Seven months have passed since Nintendo confirmed that Wii U will launch this holiday season, yet we still don’t have a firm date — or, for that matter, a price. Though it isn’t exactly out of character for Nintendo withhold that kind of information until the last possible moment, there may be other factors at work here. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s possible that Nintendo isn’t just sitting on the release date information, waiting for what it deems the most opportune moment to make an announcement.
New reports suggest that manufacturing difficulties are threatening to derail Nintendo’s planned worldwide launch of Wii U, and as a result, the system’s European debut may be delayed.
The most credible rumored Wii U launch date pegs the event for Sunday, November 18th, which would ensure that the system lands on store shelves in advance of the all-important post Thanksgiving shopping marathon, Black Friday. Allegedly, a pre-Thanksgiving Wii U launch is still in the cards for North America, though if the Wii U manufacturing situation is as dire as rumored, that could conceivably change. The system’s European launch, meanwhile, will likely be postponed to early December.
According to CVG, “sources connected to the matter” have learned that Wii U’s GamePads are proving exceedingly difficult to manufacture. As a result, Nintendo is struggling to stockpile enough units to effectively launch Wii U — and it is that difficulty that has prevented the company from announcing the system’s release date.
This is not the first rumor to surface about trouble with Wii U’s GamePads. Shortly after the system was introduced at E3 2011, a source identified as “A Nintendo Insider” flatly claimed that Wii U’s tablet controllers didn’t work. Since that time, Nintendo has added to the GamePad’s functionality by incorporating Near Field Communications technology, and while the company debuted the finalized version of the GamePad just before E3 2012, it also revealed that using two of the controllers on a single Wii U will cut a game’s frame rate in half.
Even more recently, it was revealed that the Wii U version of Madden NFL 13 will lack the Infinity Engine that powers the game’s physics and animation on Xbox 360 and PS3. Madden’s producer attributed the situation to “challenges” with the new hardware. Was he referring to the Wii U’s GamePads? What do you think?
Ranters, do you believe that GamePad manufacturing difficulties are, in fact, affecting Nintendo’s Wii U launch plans, or do you think that the continued lack of an announced date (and price) is just another example of Nintendo being Nintendo? Let us know in the comments below.
The Nintendo Wii U will launch this holiday season.
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Follow me on Twitter @HakenGaken.
Source: CVG
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“Do you believe that GamePad manufacturing difficulties are, in fact, affecting Nintendo’s Wii U launch plans, or do you think that the continued lack of an announced date (and price) is just another example of Nintendo being Nintendo?”
Who knows really? This could very easily be a marketing scheme by Nintendo, but I personally don’t believe so. After the news from last year about the Wii U Gamepad problems, as well as the framerate problems that surfaced this year, it would not surprise me if they were having manufacturing problems as well. I foresee the Wii U being the Xbox 360 of the next generation, in that it will be the console with the most technical problems. After the RRoD scenario Microsoft faced with the 360, there’s no way they’ll allow the 720 to have hardware failure like that, even if it means waiting a year to get problems fixed. Same for PS4, even though the PS3′s hardware failure was less common than the 360′s.
That’s an interesting point about the reliability of the next-gen consoles, though if your prediction turns out to be accurate, Nintendo will (probably) only have to replace defective GamePads — not entire Wii U systems.
Speaking of defective hardware, remember the PS2 launch? Those systems suffered from a notoriously high defect rate.
I’ve had to replace all my consoles at one point or another over the course of this generation — my Xbox 360, twice — so I genuinely hope you’re right about Sony & Microsoft.
You only had to replace your 360 twice? You were lucky. I never had RRoD, but I would wear out my 360 to the point that it would freeze in the middle of playing every 10 minutes. That happened with about 4 or 5 of them. Then the Slim came out, and all my dreams came true
but the console was well worth buying a used 360 whenever I needed it. My local game resale shop sells them pretty cheap, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle.
Got my xbox 360 the first week it came out had to replace it the first time about 3 months ago. Bought the cheapest slim I could get just to hold me over till the next xbox comes out.
Or, it could be that they haven’t announced the release date because they said that they’ll announce it in a fall Nintendo Direct conference.
http://nintendoeverything.com/92863/rumor-september-conference-to-reveal-wii-u-launch-date-price-2013-games/
WHO WOULDA THUNK, HUH?
How about you guys post actual news about Nintendo, rather than posting crappy rumors that’re easily debunked, with “unnamed source” or “Nintendo insider” BS as back-up “proof?”
