Nintendo Wii ends production today

[90snostalga]

It was announced today that the Wii is no longer in production.  With the failure of the WillU, I'm wondering what do you all think is next for Nintendo???


Here's the link:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/21/4861772/nintendo-wii-production-ends

[blipcs76]

I think it's a little premature to call the WiiU a failure.  Sales got a nice bump from the lower price and WW bundle, and the big guns will start hitting in the next 6-12 months (3D Mario, Smash Bros., Mario Kart, etc.).  Millions are just waiting for enough worthwhile games to be released before they pull the trigger on Wii U.

That being said, it's definitely destined to be a distant 3rd place this generation.  They refuse to work with and give 3rd party developers what they need.  Wii U just doesn't have the power and architecture to support easy ports, so unless something changes I think the Wii U will suffer a short life propped up mostly by flagship Nintendo titles.  They did create new casual gamers with the Wii, but they now play on their phones instead of the next Wii system.

Their next system simply has to be built with 3rd party developers in mind, first and foremost, otherwise they're sadly going to go the way of Sega.  Buying a Wii U is like buying a Blu-ray player that only plays Disney Blu-rays -- they are top notch and family-friendly, but sometimes I want to watch something more mature than Toy Story.

[desocietas]

I also think it's premature to call the WiiU a failure as it definitely provided a system for users who didn't need top of the line gizmos for their illiterate progeny (illiterate because of age, not because of intelligence).  With Sony preferring to appeal to hardcore gamers, there's gotta be a place for people who just want something a little more family friendly and easy to navigate if they haven't played games since the time console controllers had maybe one button.

Have you tried to navigate the Microsoft and Sony dashboards?  They're awful.

If anything, Nintendo has always done a great job with handhelds, so whether or not the WiiU is their last television-based console, they'll definitely still be around and kickin'.

[disgaeniac]

I think it's a little premature to call the WiiU a failure.

That being said, it's definitely destined to be a distant 3rd place this generation.  They refuse to work with and give 3rd party developers what they need.  Wii U just doesn't have the power and architecture to support easy ports, so unless something changes I think the Wii U will suffer a short life propped up mostly by flagship Nintendo titles.

Their next system simply has to be built with 3rd party developers in mind, first and foremost, otherwise they're sadly going to go the way of Sega.  Buying a Wii U is like buying a Blu-ray player that only plays Disney Blu-rays -- they are top notch and family-friendly, but sometimes I want to watch something more mature than Toy Story.

While I, personally, have no interest in getting one for myself - I just wanted to say that I agree with all of this.

[disgaeniac]

I also think it's premature to call the WiiU a failure as it definitely provided a system for users who didn't need top of the line gizmos for their illiterate progeny (illiterate because of age, not because of intelligence).

Egads; how I love when you talk "big words" to me 

Have you tried to navigate the Microsoft and Sony dashboards?  They're awful.

Gotta' agree to disagree on this point.  I haven't used an X-Box and/or a 360 in years -so- I don't really even remember theirs very well...but...while certainly not elegant or amazing - I've always found the PS3's dashboard to be, at the least, very user-friendly and very easy to figure-out & get going.

If anything, Nintendo has always done a great job with handhelds, so whether or not the WiiU is their last television-based console, they'll definitely still be around and kickin'.

As, primarily, a player of turn-based RPG's & SRPG's...I've got to agree with you again here.

As I (mainly) don't keep up w/ games that are outside of my "genre-of-choice" even nearly as much as I do with my games of interest - I can attest to the fact that in (at least) this gen & the last - Ninty's handhelds have been one of the better places to go to find these types of games that I'm interested in...

...*BUT*...I would still ALWAYS prefer ANY game that I'm playing to be on a console & big TV over a handheld 

/end complaining + whining 

[desocietas]

I should also add that I really liked the Virtual Boy despite the fact that it was considered a commercial failure.

Also, thanks for the replies and good points, disgaeniac.  I like the sleekness of PS dashboards (PS3, PSP as far as I've know), but there are just too many things hidden in too many places for me to find stuff!

Playstation 1 & 2 were great, though.  Very simple and easy.

[scott]

I don't think the Wii U is a complete failure. Some of the games on it currently look pretty good. Sure it suffers from mostly only having 1st party support and makes people like myself think of it as a secondary choice. But there are a few games that were announced at E3 that piqued my interest and I do plan on buying one eventually.

