Why the Wii U failed (and the Switch didn't)
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- The Wii U is the greatest console of all time
#nintendo #mario #wiiu
The Wii u failed because it was extremely difficult and hard and Funny, Happy, Sad, Cringe, Scary, and satisfying.The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics. The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen, directional buttons, analog sticks, and action buttons.The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for home console use or used as a portable device, making it a hybrid console. Its wireless Joy-Con controllers, with standard buttons and directional analog sticks for user input, motion sensing, and tactile feedback, can attach to both sides of the console to support handheld-style play.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
The Wii U walked so the Switch can sprint. That's the best way to put it.
The Switch didn't deserve this
@@mr.s4ndman ohh 😢😢😢
the wii u ran so the switch coud run a tad bit faster
The Wii U tripped and fell off a fucking cliff, so the Switch could run, and survive after bouncing off the Wii U's dead carcass
Nintendo forgot that people of all ages played their games in the Wii U era. I remember wanting a Wii U when I was 15/16 but all my friends were on Xbox 360 and moving on to Xbox One and PS4, so I didn’t want to be the weird kid playing the Wii U. I think a lot of teenagers felt that way at the time.
I was a kid playing on my DS and I wasn't expecting for my parents to get a Wii U
I think the difference between Wii U and Switch was the target market age.
I didn't have money to buy a Wii U when I was a teen, now, as a working adult, I can go my way for buying one.
Me too but i didnt regret getting an xbox because i made good friends. Now that im older i can calmly get a nintendo console
@@tarnw3301 I think Nintendo has a hard time making for both Wii U and 3ds at the same time???? Switch felt like all hands on deck.
I get what you’re saying and I agree! But I don’t know what you mean when you said
“ Nintendo forgot that people of all ages played there games in the Wii U era”?
Nintendo couldn’t explain what the Wii U was. Their marketing was really REALLY horrible.
U stands for Unique but nobody know that
exactly 100% Right
Is it a Wii that's for college?
Wii U (university) 😂
I feel like without the wii u, we wouldn't have gotten the switch
And if we wouldn't have gotten the Switch, Nintendo would be dead.
The Wii U is like a switch prototype
Such a shame that they both have basically the same hardware despite a 4 year difference
True
Switch is more powerful than Wii U but not too much
WiiU: (2013 - 2017)
It's a good amount more powerful. The Wii U only had 2GB of RAM with 1GB for the OS and the other 1GB for games. The switch has 4GB of RAM, not certain about reservation but assuming 1GB is also for the OS then 3 is left for games, meaning 3x the RAM is available for games on switch.
The switch SOC is also more powerful, despite having a slightly lower clock at 1.02 GHz compared to the 1.24 GHz on the Wii U, the switch has a quad core CPU compared to tri core on the Wii U (!!), and it can also boost to 1.78 GHz under certain conditions.
Because they couldn't make the Switch too powerful, otherwise it would have made it more expensive and bulky and have VERY bad battery life.
Here after the switch 2 reveal, very happy they didn't name it the swtich W
Switch is basically a redesigned Wii U
I bet Nintendo had a meeting and said why did this Wii U fail!:( and talked about making it successful and how we should market it better, know what I’m saying
I was so confused by what the WiiU was. Even many players were unsure. It sounded and looked like some sort of handheld Wii add on and I remember ignoring the commercials thinking ‘why would I want that’. i was also deep into xbox at that point. Being a teenager, even when I got a good look at the WiiU in a store finally, I pretty much ignored it.
This is the same thing that happened with the GameCube, many casuals ignore the GameCube because it doesn't have a DVD and hardcore people ignore it because it seems childish, and they only buy the PS2 and Xbox.
