Nintendo discusses Wii U Gamepad: ‘Only real innovation in this console cycle’

This new console generation – consisting of the Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One, has seen a lot of expansion on concepts introduced last-gen, primarily stronger online community features. Scott Moffitt, Executive VP of Sales at Nintendo of America, recently told Examiner.com that the Wii U Gamepad is the only real innovation to come from this console generation, and that upcoming Wii U games will show the true promise of the Gamepad.

[johndoe11211]

So a tablet add-on is the only real innovation? Sorry, but I would give that to shareplay. There are two tablets and a kindle in my house, sorry nintendo but I play games on tablets all the time. that is NOT innovative. On top of that I can take my vita with me when I'm visiting family and still play my ps4, can the nintendo gamepad do that?

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

They're wrong about it being the ONLY innovation.
Plenty of indies this gen have come up with some truly innovative gameplay ideas.

But a far as pushing a new idea in hardware, beyond just graphics, they're not wrong.

Share play?
So letting others play your game for you, or letting them watch you play, is suddenly innovative?
Have we not been capable of inviting over friends to do both those things for years now, or am I suddenly the only person that did that?

No. I'm sorry, but share play doesn't compare to the game pad as far as offering a wider variety of ways of interacting with the game taking place on the TV.
It's a social connection gimmick. Not a whole new way of interacting with most of the games on the system.

Neither does your little tablets or phones.
They can't offer the same variety of gameplay options and abilities found in games like Zombi U, ME3 SE, SM3DW, TW101, and plenty of other games that use the pad for something beyond a map, because they lack the buttons and connected interface needed to do everything the pad is designed for by default.
You'd have to keep switching between phone/tablet and controller just to get the same thing that the game pad offers all at once, and that's assuming you could get half the games on your console to stream flawlessly enough to them at the same time as the TV images to do anything.XD

That, and Off-TV play for the convenience of switching right to the game pad if someone else wants to watch TV, or if you just want a closer screen, expands the pad's usefulness beyond what a phone or tablet can offer to the majority of your console games.

And playing PS4 games on a portable with less graphical power( which is half the draw of PS4 in the first place), latency issues, and battery life constraints isn't innovative either.
When playing a PS4, it's most at home on the TV.
Not on a phone, tablet, or a $200 Vita.

[ninsigma]

What's not innovative about share play?? Hasn't been done before and is unique to PS4. Yeah we could invite people over but that doesn't happen anymore when you get older. So share play is brilliant in that regard.
So playing ps4 games on the vita (a completely different console) is less innovative than being able to do it on a peripheral that was designed as part of the wii u?? Let's not forget about the fact that the wii u controller is limited to physical space while you can play ps4 games anywhere on your vita, not just in your home. The vita can also offer MORE game play options because of the touch pad on the back as well as the touch screen while wii u pad is single touch screen. In addition this PS was doing this last gen in a limited fashion with ps3 before the wii u was created.

How about in a growing digitally social world, the addition of a share button that allows you to take a screen shot and video of your game play and then instantly upload to your social networks?? Xbox can do the same too. In comparison, Nintendo won't even implement in game voice chat, very social!

How about streaming from xbox to pc??
Fully voice navigable interfaces??

Tell me how after all those things I've just pointed out, that the wii u game pad is the only innovation this gen in terms of hardware?? It seem's like you just decided to discount everything else because it suits you.

[generic-user-name]

SharePlay is innovative whether you like it or not. Couch co-op online is brilliant.

[XisThatKid]

Remote Play
Share Play
Share options
Game streaming
PC streaming
TV out
Integrated TV
Infrared camera
MULTIPLE game innovations that never touched a Nintendo console
Rear touch
mobile capability
Playroom
This is just of the top Ninty
Besides innovation is always welcomed but constantly trying to reinvent the wheel you'll find yourself without a wheel.

[FallenAngel1984]

This is why Nintendo is do behind. While Sony and Microsoft make real advancements in the gaming industry, Nintendo seems content with just producing a controller that hasn't even lived up to its full potential across all games.

