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[Jaded Alyx]

There is still nothing on the console or coming that makes me want to buy this system regardless of it selling a little better over xmas.

I want a new Zelda, not a refurb, even though Wind Waker looks amazing, I've already finished it, and a HD remake isn't worth the entry level alone.

Also that list you posted is awful, considering I'm what you would consider a core gamer.

Wii Party U? Nope
Angry Birds U? Nope seriously?
Super Mario 3D world? ..eeh ye...ye...eee...neeeah...... not sure if want.
Ben 10? Are you joking
COD? The why would you buy this version over any other version edition.
Watch Dogs? Delayed
Ass Creed? Better on Other consoles.

Maybe the real new Zelda, which might not be out for 2-3 years might interest me. This system needs something new and exclusive to even peak my interest.

The Wonderful 101? Its new and exclusive. Just curious, but what are your thoughts on that game?

 

[Teletraan1]

Short answer: No
Long answer: Hell No

System is increasingly irrelevant and will be more so when next gen actually starts. A few mascot titles that didn't save the gamecube aren't going to save the WiiU. If people who are into those mascots or Nintendo buy the system great, but I dont see it coming back from the grave especially at that ridiculous price point. Even the Gamecube didn't come back after they slashed the price to lower than the PS2 ever sold for in the US. System is just a flop. It happens. The best thing Nintendo can do is fire its management and hope that they come back with a real attempt next time instead of the half assed hardware, half baked OS lacking features that were made standard in 2006, and paltry game releases over its first year on the market where it could have ran unopposed if Nintendo had a clue.

 

[PVR]

34% of 3 million = 1 million sales for MK8. Which is pitiful considering the IP.

So the Wii U will sell zero units between now and Mario Kart 8?

Super Mario 3d world will not move any units?
donkey Kong tp will move zero units?
a real price cut will not move any units?

 

[prankster101]

Where did I say that they will lose their IP? I said their IP will most likely be devalued. There will be a drop in quality, especially if they will be developing for more than one console. They will not be able to optimize the game because they will be forced to meet someone else's deadline, and this is not even taking into account the fact that, regardless of whether or not the consoles will have the same general architecture, they will still have their differences which will mean the developers will have to invest more time to be intimately familiar with it, if they are to maintain the level of quality that first-party Nintendo games are known for. There is a reason why multiplatform titles will never have that Nintendo polish -- that's because they have to deal with different console machines.

And the more profit you are speaking of is in the assumption that a majority of the PlayStation/Xbox gamer will buy Nintendo games. You know, the consoles whose target demographics are the 18-34 gamers who would rather buy CoD or GTA, titles which Nintendo historically do not go for. Nintendo is a toy company. Their target is the family/kids demographics. Nintendo might not be selling to a larger audience as Sony+Microsoft combined but what they will be taking will be pure profit, with games that normally break the 3 million barrier for the lesser known IPs, and as much as 10 million for the more established ones.

Let's not even get into the fact that IPs move hardware. And with Nintendo games being exclusive to Nintendo hardware, it WILL move hardware. You know what's the cherry on top? This will be all profit for them: hardware AND software.

A hardware is just a hardware. As I said, Nintendo lives on its software IPs, and its software are developed by Nintendo engineers. As such, they can get the most out of the hardware and develop games that are, you know, FUN. Which ultimately is what's important. You can have the best hardware in the business but if it does not have the software support, it might just as well be a dustbin. Case in point: 3DO, Neo-Geo, Jaguar. I would even be cheeky and say Wii U but they're slowly churning out the software now so I'd rather take a wait and see attitude. Wii U may only reach GC levels of sales but that will be already be profitable to Nintendo. And bottom line, that will be what matters to them, and they WON'T be compromising their IP.

So yeah, I'd say you're irrational.

Do I really need to explain to you why using a percentage of copies sold on one console and equating it to another console is ridiculous?

Are you seriously trying to tell me right now that MK8 will only sell a million copies?

Please read the following below from another established member...

A lot of Nintendo fans on GAF are in for a hard lesson on how game sales figures work. Those numbers don't come overnight, they occur from the game selling well over an extended period of time. Mario Sunshine for instance sold only around 300k it's first month but continually pulled in numbers around 25-30k each month for nearly the entire lifespan of the Gamecube. This was because the Gamecube was pulling in a large enough audience to pull in those sorts of numbers (Around 100k consoles per month or more). The Wii U is performing nowhere near that level, and it has a baseline of sales far lower than any console since the Sega Saturn. Those games aren't going to sell anywhere near their Gamecube iterations let alone the 3DS versions. Mario Kart will be lucky to hit 5 million even with bundles.

