“Saving the Wii U” (or making it perform a little bit better)
Was caught watching youtube videos about the Wii U and it made me start wondering about how this thing could have been saved, so I will be the next one to give his opinion on the internet on how this thing could have been “Saved”;
1st – Change the name from “Wii U” to “Wii 2”. Wii U is a really stupid name.
2^(nd) – Change how the console is perceived. Make sure that it is shown and advertised just like the original Wii, in Vertical Stand, in an imposing way. Bring back the Blue LED on the Disc Drive to make it stand out even more and give it more style
3^(rd) – Make sure that, out of the box, you can play Backwards Compatible Wii AND GC games by simply inserting the disc on the disc drive. Backwards Compatibility should work seamlessly, without the need to go into “Wii Mode/Menu”
4^(th) – Make the Console Region Free for every Wii 2, Wii and GC physical game
5^(th) – Prior to its release (say a year or so), launch a Nintendo Network Chanel for the Wii that allows the users to Back up their game save data and purchase data to their account. Make sure that, on day one, Wii 2 users have the ability to simply log in into their accounts and download their save back ups and purchased games WITHOUT the need to plug both systems, Wii 2 and Wii, on the same Wi-Fi network
6^(th) – Advertise that online multiplayer and online services are completely free of charge more aggressively
7^(th) – Forget the Core and Premium sets, make a single SKU/Bundle at 299,99 from day one
8^(th) – Release the system in the Final Quarter of 2013, with Super Mario 3D World as a pack-in title and, for crying out loud, STOP Emphasizing the Cat Suit. Please no more grown men with Cat ears and Cat pawns for the advertising
9^(th) – Just like Wii Play, release a Wiimote + Bundle with a game. There would be several options of the bundle such as Wii Sports Club + Wiimote; Wii Party 2 + Wiimote and NSMBWii 2 + Wiimote
10^(th) – Main Launch exclusive games released in the final quarter of 2013 should be Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, Rayman Legends, Wii Sports Club, Wii Party 2, NSMBWii 2, Mario 3D World, Sonic Lost World, Wonderful 101 (If im forgetting a title let me know) + 3^(rd) party releases as well
11^(th) – Make a trade in deal with the main retailers. Bring your old Wii and get something between 50-80 dollars of discount on the new Wii 2, making the initial price possibly between 220 – 250 dollars
12^(th) – With the Wii 2 sold at 300 dollars with a game included, it makes the system 160 dollars cheaper than a PS4 + Game (460 Dollars) and 260 dollars cheaper than a XBOX One (560 dollars), and that’s without taking it into account the paid online multiplayer for those systems
Now, for the Gamepad…
1^(st) – Release the gamepad without the extra stuff. No cameras, no mic, no tv shenanigans, make it more about gaming and less about TV and Skype
2^(nd) – Gamepad should be always advertised AFTER the console is shown. First show the system, show someone inserting a disc into it or interacting with it in some way and then show the controller
3^(rd) – Release the gamepad with the high capacity battery as the stock battery
4^(th) – The gamepad MUST have the ability to natively mirror/stream anything that is shown on the big screen, regardless of the content being played. Wii 2, Wii, GC, WiiWare and Virtual Console games should be fully playable on the thing without the need to pay for updates
5^(th) – Improve the gamepad Wifi/distance from the console. I Want to be able to simply walk through my house without losing signal. I know this is probably super hard to do, Sony tried with the PS Portal and that thing is controversial to say the least
Those are my thoughts
Would it “Save” the system? Probably not, but I believe it would make it sell more than the 14 millions units it sold in its lifetime. One of the main issues I see with it is that nearly every Game on the thing had an 3ds counterpart for far cheaper, and many times the experience was hindered or made more complicated because of the damn gamepad.
Making it as an “Upgrade” for the OG Wii, with the ability to upscale Wii games to HD and to play them on the gamepad, with the option to customize your controller inputs for the off tv play would make it a nice deal. Native backwards compatibility and Free Online Multiplayer, as well as Hardware (controllers) backwards compatibility would make the system have more gamer friendly features compared to the XBOX One and PS4, especially considering that the PS4 and XBOX One releases weren’t really that exciting in 2013
Wii 2 at $300 vs. PS4 at $400 vs. XBOX One at $500 would make an interisting late 2013 in gaming
Upgrading your Wii, for a reasonable price, and with a few good games on launch, would make it more desirable for more people I believe, ate leats it would make it more desirable for me...
I would bet that at least more than 20 million units would have been sold in its life cycle, It wouldn’t save it, but it would make it perform a little bit better
EDIT: spelling and grammar