[RPGrinder]

Sony and MS are making real advancements by not making software and having weak PCs as hardware?

Hell, even splatoon is using unique mechanics that make it different than other shooters. That is why sales have exploded.

[MasterCornholio]

Sony and MS do make software.

:I

[Dasteru]

Sony and MS both make software also. They just do not milk the hell out of it by releasing 10 different games in the same IP every year, like Nintendo does. As for hardware, they may be just weak PCs but they are still 5x more powerful than the WiiU.

@RPGrinder:

1 more than the main Mario games but i never said main games, i said IP. Uncharted also is not in-house Sony. It is made by Naughty Dog which is owned by Sony but it is not Sony. Mario games are all made in-house by Nintendo themselfs. Halo is made by Bungie, again not in-house MS. If we are going to be talking about main games, there have been 3 main Halo games released since 2005. There have been 5 main Pokemon games released in the same time, not including opposing versions and remakes, which if you include, add up to 13. Even including all the non main line Halo games, there have still been 4 more Pokemon games in the same time frame. So much for your "facts"

[RPGrinder]

@Dasteru

Sony has released more Uncharted games, than Nintendo has released main Mario games since Uncharted was introduced. Keep making things up.

Microsoft has released more Halo games, than Nintendo has released main pokemon games over the last 10 years.

These are facts. Try using them sometime

@ninsigma

you do not read do you? I said main pokemon games. I am not including things like Halo Wars or Pokemon Mystery dungeon games.

FYI, Fans demand Nintendo software of there favorite series way more than any other company because of history.

When Nintendo releases a Zelda or a Mario, that makes fans happy.

Edit:

"Uncharted also is not in-house Sony. It is made by Naughty Dog which is owned by Sony but it is not Sony."

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA wow, you need an education

[ninsigma]

Ummmm really?? You're going to talk about weak machines while trying to trumpet the wii u?? Yeah good luck with that one!

There have been 21 pokemon games since 2005 (10 years as you say) and 7 halo games by my count.

[ninsigma]

Why does it matter if it's main?? Because I'm pretty sure you'd include every single spin off that has halo and uncharted in the name. I included halo wars in my calculation but I wouldn't consider that a halo game really. You're just setting ridiculous parameters to try ignore the over saturation of Nintendos ips.

OK let's play by your rules then. No side games. I am therefore removing halo wars from the halo calculation, so it has 6 not including H5 which hasn't released yet. Pokemon is left with 14 games since 2005.

[RPGrinder]

Do you want me to comment? You both seem to enjoy making things up.

Naughty Dog is not Sony? LOL

Nintendo has been the critics choice for publisher of the year 3 years in a row, but you keep saying Nintendo milks software. Seems, people are fine with it if the quality is high.

What is worse, using a lot of the same franchises, but the quality is very high. Or making new IP like Driveclub and the Order and knack and having them be garbage?

@Dasteru

you give Sony fans a bad name. I think we all feel embarrassed for your last post.

[Dasteru]

@RPGrinder:

Afraid to say i am not the one that needs an education. I skipped 2 grades and graduated high school at 15. I also have an IQ of 140.

You have been proven wrong, fanboy. Accept it and move along.

"Nintendo has been the critics choice for publisher of the year 3 years in a row, but you keep saying Nintendo milks software. Seems, people are fine with it if the quality is high."

That doesn't change the fact that their franchises are milked. I never claimed they were lacking quality but go ahead and keep making assumptions to damage control a lost argument.

"you give Sony fans a bad name"

Not a Sony fanboy. PC is my prefered platform and i own every console since the NES, including the PS4/Xbone/WiiU. It seems you still enjoy making assumptions though.

"I think we all feel embarrassed for your last post."

So far, you are the only person who has disagreed with my posts. Everyone has disagreed with yours.

[ninsigma]

Are you referring to me making things up?? Lol

I looked up my information before posting and proved you wrong. So clearly you're the one making things up mate.

