[Official] Wii U thread

[Armada]

if you read the article, rockstar speciffically said they are considering it, and that they are not tied to any platform. if it makes financial sense for them they will do it.

Its too late

if you read the article, rockstar speciffically said they are considering it, and that they are not tied to any platform. if it makes financial sense for them they will do it.

Too late to be there for launch. I highly doubt GTA V will be on the Wii U.

But I can see the next Red Dead being on Wii U a high possibility.

[D-Money]

Nintendo has already run into its first major problem:

New Nintendo Wii U console off to rough start

Some reports say interrupting firmware update leads to 'bricked' device

CBC News Posted: Nov 20, 2012 1:52 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 20, 2012 3:33 PM ET

Nintendo's new Wii U game console hit the stores Sunday, but it's been an unhappy landing for some buyers.

A firmware update necessary for online gaming takes so long to download that some people are interrupting the process out of frustration — which in turn has led to some media reports of the device being "bricked," or broken irretrievably.

Los Angeles Times reporter Ben Fritz tweeted that when he tried to cancel a lengthy firmware update, he ran into problems.

"Wii U has stopped functioning before I managed to play a single game," he tweeted. "I tried to stop an interminable software update and now … nothing. On a related note, anybody in the market for a big black paperweight?"

He wasn't alone...

LINK: http://www.cbc.ca/ne...i-u-update.html

Most experienced gamers know not to interrupt an update. But a lot of people who Nintendo is targetting won't necessarily be familiar with that.

And really - a fully bricked device? No automatic recovery built-in?

[avelanch]

Nintendo has already run into its first major problem:

Most experienced gamers know not to interrupt an update. But a lot of people who Nintendo is targetting won't necessarily be familiar with that.

And really - a fully bricked device? No automatic recovery built-in?

my update got cancelled 3 times, all i had to do is restart the DL and it picked up from where it left off. i had no issues, but i guess if you are stupid enough to power down during the updating process (which clearly had a progress bar that did move), then you kinda deserve what you get.

[Rees]

my update got cancelled 3 times, all i had to do is restart the DL and it picked up from where it left off. i had no issues, but i guess if you are stupid enough to power down during the updating process (which clearly had a progress bar that did move), then you kinda deserve what you get.

You deserve to get your $350 console bricked? Planning on buying the Wii U once Bestbuy gets their next shipment in but this news concerns me. With this crappy weather we've been getting, my power has gone out a couple of times already. If the power goes out while I'm downloading this update, is my system going to brick?

[D-Money]

You deserve to get your $350 console bricked?  Planning on buying the Wii U once Bestbuy gets their next shipment in but this news concerns me.  With this crappy weather we've been getting, my power has gone out a couple of times already.  If the power goes out while I'm downloading this update, is my system going to brick?

Yeah, it's definitely a real concern...to anyone other than a huge Nintendo fan-boy who hasn't had it happen to him.

Nintendo stock inched a bit higher around release date (from $15 to $16.50), but it is trending back down right now ($15.50). I'm keeping an eye on it, but still not sold that the Wii U won't end up tanking. The promotional campaign has been downright terrible.

[ChenWei91]

my update got cancelled 3 times, all i had to do is restart the DL and it picked up from where it left off. i had no issues, but i guess if you are stupid enough to power down during the updating process (which clearly had a progress bar that did move), then you kinda deserve what you get.

So what about the people who doesn't have any experience with gaming? Like your mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa? How are they supposed to know stuff like that?

Yeah, it's definitely a real concern...to anyone other than a huge Nintendo fan-boy who hasn't had it happen to him.

Nintendo stock inched a bit higher around release date (from $15 to $16.50), but it is trending back down right now ($15.50). I'm keeping an eye on it, but still not sold that the Wii U won't end up tanking. The promotional campaign has been downright terrible.

I predict that the Wii U is gonna go down the same path as the original Wii did. Great hardware sales, but atrocious software sales (compared to their competitors). With Nintendo abandoning their console a year or two before their next one comes out.

[D-Money]

I predict that the Wii U is gonna go down the same path as the original Wii did. Great hardware sales, but atrocious software sales (compared to their competitors). With Nintendo abandoning their console a year or two before their next one comes out.