 

[Cornbread78]

This implies MK8 won't get people to buy the system.

Check Wiki, but MKWii sold around 25 milion or so, right? They had a much much greater userbase to pull from though..

 

[Memino]

Please read the following below from another established member...

Oh I did read that, it's a fair point, also 5 million is more reasonable than the 1 million you stated.

 

[prankster101]

Do I really need to explain to you why using a percentage of copies sold on one console and equating it to another console is ridiculous?

Are you seriously trying to tell me right now that MK8 will only sell a million copies?

I'm saying that the Wii U's present base size, and future sales and rate of userbase increase will hamper the profitability of MK.

 

[prankster101]

Oh I did read that, it's a fair point, also 5 million is more reasonable than the 1 million you stated.

Fair point.

 

[Kageshinzo]

Please read the following below from another established member...

And? What he says does not support your cherished idea that Nintendo should be going third-party. If anything, it upholds it. Nintendo needs its IP library to push sales of the Wii U. That will not happen if they go third-party.

Software moves hardware. Nintendo has acknowledged that the drought of games was largely responsible for the dismal first year Wii U sales. They're addressing this. Do I think this will move the Wii U to the top of the next-gen pack? Hell no. But it will help a lot in establishing a good Wii U userbase. If they play their card right, they can stay healthy during this generation. That's probably the most Nintendo can hope for at this point. But if it will be profitable to them, then that's all that matters to Nintendo. And a healthy Nintendo can only be good for this industry.

 

[airmangataosenai]

Please read the following below from another established member...

Mmmm I get stuff wrong plenty. But when it comes to this topic the long-term numbers for Nintendo games will be tied to how the system itself does in the long-term. Nintendo games don't tend to pull huge numbers up front so that's the nature of how it works. People thinking 3D World on MK8 will pull in numbers similar to 3D Land or MK7 are just being unrealistic, the Wii U can never reach sales of 30 million+ even if it were to have the most miraculous recovery the video game industry has ever seen. At this point even 20 million is likely an unrealistic fantasy.

 

[Yoshi]

I think once PS4 and Xbox One are out and filling store shelves, the Wii U will get pushed into a corner (literally) and it probably won't be able to get back out. I honestly don't think the market wants an expensive last gen spec'd TV console that plays Nintendo games.

My opinion? This will be it's last Xmas, but I am probably wrong.

How is this reasonable with Zelda, X, Yoshi and Smash Bros still in the works? Do you think Nintendo will cancel all these games? There will be a next christmas for Wii U, because there are games being worked on right now that will not release much earlier. The earliest christmas you could somehow expect to be the last one would be christmas 14...

 

[prankster101]

And? What he says does not support your cherished idea that Nintendo should be going third-party. If anything, it upholds it. Nintendo needs its IP library to push sales of the Wii U. That will not happen if they go third-party.

Software moves hardware. Nintendo has acknowledged that the drought of games was largely responsible for the dismal first year Wii U sales. They're addressing this. Do I think this will move the Wii U to the top of the next-gen pack? Hell no. But it will help a lot in establishing a good Wii U userbase. If they play their card right, they can stay healthy during this generation. That's probably the most Nintendo can hope for at this point. But if it will be profitable to them, then that's all that matters to Nintendo. And a healthy Nintendo can only be good for this industry.

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

 

[prankster101]

How is this reasonable with Zelda, X, Yoshi and Smash Bros still in the works? Do you think Nintendo will cancel all these games? There will be a next christmas for Wii U, because there are games being worked on right now that will not release much earlier. The earliest christmas you could somehow expect to be the last one would be christmas 14...

Maybe it would be best to port the games to the next Nintendo platform. Or port the games to XBox360/PS3. At least make reasonable sales that way...

 

[Prince Vultan]

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

Nintendo aren't going to go third party over the failure of the Wii U... nor are they likely to invest in the huge cost associated with creating and launching a new home console (Especially these days) after the losses they've been suffering in recent years. Be realistic. They'll be handheld only before they'd ever consider ditching hardware outright.

