Primary game controller for the Wii U
The
Wii U GamePad
is the standard
game controller
for
Nintendo
's
Wii U
home video game console
. Incorporating features from
tablet computers
, the GamePad has traditional input methods (such as buttons, dual
analog sticks
, and a
D-pad
),
touchscreen
controls, and motion controls. The touchscreen can be used to supplement a game by providing alternate,
second screen
functionality or an
asymmetric
view of a scenario in a game. The screen can also be used to play a game strictly on the GamePad screen without the use of a television display. Conversely, non-gaming functions can be assigned to it as well, such as using it as a television remote.
The development of the Wii U GamePad began alongside of the main
Wii U
console, beginning in 2009. The Wii U GamePad can be used in conjunction with other controllers compatible with the console, such as the
Wii Remote Plus
,
Nunchuk
,
Wii Balance Board
, and the more conventional
Wii U Pro Controller
.
Response to the Wii U GamePad was mixed. Critics praised the comfortable feel of the GamePad, but criticized the battery life, and misuse of the GamePad in games.
History
[
edit
]
The originally-unveiled Wii U GamePad prototype, featuring circle pads instead of analog sticks
During development of the
Wii
console, video game designer
Shigeru Miyamoto
incorporated the functionality of mobile phones, controllers, and
automotive navigation systems
while designing the
Wii Remote
, eventually producing a prototype that resembled a cell phone.
[2]
Another design featured both an
analog stick
and a
touchscreen
, but Nintendo rejected the idea of a touchscreen on the controller, "since the
portable console
and living-room console would have been exactly the same".
[2]
Nintendo's development team had determined that the Wii's notification light did not provide enough information to be useful beyond whether it had received content or not. With the complexity of modern televisions, Miyamoto believed that a monitor separate from the console would provide an easier way to check on the console's status without needing to use the television.
[3]
Its operation as a supplemental display was also inspired by similar displays found at
karaoke establishments in Japan
, which show song information and allows its users to select their next song.
[4]
[5]
Satoru Iwata
explained that the controller's design is intended to allow players to "see games in a different way,"
[4]
a concept referred to as "
asymmetric
gaming" during Nintendo's E3 2012 press conference.
[6]
[3]
With the Wii U's
Miiverse
social networking functionality, Iwata also likened the controller's screen to a "social window", which can allow users to remain connected even if they are not playing.
[3]
Gyroscopic
capabilities were added by the team specifically to aid in aiming for first and third person shooter games.
[7]
The
Nintendo EAD
development team created two controller prototypes: a monitor with two
Wii Remotes
glued to the sides, and a display attached to a
Wii Zapper
.
[8]
In a prototype shown at E3, the controller had featured circle pads similar to those of the
Nintendo 3DS
. On May 19, 2012, a photograph of a near-final version of the controller was leaked on
Twitter
by an employee of
TT Games
, revealing a wider build with ergonomic grips, a redesigned button layout, and analog sticks instead of circle pads.
[9]
On June 3, 2012, Nintendo officially unveiled the final version of the controller, named the "Wii U GamePad", in a video presentation preceding
E3 2012
. The presentation confirmed the leaked changes, and unveiled other features making use of the screen.
[3]
The Wii U GamePad is only sold separately in Japan, costing ¥13,284.
[10]
[11]
(
USD
$108) It released online on November 24, 2015.
[12]
[13]
In 2013,
hackers
reverse engineered the Wii U GamePad, connecting it to a computer playing an emulated version of
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
.
[14]
Features
[
edit
]
Wii U GamePad showcasing the new pressable
analog stick button
and
D-pad
The GamePad's primary feature is its 6.2 in (16 cm),
FWVGA
(854x480),
resistive touchscreen
display, which can be controlled with either fingers or an included stylus. The screen can be used as a supplement to gameplay to provide additional functionality that can be controlled using the screen, or to stream gameplay from the console in lieu of a television display (
Off-TV Play
) depending on each game. The controller also features a front-facing camera (usable for
video chat
), and dual
analog sticks
, nine-axis
motion detection
via a three-axis
accelerometer
, three-axis
gyroscope
and a three-axis
magnetometer
, rumble support,
[15]
and an
infrared
array that can emulate the
Wii Sensor Bar
.
[4]
The GamePad also supports
NFC
, which allows developers to create
figurines
(such as Nintendo's
Amiibo
figures) or cards that can wirelessly interact with the controller, and allowed Japanese users to pay for software on the Nintendo eShop using prepaid
FeliCa
-based transit cards such as
Suica
.
[16]
In a special presentation preceding
E3 2012
, Nintendo unveiled more details about the GamePad, including its ability to be used as a
remote control
for a television with the
Nintendo TVii
app and the ability to send handwritten messages and other content.
