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NPD Sales Results for November 2013 [Up3: Zelda, Pokemon, Mario, 3DS, Wii U]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
i dont even understand the current campaign, families and walmart shoppers?
Well, if they would have marketed the thing properly at first it wouldn't have as much bad inertia and wouldn't be in quite as bad of a position as it is now.
Marketing's one of several problems, but it's definitely a factor.
So odd how Nintendo can do so well in the portable market, and so poorly in console space. I mean I'm not about to call the Wii U dead, as it could still very well sell 20-30million units world wide, and end up fairly profitable, but they are pretty much guaranteed a distant third place finish by this point.
The X1 did about as well as I expected, given the immense marketing campaign Microsoft put into it. I suspect sales will drop fairly dramatically in the coming months though. While X1s still sell out, they seem to be staying in stock for decent amounts of time. This suggests demand is closer to catching up with supply, as PS4s still sell out at lighting speed.
The PS4 outselling the X1 in North America has big implications for the future of the hardware market. If it holds up, it all but assures that Sony is the big winner of this generation. Microsoft needed a big sales advantage in North America, to off set Sony's advantage in Europe and Japan. Without that advantage, it'll be all but impossible for Microsoft to take the lead in global sales. Even if Microsoft pulls ahead in North America, the initial loss and close competition would make it difficult for Microsoft.
This isn't to say that Microsoft is doing poorly, but they're going to have to work a lot harder this time around. They can't spend half thier consoles lifespan leaning on multiple platform titles to sell consoles, like they did with the 360. With an initial disadvantage, money hatting exclusives from third parties will be difficult as well. They'll probably have to put thier own studio's into overdrive, like Sony did.
The X1 did about as well as I expected, given the immense marketing campaign Microsoft put into it. I suspect sales will drop fairly dramatically in the coming months though. While X1s still sell out, they seem to be staying in stock for decent amounts of time. This suggests demand is closer to catching up with supply, as PS4s still sell out at lighting speed.
The PS4 outselling the X1 in North America has big implications for the future of the hardware market. If it holds up, it all but assures that Sony is the big winner of this generation. Microsoft needed a big sales advantage in North America, to off set Sony's advantage in Europe and Japan. Without that advantage, it'll be all but impossible for Microsoft to take the lead in global sales. Even if Microsoft pulls ahead in North America, the initial loss and close competition would make it difficult for Microsoft.
This isn't to say that Microsoft is doing poorly, but they're going to have to work a lot harder this time around. They can't spend half thier consoles lifespan leaning on multiple platform titles to sell consoles, like they did with the 360. With an initial disadvantage, money hatting exclusives from third parties will be difficult as well. They'll probably have to put thier own studio's into overdrive, like Sony did.
Sony's wasting its time too then.
The perfect Dark
Banned
$$$$
They have enough cash. We'll probably see another Gamecube - situation: Great exclusive games and almost zero 3rd oparty software. I expect a new console in 2016
Mario Kart 7 sold like what, 20+ millions ?
Manmademan
Member
Keep in mind the PS1 did the same thing. Sony went from industry newcomer to 100 million consoles sold in a single generation, retained that expanded audience, and continued to build on it with the PS2.
I don't buy that there was nothing nintendo could have done to prevent the mass exodus of literally everyone they brought in with the wii, plus 10 million people who bought a gamecube.
some of that responsibility is hardware decisions, some is software, some is marketing, but nintendo fucked up in every possible way one COULD have fucked up with the wiiU.
the only consoles selling LESS than the wiiU is tracking to sell are the absolute failure tier consoles, like 3D0, jaguar, CDi, virtual boy, and master system. Edit: I take that back. The wii U is going to be outsold by the sega master system.
Any random gaffer could have put together a business plan that would sell more consoles than this.
gamergirly
Member
As bad as things seem to be, the Wii U is not without saving. Iwata needs to be make some big decisions if he's going to stay where he is. Gonna have to eat losses and get the price down too
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Why should that be surprising when tablets/smartphones with $1 games are everywhere?
Eh next year sometime, they looked pretty far along from trailers.
the gamepad is a bigger hurdle then marketing... but yes, the name was a disaster as well, i'd consider that marketing
I think Nintendo should drop their stupid "secrecy". They should drop this "we focus only on the next launching game" strategy. Is not useful, it doesn't build enough hype, it overloads the public with info about one game and one game only and it maintains this appearance that there are no other games coming.
