Peter Molyneux has all of the respect in the world for Nintendo, but he isn’t sold on the company’s newest console. Speaking with GamesIndustry, the Fable creator said Wii U is “good, but it’s not great.”
Molyneux feels that the two screen approach is “slightly confusing as a consumer.” He also seemed a bit down on the technology powering the system.
“I think the Wii U is good, but I don’t feel it’s great. I’ve played the experience, I’ve played Nintendo Land, I’ve played ZombiU, and they’re good. I find holding the device in my hand–looking up at the screen and looking down at the device–slightly confusing as a consumer. It’s good, but it’s not great. And we really need these new pieces of hardware to be great in today’s world, because the competition is not just consoles anymore. The competition is everything, all the technology. When you’re holding a Kindle Fire or an iPad in your hand, it’s just amazing technology. It really is. It’s expensive, but it’s amazing technology. And people like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft need to match that. They need to match that in my mind, and exceed it. And I’m not sure the Wii U really did that.”
Molyneux may have his doubts when it comes to Wii U, but again, he has high praise for Nintendo in general.
“I’ve got unvelievable respect for Nintendo. They created our industry in a very real sense. I can remember everybody in the industry laughing and giggling about how stupid the Wii was, what a stupid name it was, and who would want motion control. And then it went on to sell what, 60, 70 million copies? It got people who never considered computer games to play them.”
Molyneux did make sure to point out his interest in Wii U’s asymmetric gameplay and attraction of its indie games. Because of the Wii’s huge success, Molyneux thinks it’s possible that his expectations could have been set too high. And in the end, Molyneux has “enduring faith” in Nintendo.
Many of you probably know at this point that when making a Nintendo Network ID, the account must consist of at least six characters. It also can’t exceed sixteen characters.
But there’s another limitation in place that you may (or may not) be aware of – the Nintendo Network ID you create can’t have the word “Nintendo” in it. We have no idea why this is so, but it is what it is!
Much like a similar Xbox 360 game that came out a couple of weeks ago, Japan is getting a Wii U launch title (downloadable, as far as I know) called “Wii Karaoke U” that gives players access to ninety thousand songs (yes, 90,000) to sing and dance along to, all for the low low fee of several different payment options:
– ¥100 for one hour.
– ¥300 for 24 hours.
– ¥1000 for 30 days
– ¥2000 for 90 days
There’s a microphone/trial disc available for ¥2940, which allows users to play 50 chosen songs for 31 days as much as they want, but you can’t use the trial disc on your Wii U after the 31 day limit is up. You can, however, give it to a friend, since it appears as though your “account” is tied to the console as opposed to the disc.
Sounds like Japan has 1-up’d North America’s SiNG Party…
This may not come as a surprise to many of you, but Ubisoft says they like the Wii U! After giving the console a plethora launch titles (including the wonderful survival horror title ZombiU), the company is gearing up for tonight’s launch in the UK. Here’s what they had to say about the Wii U in general:
“Since E3, Nintendo has been consistently building presence in consumers’ minds through their PR activities as well as events and media. Over that period, we have also been pushing our own games to position them as key choices for gamers who purchase the console. On some occasions such as E3, we’ve worked together to ensure maximum exposure for both companies. We find core gamers and the technologically-minded tend to be the first adopters of new consoles. It’s no real surprise that games that appeal to this audience are more likely to perform well early on. As Wii U reaches broader audiences, we will see a shift in the types of games bought.”
And here’s an added tidbit of praise for the big N and their hardware development:
“Once again, Nintendo is the first to bring something new to home consoles. The innovation brought by the Wii U marks a step change, which will become more obvious as users familiarise themselves with these new gameplay possibilities.”
I hope you European folks area ready! Just a few more hours!
This week’s Japanese 3DS eShop update is as follows:
3DS Downloadable Titles
Onna Katekiy?shi Itoka Sensei to Misshitsu ni Itara Shichau Kama shirenai – 800 yen
Crimson Shroud – 800 yen
Layton Ky?ju vs Gyakuten Saiban (Layton vs Ace Attorney, 11/29) – 5,980 yen
Shifting World Shiro to Kuro no Meiky? (11/29) – 2,800 yen
Shin Sangoku Mus? VS (11/29) – 5,400 yen
Poyo Poyo Kansatsu Nikki (11/29)– 2,800 yen
DLC
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Golden Classics Course Pack – FREE
Virtual Console
Super Mario USA (Super Mario Bros. 2) – 500 yen
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (River City Ransom, Famicom) – 500 yen
Video Content
Videos for Wii U titles Tekken Tag Tournament 2, ZombiU, FIFA 13, Batman: Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, Wii Karaoke U
Paper Mario: Sticker Star 3D streaming video