Maybe they're the critics choice but honestly who cares?? Gamers clearly don't or else they would be buying the wii u in droves.

"What is worse, using a lot of the same franchises, but the quality is very high. Or making new IP like Driveclub and the Order and knack and having them be garbage?"
I would rather they take risks with new interesting ips and give me a different experience with each one than release another iteration of basically the same game for 20 years. Which is what happened with knack and the order. Both different to the current norm and both great games in their own right.

[hasein]

Knack is not great but good kiddie game,drive club has been rough start but now its very good racing game and the order 1886 yeah its short game but 5hrs of playing felt good. So RPGrinder I will say to you that those game arenot garbage

[Spyroo]

Are you stupid? Do you want me to link ALL THAT MARIO GAME MILK? Sony and Microsoft has nowhere enough the amount of milk Milekendo does!

[freshslicepizza]

the difference is both sony and microsoft are offering gaming experiences consumers want. whereas nintendo is giving us gaming experiences they think we want. big difference in ideology where nintendo does not listen to consumers.

you see, microsoft finally listened about kinect, sony did not force playdtation move. they all make mistakes but nintendo doesn't seem to learn from them because of their arrogance and narrow views of how the industry moves forward.

[zidane1341]

Nintendo fan boys everywhere. Deluded ones no less.

[GordonKnight]

Fanboys

Nintendo has a history of making comments that they shouldn't. So does everyone in the world.

Bottom line is all three consoles are great. Why try an bash other consoles? That is what makes people look uneducated. Just enjoy the consoles you like and move on.

[BrandanT]

Nah, the tablet controller is nice and all, but Nintendo still needs to do more. I really want Nintendo to have their online services more social.
I think Nintendo needs to be on par for what the trends expect, then add their innovations from there.

[KiwiViper85]

Stop sniffing each others farts Nintendo.

[RPGrinder]

This is the truth as much as people want to troll Nintendo for it. The controller is innovation, it is different. Remember different? The PS4 and X1 are exactly the same.

[Angeljuice]

@RPGrinder

It's a cheap tablet screen attached to a game pad that had the effect of making it heavy and cumbersome.

The only reason its "different" is because nobody else was stupid enough to think it was a good idea.

[RPGrinder]

Spoken like someone who has never held it. It is not heavy at all and makes games like Splatoon better.

Off TV play is incredible. But of course, you know better right?

[hasein]

@Angeljuice

It's not stupid but its not comfy for small kids.

@RPGrinder

The ps4 has touchpad right?

[MSBAUSTX]

@hasein

Yeah and how often is that used? Lol

[hasein]

@MSBAUSTX

Not often. But use it for spray paint in infamous which is silly and browsing.
But in tearaway unfolded I think I'm gonna like it for once.hahaha

[GordonKnight]

@angeljuice

It's not a tablet. The Gamepad is a controller with a touch screen.

What tablet has analog sticks?

[MasterCornholio]

The PS4 and XB1 are not exactly the same.

[hasein]

Hahaha u got him in the knee.

[MasterCornholio]

@hasein

Hopefully with an arrow.

;)

LOL

Just kidding but what he said was really stupid.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

He was referring to their similarity to past iterations of their own consoles.
But you already know that.

[joeorc]

What? You honestly think what you stated is true?

For one the idea that the tablet.controller is some how some way sofar innovative this generation vs everything else made by Sony and Microsoft is pardon my French..

Completely utter Hogwash.

Look while I think the WiiU concept for a console is pretty sweet with the fantastic games released for it. Trying to claim or implying that its the only innovative thing to come out this generation is pretty d@mn Arrogant of Nintendo, and to be truthful aside from NFC being included inside the game Pad Controller there is Absolutely nothing we have not seen before that its able to do that has not been already done in the smart devices market already. As a matter with Sony and both Microsoft with DNLA direct common with devices such as smartphones and tablets what you are trying to claim about well the game pad has physical buttons..LMAO you do know standard BlueTooth controllers work across most smart devices now!

