Expo: Nintendo answers skepticism about Wii U with a slate of new games.
LOS ANGELES — Nintendo answered skepticism about its Wii U game console Tuesday with a slate of high-powered games, hoping to tempt consumers with a range of new titles featuring some of its most popular characters.
When released this holiday season, the Wii U will feature new games from the “Super Mario Bros.,” “Wii Fit” and “Pikmin” franchises. “Pikmin 3,” a long-awaited sequel to a strategy game involving the eponymous ant-like creatures, drew appreciative oohs and aahs from the
crowd at Nintendo’s Wii U event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The company appeared to have taken to heart the lesson of its 3DS handheld console, which hit stores last year without accompanying games starring Nintendo’s popular cast of characters. Sales improved after the past holiday season, when gamers were drawn to new titles from the “Super Mario Bros.” and “Mario Kart” franchises.
In their E3 presentation, Nintendo executives released a long list of popular third-party games coming to the U, including “Mass Effect 3,” “Aliens: Colonial Marines,” and a special edition of “Batman: Arkham City” that uses the tablet controller as a secondary display.
The games demonstrated Tuesday take advantage of the U’s tablet-like controller, which serves as a second screen for the console and can also be used independently. Nintendo confirmed Tuesday that the Wii U can have two tablets connected to it simultaneously, which should broaden its appeal to families that want to play together.
“We decided that our next system was going to have its own dedicated screen, even if it had to be small,” said Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s creative director, through a translator. “And we wanted to make sure that it’s the first screen people go to when they enter the living room.”
Losing audience
More than 95 million of the original Wii console have been sold in six years, making it one of the best-selling game consoles in history. But since it was released, the more casual audience it attracted has spent increasing amounts of time playing games on phones, tablets and Facebook.
Wii sales have dwindled, and the company has faced vocal doubts from investors and analysts about whether the new device will be powerful enough to compete with planned offerings from Microsoft, Sony and perhaps Apple. Nintendo reported its first annual loss in 2011 as it slashed prices for the Wii and 3DS consoles in an attempt to improve sales.
The question for the Japanese gaming giant is whether it can lure gamers back with innovative play and its popular and exclusive roster of characters.
The Wii U will be the first new game console to be released in the better part of a decade. Sony’s PlayStation 3 is 6 years old, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is 7.
Screen-TV interaction
On Tuesday, Nintendo attempted to position the Wii U as an innovative game machine that would let people play in ways they never had before. Executives highlighted how the second screen could interact with the television in creative ways, and its “Miiverse” social network will let users interact with friends’ avatars, which are known as Miis, across the whole range of Nintendo devices.
“At its core, Wii U does three different things,” said Reggie FilsAime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America. “It changes your gaming. It changes how you interact with your gaming friends. And it changes the way you enjoy your TV.”
Nintendo offered a glimpse of the Wii U at last year’s E3. This year, the console was displayed on the show floor, where 45,000 attendees have the chance to see it firsthand.
The console has been slightly redesigned since last year, with a refined controller that includes dual joysticks and a more contoured shape. Press a button and the controller becomes a remote control for the television. It can also be used for video chat, Web surfing and messaging.
Fils-Aime said Wii U would be able to access Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and other streaming content. But Nintendo placed less emphasis on the console’s role as a digital entertainment hub than competitors Microsoft and Sony, which made content consumption a centerpiece of their presentations.