November 2nd, 2012

Video: The first advertising campaign for the Wii U in North America

44 Comments
Wii U Promo Shot

The first commercial for the Wii U in North America has aired, and in case you haven’t seen it at home, the video can be found after the break. Make sure you share what you think in the comments!

  • Guest

    What a colosal failure

  • Guest

    This looks like a colossal failure to me.

  • Sonic20012

    Well…interesting. I like the commercial, but don’t you think the music is a little much for a Nintendo console? IDK that’s just my opinion.

  • DallasDiatorei

    Not the best commercial, to be honest. Didn’t really do much to explain how it is different from the Wii… or iPad… It honestly didn’t do much of anything except show the controller, tell us the name, and say that it’s… “new.” But I suppose it could be worse. Not a fan of the music either.

  • Attackblast

    Ok I gotta say I thought this was a pretty advertising but they didnt say it now has HD? thats not good cause some people might want a new nintendo console that FINALLY has HD! who agrees with me?

    • Omarsonic9

      You can play Wii U in full HD.

    • DallasDiatorei

      Exactly, he was saying how dumb it was that they didn’t mention that in the video.

  • Andy

    My only complaint is the music, its completely out of tone to the footage.

    • http://www.facebook.com/8xBIT Thomas Reifenberg

      I agree. The stock wannabe future techno doesn’t make sense here. If they were advertising a hardcore gamer commercial, sure, but this is “family” supposedly. At least they didn’t pull a Microsoft and use weird out of place dubstep.

    • http://www.facebook.com/8xBIT Thomas Reifenberg

      You know, if they just used the MARIO TENNIS 64 MARIO COURT song, that would have been fine.

  • Ice Climbers

    I didn’t really like this commercial. It didn’t convey the message that its a new console, or that it can appeal to both casual and core gamers. Hopefully the next commercial is a LOT better.

    • http://www.facebook.com/craigybabyxo Craig Brown

      Yeah, I think all continents will see different kinds of commercials for Wii U. This one is only introducing the console to the “home” setting – literally. It’s not about the games, it’s about the main console being a part of the home. Other ads will most likely focus on casual games, core games and hardcore games (as much as I hate the word hardcore).

  • giro

    Well the original wii commercials always made me smile and this did not. Also I don’t know what uninformed people are going to pull from this commercial or kids.

  • BoyleVoices

    Well it says how you will play next. I think it makes it pretty clear that its a new console…but they should have showed off more of the 3rd party games.

  • Guy

    They didn’t really explain… well, anything. I don’t think people who haven’t been following will understand what this is.

  • Zok

    Disappointment. Aimed toward a casual audience, but doesn’t clarify that the gamepad is for a different console than the Wii.

    • Tails the Foxhound

      So, so much this. I think I actually like the UK’s commercial better now (US commercial’s production values aside).

  • http://twitter.com/AyaneKimura ♡AуaηєღKɪmυяa♡

    You guys need to remember that the WiiU is already sold it, the hardcore gamers already know about it, this commercial is targeting the family (Notice the lack of a game over T?) Nintendo wants Family’s to buy this because they already know the hardcore fans are 100% sure to buy one. For one thing Im sure most casual gamers couldn’t tell if it was in HD or not and just mentioning that probably wouldn’t seal the deal of a sale anyway…

    • blabla

      Not all “hardcore” games know about the Wii U (or at least in my country) They pretty much play 360 or PS3 only, so they haven’t looked into the system because people in my country are really biased and “traditional” and doesn’t like change at all (Which is why they stick with Playstation and Xbox). A lot of people here don’t even know what Zelda is and haven’t heard of Metroid and too many people here thinks that Mario is kids only with flowers, rainbows and unicorns (exaggerating).
      I know that this is the American commercial and has nothing to do with my country but I’m afraid that Nintendo might take the same road when they eventually release a commercial over here :(

    • http://www.facebook.com/craigybabyxo Craig Brown

      This is kind of the same for the UK, which is why Nintendo introduced their campaign first here. Forget America, gamers over here go crazy and you get so much bullying and pressure (for kids nowadays) to play 18+ games buy older people, to make them “real men” and the like. You get bullied here for playing Pokemon or Mario a lot of the time.

    • Critical Tiger

      I am sick of the “if you don’t play call of duty your a little kid” that is sh*t there is no other way to put it.

