The Verge - Wii U: launch news, our review, and more

EA Sports' 'Madden NFL' franchise to skip Wii U this year

2013-05-02T08:15:43Z

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

2013-04-26T00:18:05Z

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 the original Wii mode by holding down the B button during startup. The speed improvements are welcome, but probably won't satisfy everyone just yet — Nintendo has said that another update, due this summer, will further address the system's lag.

Nintendo brings Miiverse social network from Wii U to the web

2013-04-25T02:04:10Z

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 the web interface yet; for that, you'll still need to use your Wii U. You also need to have created a Nintendo Network account on your Wii U before using the app. If you're already set up, it's available to browse now at miiverse.nintendo.net.

Nintendo video shows speed improvements of April Wii U software update

2013-03-27T03:33:07Z

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 improvement over the glacial pace of the existing software, but it’s still not as zippy as we would hope from a next-generation console. Thankfully, a second update is planned that ought to speed things up further, but it won't be coming until summer.

Wii U sales collapse with 'well under' 100,000 sold in January

2013-02-15T05:05:00Z

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 among customers who hadn't already decided to buy the console at launch.

Nintendo Wii U Deluxe Set bundled with 'ZombiU' and Pro Controller for $389.99

2013-02-08T16:42:28Z

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 title with its game console, but more importantly, ZombiU may very well be our favorite game on the system. Other than the game and the Pro Controller, Nintendo says that the bundle comes with a book with artwork from the game, and it includes a digital...

Nintendo cuts future forecasts after Wii U sales fall short of expectations

2013-01-30T07:59:21Z

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 had its sales expectations cut to 15 million from 17.5 previously forecast; the original DS' were shortened to 2.3 million units from 2.5.

Nintendo to unify console and handheld divisions in major organizational shift

2013-01-16T07:04:43Z

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 to share knowledge and technology.

It's not clear how exactly this reshuffling will aid Nintendo's operations, but the company appears to be serious about switching things up; it's the first such major organizational change in nine years. It also...