Mark Rein: Wii U Is Destined to Be Successful

Mark Rein, vice president of major game developer Epic Games, said in an interview after trying out Nintendo Wii U game console that the device is destined to be successful. He indicated that Wii U is powerful and titles that use its innovative controller with touch-screen do impress. He also pointed out that Wii U is much more than Wii HD as it features certain additional capabilities.

“I like the Wii U. I think E3 will be a big eye-opener for people. I played Batman: Arkham City on the Wii U and they are doing some really cool stuff with the controller. […] [Zelda demo Nintendo showcased at the last year’s E3] was gorgeous and we can do even more than that with Unreal Engine 3. I think it will do great. […] I think we’ve yet to really see what the Wii U can do and I think at E3 this year they’re going to shock us,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic, in an interview with Eurogamer web-site.

Although Mr. Rein did not reveal any solid plans for Epic to make a Wii U game (probably, some of the current titles will be ported to Nintendo’s next-gen console), he did imply that some of the game developers who use Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 would eventually come up with a title for the Nintendo system.

Given that Nintendo is tremendously interested in attracting core gamers to the Wii U game system, it is only a matter of time before Unreal Engine 3-based titles for the platform emerge. What remains to be seen is how impressive will those games be compared to the future Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 4, which are reportedly due in 2013.

In general, Mark Rein claims that the Wii U will be a success, thanks to the great brand recognition among casual gamers and the fact that Wii U is clearly not just Wii with high-definition graphics. The VP of Epic regrets that Nintendo did not launch the console last year.

“It is a great brand that a lot of parents really trust and they are probably ready to buy their kids an HD Wii that does that much more than just being an HD Wii. […] I would love it if they would done it last year, but I’m excited for them to do it this year. I would be shocked if it doesn’t do well,” said Mr. Rein.

Source: XbitLabs