[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; End Game

We're almost done! The fifth, and final, installment of this editorial of mine on the Wii U. Exactly how does Nintendo expect to win over their long-time fans, those they swooned with the Wii, and the developers they desperately need to create invigorating experiences? Where can Nintendo go from here, and how can they make sure they utilize their one year's head start and keep Microsoft and Sony off of their heels? Keep reading to find out...

Over the years, Nintendo has never really been known for having powerful hardware, but more of having a powerful library of IPs and franchises they could put on that hardware. Between their top franchises - Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few - Nintendo has a very compelling catalog. Asides from the already announced New Super Mario Bros. U, along side Pikmin 3, they are the only "main" Nintendo properties on the system announced thus far. It's assumed we'll see Link in Hyrule Field soon enough (whether or not it'll be similar to the HD demo we've seen is yet to be known, so don't go believing rumors quite yet), and we're hoping for a new Metroid and StarFox entry within a reasonable time. We haven't gotten wind of what's going on, but that's OK. What concerns me the most is that, despite Nintendo already having a fairly solid lineup for the system, their third parties are only content with bringing ports, and the Wii U needs more than that.

This is not enough to get me to buy the Wii U version.

Having Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City - the two power-house third-party games - on the system is great; the crowds were almost over-gasped when they announced them. Arkham City was a great game, but it's a year old. Assassin's Creed III is bound to be a fantastic entry, but it's a month and a half after it's initial release on other systems that people already own. I've yet to meet someone who is holding out for the Wii U versions of these games. We don't need ports that restructure the game and make it appear "tailored" to the Wii U; remember back to Sony saying they don't want Wii ports for the Move. There needs to be fresh experiences, and being exclusive helps.

Two prime examples are ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Coincidentally, they're both from Ubisoft, who has stated they don't plan on investing too much into the system, but after the purported shit-storm Nintendo caused between themselves and EA over using the Nintendo Network as an Origin platform, it looks more like Ubisoft and Nintendo are best buds. I don't expect too much from EA, as the gimped Madden 13 doesn't speak well for their integrity with their Wii U releases, but there are plenty of other third party developers Nintendo can woo.

Asides from their established franchises, Nintendo severely needs to bring in some new IPs. They have their major ones to fall back on, but they haven't made a new IP in years. Acquire third-party exclusivity, being wary of your acquisitions (don't even look at Capcom), or even make some yourself.

Mistwalker would be a great choice (minds behind The Last Story, as well as Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, both on the Xbox 360), but I'm not so sure how Square would like the fact of Nintendo, their formerly adoptive parent during the (S)NES days, own the creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi. That in itself may spell bad news would it come to any future Final Fantasy, or even Dragon Quest games, on Nintendo hardware.

If studio acquisitions isn't your bag, then how about acquiring some IPs? A rumor that popped up recently is Nintendo reacquiring Banjo-Kazooie from Microsoft, or Rare altogether. Since some of Rare's prime talent left for, wait for it, Retro Studios, it doesn't surprise me how well Donkey Kong Country Returns was. Some of Retro's prime talent left for other studios - most notably 343 Industries - so looks like we have some developer swapping going on, yet they still make some great games.

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Why hasn't this been thought of yet?!?

One great idea for the GamePad would be one touched on by Penny Arcade: Dungeons & Dragons, where you are the Dungeon Master, if you hold the GamePad. Better yet, bring Left 4 Dead 3 to the Wii U, and the player with the GamePad is The Director, laying out hordes and special infected placements.

I've already got ideas on how L4D3 could work: the Director has a certain amount of points, and can set placements of his infected throughout the map. Then, as you're playing with your 3-4 survivors, with each downed player, you get a certain amount of points. You can use those points to set special infected (SI) placements, but you are only allowed to set, say, 2-3 SI before you are forced to place down ammo reserves or health packs. The higher the difficulty, the more SIs you are allowed to place before having to send in aid.

In the words of Gabe: You're fucking welcome.

With each of these ideas that come up, you have to remember, this is how Miyamoto works. He draws inspiration from how the controller works when creating his games; he throws hardware specs to the wayside. I wish more developers would look at creating new games this way, rather than waiting for Nintendo to do it, as I feel it would bring in more creativity, and we wouldn't have this issue of "rehashing" and "remakes" that people lambast. Nintendo needs new IPs, and the GamePad can be a great way to draw that inspiration.

During the course of the PS3's lifespan, Sony has introduced a flurry of new IPs: Uncharted, Infamous, Resistance, The Last of Us, All-Stars Battle Royal, and MotorStorm, for a few. These were just this generation. How many new IPs did Nintendo dole out? Not enough.

Some of these studios aren't first-party developers, either. Both of Quantic Dreams' games - Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls - are system exclusive, look fantastic, have pedigree behind them, but they're not Sony-owned. Insomniac is behind Ratchet & Clank, but their newest game, Fuse (formerly Overstrike), is third-party multiplatform. Thatgamecompany made the trio of games - flOw, Flower, and Journey - that were contracted under Sony. These studios I've mentioned are what's known as "second-party" developers, or subsidiary; these developers are not owned by a company (they are independant), but they release exclusively for one particular system, by contract or simply personal preference. My point here is this: Sony has power, they have the franchises, and they keep coming out with new ones. Nintendo loves Mario and Link, and that's about it.

