Tagged with: E3 2012

The Wii U is misunderstood. There are those who think the Wii U is a different version of the Wii or that the GamePad is no different from an iPad. But while perception continues to be a problem, Reggie Fils-Aime has clarified that Nintendo:

…wanted to get across that the Wii U experience is something unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. It’s something that they will want to experience for themselves.

And I think those paying attention to the system would understand this. The focus on asymmetric game play is fascinating, so hopefully they continue to emphasise on that point. But, as for E3 itself, Reggie also said:

…we wanted consumers and media to understand that what we’re showing at E3 is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re just beginning a steady stream of information about Wii U.

I think most people would have preferred the ratio to be the other way around. Show everything at E3, then trickle out the smaller details afterward. But Nintendo has grown fond of their Nintendo Direct broadcasts, so they’re probably saving the unannounced features for their own events.

Nintendo told us they wouldn’t announce the launch date or the price of the Wii U at E3 2012. They made it quite clear we’d see the launch window titles, and that would be it. Even so, people whined when the details didn’t arrive, but Reggie has justified the decision, saying that:

We want to see what resonates. We want to understand which games and experiences really resonate with consumers, and then use that information to make decisions moving forward. This is something we’ve done every launch year. We did it with DS, we did it with Wii, we did it with 3DS.

…and:

We’ll take all of the information coming from E3 and use it to make final decisions on launch date, launch price, configuration, launch day software, launch window software, and follow up-software. Because now we have the benefit of information.

As for the “we did it with 3DS” side of things, that’s actually why the device cost as much as it did when it launched. It had such a positive reception that Nintendo decided they could charge more for it. Of course, that didn’t work out. But it’s nice to know Nintendo doesn’t (always) hold back information for the sake of it.

Donkey Kong’s Crash Course is one of the games within the Nintendo Land package that might be included with every purchase of the Wii U. You can check out some footage of the game after the break.

Continue reading…

Ghost Recon Online was announced for the Wii U but it wasn’t shown at E3 2012. This made people wonder if something had happened to it. But fear not! Ubisoft has confirmed that, while the PC version is the priority, the Wii U version is still on its way. It will arrive after the PC version. This is because:

The team is taking a little bit longer than they thought they would to get Ghost Recon Online to the level and quality that they want and that definitely has had an impact on how much time they’re able to spend on the Wii U version because we want to make sure we get it right.

And I think that’s pretty much the best reason possible for a delay.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was confirmed for the Wii U and, while we don’t have Wii U-specific footage of the game, you can check out a walkthrough of the PS3 version after the break from the show-floor of E3 2012. The first game in this series was quite good, so I do think this is worthy of some attention.

Continue reading…

Engadget went hands-on with the Wii U Pro Controller at E3 2012, and also shared a couple of high-quality photos (one of which is shown above). As for what they thought of the controller itself, this snippet explains their impressions the best:

…the controller seems to be slightly wider and a bit shorter than the 360′s. The unit’s ergonomic shape and button layout proved very comfortable during our session, not least of which included its fairly sturdy feeling build quality and light weight.

But if you want more depth, you can click here to read their full preview.

ZombiU is one of the more impressive titles announced for the Wii U. I’ve already talked about how interesting it is when discussing the best Wii U games of E3 2012, but a better understanding, watch the footage from the game after the break.

Continue reading…