Consumers cannot wait to get their hands on the next generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony. Although it is less then a year old, why does now mark the beginning of the end for the Wii U? Let us call it the Dreamcast Syndrome.
1. It Already Feels a Generation Behind
Although both Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s Playstation 3 brought consumers into the high definition age with their 1080p capable machines in the last round of the console war, the Wii stayed behind with only 480p. When the Wii U came out last year touting 1080p simply nobody was left to care.
2. Lack of Innovative Third Party Titles
Though Nintendo put a lot of hope into the third party developers, they were left high and dry. Any Wii U exclusive title is sure to be an in-house developement. Nintendo is lucky to get ports of many games for the other current generation consoles. Now that developers are looking towards the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, will the Wii U get any consideration? Probably Not.
3. No Holiday Plans
To the dismay of Nintedo fans, E3 saw no news of a new Zelda title, simply a remake of Wind Waker, as well as news that the new Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros won’t arrive until 2014. A wonderful stocking stuffer opportunity that Nintendo will miss.
4. Storage Space
Both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One are touting massive hard drives for storing all of your media content needs. A SD card slot is simply behind the times.
5. No Media Extras
Another problem the SD card slot brings to the Wii U is the lack of support for exclusive media content from Nintendo. Both Microsoft and Sony want to dominate your home entertainment experience, Nintendo hasn’t considered the option.
6. Lackluster Online Experience
Online networks are another field dominated by Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo has felt the need to keep the core gaming experience with those around you in the living room while neglecting much of the online experience. It’s there if you need it, but for the most part basic online features only.
7. Sequels All Around!
Nintendo is still flushing out series that are decades old. With no third party support it seems unlikely that the game catalog will diversify anymore.
8. Microsoft and Sony Are Now After the Average Consumer
When both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 were announced their intended target was the gamer, while Nintendo found a huge success with the average home consumer. Microsoft has shown that the Xbox One is for everyone, especially the home consumer. Kinect, DVR integration and voice command are more than enough to satisfy the non-gamer who might have once considered a Wii.
9. The Controller
Though considered one of the strong points initially of the Wii U, it seems unlikely that a consumer will choose to use the in controller screen over any other mobile device. Want to play a mobile game? There is the 3DS or Vita. Want to watch Netflix? Consumers will use their iPad or Android tablet over the Wii U controller any day.
10. The Price
The original Wii’s main selling point was the cheap selling point for the holiday season. Fun for the whole family for $149 and in the past few years even less then a hundred bucks. The current price of $249 might not be much compared to the Xbox One, but it’s quite the hike for consumers who are already happy with their current Wii.