As of next March, the Switch will have been on the market for two years. Even though this new hybrid device has been available for some time now, Nintendo's kept certain services operational on its existing platform the Wii U. This extends to support and social media pages for the system that originally started out life in 2012.
This Friday on 9th November, it's officially an end of an era. Nintendo has announced it will be closing its official Wii U Facebook page. As you might have guessed, the page has quickly turned into a memorial site of sorts - with Nintendo fans and Wii U owners alike thanking the system for the good times and taking a moment to reflect on this particular generation. Below is the official message:
From Nintendo Land, right through to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, thank you for being part of our Wii U journey. We’ll be closing this page on Friday, November 9th. To stay up to date with all the latest Nintendo news, join us at the Nintendo, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS pages.
Thank you, and keep on gaming.
As is noted in the above message, to stay up to date and connected to the official Nintendo community, users can join the Nintendo, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS Facebook pages.
Were you still a regular on this Wii U Facebook page? Are you sad to see it go? Tell us in the comments below.
[source facebook.com]
Comments 80
I kind of hated the Wii U, to be honest. I basically just used it as a VC machine. It felt so lonely to be a Wii U (and only Wii U) owner.
It was still up? I liked the wiiu but the switch is much better.
@Kalmaro Except for the Dual Screen, Multimedia apps, the Virtual Console, backward compatibility, better eShop layout and folders.
@Crono1973 those are all nice, but I'm content with my bigger screen that isn't limited by the wiiu, new and fantastic first party games, stronger hardware so people who may have missed out on games in the past can have them ported over and now can play on the go.
The Switch is a better piece of hardware. Barely any games actually utilized the dual screen, except to just show stats or as a map. Hardly revolutionary. In a way, the wiiu was ahead of its time.
Multimedia apps I could care less about. I get Nintendo consoles for games, not to have a more expensive option than my phone to watch videos.
Let me tell you why I think the WiiU failed...
@Crono1973 I dont think multimedia apps was a pro on wiiu. The Crunchyroll app is (or was, I dont know) so bad I literally used it once and nevermore.
Still love my WiiU and still have games bough to play (I'm slow, okay?), but Switch is the thing. Let the sweet prince sleep.
@Kalmaro Of course the Switch is more powerful than the Wii U, that's how it works from generation to generation. I can understand that you don't need multimedia apps, neither do I but so many people complain about it so it must be important.
Oh noooo. Nooot Facebook.... Whatever shall we do without ittt???
@Crono1973 Do you have a number on how many people care about the switch not having multimedia apps?
R.I.P. Wii U era you were fun.
Time to move on
This made me kibda sad. Legit.
what's facebook
Press F to pay respects
@PtM Yeah I saw that earlier.
As someone who just got a Wii U this year (a few months after getting a Switch), I didn’t even know there was a Facebook page. Much like I didn’t know that the gamepad has a sensor bar, or that it has a TV remote, or that etc.
I honestly want a Wii u but don't feel like paying top dollar for one. When I can find a cheap one im getting it.
As long as the VC stays up I don’t care. I still have things on my wishlist! Stay up a little longer please!
@nintendobynature honestly, I got a good one on eBay for under $200, including shipping. I’ve been using it for VC and I’ve been having a blast with Super Mario Maker. I don’t know if that’s considered top dollar to you, but for me it’s totally worth it to have a mini VC next to my bed!
It’s about to be 1 year since miiverse closed I think
Sad. Wii U was and still is one of my favourite systems.
My Wiiu's a Netflix machine now...But I will never forget the times when I used it as a game machine.
@Nintenrocket Yep, one year since I single-sessioned Super Metroid (saying something as I'm not a speedrunner) on 3DS (and dealing with some unavoidable control issues) to get DEER FORCE up before it closed (that name, perhaps something of a GDQ meme just because it might be the most bizarre name in the credits ).
The Thanos Snap finally reached Smash 4
@Yoshinator
Netflix, Youtube, still decent web browser.
And Battle Princess Madelyn coming soon!
Wii U, was, and IS, awesome.
Didn't know there was a Wii U social media account.
This is sad, but inevitable.
Underrated console.
People still use facebook?
I thought they renamed it to "Nintendo Console Gaming" ages ago...
Why? It takes zero resources to maintain a FB page, they could just leave it up and not post on it anymore. Seems silly to just shut it down entirely.
I Liked the Wii U better than the switch. Love both. But Wii U didn’t look backwards as much as switch relies on doing as far as software goes
WII will missed U
@Orpheus79V fffffffff
While this is sad, I think the day the Wii U will really finally be completely gone is December 7th. Because reasons.
(Won't stop me from finally getting around to games I haven't gotten to on it yet, like Tokyo Mirage Sessions.)
