Wii U - Home

Should Pokémon TCG Come To Wii U?

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:51:04 +0000

My thoughts are yes. I have been eagerly awaiting a new console style Pokémon TCG ever since we were given the Game Boy Color. Of course back then there were numerous reasons why the game didn't do very well. No online connectivity being the main reason. With what is capable in technology now, I think the TCG could reinvent itself and hit a wider audience.

At one point in time, I was all about collecting the physical cards. This was primarily because I had a group of people who I could play with. Once that group went away, I was stuck with collecting cards for the sake of the card art. That simply wasn't enough for me to invest the time and money. No, I never participated in the Gym Leader challenges, though I was always tempted to. I figured that I did not have enough raw experience to make that leap.

So, the Pokémon Company decided to release TCG online. In the beginning, I was all for this. It seems like the right direction at least. The downside for me, is that I am not on the computer for games. I am certainly not checking out pokemon.com for serious gaming. So, I was thinking, "how can they improve upon this?" when the Wii U came to mind. Even more so than the 3DS, though, one could argue it could work better because of being portable. Let us just agree that this should be cross platform!

It could work so well with the Wii U controller! You would have the "feel" of a true card game in the palm or your hands! If the Wii U does support two controllers, then it would be ideal to have your cards on your own control, rather than the TV screen. With the online components we are promised by this system, it just makes sense. Downloadable Content (DLC) would be the easiest way to get the new cards. Whenever a new mechanic is added to the game, that can be altered via downloadable patches. Quick play via friends on our buddy list etc! I mean Magic The Gathering has an online version of their game (I played the demo on PS3) and they have a much larger fan base than Pokémon TCG. Pokémon really could take a page from their book and see what worked and what didn't.

I just imagine a game with all TCG cards ever made being available; from the first ever, to the newly released. Even as crazy as it may seem, after "unlocking" a feature you could play the "classic" TCG game - using all the original cards, rules etc. The possibilities are endless. This also would be something both Pokémon fans and Wii U enthusiasts wouldn't expect in my opinion. It would be more of a wow factor, depending on how much content is packed into it.

So, I have rambled enough. What are your thoughts?

Should You Avoid The Wii U?

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:46:54 +0000

During last year's E3 conference, Nintendo shell-shocked game developers and investors with news of the Wii U. For a moment, only the sounds of crickets filled the air within the auditorium walls. Regardless, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, maintained his composure and cut through the silence with the utmost confidence. The developers, investors and the global viewing audience took away one thing from Nintendo's presentation; confusion.

Since then, there's been a slew of rumors and speculation, both positive and negative, about the hardware capabilities that the Wii U is going to offer. Some sources say that the processing and graphical power of the Wii U is twice that of the Xbox 360. Other, more recent sources, claim that the Wii U is less powerful than the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Who's right? Well, no one really knows yet. In fact, Nintendo have recently decided that it has had enough and has commented to Yahoo with the following.

“We do not focus on technology specs. We understand that people like to dissect graphics and processing power, but the experience of playing will always be more important than raw numbers.”

Soon after Nintendo made that comment, investors were greeted with a message from David Gibson, an analyst in Japan with Macquarie Capital Securities. Gibson outlined three potentially big problems for Nintendo:

Wii U GPU is less powerful than Xbox360/PS3 according to developers, which means it has no edge besides the tablet interface to attract core users. Initial third-party titles are likely to be only ports from Xbox360/PS3 titles. A bundled WiiSports/Mario title may help initial sales beat Wii launch, but Wii was severely production-constrained and the surprise factor from Wii U is less.
iPad with its retina display shows where Apple is taking its 4 screen infrastructure, leaving Wii U less connected and less relevant. The GPU processing power for handsets is reaching consoles such that we think core gamers have no interest in buying into the Wii U. Apple might add in a controller to its line-up to be more attractive to core users. MocoSpace survey shows that 96% of gamers like to play their games at home, and with a better infrastructure we think iOS will be able to deliver a single game experience across four screens that Nintendo cannot.
Wii U will have 1-year window to gain installed base before PS4 (Orbis) and then Xbox Durango launch in late 2013. At that point, the core gamer that Nintendo is after for the first time will have no interest in Wii U. We understand that Activision has no plans to support Wii U, which means the biggest selling title of Call of Duty will be missing; Konami is also planning minimal support.

