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[CouldBeWorse]

It's going to take a lot more than just a new hardware box under the tv to get people excited about console gaming again. Is anyone excited for next gen when all we've seen so far is stuff like Infamous 3, Killzone 4, Assassin's Creed 7 and Thief? I mean really?

New hardware isn't a magic wand. You need publishers to invest in new ideas.

The people who are buying an Xbox or PS3 now are not the same folks who will be queuing up for next-gen in November.

New ideas like Watch Dogs and sharing EVERYTHING! I'm as bored by Killzone 4 as anyone, but I'm optimistic that we will see some new ideas that are compelling to the masses.

 

[saichi]

Then again, some great games designed specifically for Nintendo home systems, from third parties, haven't always found success:

Resident Evil 4 (GCN), Beyond Good and Evil (GCN), Madworld (Wii)....

you are kidding, right? Beyond Good and Evil bombed on everything including PS2 and PC... but it's a prime example why third party doesn't have success on Nintendo's console?

 

[darkside31337]

I don't get what is so surprising about the hardware numbers. It would be absolutely nuts if they didn't drop at this point. On top of the massive end of generation fatigue both the PS3 and 360 haven't had a price cut in ages - hell the PS3 effectively had its price increase with the new model.

So without a price drop of any sort what exactly is going to entice people to jump into the market now more than this same point last year?

I do give credit for Sony trying to make the PS3 appealing with value bundles, specifically tying new colors into those is pretty smart but its obviously not being priced at a value price point that would make a difference.

 

[chubigans]

Has any of those consoles even changed price since this time last year? Honest question, I don't even know what the PS3/360/Wii go for new these days.

 

[Striek]

Has any of those consoles even changed price since this time last year? Honest question, I don't even know what the PS3/360/Wii go for new these days.

PS3 base model went up $20. X360 had a $50 price drop for the holidays but has gone back up.

Edit: The Wii had a $20 cut also.

 

[CouldBeWorse]

Has any of those consoles even changed price since this time last year? Honest question, I don't even know what the PS3/360/Wii go for new these days.

Not officially but they are constantly marked down or have special offers like gift cards or free games included.

Edit: forgot Wii and it's small price cut and cheapo redesign.

 

[spwolf]

I expect someone who is proficient at looking at sales data to know how sales data should be compared.

First thing to look would be how things turned out at last generation switch.

And look here... what a surprise.

02/2005
PS2 = 533,000

02/2006
PS2 = 300,000

Game sales down 15%.

Its time to go to bed so I cant look up rest of them, a lot of old sites are down these days.

 

[jvm]

question is, how did consoles do 6-9 months before 360, PS3 and Wii hit?

Sure, here you go:
Total Feb 2005: 1.2mm
Total Feb 2006: 1.1mm

Where is your god now? (Just kidding. Always wanted to say that.)

Anyway, the breakdown I have:

PS2: down almost 240K
Xbox: down almost 125K
GC: down almost 50K
NDS: up almost 15K
GBA: down about 10K

One key difference is that the Xbox 360 added 160K while the Wii U only added 66K. In fact, Microsoft's hardware sales were up from 210K to 250K, combining the two in 2006.

I should add that February 2005 was a particularly strong month for the PS2. Like freakishly big. I think that sales figures from around that period are kind of skewed by shortages after the PS2 Slim introduction, production issues, shipping issues, and so forth.

 

[lunchwithyuzo]

you are kidding, right? Beyond Good and Evil bombed on everything including PS2 and PC... but it's a prime example why third party doesn't have success on Nintendo's console?

I was always under the impression that BG&E1 sold better on GC than Xbox as well.

 

[AniHawk]

I was always under the impression that BG&E1 sold better on GC than Xbox as well.

the gamecube version sold the worst, but all three did pretty fucking bad. i think sales performance gets mixed up with game performance. supposedly the gamecube one was the lead platform or best-looking of the bunch.

also, the gamecube version released a month after the ps2 version, and a week after the xbox version, in the middle of december. this was back when games had staggered releases for no real good reason.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

the gamecube version sold the worst, but all three did pretty fucking bad. i think sales performance gets mixed up with game performance. supposedly the gamecube one was the lead platform or best-looking of the bunch.

