The Wii U generation had a lot of potential but its life was ultimately cut short due to lackluster sales of the system. One thing that was never developed was the ability to play with not one, but two GamePads at the same time – allowing gamers to come together for action on two screens.
Although Nintendo acknowledged it was possible, many wonder why nothing ever came of this feature. In a recent interview with YouTube channel MinnMax, former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé explained this. Yes, technically several GamePads could communicate with a Wii U, but other factors such as the system’s install base, its lifespan, and no single game or idea for such a feature played a role. Here is the full exchange:
MinnMax: When you first revealed the Wii U, everyone was asking you: can we use multiple Wii U GamePads? And finally, it was interesting, because the message just came out and you [Nintendo] all said “yeah, yeah, absolutely you can, here we go”…and it was never asked again, and it was never implemented as far as I know…how was from your point of view?
Management: Well, what was interesting was that with the Wii U there was a full development plan for all the cool interactions and all the cool abilities that the system could do, and so in this case, technically, several GamePads could communicate with a Wii You? The answer was “yes”, but the install base was never large enough for this type of implementation to make sense. And most importantly, the company didn’t make a game where you needed another GamePad to have a great experience, development never happened, and the Wii U’s lifespan ended up being so short. that it never materialized. ..for these initiatives to come to life (at least from Nintendo’s perspective) there has to be a game driving this implementation that allows the player to see why you would need a second GamePad for example, and this process of game creation is so critical.
So – there you have it, it comes down to the low install base, the longevity and also the usual case of needing a game that uses the feature properly for it to be supported. If you want to learn more about Nintendo’s Wii U generation, Reggie’s new book offers even more information:
Would you have liked to see this feature rolled out? Did you support Nintendo yourself during the Wii U generation? Leave a comment below.