 

[Liha]

Oh, now I get it. You're one of those "Nintendo should go 3rd party" people. That explains your irrational vitriol of the Wii U and why you want it to fail. I should have known when you made that idiotic comment that you're one of those people who want to play Nintendo games but don't want to support their platform.

Tough. It'll be a cold day in hell before that happens.

Let me tell you why your wish for Nintendo to become 3rd party is not just moronic but impossible:

1. Nintendo is a control freak. It knows that its IPs are among the most valuable in the entertainment biz. To ensure that games based from its IPs are top quality, it wants some control all aspect of the development, right from the software down to the hardware.

2. Nintendo is very profit-oriented. This has been true ever since Yamauchi turned his company from a card maker to the video game giant it is today. Until very recently (with the price drop of the Wii U) NONE of its consoles were sold at a loss, unlike what Sony and Microsoft did. This has proved to be VERY profitable to them. Since they control their hardware and publish their first-party games on that hardware, all the sales from these games are almost always pure profit since they don't need to share the sales with another company. This is the reason why, among all the video game companies since this industry started, Nintendo has NEVER been in the red.

3. Nintendo's lifeblood are their IPs. The hardware are just vehicles to deliver those. That is why people say if you want to play Nintendo games, get a Nintendo console. That is why people say you don't get a Nintendo console for third-party games; you get them for Nintendo games. Them publishing their own games on their own consoles means they don't need to pay any console manufacturer a cut of the game's sales (point #2) and their engineers and development teams will be able to get the most out of the hardware, thereby creating that unique Nintendo aesthetic and quality (point #1), even with the supposed limitation of a Nintendo console.

And here is why Nintendo going third-party is the most awful idea any gamer worth his controller can ever propose: Nintendo going third-party means they HAVE to play by the console maker's backyard. They HAVE to make their engineers be intimately familiar with more than one console. You know where I'm going with this, right? This will most assuredly cause a dip in the quality of Nintendo games. Do you know why most first-party Nintendo games have that "evergreen" quality to them? Because those games are created with optimization in mind: optimized for a Nintendo console, on Nintendo's development schedule, and subject to their intense Nintendo quality assurance. Go look at the first page in this forum: you will see a thread about Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D World, Super Smash Brothers. Go scan there pages: you will notice that everyone agrees the visual and mechanics quality are top notch. Nintendo games rarely, if ever, drop in value across the years -- hell, in my place, a brand new Super Mario Galaxy 2 is still around the $50 range.

If you really care for Nintendo's software, then you will never want them to go third-party. That is inane and that would be suicide. The short-term gains they make with cross-platform sales will never offset the devaluation of their IP, and it will hurt them in the long run.

Also, Mario Kart will never eclipse Tomb Raider sales? What the fuck are you smoking? Mario Kart Wii ALONE sold 34.26 million copies as of March, according to Wikipedia. Square-Enix would give their balls to have sales like that, that is not Final Fantasy.

20/10

 

[coinoperatedboy]

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

Best thing they can do is keep releasing great games and market the damn thing.
That is the only viable option.

 

[prankster101]

Nintendo aren't going to go third party over the failure of the Wii U... nor are they likely to invest in the huge cost associated with creating and launching a new home console (Especially these days) after the losses they've been suffering in recent years. Be realistic. They'll be handheld only before they'd ever consider ditching hardware outright.

I said it in another thread (or maybe this one): the 3DS is up for a renewal. Best Nintendo can do is make a one-size fits all console that acts as handheld and micro (TV connect) console. A redesigned Wii U that falls under the DS family.

 

[Memino]

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on.

They'll certainly get the most out of it next year when their first party titles finish cooking but it's looking very much like a failed concept. There is a lot to be learned particularly from their streaming tech which they can apply to their next console in a better way. Ideally I'd like to see their next gen handheld working in some way with the console, at the very least streaming games to your tv. I don't think they'll go hybrid and cut off one of their revenue streams but I'm sure they can come up with a better concept than the wii u.

Third party would be a death curse on the whole company, they make too much money on the hardware business to put it aside for software only.

 

[KennyLinder]

How is this reasonable with Zelda, X, Yoshi and Smash Bros still in the works? Do you think Nintendo will cancel all these games? There will be a next christmas for Wii U, because there are games being worked on right now that will not release much earlier. The earliest christmas you could somehow expect to be the last one would be christmas 14...

Yes. I think Nintendo could and would cancel (or more likely move) these games if it became bad enough. If it vanishes from stores (which is possible, lets be honest here) then it will quickly become forgotten by consumers.

