In multiplayer, only one player can have the gamepad, and this can lead to fights over it or general confusion as it exchanges hands. The Wii U is weirdly complex. One of the most common questions those new to the console ask is, “What controllers do I need?” After a couple of disastrous years and suggestions that the Wii U should be re-released without the pricey controller, Nintendo set Shigeru Miyamoto on the task of creating games that would prove the beauty of the controller. Of the three he showed off, only “Star Fox Zero” had an announced release date, which became two release dates, the one they missed, and the one they eventually made. This confusion further hindered the Wii U. Third-party publishers love to have successful games on a Nintendo system, but for the most part, non-Nintendo games just don’t do well, and if there’s anything that Nintendo could do to change that, they certainly haven’t helped third-party developers. Even though the Wii U still supports the Wii’s remote and nunchuck, they are generally ignored by new games (even when remaking the Wii game “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” the Wii remote was neglected). Thus, there was little reason for casual gamers to consider upgrading to the new system. This left Nintendo in a fight with Sony and Microsoft for the very core gamers who consider the Wii U too simplistic to warrant notice. But there were precious few. “Devil’s Third” was a Wii U exclusive. While some series, like “Legend of Zelda,” “Pikmin,” and “Metroid Prime” are loved by core gamers, a single-core title every couple of years is hardly a commitment. Nintendo likes to develop family-friendly games, and so its production always skews towards that style of gamer content. With little support from third parties, the Wii U remained the province of tots and grandmas. It is true that you can watch Netflix and Hulu on the Wii U, but you can do the same on competition’s machines, so Nintendo still fell short of the mark.
