Many core gamers will ignore the Wii U

So now Nintendo has spilled the beans on its Wii U console, gamers  can  weigh up the possibilities of cost versus need more readily.  With a better understanding of the console’s capabilities as recently revealed over the last six months, all has become clear as many no doubt will pre-order or rush out to buy one come November; but on the flip side,  there will be a number of core gamers who simply won’t be interested in the Wii U at all.

It’s perhaps long overdue for Nintendo to make their entry into HD gaming, and now they finally have, are lodged in an awkward place in terms of where their gaming device sits amongst its peers, and how desirable the Wii U is to core audiences.

Owners of PS3s or Xboxes will no doubt be casting fleeting glances over at something new on the scene, but when faced with the prospective future, the choice to hold off seems more credible that jumping in head first.

Nintendo produces some fine first party titles, and has some of the most well known names in the business, but since Sony upped its game and Microsoft aggressively entered the market this gen, Nintendo has perhaps been nudged out as it focused its efforts on family and casual markets. In terms of accomplishing its aim, Nintendo managed great success, leaving the others playing catch up; yet, in terms of core audiences, the Wii wasn’t the machine to reel them in despite a number of key titles.

The Wii U comes at a time where many core gamers are expecting official news on next generation consoles and successors to  the PS3 and Xbox 360 , now the price of the Wii U (£329) is in the wild, the future is perhaps looking to be quite an expensive endeavour, to the point where some will likely save their pennies for next year. Cost aside and focusing on the software, there’s some interesting looking titles on offer for the Wii U and if Nintendo snagged a few more exclusives from the other side like they have done with Bayonetta 2, could provide them with some more core fans.

The software and the way it’s utilized with the gamepad is a major selling point for the Wii U, but considering the games graphics and structure look similar to what is already available on PS3 and Xbox, this possibly leaves core gamers with an easy choice of not dropping £340 to play versions of games they can get on current hardware and ignore the exclusive titles on the way.

When Xbox 360 and then the PS3 entered the market in 2005/6, there was enough buzz and difference to make the consoles stand above those before. The hype machine boasted bigger worlds, better and HD graphics, the works, whereas the Wii U doesn’t make the sort of claims core gamers are interested in.  In fact, Nintendo’s hype has been quite muted in comparison to how the Xbox and PS3 were presented back then.  Here lies the crux of the matter, as for some, the Wii U simply doesn’t offer the next generation experience many are expecting –  and perhaps expectations are too high in some cases.

Faced with a £329 investment in Nintendo’s family living room orientated console,  it’s a tough call, where some are likely to purchase the Wii U to  fill the void between now and new Xbox and PS4, whereas others are probably well secured to the proverbial fence with not much incentive or desire to wriggle free.

Nintendo has a tough campaign ahead, and if they can reel in some of the Wii audience in vast numbers – as they are expecting –  then who knows, perhaps they can survive without the need to accommodate the already settled core gamers.

Written by: Rob Cram

Rob Cram has hundreds of video game reviews, thousands of articles under his belt with years of experience in gaming and tech. He aims to remain fair and free from publisher/developer influence. With his extensive knowledge, feels his gaming opinions are valid and worth sharing. Agreement with his views are entirely optional. He might have a bias towards cyberpunk.