Surface
Android
iOS
Windows

So exactly explain what can the So called "innovative" control pad do out of every single thing it does that the other systems could not do also with a smart device networked with their system?

Take note I do Infact know exactly what that thing may be but with Bluetooth 3+ it makes that unique chip inside the the Game Pad still not have a function that would stop both Sony or Microsoft duplicating such a function with using Bluetooth.

The answer is of course NFC

But like I said its a communications data connecting technology, such as is Bluetooth. so again aside from Nintendo games being made to use such a function. Which both Sony and Microsoft could very well use the smartphones Soc and its Bluetooth connection and direct DNLA connection with a Xbox One or a PS4 what real solid Unique innovative thing is inside the game pad that makes it really anything better than a smart device taking the place to do the exact same thing?

Again this is not a slam against Nintendo directly , its a slam against the claim that the game pad is as innovative as they are trying to claim that it is.

[user8966828]

Actually your wrong because game developers have stated that they cannot recreate what the gamepad can do with the games on ps4 and x1 they stated it can't be done with the vita or smartglass or tablets and cell phones so it seems pretty innovative to me because that's something the competition can't do with their consoles

[KiwiViper85]

Actually, "Hogwash" in french is "Foutaise"

You're Welcome.

[Angeljuice]

@RPGrider

If the gamepad is so good, why does nobody use it for Smash Bros?

Surely functionality should be its prime design feature (rather than novelty value).

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

I do.
Frequently.
I hate to say it, but a lot of Smash players are tied down by their Melee habits. It's bled down into both deriding Smash 4, and looking down on basically any controller that is NOT a Gamecube controller.

[gamerdad316]

so do I. I only really use my pro controller for local multiplayer. I prefer the button placement and size.

[zidane1341]

The Xbox is the same...hmm I can't think of any other system that let's me stream to any laptop or computer with windows 10. Oh yeah, and free DVR, infarred so I can talk to my Xbox when I'm not even in the same room...yeah really the same, fanboy.

ETA: no the game pad isn't innovative, I've had a tablet since a year BEFORE the weak Wii u.

[skydragoonityx]

Hopefully someone leads nintendo in the right direction this time. That controller was pure gimmick

[MSBAUSTX]

So just because you dont like it then its a gimmick but if it is something you do like it is an amazing piece of innovation? Thats the problem with a lot of gamers now. So is VR innovative or a gimmick. I say it is just another cumbersom gimmick. See I can do this too.

[Clown_Syndr0me]

If that's the case all it proves is most gamers don't want innovation, not when it comes to do ware anyway.
I reckon most of us just want to play our games traditionally, controller in hand infront of the TV. Stop trying to get us to do it differently.

[joeorc]

"If that's the case all it proves is most gamers don't want innovation"

On some level I will kind of agree with that, but to be honest, can you really look at the Nintendo's Touch Game pad as really that Innovative when Smart devices are doing the same things?

I Mean it would be one thing is if smart devices like Tablets like the iPad were using lil figurines touched to the iPads screen well before WiiU was even produced!

Again not trying to downplay Nintendo's contribution to the game console market with the design of the WiiU. I am pointing out the claim that they are trying to make as is not very accurate at all.

I would argue that Nintendo did not really have as unique a concept as they are trying to make it out to be.many of the things Nintendo has showed off that the WiiU could Infact do with software made for it, is very good its fantastic in my opinion.

As I stated before to try to claim that its that Innovative is pretty much really stretching it.

If it would have released say before Android smart devices and Apple iOS and such devices like surface I could very well see it as a claim that could have held some weight. But its too little to.late as they say because ,Apple Google and the industry beat them too it by several years already.

[andresegr]

Nintendo....just go away and dont come back please.

[Fishy Fingers]

I applaud Nintendo for attempting something new, whether it appeals to me or not is beside the point. On the hardware front they are the only ones really trying to create a new standard and not just bolting on a peripheral to try and ride others coat tails (PS Move etc).

