Setting up the Wii U takes hours, requires the internet

So many updates

The beginning of the setup process for the Wii U is all really standard stuff, especially if you were a Wii user. After you’ve connected all the hardware and charged the GamePad, you’ll be asked to pair the controller to the Wii U. Tap the red buttons on both the console and the controller, type the sync code presented on the TV into the controller, and you’re done. The console goes through all the usual steps: language, country, timezone, and wireless connection.

Once you’re connected to the internet, the Wii U will notice that there is an update to apply before moving forward. Even on a fast connection, this update took nearly 45 minutes to download and install. It’s possible that Nintendo was simply overwhelmed by the volume of users simultaneously requesting this update. If that’s the case, this won’t take quite as long in the future. If this download took so long due to the file size (I’m hearing rumors it’s 5GB), I sincerely hope Nintendo quickly includes it as standard on the next wave of consoles sold. On top of taking 45 minutes, the GamePad screen is left on and active through the entire process. Given the 3-4 hour battery life of the Gamepad, it essentially takes away a quarter of your first gaming session on the console.
After you have completed the system update, you create your account on the console and your Mii is taken to the homescreen. From the looks of it, you can now start playing your Wii U. Unless, of course, you want to put a game in the console or activate your Netflix account. Trying either of these will prompt another system update.
In fact, both the included NintendoLand game and New Super Mario Bros. U required separate software updates. If you have a fast data connection, these only take a couple of minutes a piece. The Netflix update only took 3 or 4 minutes, and afterwards it started and ran great.
All in, the startup process from turning the Wii U on for the first time to actually playing a game was over hour and a half for me. Clearly not the best experience.

Unfinished software

Attempting to open Nintendo TVii, Amazon Instant Video, or YouTube will get you a series of different error messages. Nintendo TVii will tell you that the feature is not available until December, while Amazon Instant and YouTube will just hang as though there’s a software update inbound that will activate these two apps. For now, anyway, that update isn’t coming.
Tucked away in the Messages app is a brief note explaining that the Wii U you just bought isn’t quite done yet. Some of the features that were announced back in September at the Wii U event in NYC will be available sometime soon.
This wouldn’t have been such a body blow if Nintendo hadn’t essentially hidden this fact from everyone until the last possible minute. While it is true that no one explicitly stated that Nintendo TVii would be available at launch, it’s been a heavily marketed feature. Even the sales reps for the Nintendo Midnight Launch event at my local GameStop had no idea. After a thirty minute conversation about how the Wii U functions with TiVo Premiere, my rep was just as shocked as I to learn that the feature wouldn’t be there for a little while.

Final thoughts

The launch of the Wii U could certainly have gone better. The torrent of software updates and the lack of announced features makes the whole launch feel messy and rushed. If you don’t have blazing fast Internet at home, the setup process could take several hours and there’s nothing you can do to stop it once started.
Looking on the bright side, once you have gotten past this initial headache the Wii U is going to offer a great gaming experience to users who have been looking for Nintendo to approach an older audience without compromising on being a family focused console.