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[ThisWreckage]

Nintendo will be fine as a company, but the Wii U is an utter disaster for them. I think it's only going to get worse. A lot of people that bought the Wii outside of the hardcore gaming enthusiast have no intention of upgrading to the Wii U. I have no idea why they haven't had Mario Kart, Metroid, Zelda, or a legit Mario game out yet. They still won't have one out this holiday season and that's with two new consoles hitting the market. The third party situation is troubling.

 

[Mael]

The wiiu is in worse shape. the GC had at least some profit built in at $199. The wiiu is breaking even, at best.

The GCs competition was more expensive, by and large. The wiiu is competing with two consoles it can't possibly undercut on price, with nearly identical specs, and losing. Soon to launch is another system with vastly superior specs, for marginally more money.

I was there when the GC launched too, the outlook of softwares coming out is certainly better so far.
GC wasn't any viable when it was cut at 99bucks anyway, they're probably losing less money on WiiU than they did when they cut the GC price anyway.
And since they're more reactive now, they should get their shit together quicker than the endless "waitfor next Zelda" game they played during the whole GC life.

Also as the numbers show, the real Mario is already out.
it's not popular here but real Mario is 2D Mario for the market at large, 3D Mario never did anything and that ain't going to change this time around.

If anything they're in better shape considering how this time one of their competitor totally screwed the pouch before release.

 

[jmls1121]

Ah yes like the wonderful Luigi Mansion that was so great we didn't get a sequel till years later on a handheld or are you talking about Wave Race the game that killed Wave Race?
From Nintendo's own studio, GC was pretty dismal appart from the games from Retro and stuffs that came years later.

And Rogue Squadron and some other good exclusive stuff.

But WiiU had nothing comparable at launch. This year's lineup looks really good imo

 

[goomba]

yes, really. Nintendo was forced into rapid price cuts on it to stay competitive. launched at $199, down to 149 in 6 months, and 99 within about a year. No one in their right mind thinks the GC was 50 percent profit. Nintendo took a bath on that.

it was the GBA that carried them through that era. the gc was a money sink.

games make profit, nintendo sold multiple million sellers on the gamecube thus they made money on the gamecube.

 

[Drek]

Nintendo never made money on the GameCube.

Well, you're factually wrong, simple as that. The GBA dominated their revenue stream but the GC actually MADE them money.

yes, really. Nintendo was forced into rapid price cuts on it to stay competitive. launched at $199, down to 149 in 6 months, and 99 within about a year. No one in their right mind thinks the GC was 50 percent profit. Nintendo took a bath on that.

it was the GBA that carried them through that era. the gc was a money sink.

Nintendo released the Gamecube at a cost neutral price point. They dropped to $149 when that was the new cost neutral price point (per George Harrison in this article). I'm sure that the longest gap in price drop (May 2002 to September 2003 for the $149-$99 drop) was also in line with their break even point for cost in manufacturing.

Meanwhile they sold the vast majority of software on the system, with multiple high seven/low eight figure sellers. No loss on hardware + highly profitable first party software = made good money on the Gamecube.

 

[Mael]

And Rogue Squadron and some other good exclusive stuff.

But WiiU had nothing comparable at launch. This year's lineup looks really good imo

Japan
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo Nintendo
Super Monkey Ball Amusement Vision Sega
Wave Race: Blue Storm Nintendo Software Technology Nintendo

NA :
All-Star Baseball 2002 Acclaim Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment
Batman Vengeance Ubisoft Ubisoft
Crazy Taxi Hitmaker Sega
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Z-Axis Acclaim Entertainment
Disney's Tarzan Untamed Ubisoft Ubisoft
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo Nintendo
Madden NFL 2002 EA Tiburon EA Sports
NHL Hitz 20-02 EA Black Box Midway
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader Factor 5 LucasArts
Super Monkey Ball Amusement Vision Sega
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Neversoft Activision
Wave Race: Blue Storm Nintendo Software Technology Nintendo

PAL :
Batman Vengeance
Bloody Roar: Primal Fury
Burnout
Crazy Taxi
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
Disney's Tarzan Freeride
Donald Duck: Quack Attack
ESPN International Winter Sports
Extreme-G 3
FIFA Football 2002
International Superstar Soccer 2
Luigi's Mansion
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II - Rogue Leader
Super Monkey Ball
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure
Wave Race: Blue Storm6

Absolutely not.

