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Now that the PS4 has already outsold the Wii U, where does Nintendo go from here?
- Thread starter Gonzo The Great
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TDLink
Member
It's going to drive some system sales but it won't drive a ton. Personally I am really excited about Second Son and think it looks awesome, especially since I thoroughly enjoyed the first two games and Festival of Blood. However, I'm still waiting on picking up a PS4 until more than just 1 game I want is out. Right now there's literally nothing interesting with a solid release date beyond Infamous: SS. I imagine most consumers feel the same.
K.O.
I'm sure Nintendo has written off Wii U completely by now. They are talking about their next step at the HQ for sure.
And with the world going crazy with using your Facebook on your smart TV while you have inserted your Sony sensor anally. I think Nintendo should just keep it simple and cheap. Like.... the Wii!!
Apophis2036
Banned
Chinpoko_Master
Member
After digging up these gems, I have trouble trusting any of your predictions TBH.
Seriously, what a joke. Come February, you're going to be telling everyone to wait until March, then April, then May... I get the feeling we're going to be waiting a long time.
They sacrifice 60% of their revenue from hardware and royalties of selling third party software on their consoles. That's a lot of layoffs, less games being made, and more safe games being annualized.
To zee lumber yaaaaard!!!
Seriously though, how many of these "Nintendo is doomed" thread do we really need?
The "unnecessary thread" replies are more annoying than "is Nintendo doomed?". If the thread shouldn't exist, let a mod decide that. Just saying.
Nintendo has stated during the Gamecube era that they are out of the power rat race. There strategy now clearly is building a low-spec machine with (as Nintendo would see it) revolutionary input controls (some might call them gimmicks) and then hope that the masses buy it. Worked with the Wii which probably made Nintendo too arrogant, thinking they can charge whatever they want and led to overprices 3DS and Wii U. With the 3DS they were able to lower the price radically and turn the ship around. The Wii U is a different issue, the gimmick they put in there is just too expensive.
Since PS4 and Xbone are now more or less standardized PC architecture and designing a PC should be not too difficult for anyone, Nintendo should be able to design a machine with the same performance as those two. But I believe they will give their current strategy at least one more try, i.e. release a new console in 2016 with some new gimmick which will be slightly less performant than the xbone (but more expensive than the PS4).
Since PS4 and Xbone are now more or less standardized PC architecture and designing a PC should be not too difficult for anyone, Nintendo should be able to design a machine with the same performance as those two. But I believe they will give their current strategy at least one more try, i.e. release a new console in 2016 with some new gimmick which will be slightly less performant than the xbone (but more expensive than the PS4).
Can't help but agree with this, it should've never been called the Wii U in the first place. Name is so confusing. Made post in another thread about an experience I had regarding this, will just quote it here.
Third party support is another thing. I mean would it have killed Nintendo to ask third parties what hardware they would need in order to run their game engines for the next 5+ years. Instead it seems Nintendo is content with making hardware only their first party developers can make the most of.
Holy Order Sol
Member
This. Same as if the Wii U had been selling well.
shinobi602
Member
That's a pretty bold conclusion to make for others.
The sad thing is that despite the choice of hardware their first party teams are still having problems with hd development
Shmuely Bully
Member
Milk their margins for all they're worth with the Wii U, ride the 3DS, and go back to the drawing board. Same as the Gamecube.
shinobi602
Member
OG_Original Gamer
Member
Another one will appear after the XBO surpasses the WiiU. Asking the same question. Its a question that's been asked several times already.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Honestly they should have stuck with the wii controller bundled in a traditional control, and beefed up the specs as much as specs as much as physically possible while not making too much of a loss for each unit sold.
They could have been like the xbox 360, and pimped out as much as possible the graphical difference in their hardware and current gen for a whole (we all know the shit storm that occurred with the resolution stuff on CoD) and been able to undercut the competing console releasing a year later.
The 360 had crap all brand loyalty from the xbox, but it's price comparable graphical quality and online infrastructure brought them neck and neck to the PlayStation brand in the space of a generation.
Nintendo had the chance to mimic this to some degree in order to win back some hard-core support their platforms are severely lacking with their year head start. They squandered this completely.
They could have been like the xbox 360, and pimped out as much as possible the graphical difference in their hardware and current gen for a whole (we all know the shit storm that occurred with the resolution stuff on CoD) and been able to undercut the competing console releasing a year later.
The 360 had crap all brand loyalty from the xbox, but it's price comparable graphical quality and online infrastructure brought them neck and neck to the PlayStation brand in the space of a generation.
Nintendo had the chance to mimic this to some degree in order to win back some hard-core support their platforms are severely lacking with their year head start. They squandered this completely.
Aizu_Itsuko
Member
We have not reached that point yet, but since it's going to happen in record time at the current rate I would say it's a fair question.
The answer in a nutshell is that Nintendo is gonna Nintendo (insert elephant.gif here).
