• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

If Nintendo Killed Off the Wii U...

N

NYCrooner

Member
...could you see them going handheld only for at least one gen?

...would Nintendo diehards (like myself) be willing to fork over more money for the next Nintendo console after this major burn?

...will third parties ever jump back on board with Nintendo or would they just live off
the fat of the MS/Sony land?
 
The chances of Nintendo killing off the Wii U anytime soon are slim. Unless they want to sink all the money they invested into it.
 
Nintendo sold nearly 4 million Wii U's in 6 months without any big system selling software. I'd say they are going to give it a solid push for the next few years and then see where they are.
 
kG3or.gif
 
Third parties will jump back on board when Nintendo releases a non gimmick with capable hardware and online while also listening to what third parties want. Aka when Iwata leaves.
 
They should just focus on the handheld market.
Make a Nintenphone.
Facebook did it with Facebook Home.
Why can't Nintendo leverage the openness of Android and take a piece of the pie.
 
To be honest, I'd be okay with them killing off the Wii U. It's better than slogging through the next 4 years with a system getting crapped on. Put it out of it's misery now and plan better in the future.
 
NYCrooner said:
...would Nintendo diehards (like myself) be willing to fork over more money for the next Nintendo console after this major burn?
Click to expand...
Only if they made it fully BC and supported current software natively, probably by being 2 to 4 Wii Us taped together. If I'm reinvesting to get my Wii VC games natively on Wii U I'd rather that last awhile, not to reinvest AGAIN in just a year or two. Even then I'd probably feel like waiting a bit.
 
Define "killed off." If they jumped ship within the next two years, that would be a pretty big sting towards consumer confidence. The Wii was a success for them in sales, but it honestly had a pretty short life cycle when you look at it. Came out the same year as the PS3, yet all the major support dried up like two years before it was replaced with the Wii U. It got a handful of notable games, like Skyward Sword and Xenoblade Chronicles but considering it was king of the hill, it was dead way before 2012 and maybe even 2011.

They got a year jump on Sony and Microsoft. But if those companies plan on doing another long cycle, which they probably will, I don't see how the Wii U can limp along and still be a viable option for consumes and developers 6/7/8 years from now. It's a hard position to be in. Launching later wouldn't have benefited them much since it would be directly compared to the new Sony and MS machines. It just came at an odd time with an odd focus, and I'm not sure that the value of the system resonated with consumers. And it's an uphill battle with two new flashy consoles launching in a couple months.
 
Depends on what they offered with their next console. If it were a compelling product, I'd have no problem buying it. Not too keen on a handheld-only Ninty.
 
The best for you guys would really be that Nintendo became a content provider/service provider.

Nintendo has enough IPs to become a Steam-like service provider. This would be less expensive than developing new hardware and getting burnt every generation.

Because unfortunately, Nintendo cannot compete in todays reality, meaning that they cannot make a console that does or will do everything that Microsofts and Sonys does (all the extra besides gaming). Nintendo has had at least 3 generations to make a proper online-infrastructure and what they have done with Wii U, is their best? Is definately not enough in todays market...

my two cents..
 
I say Nintendo supports the system for at least 4 more years before throwing in the towel.

I'm sure they will take measures to ensure that it at least manages to get close to GameCube numbers.
 
In such a scenario they would just stick with 3DS and focus on that for the next 4-5 years, then give it a go with a new console.

There is no chance of Nintendo pulling the plug now on the Wii U, they already invested money and time on games for it that are still coming, but realistically in a year or 2, if things have not dramatically improved, it is not unreasonable to consider pulling the plug.
 
E3 will be quite interesting this year.
Realistically, Nintendo is not going to pull a VirtualBoy with the Wii U.
The games are coming, and when they're out they will give Nintendo fans a reason to pick up the console. Even as a died in the wool fan, I haven't picked one up, or a 3DS yet.
So I imagine there are many others like me, that are waiting for a price drop and the first crop of interesting titles before buying a Wii U.
I would like a nice color scheme before buying a 3DS, which I'm guessing will be available by the end of the year.

