...That it will in fact print money at a substantial faster rate than the ds did?
I dunno... I think the controller has people nervous. I think thats what was behind the drop in Nintendo stocks. One, its expensive. Two, the Wii has a big kiddy market, I imagine parents will be concerned about handing their grimy accident-prone kiddies such an expensive controller.
I hope the guy who leaked the info to the press will be quartered. He is single handily responsible for ruining Nintendo's plans. From what I understand, this console shouldn't even have seen the light of day until E3 2012.
Talk of torture aside, I seriously doubt that Nintendo's hand was forced in this particular matter. For starters, Nintendo has never kowtowed to the press. If they didn't want to reveal their new system this year, they wouldn't have.
If you look at their past hardware reveals, the WiiU reveal is almost boilerplate. This a typical example of how they handle their hardware launches. A year to a year and a half before launch is right in line with past examples. They could have held off until TGS, but that would have been a difference of a few months. And if they really expect to launch in calendar year 2012, they had to reveal it at either E3 or TGS 2011. Either show next year would just have been too close to launch.
Then of course there's the 3rd-party development that they are clearly eager to drum up. A public reveal was necessary in order to attract more developer attention. You can only get so many developers on board "behind-the-scenes" without publicly revealing your new platform. The developers themselves are going to want assurance of marketing support ahead of launch. If you keep something like this under wraps until a few months before launch, you risk upsetting those developers that Nintendo seem so eager to court.
I dunno... I think the controller has people nervous. I think thats what was behind the drop in Nintendo stocks. One, its expensive. Two, the Wii has a big kiddy market, I imagine parents will be concerned about handing their grimy accident-prone kiddies such an expensive controller.
Quite the opposite, I would think.
If the drop in Nintendo stocks was affected by the controller reveal at all, it wasn't because of the potential cost. Controllers are the bread and butter of the game industry. A system with complex, expensive controllers would mean considerably more profit. That concept combined with Wii's strong branding would have made investors very happy.
The second part of your argument is a tad silly. This is Nintendo we're talking about. Their products have the best track record in the industry for durability and standing up to abusive children. Anyone familiar with Nintendo knows this quite well. And there hasn't been a single account from E3 where the WiiU's controller has been accused of being flimsy or fragile. If there was anything less "kiddy" about the WiiU, it is the overabundance of buttons. (much more in line with traditional consoles than Nintendo's typical kid-friendly button layouts)
No, I would point to a different culprit as far as the WiiU's design. The more Nintendo has spoken about their new console, the more they have indicated that it is designed to be an extension of the Wii, and to work with existing Wii peripherals. If anything, this is what would make investors leery.
Expensive controllers, and a system that encourages customers to buy several controllers? That's an investors dream come true. But Nintendo seems to think that there should only be one WiiPad for most games, and all the other multiplayer will be through existing Wii accessories. Current Wii owners would have to purchase almost nothing aside from the base WiiU console. This is actually quite good for the end consumer, but a terrible approach from a money-making perspective. In terms of business, the Wii's controller "racket" was one of the best things going for it.
Personally, I put the blame on the way in which Nintendo "revealed" their new system. It was an incredibly confusing presentation, and did a terrible job of explaining exactly what Nintendo was actually showing off. They really should have started off with a shot of the WiiPad next to the actual WiiU console unit, to highlight the fact that this is a new console reveal. I can understand their emphasis on the controller, and it's entirely possible that the current exterior of the WiiU hasn't been finalized. (hence why they might want to downplay it for the time being) They also did a fairly poor job of explaining how the WiiPad would work in conjunction with the WiiU system.
No, I would point to a different culprit as far as the WiiU's design. The more Nintendo has spoken about their new console, the more they have indicated that it is designed to be an extension of the Wii, and to work with existing Wii peripherals. If anything, this is what would make investors leery.
Why? Surely the fact that it retains the branding that people recognise would be a positive factor? I mean, even the main console looks pretty much exactly the same as the Wii!
I think you are giving the market way too much credit here , the market is far more fickle and puts far less thought into things before it panics. I don't think this controller is gonna be a 'bread and butter' product at all; I reckon, that if you have one of these controllers, you've bought the console. I can't see any of my friends coming over having just bought the controller for multiplayer, and I certainly ain't buying any extra controllers for it. Shoot, it was gonna be a day one buy for me if they had included upscaled Gamecube/Wii game emulation, but now I doubt I'll be buying it in it's first year.