I think Wii U's future will be decided over the next three to six months and if doesn't quickly pick up it will become a forgotten system. Another question to ask is how much longer will Ubisoft and Activision support the console? Throughout 2014? 2015?

Gamecube died on it's arse and struggled on until 2007, but I can't see Nintendo running the Wii U for 6 years. Perhaps they will but fuck me they're up against it.

 

[Kageshinzo]

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

Dreamcast failed because Sega, by that time, was already deep in the red; it was already bleeding money profusely. Sega had to pull out two years into the DC's life simply because it cannot sustain the system with its financial troubles, especially with the arrival of the PS2. Nintendo does not have Sega's problems. It can support the Wii U well into the customary 5-6 year console lifespan. It is not unthinkable to think that during that period, the Wii U may still gain decent momentum.

 

[coinoperatedboy]

Yes. I think Nintendo could and would cancel (or more likely move) these games if it became bad enough. If it vanishes from stores (which is possible, lets be honest here) then it will quickly become forgotten by consumers.

I think Wii U's future will be decided over the next three to six months and if doesn't quickly pick up it will become a forgotten system. Another question to ask is how much longer will Ubisoft and Activision support the console? Throughout 2014? 2015?

Gamecube died on it's arse and struggled on until 2007, but I can't see Nintendo running the Wii U for 6 years. Perhaps they will but fuck me they're up against it.

Scrapping it will hurt the consumer relations more.
They are in for the long run.

 

[Seeds]

I said it in another thread (or maybe this one): the 3DS is up for a renewal. Best Nintendo can do is make a one-size fits all console that acts as handheld and micro (TV connect) console. A redesigned Wii U that falls under the DS family.

So the best thing Nintendo can do is abandon one of the industries they untill recently have been making money in, and focus on only one?

Did you get this brilliant idea from the same place where you got the idea that Nintendo should give up on the WiiU when the largest cost in console development/release has already been incurred?

 

[prag16]

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

Sega pulled the plug because they were eyeball deep in debt and hemorrhaging cash. That situation does not currently apply to Nintendo.

EDIT: Beaten.

 

[greatnorthern]

Kids getting an iPad for their 2nd birthday is normal these days.

 

[Javier]

I can see Nintendo supporting the Wii U until 2016 at the very least, simply because there's no way they can have a new console ready before then.

 

[prankster101]

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

I said it in another thread (or maybe this one): the 3DS is up for a renewal. Best Nintendo can do is make a one-size fits all console that acts as handheld and micro (TV connect) console. A redesigned Wii U that falls under the DS family.

Here it is: what I said in the "3DS update" thread:


I'd make it a portable Wii U. Backwardly compatible. With a Retina screen. And HDMI out.

It's quite clear that the industry doesn't consider the Wii U as a viable contender in the next gen wars between MS and Sony. And with the 3DS facing stiff competition from Sony whose own Vita will really begin to come into its own later this year, a lot of people will start getting turned off by the 3DS when they see how much more nicer the Vita is in comparison. Granted, Nintendo has franchises like Pokemon which will keep them afloat forever, but a lot of people will start questioning Nintendo's hardware strategy - given that mobile phones and the Vita make the 3DS look ancient in comparison. The Vita is now selling for a comparable price (even cheaper according to certain stores), so it definitely has a shot at reaching critical mass come the release of the PS4 and the Vita TV, which will only help market its presence to a wider demographic. Also, and since the Vita is quite cheap now, people will naturally sway towards it once they see someone playing it on a bus etc. Word of Mouth.

The Wii U faces competition from the Vita TV in the budget console market, as well as the PS4/XBone in the premium console sector. Given that Iwata stated that Nintendo aren't very good at competing - which means that Nintendo can't compete anymore - it makes sense for Nintendo to start positioning the Wii U as a micro budget console, where it's a "toy". It also makes sense for Nintendo to capitalise on their DS brand, by "re-releasing" the Wii U, and tweaking some of the specs, and calling it something that fits in with the DS brand.

Have one that is Wii U size, and call it DS2 XL. And have a smaller one and call it DS2. Like how Apple and Samsung have it with their 10" and 7" tablet sizes.

I think the only place Nintendo can go, going forward, is to "gracefully" exit the console market, by making their console and handheld divisions converge, and making a handheld console that not only can be connected to the TV, but is also portable.

