Wii U ceasing production

[toptenmaterial]

I'm curious, do you see the Wii U having a subculture for years to come? Your thoughts please.

[Austin]

I think you will have to give it a while before people start caring that much or having nostalgia for it. Games will probably drop in price for a while, then perhaps 10 or 15 years later people will have a natural interest in it again, rediscover and start championing its library. I could be wrong, but that typically seems to be the trend when consoles die and fade away from the general public's awareness.

[Atariboy]

If all these rumored ports happen, that will certainly slow the process.

 

A large chunk of the Wii U's 1st/2nd party lineup is either confirmed or rumored to be heading for the 3DS or the Switch. 2-3 more additions like Super Mario 3D World and the pickings will be getting a bit slim for top notch Wii U exclusives.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Atariboy

[Andromeda Stardust]

I think the Wii-U will retain collectability due to relative scarcity and it's small but excellent library of 1st party titles (and a handful of excellent 3rd party exclusives).

 

Do not expect them to ever sell for much under $100 with the Gamepad included...

[Pixelboy]

I think the Wii U will be to the original Wii what the Atari 5200 is to the Atari 2600. There will be some die-hard fans of the U, but most people will get into the Wii, with its larger library of games. I'm talking several years from now, obviously.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I think the Wii U will be to the original Wii what the Atari 5200 is to the Atari 2600. There will be some die-hard fans of the U, but most people will get into the Wii, with its larger library of games. I'm talking several years from now, obviously.

Don't bet on it. 5200 was mostly arcade ports that were utimately available on other platforms.

[Atariboy]

And like I said, Wii U's list of exclusives looks set to diminish drastically. So if it plays out like it appears set to at this time, it's not exactly going to be in much of a different situation than all those 5200 arcade ports that could be found elsewhere.

 

I rather like the 5200 analogy. A controller that was critically panned more often than not (And I fear will be even tougher to keep going for the long-term) and a great number of games that while available elsewhere, formed an excellent library that deserved more love and attention from consumers.

 

Heck, even its release timing has similarities. Like the 5200, this one doesn't cleanly fit into the Wikipediaized list of console generations that so many fans subscribe to (Despite I think it being clear that the 5200 and its direct competition are the true 3rd generation of console gaming).

 

It will likely remain known as Nintendo's competitor to the Xbox One and the Playstation 4, but its capabilities are more akin to those of consoles that first appeared well over half a decade earlier, just as the 5200 feels closer to the 2600 era than the one that ultimately produced games like Zelda and Super Mario Bros. 3.

 

And more importantly, it has lived a short life and will die and will be replaced just as the competition hits its stride and looks set to easily live at least another 3-4 years with these mid-gen upgrades that will be sold alongside the basic original hardware. That's very reminiscent of what happened to the 5200 with the Famicom that launched just over half a year after it did.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Atariboy

[Metal Ghost]

Huh, I'm digging the 5200 comparisions.

 

My first reaction was that the ability to port Wii U games over to Switch would be VERY limited, since I believe Nintendo has already confirmed/eluded that Switch would be a single screen experience and wasn't built to allow for asynchronous gameplay. So even if a game was ported, it wouldn't really be the same experience. So yea, I could see in future generations that Wii U would have a strong subculture as THE Home Console​ to play certain games on (not counting the DS here).

 

But the more I think of it, the number of games out there that would really fit into this category are really few and far between. Zombie U is probably the definitive version of that game (yes it was ported, but not really the same type of experience, is it?); Star Fox Zero; Nintendoland; Super Mario Maker....I don't know, are there a lot of other ones where the Wii U version of a game would probably be considered 'definitive'?

[HoshiChiri]

I think the Wii U will be to the original Wii what the Atari 5200 is to the Atari 2600. There will be some die-hard fans of the U, but most people will get into the Wii, with its larger library of games. I'm talking several years from now, obviously.

