Wii U’s Controller May Have Seen Some Changes

@RETARD said:

@GreatNorthern said:

Still have no idea what to think about the Wii U

You are not the only one...

Nope, I'm with you.

@GreatNorthern: That makes two of us.

Do you rest it on the 3DS stand to use it?

@JesterPC238:Yea, I think we all feel a little burned by Nintendo in some regards. They got a little too comfortable with their Wii Fit/Mario Kart money to really care what happened with other games. They keep reiterating that they learned their lesson, though. Wii sales quickly dropped and their "arrogance" in terms of price and focus on 3D as the main gimmick was simply the wrong way to launch the 3DS.

A small indicator that they're trying is the reason we're currently here in this comment thread: the change from slide pads to traditional sticks that are clickable which finally enables the same control inputs as the 360/PS3 controllers do. What Randy Pitchfork (Gearbox) recently said in the Aliens: Colonial Marines interview was also very promising: they wouldn't put their game on Wii U if it didn't offer what they needed for their online multiplayer - so they're seemingly taking this seriously as well (about damn time!). Some Ubisoft dude praised the online features last year as well.

Now it's just a question whether they can pull it all off successfully and soon. Probably everything won't be perfect at launch (as history suggests) but if they come out of the gate strong with first party titles (Pikmin 3 just HAS to be a launch title ... and I can totally see the advantage of the touchscreen for that game!) and keep building on the third party titles so they/we don't have to miss out on key titles (all those delays to 2013 make people like me hopeful that this means those games might actually get a Wii U port after all [most notably BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider - both currently on my pre-order list for PC]).

I've been reading the (absolutely INSANE!) speculation thread on NeoGAF for a few months and in between the hilarious gifs, people have dreamt up some crazy cool ideas. A recent example was for a possible Eternal Darkness sequel where two players play cooperatively and they both are in the same place together but they see different things (one player sees enemies that the other player doesn't see, or a happy/dark version of the same room). I found that extremely interesting, even though it was just a random idea from a dude on GAF.

Same as you, I'm waiting to see if they can deliver. Gameplay wise, the second screen with touch interface combined with the camera on the controller including motion sensors, a speaker and microphone, open up so many cool possibilities. All they have to do is just show some of them as real games this year.

P.S. Yea, Lego City Stories has me so pumped! All the madness that the Lego universe allows in a big open-world-ish city? I'm totally in! (There was said to be even some parcours stuff?!)

P.P.S: Oh and I enjoyed our very reasonable debate as well! Could've easily turned into a flame war with some people ;)

@DeF: I think I just feel a little burned by Nintendo and that kind of stuff. At any rate though, I'm ready and willing to eat my words come E3. I just need to see some interesting, exclusive experiences played on stage and hear hands on impressions from journalists I trust.

The Wii was supposed to have "enhanced" ports as well, and that turned out to be a joke in most cases, and it wasn't just because of graphics, it was mostly because of the crazy controller. What does the Wii U do that's new? Offer a NEW crazy controller. For instance, it seems cool that Ghost Recon will offer a Drone camera on the controller, in fact, that kind of thing would be awesome in a number of games, but it could potentially get in the way of the experience, making the game more of a chore to play. I'm not saying that I think that will definitely happen, but the potential is there.

At the end of the day, I'm very hopeful that the console will be amazing, and would be happy to buy it if it is. Thing is, I don't know what to think, and given that it is supposedly coming out within a year, that makes me a little bit pessimistic. I'm glad that people are optimistic though, and I hope to join that camp when E3 rolls around, Nintendo just needs to make me. In any case, it is a fascinating conversation, and one you have my thanks for indulging me in!

P.S. Lego City Stories does sound crazy cool

@JesterPC238: I totally understand and agree that there hasn't been anything shown last year that makes anyone say "wow!". Until the E3 blowout, all we can talk about is promise and potential and from my perspective there is a lot of potential in the area of asymmetrical co-op and new mechanics to draw you into the game world with the controller. That's why the promise is actually not about "equivalent" ports but "enhanced" ports (while port can come with bad connotation, that will probably only be true for very early titles that started development on other systems while later games simple are multiplatform titles).

That dev demo they did with Ubisoft last year showed some really cool stuff with that weird Killer Freaks game in terms of multiplayer. So did the Ghost Recon Online demo where one player had a drone with a camera flying around that showed the drone view on the tablet while you keep playing on the TV. That's where my excitement (and I think that of most other people who are excited for the system) comes from.

