Though it’s true Nintendo caved in on making sure the Wii U was a 1080p system with an online system equivalent to PSN or Xbox LIVE, it’s was simply because these are things that are standard, just like how the rumble feature in a controller is a standard, and how the disc format is standard, whereas when the Wii was released, HD and online were not really standard, it was still a trend. It takes a lot of balls to say “We are not following the current trend, we are going to do what we think is best.” Nintendo keeps themselves seperate from the competition in order to stand out from the rest, and you have to give them credit for that. Nintendo is the type of company that does what they think is best, not what everyone else thinks is best, and I think that’s what keeps Nintendo such a refreshing turn from the constant “HD graphics, online matchmaking, online horde mode, DLC”, so on and so forth.
He fails to realize that Nintendo is not the type of company to follow a trend, they never were that type of company, except when they countered the Genesis in the bit wars. I think Pachter just doesn’t give Nintendo enough credit simply because Nintendo doesn’t follow the norm.
I was going to leave my thoughts on this story, but you pretty much summed up everything I would’ve said. I have all of their stuff, too and am always excited for what innovation they come out with next. I am a Sony fan first, but Nintendo has always been a close second for me. I’m sure that if we go through technology with a fine toothed comb, we will find things they were late, or missed the boat on, like HD graphics, but, overall, they have been on the cutting edge of, or ahead of the game on, tech every step of the way.
They had successful handhelds first, the NES was way ahead of everything else out there at the time, dual screens, motion gaming, 3D handheld gaming, now the touch screen in a console. As far as “everything they do is way too late”, I can’t agree. I am a Sony fan since the 70s and I agree that the mini came too late, considering they released the WiiU (which is awesome btw) and discontinued all Wii manufacturing. It’s how everyone tries to discredit others nowadays. It’s like when one side of a scientific discovery, like global warming, says, “Any responsible scientist would agree…”. “Nintendo has got great ideas, it’s just that they’re great ideas from the last decade. “The eShop is seven or eight years too late, online multiplayer for Nintendo is seven or eight years too late.” “Poor Nintendo, I think they try way too hard to get things right and it takes a long time. The Wii Mini was a great idea back in 2008/2009, they probably should have brought it out then – they’re way too late.” So, the Wii U is the Wii HD, it’s coming three years too late. “I just think Nintendo’s a few years late. He then went on to say that the eShop is seven or eight years too late, and online multiplayer for Nintendo is seven or eight years too late. Speaking during his Pach Attack show Pachter said that the Wii U was released three years too late, and is simply an HD version of the original Wii console. Famed Wedbush Morgan industry analyst Michael Pachter believes that Nintendo are a few years late in everything they decide to do.