Wii U: launch news, our review, and more
Nintendo has finally launched the Wii U in North America, following showings at E3 2011 and 2012. Follow this stream for updates on the tablet-controlled console.
EA Sports' 'Madden NFL' franchise to skip Wii U this year
One of video gaming's most popular and ubiquitous franchises is set to skip a Nintendo home console for the first time in over two decades. Despite a Wii U release for Madden NFL 2013 last year, EA Sports' upcoming Madden NFL 25 will not be making an appearance on Nintendo's latest console, according to a company representative who spoke to Nintendo World Report.
Nintendo releases Wii U update to speed up system's laggy performance
Nintendo has released the first major Wii U software update since the console's launch late last year. As demonstrated last month, the primary focus of the update is to improve the system's performance and address the long load times that we found to be a vexing problem in our review. The new firmware also adds some other features: you can now copy data between two USB drives directly, the console can automatically download and install updates in the background, and you can boot directly into...
Nintendo brings Miiverse social network from Wii U to the web
Miiverse, the social network that Nintendo launched with its Wii U console, is now available in web browsers. The network lets you view friends' updates and posts to individual game communities in both text and — via the Wii U GamePad's touchscreen — written or drawn form. The web app, which Nintendo says is still in beta, features a simple, responsive design that scales down well to mobile devices. However, it doesn't look like the company is enabling the ability to make new posts from...
Nintendo video shows speed improvements of April Wii U software update
Since we first got a look at the Wii U, one of our biggest complaints has been its unbelievably laggy user interface. Thankfully, a partial fix is on the way next month, and now we’re getting a look at what kind of a difference it’s going to make. In a video (below) posted to Nintendo’s YouTube account you can see how much faster it will be to return to the main Wii U menu from a game in progress post-update compared to a Wii U running the current software. Granted, it’s a huge...
Wii U sales collapse with 'well under' 100,000 sold in January
Nintendo has already cut its forecasts for the Wii U after sales failed to meet expectations, and we're now seeing the extent of the console's poor performance in the US. The NPD group has released its report for January video game retail sales and, while it isn't providing specific hardware numbers, a Gamasutra source says that the Wii U sold "well under" 100,000 units. Nintendo previously announced that it sold 460,000 systems in December, suggesting that demand has dropped off considerably...
Nintendo Wii U Deluxe Set bundled with 'ZombiU' and Pro Controller for $389.99
If you're dead-set on buying a Wii U — we weren't fully convinced after reviewing the game console — you should take note of a new bundle that Nintendo has announced today. The Wii U ZombiU Deluxe Set, as it's called, comes with a copy of ZombiU, of course, as well as a Wii U Pro Controller on top of the standard Deluxe Set. It all comes in at $389.99, which is about $70 less than you'd pay if you bought it all separately. It's notable that Nintendo is bundling a M-rated, third-party...
Nintendo cuts future forecasts after Wii U sales fall short of expectations
Nintendo has released its Q3 financial report, and the details contained within have forced the company to cut its sales expectations for the Wii U, 3DS, and DS. The Wii U was previously expected to shift 5.5 million units by the end of the financial year in March, but Nintendo now predicts it will have moved 4 million — a drop of over 27 percent. The company announced sales of 3.06 million for the new console since its launch. The 3DS, meanwhile, sold 12.71 million systems since April and...
Nintendo to unify console and handheld divisions in major organizational shift
Nintendo's Wii U and 3DS consoles haven't performed badly so far, but there's a real sense that they may not match their predecessors' huge success. According to a Nikkei report, however, the company plans to merge both divisions into a single unit in a month's time, and will invest 30 billion yen (about $340 million) in a new Kyoto development facility to be opened by the end of the year. The structural shift is intended to speed up development by allowing the previously separate divisions...
Wii outsells Wii U in December
US sales figures for the Wii U's first full month are in, and the news is mixed for Nintendo. While the new console has brought in more money than the original Wii did in its launch period, only 460,000 units were sold compared to 475,000 original Wii systems. In total, Nintendo has sold 890,000 Wii U consoles so far, a 19 percent drop on the Wii's figure at the equivalent point in its lifecycle.