My questions are simple.

Are David's points valid when it comes to Nintendo?

Does Nintendo have to manufacture cutting-edge technology to provide its fan base with a unique gaming experience?

Does Nintendo have to start developing for mobile applications to maintain a certain level of interest amongst fans?

Wii U To Support Single Controller

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:15 +0000

April Fool's is over. I'm here to share some interesting news that has recently surfaced in regards to the controller support for the Wii U. Keep in mind that this is not confirmed by Nintendo, but definitely something to make note of. An undisclosed developer has recently told global video game news and information website, GamesIndustry International, some insightful details about the hardware support of the Wii U. Here's what the developer had to say.

"The whole thing about the tablet controller is that you only get one of them, and you can only use one and it's not completely independent," noted the source. "The base console has to be on, and you have to be in range." Queried about other controllers, the source was clear: "Other controllers are just Wiimotes, or other Wii controllers. They may change the form factor or looks a bit, but it's the same controller."

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if only one Wii U tablet-style controller was supported. Let's face it. How many of us actually play with someone in the same room, on the same console? So, even if this information turns out to be factual, would it really even matter in the long run? If we're playing multi-player, it's most likely online, right? There ya have it. I won't be heart-broken at all. Besides, playing local multi-player in New Super Mario Bros. for example, turned out to be an all-out last man standing match. If you've experienced that as well, you'd most likely agree that it was more of a nuisance to have other people in your family (or friends) holding your progress back.

I guess we'll just have to remain patient and wait to hear what Nintendo have to say at this year's E3 conference.

Darksiders II To Launch With Wii U

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:19:26 +0000

If you're not familiar with Vigil Games, you'll soon become intimate with them sometime later this year. They're the master minds behind the development of the upcoming action-adventure hit, Darksiders II. Lead Designer, Hayden Dalton, recently confirmed that Darksiders II will launch in tandem with the Wii U later this year. Here's what Mr. Dalton had to say. He makes it clear that the Wii U will utilize controls in a unique way, unlike any other console.

“That’s been very interesting to see what those guys are doing, and they’re making efforts to make sure we do use it in more than a slapdash way."

“It’s basically the core game, but then with added abilities to do certain things that you can’t do on the other consoles.”

“One of the things that we did, when we were originally going to show it off, was that you could equip stuff directly. So, for instance, I could be running along and I could click on another piece and I could put it on as I’m running through the game,” he revealed.

“That’s huge, it’s not breaking up the game in a way, I’m not going into a menu and assigning it, I’m literally just tapping as I’m playing.”

“We’re not basically heavily changing the core game to support the control system, but the control system will be an enhancement of the core game.”

Rumor: WoW & Counter-Strike: Global Offensi...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:35:02 +0000

Don't get your hopes up, as this is a pretty ridiculous rumor. However, I'd be remiss not to at least mention it. According to Dual Pixels, a good number of the Wii U's eShop titles have been leaked. Among those are Blizzard's megahit World of Warcraft, Valve's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Electronic Arts' Crysis. If WoW was going to be a Wii U launch title, we would have definitely heard by now. There is absolutely no reason to keep it under wraps. So, take this rumor with a shaker-full of salt. Below is the list of supposed leaked games.