This gen the PS/XB1 are the least innovative they've ever been on the hardware front. They're eventually small for PCs (from several years ago) with input devices that while upgraded, date back over a decade.

There's nothing wrong with that, in fact I prefer it, but you can't knock Nintendo for trying something more than a better GPU.

[RPGrinder]

There is no innovation from Sony or Microsoft on the software front this gen either.

Also people forget the 3DS which is VERY innovative as well for a handheld.

[Spyroo]

Lol like what? Just a crappy 3d option?
Even Vita had some innovation with dual touch pad on back and front

[MSBAUSTX]

@nus

Yeah it is doing great isnt it?

The Vita is a prime example of a fantastic piece of hardware that, left unsupported, never took off. And dont give me that crap about it does have games. 90 percent of them are Jrpgs and that isnt going to cut it. The 3DS has full motion, 3D, voice built in, 3D camera, touch screen, and backwards compatability with DS games and two screens for more immersion. I own a Vita and it has one of those things. How are those psp games played on the Vita? Oh yeah, you gotta buy them....AGAIN! Go home with the Vita comparisons dude.

[paul-p1988]

@MSBAUSTX

"two screens for more immersion."

Maybe immersion means different things to different people, but having to look at 2 different screens BREAKS the immersion. It's like using your laptop to look at a guide whilst playing a game on your TV, constantly looking up and down just distracts you from the game and breaks any sense of immersion it was trying to create...

[Angeljuice]

3DS is a must-have accessory for 8-15 year olds, that is the only reason it has sold so well.
Vita is aimed at a more mature market that no longer buys hand-helds.

[zidane1341]

Your dumb. Microsoft has game streaming, DVI, game preview, system previews. Stop sounding like a ignorant fanboy because Nintendo is the one with theunoriginal games. Let's just keep milking those mario cows.

[vongruetz]

That's a cute statement and all, but even Nintendo knows that this is just marketing talk. The gamepad is one of those ideas that sounds cool when you talk about it, but not as much in its execution. The same could be said of Kinnect with it's "you are the controller" philosophy.

Gimmicks and innovation are two different things. They caught lightning in a bottle by doing something different with the Wii's controller, and they tried to duplicate that philosophy with the WiiU. This time they failed. That's fine, but don't fool yourselves into thinking it's innovation.

[RPGrinder]

Off TV play is innovative, touch screen menus and gameplay mechanics, and plenty of other things.

You clearly have not tried the Mario Maker Demo. The gamepad makes level creation EASIER.

If it makes something better, should we not call that innovation?

[Spyroo]

Hahaha look at this Milkendo fanboy damage controlling everywhere LOLOL

[MSBAUSTX]

@nus

Look at you trying to look cool by joining the Nintendo haters crowd. Why dont you think for yourself sheep.

[LonDonE]

Lmao the game pad is so innovative, yeah? And yet nintendo themselves still struggle to go give us that go to game to show off proof of concept!

I am not a troll, see me avatar/profile pic.
i own all 3 current gen consoles and love all 3, but i can admit the game pad was a bad idea.
They tried to cash in on tablet/smart phone casual gamers and failed.

I would of prefered them to have a game pad less wiiu with more power/hard drive/ethernet port etc and the pro controler as primary input method.

How can u bang on about it when nintendo themselves have admitted they have failed to implement it into there games in meaninfull ways!

Its just a gimmick so face facts lol
And a bad one at that.
Wiimote had wii sports, n64 had golden eye and mario 64 for the analogue stick, rumble pack for starfox, ztrigger for shooters etc all were true gimmickless and real innovations which became a standard in controllers!

The shoulder buttons on the snes, the dpad all true innovations!

game pad, motion controlls, no just no.

[hasein]

@vongruetz

I think the Wii u controller serve what Nintendo advertise. Its kinda companion where u can see map,inventory,menus and off TV play.But you are right about kinect.When I and my brother tried kinect we had fun because the character on screen do some real shit ,can't stop laughing Harry piter hahaha!!