It's also worth noting that the Wii suffered from considerable supply constraints upon its...
Nintendo recommends updating Wii U before gifting to avoid ruining Christmas
Nintendo of America is offering some very practical advice on Twitter this holiday season. It's also possibly the most telling sign we've seen of Nintendo's epic Wii U launch failure.
Nintendo officially launching TVii for Wii U in the US and Canada on December 20th (update)
Nintendo has just announced that its TVii service for the new Wii U console will be available in the US as of December 20th. This marks Nintendo's largest effort to date to own a piece of the living room ecosystem beyond just games and will compete directly with the myriad of video-watching options already offered on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. As previously announced, TVii combines a TV programming guide, remote control functionality, and social interaction, and will feature major...
Wii U's slow performance will be improved, promises Nintendo president Iwata
Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata has addressed some of the issues faced by the Wii U upon its launch. In a Nintendo Direct video posted to the company's Japanese site, Iwata acknowledges the inconveniences caused by the system's slow performance for tasks like switching between applications, as well as the long update required to unlock all online functionality, and says the company will work to address the issues. No timeframe was given for any possible patch.
On a slightly less negative...
Despite 'Black Ops II,' 'Halo 4,' and Wii U, video game sales continue to slip
October was the 11th straight month of sliding video game sales in the US, but this was partly attributed to the lack of big-hitter titles; with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, along with an entire new console launch in the shape of the Wii U, things were expected to improve in November. Well, it turns out that while those titles did perform well at retail, taking the top two spots in the sales charts according to NPD figures, it wasn't enough to prevent a 12th month of decline.
Total industry...
Nintendo president Iwata apologizes for Wii U's out-of-box experience
Many Wii U owners were disappointed to open their new console only to be confronted with a huge, slow patch to unlock its online functionality — and so was Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. "Personally I think that users should be able to use all the functions of a console video game machine as soon as they open the box," said Iwata in an interview with IGN. "So I feel very sorry for the fact that purchasers of Wii U have to experience a network update which takes such a long time, and that...
Wii U sales surpass 400,000 in launch week, Nintendo says console 'sold out' at retail
The Wii U has sold over 400,000 units in its first week of sales, according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. In an interview with Cnet, Fils-Aime revealed that shoppers took home 700,000 Nintendo consoles in the last week, with the original Wii enjoying strong sales of 300,000. "Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock," said Fils-Aime. Demand for the Wii U has been somewhat hard to gauge; though it has remained largely...
YouTube and Amazon Instant Video apps for Wii U now available
The Wii U might not have much media functionality out of the box, but Nintendo would like you to think that it's a "living, breathing system" — and Amazon's just breathed a little life into it with the launch of its Instant Video app. This opens up the Wii U to Amazon's huge library of over 140,000 TV episodes and movies, with more than 30,000 available for unlimited streaming to Prime members. These can all be browsed and watched on either the TV screen or the Wii U GamePad. Following the...
Hulu Plus arrives on Wii U with GamePad-only viewing option
Work on the Wii U’s array of video services might not have been completed ahead of launch, but at least the software seems to be trickling out steadily. Today, Hulu is announcing the launch of its Hulu Plus service for Nintendo’s newest console, including a second screen mode that lets you relinquish the TV to the rest of your family if they don’t share your taste in viewing — the same as we saw with the Netflix app.
Controls on the GamePad let you scrub through the timeline, turn on...
Nintendo spins delayed Wii U entertainment apps as proof of a 'living, breathing system'
The Wii U's launch didn't exactly go off without a hitch: Nintendo was forced to delay a number of popular video-on-demand apps and its own TVii software as the console's release drew near. Now the company is trying to paint the situation in a positive light, with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime spinning the initial lack of Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and YouTube as proof that the Wii U is "a living breathing system." In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, he goes on to...
Wii U users reporting bricked consoles after losing power while trying to install big update
Several new Wii U owners have reported a serious issue with their new consoles related to the large launch-day update from Nintendo. The update, required to enable online functionality on the console, is estimated around 5GB (though some sources say 1GB) and can take more than an hour to install — and some users say that interrupting the install process can "brick" the console, making it unusable. It's not clear why the issue is happening, or how widespread it is, and we're also not sure...