Level 5

Professor Layton Chronicles (Level 5)

Activision

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD-Complete (Activision) (Launch)
Goldeneye 007: Reloaded (Acitivsion) (Launch)
World of Warcraft (Activsion) (Launch)

Capcom

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries Bio Ops (Capcom)
Okamiden HD (Capcom) (Launch)

Electronic Arts (EA)

Boom Blox Wii U (EA)
NFL Blitz Touchdown (EA)
Burnout: Rush Hour (EA) (Launch)
Shank 2 (EA) (Launch)
Crysis (EA) (Launch)

Gaijan Games

Bit Trip Runner 2 (Gaijan Games) (Launch)

Namco Bandai

Tank! Tank! Tank! (Namco Bandai)
Meteos (Namco Bandai)
Pac-Man Battle Royal (Namco Bandai) (Launch)

Nexon

Dragon Nest (Nexon)

Nintendo

Big Brain University (Nintendo) (Launch)
Super Mario Strikers Unlimited (Nintendo) (Launch)
Fluidity: Toxic (Nintendo) (Launch)

Sabarasa

Protocol (Sabarasa) (Launch)

SEGA

Rodea the Sky Soldier (SEGA)
Renegade Ops 2 (SEGA)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (SEGA) (Launch)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (SEGA) (Launch)

Spicy Horse

Big Head Bash (Spicy Horse) (Launch)

Square Enix

Demon's Score (Square Enix/Epic)
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Wii U (Square Enix)

Telltale Games

The Walking Dead (Telltale Games) (Launch)

Ubisoft

UbiArt Presents: Sketchtarium
Red Steel 2: Locked a Reloaded (Ubisoft)
I Am Alive (Ubisoft) (Launch)

Valve

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve) (Launch)
DotA 2 (Valve)

Assassin's Creed III announced for Wii U

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:40:14 +0000

Ubisoft is bringing their blockbuster Assassin's Creed franchise to Wii U. They officially announced that Assassin's Creed III will indeed be headed to Nintendo's new console. This particular entry in the series features a new protagonist, who calls himself Connor, and it is set in the American Revolution, an era that has almost never been depicted in video games. Whatever your thoughts are on Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed, it's a good sign that third parties are willing to take the plunge and support Nintendo with their AAA titles.

Wii U Controller To Have HD Or 3D Display?

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:54:38 +0000

Speculation culminates as there seems to be a gradual increase of talk regarding the new Wii U controller. Multiple microphones (front and rear) for in-game voice recognition or voice-activated control features and a front-facing camera for possible use by facial recognition software, have been topics of recent discussion. But there's something else being talked about as well. New talk among the gaming community suggests that the Wii U controller could possibly use an HD or 3D display. If the final controller product does, in fact, have an HD or 3D display, what does that mean for the consumer? I can't imagine what kind of effect that would have on the gaming market?

Ninja Gaiden 3 Grotesque Gameplay

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:59:37 +0000

Game development department Team Ninja of Tecmo Koei, have recently released five solid minutes of Ninja Gaiden 3 footage. This isn't just an ordinary new video that shows off gameplay though. This video is packed full of intense bloody battles. Watch Ryu Hyabusa slice, dice and hack his way through the bones of any who stand in his way in this new video.

Ninja Gaiden 3 has already been confirmed as a launch title for the Wii U later this year. Will you be purchasing this title?

Dragon Quest X Offers Screenshot Feature

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:42:25 +0000

Square Enix's upcoming MMORPG Dragon Quest X for the Wii/ Wii U is going to offer an in-game screenshot feature. Players will be able to use an item called a "photo machine" to snap all their favorite shots from the game. Even better than that, they'll be able to upload them to a unique website to share with other players around the world. This is going to be a great opportunity for players to create photogenic timelimes for their adventures or show off epic portraits of boss fights.

Nintendo Mulling Wii U Name Change

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:08:07 +0000

We may not be stuck with the ridiculous name "Wii U" after all. Nintendo is considering changing the name of the Wii U prior to E3. Widespread confusion among consumers at the 3DS's launch, in which some people couldn't tell the difference between DS and 3DS, seems to be the main culprit. Nintendo is determined to learn from the mistakes it made from 3DS, and Satoru Iwata himself stated that Wii needed to learn "a bitter lesson" from 3DS.

What would you like to see the Wii U renamed to?

Thanks to:
http://www.computera...-sources-claim/

Project Cars Confirmed For Wii U

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:54:27 +0000

Get ready for some Wii U rubber-burning action!