Only question is...why?

Original Wii had simple, yet completely innovative ideas, such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Probably close 50% of people who bought a Wii mainly wanted it for one of those two things (or both). That's the reason why software sales were so far behind the competition - once these people had Sports/Fit, they were satisfied.

But I see nothing new with the Wii U. The main gimmick this time around - the controller with a screen - is not new (our phones and tablets already do that, and games are far cheaper), innovative, or even all that desireable to anyone who isn't a gamer.

For instance, my parents bought a Wii. Why? For Wii Fit, and exercise games. Will they shell out for a Wii U? No - why would they? What does it do that would interest them, that the Wii doesn't do already? Why would they want a big, bulky controller, when they would never play a controller-based game anyway?

[Dragonfruits]

its hilarious how people are already calling the wii u a failure its not even the first week im pretty sure nintendo learned from there mistakes from the wii and will have a way better software line up just give it time

also for the most part with any updates whether it be phone computer or console it always says do not shut off the device

[ChenWei91]

^ They're still trying to adhere to the casual gamers which is the exact same mistake that the original Wii did.

Sure they're getting third party support now, but how many of those third party devs will actually continue producing games for the Wii U once it turns out that consumers would rather buy their games for the much more popular choices like the PS3/4 and/or the Xbox 360/720?

Nintendo will never be able to attract hard-core gamers (which is the bread and butter for any consoles life cycle) like Sony and Mircrosoft already has.

[avelanch]

You deserve to get your $350 console bricked? Planning on buying the Wii U once Bestbuy gets their next shipment in but this news concerns me. With this crappy weather we've been getting, my power has gone out a couple of times already. If the power goes out while I'm downloading this update, is my system going to brick?

not while dowloading, only during the short update process where the patch is being installed.

besides, the only people that have voiced complaints are people that purposely powered down because they were impatient. if it shuts off while downloading you'll just pick right back up from where you left off.

[avelanch]

So what about the people who doesn't have any experience with gaming? Like your mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa? How are they supposed to know stuff like that?

I predict that the Wii U is gonna go down the same path as the original Wii did. Great hardware sales, but atrocious software sales (compared to their competitors). With Nintendo abandoning their console a year or two before their next one comes out.

it says don't power down, my parents are smart enough to not power down when something tells them not to.

[Monty]

I have absolutely no allegiance to any one console. I got the XBOX 360 because it had great games shortly after launch. I got the PS3 about 2 years after launch (price cut) for Blu-Ray (have purchased games for it), and got the Wii as many people have said in the past, because of the novelty and Wii Sports.

When you really look at Nintendo, they have been suffering with software since N64. In total , I believe they only released about 450 games for that console. The Gamecube was a bust, and the Wii was a joke after the novelty wore off.

The WiiU has been labeled a failure already, which isn't fair because it has just launched. However, those in the industry, and knowledgable consumers, have a reason to call it a failure already. For starters, Nintendo has not had a good history releasing good software since the N64. Secondly, they have been doing a p*ss poor job in marketing this console, but I can understand why. It doesn't have an identity to seperate it from the pack, which is its third problem. At least the Wii was different. The WiiU adds nothing to the table that people are not already getting.

I really feel for Nintendo as I suspect this may kill the company, which is unfortunate.

[Dragonfruits]

^ They're still trying to adhere to the casual gamers which is the exact same mistake that the original Wii did.

Sure they're getting third party support now, but how many of those third party devs will actually continue producing games for the Wii U once it turns out that consumers would rather buy their games for the much more popular choices like the PS3/4 and/or the Xbox 360/720?

Nintendo will never be able to attract hard-core gamers (which is the bread and butter for any consoles life cycle) like Sony and Mircrosoft already has.

casual gamers has always been nintendo's market more than likely they will bring back their classics like metroid zelda mario kart and a 3d mario adventure even a mario party all of these will have no problem selling and now with third party support which gives companies a new console to work with will give nintendo a strong foot hold in the console market this was meant to compete with the ps3 and xbox 360 not the upcoming consoles

people i know are interested in it as well even with a xbox 360 or ps3 in their homes already i myself have a ps3 and will be grabbing a wii u this coming Christmas

[Hat Trick Maker]

Wii U Launch: What Went Wrong?