Announce the damn launching schedule for 2014, show all your cards, it will help you much more. Be transparent, if you have good games there is no sense to keep them hidden. Or you can keep 1-2 surprise IPs, but everyone knows that the big ones are coming anyway. Announce the months at list. And even if there are delay, that happens to everyone. Look at GTA V or AC IV. Shit happens. But you get people to talk and know your games. And get some money towards the 3rd parties. Get some good ports, get some collaborations.
Announce the damn launching schedule for 2014, show all your cards, it will help you much more. Be transparent, if you have good games there is no sense to keep them hidden. Or you can keep 1-2 surprise IPs, but everyone knows that the big ones are coming anyway. Announce the months at list. And even if there are delay, that happens to everyone. Look at GTA V or AC IV. Shit happens. But you get people to talk and know your games. And get some money towards the 3rd parties. Get some good ports, get some collaborations.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
That is a spin.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
... That's not really all that mindblowing and typically happens during the first little bit of console transitions, especially console transitions where the precedent console hasn't been dead for a year or more before the new console launch.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I've never really seen the point of being emotionally invested in sales. I mean, I understand it to the extent that it affects whether you'll get more or less of the stuff you like in the future, sure. But other than that? I like sales discussions because I find it fun to sit around being an armchair analyst and pretend like I'm smart when I'm right because I "get" the industry. But outside of those factors? I find it best to distance it from the act of actually playing games.
There have been good games. There'll be a few more. There probably won't be as many as you would have liked if things don't improve, but obviously there's still some must-have games. So in that regard, I advocate just enjoying them. Mario 3D World is still great. DK will be as well. So will Mario Kart. And X. And Smash. I bought on launch day, and I don't regret it. And this is coming from someone that's been down on it's sales prospects since last December.
DICKS AHOY
Banned
Man, what a trainwreck. Loved 3D World but not terribly surprised the mass-market is simply bored with the non-stop Mario games nowadays.
While it probably wouldn't have sold nearly near the Wii's level, it's still bizarre to think with a less-confusing name and without the fucking gamepad the Wii U wouldn't be the complete disaster it is now. The fact that it's still selling at a loss makes this all the worse.
At least I'm getting my cranky kong fix in two months.
While it probably wouldn't have sold nearly near the Wii's level, it's still bizarre to think with a less-confusing name and without the fucking gamepad the Wii U wouldn't be the complete disaster it is now. The fact that it's still selling at a loss makes this all the worse.
At least I'm getting my cranky kong fix in two months.
It's targeting parents. My experience with Nintendo and my father was he would play a golf game with me maybe twice a year and throw the console in the fucking basement for me to play.
Omg thank you. When someone brings up the GC as an attempt at creating a powerful console...shaped like a purse and never having performance specs officially released to brag...I feel like slapping them through the internet.
Immaculate
Banned
no its at like 9 million right now iirc
Little Green Yoda
Member
The "better marketing boat" has sailed at this point. The other two competitors have released and hit the ground running. Third parties are already well invested in Sony/MS.
That's what happens when you completely piss away a 12 month headstart. The timing for "saving the console" is past.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Software sales are terrible in Japan too. And I think the situation is similar in EU.
The rules of the game has changed, the only ones who didn't get the message are Nintendo.
I'll definitely agree with your comment that most consoles tend to make most of their sales when they drop below $200. That's why I still wonder about the PS3 and 360 which are only just now going sub-$300 for their fully-featured models.
Phatosaurus
Member
As a Wii U owner, I just want Bayonetta 2 and X. They can pull the plug afterwards, I won"t care as long as those 2 games are released.
I meant in terms of making announcements and stuff. And honestly, the stuff you mentioned there is really freaking petty shit compared to the constant unfinished DLC ridden, broken ass, patch needed, games we get all the time these days from some companies.
I ain't defending Nintendo one bit, I just hope that after seeing so much signs and ignoring them all that they finally wake the hell up.
Kacho
Member
Yep. The Vita being a companion piece for the PS4 is a joke.
I guess we'll find this out in January. Iwata' clearly got a lot of explaining to do. What would panic mode Nintendo even entail for Wii U ? Not sure if Nintendo can really afford to do bigger price cut, but then again, they are in a desperate situation faced with steep competition and the reliance on its own software to give Wii U any hope of drastically improving in the future. Nintendo sure has a lot of weight to carry around here.
