The Wii U was Nintendo's biggest blunder since the Virtual Boy. Recently, retired Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé spoke at Cornell University (via ResetEra), and the topic of the Wii U came up. Reggie said the Wii U was a failure, but then stated it was a "failure forward" to the Nintendo Switch.
Wii U's Abysmal Sales
According to Nintendo's sales data, the Wii U is the company's worst-selling console. The Wii U's lifetime unit sales as of June 30 are just 13.56 million. Meanwhile, the Switch has more than doubled those numbers. Simply put, the Wii U's sales were nowhere near adequate. Why did the console sell so poorly?
A primary factor leading to the Wii U's downfall was the marketing. Many casual consumers did not know the Wii U was Nintendo's next console. Nintendo advertised the Wii U's tablet controller without fully showcasing that this was the Wii's successor. Gamers knew the Wii U was not the Wii, but a mother shopping for Christmas presents didn't. It's important for new products to justify themselves, something Nintendo did not accomplish with the lead-up to the Wii U.
A Solid Game Library That Is Being Ported (But Still Rules In The Virtual Console)
Because of low sales, some may conclude the Wii U's game lineup was also mediocre. Actually, the Wii U had a quality lineup of titles. Super Mario 3D World, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Xenoblade Chronicles X are a few of these well-received titles. The Wii U was also home to HD ports of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Finally, one aspect fans greatly appreciated was the Virtual Console library. From Super Mario 64 to Golden Sun, the Wii U's Virtual Console was impressive. It also housed the worldwide release of Mother/EarthBound Beginnings.
The Wii U had a number of other notable titles, such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Pokken Tournament. However, these two games (and several others) were later ported to the Switch. Thus, it appears Nintendo is eager for everyone to forget the Wii U by porting its notable games. Of course, the Switch needs to do a few more ports (fans are waiting for a 3D World port) and implement more past titles before forgetting completely happens.
From Wii U To Switch
Nintendo carefully analyzed what didn't work with the Wii U. The console tried to enter the tablet market with its unique GamePad controller, but it obviously didn't pan out. Although the Switch itself is not used as a controller for TV play, it's able to play games on the smaller screen. While the Wii U can do the same with many games, it has a limited range. The Switch can be taken anywhere around the world.
Reggie is right when he says the Wii U was a "failure forward" to the Switch. Without the Wii U debacle, it's possible Nintendo might not have created the Switch. Could the Switch have come later on? Maybe, but then fans probably wouldn't have gotten Super Smash Bros. Ultimate until many years later. It's also likely Nintendo wouldn't be dominating the market as it is right now. So, it turns out the Wii U's failure might have actually been a good thing in the long run.