Now that the dust has settled from E3, let's talk a little bit about the Wii U. The first thing I want to talk about is the report that the Wii U will not support DVD or Blu-Ray playback. Ok, I can totally understand the Blu-Ray part, since that's a bit more expensive and complicated, but honestly Nintendo, would it really cost you that much to make your video software play DVDs? I totally get your philosphy that there's already a DVD player in everyone's houses, but still, it's such a freaking basic function for a console. Sony was doing that ELEVEN YEARS AGO. Plus, a lot of families could benefit from a second DVD player in the household, and with the wireless video streaming to the controller, it would effectively turn the controller into a portable DVD player. This is a huge missed opportunity, and it's still showing you guys are stubborn and behind the times as usual.

With that out of the way, I'd also like to bring up a rumor that I'm hearing about the console only including one controller. I haven't really followed up on it so I don't know if this is confirmed or not. If it is confirmed, then I've got to say wow.. It makes me wonder how expensive these controllers are going to be. I mean, if a Wii remote controller sells for 30, and that's just one half of the controller device, then just imagine how much more expensive the whole controller will be, with cameras, and a frigging 6.2 inch HD screen in the middle... 50? No. 60? No. Try maybe a hundred. That's my guess anyway. I'm pretty damned certain one of those controllers will be more than the actual games. People planning on buying this thing at launch had better start saving up for accessories because they're going to be extra expensive this time around.

Next, I'd like to bring up the big goof of Nintendo's E3 showing: the third-party sizzle reel. If you haven't heard, the reel that showed off all these third-party games were using footage from 360 and PS3 versions. Now obviously, any of these games currently in development for the Wii U will have been too early to show in their own forms, but the presentation was still deceptive in the fact that it was not clarified from the very start. If all that Nintendo wanted to do was tell people about the games that were coming, they could have just done it in a simple Power Point presentation. Honestly, people immediately thought that the sizzle reel was showcasing what the system could do, and since that isn't the case, people are now second guessing. Sure, the Wii U will be more powerful than the regular Wii. Just being able to display in HD will make things look a lot better, but... I have a feeling it won't be enough.

So, I want to close this blog with one last subject. I want to talk about Nintendo's promise. Nintendo says they want to earn the hardcore gamers back. Well...I love Nintendo but I just honestly don't see it happening. And making a more powerful system and promising that all the big third party titles will be on it won't guarantee anything. For starters, every competent gamer knows that MS and Sony will come back stronger with their next system and they will trounce whatever the Wii U will be capable of rendering. There's already talk that Wii U is just barely more powerful than the 360. Then there's the aesthetical design of the of machine. It's offputting to conventional gamers. The controller, although ingenius in its own right, is so out there, and it DEFINITELY does not look welcoming and comfortable.

Finally, the promise of more third-party support (read ports) isn't strong enough ammo to win the console war either. It's not what games of theirs you can get on your machine, it's what games you can get for your machine that they CAN'T. Nintendo, if you want to win this next-generation war, you better deal your ass off. You better be prepared to spend some serious money to lock down exclusive games that MS and Sony really wanted if that's how you're going to get the hardcores gamers back. You need to make the Wii U THE spot for gamers of all types by offering games that no one can get anywhere else, for EVERYONE. But so far, the only games that you can offer of those types are YOUR OWN. And that's been your problem since the N64. You consistently outsell your third-party support, so why do they even bother supporting you?

It doesn't look like you're learning anything here Nintendo. You're trying to dupe us again. You're being weird for the sake of being weird, and this isn't going to work every generation. You lucked out something fierce with the Wii, but with the Wii U, even people who loved the Wii are turning skeptic. You're so focused on creating radical new game ideas, you're losing touch with your roots. I still love you, Nintendo, and I'll buy your system regardless, but I just want to you know I don't love you as passionately as I used to. I only wish you could see yourselves the way I see you now.