14 DAY TRIAL // The developers behind great games for the Nintendo Wii U, like Mass Effect 3: Special Edition or Trine 2: Director's Cut, have weighed in on what makes the new home console special and revealed that the unique GamePad controller will make it stand out from current or future devices.
The Wii U came out in November and quickly experienced quite a lot of sales around the world, mainly because quite a lot of great games accompanied its release, ranging from exclusive ones, like ZombiU, to third-party adaptations, like Assassin's Creed 3.
Now, Games Master magazine, via Nintendo Everything, has talked with several developers about what makes the Wii U stand out from other consoles, like the PS3 or Xbox 360, and how it offers a next-generation experience, even if its graphics are still comparable with current ones.
According to Mikael Haveri of Frozenbyte, the developer of the special Trine 2: Special Edition, the GamePad makes the platform stand out.
"Wii U is next-gen in the way the Wii was," he said. "Clearly revolutionary in many ways, but possibly slightly less on the pure power side. It is a reasonable guess that the next round of competition will trump the specs by a bit, but the important question is if they will also implement a touch interface."
"So in this way the GamePad is the most important new addition, clearly combining the console experience with the now-very-popular tablets. All of the games are designed whit the GamePad as an integral part, and if that proves to be even nearly as popular as the Wii Remote, then Nintendo might actually define next gen."
Haveri's opinion is echoed by Mass Effect 3 external producer Melanie Faulknor, who also believes that other consoles will have to copy the GamePad.
"The way that the GamePad works, where you can take the game that you’re playing on the TV and instantly transition it onto the GamePad, I think that in itself is going to become a household standard, because if you are sharing a television, this constant fight for the TV is no longer an issue."
Do you think the Wii U, with its GamePad, can withstand next-generation consoles?