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As I said in our first entry, "Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator". They have that power to do so, and they keep trying to show us these new toys they work on. The Wii's controllers were so radical, people lost their shit over it: "holy fuck, I can move my controller, and it works in-game?!" Unfortunately, the Wii U is far more drastic than what the Wii was 6 years ago. We've seen tablet gaming crop up due to Apple, but people haven't thought of combining it with traditional gaming, which is what Nintendo is trying to do. Microsoft's SmartGlass is driving home one key point: it's free, outside of the device you need to download it on, which, they're releasing it on just about every tablet or smartphone you can think of. Where SmartGlass fails - touch-screen only, and an "after thought", much like what the Wii remotes were originally intended as for the GameCube - the GamePad succeeds: it's fully integrated into the system from the start, and acts as the main controller.

Nintendo's most recent handheld, the 3DS, is already showing it's age, especially from the Vita's competition. Sony sold 1.8 million Vita's at the end of their viscal year in March worldwide since it's Japan release of December 17, and 600,000 after the US release in February; in just over 3 months, it's sold nearly half of the established 3DS install base. The 3DS had sold 4 million units by the time the Vita launched, gaining another half a million in the next 3 months. It only sold about 1.25 million within the first 4 months of release. Compare those numbers, and the Vita came out of the gates stronger than the 3DS, and performed better over the course of the next quarter.

Oh my god! My eyes! My eyes!

The XL, despite being a larger system and better screens, isn't what we need. The first redesign of the 3DS is far from what we need, and it hurts a little that Nintendo, damn well knowing what their fans want, aren't giving it to them. They blame the lack of a second thumb stick on the size of the system, saying it needs to be bigger to accomodate it. The Circle Pad Pro XL is yet another attachment, but it brings in two additional trigger buttons. The system isn't too small; Nintendo's ambitions with the 3DS are too big, and they gimped the system.

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Over the course of the past three weeks, it may have appeared I was giving Nintendo a hard time, and I was. The Wii U is so drastic, it makes a long time Nintendo fan weary of what they're doing. Hell, I'm on the outskirts of the "Nintendo Has Gone Bat-Shit Crazy" camp. Innovators are seen as the crazy ones, bucking trends and saying "fuck you, we're doing it our way", and I absolutely applaud them for doing so. The craziest they ever were, were when they released the NES in the States amidst the gaming industry crash of the 80s; they proved to people that, yes, gaming can be fun, you just need quality.

As much as I hate them, IGN ranked Nintendo's EAD (Entertainment and Analysis Division) as the #1 "video game makers" to date, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. They were responsible for Metroid, Ocarina of Time, Wii Sports, Brain Age, and the other big guns that have made Nintendo the household name it is today. Every year, we look forward to something new from Nintendo, as they are the ones who are keeping everyone else on their toes; without Nintendo, the industry would be in a very different place, one I probably wouldn't want to be a part of, to be honest.

The Wii U does appear to be fun, but unless Nintendo acknowledges their short-comings, the system is not going to fair as well as they hope it to. We only have a little while longer until Nintendo's Wii U preview starts, which is when, hopefully, most of our qualms will be put to rest.

That's it! We're done with this creature that has been birthed. Keep your eyes peeled this Thursday, as Nintendo is expected to give us everything we need to know about the Wii U: pricing, availability, launch configurations, and possibly even the final launch lineup.

If you've enjoyed my ramblings, thought I could do better, want to drop in some (constructive) criticism, or just want to say "you suck", email me at the link in the top-left.

Post-Script: Oh, and hey, look at that! This is my 400th published post on the blog of (now) just over 3 years! Go team!

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Installment 04

We're back with part 4 of this massive editorial, focusing on Nintendo's direction competition: Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, and what they have geared up for their respective futures. Nintendo has a conference coming up on September 13, where the final bits of news is expected to be released. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

This year, we see Nintendo not only initiate the eighth generation of home consoles, but this is the first time in Nintendo's history since the NES that they've released a console before their competition. Not only is this an incredibly bold move by Nintendo, but it's also naive. They're allowing their competition know how they're handling their new system, giving them a deep insight to their plans, and adjust accordingly. Assuming the Wii U lands in November, that gives Microsoft and Sony 7 months between then and E3 next year to tweak their battle plans and come out swinging. That is, if Nintendo is tight-lipped on pertinent info that won't come to light until the release; otherwise, if this upcoming press conference is much more info than just pricing and release date, that makes it 9 months. Seven to nine months is enough time to tweak just about anything they need to; if Microsoft can take SmartGlass from initial on-paper design to displayable prototype to the masses in twelve months, then three-fourths of that time is ample.

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To date, Microsoft hasn't said shit on the Xbox Next (or Durango, Xbox 720, Xbox Infinite, what have you). If you recall that document leak back in June, Microsoft actually confirmed it to be legitimate, even if it was "out-dated" by their measures. Regardless, it's interesting information. Things such as Project Fortaleza (or "Kinect Glasses") seems to bridge Kinect elements with Google Glasses concepts. Halo 5 isn't billed as a launch title, but it's coming shortly after. The Kinect 2 appears to want to talk to Xbox controllers for further integration. The system itself is to be $200-300, the same price range it's at now. There's a lot going on in there, but the juiciest information is right above. 

