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[GoddyofAus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUswZNa1N8

The Sess answers a viewer question at 4:05 related to Nintendo and the performance of the Wii U, and pretty much whether or not Nintendo should go third party. Needless to say, Sesslers assessment is not exactly what Nintendo would want to hear. Considering Sessler is probably one of the more optimistic gaming commentators out there, hearing this from him is pretty big for mine.

 

[BadWolf]

Negativity is all Nintendo can expect unless it makes some major announcements soon and/or blows ppl away at E3.

 

[Agent Ironside]

Well yes, yes it is.

 

[VOOK]

Well they are doomed.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I'd wait until they actually release their big games.

If they're struggling at the end of the year, then it's bad.

 

[speedpop]

Nintendo's financial muscle is too large. Do these commentators understand the real money involved, or are they nothing more than knee-jerk stock amateurs? The only thing that will make Nintendo leave the console sphere is if consoles themselves become the dinosaurs they truly are.

 

[fvng]

Makes me sad but Nintendo chose this route by not engaging in the graphical arms race that MS and Sony are in. People care about that shit after all, because after the novelty of whatever your gimmick is wears off, you're just playing a game with previous gen graphics.

 

[Taurus]

Nintendo, doomed since 1889.

Seriously, Nintendo has the least to worry about. But I can see them moving on to something like home console/handheld console hybrid in the future (because the home console market as it currently is kinda fucked up for everyone). Think about Wii U but with a controller that actually works as portable console.

 

[Jezbollah]

I'd wait until they actually release their big games.

If they're struggling at the end of the year, then it's bad.

How many big games do Nintendo, as a first party, release a year? From what I've seen it's a yearly cycle per IP. They need more than one big title..

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Makes me sad but Nintendo chose this route by not engaging in the graphical arms race that MS and Sony are in. People care about that shit after all because after the novelty of whatever your gimmick wears off, you're just playing a game with previous gen graphics.

I still can't believe people think power is why Nintendo is struggling.

 

[Aostia]

They survived N64 and GC. I think that after DS and Wii revenues they could survive also underperforming sales for the Wii U (and the 3DS is not doing bad at all in the meantime)

 

[canonj]

Is Nintendo Doomed?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

He's right.

 

[Majmun]

Nintendo, doomed since 1889.

Seriously, Nintendo has the least to worry about. But I can see them moving on to something like home console/handheld console hybrid in the future (because the home console market as it currently is kinda fucked up for everyone).

It is?

People are just getting tired of last gen console hardware.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

It's been in far worse jeopardy. I still think things like Smash Bros. and Mario Kart have more pull than people give them credit for. We'll see Sessler. We'll see.

 

[fvng]

I still can't believe people think power is why Nintendo is struggling.

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the consumer wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

 

[Fox Mulder]

The WiiU will have games and maybe a price drop by next holiday. If it still struggled through Christmas, then hey have problems.

The endless Nintendoomed media is beyond being old though.

 

[DragonSworne]

Make fun of the analysis all you want, but Nintendo needs to do something fast about people's perception and word of mouth.

Reputation and perception makes reality. If Nintendo sits ideally by and let's the media blow horn their troubles all over the press, people will notice.

Nintendo will become the next RIMM if they decide to do nothing to counteract this, no amount of money will change that.

 

[Maxim726X]

Makes me sad but Nintendo chose this route by not engaging in the graphical arms race that MS and Sony are in. People care about that shit after all, because after the novelty of whatever your gimmick is wears off, you're just playing a game with previous gen graphics.

Well that's obviously not true... Look at the Wii's success. They chose the wrong gimmick this time.

 

[BadWolf]

I still can't believe people think power is why Nintendo is struggling.

Wii didn't have power but it was successful because of a gimmick/hook that clicked with people.

WiiU has neither.

 

[speedpop]

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

Not everyone needs to have rainbows thrusting in to their eye sockets.

 

[BosSin]

It wouldn't surprise me to see Nintendo go portable only.
But anything is possible, they might just scrape by like they did with the Gamecube

 

[Cheebo]

It is impossible to under-estimate how much of a impact the rise of Apple has had on Nintendo. iOS with games like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, etc have basically stolen the kid market which Nintendo had a lock-down on.

 

[Busty]

Jeopardy.

Jeopardy?

Jeopardy.

 

[teruterubozu]

Not everyone needs to have rainbows thrusting in to their eye sockets.

Then why the 3DS?

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

Nintendo always cared about visuals, it's just not their main priority.

Lack of games is why the system is struggling, not specs.

No one knows the power of the system anyway, E3 will shed some light on it.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

He's right.

I agree. Nintendo came out of the gate without any must have games and (I guess) expected people to buy their console on faith. In hindsight, not a great plan.

 

[speedpop]

Then why the 3DS?

The 3DS delivered with golden showers, not rainbows.

 

[Data West]

Not everyone needs to have rainbows thrusting in to their eye sockets.

Just those 50K+ out of 100K that returned theirs in January.

 

[Alcotholic]

With new games on the horizon, I'm going to wait and see. A lot of articles have said this and there has been some urgency to them, but his feels a little late on the subject.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Unless theres some meteoric Wii Uturn, (ha ha!!) I would see no point in Nintendo releasing another home console.

All in on powerful HD portable with standard size and bigger-screen GamePad size.

 

[JoeM86]

Has a better launch than the 360 and PS3 makes it doomed and in jeopardy. Fascinating.

Not saying they don't have issues they need to resolve, but the fact is they are back to profitability again, and when they actually get games out, it will help even further. As people have said, if they're still doing poorly when their games are out after Holiday 2013, then yes they will have an issue...but not now

Whereas Microsoft and Sony will be selling their consoles at significant losses. That is not how you run a business.