Just checking: you did notice the word “rumor” in that URL you posted, right?
Yes, I did see that it said rumor.
However, a rumor is only worth reporting on if it can’t be debunked. Nintendo’s already gone on record to say that they’ll be announcing these things at a later conference in the fall, which makes this Rumor rather defunct.
The note about the “Nintendo Insider” going on board to say that the Wii U GamePad doesn’t even work was unnecessary, as at E3 2012 and more recent events, the GamePad was working fine with games.
All I know is I see the GameRant staff more than willing to hop on the latest “how can we crap on Nintendo” bandwagon, and less willing to post things such as experiences that people have had on the Wii U, certain features that games will have on the Wii U, or even just some information about the Wii U in general that isn’t another “gloom and doom” rumor article.
Now, before somebody pulls the “have you even looked at the news feed under the Wii U Tab?” card, yes. Yes, I have. I see Wii U box art, Wii U exclusive ME3 stuff, then just copy+paste trailers/talks about of games that’ll also be on the PS360.
Come on guys, I know there’s somebody on the news team that should be willing to post more positive news, or even just the small things. Something Nintendo-positive would be great.
But I guess it’s cool to crap on Nintendo nowadays, right?
I respectfully disagree with your assessment.
As a Game Rant writer, and a fellow Nintendo fan, I know it seems like everyone (gaming media included) is trying to put Nintendo down. It’s irritating, it’s unfair, and it’s unnecessary.
On the other hand, as a gaming news outlet, we cover factual reports as well as rumors. We aren’t just making these rumors up to fuel the fanboy wars, and we aren’t out to get back at the Big N for not keeping up to par with the PS360 (solid name by the way).
We all know Nintendo plans on announcing the Wii U’s release date via Nintendo Direct, but that doesn’t debunk this particular rumor. Having production issues can push back the European release date that they do end up announcing.
Furthermore, the evidence you’ve linked to is a rumor itself, with no official Nintendo seal of approval.
We can’t just report on all the good rumors circling the web, we have to report the bad ones as well.
people complained about the ps3′s $600 launch price, but I haven’t had to replace my ps3 once. I’ve had to replace my 360 4x, bought a fan to prevent overheating, and bought a slim in prayers that my issues would be gone. all said and done i’ve spent much over $600 on my 360′s with it’s hardware issues, non free internet, and not to mention the custom Hard drives.
Ps3 is the better console all around, I’d rather pay up front and know what I’m getting, then have to pay over and over again and not be sure if it will even work that time.
If the 720* has half as many issues as the 360 I don’t see myself buying one.
I don’t think this is a issue I think it is a media issue because they can’t get anything out of Nintendo about specs release date or price. It is easy to talk about the bad with Nintendo. Check my video out on YouTube @ mrllive08 I explain a lot of what’s going on with Nintendo
How exactly would you know “what’s going on with Nintendo?” They could just as easily be having manufacturing problems as they could be withholding information. The fact is that no one really knows anything about it except for people at Nintendo, and that’s how it will stay until Nintendo says something officially.
I think Nintendo hasn’t announced anything yet because nothing has been finalized. Why announce specs when it is subject to change to accommodate price? Or announce a release date when manufacturing woes still exist?
Nintendo doesn’t want to look sloppy and have to retract any statements. It’s better to keep on-lookers in the dark rather than look stupid stumbling over your own feet. That’s how it works at my job in my department. Nintendo is doing the right thing.
hi there nintendo is not the only company having problelms apple ipad iphone touch screen computers smart tv apple ipad and iphone were difficualt too manufature at first then they got better over time soo it ant nintendo being nintendo price or release date the technolgy is soo complicated tgat you need a nasa rocket scintist education too even build a wii u game oad technolgies are over comlicated soo give them a break
Oh my God…I hate to be this person…but…here it goes…
For one, you said Apple twice, then everything you listed (for the most part) were Apple products. Brilliant job, well done. You’re a damn genius.
Secondly, problems* difficult* to* manufacture* so* isn’t* technology* so* that* scientist’s* GamePad* technologies* complicated* so* (It’s 2012, use spell check, and if you already have it, that red line all over your screen means you’re an idiot.)
Thirdly, please, for God’s sake, use some form of punctuation.
Lastly, capitalize. The shift keys are right under your pinkies. Seriously, are you in Kindergarten?
Thank you, and have a nice day.
@UnbuildTheGame
I think it’s a computer lol or a ghost
I sincerely hope so lol