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NPD December 2012 Sales Results [Up2: Xbox 360, All Nintendo Hardware, NSMB Wii U]

Wii U numbers are... not good. At least the results briefing in a few weeks will be interesting.

Vita numbers are staggeringly awful for December, even "only" below 250K. Anyone have GC 2005 and PSP 2010 numbers for comparison? It's below the November numbers I've seen for both.
 

BriBri

Member
If the prophecy of the Durango and Orbis coming out this November is true then the WiiU isn't going to have a great holiday season in 2013. The spotlight is going to be on the competitors.
Why necessarily so? What if there's a $200 price point with two of Smash Bros. 4, Mario Kart U and Zelda released, next to the$400+ next gen consoles? You simply can't say definitively that it can't be a great 2013 holiday season.
 

Thoraxes

Member
That would make it 1/6th to 1/5th... no?

Can't really say unless we see actual numbers. All we know is it's slightly greater than 1/10th, but not lower.
Well I mean, once the PS4 is out, any numbers the PS3 pulls won't be the focus.

Now, if the PS4's numbers are bad, that will be a heavy focus, but it still will coat over the PS3.

Ah true. I really think they can push a lot of PS3s next holiday with some cheaper bundles too, even if the PS4 is out. That should be near pure profit for them if they've gotten manufacturing costs down enough.
 

Krowley

Member
If the prophecy of the Durango and Orbis coming out this November is true then the WiiU isn't going to have a great holiday season in 2013. The spotlight is going to be on the competitors.

That will depend on the games available by the end of the year and the price comparison. Never doubt that Nintendo has what it takes to make amazing games that will sell this system. Eventually, they will.

How many surprise games do Nintendo have cooking right now and how awesome are they? Those are the questions.

They better be pretty awesome, and they better be finished soon, or you will probably be right.
 

Coolwhip

Banned
I think the biggest problem with Wii U is pricing. 350 puts it towards an iPad mini, I think people in this time see a lot more value there. It will get interesting holiday 2013 though... Wii U will have gotten some great games and they can drop the price to 250 or maybe even 220. People will have to choose between ps720 at 400(500+ if you include a game and all the extra shit you always need). Or a Wii U at 200-250. (Or just ignore all 3 and buy a tablet).
 

guek

Banned
Dude, I knew it was dead before I bought mine and I was there day one. It's disappointing, but not surprising.

SmokeyDave, I find that I strongly disagree with most things you have to say.

But even though I'm not a general fan, you're probably my favorite Vita lover.
 

Juken

Member
Not surprised or saddened with the Wii U numbers considering how they've handled it. Hopefully the current management is allowed to stay and becomes more dynamic in an attempt to right the ship. I like Iwata and I certainly don't want to risk new management. Also hoping for some nice ambassador games =)

As for Vita I'm still surprised how many people think Sony can rescue it. At least it'll have to be supported through the PS4 launch year - they can't have a big discontinued game system in the news right when they're trying to build momentum for a new console.
 
Uh, no they weren't. You think what's keeping the Wii U from selling is the Wii? LOL. The Wii was $129 with game bundles at most places in December, the Wii U was $350 with a game bundle.

Old consoles stay around for a reason: they're cheap to make, people buy them, and they're profitable. If Nintendo didn't have the Wii or DS around, they would be millions more in the red, not sitting sky high on a bundle of increased current generation sales.

Well I think its a contributing factor. Getting rid of the Wii will help to eliminate the 'confusion' about what the WiiU really is. I also think software is the other big issue, and I dont think the price actually has too much to do with the their lackluster performance.

And certainly- you're right in saying that keeping the Wii will help with profits and such, but unlike the PS2 and the PS3, I think the Wii is really holding the WiiU back. So whats more important for Nintendo right now, selling more WiiU's, or making profit in the old Wii consoles?

On the other hand, there doesnt seem to be much confusion as to what the 3DS is compared to the DS, at least not anymore or as much as the WiiU.


