Nintendo trying to win back hardcore gamers

Quite a resemblance.

When Nintendo created the Wii, they were aiming for a large demographic and designed the primary controller, the Wii Remote, as something that anyone would instinctively know how to use. While Wii Sports was basically a tech demo, it ended up being the killer app that everyone, from children to their grandparents, couldn't get enough of. Hardcore gamers, however, were not impressed and were turned off by the simplistic graphics and gameplay, opting for better-looking titles with more complicated controls, like the Call of Duty series. Nintendo managed to get some third-party developers, including COD publisher Activision, to create Wii versions of their popular titles, but the games were derided for their comparatively poor graphics and failed to sell at levels anywhere near their 360 and PS3 iterations. In addition to the underwhelming visuals, many gamers preferred the next-gen versions because the Wii remote had fewer buttons than the traditional controllers, resulting in control schemes that were less than ideal. Some developers chose to support the Classic Controller, allowing players to use a more familiar control style, and yet that wasn't enough to spur sales as the Wii versions often lacked key features that were standard for every other system, including downloadable content, achievements/trophies, and more multiplayer options.

This time around Nintendo is trying to recapture the interest of hardcore gamers, and Assassin's Creed 3 and Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition are proof that third-party Wii U games will be on par with those for the other platforms. The graphics look just as great as their 360 and PS3 counterparts, and as for controls, the big N's got that covered as well with the Pro Controller providing the familiar look and feel of a typical controller. In fact, according to Nintendo hardware designer Katsuya Eguchi, the Wii U Pro Controller was built specifically to appeal to hardcore gamers. In an interview with GamePlanet, Eguchi made a few comments on the matter.

“Adding a Pro controller may make it easier for multi-platform games to come out on the system," Eguchi said. "Wii remotes don't have things like analog sticks. To make it as easy as possible to enjoy certain multiplayer experiences it was important to have that Pro controller.” He then added, "We’re all gamers as well and we appreciate the interest of those hardcore gamers. We don’t want them to feel left out, so we’re making big strides and changes in that area.”

Nintendo never game up on hardcore gamers.

The Pro Controller looks very much like an Xbox 360 controller, with the only real difference being the placement of the right analog stick and a few of the buttons. For Xbox fans,the Pro will feel very familiar and won't take long to get used to, and the PlayStation crowd probably won't need much time to adjust to it either. While Nintendo has been downplaying the fact that they are competing with Microsoft and Sony, the design of the Wii U Pro Controller suggests they know otherwise. And yet, Eguchi says the company's goal is still the same. "From long ago, Nintendo has always been about creating entertainment and surprising customers. One thing that has changed is the scale of the company and the scope of everything we do," the hardware guru said. "What we want to achieve as a company has not changed."

The Wii's Classic Controller, and the Classic Controller Pro, were designed to give players a more familiar input method than the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The Call of Duty games, along with the 2010 version of GoldenEye 007, were just a few of the many hardcore titles that supported them. Nintendo may have marketed the Wii as a console for everyone, but at no point did they ever stop trying to win over hardcore gamers. Eguchi is right, the company's goals have not changed.