VGMaps
General Boards => Gaming => Topic started by: JonLeung on August 10, 2012, 08:36:51 am
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What, no Wii U topics here yet? How about a countdown?
Today, there are 100 days until the estimated Wii U release date of Nov. 18, 2012!
We do know it's coming out in the fourth quarter of 2012. The specific date I quoted is possible based on past Nintendo console releases. The GameCube's was on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2001 and the Wii's was on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. So if it's still on a Sunday, it could very well come out on the GameCube's 11th anniversary. Mid-November works out great for Americans, as it'll be out in time for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year (after their Thanksgiving) in anticipation of Christmas. (Despite us Canadians having our Thanksgiving in October, Black Friday has, in recent years, become recognized as well.)
I expected the Wii U to come out last year (it would have fit with the 'X6 and 'X1 release years of the last four consoles in North America), but a November 18, 2012 release date will still "fit", despite more than five calendar years having passed. Nintendo consoles have always been released between five and six years after the previous one.
The shortest was the GameCube's lifespan of five years plus one day, so if the Wii U came out on November 18, the Wii's will be the inverse - six years minus one day. Though, it's also 5 years and 365 days (which sounds funny but it's because this year was a leap year). If timing has to do with performance, the Wii's popularity and longer lifespan is in contrast to the GameCube's lack of popularity and its correspondingly shorter lifespan. The NES similarly sold well and had 5 years and 10 months, still within the five-to-six year range. (Though of course we're talking about North American release dates - the NES, or rather the Famicom, had over seven years in Japan, 1983-1990.)
Though any "pattern" is probably based on a number of more real and practical factors, than any deliberate attempt to release like clockwork just for the sake of it. Moore's law (which has to do with the increase in computer processing power) is particularly consistent. Consumer's tastes are always changing, and now Nintendo feels HD is ubiquitous enough for them to dedicate themselves to deliver Mario and Zelda experiences in 1080p. And now with a tablet-esque controller, to boot. So it's just about time.
In any case, we should be excited. Math and theories aside, the next generation Nintendo console will be here in mere months, whether or not it's exactly 100 days from today.
To fill the time, there are more than enough Wii games to play, despite what people say. I just finished two of the three "Operation Rainfall" games, which I doubt most people have even touched. Xenoblade Chronicles alone is an easy two hundred hours, so you could play that for a couple hours a day, every day, until the Wii U! Pandora's Tower I recently finished with an "S" ending, and though short, let me tell you, that's a severely underrated game. I'm looking forward to The Last Story which comes out next week. My backlog includes a number of other Wii games. And all those casual games that hardcore gamers have snubbed? They're missing out. I've had so many people over for the Just Dance games, and they include those of the female species. I'm planning another "Nintendo Night" party, themed around sending off the Wii, and I recommend that anyone else do the same.
And then when the Wii U hits, you can bet I'll be getting it first thing that morning. Will I be seeing you guys in the Miiverse?
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It's kind of nice to see the Wii U get more attention than its predecessor. Maybe the Wii U will actually be successful.
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Unfortunately, there hasn't been anything announced for the Wii U that would make the system a must buy for me. It probably sounds strange but even though I bought over 20 Wii and Game Cube games for my Wii, I most likely wouldn't have bought the system if not for Super Mario Galaxy. Seriously, that game was the first time since the days of the SNES that I truly had a "game boner", that I knew I just *had* to have that game at all cost and I wouldn't have minded buying the console just for it. A true "killer app" if you will.
Sadly, Nintendo doesn't seem to have anything terribly exciting lined up for the console's release. I just went through a list of upcoming games and most of it consisted of ports of existing games, which is great if you were tired of being shafted by Nintendo's inferior hardware with the Wii I guess, but it also means that I'll most likely be skipping this generation. Oh well, at the speed I usually play, that leaves me about just enough time to finish all my existing Wii and Game Cube games until the Wii U's successor comes around :P.
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It probably won't be a day-one purchase for me, but I definitely plan on getting one. For me, NSMBU and Nintendo Land and reasons enough. Even though the coverage of Nintendo Land was a bit embarrassing, it's design really stuck out to me. Having studied game design, I could tell just how well designed each mini-game was that they described. They were doing everything right, and I could tell those mini-games will be quite fun to play with my brother and his friends.
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Not excited at all. For me consoles are waning and my PC is waxing again. The next-gen consoles should be doing great things. It's time for them to catch up on digital downloads, offer better home media center options, and talk with your other devices (like tablets). But I have a feeling they are going to have to fail first before getting it right.