Chie Satonaka said:
There are people who think Nintendo exiting the industry or going third party is good for video games.
Click to expand...

I'd love for this to be explained.
 
MoeB said:
They should just focus on the handheld market.
Make a Nintenphone.
Facebook did it with Facebook Home.
Why can't Nintendo leverage the openness of Android and take a piece of the pie.
Click to expand...

Difference is that Facebook Home is awful.

Hell, even the dedicated phone for it flopped hard and has already been discontinued.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
I say Nintendo supports the system for at least 4 more years before throwing in the towel.

I'm sure they will take measures to ensure that it at least manages to get close to GameCube numbers.
Click to expand...

Honestly, what good does that do? Supporting the system for 4 years with no hype, no real games coming out, and people would still be pissed off at Nintendo for buying a "shitty" system and not getting any games for 4 years. It's crappy either way they go.
 
They can survive a generation or two (or three) with being in a distant third place. They have that much money in the bank from Wii that it would hardly dent them. ($15 billion). They can afford to make losses for a decade at least...
 
EDarkness said:
Honestly, what good does that do? Supporting the system for 4 years with no hype, no real games coming out, and people would still be pissed off at Nintendo for buying a "shitty" system and not getting any games for 4 years. It's crappy either way they go.
Click to expand...

You are assuming they are not making any games for Wii U? lol
 
I think they would much sooner release another console than go handheld only, and going 3rd party would be a last resort. They've had short lived handhelds before... Virtual Boy, GBA, DSi if you want to count it but it's a stretch. They could do the same with a console.
 
I don't think Nintendo would discontinue the Wii U, it's too late to do that. It's clearly a console that the third-parties aren't fond of, and based on the sales, majority of consumers aren't interested in what it offers at the current price point. Killing the console outright would do a lot of damage to the company, so I don't think they'll go ahead with it. Their best bet would be to drop the price significantly and release tons of software and build a sizable install base. It's not too late for them to change things around, but one thing is for sure though, people shouldn't be expecting a lot of third-party support for the Wii U. It's the Wii all over again but without a unique selling point.

z0m3le said:
It would be the end of diversity for the industry. We'd all be happy to play CoD 22 though I'm sure.
Click to expand...
Don't act like there aren't any innovative games on other platforms.
 
EDarkness said:
Honestly, what good does that do? Supporting the system for 4 years with no hype, no real games coming out, and people would still be pissed off at Nintendo for buying a "shitty" system and not getting any games for 4 years. It's crappy either way they go.
Click to expand...

Dear god, the myopia.

The "hype" and "real games" have been damn near exclusively centered on first party Nintendo titles. They will exist on the Wii U just as much as they existed on the N64, and GameCube and the Wii.
 
EDarkness said:
Honestly, what good does that do? Supporting the system for 4 years with no hype, no real games coming out, and people would still be pissed off at Nintendo for buying a "shitty" system and not getting any games for 4 years. It's crappy either way they go.
Click to expand...

Aren't Nintendo fans used to just buying Nintendo games anyway? How is this any different from previous gens?

Yeah, third parties are gone from the system and they won't be coming back...so? Did you ever play third party games on your Wii, GCN, or N64?

There are no games out *NOW*, but do you honestly think Nintendo doesn't have a ton of software in the works to rejuvenate the product?

It's not like they can magically come out with another system anytime soon and change the tides. They've made their bed for the next few years, they'll have to make the best out of a bad situation.
 
z0m3le said:
It would be the end of diversity for the industry. We'd all be happy to play CoD 22 though I'm sure.
Click to expand...

We honestly have significantly much more diversity software-wise now than we ever have before. Why you guys keep picking the same one or two games out of literally hundreds every year to prop up as some boogeyman to protect your fandom is beyond me.

That said, I still think a Nintendo hybrid device would be my ideal. Like if they made a tablet and a handheld with HDMI out and a sold seperately controller. I sure as hell don't expect that to happen anytime soon, though. They will not kill the Wii U, no platform is going to get killed unless it's to signal something a LOT more dire than a period of weak sales. You let it ride out, fix and collect what you can off of it and don't enrage the folks who bought one. Plus, it sure as shit wouldn't get you more fans on the next device with everyone knowing you just axed a ~1-2 year old device.
 
