Nintendo boss Iwata apologizes to Wii U early adopters
updated 06:32 am EST, Thu November 29, 2012
Satoru Iwata says sorry for Wii U out-of-box experience
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has apologized to Wii U early adopters for what he believes was a less than ideal experience out of the box. Some Wii U users complained that on setting up their new console, they had to endure a lengthy update process before they could start gaming on the new console. The software patch delivered access to the Miiverse social network and Wii backwards compatibility among other enhancements, but some services were still not available on launch.
"Personally I think that users should be able to use all the functions of a console video game machine as soon as they open the box," said Iwata in an interview with IGN. "So I feel very sorry for the fact that purchasers of Wii U have to experience a network update which takes such a long time, and that there are the services which were not available at the hardware's launch."
Hulu Plus apps and YouTube functionality have also been rolled out subsequently, bringing additional services promised for the device. However, Iwata argued that the Wii U is not designed to replicate the services found on the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Instead, Iwata argued that he didn’t think “"offering the same features that already exist within other online communities would be the best proposal for very experienced game players.”
The Wii U has made a strong start since its launch on the US market. Nintendo reports that it sold in excess of 400,000 units on launch, some 100,000 more than the Wii console sold on its debut. [via The Verge]