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Wowee, it's like I'm the only hardcore Nintendo fan left, or what? :/
And no, "hardcore" and "Nintendo" do not combine to create an oxymoron. I'm looking forward to seeing how Nintendo tries to deliver on their promise of using the Wii U to somehow lure back the so-called "core" gamers they seem to have alienated with the too-easy-to-pick-up-and-play Wii. Not sure why casual games and hardcore games can't co-exist on the same platform, but in the Wii's particular case it probably has to do with the "core" games being developed in HD which the Wii did not support. Now that can't be a knock against the Wii U, which is supposedly more powerful than the PS3 or Xbox 360. If I hadn't already finished Batman: Arkham City on the PC, I would totally pick up the Armored Edition on the Wii U to support more hardcore/third-party efforts. But I will surely pick up Nintendoland (you have to admit it's cooler than Wii Sports) and of course, New Super Mario Bros. U (launch Mario console game)!
With less than 100 days, I'm actually surprised that there ISN'T more discussion of the Wii U. It's not as groundbreaking as the Wii, I guess...(which is why I'm wondering what alternate dimension ummwat is from where the Wii wasn't successful and the Wii U is getting attention. :P )
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I was never even remotely interested in the 3DS, and the same applies to the Wii U so far. Nintendo's offerings have been quite boring of late. There have only been one, maybe two games per year for the Wii that I even care about. All the first-party games are just rehashes of their classic games, which I don't mind as a rule, but it gets tiresome when that's all they have to offer.
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I meant the Wii wasn't as successful as its competition. Originally, everybody was really excited for the Wii, but then it died down and the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 became more popular among most people, though not all people. I do like the Wii, but from what I've heard, it gained a bad reputation compared to the other consoles in its generation.
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I was never even remotely interested in the 3DS, and the same applies to the Wii U so far. Nintendo's offerings have been quite boring of late. There have only been one, maybe two games per year for the Wii that I even care about. All the first-party games are just rehashes of their classic games, which I don't mind as a rule, but it gets tiresome when that's all they have to offer.
I have to wonder what kinds of games you're interested in, because I have four stacks of Wii games sitting in front of my Wii, including a good number of third party games. (Little King Story! <3) Now, if you don't have any siblings or local friends to play with, then I can understand. The Wii is best suited as a multiplayer machine. The number of good games that aren't local multiplayer oriented are a lot fewer than single player games.
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I play single player games almost exclusively, usually tending toward 3rd person action-adventure games nowadays. There haven't been many of those for the Wii that I've heard of. Skyward Sword was the last I played, and I had mixed feelings about it. I do still enjoy platform games, which are great on the Wii and DS, but I don't play enough of them anymore to want to buy the Wii U or 3DS.
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I play single player games almost exclusively, usually tending toward 3rd person action-adventure games nowadays. There haven't been many of those for the Wii that I've heard of.
Revned, have you played any of the three "Operation Rainfall" games for the Wii? Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story (which comes out today), and Pandora's Tower (if you've hacked your Wii to play imports)? You say you're into single-player third-person adventure games...well, that's three of them right there! Wii exclusives, even! Plus, they're not rehashes - or even sequels - of anything. What more could you ask for? (Even if two of those are skewed more action-RPG than action-adventure...otherwise, it sounds like exactly what you want to play!)
Some of you guys seem so practical...not buying a console until you're ready to enjoy some games on them! :P
For me, part of the fun of getting a game console on "Day One" is the fact it's "Day One"! As I mentioned, after getting the GBA a day after its launch, since then every Nintendo platform I've gotten on the first possible day, earlier and earlier even! Though I don't know how I'll beat being first in line for the 3DS when Best Buy opened that day...hopefully there's enough hype for the Wii U to warrant a midnight release; I actually haven't done one of those...
I think as a gamer that tries to stay on top of games, I admit that I think it's a little odd if anyone buys a current-gen console more than a year after its launch. I'd almost be embarrassed if I ever had to do that, myself. I guess I have to work on not being condescending about it, though. If anything, maybe people have real priorities in life that gaming can wait...could just be that I need to grow up a bit. :P
Oh, and ummwat, I guess I do see where you're coming from...the Xbox 360 and PS3 certainly have their share of core-focussed games, especially with the (apparent) drought that people see on the Wii (which perhaps I don't see because I like a lot more genres than most and "hardcore" seems to mean "generic gritty shooters" all the time - the kind of genre which actually bores me).
I wonder if the Wii U will get some of that "hardcore" crowd back...you would think a pointer device like the Wii Remote (which is more standard, than, say, the PlayStation Move controller) would be a natural for FPSes, and the Wii U is supposedly more powerful than the competition...at least for a while until the PS4/X720 or whatever.
Note too, the Wii U's stronger online focus than the Wii...though that isn't hard... I had my Wii online on day one, and never ever played against any of my friends (just gave Metroid Prime 3 "Friend Tokens" to a friend's brother and raced a bunch of cheating strangers in Mario Kart Wii - but neither of those count). I'm not sure I need everyone commenting on every stage in New Super Mario Bros. U (I'm sure that can probably be toggled off). But I'm sure it'll be put to more interesting use somewhere, and I'm hoping for "Achievements" (or as the 3DS Streetpass Plaza calls them, "Accomplishments").
