If their big plan is really what you assume it is then I don't see anything premature about declaring it stillborn. Unless one still expects the Upad to be the Wiimote.
Except it's not analogous. As many people have said before. For numerous reasons. And it's not analogous to the 3DS either.
Just because 3DS wasn't made by Sony doesn't mean it couldn't be saved.
Yeah let's go through the hard phase of launching a system and going through the first year of drought, just to do it all over again without trying to maximize profit as much as you can! Nintendo has billions in the bank, I doubt this bad start for the Wii U is as big of a problem as people make it out to be. Nintendo will end this generation making plenty of profit, thats a guarantee that can't be said for Sony or Microsoft.
The PS3 is doing even worse, launch aligned. PS3 doesn't have first party support like Nintendo. Wii U to PS4/Durango gap isn't as bad as Wii to PS3/360 gap, weaker yes, but making it look outdated? Thats pure exaggeration.
For the quadrillionth time, comparisons to the PS3 are flawed. There were very obvious reasons to its stalled start - namely the ridiculous price. And it had the backing of the entirety of the industry, something the Wii U doesn't enjoy. Publishers needed the PS3 to succeed. They have no vested interest in the Wii U.
NSMB Wii sold tens of millions too.
If Nintendo intends to try to purely sustain this console on their first party efforts alone then as you imply, then I don't see how. Hyperbole sure, but essentially it will relegate them to GCN level irrelevance at best. I do not think any first party, even Nintendo's, can in and of itselve sustain a console's relevance to the market without some sort of unexpected phenomena like that which occurred with the Wii.
It's the most expensive console vying for a late adopter market, alongside consoles of comparable performance which released years ago.
Look at the software sales on DS/Wii. They've gained alot of brand awareness for their games during this era. Sure it doesn't guarantee every game will be a hit, but it certainly helps them in trying to carry the Wii U all alone.
Gamecube came off the N64, brand awareness for their games was at an all time low. They're much better equipped to support a console by themselves now than they were back in the Gamecube days.
Most of the Nintendo franchises didn´t sell much better than they did on the cube although the Wii had 4 times the install base. Only exception were Mario Kart and NSMBU because they both appealed to the gigantic casual crowd. That´s not gonna repeat itself on the WiiU, as we already see at the NSMBU sales.
They were preparing for the launch of two new consoles with a downturn in software in general, losses weren't a surprise. PS3 has weak first support vs strong third party support, just as Wii U has strong first party and weak third party. But look at the Wii for a second, last gen it had virtually no HD core games, it simply wasn't possible. The Wii U already has some things announced. Small steps and all but I think this is already better than what the Wii was getting. The big, big thing that the Wii U doesn't have is the casual hits, thats something that is gonna make everything so much harder than it was back then.
Actually many of their games sold much better than the Gamecube days, do a little fact checking and you'd know.
Let's just wait for numbers after the Wii U gets a big release before judging it, okay thanks bye.
Let's just wait for numbers after the Wii U gets a big release before judging it, okay thanks bye.