It has recently been confirmed by Slightly Mad Developers (SMD) that they will release a racing game for the Wii U, dubbed Project Cars. News began spreading like wildfire when the group of developers branded the Wii U logo onto the game's artwork. Not only is Project Cars due to be released for the Wii U, but also for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. At this time, SMD has not found any publishers. Instead, they gave their community members the opportunity to invest and write code for the game. In return, they're getting a percentage of the revenue! Not too bad, eh?

I've always loved these types of racing simulation games, specifically the Gran Turismo series. This game seems to fit right in to my liking so I can tell I'm already going to get it. Regardless if you're cup of tea is racing simulation or not, you must admit that the game looks quite impressive.

Some of the features include:

FRANCHISE MODE allows you to carve out a personalized career starting in the Karting world and then progressing on to whichever motorsport specialization you prefer including Rally, Touring Cars, Open-Wheel, GT, Le Mans, and many more!

Play CO-OP with a friend as Driver/Co-Driver

FULL TEAM MANAGEMENT... Have a large number of friends? Create, manage, and compete together!

Experience the excitement of PIT STOPS like you've never seen before!

Revolutionary PIT-2-CAR RADIO gives you the strategic advantage

DYNAMIC Time Of Day & Localized Weather make every race unique and challenging

10+ GAME MODES covering every form of motorsport

CLOUD-BASED SOCIAL NETWORK allows you to connect with friends, compare times & scores, compete and challenge each other, and share content

USER-GENERATED CONTENT - Create your own liveries, decals, tuning setups, and even events! Then share them with the world - either for free, in-game credits or even real money!

PUSHING TO THE LIMITS - Advanced physics, lighting, and AI

I'll be sure to stay up-to-date on the progress of this game, and provide updated information when possible.

Is anyone else interested in this?

For more information, please visit the official project site at: http://www.wmdportal.../projects/cars/

Pachter Predicts Poor Wii U Launch

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:51:09 +0000

Wedbush Securities analyst is predicting that the Wii U will launch with limited third party support. This should make you wonder if he was really paying attention a the 2011 E3 show, where several AAA third-party titles were announced for the Wii U launch. Titles such as Aliens: Colonial Marines, Darksiders II, Dirt, Metro: Last Light, Ninja Gaiden III: Razor's Edge, Tekken, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online are all scheduled for the Wii U's launch. In an interview, Pachter says:

"By trying to be ‘different’ with the tablet controller, they have complicated game design for developers, who can’t figure out if the Wii U will ultimately support only one or multiple controllers. Nintendo made the device sufficiently different that they are all but assured of limited third party launch support, which ultimately will lead to modest hardware sales."

What do you guys think about this? Is Pachter right, or is he just blowing hot hair?

Rumor: Wii U To Have App Store

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:53:00 +0000

Rumor has it that Nintendo is working on an app store for the Wii U that will be more diverse than the shops for Wii, 3DS, and DSi. This store would offer things beyond games and Mario clocks. It remains to be seen if the Wii U tablet will see much development in non-gaming use. I'm not holding my breath on this one.

Thanks to:
http://www.pcworld.c..._app_store.html

Rumor: EA's Origin To Be Part Of Wii U'...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:59:06 +0000

We all know that Nintendo's online services have been a bit lacking. Features that are taken for granted on other consoles are completely nonexistent on Nintendo systems. EA has been aiding Nintendo with building Wii U's online components, but they may be working on more than we think. According to an anonymous source to WiiUGo, EA is proposing making Wii U Origin-exclusive. Origin, EA's online digital distribution platform, has received numerous complaints about terrible customer service, its sharing of personal information to third party vendors, and their deletion of some Origin accounts after their owners were banned from the Origin forums.

Nintendo allegedly sees this arrangement “as an opportunity to rebuild relationships with Western gamers because they feel that only a massive western company such as EA understands what is needed to make an online service attractive to western gamers.”

Granted, Origin may be a step up from what we have now, but do we really want EA running Nintendo's online services, especially if there's an equally viable alternative in Valve's Steam?