Over the Xbox? I would love to see comparison. Not doubting you or anything btw

 

[shinra-bansho]

Just going through my numbers and so forth.

Last year's hardware units: 1.7mm
This year's hardware units: 1.1mm

A decrease of 36%.

PSV: down almost 190K
Wii: down almost 130K
Xbox 360: down 125K
PS3: down almost 90K
3DS: down over 70K
NDS: down about 35K

What a depressing situation. I feel more and more uneasy about the PS4 and Durango.

Just to clarify - these are February totals right?

Sure, here you go:
Total Feb 2005: 1.2mm
Total Feb 2006: 1.1mm

Where is your god now? (Just kidding. Always wanted to say that.)

Anyway, the breakdown I have:

PS2: down almost 240K
Xbox: down almost 125K
GC: down almost 50K
NDS: up almost 15K
GBA: down about 10K

One key difference is that the Xbox 360 added 160K while the Wii U only added 66K. In fact, Microsoft's hardware sales were up from 210K to 250K, combining the two in 2006.

I should add that February 2005 was a particularly strong month for the PS2. Like freakishly big. I think that sales figures from around that period are kind of skewed by shortages after the PS2 Slim introduction, production issues, shipping issues, and so forth.

I think lumping together handheld and home console units doesn't paint a clear picture. I had a look myself earlier at the Februaries and YTDs for 2013 and 2006 when the 360 launched.

[B]Feb-06			Feb-13[/B]	
PS2	309,000		X360	302,000
XBX	88,000		PS3	262,000
GCN	67,000		Wii	99,000
[I]6th Gen	464,000		7th Gen	663,000[/I]

[U]X360	161,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	66,000[/U]
[B]Total	625,000		Total	729,000[/B]
				
			3DS	189,000
NDS	150,000		NDS	101,000
PSP	170,000		PSV	38,000
[U]GBA	190,000[/U]		[U]PSP	9,000[/U]
[B]Total	510,000		Total	337,000[/B]

[B]Jan + Feb 2006		Jan + Feb 2013[/B]	
PS2	581,000		X360	583,000
XBX	177,000		PS3	462,000
GCN	133,000		Wii	199,000
[I]6th Gen	891,000		7th Gen	1,244,000[/I]

[U]X360	410,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	123,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,301,000	Total	1,367,000[/B]
				
			3DS	334,000
NDS	308,000		NDS	171,000
PSP	349,000		PSV	73,000
[U]GBA	362,000[/U]		[U]PSP	19,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,019,000	Total	597,000[/B]

Also, adjusted January 2013 for the 4 week month, for a more like-for-like comparison:

[B]Jan + Feb 2006		Jan (adj.) + Feb 2013[/B]	
PS2	581,000		X360	526,800
XBX	177,000		PS3	422,000
GCN	133,000		Wii	179,000
6th Gen	891,000		7th Gen	1,127,800

[U]X360	410,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	111,600[/U]
[B]Total	1,301,000	Total	1,239,400[/B]
				
			3DS	305,000
NDS	308,000		NDS	157,000
PSP	349,000		PSV	66,000
[U]GBA	362,000[/U]		[U]PSP	17,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,019,000	Total	545,000[/B]

Looking at the adjusted figures for home consoles:

• The 360 and PS3 alone outsold the combined 6th gen systems by 6.5%.
• The combined 7th gen systems outsold the combined 6th gen systems by 26.5%
• Total home consoles were down 5% - essentially attributable to the Wii U v. XBOX 360.

Looking at the adjusted figures for handhelds:

• Nintendo handhelds are down 31% relative to 2006.
• Sony handhelds are down 76% relative to 2006.
• New handhelds in 2013 (PSV, 3DS) are down 43.5% relative to 2006 (PSP, NDS).
• Old handhelds in 2013 (NDS, PSP) are down 52% relative to 2006 (GBA).
• Total handhelds in 2013 are down 46.5%.

Essentially, it shows is that there's a major handheld decline and that the Wii U has failed to reignite the hardware market in the same way that the 360 did. I don't think that necessarily translates to Durango or PS4.

