Here's why Nintendo never utilised dual GamePad support on Wii U
And not just because of low sales.
Low sales of the Wii U weren't the only reason Nintendo decided to not offer dual GamePad support on its somewhat underwhelming console. The decision was also due to a general lack of suitable games to actually make its implementation worthwhile, former Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé has said.
Speaking to MinnMax, Fils-Aimé stated:
"What was interesting is that with the Wii U, there was a full development plan for all of the interesting interactions and all of the interesting capabilities that the system could do, and so in that case, technically could multiple gamepads communicate with a Wii U? Answer was 'yes', but the install base never got large enough that that type of implementation made sense."
He went on to explain that "most importantly", Nintendo never "create[d] a game where you needed another GamePad in order to have a great experience", which is certainly a pretty key part for any gaming mechanic to be made viable.
As such, "the development just never proceeded" and, with the Wii U becoming a rather short-lived console in the grand scheme of things, dual GamePad support just "never came to pass".
"In order for those initiatives to come to life (at least from Nintendo's perspective) there needs to be a game that drives that implementation that enables the player to see why you would need a second gamepad as an example, and that game creation process is just so critical," Fils-Aimé concluded.
Earlier this year, Fils-Aimé also shared a damning verdict of the games industry's lack of progress in diversity, arguing that it is "woefully behind" in this area.