Game industry insiders and hardcore players remain mixed about whether or not Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U console is going to be yet another massive success for the publisher – or a piece of tech that even casual gamers will consider behind on the “next generation” curve.
Of course, Nintendo hasn’t been pushing technical boundaries for some time; instead relying on what some players might consider “gimmicks” (albeit innovative ones no doubt) such as 3D and motion controls – as well as a host of first party games featuring iconic characters from the publisher’s rich stable. Regardless of how you, or industry analysts, might feel about the decision, new details about unannounced Wii U games would indicate that Nintendo doesn’t intend to change-up that strategy too much this holiday season.
According to a report from GoNintendo, a Blockbuster UK employee has leaked screenshots of a number of unannounced (and announced) Wii U titles that were listed on the retailers point of sales terminals.
Previously, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata presented a murky picture as to what players could expect from the first batch of Wii U titles:
If I said that an overwhelmingly rich software lineup would be prepared from day one, it would be too much of a promise to make. On the other hand, we are making efforts so that we will be able to make several proposals even from the launch period that can eventually become evergreen titles for the Wii U.
As it turns out, Iwata’s candid response does paint a pretty accurate representation of what the publisher has in the pipeline – if the list of potential Wii U titles is to be believed.
Check out the leaked Blockbuster UK images below – followed by an easier to read breakdown of the listed games:
- Aliens: Colonial Marines
- Assassin’s Creed
- Batman: Arkham City
- Darksiders II
- Dirt 3
- Formula 1 All Stars
- Game Party
- Ghost Recon Online
- Just Dance 4
- Killer Freaks from Outer Space
- Marvel Super Heroes
- Metro: Last Light
- Monsters Party
- New Super Mario Brothers Wii
- Ninja Gaiden 3
- Pikmin
- Rabbids Party Land
- Raving Rabbids
- Rayman Legends
- Shield Pose
- Splinter Cell 5
- Sports Connection
- Tekken
- Your Shape 2013
- Zombie
As usual, it’s important to take retailer information with a grain of salt, given that a lot of stores simply input rumored titles as placeholders, and their appearance isn’t representative of actual behind the scenes information or upcoming reveals.
That said, assuming the list is accurate, the Wii U looks to follow the same trend as its Wii predecessor – relying heavily on nostalgia-fueled first party titles that feature fan-favorite characters (New Super Mario Brothers Wii 2) as well as third party shovelware games intended to be quick cash grabs that capitalize on the Wii U controller functionality (Rabbids Party Land and Raving Rabbids). While larger, more immersive, third party titles are a priority for Nintendo, despite highly-anticipated releases such Assassin’s Creed 3, the appearance of titles like Ninja Gaiden 3 and Batman: Arkham City (which will be nearly 1.5 years old when it releases on the Wii U), doesn’t do much to dissuade criticisms that the system will already be playing catch-up the moment it releases – even if some high-profile developers have, publicly, claimed the system actually has a lot to offer.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates on the Wii U as well as other movie, TV, and gaming news.
The Wii U is set for release later this year – with more information scheduled for E3 2012.
Source: GoNintendo
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Well I won’t be rushing out to buy a Wii U just yet, and nothing there strikes me as must-play. Had my fill of Mario games on the Wii and Rayman will be out on other platforms.
I suppose BlockBuster could use all the publicity it can get, I’m surprised it’s still going.
I dunno what the Wii U has going for itself. Will new, casual gamers whose Wiis are gathering dust care to upgrade? If I were in Ninty, I’d focus more on getting “Angry Birds” type games for the NinTablet and market the Wii U as a next gen console AND a tablet device at the same time.
Thirteen of those games are games that have either already released a long time ago, just recently released, or will release before the wii u releases. What incentive do we have to buy a wii u just to buy the same games again?
Exactly. I think if Nintendo read that, they’d save maybe hundreds of millions of dollars. No point in coming out with a console with old games people have already bought.
That will be Assassin’s Creed 3 though…
And where is the killer launch title, the reason you rush and buy a Wii-U?
Nintendo made a great portable console in the 3DS but they waited for too long to start releasing the must have games. I don’t want them to make another costly mistake.