 

[Busaiku]

There are several things to note regarding handhelds though.
Yes, Vitta is down to PSP, but DS being so much lower than GBA can probably be attributed to the ages of the respective systems.

DS is on its 9th year, whereas GBA was only on its 5th year.

 

[donny2112]

question is, how did consoles do 6-9 months before 360, PS3 and Wii hit?

Feb. 2005:
PS2: +51% YOY (affected by PSTwo shortages late 2004 pushing early 2005 higher)
XBX: +6% YOY
GCN: -15% YOY

Feb. 2006:
PS2: -42% YOY (again, Feb. 2005 was inflated due to late 2004 shortages)
XBX: -58% YOY (Microsoft had stopped shipping consoles, and 360 was out)
GCN: -42% YOY

Where is your god now? (Just kidding. Always wanted to say that.)

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

Sure, here you go:
Total Feb 2005: 1.2mm
Total Feb 2006: 1.1mm

Where is your god now? (Just kidding. Always wanted to say that.)

Anyway, the breakdown I have:

PS2: down almost 240K
Xbox: down almost 125K
GC: down almost 50K
NDS: up almost 15K
GBA: down about 10K

One key difference is that the Xbox 360 added 160K while the Wii U only added 66K. In fact, Microsoft's hardware sales were up from 210K to 250K, combining the two in 2006.

I should add that February 2005 was a particularly strong month for the PS2. Like freakishly big. I think that sales figures from around that period are kind of skewed by shortages after the PS2 Slim introduction, production issues, shipping issues, and so forth.

JVM, can you say how much hardware were down year to date and not just February?

 

[michaelius]

Just going through my numbers and so forth.

Last year's hardware units: 1.7mm
This year's hardware units: 1.1mm

A decrease of 36%.

PSV: down almost 190K
Wii: down almost 130K
Xbox 360: down 125K
PS3: down almost 90K
3DS: down over 70K
NDS: down about 35K

What a depressing situation. I feel more and more uneasy about the PS4 and Durango.

Uneasy ? Those numbers show we need PS4 and Durango asap because people won't be buying ps3/x360 endlessly at the same price point.

Bring $150 x360, 200$ ps3 and new systems for 300-400$ and the sales next year will be healthy

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Uneasy ? Those numbers show we need PS4 and Durango asap because people won't be buying ps3/x360 endlessly at the same price point.

Bring $150 x360, 200$ ps3 and new systems for 300-400$ and the sales next year will be healthy

They bring 360 ps3 that low the sales will be crazy.

 

[creamsugar]

Some LTD data you may interest:
PVZ DS ~ 976k
Birds 3DS ~ 477k

 

[allan-bh]

Some LTD data you may interest:
PVZ DS ~ 976k
Birds 3DS ~ 477k

Impressive for both.

I am very curious about Forza Horizon and Fable: The Journey LTD. Can you tell me some numbers?

 

[Cheebo]

There are several things to note regarding handhelds though.
Yes, Vitta is down to PSP, but DS being so much lower than GBA can probably be attributed to the ages of the respective systems.

DS is on its 9th year, whereas GBA was only on its 5th year.

The fact 3DS is also down is pretty alarming. It has been down compared to the previous year for 8 months straight. It's sales are falling like its a 5-6 year old system, not a year 2 old one.

 

[Mpl90]

Impressive for both.

I am very curious about Forza Horizon and Fable: The Journey LTD. Can you tell me some numbers?

Me too. As well as Sonic Racing on all platforms.

 

[Mpl90]

The fact 3DS is also down is pretty alarming. It has been down compared to the previous year for 8 months straight. It's sales are falling like its a 5-6 year old system, not a year 2 old one.

This beginning of the year is a direct consequence of what Nintendo released last Holiday (just Paper Mario). This year and the beginning of next year will be pretty different, thanks to many good titles saleswise coming and Pokémon in October.

 

[Cheebo]

This beginning of the year is a direct consequence of what Nintendo released last Holiday (just Paper Mario). This year and the beginning of next year will be pretty different, thanks to many good titles saleswise coming and Pokémon in October.

That doesn't change the fact is basically unheard of for a system this early in it's life to have sales down year over year for nearly a year straight. It is not the sign of a healthy system. This never happened to DS or GBA before it.

