Nice reporting and interview work by Wired writer Chris Kohler with Nintendo heads on the eve of the big Wii U launch. More than any other part of the article, this statement by Miyamoto gave me pause:
Nintendo unveiled Wii U at E3 last year. At this year’s show, Microsoft showed off a similar concept called SmartGlass, by which users could interact with their Xbox 360 using a tablet or phone. Miyamoto took the announcement as the sincerest form of flattery. “We’re seeing the emulation [of our ideas] occur very quickly, which if anything tells us they know this is a good idea,” he said.
I think Nintendo is missing the boat here. SmartGlass wasn’t imitation of Wii U, instead more of a reaction to the tablet explosion spearheaded by the iPad. Based on early reactions on how weak the touch screen responsiveness is on the Wii U controller, I’m worried Nintendo will let down a lot of people’s expectations.