Wii U Marks ‘the End of an Era,’ Says Pong’s Creator

[DBloke]

Full version of this on the Link​

The original Wii, the first wireless, motion-capturing console, was nothing less than revolutionary. The simplicity of its controller, which Mr. Miyamoto helped design, attracted new audiences like women and older people. Customers lined up in stores for it — and then it simply faded. Now, the new console, the Wii U, may be Nintendo’s last, best hope for regaining its former glory. Executives are hoping for a holiday hit, and perhaps even another runaway success.

Will it be the blowout that Nintendo needs? Many industry veterans and game reviewers are skeptical. They question whether the Wii U can be as successful as the original, now that many gamers have moved on to more abundant, cheaper and more convenient mobile games.
“I actually am baffled by it,” Nolan K. Bushnell, the founder of Atari and the godfather of the games business, says of the Wii U. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big success.”

The bigger question is what the future holds for any of the major game systems, including new ones that Sony and Microsoft are expected to release next year. Echoing other industry veterans, Mr. Bushnell says that consoles are already delivering remarkable graphics and that few but the most hard-core players will be willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a new game box.
“These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don’t think they’ll be of major import ever again,” he says. “It feels like the end of an era to me.”

“It comes down to providing consumers new, unique experiences they can’t get anywhere else, experiences that really make them say, ‘Wow, this is fantastic,’ ” Mr. Fils-Aime says.


NINTENDO has been in the business of fun since 1889. Its founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi, made playing cards. His great-grandson Hiroshi Yamauchi landed a licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company and turned out Mickey Mouse playing cards. By the 1960s, Nintendo was pushing into other toys and games. Then, in 1975, Atari introduced a home version of Pong, the first hit video arcade game. Soon, Nintendo was chasing video games as the hot new thing, too.


But the history of games hardware is littered with spectacular flameouts, including Sega, 3DO and Mr. Bushnell’s own Atari. Nintendo has endured through a combination of ingenuity and obsessive focus on both hardware and software, a path that makes it something like the Apple of video games.


Its gutsiest bet on the hardware side was the Wii, which came out at a time when it looked as if Nintendo was drifting to the margins. Nintendo couldn’t afford to join in the arms race, led by its much bigger rivals Sony and Microsoft, to create systems with the most graphics horsepower. (Years after its rivals, Nintendo has finally embraced high-definition graphics with the Wii U.)
The Wii strategy led to a big comeback. Nintendo has shipped close to 100 million Wiis, while Sony and Microsoft have each shipped about 70 million of their latest consoles.


Through it all, Mr. Miyamoto, now 60, was the creative force. But in the last year, he has let some lieutenants take on more responsibility, the better to prepare Nintendo for his eventual retirement. Mr. Fils-Aime, who would not predict when that day would be, says Mr. Miyamoto’s engagement at the company “continues to be at the highest level.”


Just as Apple has insisted on making both hardware and software, rather than licensing the Mac and iPhone operating systems to others, Nintendo does not create games for devices made by other companies, including the hundreds of millions of iPod Touches, smartphones and tablets out there. Industry executives say this represents a missed opportunity, allowing a new generation of game brands, like Angry Birds, to emerge unchallenged on mobile devices, much as Disney did in another realm years ago by allowing Pixar to own computer animation. (Disney later bought Pixar.)


“It’s the hardest strategic decision Nintendo has had to face in a long time,” says Robbie Bach, the former head of Microsoft’s Xbox business. “Would Mario on an iPhone be an interesting property? I think yes, it would.”
Mr. Fils-Aime says that won’t happen, arguing that Nintendo’s approach is the best way for it to create unique games. “That’s the business decision we’ve made,” he says, though he adds that the company may allow people to buy its games through mobile phones and have them delivered to their Nintendo devices.

So there you have it, the sole reason why videos games took off also dont like the Wii.

 

[WiiAssasin]

Sounds like Nintendo wants to play it safe. It's expected.