I hope to, in the Wii U's lifespan, be able to play some games with you people here, as well as show off my Achievements/Accomplishments. Even if it's not day one...as long as it's year one...or decade one. :P
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Revned, have you played any of the three "Operation Rainfall" games for the Wii? Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story (which comes out today), and Pandora's Tower (if you've hacked your Wii to play imports)? You say you're into single-player third-person adventure games...well, that's three of them right there! Wii exclusives, even! Plus, they're not rehashes - or even sequels - of anything. What more could you ask for? (Even if two of those are skewed more action-RPG than action-adventure...otherwise, it sounds like exactly what you want to play!)
I'm not really a fan of JRPGs, to be honest. These certainly look nice, and I might try them eventually, but they don't seem quite like what I look for.
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Maybe the hype will pick up a little more after the Sept. 13 press conference where we can expect more details, such as the finalized form and specs of the Wii U itself, launch date, price, etc. Maybe a few game announcements? Two more days!
I don't get why everyone thinks the price is a big detail. Nice to know, but is it really a determining factor of when one buys a game system? It's a one-time thing, not a monthly thing, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Do people not know how to save money that it's going to be so tragic if it's, say, $100 more than predicted? If people don't know how to save a few hundred dollars over the course of the last few years, they probably shouldn't be playing games...
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NOVEMBER 18TH! $300 for the regular, $350 for the deluxe.
Got that info from this live blog: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/09/wii-u-liveblog-us/ - and only because I can't access much else game-related while at work.
That's 66 days from now. Earlier than the Japanese launch of Dec. 8.
Still within the 5 to 6-year range of all Nintendo consoles, as it's 5 years and 365 days after the last one. (Which is not a ridiculous statement if you remember it was a leap year...)
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Saturday:
BB Guy #1: The Wii U? Uhh, let me ask. (Asks BB Guy #2) If we don't have signs up, then no, we're not doing in-store pre-orders.
Sunday:
BB Girl #1 (on the phone): The Wii U? I don't even know what that is... (looks it up) Ah, yes, you can come in and pre-order either one of the two SKUs, no prob.
BB Girl #2 (at the store, at the checkout): Pre-order? Wii U?
BB Guy #3 (arrives with a binder): Okay, you can get one of six combos...either white or black, with low, medium or high bundles.
Me (thinking): But there were only two SKUs announced...basic white and deluxe black...
Me: I'll take the high black.
BB Girl #2: (random comment about Wii U)
BB Guy #1 (nearby, looking on): Yeah, some guy pre-ordered a Wii U yesterday.
Me (thinking): BUT YOU TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT YOU WEREN'T DOING IN-STORE ORDERS.
BB Girl #2: I don't see New Super Mario Bros. U here, but I do see Just Dance 4...
Me: No, no, that's Just Dance 4 for the Wii. I asked for Just Dance 4 for the Wii U.
BB Girl #2: Maybe come back in a week or two when we know what we're selling.
Me: >_<
I don't expect Rhodes scholars to be working at Best Buy, but they should at least know what they're selling...
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BB will be out of business soon, or at least they'll end up like Radio Shack (primarily a phone store). They can't compete with online retailers on price and they don't offer much of an in-store experience to really offset that.
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I've been at Best Buy a few times in the past month for different reasons, but I always find myself asking someone about the Wii U (whether it was about pre-ordering it, and now that I have, I'm still asking about pre-ordering specific games), and I always get the same response: "what's a Wii U?"
Way to educate your employees, Best Buy. Maybe you should hire people with a natural interest in electronics - which you obviously sell a lot of - if you can't be bothered to inform your workers. For example, there was that girl that rang up Nintendogs on the DS for me back in '05 and she asked "what's a DS?" It's one thing to not know what something is before they sell it, but after they've been selling it for months?
And I have like a dozen other bad Best Buy stories, though all about pre-order bonuses and misinformation. And sloppy issue resolution, hoo boy.
Best Buy? Worst service. I only shop there because the Rewards Zone bonuses are sweet. If they ever kill that program, I'll likely shop elsewhere, at least whenever there's the potential that I might have questions about anything.
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For a console that's coming out in one month and is the successor to one of the most successful game consoles of all time, there sure isn't as much hype as I thought there would be by now.
I suppose the relative lack of advertising highlights a few things:
1) Nintendo is sure that the Wii U will sell out this year because there are enough informed hardcore gamers that have already pre-ordered.
2) Nintendo is probably hoping word-of-mouth of its (supposedly) ground-breaking gameplay will help sell the Wii U like it did for the Wii, at least early on and over the next couple Christmasses.