 

I'm thinking more like the 7800... which amounts to the same thing, but with the "buy this version if you can, it's backwards compatible!" part intact.

[Flojomojo]

....I don't know, are there a lot of other ones where the Wii U version of a game would probably be considered 'definitive'?

 

Not many. Rayman Legends, Mass Effect 3, Batman Arkham City have slightly tweaked gameplay for the Wii U gamepad, but nothing that would make you get Wii U instead of the many other versions.

[Flojomojo]

I'm thinking more like the 7800... which amounts to the same thing, but with the "buy this version if you can, it's backwards compatible!" part intact.

 

With the caveat that "times change." 12 million Wii U units sold is an amazing number in any context other than mainstream video game consoles.

[Atariboy]

You just have to look at the Pro Controller compatibility list to see that there's not many high quality Wii U offerings that really rely on the Wii U's unique capabilities.

 

And at least one that did and wouldn't work nearly as well without the touch screen, Super Mario Maker, is hitting the 3DS anytime now. And there's no reason that the Switch can't handle this one just as well, unless the bizarre happens and that screen lacks touch functionality.

 

I don't see too much objection if touch screen functionality for course editing is locked out when played in console mode, since the central screen unit obviously will have to be docked.

[Flojomojo]

Mario Maker on 3DS is going to be hobbled pretty badly, it's not going to be nearly as complete as the Wii U version. A Switch version should be easy enough, though. I think it's got a touch screen even though the promo video didn't show anyone touching it. As for console mode, there's nothing stopping Nintendo from doing a "second screen" app like Xbox and Playstation do ...though I doubt they will.

[Atariboy]

That's because Nintendo is being lazy/cheap and won't allow level uploading. But the game won't be exclusive any longer and it shows that you really don't need the Wii U's unique capabilities to handle it.

 

And I'm betting on Super Mario Maker Advanced or something like that within 12 months of the Switch launch, which will retain everything and only add to the package (Such as the addition of sloped ground). Supporting existing level uploads even would seem simple enough if Nintendo wanted, with perhaps a Wii U setting in the editor for Switch owners that create a level and want it to be able to be enjoyed on the Wii U.

 

I actually thought about suggesting they could let you use your smartphone for a 2nd screen solution, but thought better of it. Like you said, it doesn't sound like Nintendo. But perhaps with this new smartphone initiative, it is something they'd be interested in.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Atariboy

[Atariboy]

And it just lost one of its best 2nd/3rd party exclusives. Lego City Undercover, which was published by Nintendo on the Wii U, is heading to the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Steam, and the Nintendo Switch next summer.

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/11/lego_city_undercover_is_coming_to_nintendo_switch_and_other_platforms_next_year

 

The publishing agreement must've came to an end and Warner Brothers is now free to publish it on other platforms.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Atariboy

[Metal Ghost]

And it just lost one of its best 2nd/3rd party exclusives. Lego City Undercover, which was published by Nintendo on the Wii U, is heading to the Xbox One, Playstation 4, Steam, and the Nintendo Switch next summer.

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/11/lego_city_undercover_is_coming_to_nintendo_switch_and_other_platforms_next_year

 

The publishing agreement must've came to an end and Warner Brothers is now free to publish it on other platforms.

 

That's one of the few Wii U games that I haven't gotten yet. We have SO many Lego games on Xbox 360 and One that I just have never pulled the trigger on that one. So, it's really worth it even if one were to own like 6 Lego games, hypothetically speaking ?

[Austin]

So even if a game was ported, it wouldn't really be the same experience.

Yeah, the games would actually be better.

 

There are a handful of exceptions (Mario Maker, Nintendo Land, Pikmin 3), but imagine a world without forced tablet gameplay gimmicks! No blowing into the mic in Mario 3D World, no forced map management in Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Star Fox gameplay with traditional analog controls and a focus entirely on the big-ass TV in front of you.

 

One can dream..

[Jinks]

I love the U best modern console to date.

