well then yea, i agree with you there. that's the point i was trying to get across. they aren't in the limelight. the products imaging is still in the unknown. jumping ship right now is a ridiculous idea because of that, it can be fixed.
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Analyst: Nintendo sold 55,000 Wii Us in March, 85,000 Wiis
- Thread starter ClovingWestbrook
- Start date
well then yea, i agree with you there. that's the point i was trying to get across. they aren't in the limelight. the products imaging is still in the unknown. jumping ship right now is a ridiculous idea because of that, it can be fixed.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
I have a Wii-U, and I'm looking forward to some hopefully great games in the future for it, but I just don't see a future where the GamePad catches on like they'd hoped. And if the PS4/Durango are as successful as they hope, it's just gonna be even more irrelevant. It'll be like a GameCube, but more expensive, and less third party support, and less technical parity with the Sony/MS boxes.
Who is even the target audience for this system, besides the vague "Nintendo fan" demographic?
But I haven't even seen a New Super Mario Bros U commercial since December, so it's not like they're promoting anything already and stopping that. I've also noticed a bunch of Lego City Undercover ones on Toonami/Nickelodeon and the like.
Karsticles
Member
They're learning. I know we're the internet, but I've seen at least 100 posts between here and GFAQs with people saying the game made them buy a Wii U. Heck, a GAF member just bought a Wii U for it last night even though he has the 3DS version.
There's some rather major differences between the cellular phone market and the console gaming market; there's never been any successful example of such quick refreshes for consoles, as Sega is more than happy to demonstrate. All three of them have waited too long (Wii U should have been a 2011 release), but the opposite has always been failure.
Aquamarine
Member
Well that's anecdotal. Nintendo, etc. have been continuing to push their launch lineup since practically zero titles were released in January and February.
March 19th was the first scheduled Wii U software refresh. Pachter thinks that the refresh hasn't been successful at all.
Little Green Yoda
Member
And trending further downwards despite new software release would be a sign things are even worse. Don't think I'm implying things have been great thus far. There's no way the March software was going to "save" the Wii U but if it can't even tread water now, how's the next few months going to look?
I personally love the gamepad, it's pretty satisfying to play without UI clutter or just having menus with touch controls. I guess I just wish the gamepad was literally a 3DS (with both analogs) akin to what Sony is doing with the Vita and PS4.
Was it ever revealed how much a 2nd Wii U pad even costs?
Chinpoko_Master
Member
I don't know about that. The GameCube era was a much darker time for Nintendo than most people remember.
AZ Greg
Member
I actually don't think the apathy is due to lack of product knowledge as much as people saw what it was and decided they have no interest in it.
Nintendo had better 3rd party support back then, though. So the Wii U era will likely be worse than Gamecube.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
It will most likely be the opposite. Nintendo will divert plenty of resources for the WiiU especially since they have problems with HD development.
It's not practically zero, it's literally zero. It's just hard for me to fathom, personally.
opticalmace
Member
Got some good games out of it though.
Fox Mulder
Member
I think they can turn it around this holiday, but what a botched release year.
The new Playstation and Xbox are coming out, but the WiiU will presumably finally have games people care about and will be cheaper than the new consoles. If it limps along after the big gun first party releases and actual marketing, then it's dead.
dreamer3kx
Member
WiiU cant survive selling at these pathetic numbers, they're in a very bad place, whos head is rolling?
shinobi602
Member
Personally I think we'll see a million Wii U or so shifted if Mario Kart or Mario Galaxy 3 (?) come during this holiday.
SolarPowered
Member
They need some fuckin games.
The search for "gimmicks" and "peripherals" is what got them into this mess in the first place. They struck gold with the Wiimote, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater with the Wii U.
When it's all set and done, you could say the same about every console
opticalmace
Member
Fine with me.
Aquamarine
Member
Nintendo didn't have any Wii U software releases from January. The launch lineup was supposed to carry the system post-December.
There was ONE release in February--Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2--and Rayman Legends was supposed to join it before Ubisoft got cold feet from Nintendo's abysmal January NPD and decided to push it back / make it multiplatform.