[3]
The GamePad communicates with a Wii U console over a modified
Wi-Fi
protocol designed for low-
latency
transmission, establishing its connection with the console by using a variant of the
WPS
process, with proprietary transfer protocol and software co-developed with
Broadcom
.
[17]
[18]
The GamePad's display contents are streamed as video from the console using a custom protocol and the
H.264
video codec, for which the GamePad contains a hardware decoder.
[1]
[19]
Nintendo's first presentation of the controller in 2011 led to confusion upon whether the Wii U would support the use of multiple GamePads. A Nintendo spokesperson stated that the GamePad would not be sold individually from a Wii U console,
[20]
and Shigeru Miyamoto had not ruled out the possibility of using multiple GamePads with a single console. However, Miyamoto also felt that it might be more convenient to use the
Nintendo 3DS
as a controller in this scenario as well, implying potential compatibility.
[20]
During Nintendo's E3 2012 presentation, it was confirmed that Wii U games could theoretically support up to two GamePads simultaneously.
[21]
However, this feature was ultimately never supported by any official software, alongside an unused accessory port at the bottom of the unit. According to former
Nintendo of America
president
Reggie Fils-Aime
, this was due to the console's install base "never getting large enough that that type of implementation made sense" and because Nintendo never created a game where two GamePads was needed, adding "there needs to be a game that drives that implementation".
[22]
Reception
[
edit
]
The Wii U GamePad received mixed reviews from critics. Stephen Totilo, from
Kotaku
, praised the GamePad, stating he did not find the controller "too heavy" due to the inbuilt screen. Totilo also praised the "superb connection" between the GamePad and the console, believing "The GamePad screen's ability to stay in constant sync with the
TV
screen is as welcome as it was necessary for the Wii U version of multi-screen gaming to work."
[23]
[24]
The battery life of the GamePad was criticized for being too short. Andrew Hayward of
TechRadar
stated in his review "with the [GamePad's] brightness on max which we found essential for getting the best-quality play experience, we struggled to push past that three-hour mark." Hayward also criticized the range of the GamePad, which reportedly works up to 25 feet away from the console.
[25]
Nintendo
would release a 2550mAh battery in Japan
[26]
with over 8 hours of battery life,
[27]
[28]
[29]
versus the original 3-5 hour battery life on the original 1500mAh battery.
[30]
Another criticism of the Wii U GamePad was the misuse of the Wii U GamePad's potential in
games and software
. One of the games criticized was
Minecraft: Wii U Edition
, which did not have any Wii U GamePad features, leaving fans disappointed.
[31]
[32]
Many critics felt Nintendo was not using the Wii U GamePad properly in games.
[33]
[34]
Nintendo of America's
Executive VP of Sales Scott Moffitt admitted this, stating "[w]ith games like Star Fox and Mario Maker, we are continuing to show the promise of the Gamepad and, candidly, early on we probably didn't showcase the promise of the Gamepad as well as we could have."
[34]
[35]
Rob Crossley from
GameSpot
heavily criticized the controller, comparing it to the
Virtual Boy controller
, and stating games such as
Super Mario 3D World
,
Super Smash Bros for Wii U
, and
Mario Kart 8
do not employ the GamePad in a meaningful way. Crossley also called the GamePad a "chubby and clumsy touch-screen controller". He also criticized the Off-TV Play feature for being "not a system seller" stating that "most people will not use it with any regularity, and only a few will swear by it."
[33]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Crecente, Brian (November 16, 2012).
"Wireless Tech Behind WiiU Gamepad"
. Polygon.com.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
a
b
Hall, Kenji.
"The Big Ideas Behind Nintendo's Wii"
.
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. Archived from
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on December 1, 2006
. Retrieved
August 30,
2007
.
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a
b
c
d
e
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a
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- ^
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.
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.
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
"You Can Now Buy A Replacement Wii U GamePad On Its Own"
.
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. November 24, 2015.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
任天堂ホ?ムペ?ジ
.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. November 24, 2015.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
"Hackers reverse engineer Wii U GamePad to stream from PC (video)"
.
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.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
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. Venturebeat.com.
Archived
from the original on November 28, 2012
. Retrieved
November 27,
2012
.
- ^
"Corporate Management Policy Briefing/Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing"
.
Nintendo
. January 27, 2012.
Archived
from the original on February 17, 2012
. Retrieved
February 11,
2012
.
- ^
Satoru, Iwata
(September 2012).
"Iwata Asks: WiiU Gamepad"
. Nintendo. Archived from
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on September 27, 2016
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
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"All The Wii U Specs You Could Dream Of, Except The Ones You Want To Know"
.
Kotaku
. Kotaku Australia.
Archived
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. Retrieved
July 19,
2014
.
- ^
"Secrets of the Wii U GamePad"
.
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. May 15, 2013.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
a
b
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. Gamasutra.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Engadget.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. GameSpot.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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. December 23, 2013
. Retrieved
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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