What Does That Do?
The challenge Nintendo have with Wii U is in trying to explain its unique functions to the average consumer. Wii was easily explained: you wag the remote and your movements are replicated onscreen. The Wii U is a harder sell: you have a controller (which is called a GamePad), and it has a built-in screen. Thats the easy part: the Wii U is a very exciting console and its controller has many potential uses. You could play a game of co-op in which one person sees in first-person through the GamePad screen and somebody else can play via the TV. The person playing on the TV wont be able to see what the GamePad player is up to. This is a great idea for a stealthy game like Splinter Cell and brings some of the unique qualities of online gaming to an offline environment, which is also a boon for those annoyed at the lack of offline split-screen multiplayer in most modern videogames. And not to forget Nintendos renewed efforts to embrace online gaming with their new online architecture the Nintendo Network. As for another example of how the GamePad could work: in a survival horror videogame the gamepad player could be the monster à la Slenderman and the TV player would be the potential victim that has to escape. Its clear that family-oriented multiplayer gaming is Wii Us strongest selling point, and it therefore ties into the family-friendly philosophy that Nintendo has long tried to promote (survival horror concept notwithstanding!).