5 Reasons Why Wii U Owners Shouldn't Panic

There have been a fair share of complaints levelled at the Wii U, so much so that those who have invested in Nintendo’s latest console may be reconsidering their purchase. However, look past all the speculation touted by naysayers of the “gimmicky” new system and you’ll find that the Wii U isn’t the failure it’s alleged to be, and that it actually has a rather bright future ahead of it.

Here are 5 reasons why Wii U owners shouldn’t be panicking.

Many of its supposed “problems” have been exaggerated.

“The Wii U isn’t selling,” they say.

From its launch date in November 2012 until March 2013, the Wii U sold 2.6 million units globally. In the same period of time, the PlayStation 3 had sold 2.4 million units, while the Xbox 360 had sold just 2 million units.

“There are no games for it,” they say.

While the Wii U’s software line-up was experiencing a bit of a dry spell at the beginning of 2013, it isn’t as if this is atypical of console launches. Thus far we’ve had a bunch of great titles for the Wii U, including Nintendo Land, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Zombiu and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (which is better than any Mario Kart game you’ve played since Double Dash), and the Xbox 360 actually had less retail releases between November 2012 – March 2013 than the Wii U has had. Plus, the quality of the titles released during the Xbox 360’s launch window wasn’t exactly stellar, with Perfect Dark Zero and the King Kong movie adaptation game being two of the most heavily promoted titles in its line-up, despite both being nothing less than mediocre.

There are plenty more titles just round the corner.

There’s plenty of things to look forward to in the Wii U’s future, from a new 3D Mario game, to the next Legend of Zelda title to a new Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. All the buzz surrounding Microsoft and Sony’s upcoming new consoles has led to the focus being shifted from Nintendo, and this is understandable. But the Wii U still has plenty more tricks up its sleeve, and as we all know, the gaming industry is a fickle one: all it takes is Nintendo to have a great E3 this year, and the spotlight will once again be on them.

Its controller has yet to be fully utilised.

Not much changes after a console is released. The graphics get prettier, the online play is improved upon and some features are added, but for the most part your experience won’t alter all to much – you’ll still be sitting in front of a TV, with a standard controller in your hands, playing video games. However, the Wii U has the potential to offer players a new way to play with each and every release.

When developers finally get their heads around the fact that the Wii U’s touchscreen controller doesn’t deviate from a player’s gaming experience but rather improves upon it, it will likely be implemented in a whole host of unique and exciting ways. Nintendo Land showed us just how innovative the Gamepad is, and it won’t be long before its uniqueness is celebrated rather than criticised.

Nintendo inspires criticism. Always has, always will.

Many people resent Nintendo. Ever since SEGA’s fun little “Genesis Does What Nintendon’t” smear campaign back in the ’90s, Nintendo has often been chastised for their kid-friendly ethos and colourful, joyous I.P.s. With each new console they release the flames rise higher, and the Wii U is no exception. But as proven by the number of units the Wii U has shifted, all the chatter surrounding the supposed impending failure of the console is nothing more than baseless conjecture, spouted by people who presumably hate having fun.

It’s picking up steam.

The Wii U’s sales have doubled in Japan and gone up by 125% in the UK since the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and a price cut in the latter region. While it’s still not exactly overperforming, it shows that there are still many who are interested in the Wii U but aren’t plumping up the cash until more games are released. When Nintendo’s aforementioned big-hitters start making their way onto shelves, it is foreseeable that the console will receive a major hike in sales.