 

[goomba]

Ah yes like the wonderful Luigi Mansion that was so great we didn't get a sequel till years later on a handheld or are you talking about Wave Race the game that killed Wave Race?
From Nintendo's own studio, GC was pretty dismal appart from the games from Retro and stuffs that came years later.

Umm pikmin was at launch, smash brothers melee weeks after...

 

[Mael]

Umm pikmin was at launch, smash brothers melee weeks after...

Unless octobre is how japan call september.
No Pikmin wasn't there at launch
I won't even talk about the PAL launch

 

[jmls1121]

Umm pikmin was at launch, smash brothers melee weeks after...

Exactly. I mentioned launch window.

Trying to make an argument that they had equal software outputs is downright ridiculous.

 

[Manmademan]

games make profit, nintendo sold multiple million sellers on the gamecube thus they made money on the gamecube.

software sales on the gc were abysmal. nowhere near "profitable." there were maybe 1 or 2 "multi million" sellers per year. wiki gives 8 titles, the best of which sold about 7 million. (smash bros, Mario kart).

most of the Nintendo stable sold 2 or 3 million, including Zelda, metroid prime, luigis mansion, animal crossing, and Mario party.

this is HORRIBLE for a console on the market for 7 years.

 

[Mael]

Exactly. I mentioned launch window.

Trying to make an argument that they had equal software outputs is downright ridiculous.

You're right, there's better and more marketable games on WiiU right now.

Also WW sold like 4 Mil,
the best sellers were between SSBM and that horrible Mario Kart.

 

[Drek]

software sales on the gc were abysmal. nowhere near "profitable." there were maybe 1 or 2 "multi million" sellers per year. wiki gives 8 titles, the best of which sold about 7 million. (smash bros, Mario kart).

most of the Nintendo stable sold 2 or 3 million, including Zelda, metroid prime, luigis mansion, animal crossing, and Mario party.

this is HORRIBLE for a console on the market for 7 years.

2-3M at $50 MSRP, without a first party royalty cut, is (incredibly safe estimate) ~$30 in post-packaging and delivery revenue for Nintendo. So You're talking about individual games bringing in $60-$90M in revenue. Nintendo has made it quite clear of late that they sure as hell weren't spending that much per game to develop content up until the Wii U HD conversion.

It's basic math we're talking about here. Did Nintendo make "Nintendo level" profits when compared to the NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA, DS, and Wii? Hell no. But they for damn sure weren't losing money.

 

[NeonZ]

I really don't think this end of year line up will turn anything for Nintendo. Pikmin never had big appeal even for Nintendo's fanbase, and Donkey Kong and 3d World seem like they're going through a NSMB treatment, something that didn't work for NSMB itself (not only the Wii U's version, even though the 3DS version has sold millions, it hasn't even approached past games and is still behind 3d Land), so I don't see it working for other franchises that never sold as much. Then we have ridiculously misguided actions, like the promotion of a HD Wind Waker as a "remake" even though it's nothing of the sort. I thought Nintendo could turn things around with a great line up for the holidays, but their line up isn't good.

Ah yes like the wonderful Luigi Mansion that was so great we didn't get a sequel till years later on a handheld or are you talking about Wave Race the game that killed Wave Race?
From Nintendo's own studio, GC was pretty dismal appart from the games from Retro and stuffs that came years later.

The GC had Smash Bros Melee one month after launch, the game that would become the best selling GC game.