David Lynch

Nintendo's Wii U has launched in the US, but the new console has a ton of issues that are only just coming to light. Is this Nintendo's worst launch yet?

Published on Nov 19, 2012

Wii U’s US launch has been and gone and with Nintendo’s new console nearing release in the UK (on the 30th Novmber), and eventually Japan (on the 8th December), there have been a number of worrying revelations coming to light from US gamers that puts the Wii U immediately on the back foot.

Nintendo has been rather coy when it comes to confirming just what’s housed within the Wii U and how it compares to the current consoles. With the Wii U finally in the hands of players details are emerging that Nintendo’s new console isn’t quite the powerhouse player’s were expecting.

Also, with reports emerging that many of the Wii U’s third party games suffer from numerous issues, that the hardware itself is shoddy and that it’s riddled with a number of substantial problems, we decided we should take a look at the Wii U’s biggest issues.

Is Nintendo’s launch of the Wii U the most lacklustre the game’s industry has seen? Here are a few reasons it might be...

What’s wrong with Nintendo’s Wii U:

Debug Menu Can Be Accessed

Possibly the worst and most embarrassing example of the Wii U’s unfinished architecture is the claims from one Neogaf user that he was able to accidentally access the Miiverse debug menu. After making himself an admin he was able to take a peek at some of the backend information. Hidden inside were all sorts of secrets because it’s, you know, a debug menu.

A list of unannounced games was clearly visible including titles such as:

• Yoshi’s Land Wii U
  
• Donkey Kong
  
• Soul Hackers
  
• Resident Evil (or resident evils as it appears on the debug menu)
  
• Metal Gear Solid
  
• Final Fantasy 3
  
• Dragon Quest
  

How long it takes for Nintendo to rectify this issue with a patch is unknown. For a console to launch with such an easily accessible backend which houses secret information is a colossal mistake by Nintendo.

A big mistake, but it is at lest easily rectified. Some of the other issues facing the Nintendo Wii U are unfortunately not so easily fixed…

Account Sharing Issues

This is an issue that no one really expected. We’ve become so used to the flexible nature of both the PS3 and the 360 that not being able to share accounts across multiple consoles never even entered into things.

Spotted on Giantbomb's live stream as it unpackaged the Wii U for the first time, this warning popped up:

“This Nintendo Network ID has already been linked to another Wii U Console.”

Taking a look at the Nintendo consumer Q&As for the Wii U, apprantley you won’t be able to log into your account from Wii Us that it isn’t attached to.

“Can I Log Into My Nintendo Network Account on a Different Console?

Answer:

-No, you cannot. A Nintendo Network Account can only be used on the console where it was created. In the future, you will be able to use your Nintendo Network Account with future Nintendo consoles and other devices, such as PC's.

-Currently, the Wii U supports up to 12 individual Nintendo Network ID's per console, which enables each member of the family to have his or her own unique identity on the system.”

3rd Party Launch Games Have Serious Issues

Nintendo’s consoles have always had something of a reputation when it comes to first party games; they’re almost always better than the third party equivalent. Not only was that all supposed to change with the Wii U, but no one was expecting the third party ports of current games to be worse than the original versions.

If anything, they should be better.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case with reports coming in of third party games featuring worse visuals, sound and animation and even the controls have been criticized.

Mass Effect and Batman: Arkham City on the Wii U are both behind the 360 and PS3 when it comes to thier graphical fidelity, but there are even instances where players are complaining that the framerate of third party games lag behind that of its competitors, too.

According to 1up.com the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 is definetly lacking:

“This version of ME3 seems a lot less visually stable than, say, the Xbox 360 version -- the frame rate is choppier, the animation seems rougher. The audio suffers, too; while the music and sound effects have come over fine, all the dialogue has a hollow, echoing quality to it. The GamePad's analog sticks aren't as comfortable as the 360's, and the placement of the face buttons relative to the right stick made me continually miss the melee and reload buttons. My headshot ratio has dropped precipitously. It's tragic.”

