Atari founder 'baffled' by Wii U

One of the founding fathers of games is none too keen on the Nintendo Wii U. Speaking to the New York Times, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's founder Nolan Bushnell said he doesn't think Nintendo will find much success with its new console.

“I actually am baffled by it," Bushnell said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big success.”

Answering a subsequent question regarding the viability of new consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, Bushnell was similarly unenthusiastic. In fact, he said new consoles from the Big Three actually mark the end of an era instead of a beginning.

“These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don’t think they’ll be of major import ever again,” Bushnell said. “It feels like the end of an era to me.”

The Wii U launched in North America on Sunday at $300 for an 8GB basic model and $350 for a 32GB deluxe version. The system comes to Europe and Australia on November 30 and will launch in Japan on December 8.