Wii U Gamepad Wont Be Sold Separately at Launch

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By Tuan Mai
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Nintendo says separate Gamepad sales won't come until games with dual-Gamepad functions arrive.

Last week, Nintendo finally took the covers off of its highly anticipated Wii U console, revealing a U.S. release date of November 18th and two launch packages up for pre-order.

But what was surprising to many is that the company didn't detail any pricing plans for additional Wii U GamePad controllers. In a Q&A session after the reveal, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime stated,

"Through the launch window, there are no games that leverage a second controller. And so, during the launch window here in NOA [Nintendo of America] territories, we will not be selling at retail a second gamepad."

"But certainly, when the games come out, we'll be making that accessory available," he added. Since the unique GamePad controller is one of the console's most tantalizing features, it's a bit of a party pooper to learn there won't be support for more than one at launch. 

Although the company is already offering separate GamePad sales in Japan, there still isn't a confirmed date when they'll arrive in the states. But in an interview with 1UP, Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen stated, "The dual-GamePad functionality, we expect to start seeing that in games sometime next year." So for now, it looks we'll just have to learn to share the GamePad while playing one of the many Wii U local multiplayer titles.

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Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai is a Los Angeles based writer and marketing manager working within the PC Hardware industry. He has written for Tom's Guide since 2010, with a special interest in the weird and quirky.
17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Inferno1217
    So.... You get to play with yourself?
    Reply
  • dudewitbow
    inferno1217So.... You get to play with yourself?
    some games use wiiU pro controllers. other games will utilize both the traditional wii controller as well as the WiiU tablet. Ideally, games can go up to 6 players, if a game came out that utilized 4 wii remotes and 2 WiiU gamepads.
    Reply
  • sicom
    So if your controller is broken for whatever reason between now and "sometime next year" you're screwed?
    Reply
  • Inferno1217
    dudewitbowsome games use wiiU pro controllers. other games will utilize both the traditional wii controller as well as the WiiU tablet. Ideally, games can go up to 6 players, if a game came out that utilized 4 wii remotes and 2 WiiU gamepads.
    I know. I was being sarcastic & dirty! ^
    Reply
  • dudewitbow
    inferno1217I know. I was being sarcastic & dirty! ^probably could sense it now. But I just an after thought. What if nintendo/namco(as namco is developing it) made the next smash bros series 6 player. My mind is oozing from all of the chaos that could happen.
    Reply
  • falchard
    It might be fun to play a D&D based game on this platform.
    Reply
  • darkavenger123
    I still don't see the merit of this oversized PSP styled controller....Maybe SONY will make a PS4 with the PS Vita as a controller....after all the PSVITA has everything this has and more....:)
    Reply
  • master_chen
    I personally think that it's actually logical, because Nintendon't goes Famicom road this way. Famicom's joypads could not be detached from the console itself, so there was no point in buying another ones.
    Only NES had the capability of detaching it's joypads, and that came later than Famicom...
    What I'm trying to say, is basically: it's logical for Nintendon't to do that at console's Launch, because their main consumer market at launch would be stationed in Japan, and Japanese people are very heavily attached to Famicom, so selling Wii U Controllers (**NERD MODE = ON** learn to see the difference, Tuan Mai. There is a huge difference. Joysticks aren't Joypads. Joypads aren't Gamepads. Joypads & Gamepads aren't Controllers. Those are all different things. Only a very incompetent, inexperienced person, could've named the Wii U Controller a "Gamepad". **NERD MODE = OFF**) separately would disarray Japanese Nintendon't consumer market, in my opinion. Aw, whatever...
    Reply
  • mouse24
    master_chenI personally think that it's actually logical, because Nintendon't goes Famicom road this way. Famicom's joypads could not be detached from the console itself, so there was no point in buying another ones.Only NES had the capability of detaching it's joypads, and that came later than Famicom...What I'm trying to say, is basically: it's logical for Nintendon't to do that at console's Launch, because their main consumer market at launch would be stationed in Japan, and Japanese people are very heavily attached to Famicom, so selling Wii U Controllers (**NERD MODE = ON** learn to see the difference, Tuan Mai. There is a huge difference. Joysticks aren't Joypads. Joypads aren't Gamepads. Joypads & Gamepads aren't Controllers. Those are all different things. Only a very incompetent, inexperienced person, could've named the Wii U Controller a "Gamepad". **NERD MODE = OFF**) separately would disarray Japanese Nintendon't consumer market, in my opinion. Aw, whatever...
    Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't some parts of the EU refer to controllers as gamepads?
    Reply
  • master_chen
    9404238 said:
    Some parts of the EU refer to controllers as gamepads?
    And they are wrong. It's because of the lack of appropriate knowledge and experience.

    **NERD MODE = ON**
    Controller is a device that can have very specific features, form and designation (For example, "Steel Battalion" Controller, Guitar Freaks/Guitar Hero "Guitar Controller", Dance Dance Revolution/Pum It Up/InTheGroove "Dance Mat", BeatMania "DJ Stand", PlayStation "Move", "WiiMote", Nintendo "Power Glove", "Para-Para Paradise Motion Sensors", Nintendo "Power Pad", DrumMania "Drummer Set" and etc., all of those are Controllers, not Gamepads or Joypads).
    "Controllers" are usually very specific devices designed for a specific set of games or one game title/series at all. For example, "Guitar Hero" Controller absolutely not suitable for playing any other games, it would make buggy inputs and etc., and "Para-Para Paradise" Controller can't be used for any other game WHATSOEVER, AT ALL.
    "Gamepads" and "Joypads", on the other hand, are the typical input devices and both can be easily used with almost any video games, even "Controller"-specific titles like "Dance Dance Revolution" or "Guitar Freaks".
    There is not much differences between "Joypad" and a "Gamepad", but there is some, so it should be taken into consideration, and those differences make them two separate kinds of input devices.
    "Joypad" are basically the standard home video game console controller than you can (usually) only plug into the designated console.
    While "Gamepad" is, mainly, a "Joypad for Personal Computer", which is plugged through USB/FireWire, or other kind of computer-specific way.
    More than 95% of all "Gamepads" have monolith-type of a d-pad, while "Joypads" (by the most part) utilize the "4-way" classical d-pad design (which is more comfortable than monolith d-pad, IMHO). Also, "Gamepad's" buttons are almost always marked with numerical signs (for example, "1, 2, 3, 4" on the main action buttons) and most of them have either additional Turbo-switches/buttons by default, or have some other kind of tweaking, while "Joypads" are more classy (having either classical "A, B, X, Y", or less common "A, B, C, D").
    Also, for most "Gamepads" driver installation is a must, because otherwise they can work incorrectly (make buggy inputs or turn-off suddenly).
    And most obvious thing about "Gamepads": you can't use them on the majority of home video game consoles (even if home video game console has a USB port, it doesn't mean that your "Gamepad" would work if you plug it in there. Unlike "Joypads", which you can quite easily plug into your Personal Computer by using a special USB Adapter).
    **NERD MODE = OFF**

    There are many nuances and details about all this, It's a quite tl;dr thing, so I won't be continuing after this point. I just gave you a tiny little bit of info, it's a very small fraction of a very big picture.
    Reply