Discussion about the eighth generation of consoles often treats the Wii U as an afterthought because it doesn't fit into a pre-constructed narrative about these devices. Consoles aren't just game-playing devices anymore, they're home-entertainment providers that let you watch movies and listen to music. Microsoft even hired Zachary Quinto to appear for eight seconds in an Xbox One ad just so it can show you that the device plays movies like Star Trek Into Darkness.
Nintendo is the odd kid in class, not fitting in because its latest console doesn't playDVDs or Blu-ray (though at least it has Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus and other streaming services via TVii), instead choosing to double down on hardware innovation with the GamePad controller. Problem is, platform exclusivity is largely in the past, and when most companies are making games for as many platforms as possible, they're not going to gear those games toward the capabilities of any one system. This leaves any of the GamePad's interesting features unloved and unused; curiosities that only Nintendo's development teams are willing to explore.
In doubling down on gaming with the Wii U, Nintendo isn't trying to win the console race with Sony and Microsoft. Sure, the Wii U embraced streaming in a way its predecessor didn't, with the introduction of TVii and allowing consumers to even use the GamePad as a remote. But that isn't the device's primary purpose; it's more a measure to prevent you from pushing the console to the back of your entertainment center when you just want to watch some TV.
In contrast, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 come from bigger, more diverse companies with more resources and larger ecosystems -- including Sony's music and movie holdings and Microsoft's expansion of the Xbox Live platform to Windows and Windows Phone -- making it a battle that Nintendo is unlikely to win.
As the PlayStation and Xbox continue to evolve, they're moving out of the game console space and into another category entirely, leaving Nintendo as the only major contender. And that's a battle Nintendo can win, if it can justify to consumers why it's worth buying a game console in addition to a PlayStation or Xbox entertainment console that can also play games, music and movies on far more technologically advanced hardware. And to do that, it needs to dig through its own backpack a bit more to find the one shiny bauble that will impress the class at the next show-and-tell.
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First off, the turnaround in media perception of Nintendo's console is hilarious. What the hell happened, why are outlets who have been calling for Nintendo's blood for a full year suddenly so bright on the Wii U?
Secondly, I'm glad to see someone seems to get it: ultimately, it comes down to games. The Wii U does not necessarily have to be the best console on the market (it won't be): it just needs to have enough compelling games that you have to pick on up, and it's set. So far, Nintendo seems to be on a good start with that front.
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