The seventh generation of gaming consoles followed a longer than usual console cycle . Nintendo was the first of the big three companies to announce their next generation console , doing so at E3 2011 with the unveiling of the Wii U , the successor to the Wii . The Wii U was released in North America , Europe , Australia and New Zealand in November 2012 and in Japan the following month . Reception to the console was mixed , with many reviewers criticising the limited choice of launch games available
E3 2011
E3 2011
2010s in video gaming