Yes. I think Nintendo could and would cancel (or more likely move) these games if it became bad enough. If it vanishes from stores (which is possible, lets be honest here) then it will quickly become forgotten by consumers.

I think Wii U's future will be decided over the next three to six months and if doesn't quickly pick up it will become a forgotten system. Another question to ask is how much longer will Ubisoft and Activision support the console? Throughout 2014? 2015?

Gamecube died on it's arse and struggled on until 2007, but I can't see Nintendo running the Wii U for 6 years. Perhaps they will but fuck me they're up against it.

I give it 6-9 months. All the games towards the end will be ported across to other formats (Nintendo or otherwise).

Hopefully the failure of the Wii U, and the increasing obsolescence of the 3DS tech will encourage Nintendo to come out with a new handheld/micro console in early 2015.

 

[69wpm]

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

You obviously have no idea how this business works, do you? Do you think it's a good idea to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a piece of hardware and dump it a year after? Research and development costs are immense these days, people need to stop with this "dump it and start anew" bullshit.

 

[prankster101]

Best thing they can do is keep releasing great games and market the damn thing.
That is the only viable option.

Like banging one's head against the wall. Or maybe one should quit whilst they're ahead?

They'll certainly get the most out of it next year when their first party titles finish cooking but it's looking very much like a failed concept. There is a lot to be learned particularly from their streaming tech which they can apply to their next console in a better way. Ideally I'd like to see their next gen handheld working in some way with the console, at the very least streaming games to your tv. I don't think they'll go hybrid and cut off one of their revenue streams but I'm sure they can come up with a better concept than the wii u.

Third party would be a death curse on the whole company, they make too much money on the hardware business to put it aside for software only.

I don't think hardware R&D costs have been compensated by the Wii U's awful sales.

Scrapping it will hurt the consumer relations more.
They are in for the long run.

You mean third party relations?

So the best thing Nintendo can do is abandon one of the industries they untill recently have been making money in, and focus on only one?

Did you get this brilliant idea from the same place where you got the idea that Nintendo should give up on the WiiU when the largest cost in console development/release has already been incurred?

Nintendo incurred a loss on their console hardware cycle, and it's only their handheld division that is propping them up.

You obviously have no idea how this business works, do you? Do you think it's a good idea to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a piece of hardware and dump it a year after? Research and development costs are immense these days, people need to stop with this "dump it and start anew" bullshit.

Which is why the Wii U will never recoup for Nintendo, and why development costs of games will be better utilised in making the games compatible with other types of hardware (Nintendo built or not). MS did the same thing with it's Crimson Dragon game, and ported the game across to the XBone even if it was X360 bound initially. But Crimson Dragon is a launch title. Maybe Nintendo can appropriate the same kind of strategy.

Edit: better for Nintendo to quit whilst they're ahead. Continuing the futile gesture of supporting an unremarkable machine is only going to do them more harm than good. I very much doubt the Wii U will reach even Dreamcast sales standards after the two years it was discontinued. Dreamcast had 10 million sales in 2+ years. Wii U has 3 million in 1 year - with market growth being compromised by the PS4/XBone hype train.

Even if games like MK8 prove to be system sellers, by Xmas 2014, the Wii U will probably only sell no more than 8 million sales. That's not a large userbase to sell Nintendo games to,which is why I say that all the upcoming Nintendo published titles (MK8 etc) will under-perform from a financial perspective.

 

[Coketruck]

If nothing else, this thread has taught me the value of the "ignore" option.

On-topic: I think the Wii U will have a decent Christmas, but awesome holiday sales are ultimately not that important. The Wii U, like every other console before it, has to establish a strong foundation of games that will continue to attract buyers over the system's lifetime. This will make the console more attractive to third parties, leading to more games and more sales. Sure, they're a year late in doing this, but better late than never. Whether it will actually work... I have no clue.

 

[Ganondolf]

we will soon find out. i think ninetendo is not at the price point yet. it needs to be £200 for the premium with a game (not sure euro & US equivalent).

once they hit the price point i think sales will jump. i still think they will have a good xmas with the bundles and games.

I expect the price drop to £200 to happen mid next year.

 

[Seeds]

Nintendo incurred a loss on their console hardware cycle, and it's only their handheld division that is propping them up.

Hence why I said until recently...

But to put it short. Suggesting that Nintendo should give up on the WiiU because of loses now, is no different than suggesting Nintendo sink billions in r&d every year on a console they only support for one year.