Microsoft's back catalog of games needs some love, especially Rare. They've been on the front lines lately, with the various Kinect Sports games, and the minds behind Avatars. Despite this pivotal piece for Microsoft, Rare hasn't done shit with their respective properties since Banjo-Kajooie: Nuts & Bolts. What about Killer Instinct 3? Where the hell has Joanna Dark been? My most important question is "why hasn't Rare made a new IP?". That question may be answered with the next generation; hell, we may even get to see that realistic Kameo sequel. If you unleash Rare, the last few ounces of faith I have in them tells me that, since they've been away from their original IPs over the course of the 00s, they can very well come back with a slew of fresh ideas for Banjo, Perfect Dark, and Kameo.

I've already talked my head off of how SmartGlass may very well become something great; I'm not going to banter on any further. I will, however, drop this nugget in here: if they really wanted to be sly enough, release the SmartGlass app on the 3DS and the Vita.

Wikipedia

Microsoft has Windows 8 coming out in just one month's time, and being a huge platform release - considering the LIVE integration going on - they could very easily further bridge the gap between Xbox LIVE and the rebranded Xbox Windows, making it a seamless experience. Problem is, we've heard so much shit being slung Microsoft's way about how "happy" some of the most prolific faces in the industry would be if Windows 8 didn't exist, or how bad it is for PC gaming. Honestly, I'm actually scared that Microsoft won't take this to heart, and progressively avoid acknowledging them, considering how well the Xbox's success has been. "Locking down" PC gaming in such a manner after all this time would be a detriment to PC developers because there's a reason they've developed for it for so long: it was an open platform.

Microsoft has it's own portable platform, but not in the manner of Nintendo or Sony, but more akin to Apple: Windows Phone. With the introduction of WP7 - and the impending upgrade to WP8 - Microsoft finally made a gaming handheld that talked to it's bigger brothers, what with the promise of cross-device save transfers and everything. Sadly, WP7 never really exploded as they thought it would, but with things such as Surface and SmartGlass coming up, Microsoft's mobile platform may actually be considered a competitor this time around. Combine this with the name of Xbox, and Microsoft is gearing up to create a hell of an ecosystem.

The final tier of the Xbox platform is the LIVE service. Since the 2002 inception, Microsoft has been paving the way for the premiere online service. Unfortunately, it's become laden with this biggest fucksticks you've met in your life; anonymity is the downfall of sanity and common decency. With a $60-per-year price tag, a shit load of apps, and the "if you want to do anything short of scratching your ass, you have to pay us to do it", people hate the service as a whole. Making Xbox LIVE free is a fanboy's wet dream, and it will never happen, as much as I want it to. Microsoft has made so much money, and they have a ton of subscribers, they will never decimate a nearly pure-margin platform.

Three things need to happen to strengthen the brand: stop charging us to use apps (as a former retail employee, people scoff at the idea of paying to use Netflix or Hulu Plus outside of the fees they're already paying to us them), stop displaying ads for those who are Gold members, and start policing your community better than having your community do it themselves. With a cheaper LIVE rate, no ads when you buy into it, plus not hearing obscenities that would make Randal Graves cringe, would be a huge boost for the entire platform.

How would Nintendo handle these changes, or better protect themselves? Make the Nintendo Network free, keep it free, and hire some amazing network engineers that can make the Double-N run as smooth as Xbox LIVE. A way to make it better is to utilize that social networking we've recently heard about. By making Nintendo Network more social and, thusly, your members more engaged with one another, you may help curb the agonizing pain that is the complete twats that exist on Xbox LIVE and PSN. Bring down the iron curtain on anonymity, and people will ease up and become human. To help combat SmartGlass, utilize cross-play between the 3DS and the Wii U with not just games, but the devices and functionality, as well.

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Sony's future is pretty...barren. We have virtually nothing to run off of with the PS4/Orbis (I'll be using them interchangeably, so keep up), because, despite their track record with leaks, Sony's been keeping a tight guard on what's coming down the road, compared to Microsoft. The only thing we really have to go off of is the Vita.

The Vita completely did away with the XrossMediaBar (XMB) the PSP introduced in 2005 (which the PS3 refined a year later), and brought to us the LiveArea; in my own words, it "seems like it would work better on touch-enabled cameras." LiveArea is touch input only (unless you have the 1.8 firmware update), which limits our imagination with the Orbis' GUI. The Vita, however, is more on bringing interactivity and connectivity between itself and the PS3: Cross Play, Cross Controller, hell, even Cross Buy is blurring the lines even further. This tells me that the Vita and Orbis are going to be bringing Sony's environment full circle. Ever wonder why people are calling the PS4 'Orbis'? Go ahead and plug "Orbis Vitae" ('Vitae' is a strict Latin conversion for 'Vita') into Google Translate and let me know what you get.