 

[AniHawk]

The fact 3DS is also down is pretty alarming. It has been down compared to the previous year for 8 months straight. It's sales are falling like its a 5-6 year old system, not a year 2 old one.

the hardware and software need a price drop. the market has rejected the $40 pricepoint for handheld games for well over a decade at this point.

it won't do what the ds or gba did, but $30 games and $130 hardware would give the system some staying power.

 

[Mpl90]

That doesn't change the fact is basically unheard of for a system this early in it's life to have sales down year over year for nearly a year straight. It is not the sign of a healthy system. This never happened to DS or GBA before it.

The problem for 3DS has been that last year the lineup hasn't been as continue as it should have needed to be, with a good pace of important releases, and this stopped the momentum created by 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. And the DSi's price cut affected 3DS as well, since DS still does pretty big numbers for a console with no support at all right now and in its 9th year on the market. And, as I said, the bad Holiday lineup with just Paper Mario as strong release for the US market and, above all, lack of compelling deals on Black Friday (in fact, 3DS was actually up compared to 2011 till October, thanks to two more months counted of course :asd...what happened in the Holidays eliminated the advantage and created the downside). This year many 2012 problems have been corrected: quite a big amount of releaes with at least good sales potential coming and Pokémon in October, right before the Holiday season. Granted, as anihawk said, the platform would gain quite a big amount of customers with a 129.99 price for the OG / 169.99 for the XL, it'd be the last move to do in order to guarantee a big year sales wise for the platform. Given the current situation of Yen, it should be possible to do it.

 

[Exterminieren]

That doesn't change the fact is basically unheard of for a system this early in it's life to have sales down year over year for nearly a year straight. It is not the sign of a healthy system. This never happened to DS or GBA before it.

DS or GBA never had a stretch over the holidays with only Paper Mario and Professor Layton to sustain the platform.

I highly doubt it's a terminal decline; if the sustained lineup on the cards this year sees reduced Y-O-Y figures, that's when we panic.

 

[Bruno MB]

It always amazes me to read that GBA titles only cost $30 in the US. In Spain they were extremely expensive, Nintendo titles cost 45€, third-party titles 50€ - 55€.

 

[AniHawk]

It always amazes me to read that GBA titles only cost $30 in the US. In Spain were extremely expensive, Nintendo titles cost 45€, third-party titles 50€ - 55€.

they tried charging $40 for them at first. then cart costs came down and so did the price of the games. i think nintendo started pricing their own titles at $35 at this time, but only for select titles, like the minish cap. the 3ds is the first across-the-board price increase for games on dedicated handheld machines since the game boy came out.

 

[Mpl90]

they tried charging $40 for them at first. then cart costs came down and so did the price of the games.

The same happened with DS and PSP, IIRC, no?

 

[jvm]

the hardware and software need a price drop. the market has rejected the $40 pricepoint for handheld games for well over a decade at this point.

I feel like $40 was accepted briefly at the beginning of the PSP's lifetime.

Going for $40-$50 for the PSV was kind of insane. I mean, perhaps you can't get Uncharted developed unless you're shooting for that kind of price, but that may just mean you got yourself into an untenable situation with your platform.

 

[Thoraxes]

The same happened with DS and PSP, IIRC, no?

The SE games usually ended up $40 iirc.

Nintendo's were usually cheaper though.

 

[AniHawk]

The same happened with DS and PSP, IIRC, no?

some ds games were $40, like square enix's, or the nintendo ones that came with other things. psp was across-the-board $40-$50 at the start of its life, with prices going to $30-$40 starting in 2009 or so. it wasn't until the 3ds that even nintendo handheld games had a standard price of $39.99.

I feel like $40 was accepted briefly at the beginning of the PSP's lifetime.

i guess it was, before things somehow turned to shit. i'm not even sure how the psp failed in the us. it seemed like it had everything going for it until april 2006 when interest simply died.

Going for $40-$50 for the PSV was kind of insane. I mean, perhaps you can't get Uncharted developed unless you're shooting for that kind of price, but that may just mean you got yourself into an untenable situation with your platform.

to be fair they had nowhere to go but up given the amount of stuff they crammed inside the vita. sony and nintendo dug themselves some holes this gen.

