Skip to main content

Satoru Iwata promises relief for long Nintendo Wii U load times

 

The Nintendo Wii U’s got some growing up to do yet. It doesn’t have very many games unique to the platform, its social network Miiverse is still populated by a small but growing community, and its services like Nintendo TVii don’t have their full range of functionality yet. That’s fine. Modern game consoles are, after all, more like modern PCs and mobile devices than the consoles of yore. They are evolving tools changed through updates delivered over the internet. One problem holding the Wii U back, though, is the fact that it doesn’t work very smoothly at a basic level. In fact, it doesn’t even come with the firmware it needs to work out of the box and it won’t for months to come. It takes almost 90 seconds to switch between apps and to load some content on the console. Nintendo promises it’s working on it.

Speaking with Nikkei Business on Sunday, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that people are generally satisfied with the console besides its sluggish performance and that the company is working on fixing those issues.

“People realize the importance and benefits of having a personal screen that works in conjunction with the TV the more they use it,” said Iwata, “Setting aside the dissatisfaction some purchasers have with start-up and software change speeds, which we will improve.”

In a world accustomed to the instant gratification offered by gadgets like the iPhone, it’s no wonder that some customers have grumbled about the Wii U. The truth is that the console is not so bad. If you’re already sitting in front of a television to play a game, waiting another minute for the game to load isn’t really that big of a deal.

On the other hand, Nintendo really needs to improve the efficiency of its digital distribution. Downloading ZombiU, a large retail game, from the eShop took over 6 hours and that was after three aborted attempts where I was met with an error message after downloading completed. The whole process took over 24 hours. If Nintendo’s Wii U is going to be a success, its service needs to be improved more badly than its basic operating speeds.

Editors' Recommendations

Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
Nintendo is ending Wii U and 3DS eShop service
Photos of the 3DS eShops

Nintendo has announced the end of its eShop service for the Wii U console and 3DS handheld. The eShop will stay live on those devices until late March 2023, after which players will no longer be able to purchase games or download eShop apps and services for those devices.

After the closure, players will still be able to redownload games and DLC that they already own, use online play, and download software updates.

Read more
Latest Nintendo Direct ushers in an age of Wii nostalgia
The player throws a bowling ball in Nintendo Switch Sports.

If 2021 was the year of the Game Boy Advance renaissance, then 2022 is the year of the Wii. At this point, the Nintendo Switch has outsold the Wii, but it still doesn’t feel like the Switch is as ubiquitous with casual gamers as the Wii was. Meanwhile, the Wii is getting just old enough that it’s starting to feel nostalgic and retro.
If Nintendo wants to continue to grow the Switch’s userbase, these yearnful Wii fans need to be its next target. Perhaps that’s why the latest Nintendo Direct felt like a love letter to the Wii era by featuring games like Nintendo Switch Sports, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. 
Nintendo Direct - 2.9.2022
Let’s go bowling
At this point, most hardcore gaming fans who want a Nintendo Switch likely already own one. While those 100+ million players will continue to buy new video games, Nintendo still wants to sell 23 million more units this year alone. If it’s going to accomplish that, it needs to entice people who might not usually play video games or spend hundreds of dollars on a new system. 
Nintendo was the most successful at doing this during the Wii era but moved away from this casual focus after the Wii U flopped. Focusing on its hardcore fans is what made the Nintendo Switch a runaway success right at launch, but we’re now almost five years in, and Nintendo is looking to maintain a growing audience. 
Making the Nintendo Switch even more appealing to casuals and non-gamers seems to be the company’s next goal. Nintendo Switch Sports recapturing some of that Wii magic is the spearhead of this strategy.
Its predecessor Wii Sports is one of the most successful games of all time. Even people who’ve never played a video game might remember the game from the Wii’s heyday. Nintendo wants a Switch in every nursing home, school, or daycare if it isn’t all ready, and first-party titles like Nintendo Switch Sports make that a possibility.
If the game catches on with casual gamers and Nintendo makes it a bundled Switch game, there’s a chance that this could be the Switch’s next Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Animal Crossing: New Horizons from a sales perspective.

Wii Remember
Believe it or not, the Wii is over 15 years old. Young kids who played games on the Wii with their parents are now adults and likely have nostalgia for those experiences. Some may even consider it to be a retro console at this point. As such, it’s not surprising that Nintendo and other companies would dip back into the well of Wii-era IPs. It started with the Skyward Sword remaster last year, but several Wii-related announcements were in this Nintendo Direct too, which made it a real trip for those of us that grew up with these games on Wii.
Mario Strikers’ last great outing was on the Wii, and the sports spin-off series has been dormant for just long enough to where Nintendo fans are delighted that it’s making a grand return. Even Nintendo Switch Sports will trigger nostalgia for the millions of people who enjoyed it over 15 years ago.
Third parties are even taking notice. Aspyr decided to specifically remaster the Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which is an odd choice considering that a more polished version of the game existed for Xbox 360 and PS3. Still, the Switch is the only console capable of preserving that Wii experience, and Aspyr ensures that the Wii port doesn’t get lost to time. For players who enjoyed the Wii but don’t want to dig out their system, sensor bar, and some Wii Remotes, releases like this will allow them to satiate their nostalgia. While games like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 indicate that Nintendo isn’t abandoning its hardcore audience, it’s clear that the casual market is the Switch’s next great frontier. Many of the games featured in the February 9 Direct capitalize on a new wave of nostalgia for the Wii. Embracing that market and those causal players with these games might be the key to the Nintendo Switch’s continued success. 

Read more
Nintendo Switch Sports has a major Wii Sports vibe
A bowler takes the top spot in Nintendo Switch Sports bowling.

Nintendo has announced Nintendo Switch Sports, a Switch sequel to the breakout Wii Sports series. The game will once again allow players to assume a character and play a variety of sports using the Joy-Cons' built-in motion controls. Tennis, bowling, and chambara are returning from previous Wii Sports titles. The game will also include new sports such as volleyball, soccer, and badminton.

Nintendo Switch Sports will launch on April 29, 2022.

Read more