The only way that the Vita and Orbis will be able to have a seamless integration with each other is the PlayStation Network. Yes, Sony may have more members (90 million as of March, compared to the "40 million subscribers" on Xbox LIVE; neither camp wants to say what percentage of users are paying for their membership), but my experience with the service has been horrid. Between all three recent Sony systems, I've had slow load times, terrible download speeds, and software patches come through in a tizzy. Before you begin to scream "Change your network settings!", my Xbox 360 is on a wired connection, just like my PS3; a 1 GB demo takes far less time on my Xbox than my PS3. Software updates run by in a flash on my 360. Things actually work. Sony needs to work on connection speed, stable connections, and reduce firmware update frequency (and tell us what's in those updates). Working with this, Sony can make the PlayStation Network more formidable.

Another coil in the noose for Sony would be ignorance to their pricing structure. They caught serious flak for releasing the PS3 at the ridiculously high $500-600 price tags, specifically due to using Blu-Ray in the system. Sony never saw a big boost in sales within the first year of the system's life. They need to keep the price of the PS4 low (sub $400) to make any dent in the Wii U's head start, and combat anything that Microsoft is doing.

On the right, Sony. On the left, the PS4's launch lineup.

One thing that I can't harp on is Sony's first-party offerings, and the fantastic teams behind them. Naughty Dog, Team ICO, Insomniac, Santa Monica, Sucker Punch...they all are phenomenal teams, with fantastic portfolios under their arms. Sony has amazing games coming out for the PS3 - such as The Last Guardian, The Last of Us, Fuse (formerly Overstrike), God of War: Ascension - but the problem is, they're all current-gen games, mostly slated for release next year. Sony is throwing all of these great games onto the PS3, and not saving anything for the launch of the PS4. Unless these studios have a secret team working on a new entry or new IP for the system, Sony is going to have problems at launch. Without a solid lineup come next holiday season, no one is going to care, and they're going to focus on the Wii U's second-round offerings and the Wii's back catalogue of games. Speaking of which, allow backwards compatibility, and don't break it 2 years into the systems lifespan; this will allow us to play those amazing games coming out next year on our new system when we upgrade.

Nintendo has two primary concerns here: they absolutely need to offer their own version of the "Cross" feature, and work on establishing new IPs, or acquire studios that can do that for them. The 3DS needs to be able to act as a GamePad, the Wii U needs to be able to play 3DS games (and vice-versa), and your games should go back and forth on applicable titles. While Nintendo has a slew of IPs of their own, Sony has not just quantity over Nintendo, but they also offer quality behind their first-party titles. Nintendo needs to step it up with their current offerings, and bring in new IPs that will make people want to buy a Wii U.

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Some may roll their eyes, but I'm including Apple in on this one. My interest in Apple has recently been waning, but just because you aren't interested in them, doesn't mean you can brush them off.

Just as with Sony, we don't know what Apple's plans are, asides from the theories that fans put together from the code in iOS firmwares and leaked images from Foxconn.

One theory that used to border on ludicrous was Apple turning the Apple TV itself into a gaming console. It's been found that recent iOS updates hint at the Apple TV using apps from the App Store, and this would be absolutely killer. There are 6.8 million Apple TVs floating around, and simply updating their firmware would instantly turn their Apple TV into a gaming system. With 365 million iDevices sold (80% of them running iOS 5; that's 292 million), that's a lot of controllers. Don't like it? Use the controller they patented a few months ago.

Listen, the key point is this: everyone and their mother has an iDevice, be it iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. They already have the controller. A ton of people have the Apple TV. Just apply that firmware update OTA, and blammo, you've got yourself a new console! People are already neck-deep in the Apple ecosystem, so a free firmware update would by dynamic; Mountain Lion's AirPlay streaming from Mac to TV is just the beginning.

Nintendo needs to look at Apple for just one thing this time, despite already doing so in the past with hardware design: ecosystem. Apple's ecosystem works, and it works simplistically. Work on seamlessly bringing the Wii U and 3DS together. I sound like a broken record, but allowing your devices to talk to each other asides from saying "Hi!" is essential to getting people to want to own your products, and get them into your ecosystem of devices.

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Nintendo has always had some steep competition, with Sony always on their heels; just look at their record since the PlayStation's inception. Sony has been doing some great things with how the Vita and the PS3 talk, all the while using the PlayStation Network as the bridge. Microsoft's SmartGlass has some great potential, especially when you mix in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, especially with the tablets they're pumping out. Apple's ecosystem sells itself; once you have one piece, you'll want to be a part of it everywhere. The Wii U's focus needs to be on connectivity between established systems, and they need a network to stand on. Create that ecosystem that people want to be a part of.

Connectivity is just half of the problem. It's been a tried - yet true - argument, but they need software. They need quality and quantity, and they need it within the launch window. They have a one year head start, so they and their third parties have plenty of time.

We'll be bringing it to a close in our final installment, where we examine exactly what Nintendo can prove with the Wii U's launch, how they can prove it, and where we go from here. The final installment comes to us just in time when we learn what's left to learn about the Wii U and Nintendo's plans for ushering in the eighth generation.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Thrice

If you caught the subtle music reference, good on you.