With previous generations it was easier to point at something simply because most of the advances happened in the graphics area. The first 3D to the pre-HD era looked remarkably better, so did everything when we jumped to HD. This won't happen this time. Layman feedback on the Unreal Engine 4 screenshots indicated that. It's not something you immediately notice. In that case, it was all about little details like particles and lighting-tech. The next leap will be behind the scenes stuff (more improved online/social stuff, RAM and processing power dedicated to A.I. or smaller effects, not necessarily more polygons and sharper textures. I bet you now, you probably will not see something about the next Xbox or PlayStation that immediately makes us say "wow" as when we saw the first Killzone 2 video (which was BS but the actual game still looks mighty awesome).

Of course, it's hard to get excited since they didn't talk about much so far and have just shown their short "ideas" trailer that was made up of stupid Wii Sports graphics with Miis. But I'd bet that you'll be at least a little more excited once you finally see their actual first party games (Retro Studio's new game should be very interesting) and exclusive stuff like Lego City Stories (a Lego-take on the basic GTA formula) or what kind of enhancements devs thought up for the "multiplat-ports" (Darksiders 2's inventory-on-the-controller-solution might not sound particularly clever but might show whether or not it really is cool to have a HUD-free gameplay-screen at all times). Still, I'm well aware that they have a lot to prove at this E3 to everybody - not just those "lost core gamers" they want back, but also their longtime fans.

As you can see, I'm very optimistic but that possibly just comes from the fact that I like pretty much anything that does something interesting and new (which is why I keep buying a lot of those games that get reviewed with a 7/10).

@DeF: You are 100% correct, which is why my excitement is dulled. I don't think it's going to be a bad console, I just worry that when so many people already have Xboxes and PS3s that the promise of "equivalent" ports of 3rd party games isn't going to be enough to sell units. Again, I'm not hating on Nintendo, they just haven't given me a reason to plop down hundreds of dollars for a new console.

Generally when a new generation starts, there is something that makes you say "wow." Maybe I'm just getting older and more jaded, but every generation in the past I've been floored by something. That hasn't happened with the Wii U.

Of course, my argument could go out the window, Mario and Zelda sell like hotcakes, that may be enough for them.

@JesterPC238 said:

@DeF said:

@braveortega: Why do you assume that there will only be "cheap minigames"? the SNES, N64, GCN didn't have "only cheap minigames" between the big first party franchises.

Just because the Wii was a weird case with tons and tons of crapware doesn't mean it's gonna be like that with every other system?

Are Darksiders, Aliens: CM, Metro: Last Light, Assassin's 3 (obviously there will be tons more announced at E3) cheap minigames?

@JesterPC238 said:

I love Zelda and Mario as much as the next guy, but I also like games about driving fast, shooting things, and fighting monstrous horrors. I hope they pull it off though.

I point to Dirt, Battlefield, Aliens: CM, Metro Last Light, AC3 and Darksiders II. has you covered on all fronts for now - and those are just the few titles/franchises they announced last year. They want those people they lost back, they know that they need strong stuff.

I find it baffling that so many people just expect a simple repeat of the previous generation. (just look at how different things turned out every time (16bit -> 3D era -> pre-HD era -> online/motion control era). Things always turned out different than before.

But all of the games you mentioned are coming out either simultaneously with the 360 and PS3 versions, or are being released anywhere from months to years after they came out on the other consoles. I mean if you only bought a Wii this gen and you only want to buy a Wii U next gen than you will be set, and that's great. For me personally, I can play any of those games on my Xbox or PS3.

I think the reason I'm so hesitant is that all of the coverage of the Wii U that I've seen (the E3 stuff from last year comes to mind) looks very similar to the Wii. I hope to be proven wrong though, I love Nintendo, and I've owned every single console they've released (aside from the Virtual Boy), so I'd be perfectly happy to buy a Wii U if Nintendo gives me a reason to. As it stands though, I'm not holding my breath, and I'm certainly not going to be at any midnight releases.

Sure there'll be a lot of multiplatform titles (even though I own all platforms, I think that's still awesome news!). I kind of expected that argument, but now you're talking about exclusives and that's where it things get a little sketchy. Look at it this way: the high caliber 3rd party exclusive is pretty much dead due to how expensive game development has gotten. Nintendo already does a fine job with their first party titles and now it sounds like you expect them to also make games a) they have little to no experience in making and b) third parties are already making. They can't possibly start cranking out all the stuff they're known, loved and famous for AND on top of that produce sim racers, shooters and survival horror games (I'm guessing that was your third category?). It's just not reasonable. There might be a few cases (rumors suggest a sequel to Eternal Darkness might be on the way to Wii U) where that's possible but they cannot fill the hole on their own. Thus you kind of have to refer to third party franchises -> Darksiders, AC3, etc. The other problem for now is that I can only repeat the same 4-5 games over and over because that's all they announced last year and the Nintendo Ninjas are hidden on publishers and developers offices to watch over the NDAs that they all signed so nobody announces new games for Wii U before E3.

