Shigeru Miyamoto has confessed to Kotaku that the reason Wii U sits horizontally is due to the fact that the design team didn’t want consumers to confuse Nintendo’s next generation console with its current Wii system. Miyamoto then went on to explain that Nintendo want people to focus on the console’s unique controller, rather than the actual system design.
“I think maybe it was because we didn’t want people to think it was a Wii.”
“It kind of goes back to our idea of the Wii U itself which is: ‘What is the role of the physical hardware?’ And in this particular case we felt that the physical hardware is something that’s becoming something that is less and less important from an identity perspective for a game machine.”
“So, for example, with even something like Kinect you can have your hardware put away and out of sight and you can wave at the TV and maybe the game will come on or something.”
“Similarly with Wii U, when we [considered the question] ‘What is the face of Wii U going to be?’, for us the face of Wii U really isn’t the console box itself. It’s the controller; it’s the Wii U GamePad. So just like a set top box is non-descript and tucked away, our feeling was that the Wii U hardware was something that could be tucked away and out of sight.”
“The Wii U GamePad is really the face of the system, whereas, with the Wii system, we had really designed it so that that system itself really stood out when you looked at it.”
What about those people who have their wii’s set up horizontally?
what’s wrong with setting it up like that??
Nothing. but their might be a mother that sees the Wii U and thinks it’s just a Wii because of the way they have theirs set up.
If they don’t want people to be confused with Wii itself, then WHY DIDN’T THEY NAMED IT DIFFERENTLY????????????? I just don’t get Nintendo sometimes ¬¬ Still I admire them of course, I’m a fan. But they sometimes are… confusing.
Why should they abandon the name of the most successful console they’ve ever had? Also, considering how closely the Wii U works with Wii accesories, it makes sense to keep the name.
You have a point of course, and I know it… But then why they say they don’t want people to confuse it with the Wii with a name that includes Wii on it??? It’s better just not to say that…
The same goes with the 3DS… many people think it’s only another DS iteration and not a different console…
You’re also right. It’s Nintendo’s job to market it correctly and explain to the casuals that it’s a new console but is also compatible with their old console’s peripherals.
leavee luck to hell
True, but I can’t help but think they could sell at least 10% more than they will if they’d renamed it. It’s bound to damage sales…
Or they could sell less. Nintendo needs to market the hell out of this thing. I want to see Wii U commercials on TV every commercial break. Pound it into their heads.
leave luck to hell
Leave hell to luck
Leave Luckk to hell
Yes, but the Wii worked with most GameCube accessories and they didn’t call it a GameCube 2.
True. Ever since GC, Nintendo has made their console backward compatible with the previous one.
On the topic of Wii U: look at it as Nintendo going back to its’ roots and reaching into the future. For a long time Nintendo’s platform came in twos. Nes then SNES, Game Boy then Game Boy Advance. They’re going back to that now with Wii now Wii U.
Iwata-sama himself said it best. The Wii U is both an evolution and continuation of Wii.
you are damn right… .__. i am a fan too but… the name…
the wii u sure is great, i like it
and FIRST AGAIN
R.I.P. Eduard.
That’s silly, they should have just made it look completely different to begin with
Why hide it? Show it off and be proud!
There wouldn’t be a problem if the console didn’t use the name “Wii.”
*headdesk* *headdesk* *HEADDESK* WHAT. THE. FUCK. NIN. TEN. DO?! If you don’t want it confused as a Wii MAKE IT MORE OBVIOUS. MAKE IT STAND OUT AS ITS OWN THING. DROP THE NAME “WII U”. DROP THE GIMMICKY MOTION CONTROLS. JUST MAKE AN ENJOYABLE GAMING EXPERIENCE.
in other words, make an xbox?
It sits horizontally….
I’m not sure if I’m fully on that either. I’m one of those people who keeps my systems vertically.
They should have talked more about the interface ports and specs of the console instead of taking up most of thier time with nintendo land
Yet they promoted the redesigned Wii sitting on its side. Now I’m worried. They are making marketing mistakes left and right. They showed the wrong games at their conference and stuff.
I honestly couldn’t care less about how the console looked. That plays no part in the gaming experience.
At least they’re bold enough to mention competition hardware like the Kinect xD
My Wii sitting horizontlly…
maybe they shouldn’t have named it, Wii U, and just left Wii out!
http://goo.gl/w1Wv3
Sickr check this out http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=477074
He has a good point with the controller being the face of the system, but to avoid confusion they should’ve named it differently… I think the Wii U is off to a rough start like the 3DS =/.
As much as I LOVE Nintendo they do annoy me with things like this. If they’re so worried about it then RE-NAME it. It’s as if the Wii U name was an early name that they decided to jump at before realising it was too late to go back after last years E3…
i suppose it makes a little sense to try to make it look different for the idiots who can’t tell a next-gen console when they see one. honestly, the people who can’t tell the Wii U is new must’ve had a horrible time figuring out the PS3 was something new. the Wii U is an HD console with a better internet system and a brand-new controller. the PS3 had those same features over the PS2 except it was using the same controller design that came out in 1997
Yes but I have some issues considering the size of the console. So sleek with such a good hardware rumors inside? Good hardware needs good cooling system and wii U is very sleek! Is it that strong? I was expecting it at least twice the size… or half the size increased.
I think the controller that is very small, is bigger than the console?
And why hell did not give a different name for the console? Dahhhhhh !
You don’t need to look at the console to get it confused with the Wii, apparently.
And besides, the redesigned Wii is already intended for horizontal use anyway, so if they were hoping to abate any suspicion, it’s been far too late.
at least the system itself looks sexy. should have called that beast wii 2u.