BishopLamont
Banned
People are placing way too much on price cuts and marketing and what not.
In the end its the games that will matter.
In the end its the games that will matter.
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NPD January 2013 Sales Results [Up7: Wii U 57K (CNET), Vita ~35K, PS3 201K]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
4-week February is generally higher than 4-week January. However, NPD is often "adjusting" their software in February, for some reason, so that throws a kink in things. May not need to happen so much now, since having Wal-Mart means they have 80-85% of the market directly tracked. The running theory seems to be tax refunds giving people extra cash to spend on consoles, though, yes.
No Brain Age love?
I've listed titles that have good / great possibilities of selling. I fear Brain Age isn't that kind of title anymore, especially retail.
I hope this statement guarantees Brain Age 3D selling more than at least one game on your list, then.
PhoenixDark
Banned
Any 3DS hardware numbers?
Under 150k, assumed around 140k. Which is lower than DS (or GBA) ever did in Jan during their lifetimes (aka DS pre-3DS and GBA pre-DS). And it is way lower than 3DS did last Jan (and this Jan was 5 weeks vs last year's 4 weeks).
3DS had a pretty bad Janurary, if Vita and WiiU didn't do so horrible by comparison 3DS's doing badly would be the big story of this NPD.
PhoenixDark
Banned
<150k? Ouch
It's interesting seeing the US and Japanese handheld markets trend in completely different directions. Pokemon will always sell to both audiences, but it seems like the smartphone/cheap impulsive gaming purchase market will replace tradition handhelds here (soon). I have no idea what Nintendo's next handheld will look like/do.
It's interesting seeing the US and Japanese handheld markets trend in completely different directions. Pokemon will always sell to both audiences, but it seems like the smartphone/cheap impulsive gaming purchase market will replace tradition handhelds here (soon). I have no idea what Nintendo's next handheld will look like/do.
I agree. $99 and $20 games or bust.
If you mean "will they get fired before, then", the reasonable expectation is "no." Even worst case would wait until after next Christmas season is to see what the yearly profit numbers are and then evaluate. I still don't think Iwata would be let go, even if they weren't close to their goal, but it'd at least be somewhat more possible, then.
If you mean "will they both attend this year's E3 conference," Reggie definitely would, and Iwata probably would, as well, since he's very much a public face of Nintendo (and a darn good English speaker) from the Nintendo Directs and past U.S. conferences.
While $99 for hardware makes it a throwaway purchase for most, it should get a lot better when it gets really below $150 (i.e. not $149.99). $20 as standard for games is ridiculous, though. GBA was fine with $25/$30. It's just $40 isn't cutting it. Even the $40 Square-Enix tax DS games tanked at that price. You'd have to really want the game to pay that much, and that's another barrier (i.e. convincing yourself it's worth it) that needs to be lowered for the consumer.
Gahiggidy
My aunt & uncle run a Mom & Pop store, "The Gamecube Hut", and sold 80k WiiU within minutes of opening.
Reading posts like this, as someone who believes Wii U to be modern tech, is terribly frustrating.
Pretty sure this wasn't the first time. They put out a pre-NPD release PR for (I think) last October's numbers, and am pretty sure they've just skipped another month or two over the past couple of years.
Real talk?
I think things went to hell after Cammie Dunaway left.
I know she got a lot of hate for her E3 nonsense, but all I'm saying is, she left in October 2010. Look at Nintendo in America before she left, and after she left.
Yeah.
D
Deleted member 47027
Unconfirmed Member
This is a point I can't ignore.
Alcibiades
Member
3DS really needs to hit $99 at some point. The DS itself was a great success but could have been even bigger if there had been a $99 option at some point. Handhelds need to be impulse purchases to maximize their audience and the best way to do that is having an option for less than a hundred bucks.
The 3DS is sufficiently powerful that it may be a while before that happens for Nintendo, but I think they should be aiming for that ASAP.
