This week in The Tower the guys look back at gaming in 2014. An exciting year wherein next generation Sony and Microsoft consoles established their first of what we hope will be at least a 10-year life cycle. With the PS4 and Xbox One pushing the envelope with powerful hardware, a robust online infrastructure and blockbuster titles, we couldn't help but evaluate the state of the Wii U. The Nintendo console was released a year earlier than it’s next gen counterparts, with underwhelming praise in its confusing messaging, poor launch lineup and the lack of third party support. This which was cemented even further as developers along the way began to disregard the console all together; juggernaut franchises like Call of Duty, FarCry and GTA would never appear on the Nintendo system. It seemed that the fate of the Wii U had already been determined. However, highly anticipated triple A first party software finally made its way to the Wii U in 2014. Games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Brothers attaining commercial and critical success had us all wondering if the Wii U would finally hit its stride. On the other side of gaming, eagerly anticipated titles on PS4 and Xbox One were met with some disappointment and a common problem of games being released broken. The guys discuss whether or not the Wii U is even in competition with the PS4 and Xbox One, being less powerful and lacking in so many areas like online capabilities and most importantly third party support. We all know Nintendo excels in first party game development and their games work, but is that trade off worth it to miss out on so many other experiences? Has the novelty of these beloved characters and franchises worn off? Or are they as fun as ever? Are they enough to sell hardware? Or is it too little too late? Tune in to this episode as the guys have a passionate debate about the state the Wii U and discuss their hopes for Nintendo in 2015.
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