-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Media Create Sales: Week 1, 2013 (Dec 31 - Jan 06)
- Thread starter Chris1964
- Start date
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
It's impossible for Nintendo to win with people, really. People demand longer 'lists' of games, but never buy the ones that come out anyway. It's not like their first party release schedule is going to drastically double in size; they only have so many resources. People want more third party games does not equal people buying them. So I never get it when they demand longer 'lists' of titles, how many games are you actually going to play anyway?
Yeah, I know.
Maybe I do one with MS, Sony and Nintendo reps. ;DDragonSworne
Banned
I'm ready to buy a new game now and there isn't one available.
I know most people are just going to laugh at this notion but I'm still pondering the possibility that nintendo really did intend a soft launch for wii u in Q1. I'm interested to see how close they get to their global forecast since that'll let us know what they were actually expecting.
This isn't intended to make excuses for the lukewarm sales of the Wii U. They aren't the least bit impressive at this point, and it buys into a certain level of wishful thinking over some hidden bastion of games they're going to pull out in response to PS4/XB3. So I'm not clinging to the theory entirely, but I do think it's a possibility.
This isn't intended to make excuses for the lukewarm sales of the Wii U. They aren't the least bit impressive at this point, and it buys into a certain level of wishful thinking over some hidden bastion of games they're going to pull out in response to PS4/XB3. So I'm not clinging to the theory entirely, but I do think it's a possibility.
grimshawish
Banned
In Europe they seem to have seen some grass starting to grow with the 3DS so decided to use the water they had to look after that. In the US theres been a far bigger push, where the 3DS just isn't showing signs of life.
Meanwhile Japan seems to be a bit of both.
I think this is a holiday strategy, should become more equal across 2013. Otherwise = problems.
I bet many Vita owners say the same thing. There's not enough games for gamers, but there's also not enough gamers for selling games.
mentalfloss
Banned
How did Vita software sales compare to Wii U's at this point in the lifecycle?
electroplankton
Banned
lol?
Given its full backwards-compatibility, at this point in its life, the Wii U should be able to leverage late 1st and 3rd party Wii titles to pad out its release schedule - but there just aren't any. 1st party output dried up long ago, and most 3rd party output dried up even before that. I just don't understand why they'd leave such a major lapse in their schedule without anything to show for it by this point.
mentalfloss
Banned
Sorry I don't follow the sales threads much.
In terms of number of games and sales, what did the software picture look like for Vita?
It is possible that they are keeping some games secret until weeks before launch. I'm pretty sure they've done that before.
3DS dominance continues.
Also, it's hilarious to see both of the NSMB games in the top of the charts when you have posters like Baconsammy who try to say it doesn't sell anymore. Although a lot of you doubted NSMB 2 when it didn't sell NSMB numbers out the door, which it was never going to do to begin with. But it has fine legs and will wind up selling fairly well over the life of the 3DS. We're still seeing MK7 in the top charts so people aren't adverse to buying old software.
Surprised Paper Mario has held up so well.
Also, it's hilarious to see both of the NSMB games in the top of the charts when you have posters like Baconsammy who try to say it doesn't sell anymore. Although a lot of you doubted NSMB 2 when it didn't sell NSMB numbers out the door, which it was never going to do to begin with. But it has fine legs and will wind up selling fairly well over the life of the 3DS. We're still seeing MK7 in the top charts so people aren't adverse to buying old software.
Surprised Paper Mario has held up so well.
metalslimer
Member
The thing that baffles me about Nintendo is that they just seem to have no clear direction, especially in terms of allocatement of resources. It seems like everything just went wrong internally. Nintendo abandoned the Wii beginning in 2011. Let's not talk about how completely dropping a platform 2 years before the new one impacts consumer confidence in your system, and pretend that was a good decision. But then not only did they do that, they ended up having a half baked Wii U launch with rushed features and unfinished things like Nintendo forgot they were launching a console until earlier this year
I don't think I ever doubted NSMB2's ability to sell 2 million, but I think most people were shocked at how much of a drop NSMB2 will be compared to the original.
I don't think I ever doubted NSMB2's ability to sell 2 million, but I think most people were shocked at how much of a drop NSMB2 will be compared to the original.
lunchwithyuzo
Banned
Here's the post launch Q1 for last gen consoles.