The 3DS is sufficiently powerful that it may be a while before that happens for Nintendo, but I think they should be aiming for that ASAP.
When it comes to 3DS phones/tablets of course play a part but I think a lot of 3DS's failure to take off in America so far can be put at the feet of NoA. Their marketing for it is awful, the pricing/color availability/etc is a mess even compare to NoE.
Nintendo faces a tough handheld environment in America but they are also seeming to do everything in their power to shoot themselves in the foot. It is baffling that the same NoA that marketed the DS so well has done such a horrible job with 3DS.
If Iwata is let go later this year then I hope they fire most of the top people at NoA with him.
3DS had potential to take off in America, more than WiiU, but NoA is doing everything they can to squander that opportunity.
And the fact you can go buy a Kindle Fire right now for less than 3DS is a big problem.
Nintendo faces a tough handheld environment in America but they are also seeming to do everything in their power to shoot themselves in the foot. It is baffling that the same NoA that marketed the DS so well has done such a horrible job with 3DS.
If Iwata is let go later this year then I hope they fire most of the top people at NoA with him.
3DS had potential to take off in America, more than WiiU, but NoA is doing everything they can to squander that opportunity.
And the fact you can go buy a Kindle Fire right now for less than 3DS is a big problem.
Dude. It's the equivalent of 2006, just like the Wii was the equivalent of 2001 tech in 2006.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
I agree that the main components, the CPU and GPU, are but the Gamepad is very impressive tech. Not so much the screen, just the incredibly low latency.
I'm still mad at Nintendo for not spending the extra money on a multi-touch screen.
H_Prestige
Banned
Time to start letting go of those beliefs. The graphics are no better than current gen and developers know it.
airmangataosenai
Member
It's at the same price as the DS used to be now. Getting it below 150 would probably help but it probably won't stabilize month to month until the DS is 100% phased out.
test_account
XP-39C²
To be fair, the tech in the WiiU is more modern than the PS3 and Xbox 360. But the graphic capabilities are not a big step up from what the PS3 and Xbox 360 can do. The WiiU is most likely more capable, but not a big step.
DS Lite was 130 and was the system that caused the DS to take off.
Tathanen
Get Inside Her!
plank
Member
I guess you've missed the Need for Speed thread.
Correct. Just slightly better.
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
All the Wii U has to do is sell.
If it sells, the games will come. Ports will come. It's not a technical barrier this generation.
It's a sales barrier. And all signs right now are not looking good.
But if Nintendo can kick start sales and move attach rate with some killer 1st party sales, at the least, you'll see what you're calling 'cross gen' happen for a couple years, at least.
GBA was fine because it didn't have anything it had to compete with. If you want to get back into those pockets (and they used to own the kids market), you've got to address the new reality.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Graphics have never and will never be the predominant reason someone buys a new console.
They are generally just a happy extra. Something that makes new games feasible, if not possible. Games sell videogaming hardware. But some games are not possible without that increase in tech. It's just taking longer and longer between those releases now. I mean once you get to the point of rendering a collection of islands amounting to hundreds of square miles, all lovingly detailed (some pretty consistent copy/paste going on with textures and models admittedly) the bar gets a little high to just leap over entirely.
They are generally just a happy extra. Something that makes new games feasible, if not possible. Games sell videogaming hardware. But some games are not possible without that increase in tech. It's just taking longer and longer between those releases now. I mean once you get to the point of rendering a collection of islands amounting to hundreds of square miles, all lovingly detailed (some pretty consistent copy/paste going on with textures and models admittedly) the bar gets a little high to just leap over entirely.
test_account
XP-39C²
Sure, i just ment it as a repond to what was said about the WiiU being modern tech or not.
speculawyer
Member
I can't wait until they release the new consoles because that will at least make the NPD reports a little more interesting.
H_Prestige
Banned
Do you think there is a technical barrier in porting ps4/720 developed games over to ps3/360? If you do, then the same technical barrier prevents porting to wii u. So no, games will not just magically "come".
