Miyamoto Explains Why He Thinks the Wii U Has Struggled - News
by Craig S , posted on 22 June 2015 / 4,958 Views
In a lengthy interview with NPR Shigeru Miyamoto has explained why he thinks the Wii U has struggled to gain traction.
Miyamoto gives a number of reasons for the platform's limited success, including the fact that the eventual price point was "a little higher than we wanted" and that "perhaps people didn’t understand the system".
Another factor the famed developer notes is the competition in the tablet space meant that by the time to Wii U and its tablet controller came to market it was no longer a unique feature:
"I think unfortunately what ended up happening was that tablets themselves appeared in the marketplace and evolved very, very rapidly, and unfortunately the Wii U system launched at a time where the uniqueness of those features were perhaps not as strong as they were when we had first begun developing them."
Miyamoto believes this is all part and parcel of trying out new things and developing innovative products though, and he's hopeful for the future:
"So what I think is unique about Nintendo is we're constantly trying to do unique and different things. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they're not as big of a hit as we would like to hope. After Wii U, we're hoping that next time it will be a very big hit."
More Articles
There are MANY reasons why the Wii U failed.
There are a lot of obvious reasons why the Wii U struggles:
- barely any advertisement to people who DON'T own the system
- the 3DS (it gets a lot more focus hence it sells way better. if Nintendo had supported the Wii U similary, they would swim in even more money)
- Features for games are missing that would make them more appealing (like voice chat for Splatoon or maybe online for the next Star Fox...don't think about doing it but DO IT).
- no mention of new games that weren't announced in any direct but coming this month like Devil's Third but focusing on something like Mario Maker which everybody knows the features off or has seen enough from.
- Youtube Partnership Program: How about letting people show as much footage as they want and advertise the game for you for FREE instead of getting a cut-off from their earning. I wouldn't have brought back into Pokémon for instants if it wasn't for the great Pokétubers like the FlamingSpade or Xenon3120
- not giving what the fans are asking for but what they MIGHT like. The fans want Mother 3 outside of japan? Lets make an Animal Crossing Mario Party Spin Off.
- no hype besides on very few titles (most which don't need it like Mario Party)
- milking of Zelda games for the 3ds and more Mario Spin-Offs
No multiplatform games. That why. Stop with this bullshit of "tablet".................
sooo, if you wan't to show us a new awesome way to do gaming you're free to do it, but make it a side thing and concentrate also (mostly) on the power of the console so I can get aan NX proudly
So, they will try to ecapture the casual market with another gimmick. Pretty much the only thing they can atempt now.
I think it took people a year and a half to figure out that the Wii U was a new system. Since then it was catch up. Horrible decision to make it look the same as a Wii as well.
Moreover once again they are out of touch with how important the power of a console is to longetivity, and they didn't even integrate the game pad into games. It just seems like an unnecessary accessory to most games. Wii had an identity, but alas even with some really good games, the Wii U doesn't. They would've been better off with a Wii HD system imo.
Just put some more games on the damn thing and don't stop doing it.
Its just a bad product.
I agree it has a lot to do with the small number of high profile first party games. Also the lack of interesting and fresh feeling party games.