 

[jcm]

Just to clarify - these are February totals right?I think lumping together handheld and home console units doesn't paint a clear picture. I had a look myself earlier at the Februaries and YTDs for 2013 and 2006 when the 360 launched.

Essentially, it shows is that there's a major handheld decline and that the Wii U has failed to reignite the hardware market in the same way that the 360 did. I don't think that necessarily translates to Durango or PS4.

This is a very useful comparison.

 

[A Human Becoming]

I feel like $40 was accepted briefly at the beginning of the PSP's lifetime.

Going for $40-$50 for the PSV was kind of insane. I mean, perhaps you can't get Uncharted developed unless you're shooting for that kind of price, but that may just mean you got yourself into an untenable situation with your platform.

Would you agree, except for most first party software, that pricing is due to an early adopter fee, where as at the discounted price is when they make most their sales but not necessarily most their profit? With handhelds I think the bulk of sales being at launch is less true than mobile and consoles as their novelty is leas appealing in the Western market. You see this especially with Nintendo titles.

 

[PerZona]

So Rising is doing much poorly in NA than in Japan? And considering in Japan it's a PS3 exclusive. lol.

 

[jvm]

A column went up. Not a lot regarding NPD, but more about Wii U generally. Also UK software sales.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...agging_but_theres_still_hope_for_Nintendo.php

 

[shinra-bansho]

A column went up. Not a lot regarding NPD, but more about Wii U generally. Also UK software sales.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...agging_but_theres_still_hope_for_Nintendo.php

Any info on how well the Just Dance franchise itself is maintaining an audience?

The UK sales have showed a massive decline iirc; curious if a similar effect has occurred in the US or if it's holding up better.

Also, if there's any argument for first party building an audience for third party games - it's the sales of Just Dance on the 360.

 

[Striek]

A column went up. Not a lot regarding NPD, but more about Wii U generally. Also UK software sales.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...agging_but_theres_still_hope_for_Nintendo.php

Interesting analysis, just a couple things I noticed.

Not only will they be able to carry over many Wii titles, but there is a strong probability that these users own or have owned Mario Kart Wii or one of the Wii iterations of New Super Mario Bros.

Only one NSMB on the Wii.

That's better than one digital copy for every physical copy, an astounding result especially for a company like Nintendo which has been reluctant to enter the purely digital market.

FE sold more at retail still. Perhaps you meant for better than one digital copy for every [two] physical cop[ies]?

 

[Plinko]

the hardware and software need a price drop. the market has rejected the $40 pricepoint for handheld games for well over a decade at this point.

it won't do what the ds or gba did, but $30 games and $130 hardware would give the system some staying power.

Exactly.

I can't believe how stubborn these companies are with trying that $40 price point for a handheld game. The general public has clearly rejected that pricing structure.

As for Durango/Orbis, I sincerely hope they have a steady flow of games releasing (at least one a month) or they may have similar trouble as Wii U. The core are going to run out and get them at launch, but they need to have something that convinces everyone else to upgrade.

I think Wii U could be doing much better if Nintendo had front-loaded the launch with a quality title releasing each month. I still don't think that situation is dire--yet. A price drop along with a Mario Kart Wii U bundle at Christmas could really turn things around for them. Mario Kart was a huge seller last generation and I think it could move systems.

 

[jvm]

Interesting analysis, just a couple things I noticed.

Only one NSMB on the Wii.


FE sold more at retail still. Perhaps you meant for better than one digital copy for every [two] physical cop[ies]?

Yep. Will fix. Thanks!

 

[Pociask]

Exactly.

I can't believe how stubborn these companies are with trying that $40 price point for a handheld game. The general public has clearly rejected that pricing structure.

As for Durango/Orbis, I sincerely hope they have a steady flow of games releasing (at least one a month) or they may have similar trouble as Wii U. The core are going to run out and get them at launch, but they need to have something that convinces everyone else to upgrade.