In this third installment, we're all about how you interact with the Wii U, primarily, the GamePad. We're gearing up for the September 13 conference Nintendo is holding. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

The biggest hurdle that Nintendo has in this generation, asides from not knowing a fucking thing that Sony and Microsoft are doing, is convincing people - customers and developers - that the GamePad is worth the investment. The GamePad, in itself, is an amalgamation of various technology knick-knacks we've grown accustomed to over the years. One part tablet, one part controller, squeeze in some social networking, add a touch of NFC (Near-Field Communication), and you've got a clusterfuck of gizmos.

By and large, it's main goal is to be a controller. In reality, it's nothing more than a gigantic, single-screened DS. Think about it: your TV would be the top screen, delivering the goodies to your noodle, while the controller's screen - a touch enabled screen, mind you - is where you interact with the game, with menu inputs, maps, inventory management...all the shit we've seen in DS games over the past 8 years. If the GamePad is allowing you to play the Wii U games on the controller, what's the point of the 3DS?

Between the 3DS, the GamePad, and the Wii U, cross-play gaming should be a no-brainer. Sega, of all companies, started the whole cross-play aspect with the Dreamcast and the Visual Memory Unit (or the VMU); sadly, it didn't catch on like it should have, as the technology then was severely limiting it. Then, Nintendo caught on with the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance, and the connection using the Link Cable; this was a hindrance, as some games (such as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles) didn't suggest using the GBA, it was almost forced. Next up to the plate was Sony, and while the PSP was a great move forward with interlinking home console and portable system, the Vita is where it took off, as your game saves could go back and forth, making the Vita a true "portable PlayStation", despite some severe limitations. Where Sega started, Nintendo innovated, and Sony took on full-force.

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A fantastic idea.
Also, the worst infographic ever.

The Vita, despite having sluggish sales and a poor library thus far (with a few gems), the connection there between it and the PS3 is fairly remarkable. I recently picked up WipEout 2048 on the Vita, but only after it was announced that WipEout HD's content was going to be a free download for anyone who owns both versions. It was a great step forward for the cross-compatibility, but there are huge hurdles that need to be gotten rid of. Main point? Why the fuck do I need to own a copy on both systems in order to bring it over? Much like Digital Copy and Ultraviolet for DVDs, or even ripping my CDs to my computer and dumping them on my iPhone, why in the name of fuck can't I get a digital download of the Vita version if I buy the PS3 version? Thankfully, Sony has recently unveiled their Cross Buy platform at Gamescom, where if you buy the PS3 version, you get the Vita version for free. They've yet to detail the program - Can I buy the Vita version and get the PS3 verison? Is it a digital version of the Vita game? - but Sony has some big games lined up for the service, and is definitely a welcomed addition.



With the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo needs to make cross-play not just a feature, but a prominent feature.   Take a cue from Sony, and make the interoperability between the two systems. While not all titles will not work properly due to technical limitations (mostly the Wii U being more powerful, and the 3DS lacking a second thumbstick), these games should have some kind of connection. I don't care if my 3DS won't play every single title, but that's where the next iteration of the 3DS comes into play. No, not the 3DS XL, but the 3DS 2 (or DS 3, DS Next, GameBoy 2...whatever you want to call it). This new system will fill - and should fill - that gap of technological limitations between the two, and, much like history has shown us, would be introduced part-way through the Wii U's lifecycle; not too far into it, but well within the first 2 years. If it hits around the purported half-way mark, then it needs to be future proof to accomodate the successor to the Wii U.

Image credit: inentertainment.co.uk

Crossing streams, the 3DS should be able to transmit it's games through the Wii U onto the big screen. Much like the Super GameBoy or the GameBoy Player for the GameCube, the 3DS should connect via a local network and play games directly on the TV, with the GamePad acting as your "base" hardware and touchscreen. The 3DS XL is a huge player here, considering the extravagant size of the system; the top half of the system alone is roughly the same size as the Vita. Not only would the XL work as a great controller, it should have been the controller. I'm not talking about packing in the XL with the Wii U, but with a good enough marketing campaign, the XL could prove to be a great alternative to the GamePad. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if retailers would have worked on a combo deal, such as "buy the Wii U, get the 3DS XL for so-much-money off". The only thing keeping the XL from being a GamePad is the lack of a secondary thumbstick. Pop on another one of these bad boys, and you've got a handheld system that not only doubles as a GamePad, but can perform cross-play capabilities with 3DS games being played on the Wii U and vice-versa.

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Back at E3 of this year, Microsoft finally unveiled the long-rumored SmartGlass platform. SmartGlass will exist as an app for your touch-screen-device-of-choice, and will allow you to control your Xbox, and even unlock content in your games. The biggest advantage to Microsoft here is their understanding of the mobile market. Rather than make a whole new tablet to throw on display to entice people to buy into it - thus segregating the market even further - Microsoft is allowing anyone who has purchased a mobile device from the major players - Apple, Motorola, and Samsung, just to name a few - to get in on the fun. I've actually covered this entire thing, so go play catch up; I'll wait.