Edit: touchscreen is failing me
 

LOCK

Member
Oh man, Wii U numbers are bad. Less that 100k average per week. I know Nintendo is waiting for their investors meeting to update consumers, but they need to do that stat. And hire somebody who knows how to market this console.
 

ksamedi

Member
"slightly dissapointing" is the correct term for Wii U. Not straight out bad numbers, but underwhelming. I wonder what titles like Wii Fit and Watio will do.

Vita is in really bad shape, but will probably pick up next year. (it can't go down any further).

3DS doing good, but not great yet. It will never reach DS numbers, but I think from here on out it will perform well in a smartphone, tablet heavy market. It goes against the gut feeling of a lot of gaffers about smartphones taking over the gaming scene, which is great.

PS3 on its way out, but has some decent exclusives left so who knows.

360 Kinect has made a big impact. Great work Microsoft. They have learned a lot from the original Xbox and MS is becoming a big enternainment brand in the US.
 
I think the biggest problem with Wii U is pricing. 350 puts it towards an iPad mini, I think people in this time see a lot more value there. It will get interesting holiday 2013 though... Wii U will have gotten some great games and they can drop the price to 250 or maybe even 220. People will have to choose between ps720 at 400(500+ if you include a game and all the extra shit you always need). Or a Wii U at 200-250. (Or just ignore all 3 and buy a tablet).

This is going to be Nintendo's biggest hurdle: how to get casual consumers back. The Wii made sense to them: $250 for the thing that plays Wii Sports, and I get Wii Fit to stay in shape.

Now It's $300 - $350 to play what looks like a complicated minigame collection. Or I could get an ipad/mini. Then they look at the Wii gathering dust, and the Wii Fit balance board under their bed and go to the Apple Store.

What does Nintendo have up their sleeve to bring people back?
 

slit

Member
I think the biggest problem with Wii U is pricing. 350 puts it towards an iPad mini, I think people in this time see a lot more value there. It will get interesting holiday 2013 though... Wii U will have gotten some great games and they can drop the price to 250 or maybe even 220. People will have to choose between ps720 at 400(500+ if you include a game and all the extra shit you always need). Or a Wii U at 200-250. (Or just ignore all 3 and buy a tablet).

I'm not really concerned about the WiiU. It's not setting the world on fire like the Wii did but I think it'll be fine once it gets some better games and the price comes down.

The doom prophecies will continue though.
 

TheNatural

My Member!
Wii U numbers are... not good. At least the results briefing in a few weeks will be interesting.

Vita numbers are staggeringly awful for December, even "only" below 250K. Anyone have GC 2005 and PSP 2010 numbers for comparison? It's below the November numbers I've seen for both.

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Wow, after so much made since E3 2011 about not making the same mistakes of the 3DS with the Wii U, and here we are. Since E3 2011 we STILL really don't see much in the way of support known in the future since back then. And that's just fucking nuts.

Hard locks on the system, poor UI, long load times, no virtual console, no big launch games outside of Mario. Seriously, what the fuck has Nintendo been doing and why are they constantly so ill prepared? Fuck, the only console game NCL has made since Galaxy 2 has been Skyward Sword, it's not like Nintendo went out with anything close to resembling a bang with the Wii the past two years. Nintendo has become a sluggish relic with a slow output. It doesn't make sense.
 

Darryl

Banned
They had a launch effort that had some games and pretty much no marketing. Barring lack of product to sell, I would expect Microsoft to market the hell out of the 720.

I expected nintendo to market the hell out of the Wii U and I was wrong, so there's obviously something here that we're both missing
 
"slightly dissapointing" is the correct term for Wii U. Not straight out bad numbers, but underwhelming. I wonder what titles like Wii Fit and Watio will do.

Vita is in really bad shape, but will probably pick up next year. (it can't go down any further).

3DS doing good, but not great yet. It will never reach DS numbers, but I think from here on out it will perform well in a smartphone, tablet heavy market. It goes against the gut feeling of a lot of gaffers about smartphones taking over the gaming scene, which is great.

PS3 on its way out, but has some decent exclusives left so who knows.