 

[DBloke]

We shall see. current word going round is that Nintendo only makes money off software, this might go all Dreamcast

 

[Mr. MR]

I hope the WiiU does not flop and I think it does have the potential
but do to the price i do not believe it will sell as good as the wii

 

[DBloke]

Its more or less the same price as the Wii

 

[WiiAssasin]

I hope the WiiU does not flop and I think it does have the potential
but do to the price i do not believe it will sell as good as the wii

The price is one of the WiiU's greatest strengths. I don't see people willing to fork over 599 US dollars for a PS4 as willingly as when there is a cheaper new console available.

 

[Mr. MR]

Right now the WiiU is the priciest console. Although there will be an eventual price drop.

 

[WiiAssasin]

Even if there isn't a price drop, the inevitable high prices of the Xbox and Playstation will help with WiiU sales.

 

[DBloke]

Right now the WiiU is the priciest console. Although there will be an eventual price drop.

Not the priciest, precisest one that matters yes, but not the priciest.

 

[link2000]

This is ironic, considering the fact that this is coming from the man that made the poorest choices in the gaming industry. Wii U mad, Nolan?

 

[Splash_King]

The fact this writer essentially refers to Angry Birds as a series of high repute invalidates this entire article... blehhhhhhhh

People have been raving how the mobile gaming market will destroy console and even handheld gaming for years, and it's all a bunch'a bullshit. As Reggie said, "It comes down to providing consumers new, unique experiences they can’t get anywhere else, experiences that really make them say, 'Wow, this is fantastic!'". The market for gamers who want a larger and as a result pricier experience ain't gonna shift over to half-arsed mobile minigames all of a sudden, nor for many decades to come if at all.

Right now the WiiU is the priciest console. Although there will be an eventual price drop.

It's also the newest. So long as a product is either the newest gadget or the cheapest new electronic (which it most certainly will be, like hell Sony 'n Microsods' consoles will be $350 or less), customers won't ignore it.

 

[Extra Life Mushroom]

Nintendo is playing it very safe right now. The Wii had its run, and being made of rather cheap tech in an engaging form, sold great.

The WiiU is sold by nintendo at a loss, however they recoup that loss and turn a small profit when you buy that first game for the console. Not to mention the Pro controller.
Nintendo will do just fine this generation. They always find a way to persevere. Had the Wii flopped like the Gamecube, then we could say nintendo's circling the drain.

The Wii U is the priciest console on the shelves right now, but it is on par with the 360 in terms of power if not slightly ahead or behind (all that's been said is that its clock speed is slightly lower in Hertz than that of the 360, but that means nothing since we know nothing about the architecture)

Microsoft just released another slimmer version of the 360. Why would they do that if the Next Xbox is right around the bend?

The economy is still weak, and any company that would introduce an expensive piece of Gaming hardware and expect to turn a profit is just ludicrous.

The next gen (ps4,Next Xbox) won't be a quantum leap in graphics or processing. We're at a stage of diminishing returns. Any substantial increase in performance isn't going to be very cost efficient. Either they sell it at a loss, or put a pricetag on it that rivals that of a top notch gaming rig.

Tell me, what parents are going to plop down that much money on a console for their kids when there's a cheaper option available?
Nintendo has the right idea with keeping the tech affordable and focusing on what they know best, Innovation.

 

[Brainstraw]

I agree King,

As you said the reviewer was biased from the beginning of the article.

Every NES emulator I've ever tried on a smartphone has'nt been that great.
Nintendo, just like Sony and Microsoft is banking on their unique gaming experience to give them an edge over the competition.

I didn't buy my WiiU for Darksiders 2 or Mass Effect 3. I bought it for Mario, Zelda, and all the other Nintendo signature experiences. (granted both of those games are awesome and are well worth a look if you have yet to try them on another console.)
People aren't going to abandon consoles all of a sudden just because there's a crappy port on the Android/iPhone market that's cheaper. Angry Birds =/= A quality gaming experience.

The most most pathetic part of the article was the fact that he argued the price point of the wii u. It just came out, and is actually selling at a loss; although a small one. Nintendo regains the cost and turns a small profit with the sell of just one game (Nintendo Land).

I don't think that Sony and Microsoft can match the price of the WiiU if they are jumping ahead in the tech department. And in a weak economy I think most gamers will choose the cheaper option provided it has quality titles in its library.
Besides the PC crowd is always ahead in tech. So if you really wand bleeding edge just build a gaming rig, considering that MS and Sony's new consoles will be about the same price.