Wii U: Don't Discount The Tablet ControllerNintendo has a long history of making great controllers that have changed the game for developers. They innovated with the D-Pad on the original NES, added the first commercially successful analog joystick with the N64 and changed the game industry forever with their motion-controlled Wii remotes. After having multiple hands-on experiences with the Wii U’s new controller we believe Nintendo has yet another well thought out and quirky interface that both gamers and developers will be excited to support.
One of the nice things about the new Wii U controller is that it adds to the gaming experience without taking away already existing functionality. The touchscreen at the center of the controller looks amazing and will definitely provide users with different ways of interacting with game environments. Nintendo has basically created a sphere of reality around the gamer with the new controller serving as a window into it. We have never seen anything like this, and it is definitely something you really have to try for yourself before you discount it.
A number of gamers, analysts, and talking heads have said that Nintendo will not have solid 3rd party support for the Wii U. We don’t see any reason why the controller would be a major factor in the Wii U not getting support from developers. Nintendo is not holding a gun to their head saying they have to use the touchscreen, so a number of 360 and PS3 ports would not require much work on the part of developers. The uncertainty surrounding the support of multiple Wii U controllers is an issue, but no other console has a touchscreen controller and the Wii U will be backwards compatible with existing Wii peripherals including the classic controller. Nintendo told us at CES that 3rd party developers have already received final devkits, so we would imagine that EA and other companies have a better idea about the support of multiple Wii U controllers than we do. Developers feed off of new console cycles for their own revenue growth, so it would be shocking to see them scoff at the chance of developing on a new system.
Many of the past launches of new Nintendo systems and controllers have been met with criticism and doubt, yet most of the time the Big N ends up having one of the hottest consumer electronics devices on the market. When the Wiimote was shown off, most gamers were left scratching their heads. The Wii went on to win the console war handily. With the Wii U, much of the criticism comes down to the size and weight of the controller. Having had it in our hands, we don’t believe this will be an issue. The button and circlepad placement is comfortable and it will be easy to hold with one hand. Though Nintendo didn’t confirm that the controller design is final, we definitely feel they are close to a finished product. It is just a matter of time now until the masses get a hold of this device and we think they will come away impressed.
At the time of this article our CEO, Asif A. Khan, CPA, his family members and/or Virtue LLC had the following positions:
- Long Nintendo
- Long Electronic Arts
At the time of this article our COO, Adam H. Kraus, JD, MBA, had the following positions:
- Long Nintendo
At the time of this article, clients of Panoptic Management Consultants Inc. had the following positions:
- Long Nintendo