Nintendo Wii U review
I love my Nintendo Wii. I’m basically unbeatable at Wii Tennis and can hold my own in Wii Bowling (though my six-year-old nephew beats me pretty handily). My family’s Wii Fit has been well-loved, and I’ve saved the world more than a few times in Call of Duty.
Nintendo's simple, low-res, get-up-and-play console has been a huge hit, outselling both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and taking over my family like I never expected. Now Nintendo's back with the Wii U, hoping to bolster its...
The beauty of Wii U: Nintendo knows how to go all in on a gimmick
Nintendo is very good at gimmicks. Virtual Boy and those stupid miniature GameCube discs aside, Nintendo’s track record on “it will never work” devices is astounding. It started with the DS, which even Nintendo was skeptical about — holding back its vaunted GameBoy name just in case the dual screen gimmick didn’t pan out. And then the Wii, with its absurd controller configurations — a “Wiimote,” a “nunchuck,” a “Wii Fit,” a “MotionPlus” add-on. Last time I checked,...
Nintendo details the engineering that went into the Wii U
Four Nintendo product developers and general managers sat down this week to discuss the engineering behind the Wii U, as part of the ongoing Iwata Asks interview series. According to Genyo Takeda, a Senior Managing Director, the key to combining low power consumption with high-level performance was Nintendo's decision to adopt a multi-core CPU and to "fully embrace" an MCM (multi chip module), which weds CPU and GPU in a single component. This process involved several different manufacturers,...
Wii U is still missing the Wii's trump card — universal appeal
From the time the Wii U launches in North America on November 18th until next March, we'll see at least 50 games released for the console; the problem is that not a single one sells the Wii U's tablet-like GamePad controller the way that Nintendo needs. Just like with the original Wii, the new controller is the biggest part of the Wii U's draw, with the second screen providing plenty of potential for interesting new ways to interact with games. "It's the next advance in gaming," Reggie...
The secret behind Nintendo TVii is an i.TV partnership (video walkthrough)
For 15 minutes today, Nintendo was almost a tech company.
The company devoted a surprisingly low-key, show-and-tell portion of its Wii U launch event to demonstrate Nintendo TVii (pronounced as it were without the "ii"). It's arguably the company's non-gaming gambit, a chance to demonstrate the company is taking the "second screen" argument seriously — one that many companies are attempting these days, with the most direct comparison maybe being Microsoft's upcoming Smart Glass.
N...
Wii U on sale December 8th in Japan: priced higher than entry-level Xbox 360 and PS3
Nintendo's Wii U console will start at ¥26,250 ($US337) in Japan and release on December 8th, it was announced during the Japanese Nintendo Direct presentation today.
The console will come in a basic set and a premium set. The premium set will cost ¥31,500 and come with a black version of the game system, 32GB of flash memory, a GamePad, two power adapters, and an HDMI cable. It will also come with Nintendo Network Premium, a kind of loyalty program that offers 10 percent off digital...
Why the Wii U's GamePad controller won't have a multitouch screen, and other tidbits from Reggie Fils-Aime
We've learned quite a bit about the Wii U over the past week — just check out our E3 StoryStream — but Kotaku did get a few more choice tidbits in an interview with Nintendo of America's outspoken president Reggie Fils-Aime. First and foremoest, while the touchscreen on the Wii U GamePad does support both finger and stylus input, it's not a multitouch screen like the one on your tablet phone, and Fils-Aime explained that while it does bring down the cost, it's mainly just a matter of the...
Netflix interface for Wii U revealed in prototype images
Today we're getting a sense of what the Netflix experience might look like on Nintendo's forthcoming Wii U console thanks to some prototype images uncovered by Engadget. If you were assuming the interface would simply mimic the standard Netflix layout, think again. Based on these shots, it appears the company will be using the Wii U Gamepad to minimize clutter on your TV by offering queue management and playback options from the controller itself. The primary UI bears some resemblance to the c...