I think you are giving the market way too much credit here , the market is far more fickle and puts far less thought into things before it panics. I don't think this controller is gonna be a 'bread and butter' product at all; I reckon, that if you have one of these controllers, you've bought the console.
And that's exactly the reason why investors would be worried about the WiiU. Nintendo is making it clear that they only intend for there to be one WiiPad controller per console. From a business standpoint, that is much less profitable. Investors don't care one bit about gameplay innovation. They are concerned with what would effect the bottom line. In the case of the WiiU, they are seeing a console that seems to be designed to be less profitable than its predecessor.
With the WiiU, Nintendo has done something they've never done before. They have designed a new system that will not encourage the purchase of new controllers.
And of course, it is worth pointing out that Nintendo's stock dipped when they announced the Wii, and again when they announced the 3DS. So this sort of behavior is hardly unusual. Nintendo's recent experimental designs have always made the market leery, even if they eventually end up making obscene amounts of money.
Two, the Wii has a big kiddy market, I imagine parents will be concerned about handing their grimy accident-prone kiddies such an expensive controller.
My 2 year old nephew has his own iPod Touch. He calls it "the big phone". He knows how to use it, and hasn't broken it, yet.
Well, think about how much parents spend on crappy toys. my brother in law saw that all the little dude wanted was to play with his iPhone, so he got him an iPod, put his movies on there (Wall-E, Fox and the Hound, etc).
It's equal parts brilliant and insane, and I guess it depends on the kid, but we shouldn't act like today's children are going to see a controller with a screen in it, and decide to play frisbee with it like a caveman. They're used to tech, more-so than us, even.
Yeah... I guarantee you 8ft, your example is way WAY in the minority, specially that age. I know two six year olds and they've only just got a DSi... and one has broken theirs. I'm not a parent but if I was I would look at that controller, look at the price tag (of the standalone controller), and say no way.
Also, I'm hearing that only one wiiu controller can be hooked up to the wiiu at any one time... this true?
Considering the strong words Nintendo had for Apple in the past I get the feeling this is their reaction to the popularity of the iPad, iPhone (and touch based gaming in general). So instead of being revolutionary like the Wii they are now reactionary like the PS Move & Kinect, this could be the reason investors are nervous.
Considering the strong words Nintendo had for Apple in the past I get the feeling this is their reaction to the popularity of the iPad, iPhone (and touch based gaming in general). So instead of being revolutionary like the Wii they are now reactionary like the PS Move & Kinect, this could be the reason investors are nervous.
Considering Nintendo has been doing a ton of touch based gaming with the DS for all these years I don't really see that being a reason investors would be nervous.
Could Wii U Be The Best Platform For Darksiders II?
. When we asked Bonstead if he thought it was possible that the Wii U version of Darksiders II would be the best version of the game, he said, "Yeah, just because the hardware is more powerful and it will have some extra features that I think will actually be useful to people playing the game. With it’s controller, [the Wii U version of Darksiders II] might be the best version of the game."
I saw a video of Ghost recon on the WiiU, and I must say the added features look really cool! Could be one of the best launch titles. I am still concerned about the circle pads on the controller istead of real analogue sticks though...
I still have not seen any specs on the hardware to back this up tho. I tried loading that website through kotaku but it gives me an error in the website.
I am hoping this is true tho. To have more resources, there will be more you can do with it graphically and in design. I hope it gets better. I also hope you can hook more than one fancy controller by the time this comes out.
Well, it better be more powerful if Nintendo wants to stay relevant once MS and Sony roll out new hardware :poly142:
If that is indeed true, I wonder if we will see the hardware fully utilized before Sony and MS roll out their new consoles. I wouldn't count on Nintendo nor other Japanese devs to do that anytime soon, western devs on the other hand would most like do straight forward ports of their multiplatform titles.
Guess hardcore Nintendo fanboys will soon join the PC elitists and start bitching together about how their platforms are being held back by the 360 and PS3. I should get my popcorn ready.
Guess hardcore Nintendo fanboys will soon join the PC elitists and start bitching together about how their platforms are being held back by the 360 and PS3. I should get my popcorn ready.
Doubt that'll be for long... that's more likely to happen when the PS4 and Xbox 3 come out, then the modern warfare 6 kiddies are gonna be bitching that the graphics would be way cooler if they werent aiming low cause the WiiU ain't as powerful.