Can you not see why that would be stupid?

 

[ab.aeterno]

2. Nintendo is very profit-oriented. This has been true ever since Yamauchi turned his company from a card maker to the video game giant it is today. Until very recently (with the price drop of the Wii U) NONE of its consoles were sold at a loss, unlike what Sony and Microsoft did. This has proved to be VERY profitable to them. Since they control their hardware and publish their first-party games on that hardware, all the sales from these games are almost always pure profit since they don't need to share the sales with another company. This is the reason why, among all the video game companies since this industry started, Nintendo has NEVER been in the red.

Actually, I'm fairly certain the WiiU has been sold at a loss since launch; I distinctly remember quotes from Nintendo executives to that effect, that it becomes profitable only when at least one game is purchased. But the hardware is still sold at a loss. And didn't Nintendo post their first loss this year? I guess it depends how you define "in the red."

Also, Mario Kart will never eclipse Tomb Raider sales? What the fuck are you smoking? Mario Kart Wii ALONE sold 34.26 million copies as of March, according to Wikipedia. Square-Enix would give their balls to have sales like that, that is not Final Fantasy.

So let's be precise instead of vague: how many copiea do you expect Nintendo to sell of MK8 in its first month, worldwide? How many units per month does it boost the WiiU's sales?

 

[flatearthpandas]

And with the 3DS facing stiff competition from Sony whose own Vita will really begin to come into its own later this year, a lot of people will start getting turned off by the 3DS when they see how much more nicer the Vita is in comparison.

I was going to stay out of this thread but this is priceless.

I think Pokemon just sold more copies this week than Vita has since it launched. It's nice that you love your Vita, but you're talking crazy.

 

[Parmenides]

don't bother trying to predict hardware sales by examining past hardware sales.

NPD 2005

PSP - 3.6 m

NDS - 2.5m

NPD (First 14 Months)

Xbox - 4.6 m

360 - 4.5 m

GC - 3.5 m

PS3 - 3.2 m

NPD 2008

Wii - 10.2 m

360 - 4.7 m

Going forward, software and price are the most important variables.

The problem is that the Wii U depends solely on Nintendo ability to create attractive software. It's true that Nintendo is great at creating smash hits, but those guys are not infallible.

At the end of the day, their console business is built around five or six key titles. It's a fragile basis for a consistent performance.

 

[prankster101]

we will soon find out. i think ninetendo is not at the price point yet. it needs to be £200 for the premium with a game (not sure euro & US equivalent).

once they hit the price point i think sales will jump. i still think they will have a good xmas with the bundles and games.

I expect the price drop to £200 to happen mid next year.

£180 would be the sweet spot. Sony and Microsoft would have seen to it that the price would have gone down by April. Nintendo however will see to it that they carry on selling the system for as high a price as possible.

Hence why I said until recently...

But to put it short. Suggesting that Nintendo should give up on the WiiU because of loses now, is no different than suggesting Nintendo sink billions in r&d every year on a console they only support for one year.

Can you not see why that would be stupid?

If this were to be their strategy for each and every console, then yes, it would be stupid. But everyone and their grandma has written off the Wii U. So what course of action is there? It's pretty safe to say that the future Wii U titles (regardless of how brilliant they are) will underperform. And Nintendo doesn't want to go third party. So what else is there? Only solution in a situation where they can't compete, yet want to retain control, is to release a "successor" to the 3DS in the shape of a Wii U Mini. Or redesign the Wii U altogether so that it at least has portable functionality.

 

[prankster101]

Actually, I'm fairly certain the WiiU has been sold at a loss since launch; I distinctly remember quotes from Nintendo executives to that effect, that it becomes profitable only when at least one game is purchased. But the hardware is still sold at a loss. And didn't Nintendo post their first loss this year? I guess it depends how you define "in the red."


So let's be precise instead of vague: how many copiea do you expect Nintendo to sell of MK8 in its first month, worldwide? How many units per month does it boost the WiiU's sales?

MK8 will never have the same sell through as Tomb Raider during the first week/month. Never. Maybe over lifetime sales. Maybe.

Edit:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...3-4-million-copies-failed-to-hit-expectations

"3.4 million copies of Tomb Raider have been sold in four weeks, publisher Square Enix has revealed, which is not enough to hit the game's sales target."

That was 3 million over 4 weeks. 4 weeks. Not lifetime.