The one thing to take away from that is this: SmartGlass is succeeding where the GamePad is already failing, and that is forcing customers to have yet another bulky, expensive piece of technology; this may be, in fact, a huge turn off for many. Nintendo thought they were doing something absolutely fantastic, and we all pondered on the possibilities the controller could deliver. Then, over the course of twelve months following the unveiling, Microsoft makes their own, solidifies the ideas behind it, creates the platform, then shits all over the concept of the GamePad. Lacking physical buttons is a detriment to the system, but it's minimal, considering the wide-spread coverage the SmartGlass would have. Think of SmartGlass as Microsoft's own jar of Nutella: they spread it around all the delectable tablets that you own, and you'll knowingly eat it, because, let's be honest, who denies themselves Nutella?

A great way for Nintendo to combat SmartGlass? Allow the 3DS to act as a controller for the Wii U.

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We've gotten this far, but it's far from over. Looking into the immediate future of what the Wii U can do is dandy and all, but what about what Nintendo is facing next year? Will Microsoft integrate SmartGlass into Xbox Durango to keep it from being labeled a "gimmick" by some? What about the PlayStation Orbis and the Vita; will the latin naming system really bring it "full circle"*? How will the whole Apple TV pan out with apps? Come back for Installment 04; it's going to be just as big as what it's name is paying homage to.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Part Deux

Here's part two of my mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

A powerful system cannot be the only crutch Nintendo can lean on. They need help, and they need to make people know they're still innovating. Sadly, their own innovation may be their own downfall, as others are quick on their heels, even before they get out the door...

Since the GameCube, Nintendo has been showing its age. When the Wii launched, many gave Nintendo hell, referring to it as the "GameCube 1.5", as it didn't have the technical glitz nor glamour as the Xbox 360 or the PS3; it was only slightly more powerful than the Xbox. Yes, the GameCube could do [insert advantage here] and the PS2 could do [insert another one here], but the Xbox was often regarded as the powerhouse of the last generation.

Despite the lack of power, the Wii held its own while completely ignoring HDMI and (at the very least) 720p, two modern entertainment staples. Microsoft even caught itself in a fault, and added HDMI to the Xbox 360 mid-life-cycle, something fans and critics alike had hoped for in a revised Wii HD. Regardless, Nintendo skipped the revision and came full force with the Wii U (much like how they skipped on bringing the Wii Remote to the GameCube and made it less of an afterthought and more of the main attraction), including many missed opportunities the Wii left behind. It has been reported by third parties that the Wii U will be drastically underpowered compared to the Xbox Next and PS4/Orbis; Epic says that Unreal Engine 4-powered games won't find life on the Wii U past the first generation without being severely dumbed down.

Best joke ever!
Image credit: http://www.roboawesome.com/?p=16875

Fortunately, that may not be the case...

A recent report from BGR says that the Xbox Next (or Durango; what have you) will be running an eight-core CPU with 8 GB of RAM. Despite this sounding fairly powerful, this same report puts it at six times more powerful than the 360. If this report is true - which I'm taking it with the largest grain of salt known to man - then that means it's only marginally more powerful than the Wii U, which has been described as "definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3" by 5th Cell (the guys behind Scribblenauts). This puts the Wii U at about 2-4 times more powerful than the Xbox 360.

This becomes a contradiction with a recent statement from Sumo Digital's executive producer Steve Lycett (Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) saying the Wii U "looks as good any of the HD platforms". He quickly brings our hopes back up with this number: "The Wii U has way more memory, so we can take advantage of that with less compression on elements and textures, so [Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed] will look all lovely and shiny."

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be asking "how many more times" is one system more powerful than another, but used as a general rule of thumb; despite the GameCube being regarded as an inferior system, it could still do things better than the PS2 and Xbox, something I'm hoping repeats itself with the Wii U.

* * *

"Here's my last two fucks,
but I'm saving them for
a special occasion!"

Nintendo knows they're already at a disadvantage entering the next-gen before their competition, but in third place in terms of system specs; frankly, they've just run out of fucks to give. Look at it through Nintendo's eyes: a more powerful machine causes for a higher price tag for the system overall (pack-in accessories and games included), which instantly alienates new customers and wards off those upgrading/switching systems (PS3, anyone?). Nintendo's business model is along the lines of "enter cheap; keep it cheap". The Wii received flak when Nintendo announced the $250 price tag, people began undermining them, saying the price was too much for a Nintendo system, and was just slightly short of Microsoft's low-end pricing of the (then named) Xbox 360 Core unit at $300. Regardless, it looks like we'll be finding out come September 13.

Looking back, it was nowhere near the shit-storm they caused when they announced the 3DS with a $250 price tag slapped on it; reasons as to why the system was announced, detailed, and released way too early resulting in the high price is a story all in it's own. Just 5 months after the release, Nintendo drops the price by 80-fucking-dollars when StarFox64 3D launched with a new color, and that caused even more nerd-rage. Those who bought into the system at the original price point was awarded 20 downloadable NES and GBA games. Yes, the dollar value exceeds $80, but a good chunk of those games aren't worth the bandwidth.

If Nintendo did, in fact, release a more powerful system - we'll just put it just as powerful as Durango and Orbis - then we're looking at one of two things: Nintendo would enter the market with a low-priced system, making them little to no money (or even losing money), or they would throw on a high price tag with room for margin. Sadly, neither option bodes well with their business model (see above).