No, the GameCube was bad because they was a lot of shovel ware and wierd games
@EliCole-b8x Wow, you pissed off the GameCube fanbase, but I agree, Wii U deserves to be called a classic console of the 2010s
Another factor that was against the Wii U was technology. The whole hybrid concept wouldn't have worked without USB Type C. It probably still work have worked, but it would have been very clunky and you would have a power plug, an HDMI port, and the USB Type A ports all on the handheld. With USB Type C, it has enough bandwidth to do all of that in one tiny port. For Nintendo to do things with the Game Pad, it literally had to be connected to a special Wi-Fi network from the console for it to work. Even with this solution, it wasn't the most intuitive. Because of the special Wi-Fi, you had to be within range of the console for it to function. Even though it's a tablet controller, the Game Pad can't be taken anywhere. With the dock for the Switch, it fundamentally solved this problem. The marketing for the Wii U was god awful, and it didn't help things obviously. With the combination between poor marketing and technology not catching up, the Wii U failed. They tried to reinvent the wheel when they didn't need to. Let's hope Nintendo's next system isn't another reinvented wheel.
if the wii u had sold better, it might have got a pro upgrade like PS4 and Xbox One did. Instead, nintendo released the switch and tried to remove wii u from people's minds, i don't remember seing a wii u from close after 2017, the only time i remember seeing a wii u was in 2015 (i think so), I even saw a picture proving this a few years ago.
I think good clear products sell themselves that is why the switch has been a massive success. I do worry about the successor though
Who's here after Nintendo Switch 2 has been announced?
Je suis ici
What if the Wii U was like meaning (We + You) should have that marketing
I am here. Thank god no switch W
Im always gonna say that Splatoon was one of the things that made the wii U good and memorable
10 years ago, Nintendo was almost at rock bottom had it not been for the 3DS, while the rest of the industry thrived. Now, Nintendo feels more on top of the world than ever before, but ironically the industry isn't doing so hot.
They named it switch 2 😭😭
11:18 Oh do I have news for you
Nintendos marketing was a lot different so it sold better (which is in the video.) And, there are still being sold due to the recent OLED
Switch. Bravo, Nintendo. You managed to change from
The worst sales ever to the best.. that’s crazy.
True, Nintendo really stepped up their game
@@Charbergames* (if you know what I mean)
@@DDDTJno not their games, not with those specs 😔 but in the bright side it is cheaper
@@shrimpshufflr7745 o h
I think the marketing was only a small factor great products sell themselves. If it a was a brilliant clear concept with great technology then it would have built customers over time.
The Wii U was extremely outdated when it came out
To be fair the switch was even more outdated hardware wise when it came out.
@@-Sheva- That's right.
Nintendo releases inferiour hardware, and all their classic titles are extremely childish these days.
Would love to find a reason to get a Nintendo console/ handheld, but I cant stand the kiddy gimmicks they put in their games.
@@chodagreat7876right why is it all kid themed
@@chodagreat7876Nintendo doesn’t need realistic or the last of us-ass games to be successful
@@-Sheva-except the switch was fully mobile, so it got away with being underpowered for a few years
True story: Back then I used to despise the switch as a Wii U owner but after playing with the switch when I got it back in 2017 as an early Christmas gift loved it for live and it was basically my definitive favorite console.
Then during that era discovered the truth about why the Wi U failed and understood its failure.
2 years later as always played on the switch but the problem was it was for the family only and wasn't allowed to take it with me to my high school classes, Then as Nintendo announced the switch lite, I got the console for Christmas which was a yellow version and absolutely loved it for life and it basically became my own favorite personal switch.
What a nice story👏
@@MarioandSonicmcqeen Thank you
Switch 2: 🤫🧏
I have a switch, but getting a wii u and hacking it for every game is cheaper than buying them for the switch
Wii U failed so Switch could succeed. We were so good and innovative. They needed a little stopgap to continue and that’s what the Wii U was. It was a great idea but a poor execution and it’s not a bad console at all. It’s just at that time people didn’t really need it because they still had the Wii and likely used 3DS. Switch was an improved Wii U and combined aspects of 3DS and Wii U perfectly. It was targeted toward adults, but it had aspects that kids can use. I have both and I enjoy it.
I love keeping my Wii U & Dreamcast consoles & accessories as far away from my other video game consoles and accessories as possible as a reference to how both were commercial failure to the point where I only five games for the former & fourteen for the latter.
Does this mean these consoles are bad?
This reminds me that Switch 2 might be a beefed up Switch which sounds quite worrisome.
What else would it be?