3) Nintendo is probably putting some effort/dollars into demo tours to give people a chance to get hands-on, since it gives people a better idea of the experience (like how the 3DS couldn't really be demonstrated unless you actually saw one). But then again I don't know if this is more/less than I have seen them do for the past few consoles...
Or maybe it's because I live in Canada? (I'm guessing Nintendo of Canada doesn't have the budget that Nintendo of America does, but I can't think of what else NoC does, if not marketing/distribution...) The country-wide tour goes east to west, but doesn't hit anything west of Ontario until AFTER it's already launched. TV spots can't be too much to ask, can it?
The biggest thing is that when they do promote it, there's heavy emphasis on the controller, for good reason, however, paired with the subtly-changed name, a lot of people are misinformed that it's just an accessory for the Wii. Sometimes I wonder if, among the hardcore, it might make sense to emphasize its HD quality. Some gamers have been asking for an HD Wii for years, not (what appears to be) another Wii accessory, so they should put the focus on what people desire.
I suggested my workplace get a couple deluxe Wii Us for the annual Christmas party as door prizes, which they managed to pre-order in time. The Christmas party is the Saturday after the launch (a little early, yeah), so I expect I will have made some people very happy when they win them - though that early on, they might not know yet what it is, or that they have the hottest item that they could potentially sell to desperate parents for two or three times the value...
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I almost forgot about this topic...been busy...though you guys are as well-informed as anyone (and know how to use the Internet) so you probably already know it's nine days from today.
Single-digit number of days left! Or "sleeps", if you count it that way (that always sounds weird to me, though I get the logic, but whatever). I hear Nintendo is banning (or discouraging) midnight launches, so yes, you will probably be sleeping the night of the 17th.
If any of you have to wait until Christmas morning, that's still 46 days away, or a month and a half. I hope to have already mastered Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Just Dance 4 by then. (I've already maxed my mojo in Just Dance 4 for the Wii (non-U), but my brother insists on buying the Wii U version just for the Puppet Master mode.) I have some time off coming up that I have to use before year-end, including a week off immediately after launch.
Still haven't been able to pre-order the individual games at Best Buy, sigh. Wondering if I should have done that already at Walmart, or if I still should/could. I'm guessing it might not be a problem (I live in Canada, where Skylanders toys are freaking everywhere, and I never see the sold-out shortages I hear about them in the States, if that's comparable), but if it is a problem, in the worst-case scenario, I would still have the pre-packaged Nintendo Land. Of the three I expect to own, I'm probably looking forward to that one the most, since the experiences are fresher than more New Super Mario and Just Dance (not that those are bad).
Now that it's really close, are any of you guys any more excited yet? Have you played it on the tours? Here in Canada, provinces west of Ontario don't even get to experience the tour until after launch, which is silly...
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I guess since it's a few minutes past 10:00 PM here then it's just after midnight over in New York, so that Triforce guy undoubtedly has his own Wii U now. The Wii Us are beginning to be unleashed upon the world, so any more counting down that remains would be based on time zone and region...
For me, it's another 12 hours; at least Best Buy is opening at 10 AM instead of 11 AM as they usually would on Sundays. Wish me luck, I hope to be first in line, so I'll probably have to be there hours before that. On that note I should go to bed very soon.
Next time you guys hear from me, I'll be in the eighth generation of video games. See you there soon!
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Today's the day!
Of course for me, I probably won't be getting one until March because I can't afford--and I'm not likely to be able to find one until then even if I did have the money to shell out.
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I have my Wii U now, after a four-hour wait. At least the other people in line were conversational and excited. But no, my streak for getting Nintendo hardware has ended...I was fourth...but I can't exactly do any better than being first in line as I was for the 3DS...ah well. I have mine now, that's what matters.
Talk about anticlimactic...the Day One System Update is taking forever... >_<
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My brother didn't decide until late that he wanted a Wii U sooner than later, so we missed out on pre-orders and such. I wouldn't mind waiting until Christmas time to get one, but for his sake we keep checking GameStop/Target/elsewhere in hopes that they have one.
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Good thing I wasn't looking to buy one. I heard from a friend that the local EB Games (Game Stop) got 27 per-orders but will only get 3 actual Wii U to sell on release day. It feels like a repeat of the Wii's launch over here.
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We got one! And so far, we're loving it. And we haven't even started NSMBU yet! Nintendo Land is great, and so far the Luigi's Mansion one is our favorite.
I'm not sure how the friend system works yet, but my account name is Peardian.
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I made a Nintendo Network ID topic over here (https://www.vgmaps.com/forums/index.php?topic=1871.0).
I already see you'll fit right in with everyone else on Miiverse, as they all seem to be superb artists; I Yeahed your awesome Luigi's Ghost Mansion picture.