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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're discussing the complete 180 that Nintendo pulled off
00:13between the Wii U and Switch.
00:24Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
00:29about our latest videos.
00:33Like most media giants, Nintendo's history is riddled with setbacks and comebacks.
00:38From the get-go, Nintendo didn't hit the ground running.
00:42You may have heard that Nintendo started as a playing card manufacturer, but did you know
00:46the company also branched out with toys and love hotels with varying degrees of success?
00:52The company reached a turning point upon venturing into video games, eventually saving the industry
00:57with the Nintendo Entertainment System.
01:00Nintendo still wasn't without its missteps, like the dreaded Virtua Boy, but they rebounded
01:05shortly after with the Nintendo 64, even if that console trailed Sony PlayStation in sales.
01:12The gap was wider when the GameCube went up against the PS2 and Microsoft's Xbox with
01:18Nintendo settling for third place.
01:21Nintendo went from third to first during the seventh generation console war with the Wii's
01:25release in 2006.
01:27Distinguished by its motion controls, the Wii would not only outsell the PS3 and Xbox
01:33360, but Wii Sports remains the best-selling Nintendo game ever, as well as the best-selling
01:39console exclusive.
01:41While this seemed like the ultimate comeback, the Wii fell short in one crucial demographic,
01:47core gamers.
01:48The Wii appealed to casual gamers, reaching an audience beyond the hardcore crowd.
01:53That said, casual gamers can be easily satisfied with a handful of titles while core gamers
01:59want every game of the year contender.
02:02The Wii also leaned heavily into Nintendo's family-friendly image.
02:14Grandma and Grandpa could play Mario Kart Wii with Junior, but 20 and 30-year-olds looking
02:18for something more mature felt alienated.
02:21As cutting-edge as the Wiimote was, many found the motion controller gimmicky and tricky
02:26to master.
02:27While the Wii was still a massive success, Nintendo sought to win back the hardcore crowd
02:32with their next-gen console.
02:34Instead, Nintendo further distanced core gamers and their loyal followers.
02:39At E3 2011, Nintendo officially presented the Wii U.
02:44Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé explained that where the Wii referred to social
02:49play as in Wii, the U in Wii U referred to you, the sole player using the system's gamepad
02:56controller.
02:57Confused?
02:58So were most consumers.
03:17Intended to be a successor to the Wii, the Wii U's name made it sound like an add-on
03:22akin to the 64DD or 32X.
03:25And we all know how well those sold.
03:28Although not an add-on, the Wii U didn't feel like a follow-up to the Wii either.
03:33The Wii U incorporated motion control elements, but the dual-touchscreen gamepad was the centerpiece,
03:39leaving many asking why they put Wii in the title at all.
03:43Side-scratching marketing aside, the gamepad didn't grab consumers like the Wiimote.
03:48While innovative, the gamepad was essentially a clunkier iPad with fewer apps.
03:54You could use the gamepad in different rooms, but its reach didn't extend beyond your house.
03:59Even if it did, the gamepad wouldn't fit in your pocket like a DS.
04:04For every plus, there was a drawback.
04:07The Wii U Pro Controller was well-received, but numerous titles were made with the gamepad
04:12in mind.
04:13The Wii U was backward-compatible with Wii games, but you'd need a homebrew application
04:17for GameCube.
04:19It included streaming apps like Netflix, but no built-in Blu-ray player.
04:23It was Nintendo's first HD console, but still didn't have the most powerful graphics on
04:28the market.
04:29While the basic unit's launch price of $299.99 was lower than some other consoles, it nevertheless
04:36felt steep given the Wii U's limited capabilities.
04:40Lack of games also made the price hard to justify.
04:43Although launch titles like New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendoland were fun, they weren't
04:49system sellers like Wii Sports.
04:52After the Wii U launched on November 18, 2012, Nintendo expected to sell 5.5 million units
04:58by the following March.
05:00Sales fell short by almost 2 million units.
05:04The Wii U generated more attention throughout the year with Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World,
05:10and The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker HD.
05:13Sales also rose 200% in North America following a $50 price cut.