@RPGrinder
You are right and I do believe Mario maker is going to be great.

[wheresmymonkey]

I'd agree with Nintendo. The biggesst innovations to come out of this gen were on the WiIU and thanks to the pad. I'd say the biggesst one is remote play/ off tv play. The gamepad spearheaded that.

The PS4 and the Xbone don't do anything innovative they just do things well. To the guys yelling oooh shareplay. Yeah Sony inherrited that when they bought out Gaiki and Onlive. Which had the feature ages ago.

[joeorc]

Nintendo spearheaded remote play /off TV with the WiiU?

And you took a swipe at Sony and Microsoft to boot I see..God its like it does not matter to some of you, even if Nintendo was not really the one bringing it to the market..like Sony copied the Wiimote with playstation Move..that Pure Mythology still goes on today, it seems.

Here is a lil bit of true facts. Nintendo did not get the pitch for WiiMote to be a part of the next Nintendo system until it was pitched to Nintendo by a 3rd party who in 2001/pitched it to Nintendo after both Pitching the concept to Microsoft and Sony 1st. And both Sony and Microsoft said not, not because they did not see the potential of the game applications it could do. No because they were already freaking working on one themselves.

Sony back in 2000 @ SIGGRAPH showed off the move cocept with working software on the PS2.

So again Nintendo gets a pitch 1 year later cuts a few corners in order to beat both Microsoft and Sony to the market because both Sony and Microsoft's methods were way more expensive to implemented and yet Nintendo is the one GIVEN the Innovative Crown?

Funny and ironic at the same time where is the wiimote today for being supported from Nintendo? Playstation Move and Kinect 2 are both being shown to be used @ SIGGRAPH 2015/convention with demo's used with VR, what about Nintendo's so innovative WiiMote ?

Look I'm not slamming Nintendo over the contribution that they put into the gaming market, what I'm slamming is the idea that Nintendo is the only company out of the three that is being claimed to be the only company out of the three that is being innovative, when all three have done so.

[Sylth01]

Well, the way I understand the WiiMote and what has happened to it is this:

They built the motion control feature into the gamepad and allow the WiiMote to be connected to the console to be used with games the support it. I mainly use my own for playing Wii games on my Wii U. So yes, it is still thought of and supported by the current console.

As for the development of motion controls, the story I heard was that a company pitched the idea to sony/microsoft who turned them down, then nintendo took them up on it. No idea if Sony was almost making the Move before then or not, though looking at the release of all three options it appears to an onlooker that Sony/Microsoft saw motion controls as a big thing and did their own projects.

My own opinion concerning virtual reality is that they are going down the same path the Virtual Boy did years ago. I don't believe the tech is there yet for it to be worthwhile. There's also the downside that others cannot watch you play, though that may be of much less concern in today's world of online multiplayer as compared to the couch multiplayer of the mid 90s.

I'd say the Wii U is worth a purchase for the off-tv play alone.

[Knushwood Butt]

We all know that Nintendo are forced to try new gimmicks now in the hope of repeating the success of the Wii.

The gamepad is proof of this.

History proved that if they compete on power alone they lose: Gamecube.

Now they abandon the Wii U and make these claims about innovation??

Will be very intetesting to see ehich path they choose next. I bet it will be specs similar to xone-ps4, because by the time it comes out the cost will be lower, yet they'll still charge a premium, and the Nintendo faithful will rejoice while Wii U gathers dust.

[jts1891]

Nah. The problem with the Gamecube was that despite it's power, they used those silly mini-discs which irritated many people, and they intentionally designed it to appeal to children, which turned off older gamers.

[Sylth01]

-Refers to gimmicks as if Nintendo has tried many and they have all failed
-Limits the relevant timeline to anything after the Wii, of which there was only the gamepad
-Uses the gamepad as proof

That's not exactly logical, there. I could somewhat see it if you include the 3ds as another gimmick, but that would detract from your argument as the 3ds has been very successful.