 

[ThisWreckage]

They should have had Mario Kart out for holiday season this year. In my opinion, that was vital. They should have had a game like that out way, way, way before a game like Pikmin 3.

 

[SmokedMeat]

In reality they are. Though Nintendo failed to realize it.

They did?

I recall Reggie saying how they were going after the core gamers with the Wii U. They're not doing a very good job of it so far.

 

[jackal27]

Great article. If you were a teenager/adult during the GameCube days, all this DOOM talk should sound familiar to you.

 

[Manmademan]

2-3M at $50 MSRP, without a first party royalty cut, is (incredibly safe estimate) ~$30 in post-packaging and delivery revenue for Nintendo. So You're talking about individual games bringing in $60-$90M in revenue. Nintendo has made it quite clear of late that they sure as hell weren't spending that much per game to devcostelop content up until the Wii U HD conversion.

It's basic math we're talking about here. Did Nintendo make "Nintendo level" profits when compared to the NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA, DS, and Wii? Hell no. But they also didn't lose money.

why do you assume all of those sales were at full MSRP? those figures are lifetime.

Nintendo had to stop production on the gc when the channel became flooded with unsold units. they dropped the price to 99 not long after. That price drop wasn't due to improvements in manufacturing, but a need to move units that just weren't selling.

There is no way they were making money on the hardware at the 99 pricepoint. unlike the ps2 or ps3, there was never a gamecube slim that significantly reduced production cost.

so, software sales would have had to make up for the loss on hardware, AND software development costs AND gamecube R&D. The gekko chip alone was a billion dollar investment from IBM. sorry, but Nintendo just didn't move that much software for the gc. There is a quote as well from Nintendo stating the gc was "not profitable", but I'm limited to my phone at the moment.

 

[M°°nblade]

It's basic math we're talking about here. Did Nintendo make "Nintendo level" profits when compared to the NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA, DS, and Wii? Hell no. But they for damn sure weren't losing money.

How can you be so sure that Nintendo's software income (not revenues) was bigger than the hardware expenses?

The gamecube had a really, really tiny install base while the hardware was being sold at dumping prices. The GBA did dominate with their revenue stream and it's profitability probably also hide the GC losses. People forget how Nintendo was still selling SNES-level budget games at €40-50 at that time.

 

[jcm]

Well, you're factually wrong, simple as that. The GBA dominated their revenue stream but the GC actually MADE them money.

How much did they make?

2-3M at $50 MSRP, without a first party royalty cut, is (incredibly safe estimate) ~$30 in post-packaging and delivery revenue for Nintendo. So You're talking about individual games bringing in $60-$90M in revenue. Nintendo has made it quite clear of late that they sure as hell weren't spending that much per game to develop content up until the Wii U HD conversion.

It's basic math we're talking about here. Did Nintendo make "Nintendo level" profits when compared to the NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA, DS, and Wii? Hell no. But they for damn sure weren't losing money.

This is a guess, not a factual statement.

 

[Drek]

why do you assume all of those sales were at full MSRP? those figures are lifetime.

Nintendo drops MSRP on software incredibly slowly, have strong initial sales behind the major IPs, and even if they moved a decent number at say, $30 you're still talking about ~$15 in revenue on 2-3M sales for games widely projected to cost significantly less.

Nintendo had to stop production on the gc when the channel became flooded with unsold units. they dropped the price to 99 not long after. That price drop wasn't due to improvements in manufacturing, but a need to move units that just weren't selling.

We won't get to know for sure, but even if every one of them were due to channel stuffing it still was a marginal loss per unit, as they clearly stated that the $149 price point was not at a loss. They also stopped production 9 months before the $99 price drop, so a decent amount of that stuffed channel was still moved within a neutral price point.

There is no way they were making money on the hardware at the 99 pricepoint. unlike the ps2 or ps3, there was never a gamecube slim that significantly reduced production cost.

