Opinion: The fate of Wii U may not be as dark as the analysts believe (Part 2)

By: Muhammad Qasim Hassan

  |   September 11th, 2012   |  

Uncategorized

When Nintendo revealed Wii, the first impression of the console was that it would hardly be able to compete against the likes of PlayStation 2 and Xbox, both of which were using high-end technology to offer games that were a visual treat.

Analysts were on Nintendo’s case back then, predicting a miserable fate as far as the console’s in the market was concerned. They felt that the system just did not possess the oomph that could help it to make its own place in the market space.

Irrespective of what the general speculations suggested, Wii went on to become a commercial success. It turned out that Nintendo had a massive amount of loyalists who trusted what the company had to offer and were clearly not disappointed, judging by the reviews that followed.

There is little reason to believe that consumers who gave more value to gameplay instead of technology back then would have a different approach this time around. If Nintendo successfully catered to their entertainment needs back then, it is confusing to find analysts making the assertion that the company seems to have lost its way and will not be able to deliver on the expectations that are associated with it.

With a wide range of exclusive titles to offer, Wii U has little reason to feel threatened from the next-generation consoles of both Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo has already announced a number of launch titles, which include the latest titles from the Mario and Pikmin franchises. The fans did seem a bit disappointed during E3, but it is still too early to conclude that they would not like the product when it finally comes out.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that Nintendo has a couple of aces that it might pull out when it feels the time is right. These include a Metroid game and a genuine trump card, Zelda.

Recent reports have revealed that the latest Zelda game is already in the works, with the game expected to arrive somewhere in 2014 despite being originally scheduled for 2013. This may be, to an extent, related to the speculation that it is that year when Sony plans on launching PlayStation 4. Releasing such a high-profile title at that time may serve to keep the system afloat.

One of the biggest criticisms faced by Wii U is its GamePad, a touch-screen tablet controller. Some developers have out-rightly rejected the controller, explaining that it would prevent them from bringing their game to the console. Nintendo has, however, attempted to remove these reservations by introducing a more orthodox Wii U Pro Controller.

Nintendo does not need to worry too much about what the analysts are stating as it has proven them wrong in the past and is perfectly capable of repeating history once again.

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the editorial policy of Wishfree.com.