Um, Wii U is modern tech. CPU and GPU. It's not that powerful compared to durorbis, though and only a little more powerful than the old HD consoles. This "old" argument shouldn't be used anymore, unless you want to make a fool out of yourself.
Miiverse in the current form wouldn't be possible with this (not enough sensitivity).A Human Becoming said:
I think DS "the ugly brick" was 130, DS lite was 150.
Gahiggidy
My aunt & uncle run a Mom & Pop store, "The Gamecube Hut", and sold 80k WiiU within minutes of opening.
I almost think the lack of enthusiasm for Wii U among the core gamer set has less to do with the specs and more to do with the case design, which says "new iteration" and not "new generation".
We can call the Wii-U 'modern tech', for sure.
We just need to reposition the next-gen consoles as 'future tech'.
According to Wikipedia "The Nintendo DS Lite was released on June 11, 2006, for US$129.99 in the United States"
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
I don't know about magic, but money works!
no. DS lite debuted at $130 in america. it only came out at a higher price in japan.
i remember that the fact it came out at the same price was commented as a stealth price drop back in the day.
Not quite. The DS Phat launched at 150, then dropped to 130 back around the 2005 holiday season IIRC. The Lite continued at the 130 price point at launch.
H_Prestige
Banned
It has no games that core gamers want to play. Not rocket science.
Doesn't even have anything for casuals either. NSMB is been there done that.
Nothing in the pipeline and devs are now targeting next gen visuals which wii u cannot dream of producing.
Well, yes they're 'new' in the same way they make modern, low-power CPU and GPUs for non -power users.
You know what people mean when they say 'old' even if they're not technically correct.
I see. I was thinking of Japan where the DS increased its price with the release of the Lite model.
Sorry for the confusion
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Loosely (very loosely) based on 2009 tech with wattage limitations of 32 watts (currently the highest recorded for WiiU) and pushing comparable visuals to high end 2006 era tech doesn't have the punch.
WiiU is loosely based on tech from 2009, with a fuckton of undefined alterations. To call it modern would be accurate. Calling it powerful is up to the individual. I can guarantee any idea I've got floating around would be completely feasible on the console... but I tend to like contained controlled ideas.
But I seriously don't see a scenario where any software is outright impossible on WiiU, but many where it's just not feasible.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
For the moment, the problem seems to be that "Wii U is seven year old tech" has become a meme. It's about as bad as "Wii U still has no online" propagated by people who don't appear to know anything about the online capabilities, besides reading protests about the account system.
Unfortunately, people don't necessarily care about facts. It's just about perception. (Which is why marketing is big business in the first place.)
In a way it's a reason why it would be good for Nintendo to detach themselves from the traditional console rat race and the expectations consoles are saddled with. For instance, if hypothetically Wii U actually WAS a "tablet" enhanced with gaming controls that had the ability to mirror gameplay to the living room TV when desired... the perception of it might be that its "power" was incredible for such a device. (And honestly, it would be.)
In the next-next generation, the entire situation is why I'm still convinced Nintendo will very likely get out of the dedicated console game, assuming Sony and MS make new consoles to follow Orbango.
Version 3.0
Member
I have to wonder what the reaction would be to a <$150 3DS, given the price of the games. Imagine a parent who sees a portable at $130, decides to get one for her kid, then realizes that each game is nearly a third of that price. It would certainly make me reconsider. And it might make a $300 iPod with $1 games look tempting.
It's oddly backwards, but at least that particular comparison doesn't look so out of whack with a $200 system.
It's oddly backwards, but at least that particular comparison doesn't look so out of whack with a $200 system.
Given the power consumption, it's definitely 'modern'.
Thing is, I couldn't give a fuck about power consumption. Eat all my electricity for all I care, just bring me something noticeably better than my current shit.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Well that's an entire other conversation.
One better lubricated with drinks, a joint, and maybe some classy hookers.