The Wii U launch has overall been a successful one. However, there were a few technical issues, mainly, the lengthy day-one software update that for some users took hours to download. Worse, if the console is turned off during the update, it will be permanently bricked.
Nintendo has since apologized for the issues, and according to Reggie Fils-Aime, the large day-one update will be pre-installed on new Wii U consoles in 2013. Reggie says that Nintendo developers were working on the system and software until the “very last point possible”, which obviously means that it cannot be pre-installed on the console at the factory.
New Wii U models manufactured in Spring 2013 will have this update pre-installed. The delay is intentional from Nitnendo’s side, as Reggie said that only after the firmware has been on the market for a few months will they start pre-loading it on consoles at the factory. This is likely due to safety issues, as Nintendo wants to make sure the update works perfectly.
Reggie assured that the initial issues with the Wii U online features and Miiverse will be fixed by Christmas, and that they’ll be ready for the many new gamers who received a Wii U for Christmas. “Come Christmas morning, those servers will not be challenged in the same way”, Reggie said.
He also commented on Nintendo TVii, saying that on launch day, it wasn’t “the compelling innovative product we wanted it to be and we needed it to be”. Nintendo TVii is scheduled to launch later this month in North America, but will be available on launch day on December 7 in Japan.