Interesting... might not be great that it doesn't have a DX11 chip in it down the road, especially for multiplatform titles, but I am glad they are talking about being able to use multiple controllers on the system, there were rumours it was only the one.
Interesting... might not be great that it doesn't have a DX11 chip in it down the road, especially for multiplatform titles, but I am glad they are talking about being able to use multiple controllers on the system, there were rumours it was only the one.
If they get that right, could be a day one buy for me!
Wouldn't matter if it did, the hardware isn't aimed to be competing with the upcoming platforms, it's a current-gen platform hardware wise.
But then again, it's not a microsoft platform, so it won't be supporting directx at all
a dx10 comparable gpu is still nice though, since it implies shader model 4.0, and geometry shaders, which makes for some interesting things that can be done.
I don't think we are expecting WiiU 2 in time for the PS4 and Xbox 3 This console will be competing eventually. I don't think it will be a big deal, it'll just be like the current Aliens vs Predator. There's a DX11 version, and a DX9/10 version. Both look good. The multiplatform titles on the next xbox and ps4 will just look a little better than the wiiu versions, thats all. I wonder if the PS4 will come out much later than the next xbox... wonder if its a strategic move to seperate the release dates out...
I don't think we are expecting WiiU 2 in time for the PS4 and Xbox 3 This console will be competing eventually. I don't think it will be a big deal, it'll just be like the current Aliens vs Predator. There's a DX11 version, and a DX9/10 version. Both look good. The multiplatform titles on the next xbox and ps4 will just look a little better than the wiiu versions, thats all. I wonder if the PS4 will come out much later than the next xbox... wonder if its a strategic move to seperate the release dates out...
Think xbox vs xbox360 in terms of the different it'll be.
The wiiU will most likely be slightly faster than both ps3 and 360, but it'll still be very much like how the xbox was faster and packed more memory than the ps2.
i personally wont buy a wii U no matter how good the controller is. to me its the games that will persuade me to buy a console. Wii has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. rite now its sitting there collecting dust.
Video introducing and discussing a lot of the Wii U's "features". Looks like E3 is going to be mostly showing off Wii U games so there's a lot of talk on the controller and social features here in the video.
I'm feeling pretty much exactly like I was a year ago. Sounds like you're going to need a whole damn bookcase just for the Wii U and its various controllers. The Wii remote, nunchuck, the huge "it's got a screen but who cares let's put it on the floor" Wii U controller, and the Wii U "pro" controller.
I'm assuming this will wind up being a lot like the Wii, where some of it sounds cool in theory, and close to release they release a sports resort that has decent implementation of most of the features. And then pretty much every other game that's released from that point on struggles to implement the gimmicks in a halfway passable manner while I as a consumer have to check the back of every box to see if it lets me use a controller that actually makes sense (in this case, the "pro").
I really hope to god there's a way to turn off the social features and bits of player-relayed information popping up everywhere. He addressed it in the video, "What if I don't want this stuff cluttering up my game?" And then went on to say pretty much "Well don't worry, it'll only happen consistently on the controller..." I'm also hoping the whole "You don't even own this game but we think you should so we're putting it on your home screen" is...optional.
...I keep saying "I hope" as if I'm going to run out and buy one. This will probably be the sort of thing I wait two or three years after release, and then when there's a Zelda game I just HAVE to have, I'll patiently wait for some super bundle deal with included controllers and gift cards at a discounted price...or something.
Edit: For balance and because being positive is healthy, I am excited to see what the new hardware could do for some of Nintendo's IPs. It's probably because I'm a fan of Nintendo's games that I'm so bummed by the gimmicky features and current presentation of the Wii U. But because the core of any console IS the games, here's hoping E3 shows how some kick ass stuff game wise. High res Mario Galaxy type stuff would be awesome, and the immediate option of a "pro" controller does give us some more potential in the overall game library.
Demons Souls 'esk commentary in all WiiU games.
Built in message board functionality for each game to discuss and ask questions
Touch screen controller is even bigger then before, has normal clickable analogs now.
Pro Controller redesigned for WiiU.
That's all well and good, but what I want to know is will all games support the normal/classic/pro controller? A lot of Wii games that should have supported it didn't (DCKR). It would be nice to know that nintendo will let you play all games the way you want to instead of forcing one control type over another.
I actually think the placement of everything on the xbox pad is pretty smart. DPad and buttons for fighters, twin sticks and triggers for everything else, specifically shooters. It'll mean a lot of the buttons for things like 3rd person games will move to the bumpers and triggers, but I can't see that being a bad thing.