Switch 2 baby, let's see if this works out for them
Nintendo’s worst selling console was the Virtual boy not the Wii U, the Wii U sold 13.M units, the virtual bot sold like 800K units
Virtual Boy isn't a home console
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂@@Charber
@@CharberWell you don’t need to be so condescending about it …
I still wish that radical Zelda tech demo featuring a bad ass Link battling a humongous spider on the Wii U was made into a full game. Would’ve loved to played that even the ill fated Wii U or it’s successful successor the Switch.
A very well put together video! you explained everything super well.
People also forget that another big reason why the wii u failed because Nintendo was originally trying to make the switch back in 2012 but didnt have the technology to do that and we ended up with a wii u.
I think when you have a great product with clear functionality it is easy to market and to resonate with audiences. The WiiU felt strange and gimmicky it failed to attract the casual crowd and most people bought a rival console. The concept behind the Switch is so clear you don’t need to lecture your parents about the difference.
Why does this guy only have 687 subs?(im subbed)
But good editing
I remember wanting the Wii U but found the device weird and bulk and then forgot about it
I wonder how the “hot buttered popcorn that’s a deal” kid is doing today.
You forgot to mention that the switch opened the market for game developers, creating a perfect ecosystem for the console to thrive
They are gonna name the next console the switch 2 we are cooked 😭😭😭
No?
You called it!
@@Jessicabrai he did not call it, it was leaked by someone who got switch 2 early and we are not cooked, Nintendo is the one cooking
You know what if switch two has no music them I will literally take apart the console just to add it
rewatching that Wii U ad with the kid from Jessie felt like having a knife slowly driven into my chest
Yoo! This is a great video! Looking forward to watching the rest of your content!
"dad can I have a wii u?"
"But we already have a wii."
"Yeah but it's newer."
"But it looks exactly like the wii."
"yeah but it's more powerfu-"
"No."
they needed to make the WiiU an actual hybrid that can be taken OUTSIDE the home
It had no system selling games until MK8 and Sm4sh in 2014 (no Mario 3d world doesn’t count, nobody disliked it but ppl weren’t rushing to buy 3d land 2)
The switch had them in its first year (botw, mk8dx, arms, splatoon 2, Mario odyssey, xenoblade 2)
The Wii U had long droughts between game releases
Meanwhile the Switch had new first and second party releases on a regular basis
The Wii U had no third party support
Meanwhile third parties quickly jumped on the Switch since it was selling really well
The Switch being a hybrid also helped since Nintendo handhelds always did well, even when the 3ds was flopping they still managed to turn it around and make it a success
sales ≠ quality
Anyone else watching this in 2025 when the next console is leaked to be the switch 2?
I think another reason for the Wii U's failure was Nintendo cracking down on RUclips ad revenue regarding their games. Not a lot of people were playing them, which means less exposure. They finally learned that it's the best advertising you can ask for. The Switch did so well because everyone was talking about it. More exposure means more sales means more games and so on.
From my perspective, Nintendo did a poor job at establishing what the Wii U was, and differentiating it enough from the Wii to have its own unique identity. That why it was initially written off as just another Wii model. What also makes matters worse now is that a majority of the first party titles released on the Wii U have been expanded, remade, or remastered for the Nintendo Switch. This basically nullifies any need to own a Wii U.
wii u wasn't even that bad, you guys keep thinking that wii u was the worst thing ever invented in history
11:15 In a way, I guess you could say this didn't age well. But maybe this was for the best.
Bro at 1:46 an ad appeared at the right time 😭😭
11:19 why does the blue controller only have an analog stick and the red controller 3 analog sticks💀
Man one short about switch made me buy it
And now this is watched on it
The switch is just Wii U minus Wii. By 2012 people were over the Wii. They didn’t really want a successor if they still had it so with a 3DS closing up shop by 2017 it was a perfect time for the switch.
Mario party 10 is a great game. If the wii was about interacting with your family the Wii U was about interacting with the internet
I had one of the Just Dance games that released for the Wii when I was either a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior in High School I never bought a Wii U because by the time it had released I wasn't playing my Wii anymore
The wii was sm fun to play with many people, we really played it with the entire family. I would love to see another console that really encourages playing with others, instead of staring at my screen all alone. I just have the switch light, dont know if the full switch is more multi player
this guy deserves more subs
I loved my Wii U. I still play to this day.
