As with most new console debuts, the Wii U launch has been rocky. The part that has gotten most consumers complaining is an hours-long, 1 GB patch required to access many of the system's features. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has even apologized for it. Nevertheless, that annoying experience won't be going away anytime soon.
In an interview with Gamasutra, Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime said the update's software won't be included in the Wii U's built-in OS until sometime next year. That means that consumers buying the Wii U will still need to apply the update for the foreseeable future. Fils-Aime says that this is simply the cost of being "ground-breaking":
"Every time we launch a new system, there are significant challenges. There's everything from supply to making sure the new offering meet our expectations. In the digital, connected services area, much of what we're doing is groundbreaking, so we are having to learn as we go to make sure the consumer has the very best experience possible."
He also explains that the much-hyped Nintendo TVii streaming service—which would have the console and GamePad interact with various home entertainment options—yet wasn't good enough to be part of the Wii U experience:
"On launch day for us, Nintendo TVii wasn't at a point where we wanted it to be," he said. "It was not the compelling innovative product we wanted it to be and we needed it to be."
Nintendo's Fils-Aime unfazed by Wii U's launch hiccups [Gamasutra]