Yeah, I'm a little worried about the joystick on the top right instead of angled down (which is proven to work), but I have to imagine they tested it...
I'm looking forward to the actual news this tuesday.
I wasn't commenting on your terminology, rather that we wait till the event starts. It probably most definitely will be called the Xbox something or other :P
You are seriously expecting the next-Xbox and PS4 announcements this year?
Well, They did both say they will be out next xmas. So, when else would they announce it? I personally think this is the best time for it. Especially since nintendo will be trying to redeem themselves.
They never said such a thing, it was mere speculation from third parties,
What they both did say whoever is that they will not announce anything to do with the next xbox or ps4 at this years E3 since both parties believe their current line (360 and ps3) are still going strong for them
Expect to be disappointed! Don't get me wrong, it would be great!, but its highly unlikely
Anyway, Nintendo's OS concept is almost exactly what I expected them to do.
pour Social gaming into the friendly Nintendo form and It looks like they set the bar this time with their OS/online system. Since there where some rumors that Microsoft recently patented a similar system, so I think its safe to expect (if the rumor is true) that this type of OS and online functionality to be featured on Microsoft's next generation of console as well.
I want this to be happen ......, but not sure everyone will like it ... wii u look like big DS
I don't want to try and look at 2 screens at the same time. This is my main issue with the WiiU, and an issue with the DS. If you try and have 2 screens doing stuff at the same time it doesn't work well. Having to hold the WiiU controller up to your tv just to view UI elements is not a good idea.
I don't want to try and look at 2 screens at the same time. This is my main issue with the WiiU, and an issue with the DS. If you try and have 2 screens doing stuff at the same time it doesn't work well. Having to hold the WiiU controller up to your tv just to view UI elements is not a good idea.
why would you hold it up to your tv? you can place it on your lap and navigate it purely using the controller, or simply look at your tv and navigate with the touchscreen. you dont have to look at both screens at the same time. Do you have a wacom? its even worse with that because it doesnt have a screen but its actually very easy to get used to it.
Yeah, so putting UI/HUD elements like in that image doesn't make sense. My concern is people making poor design decisions that force me to look down for no other reason than to use this new gadget.
Hehe... i guess Nintendo learned to have a tour of what Reggie is talking about haha Unlike last year where everyone was confused as to what the wiiU was all about.
Replies
I dunno... I think the controller has people nervous. I think thats what was behind the drop in Nintendo stocks. One, its expensive. Two, the Wii has a big kiddy market, I imagine parents will be concerned about handing their grimy accident-prone kiddies such an expensive controller.
Talk of torture aside, I seriously doubt that Nintendo's hand was forced in this particular matter. For starters, Nintendo has never kowtowed to the press. If they didn't want to reveal their new system this year, they wouldn't have.
If you look at their past hardware reveals, the WiiU reveal is almost boilerplate. This a typical example of how they handle their hardware launches. A year to a year and a half before launch is right in line with past examples. They could have held off until TGS, but that would have been a difference of a few months. And if they really expect to launch in calendar year 2012, they had to reveal it at either E3 or TGS 2011. Either show next year would just have been too close to launch.
Then of course there's the 3rd-party development that they are clearly eager to drum up. A public reveal was necessary in order to attract more developer attention. You can only get so many developers on board "behind-the-scenes" without publicly revealing your new platform. The developers themselves are going to want assurance of marketing support ahead of launch. If you keep something like this under wraps until a few months before launch, you risk upsetting those developers that Nintendo seem so eager to court.
Quite the opposite, I would think.
If the drop in Nintendo stocks was affected by the controller reveal at all, it wasn't because of the potential cost. Controllers are the bread and butter of the game industry. A system with complex, expensive controllers would mean considerably more profit. That concept combined with Wii's strong branding would have made investors very happy.
The second part of your argument is a tad silly. This is Nintendo we're talking about. Their products have the best track record in the industry for durability and standing up to abusive children. Anyone familiar with Nintendo knows this quite well. And there hasn't been a single account from E3 where the WiiU's controller has been accused of being flimsy or fragile. If there was anything less "kiddy" about the WiiU, it is the overabundance of buttons. (much more in line with traditional consoles than Nintendo's typical kid-friendly button layouts)
No, I would point to a different culprit as far as the WiiU's design. The more Nintendo has spoken about their new console, the more they have indicated that it is designed to be an extension of the Wii, and to work with existing Wii peripherals. If anything, this is what would make investors leery.