I think Wii U could be doing much better if Nintendo had front-loaded the launch with a quality title releasing each month. I still don't think that situation is dire--yet. A price drop along with a Mario Kart Wii U bundle at Christmas could really turn things around for them. Mario Kart was a huge seller last generation and I think it could move systems.

Wii U's problems are, at this point, entirely software driven. I think every consumer would like a lower price point, but the Wii U's still in a very reasonable price range.

3DS game prices are insane. I think there is a tendency to inflate competitition from phones and tablets, but geez, there are a lot of people out there getting trained to think that games should be free-$1. Nintendo was going to have a difficult enough time holding the line at $30 - they're insane to try to move to $40.

Look, I'm a grown man with kids, I think handheld gaming is awesome, etc. etc. But the prototypical handheld game scenario for me is always going to be a diversion for kids in the backseat of a car. If you make that too expensive, those kids are just going to be watching the portable dvd player (or playing the iPad, etc. etc.). What's the value proposition for getting your kid a 3DS, when you're talking 40 bucks a game? Especially if your household already owns a home console or an older portable system?

 

[maabus1999]

Wii U's problems are, at this point, entirely software driven.

While this is a valid concern, I'm struggling to put that issue in my top 3 for Wii U's problems. Mine would be, in order: marketing, overall value, and bad third party relationships (though you could push the third towards software driven issues).

I'd put software at #4. But that is IMHO.

 

[netBuff]

Wii U's problems are, at this point, entirely software driven. I think every consumer would like a lower price point, but the Wii U's still in a very reasonable price range.

I strongly disagree: The hardware is a big part of why the system is failing hard. It has a very strong focus on a novelty item, which necessitated the system being very weak to still achieve a reasonable price-point.

Novelty + weak hardware lead to the PS3/Xbox 360 being seen as much better choices.

 

[MikeE21286]

Oh, something went wrong with the home console totals in my spreadsheet before. Disregard the previous post.

Re-posting corrected.

[B]Feb-06			Feb-13[/B]	
PS2	309,000		X360	302,000
XBX	88,000		PS3	262,000
GCN	67,000		Wii	99,000
[I]6th Gen	464,000		7th Gen	663,000[/I]

[U]X360	161,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	66,000[/U]
[B]Total	625,000		Total	729,000[/B]
				
			3DS	189,000
NDS	150,000		NDS	101,000
PSP	170,000		PSV	38,000
[U]GBA	190,000[/U]		[U]PSP	9,000[/U]
[B]Total	510,000		Total	337,000[/B]

[B]Jan + Feb 2006		Jan + Feb 2013[/B]	
PS2	581,000		X360	583,000
XBX	177,000		PS3	462,000
GCN	133,000		Wii	199,000
[I]6th Gen	891,000		7th Gen	1,244,000[/I]

[U]X360	410,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	123,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,301,000	Total	1,367,000[/B]
				
			3DS	334,000
NDS	308,000		NDS	171,000
PSP	349,000		PSV	73,000
[U]GBA	362,000[/U]		[U]PSP	19,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,019,000	Total	597,000[/B]

Also, adjusted January 2013 for the 4 week month, for a more like-for-like comparison:

[B]Jan + Feb 2006		Jan (adj.) + Feb 2013[/B]	
PS2	581,000		X360	526,800
XBX	177,000		PS3	422,000
GCN	133,000		Wii	179,000
6th Gen	891,000		7th Gen	1,127,800

[U]X360	410,000[/U]		[U]WiiU	111,600[/U]
[B]Total	1,301,000	Total	1,239,400[/B]
				
			3DS	305,000
NDS	308,000		NDS	157,000
PSP	349,000		PSV	66,000
[U]GBA	362,000[/U]		[U]PSP	17,000[/U]
[B]Total	1,019,000	Total	545,000[/B]

Looking at the adjusted figures for home consoles:

• The 360 and PS3 alone outsold the combined 6th gen systems by 6.5%.
• The combined 7th gen systems outsold the combined 6th gen systems by 26.5%
• Total home consoles were down 5% - essentially attributable to the Wii U v. XBOX 360.

