Nintendo has addressed a common complaint from fans around the world, making a commercial explaining Wii U as a new console, stating, you should look for the U on the box.
As Nintendo had explained before, their current marketing thrust for the holidays are families, and so they took extra care this time choosing which games to show, and perhaps more importantly, what scenarios they depicted.
Straight out the gate, the commercial makes it clear that the system is a true successor to the Wii. It then points out the Wii U’s exclusive lineup, showing off The Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, and New Super Luigi U. They also make it a point to namedrop Super Mario 3D World, showing four people playing it.
They then go straight into Wii Sports Club, demonstrating the new game Golf. I actually think this is covertly an essential moment in the commercial, as it harkens back to the Wii U concept commercial, and its promise of aiming the ball from a screen in the ground.
They also demonstrate Off-TV Play, online play, a lot of motion controls, Miiverse, and many of the entertainment apps. These include Hulu, Youtube, Amazon Instant, and Netflix, and interestingly enough, there’s not a whiff of mention of TVii.
More than anything else, however, the commercial comes back to a point Nintendo made way back in E3 last year, as they show people playing together, and by that I mean they are visibly next to each other, with as much as four players.
It’s not one to convert the PS4/Xbox One crowd, (probably not as much as a sequel to this one too), but seeing Wii U’s slow rally this holiday, this is the kind of commercial they need to keep momentum. Fans have been talking about how it hits all the right notes, so if you wanted to explain or sell the system to a relative or a friend, you should show them this video.