Expensive controllers, and a system that encourages customers to buy several controllers? That's an investors dream come true. But Nintendo seems to think that there should only be one WiiPad for most games, and all the other multiplayer will be through existing Wii accessories. Current Wii owners would have to purchase almost nothing aside from the base WiiU console. This is actually quite good for the end consumer, but a terrible approach from a money-making perspective. In terms of business, the Wii's controller "racket" was one of the best things going for it.
Personally, I put the blame on the way in which Nintendo "revealed" their new system. It was an incredibly confusing presentation, and did a terrible job of explaining exactly what Nintendo was actually showing off. They really should have started off with a shot of the WiiPad next to the actual WiiU console unit, to highlight the fact that this is a new console reveal. I can understand their emphasis on the controller, and it's entirely possible that the current exterior of the WiiU hasn't been finalized. (hence why they might want to downplay it for the time being) They also did a fairly poor job of explaining how the WiiPad would work in conjunction with the WiiU system.
Why? Surely the fact that it retains the branding that people recognise would be a positive factor? I mean, even the main console looks pretty much exactly the same as the Wii!
I think you are giving the market way too much credit here
And that's exactly the reason why investors would be worried about the WiiU. Nintendo is making it clear that they only intend for there to be one WiiPad controller per console. From a business standpoint, that is much less profitable. Investors don't care one bit about gameplay innovation. They are concerned with what would effect the bottom line. In the case of the WiiU, they are seeing a console that seems to be designed to be less profitable than its predecessor.
With the WiiU, Nintendo has done something they've never done before. They have designed a new system that will not encourage the purchase of new controllers.
And of course, it is worth pointing out that Nintendo's stock dipped when they announced the Wii, and again when they announced the 3DS. So this sort of behavior is hardly unusual. Nintendo's recent experimental designs have always made the market leery, even if they eventually end up making obscene amounts of money.
My 2 year old nephew has his own iPod Touch. He calls it "the big phone". He knows how to use it, and hasn't broken it, yet.
hiw own ipod touch?...
2 year old?...
It's equal parts brilliant and insane, and I guess it depends on the kid, but we shouldn't act like today's children are going to see a controller with a screen in it, and decide to play frisbee with it like a caveman. They're used to tech, more-so than us, even.
Also, I'm hearing that only one wiiu controller can be hooked up to the wiiu at any one time... this true?
Considering Nintendo has been doing a ton of touch based gaming with the DS for all these years I don't really see that being a reason investors would be nervous.
Could Wii U Be The Best Platform For Darksiders II?
. When we asked Bonstead if he thought it was possible that the Wii U version of Darksiders II would be the best version of the game, he said, "Yeah, just because the hardware is more powerful and it will have some extra features that I think will actually be useful to people playing the game. With it’s controller, [the Wii U version of Darksiders II] might be the best version of the game."
The specs of the system seem nice, just wondering how that controller feels, and what the price of each will be. Oh and fun games...
Yum.
I am hoping this is true tho. To have more resources, there will be more you can do with it graphically and in design. I hope it gets better. I also hope you can hook more than one fancy controller by the time this comes out.
If that is indeed true, I wonder if we will see the hardware fully utilized before Sony and MS roll out their new consoles. I wouldn't count on Nintendo nor other Japanese devs to do that anytime soon, western devs on the other hand would most like do straight forward ports of their multiplatform titles.
Guess hardcore Nintendo fanboys will soon join the PC elitists and start bitching together about how their platforms are being held back by the 360 and PS3. I should get my popcorn ready.
Doubt that'll be for long... that's more likely to happen when the PS4 and Xbox 3 come out, then the modern warfare 6 kiddies are gonna be bitching that the graphics would be way cooler if they werent aiming low cause the WiiU ain't as powerful.
Interesting... might not be great that it doesn't have a DX11 chip in it down the road, especially for multiplatform titles, but I am glad they are talking about being able to use multiple controllers on the system, there were rumours it was only the one.
Also interesting... new timesplitters for launch of the new Xbox? http://kotaku.com/5812016/timesplitters-developers-already-working-with-the-next-xbox-console
If they get that right, could be a day one buy for me!
Wouldn't matter if it did, the hardware isn't aimed to be competing with the upcoming platforms, it's a current-gen platform hardware wise.
