Nintendo’s Wii U launched at retail just over six months ago to a lukewarm reception from critics. An even more tepid response from consumers followed, with week-one sales trailing behind those of its predecessor. A massive day-one patch, missing functionality (Nintendo TVii, anyone?) and an ever-expanding launch window for games, some of which still aren’t available (Pikmin 3, anyone?) are just a few of the many issues that overwhelmed the discussion last November. Company head Satoru Iwata even publicly apologized.
In the past six months, things have only gotten worse, with slumping sales, next-gen competition and a lack of Wii U-centric games on the horizon.
As E3 2013 nears — where Nintendo usually has a big press conference and won’t this year — we’re revisiting the Wii U for an update, six months out. We’re not delving back into how the hardware works (surprise, it’s identical to last year!) so much as looking at the console’s early promise in contrast with its current predicament. Join us after the break.
