Wii U Pro controller is for hardcore gamers, says Nintendo

Wii U aims for the core with dual analogue sticks

Tarryn van der BylJuly 31, 2012

The Wii might’ve skipped the hardcore gaming market this generation, but Nintendo doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice – and that’s why the Wii U is getting a controller more appropriate for hardcore gaming than the old wiggle-waggle Wiimote.

Hardcore Nintendo Gamer is pleased.

“Adding a Pro controller may make it easier for multi-platform games to come out on the system,” Wii U hardware man Katsuya Eguchi told Gameplanet. “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.

“We’re all gamers as well and we appreciate the interest of those [hardcore] gamers, and we don’t want them to feel left out, so we’re making big strides and changes in that area.”

The Wii U Pro controller resembles the Xbox 360 controller, and dumps all that motion-control and accelerometer stuff for more conventional buttons, analogue sticks, and triggers.

Nintendo has shown increased interest in the so-called “core” gaming market around the Wii U, with marketing boss Steve Moffitt saying last month that the company hopes the new console could become the “preferred” platform for hardcore gamers. Because that’s totally going to happen.