My main beef with Nintendo currently is that they are giving us too many gimmicks and not enough 3rd party support. And their digital downloads are connected to the console, rather than my My Nintendo account. Sure having a secondary screen on the game pad is neat, but is it needed? Not really. The same with "motion controls", it's neat, but it's also the reason why I never played more that 30 mins of Skyward Sword.

As for the topic of the Wii's end of production. Congrats on a good run Wii, you had the masses chopping at the bit and caused a massive drought in systems for a good year or better. So they did do something right in having the public wanting the product. Soon mine will be moved into the game room and placed with it's brethren next to the CRT. /salute

[insektmute]

I'm with Kenny on the PS3 dash - every person I've convinced to switch from 360 to PS3 has been absolutely amazed at how much more fast and intuitive it is, esp compared to the ad-riddled crapfest that the 360 dash has become.

Still, I'd call the Wii U a failure. While it does suit a certain market segment, it's not a demographic that's known for buying many games, and in terms of the goals Nintendo was shooting for in terms of sales figures, what the hardware was intended to address, and so on, it's falling behind in every respect, and that gap is widening as time goes on.

[teck]

To be honest, with how many units that they produced already, they are in line for being the cheapest used console on the market in a few years....  I already sell them for only $55 at my store and I would not be surprised to be selling them for $15 bucks like a ps1 at some point due to incredible excess in supply....

[scott]

I'm with Kenny on the PS3 dash - every person I've convinced to switch from 360 to PS3 has been absolutely amazed at how much more fast and intuitive it is, esp compared to the ad-riddled crapfest that the 360 dash has become.

I do really like the PS3's UI. I was a huge fan of the 360's blades and of the NXE dashboard. But as time went on it just became more and more about the advertising and less and less about the gaming. The PS3 only has a small PSN ad on the top right corner and the little colored wave background is wonderful.

I've slowly grown to love my PS3 more over the past year.

[insektmute]

Scott: You ever use PS3 Media Server with yours? Works freaking awesome for streaming anime fansubs (even 10-bit x264 stuff!) and music.

Back on topic: I still want a Wii U for Wind Waker HD and Bayonetta 2, but they need waaaaay more stuff like that. 1080p 2D METROID NOW PLS.

[scott]

Scott: You ever use PS3 Media Server with yours? Works freaking awesome for streaming anime fansubs (even 10-bit x264 stuff!) and music.

I've tried to do the whole media center thing and never was able to get it to recognize my PC or Laptop. Kinda annoyed me.

Back on topic: I still want a Wii U for Wind Waker HD and Bayonetta 2, but they need waaaaay more stuff like that. 1080p 2D METROID NOW PLS.

Ya I really want that X game and I'd pick up Bayonetta 2 just to support it (even though I have yet to pick up the 1st one). I'd be all for a new HD 2D Metroid, Other M had so much promise, until I had to try to juggle the Wiimote in order to shoot missles 

[turf]

It's kind of a sad thing to see the Wii go. It was amazing when it came out, got some hate, and then rode off onto the sunset. I am going to predict that The Wii will be like the GameCube. It wasn't for the "hardcore" gamers at the time and fell behind. Then, during the next console cycle gems will be discovered; and the system will be loved.

[sin2beta]

It's kind of a sad thing to see the Wii go. It was amazing when it came out, got some hate, and then rode off onto the sunset. I am going to predict that The Wii will be like the GameCube. It wasn't for the "hardcore" gamers at the time and fell behind. Then, during the next console cycle gems will be discovered; and the system will be loved.

I've said it before, but the Wii is a damn good system to collect for. I pity any full set collectors for the Wii... but the system has a large number of fantastic games. With how cheap they are, it is worth picking up for Sin and Punishment 2 alone. Then House of the Dead, Boomblocks, Trauma Center, Last Story, Lost in Shadow, Ghost Squad, Mad World, Nintendo first party titles, and many more are just icing on the cake.

[soera]

I think alot of people jump on the Wii hating bandwagon cause it doesnt have those Gamestop cool dude games. I found the Wii a much better system than the 360 and I think they have been shown to be more reliable than either the Sony or the Microsoft systems of this gen. I couldnt care less about the fact that it didnt have HDMI cause the visible difference is not even noticeable. Motion controls are cool for what they are although I do wish it wasnt pushed on EVERY single 1st party game. And with Xenoblade/Last story/Pandora, the system has 3 exclusives that should keep the system wanted for a while (including myself needing to buy them all).

WiiU so far, however, has really not done anything to bring me any closer to purchasing one. It so far feels like just an afterthought for them to keep console people happy while they work on yet another handheld.