1. A "slim" model doesn't reduce cost nearly as much as refined internals.
2. I didn't say they were making money, just not losing it.

so, software sales would have had to make up for the loss on hardware, AND software development costs AND gamecube R&D. The gekko chip alone was a billion dollar investment from IBM. sorry, but Nintendo just didn't move that much software for the gc. There is a quote as well from Nintendo stating the gc was "not profitable", but I'm limited to my phone at the moment.

Really? Because I've found multiple quotes around the web from Tom Harlin in an IGN interview (that IGN has now taken down) stating this:
Nintendo of America's Tom Harlin opened the event with a few choice words. "People frequently ask if the GameCube is a success. Overwhelmingly, the answer is yes. It's profitable in terms of a business and from a consumer perspective," said Harlin.

They didn't make the kind of money they want to make on a product, but much like with the N64 the first party software carried them over the threshold of profitability.

Also, GC R&D was based directly off of existing PowerPC architecture. I'd be rather surprised if the Gekko alone cost IBM $1B to develop. It also directly proceeded the Wii's chipset, meaning that R&D for the hardware family has been subsidized across two different platforms at this point.

 

[scitek]

It sucks for sure that the Wii U isn't too good right now, especially for Wii U owners, who have no idea what the future is for the console and if this trend of missing out on third party games or certain options in them will continue.

But the article is right, in the grand scheme of it all, while Nintendo should be worried about what they're doing, the Wii U failing isn't the be all and end all for the console.

Now hurry up with those Wii U games Nintendo, I need my fix.

I'm honestly not that concerned about missing out on any games if Wii U versions of third-party titles aren't made, but it's disappointing there won't be an option for off-TV play and other unique features that only the Wii U's capable of delivering.

 

[Manmademan]

We won't get to know for sure, but even if every one of them were due to channel stuffing it still was a marginal loss per unit, as they clearly stated that the $149 price point was not at a loss. They also stopped production 9 months before the $99 price drop, so a decent amount of that stuffed channel was still moved within a neutral price point.


1. A "slim" model doesn't reduce cost nearly as much as refined internals.

again, apologies as I'm on the phone and this is a pain. the 149 may have been breakeven, but most of the GC's sales were at the 99 price point, not 149. The slim models (ps2, ps3, and 360) were all substantial internal redesigns that reduced cost.

for instance, the emotion engine was originally a 250 nanometer chip, eventually redesigned into a 90 nanometer device incorporating both the EE AND GS. Same deal with the cell. Originally 90nm, shrunk down to 45 with the slim.

Gekko started at 180nm and stayed that way. it never saw a reduction.

Also, GC R&D was based directly off of existing PowerPC architecture. I'd be rather surprised if the Gekko alone cost IBM $1B to develop. It also directly proceeded the Wii's chipset, meaning that R&D for the hardware family has been subsidized across two different platforms at this point.

powerpc architecture means nothing. the cell and x360 processors were ALSO PPC based. they were all custom and not off the shelf. The contract for the gekko alone was a well publicized billion dollar contract between IBM and Nintendo for it's design. Any agreement for Broadway (different chip in the Wii) would have been a separate contract and irrelevant to GC profitability.

And that's JUST R&D for the CPU. no one knows what they paid ARTX for the flipper...but ATI paying $400 million for ARTX immediately after signing that contract with Nintendo (their only customer) should give you an idea.

 

[Spinpug666]

No one (from what I've read in this thread) has mentioned the affect that piracy had on the number of DS and PSP systems sold. I'd say that piracy had a huge part to play with the number of systems sold due to it being so easy.

So comparing DS sales to 3DS is kind of pointless due to the fact piracy drove DS hardware sales. This is just one point why I think the DS, PSP etc sold in such huge amounts, while the newer systems are not affected by piracy yet. If someone said 'You can have all the free games you want' of course that's gonna be a reason to buy the hardware, albeit a dishonest way.

 

[MikeE21286]

The wiiu is in worse shape. the GC had at least some profit built in at $199. The wiiu is breaking even, at best.