They haven't abandoned the Wii U. They are still developing and releasing games for it. Stop spreading disinformation.

[Knushwood Butt]

Yet nobody really touted Nintendo as being innovarive prior to the Wii, did they? And even that was unjustified considering the PS3 had motion controls built into the pad, and the PS3 came out FIRST. Remember the SIXAXIS? Yeah.

If Nintendo are still behind the Wii U, why did they just announce that a new Dragon Quest game would be ported to the NX?

I bet Zelda gets dragged out to be a launch title for the NX, but you'll be happy anyway, and you can use whatever justification for why you got your money's worth out of the Wii U purchase.

[lemoncake]

This controller is the best part of the wii u. After using it for a while now I will be a little sad if it's not a part of the nx in some way.

[Sylth01]

Given Nintendo's track record, if the NX is the successor to the Wii U I think we can expect some sort of backwards compatibility between the two.

Then again, we still do not know anything about the NX.

[dennigo]

i think vr is gonna be the innovation

not the wii u which nobody wants by the way

[MSBAUSTX]

Well over 10 million people do want it. Also why is VR some kind of innovation but off tv play with full motion and touch screen isnt. VR is a gimmick as well. It may take off and people will say it was innovative but guess what, it was done first a long time ago by Ninty. It is just finally being perfected. That doesnt make it innovative. That makes the new VR sets an inprovement to an already innovated form of gaming.

The Wii did motion controls first and was very successful but still people say it was a gimmick. The Wii sold over 100 million consoles but no one admits that motion controls were innovative. How many dam consoles does Ninty have to sell before people like you will admit they innovate? 200 million? They were so successful with their motion that every other major console manufactorer tried to repeat its success.

I actually think the Move was better than motion plus but Ninty is why Sony even tried the move in the first place. The definition of innovation is a new idea, product, or Method. By the definition the analog stick, rumble controls, guns, motion controls, dual screens, VR and touch screens in gaming are all huge innovations since no one did them before Nintendo.

Every one has done them or tried after they did. That definitely makes them innovators. Now to say the gamepad is the only innovation is a bit of a stretch. But that does not justify writing off what Ninty has contributed to the gaming world. Their success last generation with the wii and all generations with their handheld speak to how innovative and good they are. They just need to use that innovation to change their online a bit and beef up their hardware to attract some third parties.

[joeorc]

I actually think the Move was better than motion plus but Ninty is why Sony even tried the move in the first place. The definition of innovation is a new idea, product, or Method. By the definition the analog stick, rumble controls, guns, motion controls, dual screens, VR and touch screens in gaming are all huge innovations since no one did them before Nintendo.

That is not true at all, if cutting corners so as in order to beat your competition to the market that had way more expensively higher priced component's is innovative, than umm yeah..Lol

Again the concept for the WiiMote was pitched to Nintendo ..Nintendo did not seek it out,they licensed the technology.

Mean while Sony's Dr.Richard marks was showing off how playstation Move would work IE: a motion controller wand that works with an external camera tracking the wands sphere.

Multi colored LED lights
Magnameter to offset sensor drift

Two component's were not only expensive as the time in 2000 , but also required further time to shrink the technology before it would be ready.

Again the idea that Sony copied Nintendo's concept when A)/it was not Nintendo's concept in the 1st pace it was pitched to them.
B)/Sony was already working on a method already at the time, why do you think the WiiMote was pitched to Nintendo in 2001? Because Sony already showed off @/SIGGRAPH in 2000 the "medieval chamber" demo on the playstation 2, under SIGGRAPH 2000/convention motion controlled demonstration's were listed under Emerging Technologies!

This is not being trying to downplay Nintendo, not in the slightest.

Its about the.Myth that seems to continue even today even though it has been busted for quite some time. Do you want to learn something or just keep making a claim that is just not true!

[Sylth01]

I think VR will be very much hyped but will not be able to deliver in the end.

