Atari founder ‘baffled’ by Wii U

The founder of Atari has admitted he is baffled by Nintendo’s next-gen Wii U console and has raised doubts over its potential for success.

Speaking to the NYTimes, Nolan Bushnell, whose own company fell out of the console manufacturing market as Nintendo grew to prominence, said he believes it is the end of an era for the gaming giant and consoles in general.

“I actually am baffled by it,” said Bushnell.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a big success. These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don’t think they’ll be of major import ever again,” he says. “It feels like the end of an era to me.”

Nintendo has faced many questions over the capabilities of the Wii U console and exactly how it works since it was first unveiled.

But despite such questions and debate surrounding the console’s potential, the Wii U has reportedly been selling out in the UK, proving there is demand for a new console on the market.

A number of high profile titles have also been released to the Wii U including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin’s Creed III and Batman: Arkham City, suggesting there is strong developer support early on for the console.

Also commenting on the chances of Nintendo’s success with the Wii U, former Microsoft president of entertainment and devices Robbie Bach said: “I’ve learned not to count the Nintendo guys out”.