The GCs competition was more expensive, by and large. The wiiu is competing with two consoles it can't possibly undercut on price, with nearly identical specs, and losing. Soon to launch is another system with vastly superior specs, for marginally more money.

The WiiU literally Dreamcasted itself.

All the above is the definition of doing so...

 

[Manmademan]

The WiiU literally Dreamcasted itself.

All the above is the definition of doing so...

The DC is a huge jump over the ps1 and N64. This would be more like sega releasing a more expensive N64 with a controller no one wants in 1999, with the ps2 due to launch the very next year at a similar price point.

 

[rvy]

What's this? An article that makes sense? At IGN of all places? It is time, fellas. The horsemen are coming for us.

Joking aside, I can't wait to get my WiiU to play some Bayo 2 and TW101 on it. The awesome Nintendo titles are already a given.

 

[Vic20]

This will be a quiet generation for Nintendo but they will carry on none the less.

 

[Manmademan]

No one (from what I've read in this thread) has mentioned the affect that piracy had on the number of DS and PSP systems sold. I'd say that piracy had a huge part to play with the number of systems sold due to it being so easy.

So comparing DS sales to 3DS is kind of pointless due to the fact piracy drove DS hardware sales. This is just one point why I think the DS, PSP etc sold in such huge amounts, while the newer systems are not affected by piracy yet. If someone said 'You can have all the free games you want' of course that's gonna be a reason to buy the hardware, albeit a dishonest way.

eh, I'm not sure thats a great argument. The DC was the most easily pirated console of all time. Didn't really help sales.

it's only the hardcore buying flash carts and installing custom firmware to pirate. a very small percentage of the hundred plus million DS and 70 million psps out there. as we can see with jailbroken iPhones and rooted Androids, the general public just isn't that tech savvy.

 

[ab.aeterno]

It's important to remember that Nintendo squandered not only their year lead on the competition, including when they were the only confirmed and known quantity for next gen systems, but at least another year or two before that. Let's not forget the initial showing was a confusing mess that not only failed to build excitement outside core circles, but that they repeated the next year, the year of its launch, with an abysmal showing that failed to convince the core or casual markets to jump in. People speculate about why third parties like EA jumped ship before sales numbers came in, but forget the year or two before launch where anyone could project potential sales based on the feedback the market was giving Nintendo. And failing to learn anything from the troubled launch only further cemented their woes.

I loved my DS and the 3DS is finally getting software like Animal Crossing that got me on board, but as someone who isn't a big fan of most of Nintendo's core IPs, they've given me, and too many other core gamers like me and casual gamers like my family, a reason to buy a WiiU.

I don't doubt Nintendo can weather this storm, and I highly doubt they'd go third party any time soon, if at all. But anyone convinced that the WiiU is just on the verge of exploding to levels that will let them meet their forecasts, let alone beat the launch of their rivals, from a title coming this holiday, needs to step back and rationally and honestly view the situation for the disaster it is. When the Vita is outselling you, you've made a huge mistake. And that comes from someone who likes his Vita.

 

[Wynnebeck]

What's this? An article that makes sense? At IGN of all places? It is time, fellas. The horsemen are coming for us.

Joking aside, I can't wait to get my WiiU to play some Bayo 2 and TW101 on it. The awesome Nintendo titles are already a given.

Well, I'm glad that you enjoy your Wii U, but the reality is that neither of these titles are going to entice people to actually buy one.

 

[royalan]

It's important to remember that Nintendo squandered not only their year lead on the competition, including when they were the only confirmed and known quantity for next gen systems, but at least another year or two before that. Let's not forget the initial showing was a confusing mess that not only failed to build excitement outside core circles, but that they repeated the next year, the year of its launch, with an abysmal showing that failed to convince the core or casual markets to jump in. People speculate about why third parties like EA jumped ship before sales numbers came in, but forget the year or two before launch where anyone could project potential sales based on the feedback the market was giving Nintendo. And failing to learn anything from the troubled launch only further cemented their woes.