I remember after seeing the trailer for the switch I went to GameStop and pre ordered it
First console I ever pre ordered
Honestly I love both the wii and Wiiu❤
Wow getting this vid recommended just after the Switch 2 is real funny, so glad it's not called the Switch W tho fr 😅
Or switch U 😂
Nerrel had a great video discussing the WiiU. But in short, Nintendo's gameplan was that the success of the Wii would mean those Wii Players would graduate into "hardcore gamers" right in time for the WiiU. But that didn't really happen. Wii Sales were crazy early but began to taper off. Most Wii users were super casual and more than satisfied with the Wii's offerings. Or transitioned to mobile games for their casual gaming fix. This was a massive chunk of the Wii playerbase that would now no longer be interested in the WiiU. Made worse by the fact that the branding. The name WiiU made it sound like an add on to the Wii. Not helped by the marketing focusing on the controller rather than the console.
The hardcore players were put off by the WiiU's specs. It released and many years old ports of games like Arkham City and Dynasty Warriours ran worse than their 360 counterparts. Not a good look that the new 8th gen console couldn't outperform 8 year old hardware. And the WiiU wasn't even competing with 360/PS3. It was competing with the PS4/XB1. If you wanted to play the latest AAA games, Nintendo was not it this gen.
The WiiU's touch screen didn't compensate as much for most games. People will cite stuff like the Touch Screen being used as a second screen for inventory management or as a map. But in the games that supported these features, you had to completely turn your attention away from the main screen in order to fiddle with your inventory or look at the map which felt like more of a distraction compared to using an in-game weapon wheel. Hell, ZombiU was literally built on the fact that the WiiU gamepad was distracting to use in the first place. Made worse by the fact that many multiplat games ran worse on the WiiU because the CPU was swamped trying to cover both the game and the Touch Screen.
This left only the most diehard Nintendo fans to support the WiiU. The kind of people that "would buy a piece of cardboard if it let them play Mario on it". Which weren't enough.
The only "killer feature" the WiiU had going for was off-TV play. The PS4's Remote Play and Steam Link weren't exactly top tier so the WiiU could do something here. But the WiiU's controller signal was streamed over Wifi so you were limited to playing in the same room.
That's why the Switch was so successful. It learned from all the WiiU's mistakes. The main unit cuts back on stuff like the cameras since those were unnessary and raised the price. It actually plays games portably and in a smaller form factor than the WiiU Gamepad. It doesn't rely on any gimmicks that detrack or distract from the gameplay.
The odd thing is that all this means the WiiU was always destined to do poorly. Nintendo probably could have stemmed the bleeding if they never made the Gamepad (which significantly would have brought down the price) and pitched it as a Wii 2. But it wouldn't have been able to compete with the PS4/XB1.
HOT BUTTER POPCORN THATS A DEAL!!🤓
Wii sales drop so fast before Wii U launched plus bad marketing. Meanwhile Switch excellent in marketing plus current sales only slow drop, not fast drop like Wii. From 18 million in year 6 to 15 million in year 7 is not much drop. So Switch 2 next year in good position
The switch is now the most seller console ever
Suprised u don’t have more subs bro this sun good content fr
No, the wiiu is not the worst sewing in history if anything is bad it’s the Virtual boy
They wanted this to be what became of the Switch but the tech just wasn't ready (affordably) to be shrunk down as thin and have the Voltron controllers. So they had to use the WiiU in the meantime.
I remember how I was so excited that yo could play in handheld on the Wii U. I remember I went to the bathroom and wanted to play and it said ‚ too far away from the main console‘ or something like that. That’s why the Wii U failed for me. The switch lets you play outside, the Wii U doesn’t. Plus the Wii U pad or how yo call it was so uncomfortable to hold.
but wii u was always intended to be a home console, it's like ds but with a separate screen, wii u gamepad isn't that bad
There's three words that in my opinion euthanized the Wii U...
"The New Controller"
if i knew that the wii u would be backwards compatibility i wouldnt have bought a wii(probably)
Lol Nintendo Switch Double U😂😂. That caught me off guard.
