14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo finally released the Wii U in North America yesterday and already users have begun complaining about a massive mandatory 5GB firmware update, which not only takes a long time to download, but also results in non-responsive (aka bricked) consoles if anything goes wrong during the update process.
The Wii U was eagerly awaited by millions of gamers in North America, as many retailers said that pre-orders were through the roof ahead of the actual launch yesterday.
Sadly, it seems that there are already many users unhappy with the console, mainly because once they set it up in their homes and took it online, it asked them to download a mandatory firmware update. While that may not be so bad, the update occupies a whopping 5GB of space, according to one Twitter user.
This not only means problems for those who got the basic 8GB version of the Wii U, which actually has only 3.2GB of useable space, but also for those who don’t have high speed internet connections.
What’s more, due to the huge size and unreliable internet service, quite a few users saw their update process stop completely. As such, some tried turning the device on and off again but, unfortunately, they actually bricked their consoles, as they can no longer be turned on.
Other owners have encountered problems with the actual console as its power light, instead of staying on when plugged in, is flashing in a blue color.
According to some Twitter users, when confronted with this issue, Nintendo representatives in stores immediately asked the console to be turned in for repairs. As such, it looks like the blue flashing power light might be a code for hardware failure, in the same way as the Xbox 360’s “Red Ring of Death” or the PlayStation 3’s “Yellow Light of Death.”
As of yet, Nintendo hasn’t released an official comment, so it might be best to make sure your internet connection is reliable before taking the console online for its firmware update.