The framerate is worse and the grahpics are worse. Why should you buy ME3 on Wii U again?

Limited RAM

There’s a very good reason Nintendo didn’t reveal the specifications for the Wii U ahead of launch and that reason is simply, they’re not that great. Nowhere is this more salient than of the Wii U’s RAM.

The Wii U has 2GB of Samsung DDR3 memory that runs at a max speed of 12.8GB/s. Original estimations clocked the RAM speed at an ambitious 17 based on the Wii U’s other components, but it’s much slower than expected.

As a good comparison here’s one Neogaf users Xbox 360 and PS3 equivelants:

“360: 22.4 GB/s + eDRAM for framebuffer

PS3: 25.6 GB/s main memory BW + 22.4 GB/s graphics memory BW, no eDRAM”

Problems With HDMI

Another worrying technical issue for the Wii U that really shouldn’t exist at all, but some US users have discovered problems with the HDMI setup.

Not only are there reports of the Wii U ‘turning off’ the other outputs when the HDMI is in use (thereby making it very difficult for those that enjoy recording their game footage), but some have even struggled to get a signal to their TVs at all.

Nintendo’s tech forums have been inundated with people asking why their Wii U’s won’t transmit a picture to their TV and Nintendo has yet to issue a reply or even acknowledge there is an issue on the forum.

Single Save Game Slot Issues

Another issues spotted on the live stream from Giantbomb, but according to the footage the Wii U’s save files aren’t exclusively tied to the player accounts, but the actual machine itself.

The only real distinction between the multiple accounts on a single Wii U is the friends list that is attached to it, not the games. Just make sure you label your saves to avoid losing them if you have more than one account attached to you Wii U.

Day One Patch is 5GB, Could Brick your Wii U

If you get you Wii U home and want to play straight away, you’re going to have to wait as Nintendo downloads and installs a massive firmware update that’s an enormous 5GB. According to some reports this can take up to an hour (obviously depending on your connection speed).

Despite that, there are reports that some Wii Us that download the 5GB update fail to turn back on at all.

Shorter Than Expected Controller Battery Life

Nintendo was cagey releasing specific information regarding the battery life of its GamePad and for good reason, it’ll only last you from 3-5 hours depending on what you’re doing. Much, much shorter than the iPad and other tablets it will limit how long you can play before being forced to charge it up. No mammoth sessions of Mass Effect 3 then.

Interface Issues

An issue that could be explained by the launch day networking stress as users finally start to log onto to Nintendo’s new network, but there have various complaints that it is sluggish to use.

GamePad Distance Issues

Another issue brought to light on Neogaf, but according to some users carrying the Wii U’s GamePad as little as 12 feet away from it can cause the signal to fade and will apparently lose signal at 15 feet.

One of the Wii U’s biggest selling points, the ability to play big screen games on a small screen (while you’re no doubt in bed), this ability is apparently severely limited.

Web Browser Speed

The Wii U comes complete with a web browser that allows you to look at the internet either on your GamePad screen or your TV. According to Anandtech.com the Wii U uses an older version of WebKit and when compared to web browsers on other high-end devices – such as the iPhone and other tablets – the Wii U’s web browser is much, much slower to use.

WiFi Connection Problems

For those that have Wii Us, setting up the WiFi connection is grueling task, but one that can be overcome… eventually.

Keenandgraev.com had issues setting up its Wii U WiFi connection finding the console kept telling the user there was a “Error Code 103-1001, Error Code 103-1002”.

There is a needlessly complex work around to get the WiFi working however, but it begs the question will those less tech savvy be able to get their Wii Us online without help?

http://www.nowgamer....went_wrong.html

[avelanch]

the debug access was fixed within an hour of its discovery, not sure why it's even listed anymore.

[Hat Trick Maker]

Wii U 'Has A Horrible, Slow CPU' Says Metro Last Light Dev

David Lynch

Wii U's tech specs aren't as impressive as initially thought and 4A Games won't be bringing Metro: Last Light to Nintendo's new console.