 

[prankster101]

I was going to stay out of this thread but this is priceless.

I think Pokemon just sold more copies this week than Vita has since it launched. It's nice that you love your Vita, but you're talking crazy.

We could say the same thing about GTA in comparison to a Wii U.

I did say that the Vita is showing potential, and that it could (legitimately) come into its own this year and the next. Pokemon may be one of the 3DS's last big titles. Maybe. But the Vita is going to pick up steam, now that it is cheaper to buy than a 3DS and has a tonne of support announced for it.

This is all speculation, but the Vita has more potential. Far more so than the Wii U.

 

[flatearthpandas]

We could say the same thing about GTA in comparison to a Wii U.

I did say that the Vita is showing potential, and that it could (legitimately) come into its own this year and the next. Pokemon may be one of the 3DS's last big titles. Maybe. But the Vita is going to pick up steam, now that it is cheaper to buy than a 3DS and has a tonne of support announced for it.

This is all speculation, but the Vita has more potential. Far more so than the Wii U.

Take these feelings, hold onto them dearly, and investigate them. Congratulations! You understand why some people feel like the Wii U is going to have a break-out holiday this year.

 

[Chojin]

2) What kind of immature degenerate scumbags do you guys work with? Geez. Anecdotally I work with a bunch of 20/30somethings and all consoles have strong representation. It's funny how the sony/msft master race has become more obnoxious than the PC master race...

Heh, where I work I'm labeled as a "casual" gamer because I favor my Wiiu and PC over my 360/PS3 and I don't engage in petty Sony/MS hardcorez warz with my coworkers. They can't stand I like something about every system.

 

[Javier]

Pokemon may be one of the 3DS's last big titles. Maybe.

I don't know how can anyone legitimately consider this. Do you even know what's coming to the 3DS within the coming months?

WhyCantIHoldAllTheseGames.jpg

 

[Seeds]

If this were to be their strategy for each and every console, then yes, it would be stupid. But everyone and their grandma has written off the Wii U. So what course of action is there? It's pretty safe to say that the future Wii U titles (regardless of how brilliant they are) will underperform. And Nintendo doesn't want to go third party. So what else is there? Only solution in a situation where they can't compete, yet want to retain control, is to release a "successor" to the 3DS in the shape of a Wii U Mini. Or redesign the Wii U altogether so that it at least has portable functionality.

You're talking in absolutes... 'Everyone has written off WiiU', and 'Only one solution'.

Has it not occured to you that the only solution you see makes no sense from a business standpoint?

 

[prankster101]

Take these feelings, hold onto them dearly, and investigate them. Congratulations! You understand why some people feel like the Wii U is going to have a break-out holiday this year.

I see what you did there

And you're right. But nah, I only paid £130 for my Vita (including games), and have PS+. So therefore am less inclined to feel ripped off by the prospect that Sony might have lied to me about the Vita's prospects.

I'd be feeling pissed if I bought the Vita for sub £300 when it was first released though... Same with the Wii U. Ask me again after Nintendo drop the price of the Wii U to around £180. And if I bite, I'll get back to you

Edit: but the cheaper Wii U faces competition from the Vita TV, PS3, XB360. The 3DS faces competition from just Vita. And mobiles. But mobiles are shit for gaming, so they don't count.

 

[Mengy]

As in "breakout" of the sales slump.... With the other "Big two" geared to fight to the death in NA and EU this holiday season, all indications point out that supplies could be very limited post launch for the PS4 and XB1... Does this give the Wii-U a chance to sneak in and get a big boost in holiday sales with bare shelves for the other two?

Does it give Nintendo a chance? Sure , of course it does. Will they capitalize on it? Nope, not unless they have some serious super secret games to release within the next month or two. Which we all know isn't the case.

Nintendo needs software to sell hardware, that's been their problem all along with the Wii-U. And the few sleeper hits they have had were so poorly marketed that the general public doesn't even know about them. Unfortunately they don't have any big hit titles coming out before Christmas. The die hard N fans have already bought their Wii-U's, and the games coming out soon only really appeal to the die hards. There will be some sales due to the price drop, and some more due to shortages on the XB1 and PS4, but they won't amount to anything substantial. Certainly not without killer titles, games that would sell systems, games like a brand new Zelda, a new Star Wars game, how about a Waverace or a Starfox game? The only two games coming that will possibly have any effect are Super Mario and Wii-U Party, but again, the people who would buy a system for either of these most likely already own a Wii-U.