What you're gonna get for the first year will be enhanced multiplatform titles (looking at that strike mode from CODBLOPS2 that sounds like it was made for the Wii U controller or the scanner in Aliens Colonial Marines) that lkook a little closer to the PC version than their other console counterparts.

Expectations have to be somewhat reasonable. They won't get an Metal Gear Solid/Halo/gears-type 3rd Party exclusive all of a sudden.

@DeF said:

@braveortega: Why do you assume that there will only be "cheap minigames"? the SNES, N64, GCN didn't have "only cheap minigames" between the big first party franchises.

Just because the Wii was a weird case with tons and tons of crapware doesn't mean it's gonna be like that with every other system?

Are Darksiders, Aliens: CM, Metro: Last Light, Assassin's 3 (obviously there will be tons more announced at E3) cheap minigames?

@JesterPC238 said:

I love Zelda and Mario as much as the next guy, but I also like games about driving fast, shooting things, and fighting monstrous horrors. I hope they pull it off though.

I point to Dirt, Battlefield, Aliens: CM, Metro Last Light, AC3 and Darksiders II. has you covered on all fronts for now - and those are just the few titles/franchises they announced last year. They want those people they lost back, they know that they need strong stuff.

I find it baffling that so many people just expect a simple repeat of the previous generation. (just look at how different things turned out every time (16bit -> 3D era -> pre-HD era -> online/motion control era). Things always turned out different than before.

But all of the games you mentioned are coming out either simultaneously with the 360 and PS3 versions, or are being released anywhere from months to years after they came out on the other consoles. I mean if you only bought a Wii this gen and you only want to buy a Wii U next gen than you will be set, and that's great. For me personally, I can play any of those games on my Xbox or PS3.

I think the reason I'm so hesitant is that all of the coverage of the Wii U that I've seen (the E3 stuff from last year comes to mind) looks very similar to the Wii. I hope to be proven wrong though, I love Nintendo, and I've owned every single console they've released (aside from the Virtual Boy), so I'd be perfectly happy to buy a Wii U if Nintendo gives me a reason to. As it stands though, I'm not holding my breath, and I'm certainly not going to be at any midnight releases.

It's massive and there's soooo much extra space above and below the screen. At least the size and contouring will mean it feels nothing like holding a Wiimote horizontally. -1/+1

Wait, shoulder buttons and triggers? On this giant goddamn monster?

fuuuuuuuuuck

I really wish they wouldn't call it the Wii U. The whole idea of "Apple branding" worked for the last console, but this time around, they really need to get away from a name that many people associate with some of the most egregious offenses of shovelware in history.

I would honestly love it if they just called it Dolphin.

@wewantsthering said:

Like everyone else, I just can't picture wanting to hold this controller for more than ten minutes...

Lots of entitlement, exaggeration, and sour grapes up in this comment section. Entertaining stuff.

@jNerd said:

"The start and select buttons have BEER moved".

You act like that was a typo. I am in fact moved.

Still amazed this got out. The casual nature of the tweet before it was removed made me think the QA chap in question had no clue about the importance of NDAs. I won't be surprised if he got, as us British types say, a severe bollocking.

Like everyone else, I just can't picture wanting to hold this controller for more than ten minutes...

@MezzerliptikJay said:

id hate to think how many of these things hardcore console gamers are going to get through and the costs damn?

360 controllers normally last about two months with the constant button mashing, i can already see in the future videos of the busted wii u controllers and alot of angry people!

Two months? What the fuck are you doing to your controllers? I've only ever had ONE controller turn to shit on me ever, and it was a lame third-party one for the Gamecube.

I'm not one to usually dabble in dumb internet memes, but if playing videogames leads to you having to replace controllers every two or three months, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

Give me awesome first party Nintendo games and I'll buy one.

After the 3DS they're going to need a strong launch line up for this. I imagine they know this though, so hopefully we'll see something good. Perhaps the new IP Miyamoto is said to be working on?

@GreatNorthern said:

Still have no idea what to think about the Wii U

You are not the only one...

I hate this Nintendo sucks they ruin gaming EVERYTHING IS THEIR FAULT

why is there a feeling inside me telling me this is going to flop?

Looks like it might use the same charger as the 3DS.
 
@Athenor said:

It's not all that hard to find diagrams of the back of the console, guys.

@Claude said:

@jmood88 said:

This thread is in desperate need of some more Nintendo fanboys to entertain me with ridiculous excuses.