    • Bicentennial_Pidgeon

      Preorders are sold out. Reggie says it’ll still be available during the holidays.

  • Mseevers95

    It shows people still using wiimotes. That’s going to confuse people.

  • http://www.facebook.com/8xBIT Thomas Reifenberg

    I still can’t get over the Wii Remote crap. It is like saying this, “I payed for the system, I get the tablet and you guys get the stupid Wii Remotes. Hahahaha!” I can’t you just use 5 game pads and just not have the game screen be streamed, or use Gamecube controllers?

    • http://www.facebook.com/JonathanRider Johnny Rider

      You could always use five pro controllers…

    • http://www.facebook.com/8xBIT Thomas Reifenberg

      @Johnny so, $250+ for a few input devices?

    • Ice Climbers

      Better than $600+ for 4 extra GamePads. The GamePad would be about $170 if they sold it separately here in North America.

    • rockytem

      first of all, having more than one controller will be expensive as all hell. if you have friends who have their own systems, then that’s okay cuz they can bring their own controllers over. but if it’s a family activity, then they’re most likely not going to shell out about 100+ for each controller just to spend some menial game time together.

  • http://www.facebook.com/JonathanRider Johnny Rider

    Can’t we just get this advert over here in the UK instead of Phew! Phew! Phew!….

  • Rocket-Dragon

    I remember I used to love those Wii commercials, with the Japanese guys saying “Wii would like to play”. These ones? Not so much… Doesn’t feel like there’s any “heart” to them, if you understand what I mean. Most say that the big “U” at the end looked quite cool though.

    • http://www.facebook.com/8xBIT Thomas Reifenberg

      I miss this:
      “GET N OR GET OUT”
      which basically meant if you didn’t get it, you were going to be left in th dust.

    • Ice Climbers

      How about the famous “Now you’re playing with POWER!”

  • anonymous

    I’m just going to go ahead and say it. It was horrible. Makes me not want to buy one.

  • Iyxxl

    … And people will STILL think it’s a new controler… :T

  • lex

    not the best commercial i miss something in it the only thing what i see in this commercial are party games and a kind of karaoke game. They want to concentrate on hardcore gamers too but don’t find anything back in the commercial.

  • http://www.fanfiction.net/u/3204673/ GameManiac

    Not as memorable as “Wii would like to play” in my opinion. But I know the console itself will speak volumes when I get my hands on it.

  • Name

    There are only like 3 teens in this whole vid. Does NIntendo think only adults and pre-puberty kids play this?

  • i eat cheerios

    I dont know why…but im not as hyped as when the wii came out in 06.

  • dan

    They didnt show off enough adult games like uh, ZOMBI U!

  • http://www.nintendoworlds.com/members/turbopikachu.22921/ TurboPikachu

    This isn’t as big of a system-seller as “Wii would like to play”, but at least the ad is classier than the European ad… And even though there are too many little kids in the commercial, at least the adults they’re trying to lure aren’t senior citizens anymore. Nintendo’s finally going for the 20-somethings, of which I’m about to be one. (Time’s slipping by too fast! XP)

    • JANGO

      Hey I know you probably don’t care but I think I might know how to make a portable N-64 and posibly a portable NES Ans SNES

  • Joe Blow

    What is the point of advertising for something that you won’t be able to get until next year because they didn’t make enough?

  • Guy

    Well at least Nintendo was smart enough to not release the GamePad (outside of Japan) separately. Anyone going to store to buy Wii U thinking it’s a peripheral for Wii will quickly find out that it’s a new console. Maybe some people will even be inclined to buy it at that point.

  • http://twitter.com/RusselBuck Victor

    There’s something very 90s about the commercial in the sense that they made sure to center around how Hip and cool the young children are that are playing it.

    NoA however doesn’t appeal to the core gamer. I’m not impressed by seeing two party game and yet ANOTHER New Super Mario Brothers game.

    Overall I don’t think it’s a smart idea on Nintendo. The casual gamer won’t be able to tell the difference between the consoles and the core gamer won’t be drawn by the childish approach on Nintendo so called more hard core console. The commercial shows nothing that we haven’t seen before. People who want a tablet display will just go ahead and buy a tablet, not some dated resistive touch controller.