10 Ill-Fated Choices That Wrecked Video Games Instantly

Following their smashing return to the top spot with the Wii, Nintendo set about making their next system using feedback as their guiding force. Getting millions of people into gaming was its biggest success, but the motion controlled system also faced criticism for its weaker processing power, limited online functions and lacklustre third party software line-up. Naturally, Nintendo sought to improve on these shortcomings but difficult times were ahead.

The fateful day came at E3 2011, where "Project Cafe" was revealed as the Wii U. Seemingly an omen for things to come, Nintendo's stock fell 10% with critics pointing out that even with improved graphics, the console was still lagging behind its competitors. The bigger problem with the system was the name itself; most consumers just didn't know what to make of the Wii U. Was it a tablet accessory for the Wii or a completely new system? By not being specific with its marketing, Nintendo was setting itself up for a major crisis in 2012.

What followed was what many fans refer to as the "dark age of Nintendo"; dismal console sales, a lack of quality titles and continued disappointment from the fanbase. The five years between 2012 and 2017 were rough for the company and it all came down to a badly thought out console title. Third party publishers began to drop their support, retailers like Asda refused to sell the system and the Wii U finished up as one of the worst-selling projects in Nintendo's history.