The Wii U And Nintendo Deserve More

It seems like Nintendo has not been getting much love of late. You can debate the fact that the Wii U didn't exactly come out shining, but the numbers don't lie: Its sales have been unsteady. It sold 3 million units through December, then the sales dropped drasticly; It completely tanked in January, selling only 100,000 units. And it hasn't really made a comeback since then. The console itself has received a lot of criticism.

"First of all, the fact that Nintendo actually decided to ship this joke of a controller called the GamePad with a 6.2-inch touchscreen in the middle says it all. It only lasted for around two hours per charge over the week I’ve used it, and it’s big, clunky and made of glossy Nintendo plastic. The problem it, it has no charm. It feels thrown together to try to make a statement, one that says that Nintendo isn’t afraid of the iPads or Android tablets or iPhones or iPod touches, and that it too can take on touch just as it took on motion."

But is the Wii U really that bad?  No, not in my opinion. I think Nintendo is just the punching bag for the gaming industry, and I'm not really sure why. Because it's targeted to a younger audience? Because it hasn't completely embraced M-rated death and gore genres? I'm sorry, but Super Mario will always be better than any Call of Duty.

If the Wii U has a sleek Apple label on it in place of the Nintendo one, it would be a whole different story. All the Apple dogs would drool over it. You'd hear about how innovative a touchscreen controller is and how all other consoles will now have to copy. You'd hear about how Apple had brilliantly been able to emulate a Japanese style interface to bring a touch of authenticity. You'd hear about how Apple had not brought HD to market when no one really cared or wanted it, but now that it's mature they are right in there. And on and on and on.

But Apple didn't make it. So what? Nintendo has defined gaming and its industry more than any other company. I'm not hating Apple, nor any other company, but Nintendo has done more than any of them.
They deserve your respect at the least.

It took balls to make the Wii U. They couldn't be sure that the world would like it. And a lot of people don't. But you can't argue they didn't try with the console. That they didn't go a step in a different direction.

Just because recent sales of the Wii U have been poor doesn't make it a bad console.

Give Nintendo some slack.

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Battlefield 4 Gameplay Revealed

EA has released a 17 minute gameplay video of the upcoming Battlefield 4. This comes a day after its reveal in San Fancisco.

Battlefield 4 will be released this Fall. The "Fishing in Baku" video is shot entirely in-game and is the first glimpse of the human, dramatic, and believable single player campaign in Battlefield 4.

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Tomb Raider Breaks A Million Sales In Two Days

In less than 48 hours, Tomb Raider has sold over a million copies! The remake has proven to be extremely popular, receiving impressive scores from game review websites, usually upwards of 8 out of 10. The game was released on March 5, 2012.

The M rated action-adventure offers what a reboot should: An all around better game. And with beautiful visual graphics and intriguing gameplay, lovers of  adventure will love this game.

"Tomb Raider delivers an intense and gritty story of the origins of Lara Croft and her ascent from frightened young woman to hardened survivor, armed with only raw instincts and the physical ability to push beyond the limits of human endurance. Superb physics-based gameplay is paired with a heart-pounding narrative in Lara's most personal, character-defining adventure to date."

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An Android Gaming Console: Ouya

If you're a little behind on the gaming scene, or just prefer to indulge in another cup of tea, then you've probably not heard about Ouya.

It's an Android based-gaming console. It's as big a deal as you make it for yourself. Some people are watching its development closely, others would rather watch paint dry.

But it's different. It was funded by Kickstarter, an online funding platform that's shifted over half a billion dollars to various projects. Ouya received over nine times it's goal of nine-hundred thousand dollars.

And what's it's purpose?

The console itself will be selling for $99. Pretty cheap.

"Let’s open this sucker up! It's time we brought back innovation, experimentation, and creativity to the big screen. Let’s make the games less expensive to make, and less expensive to buy. With all our technological advancements, shouldn't costs be going down? Gaming could be cheaper!"

"OUYA is a new game console for the TV, powered by Android. We've packed this little box full of power. Developers will have access to OUYA's open design so they can produce their games for the living room, taking advantage of everything the TV has to offer. Best of all, OUYA's world-class controller, console, and interface come in one beautiful, inexpensive package. All the games on it will be free, at least to try."

For a hundred bucks, I'd say it's worth a try. And Ouya's promised most of the game will be free to play.

And the biggest twist... "Hackers welcome."

Ouya will be shipping out to the usual gaming retailers in a few weeks, and should be widely available in June.

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