What does the "U" in Wii U stand for?

A lot goes in to making a home gaming console. Everything from market trends to user-base, third party support to ease of use is considered. So how did Nintendo land on the TV/tablet combo? And was that decision a good one? Lets talk about what people say about the Wii U and weather or not we should be worried about Nintendo as a whole.




The Wii U is Underperforming

I don't think anyone would disagree with this.

Source: Statista

Though these numbers only account for up to 2014, In January Nintendo revealed that the total number of console sold worldwide was around 9 million units.

For a console that's supposedly halfway through it's lifecycle, things look dismal. Though we don't have the numbers from all of 2015 yet, and this could be the Wii U's biggest year, with Splatoon selling over 1.6 million copies.

No matter how you slice it, we're looking at another Gamecube, sales wise.

the Wii U is Underpowered

Until the Wii, Nintendo's consoles matched or exceeded it's competition in raw computing power. So why the change? Maybe they were scared off because of the Gamecube's poor sales. At any rate, one could argue that Nintendo needs to get back in the graphics race. On the other hand:

One could argue that graphics aren't the end all be all.

The Wii U is Underrated

It's honestly a shame that more people this generation haven't given the Wii U a chance. for all it's faults, it's got- some of the best software so far this generation. When other developers struggle to bring a anything to market that isn't infested with bugs, Nintendo consistently brings great games. Is 3rd party support important? YES! Could Nintendo do more to garner 3rd party support? YES! Does Nintendo have the best 1st party lineup this generation?
- Mariokart 8
- Super Smash Bros Wii U
- Splatoon
- Windwaker HD
- Pikmin 3
- Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropic
- Bayonetta 2
- Super Mario 3D World

And a few upcoming Titles:
- Super Mario Maker
- Yoshi's Woolly World
- Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Star Fox Zero
- Zelda Wii U

More people need to give the Wii U a shot. It gets an underserved bad rap.

The Wii U is Un-savable.

The harsh reality that we have to face is that these upcoming titles will probably be the last we see of the Wii U lifecycle. Some say even Zelda won't see the light of day on Wii U, I don't agree, but that gives you an idea of how close the end is.

I sincerely hope that if you've ever been a Nintendo fan, you'll pick up a Wii U and a few games before the end comes. I predict they'll become nearly impossible to find once the NX comes out, and you do not want to miss out. Despite what the mass media is serving you, It's a worthwhile purchase, with a great game lineup.

So should we be worried about Nintendo?


I believe in Nintendo. For all their faults, they are innovators first and foremost. Sometimes that
means you follow through with a bad idea. But you dust yourself off, learn from it, and keep pushing. No matter what the NX is, Nintendo needs to find a way to be culturally relevant again, while maintaining their current superfan user base. Can they do it? Like I said, I believe in Nintendo. And as long at they continue to be Nintendo, they'll have a future.