Wii U discussion and upcoming news

[Doctor MK]

Hot on the heels of Pac-Man's announcement in Smash Bros, two classic Pac-Man games are now available on the eShop in the US... and you can get them for 30%!

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/06/pac_land_and_pac_man_collection_chomp_onto_north_american_wii_u_virtual_console

 

Pac-Land for NES and Pac-Man Collection for GBA. Anyone chomping at the bit?

[Marcello]

Those PDP Gamecube Classic Controllers:

 

 

 

They actually look really nice. Don't forget that they're Classic Controllers in function, as in they have to connect to the Wii Remote.

 

Along with the forthcoming adapter that'll let people play Super Smash Bros on Wii U with their old GameCube controllers, the peripheral company PDP is making some custom GameCube-style controllers for Nintendo's new console. We saw them today, and they look just lovely.

Stephen Totilo and I found the three controllers, officially named the "wired fight pad," on the show floor at E3 today. They were on display with matching wiimotes, though the wiimotes are official Nintendo products, not made by PDP.
 
Vital stats: The PDP reps said that all three controllers will be a limited run, and will be available for pre-order at Gamestop starting now. I can't find them on the Gamestop site, so who knows how limited they are or when orders are officially open, but it sounds like it'll be soon. The PDP site lists them as going for $24.99.
The controllers differ from a classic GameCube controller in a few ways - they have two matching thumbsticks, they have two shoulder buttons and a "home" button, which will let them work much like a Wii classic controller pro. As for the wiimotes, the Yoshi wiimote will only be available in Europe, and the other two will be available in North America at least. 3

 http://kotaku.com/the-new-wii-u-gamecube-controllers-are-super-hot-1588991448?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Twitter&utm_source=Kotaku_Twitter&utm_medium=Socialflow

[Mr Useful]

Those PDP Gamecube Classic Controllers:

 

 

They actually look really nice. Don't forget that they're Classic Controllers in function, as in they have to connect to the Wii Remote.

Man I can't wait to use them with this baby

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/17/adapter-turns-classic-controller-into-gamecube-controller/

Just so I can fuck with people.

[Willsy]

How will they work with the Nintendo adapter though? The adapter is for the GameCube controller ports.

[Marcello]

They don't. They're actually Wii Classic Controllers designed to look like GC controllers. Smash Bros will recognize them as the Classic Controller and not as a GC controller.

[Autosaver]

I think it's dumb they went the Classic Controller route. Sure it makes easy compatibility for both the Wii and Wii U but I would have preferred if it acted as a wireless Gamecube controller on the Wii U. Like.. no one likes being stuck with a wire. Wireless would have been a great convenience.

[Autosaver]

 

Found this online. Apparently Bestbuy has some decent coupons they were giving away while people were pre-ordering Smash Bros. I doubt you actually have to preorder the title and these were just fliers. $20 off a Wii U game or $30 off a Wii U is a pretty good deal. $299.99 for Mario Kart 8 bundle.

[Voyant]

Nintendo making somewhat of a come back to make the WII-U atleast profitable is starting to become a possible reality. It would be absolutely insane if they manage to turn this around.

 

What I don't like however is that if they do manage to turn this around and keep up their momentum...will this just solidify their poor choices and way of thinking? Or will they learn from this? Hypothetically speaking.

[Autosaver]

 

Nintendo making somewhat of a come back to make the WII-U atleast profitable is starting to become a possible reality.

 

Wii U is already profitable right now. They make money per a unit sold.

 

I think they did learn some from this. They totally revamped their network, sped up their OS, added more support, and are releasing a lot of cool games.

[Willsy]

I think Nintendo can really turn the Wii U around. With the success of Mario Kart 8, they just need to do the same for Smash and other big games and the Wii U will start to gain some more public interest.

[Doctor MK]

Pac-Land and Pac-Man Collection are out now on the European eShop too, both at a 30% discount until 16th June.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/06/pac_land_and_pac_man_collection_both_arrive_on_wii_u_eshop_in_europe

[StaticMania]

That's some good stuff, PacMan Arrangement is the best part of the PacMan Collection.