And that's the kicker: the Wii U isn't just failing, it's failing point-for-point for the EXACT reasons everybody who was paying attention during the first unveiling predicted it would. Confusing message, leaning too heavily on a gimmick that isn't half as compelling as the wiimote, prioritizing small size and low power-consumption over graphics capabilities, no true system sellers for launch, shaky 3rd party support, outrageous price for perceived value, all of this shit was telegraphed. From day 1 Nintendo gave you no reason to care about this thing if you weren't a die-hard fan.

I think that's why 3rd party support was able to flee so quickly; they were prepared for it. The Wii U's failure wasn't an unpredictable snafu. It was the plane crash you could see coming from several counties away.

 

[Spinpug666]

eh, I'm not sure thats a great argument. The DC was the most easily pirated console of all time. Didn't really help sales.

it's only the hardcore buying flash carts and installing custom firmware to pirate. a very small percentage of the hundred plus million DS and 70 million psps out there. as we can see with jailbroken iPhones and rooted Androids, the general public just isn't that tech savvy.

By no way is it just the hardcore using flash carts. Everyone and their dog has one here, as they are easily available and cheap as chips. I dont know anyone that has a DS that doesnt have a flash cart, and im including the non-hardcore in this. Wii, PSP etc don't even need flash carts, all you need is to DL a few files and bingo.

I don't have figures etc, but I'm sure sales on DS and PSP exploded as soon as piracy became available, like wise In the past with PSone/PS2 etc. I know lots of people that bought hardware just because they could pirate stuff easily, and these are people who really have no clue about gaming forums etc.

As far as the DC goes it was being pirated within months of it being released, where as most of the other systems took quite a while longer.

To dismiss the effect piracy had on sales is ignoring the elephant in the room. The DS had its life cut short because of piracy. Nintendo introduced the 3DS when they did because they seen the effect of piracy on DS software sales. Even the Devs have mentioned this was the case.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

Nuff said.

 

[RedSwirl]

They should have had Mario Kart out for holiday season this year. In my opinion, that was vital. They should have had a game like that out way, way, way before a game like Pikmin 3.

And Nintendo had admitted this failing. The one screwup Iwata will admit to is that they basically had to delay half the Wii U's launch lineup by six months. I imagine they wanted Mario Kart out in the fall too.

 

[Frux7]

Present Nintendo views the gaming market differently than Sony/Microsoft. To Nintendo, everyone is a potential gamer. To Sony/Microsoft, gamers are mainly 10 - 34 year old males. Sony/Microsoft see males with disposable income as driving their market. Nintendo views mothers as the primary purchasing agents driving their sales (a very Japanese view?).

Nintendo sees danger in catering too closely to the tastes of the 10 - 34 male demographic because they fear alienating everyone else, especially mothers and woman more generally. After taking a beating in the home console space during the Gamecube era, Nintendo's view of the market was seemingly validated with the Wii. I don't think there has ever been a console with as broad of an appeal as the Wii.

Unfortunately for Nintendo, the increasing ubiquity of devices capable of outputting relatively complex graphics has dramatically increased Nintendo's competition in this space. I also get the feeling Nintendo themselves was running out of ideas as to what to do with motion controls. As a result, the expanded audience that came with the Wii has left Nintendo.

The defection of the expanded audience leaves Nintendo with a difficult choice. Do they try to recapture this audience with a different "gimmick" than the failed WiiU touchscreen? Do they go back to motion controls even though their competitors have copied them and they might be running out of ideas? Do they consign themselves to the under 10 family demographic, which history indicates tops out at around Gamecube levels in terms of sales and is increasingly being served by the same iOS/Android games that grabbed the expanded audience? Do they move back into more direct competition with Sony/MS even though that too is a difficult market and they haven't been fully committed to that "game" for more than a decade?

They aren't in any immediate danger, but they do face difficult choices.