Published on Nov 20, 2012

Nintendo’s Wii U is out in the US and with reports coming in that it is struggling in a number of areas, many are claiming its third party games aren’t quite up to the visual standard of their Xbox 360 and PS3 cousins.

That the Wii U struggles to render games (that run perfectly on the Xbox 360 and the PS3) is a worrying trend for Nintendo. In fact, some games currently scheduled for release on the 360, PS3 and PC won’t be heading to the Wii U at all because of the differences in processing power.

One of these titles will be 4 A Games’ Metro: Last Light. Chief technical officer, Oles Shishkovtsov, explains why Metro’s sequel won’t be appearing.

“[The] Wii U has a horrible, slow CPU,” said Shishkovtsov to NowGamer.

Even his colleage, Huw Beynon, confirmed there would not be a Wii U version of Metro: Last Light, and couldn't justify the effort required to bring a comparable version to the Wii U.

“We had an early look at it, we thought we could probably do it, but in terms of the impact we would make on the overall quality of the game – potentially to its detriment – we just figured it wasn’t worth pursuing at this time. It’s something we might return to. I really couldn’t make any promises, though.”

Despite Nintendo’s console offering Metro: Last Light new experiences to its players with it dual screens, when asked Benyon was adamant that the Wii U would ever seen Metro: Last Light when asked directly.

“We had an initial look at the Wii U, but given the size of the team and compared to where we were last time, just developing for the Playstation 3 is a significant addition.”

http://www.nowgamer...._light_dev.html

Moreover, this guy pretty much sums up my thoughts on the console.

Nintendo seems to be having an identity crisis here. They just can't seem to figure out if they are going to appeal to the causal or to the hardcore. The gamepad gimmick just doesn't cut it for the casual in my opinion and there are not enough third-party games to cater to the hardcore.

Game budgets are getting ever more expensive for the high-end consoles that Nintendo is not going to keep up with development cost to churn out first-party AAA titles one after another. Eventually they'll have to rely on third-party developers to shoulder the burden, but I just can't see any incentive for the budget-tight publishers to take such a risk. There is a reason why Rockstar is cautious about making games for the Wii U. They have a reputation to uphold and their games are very, very expensive to make. For example, it cost them 80-100 million to make Red Dead Redemption which makes it one of the most expensive games ever made, and they just refuse to port it to PC because they claim it's not finacially viable.

[avelanch]

"Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube are all available now! You can watch your favorite movies, tv shows, videos and channels on your television or, in the case of Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant video, directly on the GamePad.

https://www.facebook.com/WiiU?ref=stream

[avelanch]

Wii U CPU: Metro publisher clarifies dev criticisms

By Rob Crossley for CVG UK

A representative for THQ is seeking to clarify comments made by one of the publisher's development partners who branded the Wii U's CPU as "slow and horrible".

Huw Beynon, a global communications executive at THQ, told Eurogamer that the media coverage surrounding the quote has "spun" the truth of the matter for the purpose of bolstering website traffic numbers.

On Tuesday, the chief technical officer at Metro: Last Light developer 4A claimed there would be difficulties with a Wii U port due to the console's "horrible, slow CPU".

CVG's coverage of the story had clarified that studios, such as Ubisoft Montpellier (Assassin's Creed 3) and Treyarch (Black Ops 2), appear to have successfully ported their high definition games to Nintendo's new system. The report added that THQ wants 4A to finish work on Metro Last Light before April due to assurances made to investors. This could be one of a number of reasons for why the studio is not focusing its resources on a Wii U port.

Beynon said that it had become common knowledge that the CPU on Wii U "isn't as fast as some of the other consoles out there". He added that a port of Metro: Last Light for Wii U was feasible, though time and resource constraints were primarily preventing this.

"We could probably get Metro to run on an iPad if we wanted, or on pretty much anything," he said.

"Just as in the same way that between PC and current console versions there are some compromises that need to be made in certain places and we strive to get the very best performance that we can from any platform we release on.

Beynon said 4A is still "a really small studio".