Once Wii U 3D Mario & Zelda releases and NPD is ashes... (Number 1 for both titles)

Then Wii U has my permission to die.

tdkrtrailer2_thumblylcl.jpg
 
KillerTravis said:
You are assuming they are not making any games for Wii U? lol
Click to expand...

Well, it's not like they did much for the Wii near the end of it's life. So it's no unreasonable to assume that if the Wii U doesn't do well, it'll end up much like the Wii (and GameCube) with a game coming here and there, but otherwise long droughts of nothing. How is that in any way better than killing it off and starting fresh. Or killing it off, waiting a couple of years and then jumping back in the console business.
 
casuals are NOT returning costumers
the soccer moms have moved onto the next thing

the wii U has "i hope we attract the casuals again V2.0" all over it
and it failed hardcore

they should kill it but are probably too proud to do so
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
Aren't Nintendo fans used to just buying Nintendo games anyway? How is this any different from previous gens?

Yeah, third parties are gone from the system and they won't be coming back...so? Did you ever play third party games on your Wii, GCN, or N64?
Click to expand...

Are you being fucking serious? Some of the best games on the GCN were 3rd party. Hell fucking RE4.
 
Worst case scenario, the Wii U's life is really short at only 4 or even 3 years, and then they release a new console that's more competitive.

But I don't think they're going to just stop supporting it at all. I'm sure they'll keep making games for it until they move on to whatever's next.
 
Chie Satonaka said:
There are people who think Nintendo exiting the industry or going third party is good for video games.
Click to expand...

Nintendo is having trouble releasing games on schedule for its own esoteric hardware on a schedule that it can manipulate at will, and is still relying ever more and more on the same franchises to ensure sales while production costs rise.

A third party Nintendo or a Nintendo driven into financial ruin would be this same effect taken to brand new heights. Multiple Mario Karts and NSMB titles per generation on the same hardware, second party and smaller studio experimentation take a nosedive in quantity and are roped ever more into contributing to the same few games, secondary and tertiary Nintendo franchises virtually disappear.
 
NYCrooner said:
...could you see them going handheld only for at least one gen?

...would Nintendo diehards (like myself) be willing to fork over more money for the next Nintendo console after this major burn?

...will third parties ever jump back on board with Nintendo or would they just live off
the fat of the MS/Sony land?
Click to expand...

This is the most interesting part of the Wii U saga. What Nintendo does now.

Can they do a traditional, powerful, non-gimmicky console again?

I dont really see why they couldn't. They could probably claim their natural 1/3rd of the market.

Right now their problem is time. If they dropped Wii U tomorrow, it would take 2-3 years before they could push another console out. But then again, maybe if they used that time to make it significantly more powerful than PS4/720, it wouldn't be a real problem, it could carve out it's market by force more or less.

In conclusion, I dont know.
 
Nekofrog said:
Are you being fucking serious? Some of the best games on the GCN were 3rd party. Hell fucking RE4.
Click to expand...

Wow, one game...

That's like, the only major one you can list that people probably cared about.

I can't speak for everyone, but I buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games, I don't think I've purchased a single third party title for a Nintendo system since like the SNES era. It's just something I've come to expect.
 
It would irreparably harm their brand in a similar manner that Sega did. And the 3DS isn't doing well enough for them to lean on it like that. This would probably lead to mass layoffs and Nintendo fundamentally changing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

What if the WII U was successful?
2
53
1K
Alan Wake replied
  • Poll
Which Nintendo comeback was more impressive? (GameCube to Wii vs Wii U to Switch)
2 3
109
1K
Heimdall_Xtreme replied
  • Poll
Is Xbox One the Microsoft equivalent of the Wii U?
2
58
551
Xaeroxcore666 replied
Nintendo Switch 2 has now outsold Wii U, Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation Vita in the UK (NielsenIQ data)
45
429
Panajev2001a replied
Wii U: Better than you remember - Game Sack
2 3
136
358
ResurrectedContrarian replied
Top Bottom