Wii U Gamepad is NOT a Gimmick!

http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/...ck-580x358.jpg
I'm really tired of reading where people call the Gamepad a Gimmick.

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gim·mick (gmk) n.
1.
a. A device employed to cheat, deceive, or trick, especially a mechanism for the secret and dishonest control of gambling apparatus.
b. An innovative or unusual mechanical contrivance; a gadget.
2.
a. An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to promote a project: an advertising gimmick.
b. A significant feature that is obscured, misrepresented, or not readily evident; a catch.
3. A small object whose name does not come readily to mind.

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Okay... well it is a gimmick according to it's definition. But it's not a "Kinect" or "SmartGlass" or a "PSMove" or even "Wii-remote".

It's so much more than that. And every time someone finally plays with it, GETS IT! And loves it!

If my Xbox 360 had a Wii U style Gamepad. I would totally buy it!

I love playing games on the Gamepad only. It's great! Looks great! Plays great! It's the ultimate portable system. (And I mean that buy, it doesn't have to play on the TV, and I can sit on the couch and play it without disturbing anyone else. And for the fact that was the only time I would ever play my PSP or 3DS, would be chilling on the couch)

I imagine that a lot of people are probably close to my age here, and most of you should understand the value in what is here. Yes, some of you have multiple TVs and a Gameroom. But a lot of you have to be married or in a serious relationship. And what do you do at night? Sit and watch TV on the couch while you and your significant other stare at your phones. RIGHT? (Of course not all the time, but a lot right?)

And if you wanted to play games, you'd either go in the other room (which would make her feel alienated) or make her watch YOU play games on the TV (which she might get upset about missing her show, even though she wasn't looking at the TV anyways)

So as sad as this scenario is, I bet there are quite a few here that it's true, and you won't admit it.

Either way, I read this article and it was right on the nose for me. Take a read.

http://www.sidequesting.com/2013/04/...onsole-for-me/

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Originally Posted by mrbigreddog

or make her watch YOU play games on the TV (which she might get upset about missing her show, even though she wasn't looking at the TV anyways)

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hear, hear. very true. lol

I've been thinking about this lately and I agree, it's certainly more useful to actual gamers than the Wiimote at least. I really do wish the Wii U had better hardware, much better hardware. It's a generation behind.

I understand that it's maybe just a little more powerful than the Xbox 360. But nothing near as powerful as the Xbox One or PS4. But here's my problem with those systems, besides not being able to play used games (waiting for PS4 confirmation on that). The games are going to to take SO long to develop and cost SO much to produce, to make it worthy of LOOKING like a Next Gen game. And we will be paying for it, not only will we HAVE TO buy it NEW, it will probably end up costing $70 per game. That's my big problem. So I think within the next 2 years, more developers will probably go with the Wii U to keep production cost down. And we'll end up seeing a lot more indie games on the Wii U.

Being able to use the pad while in another room or another level of the house would have been nice.

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Originally Posted by JCU

Being able to use the pad while in another room or another level of the house would have been nice.

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I agree. But I guess it all depends on your house. Mine works pretty much anywhere in my house. Except for the last bedroom.

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Originally Posted by mrbigreddog

It's so much more than that. And every time someone finally plays with it, GETS IT! And loves it!

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False, I've played it and loathe it. I find it acceptable for short duration games, but abhorrent for any game I'd want to sit down and play for more than 30 minutes at a stretch.

Anything I like about the wii-u I like in spite of the controller, not because of it.

The ability to play a game on the pad alone is also not guaranteed, it's only possible.
I'd be MUCH more interested in the wii-u if you could buy it without the gamepad and play games with a normal controller (and the wiimote for wii games that require it).

If I'm not gaming on my actual TV, I'd rather take a legitimate portable system (my ds, iPad, android phone, or nomad) and play those that take the tablet. Or use my iPad or phone for netflix.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

False, I've played it and loathe it. I find it acceptable for short duration games, but abhorrent for any game I'd want to sit down and play for more than 30 minutes at a stretch.

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What was the problems after 30 min? Because to me it's quite comfortable for hours. Well, at least until it hits it's 4 hour battery life span. Yeah it's got it's flaws...