I would entertain you, but the console isn't out yet. But you're entertaining me just fine. Keep up the good work.

I do it for the fans.

This thread is in desperate need of some more Nintendo fanboys to entertain me with ridiculous excuses.

@jmood88 said:

@MezzerliptikJay said:

id hate to think how many of these things hardcore console gamers are going to get through and the costs damn?

360 controllers normally last about two months with the constant button mashing, i can already see in the future videos of the busted wii u controllers and alot of angry people!

What in the world are you doing with your controllers? I still have all of the controllers I've gotten with the systems, I've never had to replace a controller because of use, and I play a lot of games.

To be fair; the controllers that come with my 360 are fine, but I have gone though three of those with the new D-Pad. I don't know if those are made cheaper or what, but I have had problems with them.

@Willy105 said:

@jmood88 said:

@Patman99

Man, I hate the name. Wii is a fine name but I dont know why they dont just create a new name for their new console.

Wii is a horrible name. I still don't know why they didn't just stick with Revolution, that name looks and sounds cool in any language.

Revolution was a great code-name (it told you the premise of the system), but it would not have worked as a social phenomenon without the Wii name. Revolution just sounds like your standard videogame console name, which would have turned off most of the Wii's audience on the spot.

I don't see how that ridiculous-looking name contributed to the console being a social phenomenom, it was more about it being cheaper than the other two consoles with a couple games that the non-game playing public could get into easily.

@MezzerliptikJay said:

id hate to think how many of these things hardcore console gamers are going to get through and the costs damn?

360 controllers normally last about two months with the constant button mashing, i can already see in the future videos of the busted wii u controllers and alot of angry people!

What in the world are you doing with your controllers? I still have all of the controllers I've gotten with the systems, I've never had to replace a controller because of use, and I play a lot of games.

This thread is in desperate need of some more Nintendo fanboys to entertain me with ridiculous excuses.

@braveortega: Why do you assume that there will only be "cheap minigames"? the SNES, N64, GCN didn't have "only cheap minigames" between the big first party franchises.

Just because the Wii was a weird case with tons and tons of crapware doesn't mean it's gonna be like that with every other system?

Are Darksiders, Aliens: CM, Metro: Last Light, Assassin's 3 (obviously there will be tons more announced at E3) cheap minigames?

@JesterPC238 said:

I love Zelda and Mario as much as the next guy, but I also like games about driving fast, shooting things, and fighting monstrous horrors. I hope they pull it off though.

I point to Dirt, Battlefield, Aliens: CM, Metro Last Light, AC3 and Darksiders II. has you covered on all fronts for now - and those are just the few titles/franchises they announced last year. They want those people they lost back, they know that they need strong stuff.

I find it baffling that so many people just expect a simple repeat of the previous generation. (just look at how different things turned out every time (16bit -> 3D era -> pre-HD era -> online/motion control era). Things always turned out different than before.

@Jolt92 said:

It may look like a toy but at least Nintendo-controllers are actually durable. I'm looking at you Xbox 360-controller (which is almost the perfect controller in other ways).

edit: And who cares if it looks like a toy, games are toys...

No idea what you're doing with your "toys", but the two "toys" I've had for 3+ years are doing just fine.

id hate to think how many of these things hardcore console gamers are going to get through and the costs damn?

360 controllers normally last about two months with the constant button mashing, i can already see in the future videos of the busted wii u controllers and alot of angry people!

I don't know why Nintendo makes things different for the sake of being different. Having the analog sticks above the buttons makes no sense whatsoever.

@Patman99

Man, I hate the name. Wii is a fine name but I dont know why they dont just create a new name for their new console.

Wii is a horrible name. I still don't know why they didn't just stick with Revolution, that name looks and sounds cool in any language.

"The start and select buttons have BEER moved".

Is it just me or does this look like it needs to be resting on your lap while you use it?

Man, I hate the name. Wii is a fine name but I dont know why they dont just create a new name for their new console.

@Xeirus: Was that YOU under the overpass last weekend? Look, I just had a flat, I wasn't "cruising for love" as you so boldly put it.

:p

More on the topic, I don't know who Nintendo is trying to appeal to with this... Thing, but they need to show me that the device has value, and will be used intelligently in grown up games. I love Zelda and Mario as much as the next guy, but I also like games about driving fast, shooting things, and fighting monstrous horrors. I hope they pull it off though.

I don't know why Nintendo makes things different for the sake of being different. Having the analog sticks above the buttons makes no sense whatsoever.

