What do you do if you are big time video game creator and your company is in a rush to debut their upcoming next generation console, only you don’t have the necessary game footage to give it a proper showing off to the public? Well, if you’re Nintendo and this is the E3 expo we’re talking about, apparently, you take footage from other, already available consoles and demonstrate it as your own.
Apparently, decision makers for the Nintendo brand were so eager to show off the upcoming Wii U at E3, it didn’t matter if the footage being shown was even for the console being shown. From their perspective, the final product will feature graphics that look as good as the demonstration’s, so what’s the problem? In case you’re curious, Nintendo’s entire E3 presentation is available at the official site, and there’s a YouTube of the Wii U presentation:
Apparently, even YouTube members were hip to Nintendo’s plan, something the most popular comment of the embedded video demonstrates, [sic]s remain in place:
When the Wii, PS3 and 360 had their demos back in the day they showcased games like Super Mario Galaxy, Killzone 2 and Gears of War. Which far surpassed anything graphically that the PS2, GameCube, Xbox had to offer. While the WiiU showcased current gen games running on their competitors platforms. The WiiU’s press conference just seems like such a nonevent in comparison.
Over at GameTrailers.com, one of their correspondents confronted Reggie Fils-Aime, the President of Nintendo America about the Wii U’s presentation, and that’s when we arrived at the “that’s what it’s going to look like when the Wii U is released” explanation, which is transcribed to read:
“We’re talking a year away from when the system’s going to launch. The system’s going to be 1080p,” Fils-Aime claimed. “You’re going to see games that take full advantage of a system that has the latest technology and can push out some incredible graphics.”
Of course, currently, there’s no way of knowing whether the Wii U’s graphical prowess is anything near the PS3 or the Xbox 360. Yes, the Zelda footage on the flat-screen television looks nice (at the 3:02 mark of the trailer), but, without knowing for sure, can you trust that the Wii U was responsible for the footage? Luckily for Nintendo, there’s another video that features the Zelda game, meaning it’s OK to take responsibility for the images.
Reaction to the Wii U has been lukewarm as well — so much so, in fact, Nintendo’s stock took a hit after the announcement was made. Apparently, there are doubts about how successful the upcoming console/controller/please-get-rid-of-the-Wii-controller device will be.
The demonstration of a prototype at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry’s annual convention, in Los Angeles on Tuesday, appeared to leave investors disappointed and skeptical. Nintendo Co. shares closed at 16,970 yen ($212.44), down more than 5 percent.
As far as the graphics of the device goes, the Wii U’s spec sheet indicates it will support the major resolutions, including 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i; and the screenshots of the obligatory Super Mario game that will undoubtedly be released when the Wii U launches don’t look bad either. Too bad Nintendo was too concerned with showing off instead of being honest. Besides, it’s not like the false boasting improved the company’s financial outlook.