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Yet Another Sign the Wii U Is Doomed

Yet Another Sign the Wii U Is Doomed

Nintendo recently announced the delay of Star Fox Zero for the Wii U, painting a grim picture for the future of the company’s first console to support high-definition graphics. The most recent installment of the scrolling shooter that debuted on the Super NES back in 1993 has been pushed back to 2016, which has some gamers both disappointed and concerned. With this latest announcement, the Wii U has officially taken on the status of “deadman walking” and its suspension date might be approaching much quicker than some had originally expected.

It’s no secret that the Wii U has been struggling since its release in 2012. It was very similar to that of its predecessor, which confused some newcomers, priced way outside of its target market, and the game lineup was entirely depended on a self-contained eco system. Much like Nintendo’s console offerings in the past ten or so years, the Wii U’s survival was entirely dependent on the classic lineup of Nintendo characters in order keep the boat afloat. By delaying another fan favorite, the writing is clearly painted in bold letters on the wall – the Wii U is done.

The inevitable is apparent. First, they delayed The Legend of Zelda from March of this year to sometime in 2016, and now Star Fox Zero has suffered the same fate. Nintendo’s fall lineup, which typically accounts for a massive portion of all sales, went from being solid and intriguing to abysmal and somewhat puzzling. The fall offerings are down to Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival and Yoshi’s Woolly World (in North America). Both look like great titles, and everyone always flocks to Mario’s favorite sidekick, but I am hard-pressed to believe that these are going to keep the lights on at Nintendo.

The minds behind the video game giant most certainly have to be thinking long term with the Star Fox decision. Not taking advantage of the holiday rush is something Nintendo can afford to do. That’s like setting up a lemonade stand in the winter. (No one wants your frozen garbage, kids.) I can’t imagine that Nintendo simply delayed the title to make a few adjustments and improve the quality of the game. To miss out on a huge sales rush for a bit of polishing is something they, or any company for that matter, wouldn’t do.

Yet Another Sign the Wii U Is Doomed

There is a positive side to the inevitable death of Nintendo’s latest flop, and that is the fact that the company won’t have a choice but to go in a different direction for the next console system. Nintendo has run out “get-out-of-jail-free cards.” They’re at a crossroads. On one side, the company can continue to remain a self-contained infrastructure and suffer the consequences of not adapting to today’s technology and the ever-changing platform of video games. On the other, Nintendo can finally wake up and stop trying to be the smartest person in the room and grab hold of it’s destiny.

The company can finally take their phenomenal cast of characters, fabulous lineup of games, Super “freaking greatest fighting game ever made” Smash Brothers , and move in the direction that the entire gaming industry as a whole is going. No more Wii U’s or Wii anything. Put it out to pasture. Be different. Star Fox is delayed and the Wii U is on its way out. Only time will tell if Nintendo finally rebounds.

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