Midway through Wii's life I decided that I am just gonna stop hating on Nintendo because despite the crazy controllers they put out each system they still put out decent Mario and Zelda games here and there that I can totally understand people enjoying even if I have long since moved on from Nintendo products. This controller just piques some morbid curiousity in me though that I can't help, feelings like "Am I missing something? Who is gonna want this? How can this not be a disaster?" So you're gonna be able to pick Link's boomerang and bombs off the Wii-U controller, that seems useful in that situation but is the average person gonna want this thing sitting around on a coffee table for four years between Zelda games while the rest of the games are gonna be some kind of cheap minigames, the ones that began to swamp the Wii when it became obvious no serious third parties wanted to develop for it.

@Kaarloss said:

Its basically going to be a big ds isn't it? commence ports of existing 3ds and ds games.

Maybe replace minigame collections this time around with up-resed DS and 3DS games?

Either way the possibilities for this controller don't begin to flood my mind the way they did after the first e3 with the Wii of the crazy things you might be able to do with it. Even with the seeming boundlessness of motion control scenarios at the outset the Wii, it just became a punchline for dust collecting jokes between Mario and Zelda releases. Could this thing be a uDraw tablet on a much larger and visible scale? I'm just not seeing it.

@gunslingerNZ: MY reading comprehesion?

Okay how's this?

EVERYONE, gunslingerNZ DOESN"T LIKE NINTENTO'S WIIU CONTROLLER!!! AND HE NEVER HAS LIKED ANY OF THEM!!!

Now can you stop bringing me into this? As if I give a crap. troll.

Its basically going to be a big ds isn't it? commence ports of existing 3ds and ds games.

It's not all that hard to find diagrams of the back of the console, guys.

@MideonNViscera said:

@ptys said:

The magic word is thinner. If they change the name and make the controller a little less clunky I could be interested.

The name matters? If it's good they can call it "Nintendo Incest: Fuck Your Family" and I'll play it. If it sucks they can name it after me and I'll still pass.

Haha. Wii U is pretty awful name, there is word they're going to announce a different name. I'm prob. going PC next gen so Nintendo is possibly the only candidate for console as they have the exclusives... unless Sony get their act together, but wouldn't bet on it.

@Lucidlife said:

If it's 1080p with proper online I will purchase. If not, then no.

It does look uncomfortable to hold especially where they placed the sticks but the iPad is a TERRIBLE design and people seem to have no problem with it. So I will wait and see.

I want what you're smoking.

Never really paid attention to the WiiU controller, but it's a good thing they moved the Start(+) and Select(-) buttons closer to were your hands are going to be.

As for everyone that has been saying that it going to be uncomfortable, I said the same thing about the N64 controller as a kid. (3 handles?, the fuck?) but turned out to be very comfy. Probably should wait 'till they do their pre-release hype tours before passing judgement.

@fishless: Exactly, It may be Nintendo's best controller for FPS but their track record is so poor that this is still a bungle and not a serious effort at winning back favour with core gamers. I take what Randy said to be more of a backhanded compliment, for example: "the previous post was the most excellent display of reading comprehension I've seen from fishless in this thread!" I don't see why you couldn't understand my meaning...

@gunslingerNZ:

Pitchford said it's Nintendo's best controller for1stpersonshooters. I originally said

@fishless said:

Looks like Nintendo really is getting more serious about winning back favor with core gamers!

You say:

You really believe that? How could you possibly play a "core" game with that controller, it would be an impossible, uncomfortable nightmare.

I point to what Pitchford says. And he has a controller. So I will take his word for it.

And you say:

That's not exactly saying much...

Are arguing with me about something I didn't say? Did I say anything like this is the greatest controller ever? no. I said

@fishless said:

Looks like Nintendo really is getting more serious about winning back favor with core gamers!

@IronScimitar said:

The Wii U is gonna be a pain in the ass to capture for QLs.

Haha, had not thought about this!

@gunslingerNZ said:

@fishless:

Pitchford also called the Wii U controller the "best controller I've ever had from Nintendo for a hardcore first-person shooter."

That's not exactly saying much...

@habibyjohnson said:

Its also shaped exactly like a normal contoller apart from it being wider

No it is shaped nothing like a normal controller, here is an artists impression:

I would have thought the difference was pretty obvious, one was designed for humans.

Most of people who tried WiiU controller at E3 2011 said that it is comfortable.

@fishless:

Pitchford also called the Wii U controller the "best controller I've ever had from Nintendo for a hardcore first-person shooter."

That's not exactly saying much...

@habibyjohnson said:

Its also shaped exactly like a normal contoller apart from it being wider

No it is shaped nothing like a normal controller, here is an artists impression:

I would have thought the difference was pretty obvious, one was designed for humans.