* * *

One aspect that I'm hoping Nintendo really doesn't fuck up on is the Nintendo Network. At first, when it leaked on the Final Fantasy Theatrhythm boxart, we initially took it as a rebranding of the Wi-Fi Connection. Then, when more info came to light, we took it to be Nintendo's own version of Xbox LIVE or the PlayStation Network, with all the bells and whistles we've grown accustomed to.

The Nintendo Network may have roots in EA and Origin, if this IGN forum post is to be believed. If what is stated here is true, then the Nintendo Network owes a debt to EA's IT department for simply being structured, but came drastically close to being, essentially, Origin on Wii U; it would have to run Origin, and only Origin. Being smart, Nintendo gave one of those above fucks to EA to run home with, as they shut them down. This helps to ease the burn that is the gimped version of Madden 13 on the Wii U. This move by Nintendo to shun EA has, apparently, paved the way for major third-party developers to cross Nintendo's thresholds and develop for them; ever wonder why Nintendo and Ubisoft are becoming more and more friendly with each other, especially since Rayman Legends went from multiplatform to Wii U exclusive?

Sadly, Nintendo came out, saying they are still implementing Friend Codes - albeit, in a slightly less dickish way -  with the Wii U and 3DS will share a universal account (finally allowing the Nintendo Points currency to carry over between systems, rather than having two separate wallets), and having a DLC marketplace. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be the most well implemented infrastructure; hell, this is Nintendo we're talking about.

So far, I'm disappointed in the information we've received, but I hope Nintendo catches wind of just how much more we expect out of these online networks, due to the majority of us being spoiled with Microsoft and Sony's networks. If there's one field I would love to see Nintendo innovate in, it's the online community, something that is in desperate need of renovation; if the online space is being overtaken by the vast amount of fucksticks I've encountered, Odin help those that want something better.

* * *

The biggest issue facing Nintendo as they gear up for Gen 8 is their own, self-created issue: they have no goddamned idea what Sony and Microsoft are doing. Last generation, Nintendo showed off the Wii, but left out one crucial piece of evidence: the controller. This was a false hand played by them, making Sony and Microsoft believe they were just making a regular system. Nintendo held this card very close to their chest, so close, in fact, that they didn't show it off until the Tokyo Game Show in 2005, just two months prior to Microsoft releasing the Xbox 360. Then, in July of the very next year (ten months after the Wii Remote unveilng), Sony filed a patent for what would eventually become the Move controller, released 4 years later.

Earlier that year, Microsoft showed off the Xbox 360 in high-profile fashion at MTV's The Next Generation Xbox Revealed. Microsoft threw a fuck-ton of money at the event, making it known to everyone who was a Killers fan that the Xbox 360 was coming. Sony, on the other hand, revealed everything but the price at E3 2005; the price came at E3 2006 at the Original-iPhone-like levels of $500-600. Sony had the luxury of knowing exactly what Nintendo was doing, which is held up by that controller patent they filed.

"I'd like to take this time to thank Nintendo for letting us
know ahead of time what they were doing with the GamePad,
so we can swoop in and fuck them. Royally."

Nintendo has been playing first dog here in the past 2 years, and it's been working to their (severe) disadvantage; they're letting their biggest competition know what they're doing, giving them ample time to revise their current plans and make something better. At E3 2010, Nintendo officially unveiled - not including a rush, one-page press release thanks to the Japanese press - the 3DS. Around the same time in 2011, Sony unveiled what would eventually be known as the Vita, as a much more powerful system, with the key feature of the DS (touch), with more. In the same year, Nintendo showed off the Wii U with its GamePad controller. Exactly one year later, Microsoft comes out with the SmartGlass platform that essentially does exactly what the GamePad does, but for the Xbox 360, as a free app, and made for any phone or tablet; they even admitted they began work on it "12 months prior" to its unveiling. One advantage the GamePad does have is physical buttons, which, from what I've heard, comes in handy when it comes to playing games.

Sony very well may be the smartest of the three, as they haven't said a goddamned word about the PS4/Orbis. Rather than fucking themselves over and letting Microsoft know what they're doing, they're keeping their secrets a secret until the same time Microsoft is unveiling theirs, making it too late to do any revisions, as they will have to hit the factories shortly after E3 2013.

* * *

The Wii U's success relies on Nintendo's innovation. Despite being that key innovator, Nintendo is giving their secrets away far too early, allowing Sony and Microsoft to do what they're doing, but better. Nintendo needs to make the Nintendo Network something absolutely extravagant, easily accessible, offer services that neither Sony or Microsoft are currently offering, make it cheaper (or free), and do it better. Sadly, the Nintendo Network cannot be their saving grace, as the GamePad already has a hefty investment in it.

Exactly what can the GamePad do for the Wii U, Nintendo, and gaming as a whole? That's exactly what I'm talking about in my next installment.

Next time, we'll focus purely on Nintendo's new controller itself: the GamePad. How has the recent unveil of Microsoft's SmartGlass impacted the controller? What about turning the 3DS (XL or not) itself into a controller, avoiding the inevitable qualms amongst friends when playing multi-player? Regardless, the GamePad brings its own slew of issues and criticisms, which we'll discuss this Friday, the 31, in part 3.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U

The Next Big Innovation?