"There were 50 developers for Metro 2033, there are 80 now. With Metro 2033 most of their experience was with the PC. The Xbox 360 was their first console version. We've now added PlayStation 3 to the mix. We genuinely looked at what it would take to bring the game to Wii U. It's certainly possible, and it's something we thought we'd like to do.

"The reality is that would mean a dedicated team, dedicated time and effort, and it would either result in a detriment to what we're trying to focus on, already adding a PlayStation 3 SKU, or we probably wouldn't be able to do the Wii U version the justice that we'd want."

He added that, despite the Wii U's alleged underpowered CPU - a claim that remains ambiguous until official specs are revealed - there are solutions within the hardware.

"Lots of developers are finding ways to get around it because of other interesting parts of the platform," Benyon said.

The Wii U carries about 1GB of memory specifically for games developers to use - twice the amount available on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Reflecting on the media coverage, Benyon added: "What it doesn't go on to look at is to say that, you know, we could probably get around these issues. But I understand that there's a real appetite in the media at the moment because the Wii U is a hot topic to spam some stories that are going to attract a lot of links if they present it in a certain way."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/380022/wii-u-cpu-metro-publisher-clarifies-dev-criticisms/

[D-Money]

GamePad Distance Issues

Another issue brought to light on Neogaf, but according to some users carrying the Wii U’s GamePad as little as 12 feet away from it can cause the signal to fade and will apparently lose signal at 15 feet.

One of the Wii U’s biggest selling points, the ability to play big screen games on a small screen (while you’re no doubt in bed), this ability is apparently severely limited.

Wooowwww...this is a huge fail on Nintendo's part. Add in the other problems, and this console is doomed.

Eventually, the biggest coup in the gaming world will be when Nintendo stops making consoles. Then Microsoft and Sony will battle it out for Nintendo's game development. Whichever one adds Mario/Zelda/etc. to their lineup will score a huge advantage.

[Hat Trick Maker]

OP, please don't kill the messanger...

http://www.gamespot....ardware-6400507

The Shortcomings of the Wii U Hardware

November 21, 2012 6:12PM PST

Peter Brown, Editor

The Wii U introduces exciting innovations to the world of console gaming, but a clunky OS and a concoction of cheap hardware sully its potential.

Nintendo's Wii U is finally available, but whether or not it's been able to deliver the sort of "next-gen" experience many are waiting for is another story. Without the proper suite of software, a console's hardware may not be used advantageously. Conversely, weak hardware can hamper any given software's potential in the end. The Wii U falls into both of these traps. It's not a system without merit, but there are too many missed opportunities, and unfortunately, the time to address these issues may have already passed.

Hard Drive Space vs. System Software

The Wii U's system software is a hog. After installing a hefty day-one update, owners of the 8GB Wii U are left with roughly 3GB of internal storage. This is problematic for a few reasons. While there may have been some assumption on the part of customers that a portion of their internal storage would go to the operating system, losing over half of their free space (in the case of the 8GB model) is a bit much. Nintendo may have given some warning ahead of time, but burying the details within a FAQ on its support site hardly constitutes fair notice.

The Wii U's operating system takes up over half of the Basic Set's available memory.

It's also curious that Nintendo would issue an update so large that it prevents some of its customers from purchasing digital copies of games such as Nintendo Land from the eShop.

Bloated, Sluggish Operating System

Outside of dissecting the entire file structure of the OS, or even Nintendo's compression methodology, you can superficially judge the "weight" of software by its load times. That said, opening or exiting the Wii U's Settings application takes 12 to 14 seconds, which is unacceptable by any measure. Why should system software take up so much hard drive space and require such lengthy load times if the only assets being loaded are simply images, text, and a few sound effects? Something doesn't add up.

External Storage Limitations

If you're feeling light on space after the update, you're likely considering the addition of a thumb drive or external hard drive. It's known that the Wii U supports such additions, but less apparent are the associated limitations.

It begins with the USB ports on the Wii U. At USB 2.0, they're severely outdated; the 3.0 standard has been in use for three years and is hardly cutting edge itself. Nintendo has never pushed the envelope tech-wise, but going with USB 2.0 is a gross misstep. Not only does it operate at a fraction of the speed provided by USB 3.0, but it only allows a device to draw a maximum of 500 mA of current per port. USB-powered hard disk drives built on the 3.0 specification require upward of 900 mA.