Xbox 360
01.12.06 Enchanted Arms (From Software)
01.12.06 Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft)
01.19.06 NBA Live 06 (EA Games)
01.19.06 Wrestle Kingdom (Yuke's)
01.26.06 Tsuushin Taisen Mahjong: Touryuumon (AQ Interactive)
02.02.06 Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
02.23.06 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (EA Games)
03.23.06 Burnout Revenge (EA Games)
03.23.06 Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires (Koei)
03.23.06 Tengai Makyou Ziria: Harukanaru Jipang (Hudson)
03.30.06 Fight Night Round 3 (EA Games)
03.30.06 Rumble Roses XX (Konami)
03.30.06 ZOIDS Infinity EX Neo (Tomy)
Wii
01.01.07 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Bandai)
01.01.07 GT Pro Series (MTO)
01.18.07 Excite Truck (Nintendo)
01.25.07 Mahjong Taikai Wii (Koei)
02.08.07 Cooking Mama: World Kitchen (Taito)
02.22.07 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Nintendo)
02.22.07 Naruto Shippuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX (Tomy)
03.01.07 Densha de GO! Shinkansen EX: Sanyou Shinkansen Hen (Taito)
03.08.07 Bomberman Land Wii (Hudson)
03.08.07 Eyeshield 21: Field Saikyou no Senshi Tachi (Nintendo)
03.15.07 G1 Jockey Wii (Koei)
03.15.07 Sonic & the Secret Rings (Sega)
03.15.07 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (THQ)
03.21.07 Puzzle Series Vol. 1: Sudoku (Hudson)
03.21.07 SanGokuShi 11 with Power-Up Kit (Koei)
03.22.07 Disney/Pixar Cars (THQ)
03.29.07 Fishing Master (Hudson)
PlayStation 3
01.01.07 NBA 07 (SCEI)
01.25.07 Enchanted Arms (From Software)
02.08.07 Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega)
02.22.07 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom (Spike)
03.01.07 Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (Bandai)
03.08.07 Virtua Tennis 3 (Sega)
03.15.07 Fight Night Round 3 (EA Games)
03.22.07 Mist of Chaos (Idea Factory)
03.29.07 Winning Post 7: Maximum 2007 (Koei)
electroplankton
Banned
Nintendo didn't abandon Wii at the beginning of 2011. They released 10 games in that year, between internally developed and just published (or reworked). They weren't huge sellers, of course, but they keep releasing as they always did for their platform, i.e. an average of one game per month. I mean, how many games are you expecting Nintendo will deliver in the future for their platforms? One for 3DS and one for Wii U per month (on average: they should release more of them in hot months, of course) seems reasonable.
In 2011 they released The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, GoldenEye 007, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Wii Play: Motion, Epic Mickey, Just Dance Wii, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Mario&Sonic at the London Olympic Games and Skyward Sword. If that's abandoning a platform...
2012, instead, really showed the disinterest of Nintendo in the platform.
Father_Brain
Banned
Yeah, I'm increasingly coming around to the notion that the current state of the platform reflects serious problems with Nintendo's internal development.
Well, a year after launch NSMB U and Nintendo Land have outsold every single Vita game released, and Monster Hunter should get there soon.
I feel they wouldn't have done a massive reorg, outsourced Smash to Namco, and started a giant hiring spree if they were happy with their internal development.
I had a feeling Nintendo would run into the same wall basically every other Japanese publisher did when it came to HD games, but they just didn't have to deal with it until now because they were making Wii games.
Given that none of Nintendo's currently announced internal titles are massive productions, and quite a few look like polished up games based off Wii assets, I feel that says a lot as well.
5th week:
2004-12-27 [NDS] Super Mario 64 DS (Nintendo) - 103,049 / 469,652
2006-12-25 [WII] Wii Sports (Nintendo) - 96,483 / 553,214
2012-12-31 [WIU] New Super Mario Bros. U (Nintendo) - 47,944 / 429,259
1996-07-15 [N64] Super Mario 64 (Nintendo) - 30,486 / 424,032
2000-03-27 [PS2] Ridge Racer V (Namco) - 30,449 / 433,924
2001-04-16 [GBA] Super Mario Advance: Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - 27,518 / 424,030
2011-03-21 [3DS] Nintendogs + Cats: Shiba / Toy Poodle / French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo) - 13,512 / 167,777
DragonSworne
Banned
Yep, things must have really gone haywire within Nintendo the last 3 years.
