Topic: Nintendo's Current Focus is One Touch Screen Controller Only

[NWR_Karlie]

It is not expected that consumers will want to buy a second controller.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26836

Nintendo's current plans are to work on games that use a single Wii U controller only. This is partly due to cost, as a game that used two controllers would have to add enough value for it to be worthwhile for the consumer to justify buying another unit. 

In the Investor's Q&A following E3, Satoru Iwata said that a Wii U console with one included controller is considered to be the complete set. Further down the line, they may consider creating experiences that require a second controller, but this would only be after evaluating the possibility that consumers would purchase a second of these more expensive controllers, and whether the experiences would be worth the added cost.

Shigeru Miyamoto has spoken about the possibility of looking into the use of two touch screen controllers, following research into whether players would consider bringing a Wii U controller to a friend's house to play together. Again, the purchase of additional controllers was not expected.

Katsuya Eguchi, producer at Nintendo EAD, has said that options that maybe use two screens were under consideration, but the price being too high was certainly a possible obstacle.

As we reported earlier, the Wii U graphics processor could certainly be capable of sending video to up to four Wii U controller screens.

[KITT 10K]

"It it not expected that consumers will want to buy a second controller"?! HOW DUMB ARE YOU?!!! Of course people will want to buy a second one, because I already do! Look, the simple fact that people are gonna want and/or need to get a second one. So save yourselves the headache down the road and just make it multiple Wii U controller ready.

[Adrock]

I really hope there's something lost in translation. Otherwise, this is a never-ending facepalm. It kind of sounds like Nintendo is trying to downplay the possibility that they can't get it to work. It's not about cost or the processors. It's about making sure the wireless transmitter thingamajig it's seamless and lag-free for more than 1 controller. Nintendo and AMD or whoever needs to figure this out and they shouldn't release WiiU until they do.

[Enner]

From the wording of the article, it doesn't seem that it is a hardware impossibility for multiple U-pads. Nintendo's concern seems to be the costs to consumers and developers to have games require more than one Wii U controller and how a requirement affects Wii U games. It seems Nintendo wants to avoid the situation that made Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures so hard to play properly.


This is one area where I wish Nintendo threw caution to the wind. However, I kind of understand their concerns. They don't want to have half-baked modes in games that use two or more U-pads. However, they are worried about how many people will buy another U-pad even if their is compelling software to support it.


This makes me wonder if the cost of the U-pad is much higher than the low estimates of it.

[KnowsNothing]

After hearing all the bitching about the cost to play Crystal Chronicles or Four Swords Adventures I don't really blame them, and those were only two games!  If they build that mechanic into the console itself people are going to be pissed.  Yeah, a lot of us here on the forums might shell out the money to buy a few of these things (Uncle Bob certainly would) but most people would be pissed if playing Mario Party required another $300 investment just for three more controllers.

[BlackNMild2k1]

That's why you release a UPlay first and include that second controller in the bundle.

If it sells anything like WiiPlay, then you can alteast count on a majority of people having a second uMote and plan your games around that. beyond that, 3-4 player uMote games would become entirely optional.

Games like Mario Party 9 would most likely just utilize wiimotes for all the players if 4 players was necessary.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Come to think of it, if they don't include support for more than one, they can't get away with selling special gold controllers for Zelda, and that's how they make about half their money.   Unless they do a gold Wii U Zelda bundle, I guess.  But they'd better make it easy to transfer accounts to new consoles if they do that.

Games like Mario Party 9 would most likely just utilize wiimotes for all the players if 4 players was necessary.

I think they'd have at least some minigames that required one player to use the new controller.  Pictures suggest the system supports four remotes as well as the new controller, and it's simple enough to not assign it to a specific player and just pass it around.

[bino]

I have a question?
 if the new controler spoil can we buy just the controler or we have to buy the console

[BlackNMild2k1]

I have a question?
 if the new controler spoil can we buy just the controler or we have to buy the console

We don't have an answer to that yet.
Iwata dodged the question and spun into "we are only focusing on single uMote games for now" talk.

[Crimm]

I have a question?
 if the new controler spoil can we buy just the controler or we have to buy the console

While they haven't answered this I can tell you the answer is emphatically no.


Nintendo has a very good parts website where you can buy almost anything. I'm a big fan of Super Princess Peach manuals.

[nickmitch]

Some people spent hundreds on Rock Band/Guitar Hero instruments for those games, so I'm there'd be a considerable number of us who'd buy 2-3 uPads. The value added would be much higher.

[Adrock]

That's a pretty good point, especially since the tablet controller is the WiiU's main controller. And if people were willing to pay $80-$90 for the Balance Board, I'm sure Nintendo could sell the tablet controller for a comparable price, though I'd hope they'd aim lower.

[stevey]

Anyone who thinks the Wii^u-Fabergé-mote is under $150 is dreaming. The only game that will use 4 of them is SSB since it already has an unspoken bring your own controller rule....

[BlackNMild2k1]

I don't know how much the streaming tech cost that they are using*, but the new uMote uses all the same or similar stuff to a Wiimote, which only cost Nintendo $6 to make.
add in the cost of a screen @ ~$25 and a rechargeable battery($10-$15)
and we are talking about $45-$50 before the streaming tech.

Are you assuming the streaming tech is close to $100 or is your number just that factoring in the same profit margin from the wiimote of 66.6%?


*AMD's streaming tech is based off of WirelessN and I'm sure the controller only has a receiver

[Chozo Ghost]

I bet the controller alone will account for 1/3rd or so of the console's cost. If it costs $299.99 then the controller will account for $99.99 of that. Maybe what Nintendo is hoping to do is wait for the manufacturing costs of the controller to go down before introducing multiple controller games.

[Mop it up]

At least make it possible to have more than one controller running on the system if need be, so if they later decide they want to use the feature, they don't need to come out with new hardware.

This makes me wonder how much the controllers will cost though. It's already $60 for a Wiimote + Nunchuk (more if you bought a Motion Plus separately), so I don't think a $70 or even a $80 controller would be a big deal to most people. But if it is $100 or more, then yeah, I don't think very many people would be buying a second controller. Of course, people might buy the system and therefore have their own controller, so they may not need to.

[Kairon]

Controllers are so profitable for Nintendo that I would like  to think it's worth their extra effort, investment, and hardware cost to get more than one working with the system.

Or... they could always implement Wireless LAN and people could just buy another Wii U and bring it over to each other's house...

[Chocobo_Rider]

I only want it to support one of those controllers.

Cost down, compatibility up.  What's not to like?

[BlackNMild2k1]

I want support for 4 even if they never plan on using more than 2 at a time.
I don't want (like Mop it up said) them to need new hardware just to support a new great idea they haven't had yet, just because they didn't think of it now.

I can only imagine that if Sony copies Nintendo next gen, then they are gonna want to double down like always and call theirs better. So if Nintendo only manages to support 2, Sony will support 4 and attempt to look superior. If Nintendo already supports 4, then Sony will have to go "innovate" some other way.

[Adrock]

If Nintendo supported 4 tablet controllers, Sony would do the same and call it better anyway because that's the kind of nonsense Sony pulls.

Sony doesn't know how to innovate. "Good artists copy; great artists steal." Unfortunately, unless you do something first, you always look worse than the idea you borrowed.