Promisingly, USB 3.0 is backward compatible, meaning that 3.0 based devices will function, but transfer data at slower speeds, when connected to a USB 2.0 port. Customers who want to add a modern USB 3.0 external drive to their Wii U need to buy one with a dedicated power source, or purchase a USB Y-splitter cable, which would allow a USB (3.0) powered drive to draw power from two ports at once. USB-powered external drives are an invaluable convenience, so it makes sense to go with the latter option despite the requirement of an additional purchase (a y-splitter). If Nintendo wanted to accommodate modern tastes and expectations, upgrading the USB ports, or at least including a y-splitter, would have been an easy win. As it stands, the internal storage of any Wii U is already laughable compared to other consoles, and it doesn't help that the solution to said issue only highlights the shortcomings of something as simple as a USB port.

The Innovative, Lackluster GamePad

There's no question that the GamePad redefines expectations of what a game controller can be. It's also true that, for the most part, Nintendo has done a good job with the software side of things, exemplified by the inclusion of the universal remote application. Sadly, none of these factors make up for the paltry components built into the GamePad, which will ultimately prevent Nintendo from taking full advantage of its potential.

The first culprit is the screen. For whatever reason, Nintendo is sticking by its preference for stylus-centric, resistive touch panels. Compared to the universally preferred capacitive panels used in modern mobile devices, resistive-based touch screens are built for deliberate strokes, not the gestures or multi-touch inputs that make devices like iPads and even Vitas so user-friendly. You can use a finger to interact with the GamePad's screen, but other flaws linger. Light touches don't always register properly, and the input resolution of the screen hampers games such as Darksiders II, which relies on small icons to represent individual items in your inventory.

One of these things is not like the other.

At least the Wii U is capable of streaming video to the GamePad, allowing you to play games like New Super Mario Bros. U without the use of a TV. The physical range afforded by the Bluetooth radio in the GamePad hovers around 30 feet at best, which may be enough for most people, but it would be an entirely different story if the signal were carried over Wi-Fi instead. The problem is that it will never happen with the current iteration of the GamePad, which lacks a built-in Wi-Fi radio. Outside of a Bluetooth signal extender, let's call it the Wiipeater, the only way we'll ever experience true remote gaming on the GamePad is with a new hardware revision.

Wi-Fi may have been omitted in the current version due to the associated parts and manufacturing costs, but it could also be related to the GamePad's puny battery life. Currently, you're lucky if you get four hours of use before having to recharge the GamePad. People are already complaining about the battery life, just a few days into the system's life span, so don't be surprised if you see a third-party manufacturer release a higher-capacity battery in the near future.

Transferring Wii Content

We're lucky that Nintendo allows customers to transfer content from their Wiis to begin with, but the process is ultimately cumbersome due to the Wii U's DRM requirements.

It's complicated: connect a Wii and a Wii U to the Internet, register an SD card online to your Wii U, copy your Wii data to the same SD card, and then copy the data from the SD card to the Wii U. This is facilitated by the Wii Transfer Tool, which must be installed on each system.

Are you having fun yet?

As it stands, the current process only accounts for items installed to your Wii's system memory, meaning that anything on the SD card in the Wii must be copied to the system, or redownloaded, before transferring. What's worse, the Wii menu on the Wii U only allows you to use the same amount of internal memory as the Wii, even though the Wii U has considerably more available. That means you'll still have to use the SD card to store WiiWare and Virtual Console games that don't fit within the 512MB allotted. Also, once you transfer any software from a Wii to a Wii U, your Wii will never again be able to use that license to play the software.

At the end of the day, it's rare that hardware manufacturers are able to include every feature under the sun at an affordable price. The Wii U does many things well, but so much of its promise is lost on the inferior tech in the GamePad and the console. It will be interesting to see how these are addressed down the road, but at the moment, it seems that the Wii U is anything but next-gen tech. Is it unrealistic to expect Nintendo to do more than simply innovate? Its intent came from a good place, but the result leaves a lot to be desired.