Rumored Wii U specs leak ahead of E3 event: three-core PowerPC chip
It's just moments away from Nintendo's E3 2012 event and the first official details of the Wii U, but it looks like detailed specs have already leaked out in a post on VGleaks. If they're true, the Wii U will be very similar to the Xbox 360, with a three-core PowerPC chip, 1.5GB of RAM, and 32MB of EDRAM. That sounds about right, but we're sure to find out more during the event. Stay tuned.
Apps & Software
Wii U games and 'New Super Mario Bros. 2' to be sold digitally through retailers
Nintendo has announced plans to start selling digital copies of Wii U and 3DS games through current retail channels. The first title will be New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS in August, and Onitore (temporary name), the next game in the Brain Age series featuring Professor Kawashima, will also be sold digitally. Wii U games will also be subject to the scheme from the system's launch later this year. Retailers will be able to set their own prices for titles, expected to be in line with the boxed...
Wii U graphical power about on par with Xbox 360 and PS3, suggest developers
There's been a lot of chatter lately about Sony and Microsoft's rumored next-generation consoles, but the only company that actually announced its next hardware is Nintendo. In our time spent with the Wii U, it's obvious this console packs far more graphics power than its predecessor, and appears to be on par with the Xbox 360 or PS3. However, we're starting to hear conflicting reports as to just how the Wii U stacks up. Several anonymous developers have told Gamesindustry that the Wii U is...
Nintendo reportedly courting content providers for Wii U multimedia features
To the chagrin of some Nintendo fans who've watched the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 become multimedia powerhouses — complete with streaming video, online media stores, and social gaming features — Nintendo has stayed relatively laser-focused on gaming with the Wii. According to an Adweek report, this may change: Nintendo is currently courting major media companies for content distribution deals for its next generation console, with the company specifically looking to follow the lead of...
Team Ninja: Wii U is 'very easy to develop for'
In a recent interview, the developers of Ninja Gaiden 3 discussed the ease of developing the title for the Wii U. The game's director, Fumihiko Yasuda, told Nintendo Gamer the console was "very easy to develop for... We're finding it very similar to develop for Wii U as for Xbox 360 and PS3." The head of Team Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi, added that Nintendo has been very responsive to developers' requests, and that the hardware is still changing.
"They've asked us what we would like to see from...
Nintendo Wii U controller will include near-field communication
Nintendo's ramping up for a big re-reveal of the Wii U video game console at E3 2012 — the device will ship by the end of the year — but company president Satoru Iwata is already spoiling surprises this evening. Not only might the Wii U finally ditch friend codes, but its hefty touchscreen controller will also support near-field communication (NFC). Iwata revealed the new functionality in a Q3 financial presentation, explaining that there are several potential uses for the tech:
By...
Nintendo Network official, will start on 3DS and extend to Wii U
We wondered what that Nintendo Network logo on the Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy box was all about, and now we know for sure. The company has confirmed that Nintendo Network is the new name for its online service on the 3DS, and that it will extend to the Wii U when the home console launches this year. That's all well and good, but are there any new features to go with the new brand? As it happens, Nintendo also announced user accounts for the Wii U, one of the more requested features since its...
Gaming
Wii U to launch in US, Japan, Europe and Australia by end of 2012
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has told reporters that the Wii U will launch in the US, Japan, Europe, and Australia for the end of 2012. While the system was previously pegged for a 2012 release, this is the first time we've got confirmation that it'll make it in time for the holiday season in all major markets. The 3DS launched last year in February in Japan and March elsewhere, meaning it likely got off to a slower start than if it had been available before Christmas. The announcement...
Nintendo Wii U video walkthrough: Chase Mii, Battle Mii, the Zelda HD experience, and more!
For the less gaming-focused tech enthusiasts that missed the E3 2011 debut, Nintendo has brought its Wii U hardware to CES this year. It's the exact same demo we saw back in June, albeit as two editors capturing shaky DSLR video in the midst of a very loud show floor. This time, fortunately, we had an awesome video crew with us to capture the moment in more quiet, intimate (aka dimly lit) environment. With a little help from future Vox Games Editor-in-Chief Chris Grant, I find a way to...