What you're witnessing is the first part of a planned five for a mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

May we look at Nintendo's competitors - or their own history - as inspiration for the Wii U's success? What about where they look for inspiration? What proof do we currently have that the Wii U may, or may not, be successful?

It's coming. It's inevitable. We stand on the precipice of a new generation's step forward into the spotlight. Nintendo is ushering in the eighth generation at the end of this year, and with it brings another flurry of criticisms and skepticisms. We saw it when Nintendo showed off the Wii's controller, unveiled the system as the 'Wii', and when they laid out technical specs on the system; just Google around for it, and you'll see it around the internet. Hell, it even happened with the GameCube (what with it's purple lunchbox attire) and the Nintendo 64 with it's cartridge-based games; Nintendo always receives criticism when a new system comes out.

When Nintendo first showed us the (then named) Revolution's controller, I, myself, was taken aback. It was a radical approach to a growing problem: lack of innovation. Nintendo broke conventional means of controller design they themselves created in the mid-80s, and every other console manufacturer stuck to since. Nintendo gave us some fine examples of what the controller could do, what with the pointer acting as an excellent approach to first-person games, or the accelerometers acting as their own method of input; Nintendo was ready to reinvent, or out-right create, new genres. The most ludicrous - or, dare I say, crazy - part about the entire endeavor? They knew people would buy it, and ended up ushering in the fitness craze in video games with their own Wii Fit, and others followed suit. The (purely) motion controlled games such as the pack-in Wii Sports - where there was minimal button pressing, and actually acting out what you wanted to do - was groundbreaking at the time; Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator in this field.

Six years later, Nintendo is in full pre-production of the Wii U, getting it's brand new system geared up for the holiday release. The Wii proved successful, because it hadn't been done before. One factor Nintendo is banking on to encourage customers to buy into their name all over again is the backwards compatibility. Not with just the games, but with every accessory made for the Wii, including games, downloaded or not; Nintendo could easily market this as "buy the new system, keep all of your old shit". The Wii U, on the other hand, is building off of two things: the established success of the Wii by keeping the name - falling victim to "sequelitis", much like the Xbox and PlayStation - and the booming success of the tablet craze Apple ushered in with the iPad.

Yes, I'm saying it: Nintendo is looking to Apple for ideas.

* * * 

"Just hanging out in the afterlife,
waiting to slap down a patent 
infringement..."

Apple brought forth tablet computing to crazed masses - I am a huge detractor to tablets - and it blew up like Dig Dug got a hold of it. Prior to the iPad, Apple wasn't in it for gaming; they marketed the iPod touch as an "iPhone without the phone", and people ate that shit up. When Apple realized Jay Freeman was on to something with Cydia, they brought in the App Store, and, unbeknownst to them, they created their own gaming handheld. iDevices eventually became the house for casual gaming, and Apple was able to score big names to make games exclusive to it; Infinity Blade ring a bell? It is with this that Nintendo took yet another page from Apple's success (for more examples, just look at their hardware design from the DS lite onwards), and crafted the GamePad tablet controller for the Wii U.

Some may call it an enlarged Vita, others say it's the iPad on crack. The Vita has been dubbed as a cross-over between dedicated gaming handhelds and tablets (I saw this myself when I worked in a Best Buy store just prior to launch). The GamePad, regardless of how you look at it, plans to bridge users stuck in the tablet craze with traditional gaming systems, hopefully to bring them back to the good side.

The audience is there, but how successful will Nintendo be at capturing it?

* * *

Over the past 15-20 years, we've seen Nintendo going further and further with their designs, doing things that others will end up taking cues from. Prime example: Sony. Since their fallout with Nintendo after the ill-fated Play Station (not to be confused with the PlayStation), Sony has taken their design inspirations from Nintendo. Look at the original PlayStation Controller (predecessor to the DualShock); it's nothing more than a Super Nintendo controller with handles and L2/R2 buttons. Then, the Rumble Pak made it's way from N64 accessory to built-in to every goddamned controller ever made since then. Finally, the biggest (blatant) rip-off from Sony's camp is the PlayStation Move controllers; these are nothing more than Wii controllers in black with a Bingo blotter on top. Sadly, despite being more accurate, the Move controllers haven't picked up like Sony has wanted; it's never a good thing when you only report units shipped instead of sold.

Compare this to Microsoft's runaway hit, the Kinect. It set the Guinness World Record for "fastest selling consumer electronics device", pushing 10 million units within 5 months, 8 million within the first 2; that's the definition of crack if I ever saw it in video game form. Microsoft could very well be the best example of "making it big" in a market (that being the motion gaming field) that already has proven dominance. With Microsoft's own success with the Kinect, can this be the proof we need that Nintendo can be successful with the Wii U and, more importantly, the GamePad?

* * *

Even with proven success, just how well can this old dog really do in the next generation? Can the Wii U, what with it just now implementing modern entertainment staples such as HDMI and - at the very least - 720p, be enough for Nintendo? What about the Nintendo Network, Nintendo's answer to the Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network digital platforms? And will this one-year head start they'll have on Microsoft and Sony work in their favor? Come back Monday evening for part two to find out.