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The Wii U is an improvement over the Wii in many ways; most noticeably in its graphics. Nintendo has finally caught up to the competition by providing HD graphics, which is something that the Wii lacked. It is capable of 1080p, though its launch titles are all 720p (as far as I know, at least).
In terms of power, the Wii U is either on par with or slightly more powerful than the current/last-gen consoles (360, PS3). With this knowledge, one might argue that the Wii U is not a next-generation console, but then I would argue that it is a next-gen console as it is Nintendo's next-gen console. The Wii U may be more powerful without the gamepad, to which the console constantly streams both audio and video to.
The Wii U gamepad is how you will play games. Think of it as the bottom screen of a Nintendo DS: the gamepad has a 6.2" touchscreen which is used to play games without the use of a television, or to provide functionality to games played on the television screen. The gamepad features 2 control sticks, a directional pad, four face buttons (BA, YX), two shoulder buttons, two rear Z (trigger) buttons, a camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, sensor bar/strip, speakers, and even supports NFC (near field communication) with compatible items. The gamepad appears to be bulky, but it takes only a few minutes with it to get used to its size until it feels natural to use.
Nintendo has finally ditched friend codes (in their previous usage) in favor of Nintendo Network IDs. Nintendo Network is an infrastructure similar to XBL and PSN, and provides means for online multiplayer, video chatting, and game downloading via the eShop. Each console supports up to 12 Nintendo Network IDs, and these IDs are currently non-transferable to other Wii U consoles, meaning if you for some reason lose your Wii U, you will have to create a new NNID; I am not sure if this means that your downloads/purchases are also non-transferable.
In addition to Nintendo Network, the Wii U introduced Nintendo's very own social network, called Miiverse. Miiverse is a mix between Twitter and an online community/forum: users can select from a number of "communities" to post to (such as apps and games available on the Wii U). While playing a game, players can hit the home button on the gamepad, select the Miiverse icon to simultaneously launch Miiverse, and post messages and screenshots for players around the world to see, comment, and "yeah" (yeah is the equivalent to liking something on Facebook). It's honestly a nice addition to the console, as it provides means for players to communicate with one another on a mass-scale, similar to how an online forum would work (only it's on the Wii U itself). You can also add friends, follow fellow Miiverse users, and send private messages to others through Miiverse as well.
All in all, I think the Wii U is great. It's obviously no match for PC, and definitely won't be as powerful as Microsoft or Sony's future consoles, but I do believe that it will be able to stand its ground and sustain itself. The gamepad provides a new way to play games, just as the Wii did with motion controls; I am glad that the focus has been taken off of motion controls for the most part, though.
I bought mine at midnight on launch day, and I haven't regretted my purchase yet. (This is unusual, as I typically regret all of my purchases immediately afterward.) I got it for $300 despite the deluxe bundle's MSRP being $350, mainly due to Walmart's price matching policy and a local store selling the deluxe bundle for $300. I bought ZombiU, which I had second thoughts on after reading IGN's review of it, but I decided to keep it anyway and see just how bad it was for myself: I was not disappointed. IGN's score of 6.2 (or whatever they gave it) will likely turn others away from the game, but I am glad I stuck with my decision.
ZombiU is a fun, entertaining, and genuinely scary game, but it is a survival horror, so don't expect Left 4 Dead or something similar. You play as a survivor in an apocalyptic London that's overrun by zombies, and your only goal is to survive. Supplies are scarce, and survival is unlikely if you go out guns blazing: you have to be strategic and cautious if you want to live. Graphically, it's worse than an Xbox 360 in my opinion, at least the zombies are; the environment isn't that bad, but they are by no means next-generation graphics, and they don't have to be because it's a fun game regardless. It should be noted that I'm playing with the Wii's standard AV cables instead of HDMI, as the TV I currently have does not have an HDMI port.
Anyway, what are your thoughts on the Wii U? Did you or are you planning to buy one? This topic is open for discussion, but do keep in mind that it's about the Wii U and only the Wii U, so don't turn this into a platform war.