Karsticles
Member
Yeah, I think people are looking at it the wrong way. Nintendo is using the time it has to make sure that it has software to beat the other two systems when they arrive in the fall.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
The lack of interest in the WiiU is no indication what so ever that the PS4 and Durango will perform badly. It´s just your wishful thinking especially since the PS360 are still selling well with their relatively high price point.
The console needs games, but it also needs more power. I agree with Pacther that the 360 and PS3 will cannibalize the Wii U when next gen hits in the fall. The prices of those consoles will fall (which are similar power wise) and then the Wii U will be completely buried.
Nintendo would be best off axing the Wii U and bringing out a console with no tablet controller with beefed up hardware specs. If third party devs still ignore it then call it a day, but at least the power/controller argument won't be relevant. As a Wii U owner I say axe the thing, start over, and add some power to the machine and get rid of the tablet controller.
Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
Wii u struggling! Lets have a 3ds directs while we remain silent about Wii U!
:/
:/
DragonSworne
Banned
I hope you don't mean Mario Galaxy 3 literally.
Another galaxy sequel is only to bomb... It needs to be brand new.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Pachter has been on the money lately I see no reason why to not believe.
shinobi602
Member
Goddamnit, I always read your posts in Darryl's voice. Every damn time lol.
well they'd just be seeing it on the product shelves because the product has had very little advertising push. it takes a person have a really active interest in video gaming to even know what the product is at this point. hell many people around here still think the controller is an iPad, they can't even get this community informed.
velvet_nitemare
Member
Really?
That was an eShop title, a poor/expensive one at that. Even C-tier titles like Monster Hunter and Lego City Undercover should be able to move more than nothing. We'll see numbers in a few days, and if I'm wrong, I'm wrong.
There's a certain base amount of Nintendo consoles that will sell during the holidays regardless, simply because a Nintendo system is the "go to" gift for a lot of parents/grandmas etc. That does not make the system any more viable in the long run though. They should sell 1 million + this holiday, but it could still end up being the last holiday for the system.
Aquamarine
Member
Nintendo GameCube sold 111,000 units in its 5th month. The 3DS sold 92,000 units in its 5th month.
55,000 units NOT GOOD by ANY stretch of the imagination.
shinobi602
Member
I don't mean it literally, just whatever new Mario they're developing.
But why do you think it would bomb? The first 2 did tremendously well...
Little Green Yoda
Member
The problem is, how many more third parties drop support in the meantime?
what 3rd party support, m i rite?
Fox Mulder
Member
Nintendo bailed on the wii years ago and showed the WiiU off at two E3 conferences, but this is what they delivered. It shouldn't take a year to get compelling software. The other two consoles will have a better launch lineup just for the fact that third parties actually give a shit about them.
As awesome as the Galaxy titles are, I think a third entry would be overstaying its welcome.
evilromero
Member
And March was supposed to be the good month. I hate to see what's in store for April and May with so little on the calendar. Damn.
Q
qizah
Unconfirmed Member
I just don't think the market is the same as it was 7 years ago. I'm assuming the PS4 and new Xbox will be $499 (for a premium SKU) and at that price point, I really don't see them selling extremely well.
Everything this new generation that we've heard about and the Wii U has feels like it's lacking. I don't know what it is, I'm just not excited for this generation. At all.
Aquamarine
Member
I could have sworn it was a retail release....ah well, you're right then, January and February had zero retail releases.
AZ Greg
Member
It is going to be brutal in the summer. The PS3 only did sub 100K 3 times. And those were all in its first summer.
Unless it gets a BIG price drop, we're probably looking at <35K.
DragonSworne
Banned
Franchise fatigue. There have been 2 Mario galaxy games already. The audience that is willing to spend money on a new system to play a third rendition of a game is not that large.
It'll be NSMBU all over again. It will sell over a million copies, but it'll do little to move systems and attract a new audience.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
Ridiculous. The PS360 are still selling well and generating profit for Sony and MS. There´s no reason to launch new console now especially since the WiiU is massively failing. That´s why Sony and MS are waiting to release a new console. They want to generate as much profit as possible before launching their new systems. The PS360 are still selling 200-300k a month in the US alone. MS and Sony next gen consoles will do well, and improve the overall gaming market base on console price inflation alone.