[Badnik Mechanic]

 

Dawwwwww...

[Willsy]

So in case some of you haven't heard, the DS Virtual Console has now launched in Japan and Europe with Brain Training.

The best part is, it's free until the 3rd of July! Download it now and get training you old gits!

Nah just kidding you're all young and beautiful...

[Candescence]

Miyamoto has confirmed that he and others at Nintendo are thinking about both 2D and 3D Metroid, with Prime being specified for the latter.

 

Oh, my.

[Indigo Rush]

In ...Other news, they totally glossed over one particular entry. So that particular entry should no longer exist.

 

Good.

[-blank-]

Oh sweet, a Yoshi Classic Gamecube-esque controller and a Yoshi Wiimote. Do want. Do want bad-

 

the Yoshi wiimote will only be available in Europe

 

Well, frick.

[Skyward Sword]

Don't see why you can't import one. Although are Wiimotes region-free?

[azoo]

You know what's surreal about all of this?

 

E3 this year was like us all gathering around making the world's most unrealistic Christmas present list. We all asked for things we expected, long forgotten and/or practically dead franchises, rock-solid passion and surpassed expectations.

 

And we got all of it. (Even hugs and love from the developers!)

 

The fact that we we're going from having a tiny, almost insignificant Wii U library to this..

 

 

Super Mario 3D World

Legend of Zelda U (TBA final title)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Metroid Prime U (TBA final title)

Star Fox U (TBA final title)

Yoshi's Wooly World

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Pokken Fighters (announced outside E3 a week or two ago)

Splatoon!

The Wonderful 101

Pikmin 3

Nintendoland

Game & Wario

Bayonetta 1 + 2

Xenoblade Chronicles X

New Super Mario Bros U

Hyrule Warriors

Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD

Devil's Third

Mario Kart 8

Super Smash Bros. 4 Wii U

 

..is incredible.

 

Nintendo's comin' back, baybee. ;<;

[Marcello]

You know what's surreal about all of this?

 

E3 this year was like us all gathering around making the world's most unrealistic Christmas present list. We all asked for things we expected, long forgotten and/or practically dead franchises, rock-solid passion and surpassed expectations.

 

And we got all of it. (Even hugs and love from the developers!)

 

The fact that we we're going from having a tiny, almost insignificant Wii U library to this..

 

 

..is incredible.

 

Nintendo's comin' back, baybee. ;<;

 

Pokkén wasn't announced. There's only been a trademark.

 

Metroid Prime U hasn't been announced either, even though it certainly seems like it's being made.

[Willsy]

It's spectacular that Nintendo have woken up this quickly, the effort they made with Mario Kart 8 was a massive surprise and they went even further with E3. I'm really looking forward to what they will do with Smash in terms of marketing, if they can at least do Mario Kart 8 levels of marketing that would be really good. But why not go even further?

A lot of nice surprises at E3 though, Yoshi's Woolly World and Splatoon are absolute must-haves!

2015 is going to be expensive. ;_;

[azoo]

Saying that they've got a direction they're going with both 2D and 3D Metroid seems pretty much like a really shifty way of saying "oh yeah, we're making Metroid games but they're early in development, so nothing yet". Reggie was already poking about it from last year so there's that, too.

 

Also there was that leak a while back of a picture of assumedly Pokken, as in an official bit of artwork done for it, confirming it's existence beyond a tech demo. And yeah, that basically means it wasn't officially announced, but it's been confirmed. I wouldn't be surprised if we heard of it in a Direct about a month or two from now.

[Marcello]

The "Pokken" picture was from a retrospective of the series. It was to show what the series could look like in the future.

