Randy Pitchford, the cofounder of Gearbox software and the designer of several FPS classics such as Duke Nukem, Half-Life: Opposing Force and Borderlands, believes that Nintendo has managed to create the ultimate controller for FPS and hardcore games with its Wii U gamepad.
Pitchford got to try Wii U and its touchscreen-sporting gamepad while developing the studio’s upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines. "This is the best controller Nintendo's ever made for making an FPS," he said. "This is the best controller Nintendo has ever given us for playing hardcore games."
In the Wii U version of Alines: Colonial Marines, Gearbox opted to use the gamepad’s screen as motion tracker similar to the one seen in the actual Aliens movies. The team decided not to replicate that feature on Xbox 360 and PlayStation despite the fact that they both offer similar "second screen" functionality (SmartGlass and PS Vita cross-play, respectively).
"With the Wii U, [Nintendo] committed themselves to this promise," Pitchford explained. "So the link is direct, fast, and immediate. Things like SmartGlass and Vita, they appreciate the value of the promise so they're making the promise. But they're not in with such commitment."
Aliens: Colonial Marines is scheduled for release on February 12 on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The Wii U edition is scheduled for the system's launch window which extends to March 2013.