But then again, it's not a microsoft platform, so it won't be supporting directx at all
a dx10 comparable gpu is still nice though, since it implies shader model 4.0, and geometry shaders, which makes for some interesting things that can be done.
I don't think we are expecting WiiU 2 in time for the PS4 and Xbox 3
Think xbox vs xbox360 in terms of the different it'll be.
The wiiU will most likely be slightly faster than both ps3 and 360, but it'll still be very much like how the xbox was faster and packed more memory than the ps2.
This just finished up:
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nintendo_direct_pre_e3_2012/en/index.html
Video introducing and discussing a lot of the Wii U's "features". Looks like E3 is going to be mostly showing off Wii U games so there's a lot of talk on the controller and social features here in the video.
I'm feeling pretty much exactly like I was a year ago. Sounds like you're going to need a whole damn bookcase just for the Wii U and its various controllers. The Wii remote, nunchuck, the huge "it's got a screen but who cares let's put it on the floor" Wii U controller, and the Wii U "pro" controller.
I'm assuming this will wind up being a lot like the Wii, where some of it sounds cool in theory, and close to release they release a sports resort that has decent implementation of most of the features. And then pretty much every other game that's released from that point on struggles to implement the gimmicks in a halfway passable manner while I as a consumer have to check the back of every box to see if it lets me use a controller that actually makes sense (in this case, the "pro").
I really hope to god there's a way to turn off the social features and bits of player-relayed information popping up everywhere. He addressed it in the video, "What if I don't want this stuff cluttering up my game?" And then went on to say pretty much "Well don't worry, it'll only happen consistently on the controller..." I'm also hoping the whole "You don't even own this game but we think you should so we're putting it on your home screen" is...optional.
...I keep saying "I hope" as if I'm going to run out and buy one. This will probably be the sort of thing I wait two or three years after release, and then when there's a Zelda game I just HAVE to have, I'll patiently wait for some super bundle deal with included controllers and gift cards at a discounted price...or something.
Edit: For balance and because being positive is healthy, I am excited to see what the new hardware could do for some of Nintendo's IPs. It's probably because I'm a fan of Nintendo's games that I'm so bummed by the gimmicky features and current presentation of the Wii U. But because the core of any console IS the games, here's hoping E3 shows how some kick ass stuff game wise. High res Mario Galaxy type stuff would be awesome, and the immediate option of a "pro" controller does give us some more potential in the overall game library.
Built in message board functionality for each game to discuss and ask questions
Touch screen controller is even bigger then before, has normal clickable analogs now.
Pro Controller redesigned for WiiU.
That's all well and good, but what I want to know is will all games support the normal/classic/pro controller? A lot of Wii games that should have supported it didn't (DCKR). It would be nice to know that nintendo will let you play all games the way you want to instead of forcing one control type over another.
I'm looking forward to the actual news this tuesday.
Well, They did both say they will be out next xmas. So, when else would they announce it? I personally think this is the best time for it. Especially since nintendo will be trying to redeem themselves.
What they both did say whoever is that they will not announce anything to do with the next xbox or ps4 at this years E3 since both parties believe their current line (360 and ps3) are still going strong for them
http://kotaku.com/5886251/sonys-us-chief-says-a-ps4-reveal-would-be-a-distraction-in-2012
http://kotaku.com/5893685/microsoft-new-xbox-wont-be-shown-at-this-years-e3
we might get a tease (logo with a reveal date) but more then that, I wouldn't expect it.
Yes?
Expect to be disappointed! Don't get me wrong, it would be great!, but its highly unlikely
Anyway, Nintendo's OS concept is almost exactly what I expected them to do.
pour Social gaming into the friendly Nintendo form and It looks like they set the bar this time with their OS/online system. Since there where some rumors that Microsoft recently patented a similar system, so I think its safe to expect (if the rumor is true) that this type of OS and online functionality to be featured on Microsoft's next generation of console as well.
I don't want to try and look at 2 screens at the same time. This is my main issue with the WiiU, and an issue with the DS. If you try and have 2 screens doing stuff at the same time it doesn't work well. Having to hold the WiiU controller up to your tv just to view UI elements is not a good idea.
why would you hold it up to your tv? you can place it on your lap and navigate it purely using the controller, or simply look at your tv and navigate with the touchscreen. you dont have to look at both screens at the same time. Do you have a wacom? its even worse with that because it doesnt have a screen but its actually very easy to get used to it.
http://www.dualshocknexus.com/2012/06/wii-u-pro-controller-revealed.html