Satoru Iwata has confirmed that the "final format" of the Wii U will be shown at next year's E3 show.
At Nintendo's semi-annual financial results briefing, Nintendo's president admitted the company had learned a "bitter lesson" with the launch of the 3DS, and that they will take "every possible measure" to ensure the successful launch of the Wii U.
Iwata also lamented the challenge of effectively marketing the 3DS's main feature using traditional TV and print advertising, but remains confident that as sales increase, "its power to invite surrounding others to join the circle increases" through word of mouth.
No further details on what the Wii U's final form might be were given, though it's unlikely we'll see a drastic change from what was revealed earlier this year. Wii U is scheduled to launch during the next fiscal year.
What would you like to see change in the Wii U's final form?
i look forward to it
despite the fact that it's a fair while away
I'd like an outer facing camera to play AR games on your living room floor.
Perhaps redesign the slider pads to make them more like analogue sticks.
So this pretty much confirms it'll be released in the last half of the year. Great! More time to save up! ^^
Don't get me wrong it's great they want a good release for the Wii U but that means all of those 3rd party games we were promised at E3 we're going to have to wait an age for.
eg. Arkham city is already out and if you don't have another console and are saving up for this then you're going to have to wait over 8 months for it.
Although i guess it does give them enough time to polish up their launch games
It was metioned a while ago that it would be out in Spring/Summer next year, no surprises here then.
This is a good thing. Typically, when Nintendo are working on a big project, they might delay it once or twice - I'm talking about the big stuff here, like a handheld Pokemon, or a Zelda. Nintendo know that, instead of rushing out a half-finished project, they should take their time to make it as perfect as possible - more testing, more touching up, more fine-tuning. So news that it'll be out between April next year and April the following year is a good thing - Nintendo are taking their time to make things as perfect as possible.
Hopefully they'll get their market right this time!
I agree, it's good news they decided to take their time with the launch. 3DS was indeed a bitter lesson (in many ways at least, overall it sold more than the DS in the same time, so it's not a failure).
There was no reason to release it so early other than to maybe be the first to do 3D and to try the move to let 3rd party developers have the field mainly for themselves (as a means of attracting them to make games for 3DS), and in this respect maybe avoiding shortage of systems due to too much demand (like the Wii experienced).
3DS could have easily been released in summer/autumn, with all the features that have been added via updates over the last months and the coming major November updates already installed and with big Nintendo titles either available (Zelda, Star Fox) or just around the corner (Mario 3D, Pokemon, Mario Kart). This would have been a stronger setting.
So even though Iwata's news probably means a Wii U launch in late 2012, and that means waiting, I would rather do that and wait and have a strong setting ready for the console launch. I really wish for this project to kick ass, because with its amazing potential it really deserves it.
I can't wait! This going to be so exciting. I hope the Wii U is a success as the controller looks fun with a touch screen.
I realise that the name 'Wii' is so well-known now and Nintendo think this will help it sell, but if they really want people to know that this is something completely different and new, then I think they should drop Wii from the title altogether. Nintendo are making a big deal out of the fact that they are welcoming new genres now, with more 'hardcore' games such as Assassin's Creed and Arkham City, and with the Wii having a reputation for more (as most people think, not me) "child-oriented" games, if they don't want to face the same 3DS debacle of "this is not DS, this is 3DS" then they should come up with a new title. I personally don't mind if they decide to keep the name as Wii U, but I personally think if they want to appeal to a wider variety of gamers, then a new title should do it good.
Hopefully they'll change the slider pads on the controller to control sticks and maybe shrink the controller a little bit as it looks too big and bulky
There is only one change I would like to see and that's changing the nubs to small sticks on the controller.
Its a personal thing but for me the nubs are just OK and not great,I see why they use it on 3DS but it looks like they have gone the same way on the Wii-U controller...but thats my only gripe....looking forward to it.
I want them to make it not just HD,but 3D HD without the need of a 3D TV and without glasses.Only then,would I get a Wii U on a launch day.
They just need to add a few things to make it a success in my book. First replace the little circle pads with proper analogue sticks. Then they should try and make it a bit smaller - No bigger than the size of the console itself. Finally they should make sure that they've got some great first party games lined up for it; I'd buy it on launch if there was HD Zelda!
I don't really care for the so-called 'hardcore' games, I'd much rather sit down with a new Pokemon, even a new Mystery Dungeon over Call of Duty. The only hardcore games I actually enjoy are Arkham Asylum/City and Halo. Games with STORY and CHARACTER, unlike the CoD games which although MW2, Black Ops and MW3 have been released or are on their way I feel like their more like expensive add-ons with different weapons and maps running on the same graphics engine rather than three seperate games.
I know, but I didn't know whether it would be out in Spring OR Summer.
I'm just repeating what others have said, but still I think this'll be a good move. Not only will Nintendo get to refine the machine, but will also give developers longer to enhance their games for the new hardware. I assume the changes Nintendo are thinking about regard the tablet controler. Something I'd like to see is if they made it more like a traditional gamepad with a proper analogue stick which includes a large flip-out Touch Screen. Like a big ol' wide-screen Game Boy Advance SP with all the bells and whistles of the DS.
Here's an idea: Add backward's compatibility for Gamecube games, then I may consider buying this revolutionary Wii U. >_>
I would like to see the ability to use the controller like an ipad ie: use it to surf the net and read Ebooks. Other than that it sounds BRILLIANT.
Add outer cameras, make it so the anologue sticks are also buttons (like the 360 & PS3), make it so the graphics can go toe-to-toe with the PS4 and 720, make it 3D combatible and make it have a Xbox 360 style dashboard. This will make the Wii U the perfect consle for me.
analogue shoulder buttons and proper analogue sticks would be greatly appreciated. Other than that i'm fine with the console as it is.
a lot of people seem to want another camera looking out, and i agree that it would be awesome, though it isn't necessary.