The road to Wii U

When we were first introduced to the Wii U at E3 2012, we weren’t all that impressed. In fact much of the highlights consisted of prerecorded video of Wii U usage. Since then, much more in the way of pricing and features have emerged that might have gamers taking a second look at the Wii U.

Nintento Wii U Release Date and Pricing was announced in September during a presentation in New York. The presentation was lengthy and felt more like a casual E3 event than a press detailing. Regardless, that was when Nintendo made a play for a broader audience and essentially reintroduced the Wii U.

The result? Nintendo TVii. TVii firmly places entertainment on the Wii U and shows Nintendo’s commitment to delivering more than a family friendly gaming device. Now sporting apps like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and integration with existing TiVo and cable devices, the Wii U looks like a more rounded family entertainment device.

Games

In the past, Nintendo has been criticized for lack of launch games. This time around Nintendo has made every effort to announce launch date titles and deliver projected release dates for launch window games.

The list of launch date games is decent for a new system and a solid start for Nintendo’s holiday push. Titles like ZombiU and Rayman Legends are sure to garner some sales while Nintendo hopes already released titles like Assassin’s Creed 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Mass Effect 3 have enough legs left in them to sell for the Wii U.

Though the list may be short in the first quarter of 2013, we expect early sales will dictate whether or not that number climbs in the new year.

Is the Wii U a buy?

If you’ve got an extra $349 (32GB; $299 for 8GB) to spend this holiday, then it’s not a bad way to spend it. If however, you’re like most folks and are looking to spend your money cautiously this year, then we label the Wii U a wait and see item.

There are still a lot of questions that can’t be answered yet. We don’t know how well TVii will work, whether Nintendoland is a secure environment, how well the technology promised (dual screens, etc.) in the Wii U work. Until we see the Wii U in an uncontrolled environment (ie the hands of gamers), it’s best to stick with the wait and see approach.

Your Thoughts

What do you think about the Wii U as a launch date or even 2012 holiday buy? Are you more or less excited about the Wii U than you are for new games? Let us know in the comments!

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Below are the game titles Wii U owners can expect to purchase at launch date along with a list of notable games set for release during the launch window which ends on March 31st, 2013.

Confirmed Wii U launch date game titles: November 18, 2012

• Assassin’s Creed III
• Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
• Call of Duty: Black Ops II
• Darksiders II
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• ESPN Sports Connection
• Game Party Champions
  
• Just Dance 4
• Madden NFL 13
• Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
• Mass Effect 3: Special Edition
• Nintendoland
  
• NBA 2K13
• Rabbids Land
• Rayman Legends
• Scribblenauts Unlimited
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
• Super Mario Bros. U
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2
• Transformers Prime The Game
• Wipeout (ABC)
• Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013
• ZombiU
  

Notables to be released before March 31st, 2013

• 007 Legends
  
• Bayonetta 2
• LEGO City Undercover
• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
• Pikmin 3
• SiNG Party
• Skylanders Giants
• The Wonderful 101
• Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
• Wii Fit U

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Now, those same months later, Nintendo held another press conference to announce the release date and price point for the Wii U consoles. The event lacked some of the fan fair, but felt very much like an E3 type presentation with guest speakers, live gameplay demos and a bevy of game trailers all designed to induce excitement in a console that has, up to this point, lacked anticipation.

Nintendo TVii

Give Nintendo credit, they didn’t waste much time after E3 in pushing entertainment integration to the list of features for the Wii U. The Wii U console will now feature Nintendo TVii for streaming media, television, movies and sports all powered by user’s existing sources of media consumption.

Services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, as well as existing DVRs and TiVos will be accessible from the Wii U GamePad and playable on either the GamePad itself or on a traditional television connected to the Wii U console.

The nearly hour long presentation surrounded a number of different Wii U aspects, not least of which was Nintendo TVii. Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, explained that Nintendo TVii wasn’t presented at E3 because they were waiting for the technology to be perfected. While that’s plausible, our opinion is that this move is more reactionary to the the other consoles huge entertainment push at E3.

Nintendo TVii Features

Regardless of why Nintendo TVii is being added, the fact that it’s being offered is good news. While no date was given for Nintendo TVii’s debut, other specifics were shared during the presentation that are worth noting.

Pricing

The most notable specific is that Nintendo TVii will be free with all consoles. That means no subscriptions or monthly fees in order to use it. That move is a direct shot across the bow of anyone who charges a fee to watch TV shows and movies from a third party service that they already pay for. The most glaring example being Xbox Live.

Personalization

Zach Fountain, Nintendo’s director of Network Business, demonstrated Nintendo TVii along with it’s personalization features. Each user has their own specific mii or avatar and as such, programs and viewing preferences are saved specifically to that mii. Essentially the personalized settings mean dad can focus on sports and the kids on cartoons and they never mix.

Each mii will have their own personalized show listings and history.

Controls

Nintendo TVii was shown to have five viewing parameters of Favorites, TV, Movies, Sports and Search. Wii U GamePads have unique touchscreen options for controlling favorite additions, episode recording (via DVR), friends and sharing with friends for added engagement.

Entertainment Selection

Show selection works across sources to ensure users only have to search once for a show. As an example, if a user searches for Bones, search results will display availability on both Netflix and Hulu Plus along with other sources where Bones is available. Along with show selection is a built-in circular disc shaped remote for controlling rewind, fast forward and other DVR type functions.

Finally, the GamePad will display show information while watching programs on the television as an accompaniment. Information may include movie previews, cast details, stats and scores, or any number of factoid type information relating to the program being viewed on the television. Tune into a program late? Nintendo TVii lets you backup so you can catch up.

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Release Date: 11/18/12
Price: $299.99 (basic) and $349.99 (premium)

Basic Wii U Package Details

The Basic package includes:

• 8GB memory
• 1 console unit
• 1 Wii U GamePad
• AC adapter for each
• 1 HDMI cable
• Wii U sensor bar
• $299.99

Premium Wii U Package Details

Premium package includes:

• 32GB memory
• All components of Basic package
• GamePad Charging Cradle
• Stands for GamePad and Console
• Nintendo Land
• $349.99

Earlier, information for Japanese release was shared via video and presented by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. It was shortly afterwards that the expectation for US release started to rise. The Japanese release date is set for December 8, 2012 and priced at 26,260 yen (basic) and 31,500 yen (premium).

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