CES 2012
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge will be a Wii U launch title
The Wii has unsuccessfully battled a reputation as a console of sunshine and lolipops, but the Wii U might change that with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge bringing some impressive violence to the console's launch, according to a Tecmo Koei earnings presentation. Nintendo's Wii successor is unlikely to launch before the final version appears at E3 in June next year, a few months after the February release of Ninja Gaiden 3 on PS3 and Xbox 360, but it's good to see a major title (with ninjas)...
CES 2012
Wii U might allow two touchscreen controllers, contrary to initial reports
When Nintendo announced the Wii U, people were surprised it would only support one of the unique touchscreen controllers at a time. While no official statements have been made indicating this would change, an anonymous tipster alerted Develop that Nintendo was close to overcoming the technological limitations behind this and that the Wii U would support two controllers at a time.
Develop's source found this information within the Wii U's codebase, and also was careful to note that there was...
Gaming
Wii U to launch sometime after April 2012
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said during a dreary financial briefing that the Wii U will not launch until its next fiscal year beginning April, 2012 and that the successor to the Wii would be shown off in final form at next year's E3 show. Given that E3 2012 takes place in early June, we won't likely see the device on sale for at least another eight months, which gives Nintendo a year between E3 showings to work on perfecting the console.
"As we learned a bitter lesson with the launch of...
Gaming
Live Q&A on the Nintendo Wii U at 6:30PM ET!
You're probably already aware that E3 is going on, and that Nintendo has just unveiled its next generation gaming console, the Wii U. Though our esteemed editors and friends Paul & Ross Miller (no relation) have been hitting the show floor pretty hard all day, they've decided to take a break from the gaming grind to answer your questions about the Wii U live, at 6:30PM ET (also known as 3:30PM PT). We'll open the questions up about 15 minutes beforehand (that's 6:15PM ET if you don't care to...
Gaming
Nintendo Wii U preview: specs, games, and everything in-between (video)
Rest assured, there will be no arm flailing with the new Wii U controller. Arms flailing, maybe, in unison, but we'll get to that later. Nintendo's successor to its massively-popular home console caused quite a commotion — dare we say, a pure bedlam — following its unveiling yesterday, and we managed to get an extensive look at the controller and all the software it was showing off. Check it out after the break!
Update: Now with Ross' (less enthusiastic) take. Check out our live Q&A...
Nintendo Wii U demo games shown today were actually Xbox 360 and PS3 versions
In a bizarre twist to an otherwise exciting news day, during an interview today just following Nintendo's showing of its new Wii U system and games, company honcho Reggie Fils-Amie told GameTrailers that the sizzle reel of games shown today were not actually from the Wii U. Instead, when asked if they were from PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, Reggie replied "Absolutely, because we're talking a year away from when the console will launch."
It's a little odd that Nintendo wouldn't have any actual...
Nintendo Wii U: the games
Nintendo just wrapped up its keynote unveiling of its next console, the Nintendo Wii U. While we haven't yet gotten an in-depth look at a ton of the gaming action for the Wii U, there were a good number of titles announced and some which we got a sneak peek of. We're hoping to grab video of these and more, but in the meantime, here's what we know so far.
Update: Surprisingly, we just found out that almost none of the footage shown of game play on the Wii U is real. As noted by a commenter...
Nintendo Wii U announced, coming in 2012 (updated with pictures, video, and specs)
The device previously known as Project Cafe -- the successor to the Wii teased by Nintendo in April -- is now official today at E3 in Los Angeles. The name? "Wii U," which Nintendo says underscores the fact that the gaming experience is all about you. As expected, a 6.2-inch integrated touchscreen display (bundled with a stylus) is a big part of the product, acting as an augmented display that can be used with games in a variety of ways -- as a rifle scope, for instance, or even as a golf tee...
Nintendo pre-announces its Wii followup for 2012, rumors unlikely to get less bizarre
It's never boring with Nintendo, is it? The company is addressing rumors of an upcoming Wii successor head-on (rumors that have spawned the insane mockup you see above), with a comically short press release stating that the new system will be unveiled in playable form at E3 in June this year, and then ship in 2012. Now, this is a fairly odd format for announcing that you're working on a brand new home console -- a statement that's usually reserved for a big gaming expo -- but Nintendo...
