False start for Madden 25 on Wii U

Last year in my Madden 13 Wii U review, I wrote that it was a good first step in the right direction. Now, it appears it's the only step in that direction. EA Sports has confirmed that Madden NFL 25 will not be coming to Nintendo's Wii U. In a brief statement, EA Sports said:

We will not be releasing a Wii U version of Madden NFL in 2013. However, we have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate opportunities for delivering additional Madden NFL products for Nintendo fans in the future.

This is another blow to the struggling Wii U console. Last year, Madden NFL 13 appeared on the Wii U. Though it was missing the new Infinity Engine that the other consoles had, it did have a number of GamePad-specific features — such as off-TV play, picking plays through the GamePad, and using the touchscreen to create custom hot routes and defensive adjustments. It was my hope that this year's Madden 25 on the Wii U would have the updated Infinity Engine, because I think that Madden on the Wii U could be really special with the engine and the GamePad.

Who knows what other additional Madden NFL products EA Sports and Nintendo are considering. If it's not the main Madden game other consoles are getting, no one is going to care about it. People want Madden 25, and now Wii U owners needing a football fix will have to go elsewhere for it.

Essentially, EA Sports/Madden 25 and Nintendo are the equivalent of Tim Tebow and the New York Jets.