@goggles789 i guess that's not too bad. I've seen alot around $300. With owning a switch and a 2ds. Not sure I wana spend even $200 but maybe if I'm caught at a weak moment id pull the trigger
@nintendobynature Totally understand!
@Crono1973 agree. The e shop was 100 times better and felt exiting to browse with its colourful banners etc. The lack of virtual console is the biggest let down for me especially due to the popularity of the switch with both young and old. They should have had this from the get go and just concerntrated with the major snes consoles, nes, snes,GC and Wii and poured everything in to it with a vast back catalogue. They would have made a killing.
I sold all my physical wii u games but i wont ever sell my windwaker console as its packed with VC digital downloads and i couldnt part with it. May start buying again when i see some really cheap used games in the future. They keep making all these remakes of games for the switch but where is windwaker HD, wonderful 101 and pikmin 3?
I defended the Wii U for a long time. But the Switch is what the Wii U should have been. Now if Nintendo can refine the few remaining bugs and lacks in the Switch, we can finally retire the Wii U for good.
They had a Facebook for that?
I bought a lot of games on cd for WiiU, so I'll play on it even when the servers will close But I also have a lot of games on Switch so... Anyway; I'll have plenty of free time to play after my retirement
Sad really a shame that the Wii u die so bad, ohh well.
Wii U will always have a special place in my heart.
There was an Official Wii U Facebook Page?
Well in reality just about EVERYTHING has a facebook page these days.
As I’ve said time and time again, the Wii U was a fun but flawed console that with hindsight was never to be blessed with success. Even with better initial marketing. It was “doomed” to always remain a niche product.
I don't measure a console by whether it was a commercial failure or not, I measure it by how much enjoyment I personally got out of it. And me personally? I got a lot of enjoyment out of it so I came away very happy.
These are going to be sought after in years to come. On the same level as the Dreamcast? Maybe not, but we shall see.
The spirit of Satoru Iwata...
Wii U is the most innovative of all the Nintendo's home consoles.
The system allows players to have access to the entire catalog from the NES to the Wii.
The uniqueness of its controller and what it brings in terms of gameplay... it's just awesome.
One of my favorite system of all times.
I did like the WII U and it's gamepad. but looking at the gamepad was just horrible. I could see how bad the resolution was. It was better to play the game on TV absolutely. The quality was just not good. I realise it's a system created more for kids they won't care much about that. I had only a few titles.... but after a while I sold the hardware. It was collecting dust. And it was too slow with the buttons on the gamepad playing a game since it's big so I had to stop and focus with both hands. I'm a very fast person when it comes to do a combo in a game, but not with this one. I didn't buy a pro controller because I didn't think it was worth. Sold it and never regretted. You love it or hate i guess
I bought a Wii U and then a year later switch was announced.
Therefore I missed out on a lot of games, so I love it how all the ports are comig over to switch.
It wasn't a bad system, it just had too little games, but at least those games were brillant.
On a side note, when did NL introduce the “Thumbs Down” button? Gonna be interesting here as we have some of the console’s most rabid supporters.
Nothing wrong with loving the console (I love mine) but it doesn’t take a genius to know it had several flaws that directly impacted its success and no “better marketing” from Nintendo would have helped much.
It really was the equivalent of both the Saturn & Dreamcast.
Pour one out for the wiiu!
Somewhere in Kyoto....
“Argh, the Wii U Facebook page is still open!”
“Oh no make it stop. It might remind somebody that thing existed”
“It’s OK, we’ve got it. By Friday, it’s gone.”
(Sobbing in the background)
“There there, Koizumi-san , it’s nearly over. No I don’t know what we were thinking either....”
How long before they close Super Mario Maker (and other games) servers?
Well, I'm sure the three to five people who used it will be devastated.
Cya
Raziel-chan
Wii U turned out to be probably my favourite console ever, together with the Dreamcast. I own 3 of them. I hope the community keeps it alive.
@Erchitu
I'm in the same position but with 6 Wii U's
I honestly didn't know there was a Facebook page specifically for Wii U. It makes sense to shut it down, I guess - nothing new coming to the system. I love my Wii U, and still play it on a weekly basis for the Virtual Console and for Xenoblade X (one day I'll beat that blasted game). It's my defacto Zelda machine, since it has every Zelda game I've ever owned on it (from the first NES game up to Breath of the Wild).
All things have to come to an end. Bought my WiiU from an ASDA clearance sale for about £120 with a copy of Super Mario Bros U. Mostly got 1st party titles as my PS4 was used for 3rd party games i was interested in. I do 1/2 regret getting a WiiU seeing how much it didn't sell, but that issue was down to people being confused what a WiiU was (look back at the WiiU reveal event which is terrible to watch then), and you can have an idea why it didn't sell (that and too many control choices didn't help either).