The problem with Nintendo's view is that you need third party support. In order to get that support you need software sales. In order to get that you need hardware sales. The easiest way to get that is by going after the 18-35 year old male crowded as they are likely to by an expensive system on day one where there is very little in terms of games. The casual crow usual come in later when their is a slim model. It's like presidential elections. You have to go after the base then pivot to the center.

I can think of one system that had broader appeal than the Wii and it was the PS2. It was the best DVD player with a strong stream of games. That's why it was the number one selling video games system.

 

[th4tguy]

I will consider my purchase of the WiiU not a failure as long as I get at least one really good exclusive game out of it. I think that game is probably going to be X.

 

[Evenflow]

This needs to be posted in every thread regarding the gamecube being a failure or not making a profit, they made more money that gen than sony with the freaking ps2... granted the gba had alot to do with it, but still... I think some of the younger nintendo is doomed posters on here need to take a long hard look at this.

 

[kurbaan]

This needs to be posted in every thread regarding the gamecube being a failure or not making a profit, they made more money that gen than sony with the freaking ps2... granted the gba had alot to do with it, but still... I think some of the younger nintendo is doomed posters on here need to take a long hard look at this.

 

[Nightstick11]

The delusion of some Nintendo-haters is pretty shocking to see.

It's one thing to say that the Wii U is selling atrociously-- it is, that is a fact.

On the other, it is another thing entirely to pretend that Nintendo games can't sell systems, that if Xbox 360 wasn't in a "shortage (lmao)" in 06 it would have done monster numbers, that the Wii U didn't have a strong launch, and that Nintendo has been in a downward trajectory since SNES.

The Wii U is selling horribly. Can it turn around? Yes. Will it? We don't know.
Will the PS4 and Xbox one have strong launches? Yes. Will it keep that momentum for the entire launch year? Probably not, but according to some here, they are both going to sell 10 million in their first years on market.

Carry on.

 

[royalan]

The delusion of some Nintendo-haters is pretty shocking to see.

It's one thing to say that the Wii U is selling atrociously-- it is, that is a fact.

On the other, it is another thing entirely to pretend that Nintendo games can't sell systems, that if Xbox 360 wasn't in a "shortage (lmao)" in 06 it would have done monster numbers, that the Wii U didn't have a strong launch, and that Nintendo has been in a downward trajectory since SNES.

The Wii U is selling horribly. Can it turn around? Yes. Will it? We don't know.
Will the PS4 and Xbox one have strong launches? Yes. Will it keep that momentum for the entire launch year? Probably not, but according to some here, they are both going to sell 10 million in their first years on market.

Carry on.

No, it can't.

It's really time to start coming to grips with this. Is there a chance? Sure...I guess. But that chance is so slight as to be completely marginal. To expect the Wii U to turn around at this point is to expect something we have, frankly, never seen before in this industry.

Ultimately, Nintendo will be able to cut and conserve enough to etch out a profit with the Wii U, but it will likely never be seen as a successful venture for the company. The Wii U is a failure in that regard.

 

[DSXBoy]

The delusion of some Nintendo-haters is pretty shocking to see.

It's one thing to say that the Wii U is selling atrociously-- it is, that is a fact.

On the other, it is another thing entirely to pretend that Nintendo games can't sell systems, that if Xbox 360 wasn't in a "shortage (lmao)" in 06 it would have done monster numbers, that the Wii U didn't have a strong launch, and that Ninten7do has been in a downward trajectory since SNES.

The Wii U is selling horribly. Can it turn around? Yes. Will it? We don't know.
Will the PS4 and Xbox one have strong launches? Yes. Will it keep that momentum for the entire launch year? Probably not, but according to some here, they are both going to sell 10 million in their first years on market.

Carry on.

I am not a Nintendo hater, In fact I love Nintendo. I have the N64, Gamecube and Wii consoles. I have just dumped Wii U console at a substantial loss after 6 months because the Gamepad controller is unsuitable for instant and bite sized gaming. The controller is too confusing not just for gamers, but for games developer and retailers.

