Wii U
Nintendo's first HD home console, released in late 2012.
The Wii U is a home video game console from Nintendo, released in late 2012 as the follow-up to the Wii. It was the first console of the eighth generation, going up against Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4. It also marked Nintendo’s first system to output high-definition graphics.
Its main controller, the Wii U GamePad, includes a touchscreen, a D-pad, analog sticks, and action buttons. This screen can either work alongside the main TV display or, in certain games, let players play entirely on the GamePad itself. The console is backward compatible with Wii software and accessories. Games can use any mix of the GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller, the Wii Remote, the Nunchuk, the Balance Board, or the Classic Controller. Online features included the Nintendo Network and Miiverse, a social network where players could share content in game-specific communities.
The Wii U was praised for its GamePad, backward compatibility, lower price than its rivals, and its first-party games. However, it drew criticism for its user interface, hardware performance, the GamePad’s short battery life, and how the GamePad was sometimes used in games and software. Commercially, it failed: with 13.56 million units sold worldwide, it is Nintendo’s worst-selling home console and its second-worst-selling console overall, ahead of only the Virtual Boy. First-party games sold moderately well, thanks to a small but loyal fan base for Nintendo-developed content, but the console’s poor sales were blamed on a weak launch lineup, limited third-party support, and marketing that did not clearly set it apart from the original Wii.
Nintendo stopped making the Wii U on January 31, 2017. On March 3 of that year, it released the Nintendo Switch, which kept and improved ideas introduced with the Wii U. Most of the Wii U’s exclusive games were later ported to the Switch.
**History**
**Development**
Nintendo first thought of the system in 2008 after seeing limitations and problems with the Wii, including the public view that it mainly appealed to casual players. With the Wii U, Nintendo wanted to win back core gamers. Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that the lack of HD and limited network features on the Wii also made it seem like a different class from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Nintendo IRD, NTD
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo, Foxconn, Mitsumi
- Generation
- Eighth
- Release Date
- NA · November 18, 2012 · PAL · November 30, 2012 · JP · December 8, 2012
- Price
- US$299/¥26,250 (Basic Set) (Deluxe/Premium Set (later bundles)) / US$349/¥31,500 (Deluxe/Premium Set)
- Discontinued
- January 31, 2017
- Os
- Wii U system software
- Power
- 75 W
- Cpu
- 1.24 GHz tri-core IBM PowerPC "Espresso"
- Memory
- 2 GB DDR3
- Storage
- Internal flash memory: / 8 GB (Basic Set) / 32 GB (Deluxe Set)
- Memory Card
- SD/SDHC card (up to 32 GB) / USB storage device (up to 2 TB)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The system was first conceived in 2008 after Nintendo recognized limitations and challenges with the Wii, such as the perception that it catered primarily to a casual audience. With the Wii U, Nintendo wished to bring back core gamers. The concept of a touchscreen embedded within the controller was originally inspired by the blue light on the Wii disc slot that illuminates to indicate new messages. Much later in development, this was expanded to a full screen that could display the game being played in its entirety. Public rumors began in 2008, with speculation of a revision known as 'Wii HD'. In April 2011, an uncredited source indicated that Nintendo was planning to unveil a successor known as 'Project Café' at its E3 2011 presentation. The console was officially unveiled as the Wii U during Nintendo's press conference at E3 2011. Following the unveiling, Nintendo's stock fell nearly 10% to levels not seen since 2006. The Wii U launched in North America on November 18, 2012, and in Japan on December 8, 2012.
Reader's Guide
The Wii U received praise for its GamePad, backward compatibility, lower price compared to its competitors, and first-party game library, but criticism for its user interface, hardware performance, and the GamePad's short battery life and its misuse in games and software. It was a commercial failure; with 13.56 million units sold worldwide, it is Nintendo's lowest-selling home console, and its second-lowest-selling console overall, ahead of the Virtual Boy. While first party games saw moderately high sales attributed to a small but 'loyal and passionate fan base for Nintendo-developed content', the console's poor sales have been attributed to a weak launch game lineup, limited third-party support, and lackluster marketing that failed to clearly distinguish it from the original Wii. Nintendo discontinued the Wii U on January 31, 2017. On March 3, it released a successor, the Nintendo Switch, which retained and refined concepts introduced with the Wii U. Most of the Wii U's exclusive games were ported to the Switch.
Did You Know?
- The Wii U was the first eighth-generation video game console.
- It was the first Nintendo console to support high-definition (HD) graphics.
- Nintendo's stock fell nearly 10% in the two days following the Wii U's unveiling at E3 2011.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation, Part 2 1-24
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