To internet people, yes, Nintendo is in "jeopardy". In business terms? Hell no

 

[Like the hat?]

Are we talking psp or 3ds style "doomed" while still selling a ton, or vita style doomed?

 

[Somnid]

It is?

People are just getting tired of last gen console hardware.

Actually stats would suggest people aren't tiring enough of 360/PS3 and neither are publishers.

 

[speedpop]

Just those 50K+ out of 100K that returned theirs in January.

They should've bought a PC.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Makes me sad but Nintendo chose this route by not engaging in the graphical arms race that MS and Sony are in. People care about that shit after all, because after the novelty of whatever your gimmick is wears off, you're just playing a game with previous gen graphics.

PS1, PS2 and the DS were not graphical beasts. In the scope of things, graphics are actually fairly minor and haven't been the defining aspect. For most the biggest selling point are the actual games, whether they're pretty or just plain fun. If graphics really were the end all, the Vita would be flying off shelves.

Nintendo is in this situation because of poor branding and a major lack of software. If they fix those two things they'll bounce back. Maybe not to Wii levels, but at least a profitable console.

But I don't believe Nintendo is doomed. I think they could continue like this for decades before they have to worry about going the Sega route.

 

[wsippel]

He's right.

The whole industry is in jeopardy right now, and Nintendo is probably the most likely to survive another crash.

 

[jmls1121]

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the consumer wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

the overall consensus regarding next gen graphics was not "wow", but "meh". Graphical horsepower is not Nintendo's problem. Its incredibly poor marketing coupled with the high cost of their 'new way to play' controller this time around.

 

[big youth]

It's probably the most well reasoned logic I've heard as to how Wii U could be doomed

But I still don't buy it. I don't think PS4 or Nextbox will be nearly as successful as some people seem to think, and Nintendo should have the advantage of having the cheapest console on the market.

 

[mantidor]

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the consumer wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

You have absolutely zero evidence this is the reason the WiiU is struggling. If anything looking at pretty much all of the past generations, it's safe to say people really don't care that much.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Sessler's anti-Nintendo bias is well known and he knows little of the company's financials. He offers opinions, opinions we hear all too often. If he backed that up with actual data fine, but he can't.

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the consumer wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

Graphics aren't everything, and Nintendo strikes a good balance between visuals and fun game design.
That's more important to me than all the whizzbangs and doodads you can throw on screen as evidenced by stuff like Knack.
Is the next iteration of 3D Mario / Zelda going to blow my socks off when I see it? Probably. Because it's the first time we've seen them running at that level.

 

[fvng]

Well that's obviously not true... Look at the Wii's success. They chose the wrong gimmick this time.

How long did it take for Wii software sales to stagnate? How many core gamers let their Wii collect dust in a corner of a closet? If it wasnt for Project Rainfall, the Wii wouldn't have had a decent swan song. The Wii outsold the competition but there are other factors to consider when considering if the console succeeded with audiences. I wonder how much good faith they lost with the Wii, that ended up hurting the sales of the WiiU

 

[BadWolf]

Has a better launch than the 360 and PS3 makes it doomed and in jeopardy. Fascinating.

Launching better than a $599 console isn't much of an accomplishment.

 

[NeonZ]

I agree. Nintendo came out of the gate without any must have games and (I guess) expected people to buy their console on faith. In hindsight, not a great plan.

They expected that NSMBU and Nintendo Land would be must have games. NSMBU kind of seems to be an almost obligatory pick up for anyone with the system, but it's clearly not moving enough consoles, and Nintendo Land is basically the next Wii Music as far as appeal goes...

Wii didn't have power but it was successful because of a gimmick/hook that clicked with people.

The gimmick also was cheap. The Wii U went with a more costly gimmick that elevated the console's price in spite of its lack of power, sacrificing another one of the Wii's selling points, for no benefit at all in the end.

 

[Dabanton]

I can't believe Nintendo thinks people don't care about graphical fidelity.

You underestimate the wow factor that comes from seeing next gen graphics.

They do and they don't the Wii is testament to that. But the Wii U biggest problem is the stream of games that should be coming. They have quite frankly blown it in that situation and now they have to wait to bring the more heavyweight titles but time is something they don't have.

 

[Chuckpebble]

Haven't watched yet, but will. But the headline to me is correct, just not troublesome at all. I see the console race as the race towards being exactly the same as PC, except more expensive. I've already got a PC, so I'm covered there.

 

[Data West]

Keep being negative journalists, so I can get a price cut pls.

 

[CosmicGroinPull]

Yep, maybe they should've spent a bit of those billions they made from the Wii to spec their new system a little better, huh?

On the other hand there's Sony selling off their assets left and right to fund the PS4, lol.

 

[Delio]

Unless theres some meteoric Wii Uturn, (ha ha!!) I would see no point in Nintendo releasing another home console.

All in on powerful HD portable with standard size and bigger-screen GamePad size.

I wonder if a powerful Portable will be ideal tho. Without a console Third parties would ignore them even more than they do now. Then you have the sweet spot price to worry about as handhelds have diminished in the states somewhat. I dont see the portable only route being a great one.

 

[Effect]

Negativity is all Nintendo can expect unless it makes some major announcements soon and/or blows ppl away at E3.

Negativity will still continue regardless. Many in the gaming media aren't happy unless they're talking about (wishing for) Nintendo's end regardless of the actual reality and facts. They've been doing it forever. That's really the more annoying thing here. They are able to look up the same information we can. Yet many of them choose to remain ignorant or appear ignorant just to get site traffic and viewers. I wish people would stop giving them what they want. Sessler has a anti-bias anyway. That's always been the case with him.