Looking at the adjusted figures for handhelds:

• Nintendo handhelds are down 31% relative to 2006.
• Sony handhelds are down 76% relative to 2006.
• New handhelds in 2013 (PSV, 3DS) are down 43.5% relative to 2006 (PSP, NDS).
• Old handhelds in 2013 (NDS, PSP) are down 52% relative to 2006 (GBA).
• Total handhelds in 2013 are down 46.5%.

Thank you for consolidating all the numbers here. Good stuff.

 

[Pociask]

I strongly disagree: The hardware is a big part of why the system is failing hard. It has a very strong focus on a novelty item, which necessitated the system being very weak to still achieve a reasonable price-point.

Novelty + weak hardware lead to the PS3/Xbox 360 being seen as much better choices.

The Wii was so focused on a novelty item that otherwise, it was a turbocharged Gamecube - not even clearly more powerful than the most powerful system of the previous generation (the Xbox).

The Wii U is unquestionably more powerful than the 360 and PS3.

If the Wii U gets compelling software, nothing else will matter. Nintendoland wasn't it. NSMBU wasns't it. If Nintendo can find "it," whatever it is, people will buy the Wii U to play it. ("It" could even be a steady release of above-average games, but Nintendo hasn't even provided that).

 

[netBuff]

The Wii was so focused on a novelty item that otherwise, it was a turbocharged Gamecube - not even clearly more powerful than the most powerful system of the previous generation (the Xbox).

But the Wii motion controls were well received and turned out very popular in terms of sales success - the same isn't true of the Wii U. With a novelty that doesn't excite many and weak hardware, it's hard for Nintendo to find much of an audience willing to sink that much money into a system when better alternatives are available.

The Wii U is unquestionably more powerful than the 360 and PS3.

Games don't seem to reflect this so far, and that's what's interesting to most consumer. If the difference is so small it can't be reasonably perceived, it doesn't matter.

If the Wii U gets compelling software, nothing else will matter. Nintendoland wasn't it. NSMBU wasns't it. If Nintendo can find "it," whatever it is, people will buy the Wii U to play it. ("It" could even be a steady release of above-average games, but Nintendo hasn't even provided that).

I really don't see it, Nintendo isn't the only console company on the market.

 

[Plinko]

I strongly disagree: The hardware is a big part of why the system is failing hard. It has a very strong focus on a novelty item, which necessitated the system being very weak to still achieve a reasonable price-point.

Novelty + weak hardware lead to the PS3/Xbox 360 being seen as much better choices.

I disagree completely. How long has it been since the most powerful console actually ended up being the market leader?

Games sell consoles. The Wii U just doesn't have enough games to make people want to buy the console.

 

[Taurus]

I strongly disagree: The hardware is a big part of why the system is failing hard. It has a very strong focus on a novelty item, which necessitated the system being very weak to still achieve a reasonable price-point.

Novelty + weak hardware lead to the PS3/Xbox 360 being seen as much better choices.

By this logic, shouldn't Vita be selling like a million a day? Why 3DS is selling at all?

 

[shinra-bansho]

I disagree completely. How long has it been since the most powerful console actually ended up being the market leader?

It's not about being the most powerful console - people constantly bring up this silly "weakest always wins" notion and it ignores the actual point.

Yes, the PS2 was outpowered by later released consoles. It was still a generational leap. It was still sold on power. It was still sold on games that looked like they weren't possible on the previous generation of hardware. As were generational transitions before it.

The Wii U does not provide a generational leap in hardware improvement, forgoing that for a gimmick/feature that isn't catching on.

Games sell consoles. The Wii U just doesn't have enough games to make people want to buy the console.

The Wii U doesn't provide sufficient reason for anyone who has been gaming on a PS3 or 360 for the last 7 years to want to upgrade to the new console. Next generation games sell next generation consoles.

 

[jvm]

The Wii U doesn't provide sufficient reason for anyone who has been gaming on a PS3 or 360 for the last 7 years to want to upgrade to the new console. Next generation games sell next generation consoles.

I'm not a total gearhead, but let me ask -- in light of the statement you've made -- would Mario Kart Wii or New Super Mario Bros. or even Wii Sports have been impossible on the GameCube? In the technical graphics/sound sense. I realize that the Wii remote was a key part of the appeal of these games, but I'm just curious whether you think that statement applies to the Wii.