05:18Maybe the Wii U could be like the 3DS, which had a slow launch but exploded after slashing
05:24its price.
05:25Of course, the 3DS didn't have to compete with the PS4 or Xbox One, which both released
05:32in November 2013.
05:34Despite having a year-long head start in this new console war, the Wii U now felt like a
05:40third-party candidate.
05:41Well, they say it's a chicken and egg thing, that once their games come out, people will
05:46buy the console, people will buy the games, and then other developers like Electronic
05:50Arts and Activision will see that sales are picking up and then they will start developing
05:56for that console.
05:58Speaking of which, the Wii U launched with titles like Assassin's Creed III and Mass
06:03Effect 3 Special Edition, but Nintendo soon lost third-party support from EA and Ubisoft.
06:10Nintendo did publish a few notable exclusives from outside developers like Bayonetta 2.
06:15Did you miss me?
06:17Yet many of the Wii U's standout titles were made in-house or at least incorporated homegrown
06:23characters.
06:24As great as Splatoon, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, and Mario Kart 8 were, the
06:30Wii U's library felt limited.
06:32With the Wii U showing no signs of rebounding, Nintendo hit the reset switch with a make
06:38it or break it product as Reggie Fils-Aimé described it.
06:41By 2015, Nintendo was already teasing this new product codenamed NX.
06:47In October 2016, it was announced as the Nintendo Switch.
06:52Unlike the Wii U, the marketing clearly established what the Switch was, a game-changing hybrid
06:58system that could be docked at home and played on the go.
07:01After decades of making home and handheld consoles simultaneously, Nintendo merged the
07:06best of both worlds into one.
07:09The Switch also combined elements of Nintendo's past two systems.
07:13The Joy-Con controllers echoed the Wiimote, and the screen was similar to the Wii U's
07:18gamepad, but smaller and sleeker.
07:21The Switch wouldn't over-rely on gimmicks though, offering a Pro Controller for traditional
07:26gamers.
07:27With the Switch setting its launch for March 2017, the Wii U was discontinued two months
07:32earlier.
07:33The Wii U ended its lifespan with 13.56 million units sold, less than the GameCube, N64, or
07:41Wii.
07:42Although The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild would be available for the Wii U, it
07:46was perfectly tailored for the Switch.
07:48Hailed by various outlets as the best Zelda yet, Breath of the Wild summed up what the
08:03Switch was all about.
08:05Just as Link explored an open world, the player could take the Switch wherever they pleased.
08:10Much like how the game's story was non-linear, people could play however they wanted, be
08:14it on the TV or in the palms of their hands.
08:18Some argued that the Switch didn't have many other launch titles, but Breath of the
08:21Wild's scope held us over as we waited for Super Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Brothers
08:27Ultimate.
08:37Nintendo won back third parties while attracting indie developers as well.
08:42Wii U games would also be ported to the Switch, with Mario Kart 8 becoming the second best
08:47selling Nintendo game after Wii Sports.
08:50Just trailing behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best selling Switch exclusive is Animal
08:55Crossing New Horizons, which found a wider audience than expected amid the 2020 pandemic.
09:01New Horizons even brought an increase in Switch sales.
09:05The Switch might not be a perfect console, having fewer features than its competitors
09:09and still being less powerful.
09:11However, through its innovation, accessibility, and variety of games aimed at different ages
09:16though, the Switch would outsell the PS4 and Xbox Series X and S.
09:22As of writing, the Switch has sold over 146 million units, making it the third best selling
09:29console ever.
09:31With its successor set to release in 2025, the Switch might not overtake the PS2 and
09:36DS for the all time record.
09:39But even so, there's no denying that Nintendo pulled off an epic comeback, going from one
09:44of their worst selling consoles to arguably winning the modern console war.
09:49Looking back, the Wii U wasn't without its merits, which provided a stepping stone to
09:54greater things.
09:56It nonetheless may go down as a low point in Nintendo's history, but sometimes you need
10:01to fall down a few pits before reaching the top of the goal pole.
10:08Are you buying a Switch 2?
10:09Let us know in the comments.
10:11Did you enjoy this video?
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