Nintendo: “Wii U is hard to understand until you get your hands on it”

Recently we saw Peter Molyneux describe the upcoming Nintendo Wii U as “confusing and challenging to use”, mostly due to its use of multiple screens.

Nintendo have expressed a similar sentiment, saying that in the same vein as the Wii and the 3DS, it’s difficult for people to fully understand what they’re trying to do with the Wii U until they’ve got their hands on it.

Nintendo of America’s senior director of corporate communications Charlie Scibetta said, “It’s hard to understand the system until you get your hands on it.”

He did however add, “It can appeal to people of all ranges in terms of their gaming ability.”

Scibetta said the company will continue to employ the type of marketing strategy they used for the 3DS and the Wii, which were also somewhat bewildering to new consumers.

“A big part of our strategy has been and will continue to be trial, getting it in as many people’s hands as possible,” he said.

To really get the full potential out of the system, developers are going to have to take it’s unique capabilities into account. “When a publisher creates a game experience that is custom… that’s when you really see the magic happen,” Scibetta said.

Nintendo is leaning heavily on the Wii U being a success, and it may be a risky move on their part to create confusing peripherals which may alienate their typical demographic of casual gamers.