Weekend Discussion: What Can Nintendo Do to Win Back Lost Fans?

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I love my Wii U, the games, the features, the game-pad, and just about everything about the console.  In fact, I honestly don’t have any complaints about the console.  However, there are a lot of Nintendo fans that are upset various facets of the Wii U’s existence.  Whether it be the quantity of games, the lack of complete third party support, the specs on the inside (power), or almost anything else that you might be able to find a reason to complain about.  Some are even asking for Iwata and Reggie to step down.  But are the complaints justified, or are they due to confusion and/or anger at Nintendo’s approach to gaming?

Before we start out weekend discussion in the comments below, let’s remember that Nintendo is NOT Sony or Microsoft.  Nintendo does things their way, and it has worked for them for decades.  Asking them to change is like asking Coke to change its formula…wait, that happened with New Coke, and that failed miserably.  If there is one thing that Nintendo knows, it is gaming.  When the Wii U was released, we got something that was unique with a separate game-pad that just so happened to have a touch screen built in..pure genius, oh and the console is still the least expensive on the market.  Some have complained that the touch screen is a gimmick and that it is not necessary.  If that is so, why are both Microsoft and Sony copying it on their own unique, and rather expensive ways?  For Sony, you need to have, or purchase a Vita to utilize their second screen.  For Micrososft, you need a tablet and a piece of downloadable software.  If the game-pad was such a gimmick, why are developers jumping on board to make game utilize the second screen for both consoles?  For the Wii U, we get the second screen packed in the box and the console is still hundreds of dollars less than the Xbox One.  The Wii U gamepad is also built exclusively for second screen play.  The Vita and tablets are not, so I would expect some issues with connectivity, lag, and various other bugs.

Let’s talk about games.

Sure, there are not hundreds of games on the Wii U yet.  However, I think Nintendo did the right thing by not bombarding us with a ton of titles at the beginning.  I believe that we will start to see more titles during and after the launch of the other two consoles.  Some are complaining that we have not received Smash Bros., a massive Mario Game, a new Zelda, etc.  Those are games that every Nintendo gamer wants.  Nintendo knows that, so why not wait until the other consoles launch, and force the fans to decide on the new/expensive titles, or on a highly anticipated Nintendo game at a much lower cost.  As for third party support, well Nintendo cannot exactly control them as they used to when it was just Ninty and Sega.  However, we have had a good deal of third party support so far, and I would imagine that we will in the future, regardless of what they say.  Especially since the other two consoles are going to offer off screen play.  The feature will probably become integrated into many games, so porting the same games to the Wii U is a no brainer.  What will happen if after six months, to a year, the PS4 and Xbox One have an equal amount of games, will the same people complain?

Over the past few days, there has been some discussion regarding the power of the console compared to the PS4 and XboxOne.  Does power really matter anymore?  If I was given a choice between a Mustang, Charger, or a Prius, what would I choose?  Well, I would want the Mustang or Charger because they look cool.  But neither are economical, so I would choose the Prius because it is economical.  I think the same applies to the top three consoles.  The Wii U is economical because of the price.  We know that we will get some fantastic games, and we know that the best is yet to come. I say it a lot, but the power of a console is meaningless if there aren’t good games to back it up.  And, if the games are good enough, do we need the power…I think not.  Power, to me, is just as gimmicky as some believe the game-pad is.  I don’t need a NASA computer hidden inside my console to make it great.  I need a game that draws me in, tells me a compelling story, and immerses me into the world that is presented to me.  I still get that feeling when playing my NES, and it obviously doesn’t have the power to match today’s youngsters.

In the end, fanboys are going to argue over why their console is better, but more so why our console is trash.  Let’s not take it personal, but let’s have a adult conversation about what Nintendo can do to win back some of the fans that have abandoned the Wii U.  Do you think that releasing some of the bigger titles (Mario, Zelda, etc) would have increased sales?  If so, then what would they release to battle the launch of the PS4 and Xbox one?  Are Third Party titles really that important for the Nintendo anymore?  Most third party titles are launched on multiple consoles, so unless it is an exclusive, will it actually sell a console?  Add any of your thoughts below, and remember to keep it classy Infendo.

Don’t forget, we also have a fantastic forums section where you can create your own topics and discussions.  If you haven’t tried them out yet, sign up now (it is free).

Essel Pratt has spent his life exploring his imagination and dreams. As a Husband and a Father, he doesn't have as much time to write as he would like. However, his mind is always plotting out his next story. Someday he hopes to quit the 9-5 grind and focus on writing full time. Currently, Essel has three published short stories and is working on a handful of novels. Essel focuses his writings on mostly Horror/Sci-Fi, however is known to add a dash of other genres into his writings as well. In his spare time, he can be found playing one of the 40+ video game consoles in his collection, especially his Wii U (NNID: EsselPratt). Click the links below to follow Essel's exploits in the writing world, and be sure to follow his blog at http://esselpratt.blogspot.com/ as well as his articles on Nerdzy.com.