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Reader Discussion: Is The Wii U A Next-Gen Console?
Now that the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 have launched, we are officially in the next-generation of video gaming. The Wii U launched last year. Do you consider it a next-gen console?
Technically, next-gen is no longer an applicable term. With the new consoles upon us, we are now in the current-gen, but the question still remains: when we talk about the current (or next, depending on what you're comfortable with) generation of gaming, is the Wii U part of it?
I have a lot of love for the Wii U, especially after playing Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World, and Wind Waker HD this year. Despite my personal appreciation for the Wii U, however, I still catch myself thinking in terms of the next-generation consoles... and the Wii U. I don't group them together, and I'm not sure why. As the Wii U's library expands, I think it can certainly compete with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and even though it started out with disappointing sales, it has been showing a lot of growth.
What do you think? Do you group the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U together, like we did the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube? Or is Nintendo just off to the side, doing its own thing, bucking trends, and mostly ignoring the competition in its own non-current-gen world?
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