Still pissed for no new zelda or metroid.

Too bad people could never figure out what is was or get past the controller made for north american hands or the idea that there is a pro controller that is amazing.

The usefullness for watching netflix and the no hassle no fees for online gaming and relatively small update downloads compared to xbone and pshit leaves a person only time to play games instead of watching a status bar and semi queer achievements that only the most brain dead gamers would give two shits about.

Yes the name wii U was a mistake.

Yes the marketing sucked donkey dicks.

Thus it was abandoned by 3rd party support and "hard core" gamers.

There is my rant.

Switch Sucks!

[cybercylon]

I just hope a bulk of the Switch's library isn't just a bunch of Wii U ports.

 

Whether the Wii U eventually develops much of a sub culture or not and when that happens may depend on how successful the Switch ends up being. I still run into people that have no idea what a Wii U is. They think it is just a Wii sold with a tablet. They certainly know what a Wii is, and that will probably develop a subculture. If the Switch is really successful, I think the Wii U will mostly be forgotten given that people still don't know what it is in the first place. At least with the Atari 5200, people knew what it was. Now that I have typed, maybe the 7800 as an analogy is closer as someone already mentioned.

[0078265317]

Right now wii U is still 300 everywhere. If production is no longer do you think it will eventually be clearance or cheap? Or it might never because that tablet controller is to expensive for it wii u to be cheap? Even the tablet controller alone is 0ver 100 on ebay and 150+ on amazon and I think gamestop.

Edited November 25, 2016 by 0078265317

[Schizophretard]

I'm curious, do you see the Wii U having a subculture for years to come? Your thoughts please.

 

I would say so. In a sense, since probably most who have bought a Wii U are big Nintendo fans and already kind of a subculture from its low sales then many of them may stick with it, later big Wii fans may get into it by seeing it as part of a complete Wii collection, there could be others that are just really late adopters, there are people that collect anything Nintendo, etc. I think I would be surprised if there wasn't a subculture. I mean, even the Virtual Boy has one and the Wii U is much more successful than that.

[leods]

MArio Kart, Smash Bros, 2 great Mario games, Donkey Kong country, Nintendo Land, Wii Party and more. I think The WiiU did good. Nintendo actually did a good job.

 

At first I was disappointed with Nintendo Land, and specially Wii Party. The games could have been much better. They're too shallow and simplified. But then I played Fallout 4. After that I started realyzing how much Nintendo is above your average game developer out there. To each their own, but to me even Wii PArty that's pretty dumb is still a better game (a collection of better games) than what these AAA suposedly harcore games are. These games have become nothing more than dumb mini games with fancy graphics. Hide, shoot, mash buttons. No strategy, no depth.

 

I do think in 10 years a WiiU and it's games are going to be worh more money than either a PS4 or an xbox one. And I also think for the most part people will still have more reason to play it.

 

Now maybe the switch will get all good WiiU games. I have nothing against that. I think that would be great. That would definitely impact the price of the WiiU. Won't change the fact it's a great gaming console.

[cybercylon]

I certainly can't complain about the fun I've had with the Wii U, but I am not going to get too uptight about whether there is a subculture or not and how much it might be worth.

[glazball]

I have to agree with leods above. Great console, and the fact that is hasn't sold like PS4 or XB1 is going to make it even more collectable 10+ years from now. I've said before in other threads that years from now, I believe the Wii U will be highly regarded and many people who never bought or owned one while it was current will speak of it as if it were always their favorite console (Dreamcast Syndrome).

 

My main concern is the Gamepad, and what one is to do when it breaks 10 or 15 years from now. I'm not a tinkerer or electronics wizard, so if mine breaks my Wii U will be basically useless. As more and more people find themselves in the same boat, the value is going to shoot up.

[TDIRunner]

I have enough Wii U games to keep me busy for now, and I'm just waiting for GameStop to stop selling those games are start marking them down super cheap (like they are doing with the Wii now).