Glad to see it'll support the Pro Controller.  I still think that if Nintendo wants 3rd party support that's truly one-to-one with the other platforms they will have to pack in the Pro with the system.  One GamePad, one Pro Controller, assume that people already have Wii-motes because, let's face it, most people do.  Of course then it will be harder to default to Motion Plus across the board.  Man, they've really painted themselves in a corner with this peripheral nonsense, haven't they?

I don't see why they'd include the Pro controller in the box. The GamePad does literally everything the Pro controller does, and more; there's no reason to pack in what amounts to a second controller.

I can agree with that, but I could also see some publishers just opting not to release games on the Wii U just to avoid the development cost of adding GamePad functionality instead of an easier port using the Pro Controller, since there won't be a guaranteed base of people with that peripheral.  It's no skin off my nose, I buy Nintendo consoles mainly for the first party games anyway, but I could still see it happening again (like on Wii).

Oh, I fully see Nintendo including the Pro controller in the box at launch. You want all third parties to be accounted for this go around? Then you make sure all options are given...so that no excuses can be had.

As others above stated, I don't think a Wii Remote+ will be included either... there's LOTS of them out there in the wild already. I have three after all. That aspect will be just fine. But the Pro controller? No, you include that boss in the box. Third parties want it. Give it to them. Make it standard along with the GamePad.

As Insano already said, there is literally NO reason the Pro Controller needs to be included. Everything the Pro Controller does, so does the GamePad. So Third parties don't have any excuses anyways since the Pro Controller doesn't do anything the GamePad doesn't. And for those developers who don't want to use the GamePad's screen, they can choose to be lazy and just have the game' logo or something displayed.

Incorrect, sir.

4-player multiplayer says hi. Include the Pro controller, and you guarantee your userbase will have 4-player (even 5 with the GamePad!) multiplayer locked up. Don't include it, and you'll be forcing your userbase to go buy Pro controllers to play multiplayer in a Call of Duty game. Now now... Activision wouldn't want that. Activision wants it standard.

So, it'll be standard.

I said the Pro CONTROLLER does nothing the GamePad can't. What does that have to do with the number of controllers? Microsoft and Sony only include 1 controller, you don't hear any third parties bitching about that. If someone buys a 360 and wants to play COD multiplayer, they need to go out and buy a second controller (or play online). So why would anyone bitch that Wii U only includes 1 controller? Especially when that controller already does everything the other controllers do and MORE? If you want 4 player multiplayer, buy 3 more controllers, same thing you do on PS3 and 360. Even if they added the Pro Controller, you still need to buy 2 more controllers to get 4 players. So the Wii U GamePad already provides developers with everything the Wii U Pro Controller does, including the Pro Controller does nothing but add a second controller to the package.

You still don't get it.

Yes, one standard controller - capable of playing four players at a time.

If everyone already has one out of the box, it's as simple as that one person bringing their one standard controller over to a buddy's house for multiplayer gaming. Can the Wii U GamePa.... oh, that's right. It can't. It only supports TWO players with a drop in framerate.

Ugh.

You don't seem to get it either. The Wii GamePad is a standard controller, but with a touchscreen on it. So it can do EVERYTHING the Pro Controller can and MORE. And you can still play 4 players at the same time, but 3 will use the Pro Controller. The ONLY thing including the Pro Controller would do is make you buy 2 more controllers rather than 3. Yes you can take the GamePad with you. If you don't want to do that, there is the option to get the Pro Controller.

Small correction: You can play five players at a time.

I'm with TJ all the way here. People wanting to play with more controllers will have to get them themselves; note that the Wii U also supports Wii peripherals, such as the nunchuk and CC so they aren't limited to the pro.
    Semi related question, actually; has anyone here played on the pro? Is it actually as horrible as the 360 pad?

Whatevs, TJ. You're not understanding what having it as an option right out of the box truly means. Not including it limits the userbase in the mindset of a third party developer.

I don't want the whole Wii fiasco to happen all over again. I'm sick of Nintendo's console playing second fiddle - or in the case of the Wii...being meaningless - to third party devs. There are fantastic games outside of Nintendo out there to play. And I want them, AND their multiplayer aspects, all included on Nintendo's new golden toy. So, I'll reiterate this again for you since you didn't grasp it the first and second times...

The Wii U GamePad only supports TWO PLAYERS. TWO. Numero dos. Two! Get it yet? You can't connect your GamePad over at a buddy's house along with two other's GamePads also. Pro Controllers, however? Yup, you can.

So... you include that mofo IN THE BOX.

Simple. Easy. Done.

Not including the Pro Controller doesn't limit anything. Not including a dance pad hurts my ability to go over to a friends house and play their dancing game, should Nintendo include a dance pad with the Wii U? No, because that is silly. Not including it does not limit the third parties in any way. No third party is thinking "hmm, maybe I won't release my game on the Wii U just because it doesn't have the Pro Controller bundled with the system".

I have, and liked it just fine, but I also like the 360 controller. What about the 360 controller bothers you?

Honestly yeah...
Including a Pro Controller would be nice but Redundant.

Wiimote not so much but Pro Controller no.  Its even in the name Pro = Must pay for.


Nintendo thought people would bring there Wiimotes over thats why they put in the memory.  Did most people do this... No.


Its just not something people really did.  The 4 controller argument only works if they include 4 of them.

It'd be funny if the "key graphical improvements" were in comparison with only the PS2 version.

The size and form factor make the 360 controller feel very... I guess slow works. It doesn't allow, at least me, enough looseness in the fingers to be as fast as I should be. My other complaints are with the dpad and analog stick, but I'm not worried about those in Nintendo's case.

I'm pretty sure including a Pro Controller AND a GamePad with the Wii U will bump up the price pretty signifigantly.


Also, some of those graphics look like they were done on the GameCube... Ugh. And I thought the Wii U was capable of graphics that were similar to / better than the PS3 / Xbox 360...

If that's the case, you may not like the Pro controller. The size and form factor are very, very similar to the 360 controller. It's a lot lighter, though, if that helps, and the sticks and d-pad are much better, up to the usual Nintendo standards.

Thanks man. I'll give it a go, of course. It's weird thinking that a Nintendo controller might not be awesome; but whether I dig it or not, there are certainly other options.