I personally like to attribute it a lot to Miyamoto
Wii Music was the catalyst
metalslimer
Member
Well, I should clarify I was speaking worldwide when talking about that. 2011 was a godawful year for the Wii in America. They did publish a lot of 3rd party titles in Japan last year though. Also a lot of those titles were concentrated in the first half of last year. The 2nd half of 2011 also started to become barren in Japan.
One person would not be responsible for something like that.
mentalfloss
Banned
Oh I see.
Well then there's nothing much to worry about then.
Sure, it's shitty if you have GAF taste, but the console should sell enough on a consistent basis that more software support will kick in by Q3 2013.
metalslimer
Member
Doing better than Vita is a horribly low bar to set especially when it comes to software as Vita is horrendous there. NSMBU is not enough to sustain a platform.
I think something went wrong behind the scenes at Nintendo, they really dropped the ball in regards to the Wii U launch period. I wonder if they had difficulty adjusting to HD development but I think Nintendo Land is certainly polished enough considering what it is. Part of me also wonders if they just kind of wanted to let the chips fall where they may and let the fiscal year end then release all these games to have a stronger year that way.
Regardless, the lack of Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Wii Fit U, etc is really shitty.
Wasn't naming anyone else specifically for the NSMB games but it should have been obvious to most people that launching relatively early on in the 3DS' life cycle that it wasn't going to put up insane numbers out the gate. It's pretty improbable that it will put up the numbers that NSMB did, given that the western market has yet to embrace the 3DS like Japan did, but it should still put up very worthwhile numbers by the end of the 3DS' life.
electroplankton
Banned
I agree, but think about that, think as you're in some Nintendo management team.
You have Wii U. You're releasing the launch day New Super Mario Bros. U, sequel of a game that sold almost 30 million units. Also: Nintendo Land, that of course you hope will have a good impact on sales, maybe not as much as Wii Sports, but at least a positive reception.
The first month in the market you release Game&Wario; the last one on Wii (the only one, actually) sold 600k units; on DS, the series was successful as well. Internally, it's seen a fairly big franchise (actually: it is).
The second month you release Wii Fit U, the next entry of a franchise that sold a huge amount of units, also in Japan (I think the first one is at 3.5 mln units, and the second one more than 2 mln units). That's also a game from a big franchise, right?
The third month, you plan to release Pikmin 3, which is from a successful IP as well. On GC, it sold quite well (450k on average) and the New Play Control versions on Wii sold around 150k on average. Hence, a medium-size IP that could easily sell 300-400k units.
Also: in the months after the launch, NSMB U and NL will keep selling. I mean, Nintendo thought so, since there are games that will likely have some kind of legs.
I'm not taking Nintendo's part and I always said the fact that they didn't announce so much, and they didn't announce any release date so far, BUT the way how they planned these first months could make sense. They have 3 games for 3 potential lucky franchises + 2 games from the launch that are showind they can sell quite well.
grimshawish
Banned
I hope I say this on behalf of everyone, even those with similar tastes to you; but fuck off with that crap. What forum are you even reading???
He personally thinks hes stifling other peoples opinions and young talent coming through (plus I think he just wants to focus on some things).
Stating Paper Mario is pretty daft when its selling pretty strongly. Pikmin 3 is a main release for 2013.
Mention Steel Diver, sure. But this rewriting of history to say Miyamoto is some massive negative influence on Nintendo is ridiculous and unfair.
DragonSworne
Banned
Why do you think Miyamoto is shifting from his current position to man a small team of young developers?
Wii Music, Paper Mario, constant delays, ad general opinion of Miyamoto's development practices points to him being a major reason for Nintendo's lackluster output
How so? I feel like I'm missing some interesting backstory that might explain the company's perplexing state of affairs.
lunchwithyuzo
Banned
Internally they definitely shifted resources away from Wii after 2010. The only later products were Skyward Sword (EAD), Wii Play Motion (SPD), Kiki Trick (SPD) and Rhythm Heaven Fever (SPD).
metalslimer
Member
Sometimes I almost forget how badly Wii Play Motion bombed.
Could we please stop this?
Also the idea that Nintendo in anyway thought this was a soft launch is laughable. 5.5 million with 24 million software? Nintendo though Nintendoland and NSMBU would be huge.
