 |
| Wii U |
Nintendo’s most recent attempt at a game console didn’t exactly send people rushing into stores to buy one. From the moment it was announced, the Wii U sent a confusing message to consumers. Now that it has been out for over a year, it might be time to consider adding one to your home entertainment center.
There’s no nice way to say it — Nintendo completely botched the Wii U launch. The announcement didn’t even make it clear that this was a new console, a lot of the games included at launch were gimmicky, and it wasn’t until months after the launch that they even got the underlying operating system where they wanted it to be during the US press announcement.
Fast forward to today and there’s not only a lot of great reasons to own a Wii U, but there are even more on the way. While it may be convenient to look at the current console climate and claim that it’s too late for the Wii U, consider for a moment what the next few months in the console world are actually going to look like.
Microsoft and Sony are going to spend the next six months fighting for meaningless limited time game exclusives while gamers move to the Xbox One and PS4. The launch list for both consoles was unimpressive, and it’ll be a while before games companies are really ready to put out games that actually challenge the hardware in these consoles.
Social networks for Sony and Microsoft will both be in a strange limbo for a while as users and their friends update to the latest console, and streaming services will be added slowly. Is it worth it to spend $400 or $500 on one of these consoles yet? If you’re not sure, it may be time to consider a Wii U.
Nintendo finally has its act together on the Wii U. The Miiverse social network is incredibly active, the Wii U Shop is filled with lots of interesting content, and there’s no shortage of streaming services available for the console. The Wii U Gamepad perfectly embodies a lot of the features Sony and Microsoft are trying to bolt onto their consoles right now, with a full web browser and WiiTV remote accessible from the unique controller. Plus, being able to play entire games on just the Gamepad is still incredibly cool, whether it’s you or a child playing while something else is watching TV.
Unfortunately, the Wii U is at a tipping point right now. It is either going to continue being a great console, or it is going to run out of gas in about six months. Several major third party game publishers have announced that they don’t plan to make the Wii U a priority since it is not as powerful or as popular as Sony or Microsoft’s consoles, and Nintendo can’t keep the Wii U alive just using their own IP. Seriously, I mean look at this Zelda mashup with Dynasty Warriors. It’s basically the stuff of nightmares.
The last two months have given these publishers more than a few reasons to change their minds, and the games on Nintendo’s roadmap for the next few months should only serve to be an even greater example of why the Wii U is a great console, but if these publishers continue to look elsewhere it could be disastrous for the platform.
So, should you spend the money? Absolutely. The Wii U is an incredible console, and it is only going to get better over the next couple of months. It’s less expensive than the Xbox One or the PS4, and it’s just plain fun to use. The multiplayer titles for the console are a blast, the streaming services work great, and once you have used it for a day or two the Gamepad becomes surprisingly comfortable.
Source : Geek.com
Post a Comment