Nintendo made a Huge mistake with the Wii U and I predict that not even Super Smash Brothers or Mario Kart will rescue it. Most Nintendo fans already have the console, non-Nintendo hardcore and casual gamers do not understand the WII U. So even the best games are not going to shift many consoles. Neither is a Price Cut. Nintendo abandoned the Instant appeal of Wii Console/Wii Remote/Wii Sports for the confused message of Wii U/Gamepad/Nintendoland. I just hope they realise their mistake & use this lesson for their next console.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

To expect the Wii U to turn around at this point is to expect something we have, frankly, never seen before in this industry.

There's been a lot of things we've never seen before in the industry lately.

Not to say it will turn around and be a success, but if gen 7 taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected.

 

[Kouriozan]

This needs to be posted in every thread regarding the gamecube being a failure or not making a profit, they made more money that gen than sony with the freaking ps2... granted the gba had alot to do with it, but still... I think some of the younger nintendo is doomed posters on here need to take a long hard look at this.

What is considered a failure or not is now being subjective.
N64 and Gamecube will always be considered a failure no matter what.
Suddenly, a single bombing console after a successful gen will kill Nintendo!

 

[Aquamarine]

This needs to be posted in every thread regarding the gamecube being a failure or not making a profit, they made more money that gen than sony with the freaking ps2... granted the gba had alot to do with it, but still... I think some of the younger nintendo is doomed posters on here need to take a long hard look at this.

What is this a picture of, exactly? What do Sony / Nintendo / Microsoft's columns represent?

I just want to make sure nothing is misrepresented here.

 

[Bill Rizer]

Nintendo is undoubtably in a risky situation.

Just before DS' launch, Yamauchi himself said something that sounded about: "if DS won't succeed, we will be crushed", as a consideration after GC fail.

Now luckiliy with Wii and DS they made up a lot of money, but WiiU's fail is of way bigger magnitude compared even to GC ( almost VirtualBoyish?).

 

[Barack Lesnar]

http://gimmegimmegames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/nintendoprofits.jpg
This needs to be posted in every thread regarding the gamecube being a failure or not making a profit, they made more money that gen than sony with the freaking ps2... granted the gba had alot to do with it, but still... I think some of the younger nintendo is doomed posters on here need to take a long hard look at this.

That number is lumped in with the monster GBA and any other products. We don't know the specific Gamecube number, which according to Pachter on Sunday would be in red. He said GC didn't make a profit including R&D costs. He's someone who would be privy to that info. If it did turn a profit it was probably little.

 

[kurbaan]

What is this a picture of, exactly? What do Sony / Nintendo / Microsoft's columns represent?

I just want to make sure nothing is misrepresented here.

its profit / loss

 

[Aquamarine]

its profit / loss

I know that...what KIND of profit? Net income? Operating income? Ordinary income? And is it ubiquitously for the "Games" sectors in the business and not the entire business itself?

For example, are Microsoft's figures skewed because the table is looking at ED&D revenues and not Xbox revenues? You know, that kind of thing.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

What is this a picture of, exactly? What do Sony / Nintendo / Microsoft's columns represent?

I just want to make sure nothing is misrepresented here.

SCE
Nintendo
MS' entertainment division

Profit in black (probably net profit), loss in red. Nintendo's profits were incredible.

 

[Evenflow]

That number is lumped in with the monster GBA and any other products. We don't know the specific Gamecube number, which according to Pachter on Sunday would be in red. He said GC didn't make a profit including R&D costs. He's someone who would be privy to that info. If it did turn a profit it was probably little.

True. The point I was trying to make was, if Nintendo has proven one thing, it's they know how to make money(other than last 2 years, wish someone could update that chart), better than anyone in the buisiness by a long shot. The slow Wii U sales are soon to be lumped together with monster 3ds numbers(pokemon), so worse case scenario i think is a repeat GC/GBA level profits the next few years.