Nintendo asks shoppers to update wii u before gifting – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Nintendo recommends updating Wii U before gifting to avoid ruining Christmas

Gallery Photo: Nintendo Wii U hands-on pictures
Gallery Photo: Nintendo Wii U hands-on pictures
Gallery Photo: Nintendo Wii U hands-on pictures
Sean Hollister
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

Nintendo of America is offering some very practical advice on Twitter this holiday season. It’s also possibly the most telling sign we’ve seen of Nintendo’s epic Wii U launch failure.

If you buy a Wii U, be sure to carefully update it to avoid bricking the console. Unless, of course, your giftee would rather have an unopened present. In that case, perhaps you should warn them that they should set aside some time to download the 5GB 1GB update, and avoid restarting the console or yanking the power plug until it (eventually) finishes.

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