Nintendo finally decides to address Wii-U problems in a bold move

Nintendo announced that the company will start distributing software development tools for the Wii U for free both in Japan and overseas.

Previously development software was granted only to development studios that paid a fee for its usage. Now not only the software will be free, but personal registration will be available to grant single programmers and small teams the possibility to easily work on the console.

The move has been announced in order to try and address the lack of games affecting the console, that is slowing down sales, and to bring “innovative games not tied to existing ideas” to the Wii U.

This is not going to fix the poor sales and general lack of interest in the console, certainly not in the short term. Most major devs have given up on the console due to a lack of installed base and the cost of developing is still going to be there (albeit a little cheaper with this move) and with it, the risk.

Nintendo really have come a cropper with this machine it seems. The 3DS didn't have the best of starts but they managed to turn it around. It doesn't feel like they will be able to do the same with the Wii U though.

N1NJA FWG wrote:Nintendo really have come a cropper with this machine it seems.  The 3DS didn't have the best of starts but they managed to turn it around.  It doesn't feel like they will be able to do the same with the Wii U though.

Nintendo survives on it's first party games. The Wii was a cheap, family friendly device for playing mario etc - games where graphics really don't matter. With the Wii U they tried to attract a more serious market buy increasing the power and making things more complicated with the addition of the fancy controller and the like, resulting in a more expensive machine. The Wii succeeded because it was so cheap, loads of people who had one also had a "proper" console. Now the Wii U is trying to be a proper console, so it's not good enough for proper gamers, but too expensive for the casual "bring it out at christmas for a laugh" crowd.

Left it too late in my opinion.

I would have thought most serious gamers will have their eyes on a X1 or PS4 now, rather than a Wii U

I'd say that the horse has definitely left the stable on this one, there is no way that Nintendo will be able to reverse anything sales wise now.

It still saddens me with what Nintendo have turned into,, makes me want to go and hug a SNES.