Could we please stop this?
Also the idea that Nintendo in anyway thought this was a soft launch is laughable. 5.5 million with 24 million software? Nintendo though Nintendoland and NSMBU would be huge.
I don't think I will ever believe under any circumstances that any company will launch a product with the expressed plan, or intent for it to be lackluster in terms of market reception right out of the gate.
I mean... who does that? I just cannot ever see that being a reasonable business plan. They are floundering (or are ABOUT to be floundering) with the WiiU because they suck at launches lately. I don't think its because of some master M. Night Shymalalanayan master-stroke scheduled for Q4 2013.
electroplankton
Banned
Wii Play bombed horribly (it was a shitty game, imo) but it makes a lot of sense if Nintendo thought it would have sold well, being the sequel of a game that solde more than 3 million units.
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Exactly. These "droughts" are not always an accident or unintentional. You put a bunch of big franchises out there. Those games and hype sell systems. Then, you throttle down. Marketing and buzz is suppose to sell consoles, build an install base in the interim. Titles released in this window traditionally do not do that well. The following holiday, release titltes to take advantage of bigger install base and discretionary income.
These games are expensive. No ones going to release major titles outside of a launch window if there is no guarantee in the game being profitable. Guarantees are either in cash from a publisher or free marketing support. Unless the thing takes off like wildfire with a huge attach rate, but it's too much of a risk to plan for that 12-16-18 months in advance. So it's planned to have these 'droughts' and you'll get the next wave months down the line. Then a steady trickle.
Unfortunately, to my point above, outside of Japan, NoA is having a difficult time with their current marketing endevaours. Even I agree with this, their campaign is confusing. It's too soon to go lifestyle, in my humble opinion.
At any rate, buy the games that are already out before those projects get canned and have FUN
.mentalfloss
Banned
Huh?
By that I mean that those who only really appreciate most of the critically acclaimed or mechanically sound games. Credible games, sure, but not representative of some mass appeal games that can produce incredible sales for the system.
I partly fall into that category, but also enjoy motion-based or casual-type games probably more than 90% of GAF.
lunchwithyuzo
Banned
I expect the Q1 schedule to fill out a little more with 1st party (Game & Wario, Rayman Legends, Wii Fit U, etc) and 3rd party (Dragon Quest X, Rabbids Land, F1 Race Stars, etc) titles, but I still see a rough sales season for the platform.
JoshuaJSlone
Member
Famitsu's Top 1000 for 2011 had 388K Vita games sold, approximately the same as NSMBU had through the end of 2012.
Baconsammy
Banned
Yeah, I know.
Good luck finding a Microsoft rep that makes lifelike expressions. I KID!
grimshawish
Banned
I've depressed myself now by reminding myself that those tech demoes were actually kind of cool even if that software in particular was uninteresting to me. Seriously, what were the Kinect demos even about? Did they change the hardware?
I think they are trying to hold out on the bomba announcements until E3. But I agree, they need to announce something now. What are some of their smaller studios working on, what is Monolith working on?
At any rate, buy the games that are already out before those projects get canned and have FUN
That's what I'm doin :-D
electroplankton
Banned
They're working on a Wii U title.
I don't know if this is any good, but I spent a whole lot of time on this so the least I can do is share it here.
Don't get why the 3DS is on there at all. I mean, if I somehow magically transferred my consciousness to every single 3DS out there and all the other systems turned alive, I wouldn't be scared of the Vita. Shit this is a horrible analogy lol.
Wii U and everyone else? Fine.
But real talk, how'd the Vita get a bump when it didn't see a bump before during the holidays? Oh and good luck Nintendo, you're gonna need it for the Wii U.
let's wait and see.
next holiday we'll have something upon which rate Nintendo output in the HD field.
unless it's a vita all over again.
Yes, but what is it. Me, being the RPG fanatic that I am, can't wait to see what it is. Hopefully it gets localised faster than Xenoblade. Speaking of Xenoblade, there is a game that is screaming for an HD re-release.
electroplankton
Banned
We don't know yet. My feeling is that it will be announced during next E3. Monolith really gained a lot of reputation with Xenoblade.
metalslimer
Member
I think it's supposed be more shock than fear. It's missing something without the faces though. Maybe there facial expressions can be shopped onto the screens of the systems?