What will happen if Wii U goes Origin-exclusive? I imagine fans will react like this:

Ninja Gaiden 3 Will Launch With Wii U

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:01:21 +0000

This is excellent news for many of us who like the Ninja Gaiden series. Developer Tecmo Koei has announced that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge will launch with the Wii U. This information was extracted from the developer's presentation materials, which were released to the public on November 10th, 2011. The full presentation can be viewed in the Tecmo Koei's company website.

Nintendo Patent Shows Touchscreen Add-On for Wi...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:29:39 +0000

We already know that Wii remotes will be compatible with the Wii U console, but Nintendo may introduce an add-on periscope-looking adapter that will enable the legacy remote to have additional "touch" capabilities.

Based on the diagrams listed in the patent, the add-on will wrap around the entire controller, allowing the user to place the Wii remote within the adapter's base and pull the strap through the back. The screen extends several inches from the front, taking control of the Wii remote's sensors. Inside the actual screen housing will be a mirror and an LED amplifier that allows the screen to communicate with the Wii remote's sensors.

According to a Japanese patent, an infrared LED turns on when the player touches the screen. The beam is then amplified, bounced off a mirror, and interpreted by the controller's sensors as position data. The Wii remote then continues on with business as usual when the player does not touch the screen.

Now, we can safely say that there's no guarantee that this Wii remote add-on will ever reach the market. In fact, based on the patent diagrams, it looks to be far-fetched and most awkward looking. The two things that no one will want to entertain. Can you imagine the experience you'll get when playing Wii Sports, or another motion-intensive Wii game? Another thing...how easy will it be to remove this "thing" when playing a game that doesn't support it? Nintendo seemingly addresses these questions by proposing in its patent that the adapter will be geared towards in-game drawing or to add a mouse pointer interface to a game.

The Wii U console is currently slated to arrive in North America sometime after March 2012.

I'm not too sure about the validity of this, but it seems like somewhat of a logical approach from Nintendo. This would extend the "controller" capabilities of Nintendo's next generation console; the Wii U. But the question is will this ever take off?

Wii U Might Support Two Controllers

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:08:28 +0000

While not confirmed, the Wii U might end up supporting two controllers at launch. Previously, around the E3 2011 time frame, Nintendo was non-committal about featuring more than one controller for the Wii U. In the past, technical limitations may have been thought to restrict the amount of controllers the console was capable of supporting. But Develop now claims that Nintendo has since modified the system's hardware so that two Wii U controllers can be used simultaneously.

Develop’s source said:

“Nintendo now know they absolutely need to support two tablets. At E3 they didn’t commit to this, but they know how important it is to make it technically feasible to support two screens. Even if that affects framerate, as a developer and player, I don’t care. It needs to work. Developers will design appropriate games for this. If you’re building a quiz game you’re not going to give a shit about the framerate.”

If only two Wii U controllers is all we'll be seeing, then that's fine. The remainder input devices can just be used by the Wii remotes.

Iwata Asks: E3 2011 Wii U

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:12:49 +0000

Please note: This is one page of a seven page interview conducted by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto about Wii U. This is from nintendo.com, the link to the rest of the article is provided at the bottom.

Iwata:
Thanks for taking your time today.
Miyamoto:
Thanks for having me.
Iwata:
You know, Wii U has already been announced by the time people are reading this interview.
Miyamoto:
Right.
Iwata:
I've been looking back at my calendar right before this interview, and I noticed that it's been just about three years since we started having meetings about this.