360 Kinect has made a big impact. Great work Microsoft. They have learned a lot from the original Xbox and MS is becoming a big enternainment brand in the US.

That's what you think lol. Vita will probably spend most of next year under 50k.
 

Sandfox

Member
Damn Ubi has been making big growth it seems, AC 3 was over double AC 2's NA launch and Far Cry 3 doing better launch in NA than worldwide Far Cry 2 is crazy

I'm glad these games did well but it makes me feel like its just giving them a reason to milk these IPs next gen.
 

John Harker

Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Now does Sony and MS feel less pressure from Nintendo to release new consoles this year? Do they see what a lack of content can do and not rush a launch because of the fear "first to 10MM wins" is less acute now?
 

evangd007

Member
Its not just the Vita Sony should be worried about.

They just shouldnt be allowing the 360 to have such a huge lead over the PS3 right now. I actually dont believe that CURRENT sales are an indication of whats going to happen during the launch of next gen consoles, but overall hype and momentum will be on MS' side going in.

They need to drop prices for both systems. They need to have a conference, soon, that focuses 100% on the Vita (if they dont plan on giving up, and want to see success long term) and announce a bunch of games. They need more aggressive marketing for both systems as well. They're losing the motion control gimmick battle against the kinect, so they need to change the conversation. Keep their marketing about the value of the PS3 and its games. Focus on the US.

As for Nintendo, holy hell. Whoever it was that said they need to kill the Wii was right.

The only ones hurting Nintendo, are Nintendo themselves.

From what I can tell, the PS3 rules house in Europe, so Sony doesn't want to do anything with respect to worldwide pricing because of that. I do agree, however, that the mindshare Sony commands in the US currently is really low.

Also, this is the December NPD. From the data presented here you should be able to deduce that neither Move nor Kinect are market factors in any way fashion.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
It is almost funny everyone but MS screwed up this holiday season. Sony and its freaking 50 dollar price increase on a downgraded model. Nintendo and naming its console like an accessory. The non existant advertising of the new system. The kinect launch got more ad support for gods sake. Final note to Sony drop the damn price of the Vita so it don't die. I love that little machine.
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Selling worse than the bombing 2006 PS3 the GAF I lurked back then seemed to revel in at almost $300 (half the price) has got to be a major wake up call for Nintendo and certain sects of these hallowed pages.
 

user_nat

THE WORDS! They'll drift away without the _!
Really?

A 1+ million NPD opening is usually a path to 4+ million sales LTD.

There are a few exceptions, but not that many.

Mass Effect 3 being one of those exceptions.
As someone who actually likes ME3, I'm pretty disappointed it couldn't even crack the yearly top 10. Must have sold about 5 copies after March.
 
Now does Sony and MS feel less pressure from Nintendo to release new consoles this year? Do they see what a lack of content can do and not rush a launch because of the fear "first to 10MM wins" is less acute now?

Microsoft is going to push to come out in holiday 2013 regardless of Nintendo at this point. They want to take down Sony.
 

UberTag

Member
Hard locks on the system, poor UI, long load times, no virtual console, no big launch games outside of Mario. Seriously, what the fuck has Nintendo been doing and why are they constantly so ill prepared? Fuck, the only console game NCL has made since Galaxy 2 has been Skyward Sword, it's not like Nintendo went out with anything close to resembling a bang with the Wii the past two years. Nintendo has become a sluggish relic with a slow output. It doesn't make sense.
Clearly they've caught whatever disease has infected Square Enix, Team ICO and Polyphony Digital the past several years.

Thank goodness they've still got Intelligent Systems, Game Freak, Monolithsoft and EAD Tokyo holding the fort on the software front.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Mass Effect 3 being one of those exceptions.
As someone who actually likes ME3, I'm pretty disappointed it couldn't even crack the yearly top 10. Must have sold about 5 copies after March.

Actually, at 3.5 million shipped for launch and $200 million in revenue in EA's following report, it'd definitely suggest it made it in the 4-5+ million range worldwide.

FIFA must actually be quite a high low bar.
 
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