Wow really well done video. Needs more views
I worked at gamestop for awhile around the time wii u released. Hardly anyone knew what it even was. The marketing was atrocious for it. For starters, the marketing focused 90% on the controller which yes is the most unique part of the console, but the console itself was always in the background, looked like a standard wii, and people were still using wii remotes in the commercials. This confused people and made them think the wii u was just a tablet add on to the wii and not a new console. Secondly nintendo was still laser focused on the casual market, most of whom just moved on to smartphone games by that time. The wii also succeeded in the casual market because it was so simple to market what the wii could do, unlike the wii u. Third, the marketing was focused on children, which isn't bad on its own, but if you know anything about children, they want to play what the big kids are playing
I got my switch during 2020
Now switch 2 is coming out will it fail for its name
Wii U was amazing 😁 if peer pressure didn’t exist the Wii U would have sold more
Idc if Nintendo doesn’t make 3rd party games they run terribly anyway
I rather play those games on PS5 or Xbox
Well depends on which 3rd party game ….
The Wii U was so overhated, glad I had one.
The switch would still have sold without the pandemic, as it already had a ton of sales before it. Also, people couldnt play on the go either because it was forbidden to get outside
Oh and i gotten this console years ago from my granny and i gotten games for it like mario kart 8 and donkey Kong country tropical freeze and super Mario 3d world and last but not least ben 10 omniverse 2 my childhood with the wii u wasn't so bad after all i watched videos on it childhood was so great i miss my Wii u it was a gift but it stopped working now i have the switch and im taking care of it you need to do the same
“So as long as they don’t name their next console the Nintendo Switch W I think they’ll be fine” uhhh.. can’t say they made a better choice 😬
The Switch was so bad I sold it a few weeks later not sure how it was ever a success, shame the few good games are wasted on poor hardware
If minecraft was a launch title the wii u would have made way more sales
I enjoy the Wii U especially the drawing aspect and sharing with others and the games was fun but yea I guess advertising for the system wasn’t great remind me how the Dreamcast was such a powerful system but wasn’t advertised like it should :/
It was so nice having a map on the controller while playing a game on the tv
I love the switch because of its games. But to be honest (and to others) the switch is quite boring. And I can tell why everyone is still on their Wii U's. The UI of the switch feels too adultish. But the Wii U UI, it is amazing. Miiverse was so fun back then, and this may sound fake but its true, people are buying Wii U's. The Wii U even had music. If Nintendo tried a little harder, they would get a lot of units sold with the Wii U.
The wii was such a succes the only negative thing i could say about it is that some tvs where smashed by the flying controllers exept for that i really cant talk negative about the wii (wii u just failed because the advertisment was really really poor and had people thinking it was just a wii)
theres so many wii u ports to give those gmaes another chance on switc switch
7:00
“Just”
Not really, 8 deluxe is an almost entirely new game
WII U didn't fail Nintendo, Nintendo failed the WII U
Facts
11:12 who said it was releasing this millenium
And I got my switch when 2024 came and i got mega man 11 for it months ago in November 2024 im gonna enjoy it tomorrow
Thank you being so kind all mighty all knowing God help me and these people to better understand you
I feel like you failed to mention one big pro of the Switch. The Switch also serves as a good companion console to people who have other consoles. This was something that the Wii and Wii U failed to do, but unlike the latter, the Wii was carried by wowing casual gamers and people who never really cared to pick up a console.
5:28 virtual boy
Nice stu icon
I like the ads they are funny
You also forgot to mention that during the pandemic we got stimulus checks so people had extra money to buy another console or two (in my case)😅
The Wii U failed due to no sequel to battalion wars 2 that was on the original Wii. Also the switch successor better not fail the original switch.
At least a Switch 2 is a way better name than the Wii U
because of the switch is like the ds but you can also play on tv
this video sounds really dreadful if you replace every "wii" on it with "switch" and wii u with switch 2, because we are now in a pretty similar situation
Lack of marketing and advertising sums up the WiiU's failure. Not nearly as much effort put into it as a whole.
thats the same reason the vita ..
Nintendo switch 2 will not be like the Wii u, it’s not a “u” anymore, it’s actually saying what it is.
WiiU was tethered to a console and the Switch is the whole package. And why the hell would you name your next generation console the SAME NAME as the previous?
Cuphead!!! 9:34
Switch also has portability!!!!