 

I'm definitely convinced a new First-Person Metroid and a new 2D Metroid are currently in development, I was even before these comments, but they weren't announced is all I'm saying =P

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

hmmmm, my question is right now, is why was nothing from Namco shown off, we know they have a deal of some sort for a new game, And its right about time for a new spinoff development from Namco specialy with the need for more games

 

Pokken Fighters seems a likely candidate, though the question of why it wasn't shown off at E3 is a curious one, a couple possibilities are:

A) they already had a ton of games to show off E3, and thought it would be a great thing to show off in the next direct, for a release near the end of summer or beginning of Fall as a big surprise

B ) its still early development, and they weren't ready to show it off, or it was going to be a 2015 release so they decided to wait

C)Its realitively close to relase, but also want to do a shock and awe release to get some good hype, and they didn't want it to get confused or diluted by Smash at E3

 

Fact is that since it is most likely a Wii-u fighting game, they will want to do a stand alone announcement and release, either 2-3 months before or after SSB4wii-u, so there isn't dilution of confusion at either release, so that would have to be before November, or after February

So if its coming out this year, expect news in the next direct with a release date, or a 2015 release date

 

Registering it this year however is an indicator for a release this year however

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

well here is something interesting, sorry for the double post

http://www.gonintendo.com/s/230917-reggie-on-mario-kart-8-longtail-sales-splatoon-single-player-new-ip-attracting-kids-to-nintendo-brands

 

Reggie on Mario Kart 8 longtail sales, Splatoon single-player, new IP, attracting kids to Nintendo brands

Jun 13, 2014 by RawmeatCowboy

A portion of a GamesBeat interview with Reggie Fils-Aime...

GamesBeat: There’s still a relative success, where people may expect you to achieve more. Mario Kart has shown good numbers, but it’s lower than it would have been if you had a higher installed base. There’s some good and there’s still some challenges.

Reggie: This is what makes us different from all the other publishers. We have launched Mario Kart 8 roughly a year and a half into the life of Wii U. That game is going to sell in big numbers now through the end of life. That’s a very different proposition than what many other publishers do. They annualize their content. They launch and the content is gone four months later. Because of the high quality of our software, because they really are system-selling must-have games, they sell for years and years.

We’re still selling Mario Kart DS when that product was launched in 2005. We’re still selling New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. That was launched, I think, in 2008? We sell product for years. The argument of, boy, maybe Nintendo should have waited until the installed base was higher? No. These games drive our installed base.

GamesBeat: Is there a single-player campaign?

Reggie: We’re not showing single-player, but as I said, the developers have a lot more modes coming.

GamesBeat: I’ve seen quite a few games that have multiplayer only, is why I ask. In some ways that seems like a good way for smaller companies to cut budgets and save time. But it also seems like it’s a direction gamers are going in.

Reggie: I’d disagree on that last point. I think gamers want a full-featured experience. I think it’s actually a mistake to cut out modes. Now, certain games, in the way they’re conceptualized, they are what they are. I played Rainbow Six: Siege, Ubi’s five-on-five game. The innovation there is that it’s a one-shot kill. Now there’s strategy to it, which makes that interesting. I don’t know if they’re going to have a mode where all of the other entities are non-playable characters. That doesn’t seem like a lot of fun to me. I think it needs to be that online multiplayer to bring it to life.

So it depends on the game. But in the first-person shooter genre, I would argue that not having a fully featured campaign mode, in this day and age, would be a bit of a mistake. Even though all of the hours played are likely going to be in multiplayer.

GamesBeat: Certain sectors and markets are always under attack by competitors. The kids’ market seems like one of those. Free-to-play and mobile have really gone after that market. How do you hang on to this segment that’s so important?

Reggie: It’s critical for us to have kids grow into and aspire to play Nintendo content. I think about how I introduced my kids to Mario and to The Legend of Zelda. We have to find ways to do that today. We’re doing it in a variety of different ways. We had about 10 kids here yesterday, unique kids — kids who write for Time for Kids, kids who have their own YouTube channels. We had them interacting with Mr. Miyamoto and playing our games. They had a fabulous time. We think that type of activity, and having the kids themselves broadcast out what they found appealing, is critically important.

We’re doing things around our web presence. We’re going to be launching, later this year, a dedicated kids and parents portal that speaks directly to kids and introduces them to our franchises. It gives moms and dads some fun activities – how to plan a Mario-themed birthday party. Things that we know parents are interested in, but there’s not a ready resource. That kind of information doesn’t exist on Nintendo.com today. It’s a day to day job for us to create messaging and content for kids and parents to keep filling the funnel of new consumers to play our games.

Full interview here