Funny thing is, the WiiU Facebook page has lasted longer than the WiiU itself.
I will always stand by my claim that the Wii U and PS vita were the most underrated and most under appreciated consoles of all time.
It's a sin that they never got the love they deserved. As for my Wii U, well it still sits proudly under my TV and still gets used whenever I fancy one more playthrough of zombi u or some black ops 2 multiplayer on the gamepad while my other half hogs the TV
@Cobalt
Dude, couldn't agree more
@Heavyarms55 You don't have to stop defending the Wii U against the haters just because you like the Switch. You can like them both.
I still play WiiU for Xenoblade Chronicles X, Super Mario Maker Ninja Gaiden 3 and other stuff from time to time. It was still fun for what it was even if the system did not do too well overall. 2012 - 2016 was an interesting time with the WiiU miiverse and the like. I regret nothing.
I know it's cool to hate on the Wii U now but I loved it, despite it's shortcomings
I honestly never used it and it would be a surprise if I at least popped in there somehow. Looking at the bigger picture, I guess it's the beginning of the end for the Wii U as far as it's services that are still in use. It's only a matter of time before it's apps go away too. I'm hoping that Switch will get on with having Netflix, YouTube, and a full internet browser-- Currently my Wii U fills an important gap for me as I'm down a computer and tablet (phone... let's not even discuss it lol). it's not that it's necessary, it's convenient for me, but that's my story
I enjoyed the WiiU era for a variety of reasons. Most of them didn't actually involve the WiiU, but the content of (early) WiiU + 3DS was one of the most fun eras to be a Nintendo gamer. The PS4/X1 had a rough start and it felt at the time like being a Nintendo-only gamer didn't leave you missing much on other platforms. I miss that era with quirky Iwata moments, and generally off-the-wall WiiU + 3DS releases to look forward to.
Switch is better in every way, of course. Stronger hardware, a polished version of all the ideas put forward before, and one software purchase for the handheld and console makes life a lot nicer with Nintendo. But that era seems like it was the last run of "the way things were", and I miss that.
@justin233
At least it has what the Switch, barely has at all. Seriously, the downgrade to getting only 3 NES games a month is a pretty big letdown compared to VC. When it was on the Wii we got two to three classic games a WEEK.
It's not the only thing that's shut down, the 3DS' Anime Channel has also gone, which i was surprised about as i hadn't seen any info about it stopping.
@FX102A Funnily enough I loved the Saturn too, the 2d goodness on that machine was amazing...for an old school arcade head like myself it was another machine I totally got my money's worth out of.
I still watch Netflix using my Wii U.
The day they stop supporting that, is the day I will cry my Gamepad wet with salty tears.
@OdnetninAges Tokyo Mirage Sessions is an awesome game. The loading times are a bit too long, but the game is great, specially if you like japanese music.
Miiverse was cool. The gamepad was a little hit and miss for me but there were some great games on the Wii U and it had a cool interface. EShop was the best too.
There are still official pages of tv shows that ended near 20 years ago like buffy the vampire slayer. Why the heck Nintendo can't maintain a wii u facebook official channel just 6 years after the release of the console? this sucks.
To add to this there will now be tears in the basements of Sligo.
Miiverse was amazing! Really don't understand why it's gone! And having the second screen was brilliant. Zombi u had the radar, map, inventory, sniper scope all on the gamepad. Deus ex hr also had really cool gamepad features. I want my Wii u back 😞
I see a lot of hate on here, but I loved Wii U. It was a great little system with very poor marketing.
So glad I own a Wii U, one of those odd consoles that will be remembered far better thsn the sales figures reflect, kinda like the Dreamcast.
Super Mario 3D World alone it a worthwhile purchase, hope it gets a Switch port so more people can enjoy it. Personally a much better game than Mario Odyssey.
Well out with the old and in with the new is how tech goes. The WiiU is no longer in production and making it will not help Nintendo. The 3DS family line and Switch are their bread winners now. You have to keep the one that will keep your R&D going otherwise you become ancient. One has to remember Optical Media takes up far more space then a Cartridge and sudden knocks can cause to loose track.
I loved the Wii U. That shouldn't even be in past tense because I still play it quite a bit. I actually enjoyed that system in the first year and a half more than I have the Switch. The Wii U was a huge boost in power over the Wii, and when it got used, the game pad did some really cool things. The Switch so far feels mostly like a repeat. Now before anybody gets upset, I still like the Switch, I just haven't had the same level of excitement of having a new system that did new tricks like when I got the Wii U.
@TheFox
I really liked the Wii U too, but for me personally, I like the Switch better for one simple reason. It took the best feature of the Wii U, off tv play, and cleverly used that to it's advantage for the Switch. The Switch wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for the Wii U.
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