Miyamoto:
Yeah.
Iwata:
It's just that we were talking about it not in a way of "when should we release it" as the decisive factor, but we were saying to ourselves, "now let's really start thinking about what's coming next," and we have been repeatedly holding meetings to have discussions about this ever since. And now the fruition of our efforts is finally taking shape.
Miyamoto:
I think so too.
Iwata:
Nintendo released the Wii console, and now that it has been accepted in many people's lives, what went through your mind Miyamoto-san? What are you envisioning in the road ahead?
Miyamoto:
Hmm… I guess, as a device in people's living rooms, I think I fundamentally wanted to have Wii become a more fulfilling device.
Iwata:
Right.
Miyamoto:
And, I wanted it to become a tool that everyone in the household would use everyday. I made Wii Fit¹ because I wanted it to be something that entire families would use. In that sense, I wanted it to be a tool in the living room that people would proactively turn the power on without putting much thought into it. If I could go further, I want people to turn the power on the Wii first before they even turn on the TV. 1. Wii Fit™: Released in December 2007, a fitness-like game that you play standing on the Wii Balance Board™ accessory. In October 2009 Wii Fit Plus was released, which is an expanded version of Wii Fit that includes the original activities from Wii Fit plus additional content on the game disc.
Iwata:
So you wanted to further pursue what you wanted to do with Wii.
Miyamoto:
Yeah. I wanted to improve on what we challenged with Wii, in how we wanted to perfect it in making it a device that rightfully belongs in the living room.

Iwata:
I see. There were piles of things that we weren't able to fully accomplish with Wii, from our perspective. And while it was natural for us in wanting to improve on those one by one, we thoroughly talked about how those issues wouldn't be solved unless a structural change had occurred.
Miyamoto:
Right.
Iwata:
We actually debated quite a bit until we settled on the way it is now. There was a lot of back and forth before reaching where we are now.
Miyamoto:
Right, we did. We started from scratch many times.
Iwata:
But because people outside the company do not have an insight into our development process, when people see this for the first time in 2011 when this is revealed, they might think, "Oh, Nintendo is going to add a tablet to their console". I think that's how people may see it.
Miyamoto:
Oh, right, right.
Iwata:
But when we were first talking about this, tablet devices weren't very common. It's very similar with the Nintendo 3DS system, we release something after much internal debate and development, and that release timing happens to be when something like that is extremely popular. I feel like that has been our trend lately.
Miyamoto:
Yeah, it certainly has. If you hold it like this (vertically) it looks like a tablet. Hold it like this, (horizontally) and with the TV as the second screen you can use it like a Nintendo DS! (laughs) But that's not why we thought of wanting to add DS connectibility², we didn't think about making it more like a tablet at all. 2. DS Connectibility: Refers to the connectibility between Wii U and the Nintendo DS family of systems. In 2001, Nintendo released a Game Boy™ Advance Link Cable that enables communication between the Nintendo GameCube™ and the Game Boy Advance systems.
Iwata:
Right, of course, it can do those things too, but that's not where development started. It's more about the value of having a screen in your hands for a video game, and we were focusing on how you are able to do quite a few things without turning the TV on.
Miyamoto:
Right, that's what it was about.

Source:
http://iwataasks.nin...32011/newhw/0/0

Wii U Releasing Late 2012; Final Build Console...

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:33:31 +0000

Nintendo’s President, Satoru Iwata, just confirmed that they will be showing off the final build console for retail at E3 2012. This pretty much means if you were expecting the Wii U to release any time before June 2012, it won’t be happening. Here’s what Iwata had to state:

“We would like to show the final format of the Wii U at the E3 show next year.”

This is actually good news considering that it gives developers more time to try and release some solid launch titles for the Wii U later in 2012. Are you planning on getting the Wii U? Sound off in the comments below!

Source:
http://gamersxtreme....ole-at-e3-2012/

Team Ninja “interested in pushing” Wii U “as ha...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:44:37 +0000

While there was no mention of the game’s Wii U version at Eurogamer Expo, Tecmo Koei localisation head Peter Garza has reassured Ninja Gaiden 3 is still in development for the platform, adding that Team Ninja is looking to push its hardware “as hard as it can.”

Garza told VG247 in London a couple of weeks back that it had only started getting it up and running on the system, but that it wasn’t being developed “in parallel” with the PS3 and 360 versions, and that it was looking to take full advantage of the system in terms of spec and its unique features.

“It is still there. It’s not being developed in parallel, but we do have the game up and running on the dev hardware. We’re still playing with control schemes to see what would be fun with Wii U, but it’s definitely there and it’s definitely getting worked on,” said Garza, speaking to us at the show.

Source:
http://www.vg247.com...comment-page-1/