Why Everyone Needs to Stop Freaking Out About the Wii U

Since its launch, I have been seeing a constant barrage of articles bashing the Wii U for numerous reasons. Not enough launch games, not enough upcoming games, terrible online system, sub-par hardware, and more. Console wars are nothing new, and we have been seeing fierce brand loyalty since the Nintendo vs. Sega days (Sega does what Nintendon't!), but seriously, things are getting out of hand. The Wii U hasn't even been out for a full month, and people from all sides are already calling doom, even though the Wii U had a bigger launch than the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Fear not friends! I am here to tell you why you don't have to worry about the Wii U.

The System's hardware is irrelevant.

People all over the internet have been trying to figure out how powerful the Wii U is, but it's a tough nut to crack. Some say it's less than half as powerful as the Xbox 360, while others are praising it for being more powerful than expected. So which is it? Well, comparing two different system's "power level" is not that easy. Are you looking at pure graphical output? How about processing power, or ability to multi-task? More importantly, however, is the fact that it just does not matter.

The Wii was far and away the "weakest" console last generation in nearly every area of hardware, but that didn't stop it from outselling the competition by a wide margin:

So why are some people obsessed with how powerful it is? Nintendo seems to have this whole "cheap, fun, family friendly" console thing down, and this time they're taking it to the next level and including things for the "hardcore" audience. Games like Tekken, Darksiders 2, Bayonetta 2, and more will be available. Even better, the Pro controller was clearly designed with other consoles in mind, so gameplay isn't a problem for people who hate motion controls.

I'm a monster!

It seems that a lot of people are out to try and make the Wii U fail. Some because they don't like Nintendo, some because of their brand loyalty for Microsoft or Sony, but most because they see Nintendo as a baby company now, and they don't want to be a part of it. With the original Wii's basic motion controls and simple games, many "hardcore" gamers wanted to distance themselves (even though Nintendo's biggest franchises dominate the list of best selling video game series). Clearly they have an image to maintain, and when your self-image becomes more important than your enjoyment of a hobby, something has gone terribly wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch TV and play Mario at the same time.