Seriously, ditching the system so soon is not an option so they will just keep going, doing their thing. Hopefully, the system will get some top quality first party games and the occasional third party exclusive that keeps it relevant. Other than that, I think that even Nintendo realizes they need some changes but they have a serious inability to adapt to the market. Definitely a shorter generation for them and if we are lucky a system with a more clear vision down the road. Meanwhile, try to turn things around as much as they possibly can so that their next system has a chance. They have enough money and they are risk averse so they are safe otherwise.
The answer in a nutshell is that Nintendo is gonna Nintendo (insert elephant.gif here).
Seriously, ditching the system so soon is not an option so they will just keep going, doing their thing. Hopefully, the system will get some top quality first party games and the occasional third party exclusive that keeps it relevant. Other than that, I think that even Nintendo realizes they need some changes but they have a serious inability to adapt to the market. Definitely a shorter generation for them and if we are lucky a system with a more clear vision down the road. Meanwhile, try to turn things around as much as they possibly can so that their next system has a chance. They have enough money and they are risk averse so they are safe otherwise.
lwilliams3
Member
Good post. It does take years to make a new console, and Nintendo is already working on new systems as we speak. It will be interesting to see what they will do after enduring Wii U's issues and the initial struggles of the 3DS. The company is already state to be in a transitional period with the future opening of its new building and the consolidation of its portable and hardware teams.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
I forgot PS4 was still to launch in Japan... My bad.
Even if wasn't going to launch in Japan thats still a ridiculous estimate.
Thats 360k a month in EU and US.
PS3 did 250k in Jan 07 and 360 did 300k in US ALONE.
Kazuma Kiryu
Member
Oh man, today has been a great day.
TDLink
Member
Not really.
http://www.ign.com/games/upcoming/ps4
Everything else beyond that is vague outside of Destiny and FIFA. And those interested in either don't need to buy a PS4 for them.
Apophis2036
Banned
I really couldn't care less if you trust my predictions, we all make them on here and sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong.
PS4 and XBO did do better than I initially thought they would but its great news for me as I have two out of the three consoles. Too many people on here treat sales figures like following a sports team lol...
fixed for you
This is how I see it and merely all estimation. WiiU was 3.91m shipped as of Sept 30. We don't know the exact number sold to consumer(unless someone can provide). Let's just say that its only sold 3.5m.
Let's try adding up the sales of each region from Oct to Dec.
Japan (Famitsu)
Oct - 52153
Nov - 75568
Dec - 318088
Total: 445809
US
Oct - 50k
Nov - 223k
Dec - ??
Total: 273k
EU
No data
3.5m + 445k (Japan) + 273k (US) = 4.21m
The WiiU should at least be 4.21 million by the end of December without counting the December sales in the US and of course EU 3Q sales. So, PS4 haven't yet surpassed WiiU(But of course it will probably by the end of January or February). The OP is pretty much jumping on a conclusion without checking anything.
Let's try adding up the sales of each region from Oct to Dec.
Japan (Famitsu)
Oct - 52153
Nov - 75568
Dec - 318088
Total: 445809
US
Oct - 50k
Nov - 223k
Dec - ??
Total: 273k
EU
No data
3.5m + 445k (Japan) + 273k (US) = 4.21m
The WiiU should at least be 4.21 million by the end of December without counting the December sales in the US and of course EU 3Q sales. So, PS4 haven't yet surpassed WiiU(But of course it will probably by the end of January or February). The OP is pretty much jumping on a conclusion without checking anything.
Hopefully I'm at least correct with my computation :lol
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
It makes sense now lol. He was sone of those WiiU is not failing its the industry people lol
It's like some of you were born after the GC was released.
"I can back out of any post I make by claiming I was never serious"
King Cobra
Banned
After all this news Nintendo will most likely announce a new DK character.
Zombie James
Banned
Would another month really make a difference?
Apophis2036
Banned
Finally !, thanks for doing that. So 4.2 million and that's without Dec NPD or three whole months of EU sales, 5.5 million is certainly not out of the realm of possibility and then there are three very strong first party exclusives for WiiU in Q1, 6 million by June is certainly possible.
Doesn't even matter anyway. I don't think people really care about the games, at least not at this point given that launch lineups. It's all about new console smell and media reports so when things fall off depends on how long they can ride the hype, by then there will probably be something to play.
shinobi602
Member
Not needing a PS4 is besides the point. There are now millions of PS4 owners hungry for games on their shiny new systems. You can't speak for everyone or even the 'majority' on what they do or don't like.
Just excluding indies, we have Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition, LEGO The Movie The Game, Rayman Legends, Thief, MLB 14: The Show, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Infamous: Second Son, and likely Driveclub and Watch Dogs as they've been given an 'early'/Spring release date.
Regardless of how you feel about each game, the PS4 will have quality content in the next few months. I don't see a major drop in sales momentum until the summer.
