Nintendo Missed a Huge Opportunity with Super Mario 3D World

Sam Byford, writing for The Verge:

One thing that Super Mario 3D World is not is a showcase for the Wii U's signature feature, the tablet-style GamePad controller. While there is the occasional stage that requires you to manipulate objects with the touchscreen, these are few and far between, and for the most part Super Mario 3D World is entirely playable with a regular controller. I actually found it far more comfortable to play with the underutilized but excellent Wii U Pro Controller most of the time. You can also play directly on the GamePad without the need for a TV, though I wouldn't recommend it; the camera angles tend to be too zoomed-out to be comfortable. And relegating Super Mario 3D World to the low-resolution GamePad screen would be a shame, because it's a stunningly beautiful game.

Nintendo has been on an advertising binge lately. Odds are very good that you've seen this commercial, or one of its siblings, on TV or the web:

The commercials are somewhat childish, but they do a decent job of explaining the Wii U in the context of Nintendo's newest AAA title, Super Mario 3D World. It's somewhat sad that Nintendo has to remind people that the Wii U is a new console and not a peripheral for the Wii (a problem that Sony and Microsoft don't have), but the good part of this commercial is that it shows the fun that can be had playing the game with friends and family.

Unfortunately, what the commercial also shows us is that the tablet-like controller for the Wii U is almost a pointless afterthought. The commercial doesn't emphasize using the tablet as a controller (despite its prominence in the still photographs), and Byford's post confirms that the tablet isn't really necessary for the game.

The fact that Nintendo's premier Mario title, delivered one year after the console's launch, doesn't show off the capabilities of the single defining feature of the Wii U is ridiculous. By contrast, Nintendo didn't waste any time showing off the uniqueness of the Wii's remote controllers. Wii Sports may not have been the best game on the system, but it immediately set the Wii apart as a console that--despite graphical shortcomings--offered unique gameplay.

The Wii U is already hampered by the fact that it offers inferior graphical performance compared to its competitors. Nintendo has compounded this business/engineering error by failing to produce a game that convinces people that the Wii U offers a unique experience.

Folks, Nintendo blew this one. 

Nintendo Apparently Likes Confusing Consumers

From Business Wire: 

Wii is the best-selling system of this generation with more than 100 million units sold globally. Wii mini is for those who don’t own a Wii console and want to enjoy a ton of great Wii games on a stylish system at an affordable price. It is also for families who want an additional console in another room, allowing siblings and friends to play while the rest of the family enjoys other entertainment and games on the main living room TV screen. While Wii mini is not compatible with the Internet and will not allow online functionality when playing games, select multiplayer games can still be played locally with friends and families, which is the ideal way to enjoy such entertaining games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii.

This is an odd duck. As you may recall, the Wii U is selling poorly (though admittedly better these days), and part of the blame can be placed on the poor marketing choices made by Nintendo. When consumers have to be reminded that the Wii and Wii U are not the same thing, you've got a marketing problem. Adding a 'Wii mini' to the mix is not going to help matters. Nintendo should be focused on getting the Wii U on gamers' minds for the upcoming holiday season, especially with the impending arrivals of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Third Party Developers Aren't Happy with the Nintendo WiiU

Chris Morris, in a post at GamesIndustry International:

Yves Guillemot, Chairman and CEO of Ubisoft, is typically one of the biggest proponents of new systems, but betting big on the Wii U didn't work out well for the company. ZombiU, one of the most popular launch titles for the system with players, was not profitable, he says. Not even close. As such, he says, there are no plans (or even desire) for a sequel.

Ouch. 

As I've written about previously, the Nintendo WiiU isn't selling particularly well. It seems as though the poor console sales numbers have translated into poor sales numbers for games. In the article, Morris notes that EA does not currently have any games in development for the WiiU. When one of the largest videogame dev shops in the world doesn't have games in development for your platform, you're in a tough spot.

Folks, everyone is going to want to play Nintendo's first party software (e.g. Mario, Zelda, Metroid). That's a virtual certainty. Unfortunately, it's unclear if gamers and third party developers will stick around for the long haul.

Nintendo Wants to Remind People That the Wii U and Wii are Not the Same

Sean Buckley over at Engadget posted ​a press release from Nintendo, and this was the best part:

Wii U is the all-new home console from Nintendo. It's not just an upgrade -- it's an entirely new system that will change the way you and your family experience games and entertainment.

​Folks, this is just sad. As I've written before, the Nintendo Wii U has been selling poorly. Nintendo could not have handled this product any more incompetently than if they filled the inside of the device with wood chips (which, if nothing else, could be used as bedding for hamsters). Nintendo made some serious engineering mistakes with the product (e.g. anemic graphics horsepower, awkward and unnecessary tablet controller), but this press release shows that they also failed miserably in marketing the console. Giving the product a name that is practically indistinguishable from its predecessor is inexcusable, especially given the fact that its specs and games are not significantly different (at the very least, not 'six years' different) from the Wii.

Folks, it doesn't look good for the people from the House of Mario.​

The Nintendo WiiU is Selling Very Poorly

Frank Cifaldi, writing for Gamasutra:

All eyes are on Nintendo's Wii U, which saw an incredibly rough January that may have seen sales as low as 57,000. This month, the NPD Group says that sales on a weekly average increased around 40 percent, meaning that monthly sales for the console were in the neighborhood of 64,000.

Ouch. This is bad. Very, very, very bad. By comparison, the 7-year-old Xbox 360 sold 302,000 units in the same period. Brand new consoles should easily outsell consoles from the previous generation, barring supply chain constraints (which does not appear to apply in this case). Nintendo desperately needs a good Mario game or a new entry in the Zelda series.