This is based off what I have heard concerning the difficulty of developing games for them and how different the two (or is it three now?) VR sets will be when it comes to developing games. Also, looking at the last VR console the Virtual Boy and seeing a similar scenario concerning the bulky headset and the VR experience being limited to the user.

It could be VR will hit it out of the park, much like the Wii and Motion Controls. But I feel it will be an uphill battle.

Also, it would seem nobody = 10^7 to you. More hyperbole.

[Last_Boss]

Tbh. MS new controller they have coming is quite innovative.

[ninsigma]

I think I've just about made up my mind to buy that controller. It looks amazing!

[MEsoJD]

Nintendo were simply chasing the gimmick success of the Wii... It just didn't work this time. Never did I find the gamepad to be an essential or better gameplay peripheral.

[jts1891]

....Right. Attaching a tablet to a game console in an attempt to lure in mobile players is innovative. lolz.

[Roccetarius]

Indeed, that's what we call innovation these days. Any sane gamer would see how it restricts you gameplay-wise.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

It hasn't restricted me from kicking ass in any game I've played.
In some games, like Mass Effect 3, it actually improved the range of options I can access, by just using muscle memory to tap an icon on the game pad without needing to look, instead having to break immersion by opening a menu.
It allows me more options than the face buttons alone could offer without becoming hopelessly complicated.
Only haters who have never tried it, and people who never got good at using it, actually think it holds gamers back from playing games well.

[gamerdad316]

you are missing the point of the screen. it is not trying to be a tablet, but simply a second screen ala the ds. i for one hope there is a gamepad on the nx or at least support for existing gamepads.

[microgenius]

So Project morpheus and Hololens are not innovation then

[Doodleburger]

Yes, a gimmick with a 3 hour battery life is innovation. Fucking clowns.

[StormSailor]

That bullshit... Nintendo please stop talking shit!

[BigDuo]

While The Wii U GamePad is innovative in some ways, the fact of the matter is Nintendo has not done enough to justify it, nor it did not catch on with consumers and inspire third parties to support it.

[jcnba28]

In terms of controllers, yes the Wii U gamepad is very innovative. THE DS4 is just a re-skinned DS3 with a gimmicky touch pad that is never used.

[joeorc]

. THE DS4 is just a re-skinned DS3 with a gimmicky touch pad that is never used.

So adding a slide mouse pad to a controller's functionality is now gimmicky?

Its a mouse control functionality added to a controller, Sony's not trying to make it out more than what it is, is a mouse a gimmick?

So adding a slide mouse to sit beside a mobile keyboard is now gimmicky? Because that's the same type of thing Sony just did with the dual shock controller. Here is the thing its just another input option for developers to use if they want to, its not meant to be the main point of building your console around it being there.

That's the point, Sony is not treating it as a gimmick because a mouse , analogue or digital does not need to be shown proof of concepts that it works, that was already done quite a long time ago.

What Nintendo is trying to claim that a tablet controller is now the most innovative thing to come out of console gaming this generation sofar?

When Smart devices already proved several years ago, works that Nintendo is trying to prove again it works?

Bit saying what they are doing is more innovative?

Again if Nintendo would have beat the iPad, or Android Tablets or Microsoft's Surface, or Samsung, or HTC, HP, etc to the market with the game control pad it would I think hold more weight on their claim, but the blunt truth of the matter its not the case Nintendo was too late to the market. To make that claim, because really Apple and Google, and pretty.much ever Tablet manufacturer from 2008/on were already building such a user interfaced compute option and those already play games right on the screen, in 2010 most android devices had an option to run game pad controllers some even before 2010/wired and Bluetooth.

[user8966828]

People need to do there gaming history Sony did not do the console handheld connection first that would be Nintendo with the GameCube and game boy advance long before the ps3

[madjedi]

Yeah it is the most innovative out of the 3 consoles, and yet it is last in terms of install base. How does that help Nintendo again?

Being innovative and being useful or an improvement are not mutually exclusive.

Your console of preference being innovative or not does not raise or lower how elite or sophisticated of a gamer you are.

Hipsters will try to argue otherwise.