Once again, Nintendo is put at the forefront of video game innovation, yet, I have mixed feelings about WiiU. The thinking behind the tablet-style, independent screen controller was really impressive and certainly something new. (Some people might contest that this is just a better version of the GBA-Gamecube hookup idea, but I think that's kind of a far cry comparison). Despite the fact that the idea is fresh and cool, I wasn't drooling over the reveal. I'm as Nintendo fangirly as the next guy, but I'm not itching to buy the thing. This system looks expensive and maybe my young-adult subconscious is holding me back since I'm buying my own video games and systems these days. I think I'll be waiting years to get a WiiU after it's initial release. My current Wii was a holiday gift back in '06..if I were buying it myself, I probably would've waited to see the sales and the library, and I plan on doing so for WiiU.
I can't speak for the rest of the community, but the WiiU doesn't really appeal to me from a personal life-style point of view. Technical cool-ness? Yes. Must-have gadget? No. I usually play video games on my own TV, or when I'm home alone or something, when I know I won't be interrupted. I rarely cross paths with anyone when I'm in game-mode and hardly ever have to deal with the dilemma of fighting over the TV, taking my game elsewhere, or anything. I'm surprised by how large the screen controller is, not necessarily a bad thing, but that'll be a new experience for most people. I will say, I think the use of the screen as an item menu, map, and handheld arsenal is pretty great, and useful, as we already saw with the Zelda demo. And even though Nintendo pulled out all the big name third parties to talk about how excited they were, I have a feeling that it'll fizzle out quickly. Who knows? I might be wrong, and I hope I am, but for the time being, I'm a tad skeptical. I don't find it very practical for myself, and I'm still more compelled to buy a 3DS and/or a PS3 first.