PS4 and Xbox One were relatively unimpressive this year and as such, the Wii U doesn't seem to be dead. In fact, some recent sales climbs have hinted at a possible resurgence for Nintendo's console, which I wouldn't rule out. I honestly believe that because the two more powerful machines slipped this year, Wii U has walked through an open door. No, I don't believe it has any chance of actually beating PS4 or Xbox One in the long run; the bottom line is that it just isn't competitive enough on a technical scale. A few years from now, the Wii U will look downright archaic.
At the same time, you have to admit that it offers significantly different gaming experiences when compared to PS4 and Xbox One, which offer very similar experiences. The Wii U remains a family-favorite device and you really can't underestimate the timeless appeal of the classic mascots, and gameplay that never goes out of style, regardless of any technological advancements the industry makes. If Sony and Microsoft had put their best foot forward in 2014, I'm not sure we'd even be talking about the Wii U anymore. But we kinda are, and it's partly because PS4 and Xbox One haven't delivered on half their promises (yet).
Aranha: On the fighting genre:
Toshinden was indeed important for PlayStation when Sony first launched their system, and also important for the fighting genre. It did not, however, get "run into the dirt," as implied by Kid. It was basically a great series throughout.
The reason it disappeared is simply because Tekken took over and ruled the roost. Both were PlayStation exclusives and quite frankly, something had to give. As you noted, there was a ridiculous saturation of fighters at the time so it stands to reason that some would just have to bow out.
I was never into the fighting genre very much. But it once again proves my point, in regards to PlayStation's innovation and revolutionary elements of their exclusive titles. Personally, I don't see any difference between a first-party and third-party exclusive; if it's only available on PlayStation, it's only PlayStation and only PlayStation owners that are reaping the benefits.
Ben: Thanks for taking the time to get back to me on this. Good info and reasonable explanations.
Oh, and I wasn't implying that Twisted Metal was driven into the ground by Sony. My belief pretty much lies with yours on that. Too much time had passed, and it was too hard to introduce it to the newer generation of gamers. Parts 3 and 4 were low points (989 really knew how to fudge things up), so I was referring to it being a franchise that Sony was able to revive, as it's their thing to do from time to time. Thank goodness for that, as I like the PS3 iteration almost as much as part 2. Although that's more of a thanks to Jaffe than anyone else.
wiius in the same position the other two are, neither are getting their big releases till next year.
I have a Wii U. BY far, it has the best games of this gen. When Zelda U comes out next year I will be there!
If Dragon Quest Heroes comes out in the US, I will play that until my fingers bleed. PLEASE BRING DQ 11 to the states, Sony!
Nintendo would do well to start releasing consoles within it's own generational timeline halfway between the xbox and ps generations.
At least I think that would serve it well.
The WiiU is the best console I own at the moment. The games are all fun and I can play a majority of them with friends in the same room and not just online. I'm always playing it with my wife… we're loving Captain Toad and Mario Kart 8 at the moment. Next year is gonna rock with Zelda WiiU! That said, next year is also the first year where I'm excited for actual PS4 games. I think Nintendo's doing a great job and I hardly think that they're dead in the water.
For me, there is nothing coming out on any of the non-Sony consoles I want.
In fact, I haven't seen a Nintendo game that is a must have for me in several years. There have been too many games on my PS3 and PS4 to keep me occupied.
Sorry Nintendo. I had fun with you growing up, but I have moved on.
In it's current state the Wii U is all about damage control. Keep it's core happy while Nintendo determines their next move.
My prediction is that Nintendo will reboot the Wii U (soft relaunch it) with revised hardware. They'll make it completely untethered from the living room. It'll be smaller, slimmer, but more capable. It will serve as both a living room console when it want's to be, or a completely mobile device when it wants to be.
They'll have to ditch the disc drive. This is okay because 4 and 8gb memory cards are cheap and could be bundled with discs if needed for cross-gen users. The unit is already very low voltage and advances in it's transistor process and the ditching of it's optical drive could make it operate fine on mobile batteries.
Nintendo could make it backwards compatible with their 3Ds lineup of games. They could pool their development teams and increase the breadth of their releases without creating more bloat. It'll reduce the overhead of dev expenses and make their product more approachable in an environment nearly free of competition.
It'll need to be in the $200 range. That is important.
You heard it here first =)
Last edited by Temjin001 on 12/22/2014 1:58:06 PM
Yep, Jawknee is right. Its funny that people say that with Nintendo you get nothing but the same old IP's or franchises. Sequels and whatnot.
And yet you look at what's going on the PS4, X1 and you'll notice pretty much the same thing. Sequels, remasters and the same old same old stuff.
Now, all 3 consoles surely have brand new IP's in their lineup that are not sequels. They will have original games such as Bloodborne (PS4), Sunset Overdrive (X1) and crossplatform games such as Alien Isolation or Destiny.
The Wii U also has some games that are not sequels. Such as The Wonderful 101, Splatoon, and Zombi U. Plus spin-off games that feel brand new such as Hyrule Warriors and Captain Toad.
But lets face it. A lot of people are looking forward to sequels such as the next CoD, the next Uncharted, the next Madden, FIFA and yes, the next Zelda.
Besides, playing Mario 64 is absolutely NOTHING like playing any of the Mario games on the Wii U. The gameplay mechanics are different. So there is no "sameness" there at all. Other than the protagonist Mario having to either save the Princess or a kingdom. But Mario games were never about story or plots. Its about gameplay. And that's the element that changes with every game. And what keeps the IP fresh and selling well (even on the 'dead' Wii U).
IMO the Wii U will never replace a PS4 or even a Xbone. And I don't think it's suppose to replace them. But it's the perfect companion system for those that already own one of the big 2 (or a PC for gaming).
i think that was a fair and honest assessment and well i think that things will get a fair bit better going into next year but its hard to say just how things will turn out at this stage from a specifics point of view i mean the ps4 will continue to sell well thats probably a given, and the WiiU may just have a bit of a resurgence(forgive my spelling) one of my good friends acutally just got one and a few games just recently which was interesting
happy gaming
Long.Live.Nintendo.
Nintendo did a very bad job marketing the wii u when it came out I said before I didn't know this was a new console I thought it was a new controller for the wii and they are still doing a bad job marketing it here in NYC I saw like two commercial for a game on Nintendo it's rarely you see a commercial from them!!