The Problem Nobody Wants To Admit About Nintendo

What Are U?

One of the disasters in modern gaming - yes, including Ouya and Stadia - was the reveal of the successor to Wii, the oddly-named Wii U. Once again, Nintendo decided to take a different path to that of Sony and Microsoft, and focused once more on a new, innovative, never before seen control method (at least it was in HD this time, eh?).

Choosing to release the system in 2012, out of sync with the PS4 and Xbox One, the Wii U's marketing was an absolute train-wreck, with trailers and advertisements showing Wii remotes, Wii games, and Wii branding, leading to the general assumption that the Wii U's famed tablet controller was just another in a long line of Wii accessories.

With the advent of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2013, graphics, processing power and - perhaps most importantly of all - the quality and ubiquity of online multiplayer gaming shone a cold, harsh light on Nintendo's latest offering, and it was left for dead in Sony and Microsoft's wake.

Nintendo had officially been dismissed in the minds of the so-called gaming "hardcore", with millions of gamers all over the world who would not be seen dead anywhere near a Nintendo product.

The damage was huge, and Nintendo only had themselves to blame.