No, Nintendo has dropped the ball hardcore with the Wii-U, and they haven't recovered quick enough to make a comeback when it would count. The system is destined to be a very distant third this generation. Honestly the upcoming SteamMachine will probably give Nintendo a running for third place. And that's horrible, just absolutely horrible.

 

[prankster101]

You're talking in absolutes... 'Everyone has written off WiiU', and 'Only one solution'.

Has it not occured to you that the only solution you see makes no sense from a business standpoint?

You mean the handheld Wii U? I think it makes sense. From a business perspective. The 3DS is nearing its twilight era, and unless Nintendo want sales to fall off a cliff (like what happened with the Wii), then they'll be looking into its successor. A Wii U portable makes perfect sense, and could be introduced into the market 2015. Nintendo don't kill off the Wii U, and adapt the console to handheld needs.

Nintendo should hire me. I'd be the M Cerny of Nintendo - without the technical prowess of course

 

[TDLink]

The Dreamcast sold 10 million in the less-than-two years it was on the market. Yet, it still failed.

It's been over a year now for the Wii U. I doubt the Wii U is going to come close to that figure. Nintendo have blown their one year advantage.

Best Nintendo can do is chalk the Wii U up to experience, learn from it, and move on. Either go third party afterwards or come back with a proper console. Either way, the Wii U is dead.

Back here in reality the Wii U has still been on the market for less than a year, not even "over a year now".

You mean the handheld Wii U? I think it makes sense. From a business perspective. The 3DS is nearing its twilight era, and unless Nintendo want sales to fall off a cliff (like what happened with the Wii), then they'll be looking into its successor. A Wii U portable makes perfect sense, and could be introduced into the market 2015. Nintendo don't kill off the Wii U, and adapt the console to handheld needs.

Nintendo should hire me. I'd be the M Cerny of Nintendo - without the technical prowess of course

How is 3DS nearing its twilight era? It just released most likely one of its largest games and the system as a whole is only in its third year. DS lasted for 9. 3DS is going nowhere any time soon.

 

[maverick40]

Heh, where I work I'm labeled as a "casual" gamer because I favor my Wiiu and PC over my 360/PS3 and I don't engage in petty Sony/MS hardcorez warz with my coworkers. They can't stand I like something about every system.

Wow that sounds rough. I work in the semiconductor industry and 90% of my coworkers couldn't care less about the gaming industry. It is strange,

 

[prankster101]

Back here in reality the Wii U has still been on the market for less than a year, not even "over a year now".



How is 3DS nearing its twilight era? It just released most likely one of its largest games and the system as a whole is only in its third year. DS lasted for 9. 3DS is going nowhere any time soon.

Sorry. 30 November in UK.

The 3DS will most likely have another 2 years ahead of it. It is entering its twilight ear though. Mobiles and Vita will see to it that sales (rapidly) fall off a cliff sometime soon.

3DS will have another year. Maybe another 1.5 years. But it'll start going downhill after. Which makes way for the 3DS successor in the form of the Wii U mini.

2015. By which point, the Wii U will be dead. And like the Vita/Vita TV situation, will need a handheld equivalent to give it some much needed life support.

 

[Kageshinzo]

And didn't Nintendo post their first loss this year? I guess it depends how you define "in the red."


So let's be precise instead of vague: how many copiea do you expect Nintendo to sell of MK8 in its first month, worldwide? How many units per month does it boost the WiiU's sales?

By "in the red", I meant in the red. As in being in danger of shutting down.

And surprisingly enough, I don't have clairvoyance. But if we are going to go by history, I don't think it's a stretch to say that MK8 will reach at least 3 million lifetime sales. At the least, I think it would beat Tomb Raider.

 

[maverick40]

By "in the red", I meant in the red. As in being in danger of shutting down.

And surprisingly enough, I don't have clairvoyance. But if we are going to go by history, I don't think it's a stretch to say that MK8 will reach at least 3 million lifetime sales. At the least, I think it would beat Tomb Raider.

Why compare it to Tomb raider of all things?

 

[prankster101]

By "in the red", I meant in the red. As in being in danger of shutting down.

And surprisingly enough, I don't have clairvoyance. But if we are going to go by history, I don't think it's a stretch to say that MK8 will reach at least 3 million lifetime sales. At the least, I think it would beat Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider did 3 million in 4 weeks. Check my earlier post.