I find it awkward and unwieldy to just use. Even other controllers I hate (the dual shock series) they are reasonably comfortable to hold and just relax with for a long session of gaming.

The iPad is "worse yet better" in that I only play very casual and slow paced games on it.. so it's less of a problem. Games like that on the gamepad would be fine, but games I'd actually want to play for more than a few minutes at a stretch? No thanks.

I feel the exact opposite as you about it. I feel it's completley useless and out of place but has things it could be used well for. Which is the exact same as the wiimote/kinect/move. The tech may be decent, it could be used in some innovative ways if they like, but as the "Default" it's pretty terrible and looking to solve a problem with a "normal" controller that no one really had.

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Originally Posted by Kamahl

I've been thinking about this lately and I agree, it's certainly more useful to actual gamers than the Wiimote at least. I really do wish the Wii U had better hardware, much better hardware. It's a generation behind.

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I honestly didn't have any issues with the Wiimote. I just wish more developers would have made better use of it. For example games like Metroid Prime 3 and Resident Evil 4 are excellent examples of how to use those controls well while not over doing it. Then you have games like Mariokart Wii and Dragonball Z Tenkaichi that are complete disasters to play with motion controls.

One genre I was quite disappointed we never saw on the Wii was the flying rail shooter genre. Could you imagine if Sega made a Panzer Dragoon game for it? You could move the dragon with the nunchuck analog stick and aim and shoot with the Wiimote. That would have been perfect. A Starfox game would have been nice too.

Being married and the free time we have to spend together I would not spend playing a video game. Watching TV together is completely different than if one watches a show and one plays on X-device in same room. Might as well not be there at all..my wife and i do play video games together and is generally interested in some I play and would just watch. My reason for getting a WiiU will not be for the gamepad controller but only for exclusive titles that i want to own and play.

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Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite118

Then you have games like Mariokart Wii

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Some people didn't like it. But personally I loved Excite Truck and Mariokart Wii motion controls. I hated the steering wheel. That was stupid. But I controlled it JUST LIKE Excite Truck, and exactly how they explain to play it.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.c...e_controls.jpg

And I will defend Excite Truck as one of the best racing games EVER!

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Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite118

A Starfox game would have been nice too.

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Totally agreed. They had a Starfox part on Wario Smooth Moves. That looked like SNES Starfox, for just a few seconds of game play. And it was great!

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Originally Posted by FoxHound

Being married and the free time we have to spend together I would not spend playing a video game. Watching TV together is completely different than if one watches a show and one plays on X-device in same room. Might as well not be there at all..my wife and i do play video games together and is generally interested in some I play and would just watch. My reason for getting a WiiU will not be for the gamepad controller but only for exclusive titles that i want to own and play.

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Don't get me wrong. My wife plays games with me too. She loves old school Mario & Metroid. But she could really care less for Call of Duty, and care even less for WATCHING me play Call of Duty. So the gamepad takes care of that, and we can still sit together and enjoy each other's company.

PS4 is building Vita remote play into the system for all games. Xbone is already using and will probably push Smartglass onto everything. Gimmick or not, it's no longer unique in what it offers developers and the hardware isn't there to support next gen games.

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Originally Posted by mrbigreddog

Some people didn't like it. But personally I loved Excite Truck and Mariokart Wii motion controls. I hated the steering wheel. That was stupid. But I controlled it JUST LIKE Excite Truck, and exactly how they explain to play it.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.c...e_controls.jpg

And I will defend Excite Truck as one of the best racing games EVER!

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I have yet to try Excite Truck, but I was referring mostly to the Wheel for Mariokart. That thing is complete trash. It's completely inaccurate and if you don't hold it just right it doesn't register properly.

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Originally Posted by TrekkiesUnite118

I have yet to try Excite Truck, but I was referring mostly to the Wheel for Mariokart. That thing is complete trash. It's completely inaccurate and if you don't hold it just right it doesn't register properly.

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It's excellent. But yeah holding the Wii Remote sideways, and tilting, is much more accurate and Excite Truck is a lot of fun and really fasts!