Apophis2036
Banned
Narpas Sword0
Member
I kind of doubt Wii U had sold through 3.5m of its 3.91 shipped consoles in September. Nintendo's console shipments over the summer were miniscule due to overabundance of stocks. Hell, Europe was NEGATIVE due to retailers returning units and not ordering more.
InsaneZero
Member
I'm not really sure how the PS4 specifically is relevant in this conversation when the primary driver of change in Nintendo will be their Q3 results and consistent negative growth trend that it'll signify. They would be forced to change due to the failure to meet their own expectations, not because they didn't outperform their competition.
A lot of the posts here either give Nintendo too much or too little credit, although most of those seem to assume or wish that the leadership will remain constant even during the situation. But that's not very realistic, considering that Nintendo is still a public company with stockholders that demand positive results. There's a very high probability given what we know about the company's performance that the leadership will be forced to change.
Considering their current situation, I believe that the best course of action wouldn't be to invest heavily on the Wii U. There's significant problems inherent within the company itself that need to be addressed, and finances would be better used to resolve those to better prepare the company for the future instead of spending more to improve a single product in the present.
A lot of the posts here either give Nintendo too much or too little credit, although most of those seem to assume or wish that the leadership will remain constant even during the situation. But that's not very realistic, considering that Nintendo is still a public company with stockholders that demand positive results. There's a very high probability given what we know about the company's performance that the leadership will be forced to change.
Considering their current situation, I believe that the best course of action wouldn't be to invest heavily on the Wii U. There's significant problems inherent within the company itself that need to be addressed, and finances would be better used to resolve those to better prepare the company for the future instead of spending more to improve a single product in the present.
BishopLamont
Banned
They do what Sony/Microsoft faced last gen: Do what they can to stay in the game and hopefully next gen is better, at least they have the 3DS to fall back on and they're good with their money.
We care.
---
I'm watching those tech demos of the Tegra K1 again. As graphics improve dramatically on a plethora of devices, the Wii U is going to have an even harder time justifying its existence.
It all hinges on the Nintendo IP, now.
Did someone piss in your drink? Why are you being so pessimistic? Your history shows you have been very very wrong. You predicted no more than 4m PS4s by August 2014. It's already past that and it's got 7months to go.
There's a time to admit that you're wrong. This is it.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Its nice admitting your mistake but please learn from it.
TDLink
Member
That is a pretty dumb argument to take though. I think it's really sad that so many people here subscribe completely to "hype" and "new console smell". For me it's always about the games. It should always be about the games. Maybe it isn't just about the games anymore, but that doesn't mean it's the ideal situation.
Yeah people will buy anything on new systems to justify their purchases, even if they are re-releases of games released last year on other systems or available on previous systems. My point is a lot of those aren't going to sell people who don't already own a system on one. There is no new game of PS4 that could potentially move the system for people, that also has a solid release date, after Infamous: Second Son.
Watch Dogs is also on everything, including Wii U even, and likely not even going to hit before holiday at this point. This is what I mean by it's impossible to know.
Personally I'm only interested in Infamous. I understand people with other tastes could be interested in Drive Club, not denying that. It's a fact though that beyond Infamous almost nothing has an actual release date. There is also almost nothing even tentatively for this year that is an exclusive beyond Infamous.
Re-launch and re-branding coupled with Mario kart and huge price cut would do wonders for the system.
Father_Brain
Banned
I would not take it as a given that any software not currently on track to ship before the end of the next fiscal year (March 31, 2015) will still see the light of day on Wii U. Of the announced titles, SMTxFE and Zelda U are the most likely to fall into that category.
BruiserBear
Banned
You sure are arguing a lot about something that either already happened, or will happen within weeks.
oconnomiyaki
Member
I don't get the argument that Nintendo shouldn't kill off the Wii U because it would piss off the people who already bought it. There's not even 5 million of them. It makes absolutely no sense to slog through all this, pissing into the wind, and sacrificing a potentially large market because you're afraid of annoying a handful of diehard loyalists.
86 it and either focus exclusively on the 3DS or try and cobble together some off-the-shelf parts for another go. I don't think the latter is a good idea because it still doesn't address their stubborn focus on the safe (Mario, more Mario, occasionally Zelda and Donkey Kong) and the fact that their teams don't seem geared up for next-gen development. The handheld space is essentially theirs, its successful for them (keeping them afloat at this point), and their more interesting IPs are better suited to it (Pokémon, Animal Crossing, etc).
86 it and either focus exclusively on the 3DS or try and cobble together some off-the-shelf parts for another go. I don't think the latter is a good idea because it still doesn't address their stubborn focus on the safe (Mario, more Mario, occasionally Zelda and Donkey Kong) and the fact that their teams don't seem geared up for next-gen development. The handheld space is essentially theirs, its successful for them (keeping them afloat at this point), and their more interesting IPs are better suited to it (Pokémon, Animal Crossing, etc).
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