Sakura
Member
Was the install base even that big when Mario Kart 7 came out...?
JetBlackPanda
Member
Fucking Nintendo... Wow I love my WiiU but shit.. That's depressing
Mariah Carey
Member
I don't think going third party would really work for Nintendo. I just don't see the type of people who buy PlayStations and Xboxes really taking to Nintendo software and I don't think anybody's going to buy those systems just to get Nintendo software.
I don't really see a place for Nintendo's existance in 10-15 years.
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
I give up on gaming altogether when one of the best games ever made this gen, 3DWorld is outsold by Skylanders and Disney Infinity or a franchises that's been milked to death.
RIP Nintendo.
RIP Nintendo.
brandonh83
Banned
Nintendo doing what they did with Bayonetta 2 was a great gesture because it was a nice move for something third party related. Just imagine if they did that more often and got more studios on board with making games that are only possible to play with the game pad. If they can't do that, they need to drop the game pad, release an SKU with the pro controller, include a big game and drop the price.
Calling foul here. All of that generations consoles were ugly anyway. The primary flaw was giving it a purple color for launch.
Yes, I had a purple Gamecube.
Since when is 300,000+ almost as many?
There's at least five X on the chalkboard already.
Unlike the WiiU, the Vita has decent third party support from the likes of SEGA, TecmoKoei, Namco, etc.
Plus the Vita has 1st party support (albeit limited)
Wheres the WiiU has little to no 3rd party support, and it's own 1st party line up can't even save the damn thing.
WiiU is done for good. The Vita has a chance to overtake it.
Sucks that the Wii U is doing badly but I doubt any sane person ever expected one game to save a console that's already dead to the people that actually buy consoles. It's clear that the Wii U name was a horrible mistake that confused the console market. The tablet is a neat gimmick but it still hasn't been proven to be truly useful like the Wii mote. The Wii U won't be abandoned like the Dreamcast but I wouldn't be surprised if it's life cycle was cut short. 3DS sales aren't that great but it's still doing just fine. Software will continue to sell big with tons of great games that were released this year.
GetemMa
Member
A blast from the past
That really captures the comedy of people wearing bomb laden suicide vests.
Nintendo needs to drop the Wii U price down into the $200 range... people don't consider it next generation, and it has to compete with the 360/PS3. Nintendo needs to realize people DO care about power
Look at the PS4 numbers for proof. Nintendo makes great software, but their hardware is just not even capable.
Look at the PS4 numbers for proof. Nintendo makes great software, but their hardware is just not even capable.
Kazuma Kiryu
Member
I didn't say it was surprising. But some people truly believed that the 3DS was going to "explode" this year.
Cygnus X-1
Member
Same opinion. The reaper grim is seriously behind their backs at this point. I'm also curious to see what they are going to do.
Yep! This is the best attitude to take with any system that is lagging behind in sales. There will be gems, and you will be glad you had the system in the first place to purchase them. Which is why I can see the bright future of quality gaming on Wii U, just not the bright future of sales. You take the good with the bad.
Warm Machine
Member
Why would they spend any serious money on something that will never get them a reasonable return? They are more likely to move games to the 3DS than put anything on the WiiU, especially when it costs them more to make a WiiU game than a 3DS game.
Yeah, no 3rd party support is terrible for them. Why is that, because they make no money in licensing fees. At least the Gamecube had 3rd parties right up until the end. Who is going to finance even a port to WiiU when Nintendo can barely break even on their own machine?
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Code:
Nintendo hardware sales in November:
2002 1.62m
2003 1.94m
2004 1.95m
2005 1.46m
2006 2.11m
2007 2.51m
2008 3.61m
2009 2.96m
2010 2.78m
2011 2.01m
2012 1.76m
2013 0.99m + DS + WII
(GBA+DS+3DS+GC+WII+WIU)DS + Wii need to have sold over 460k combined to prevent this from being the worst Nintendo November since 2002.
Brought to you by "Nintendo is Doomed".
oconnomiyaki
Member
I think there's few things here:
1) A lot of the games they release are better suited to a portable experience. Animal Crossing is great for commutes or lunch breaks if you don't take public transport like a peasant.
2) A lot of the games are best tasted in small bites. A Mario Kart race or two before bed. These aren't the kinds of things you'll sit down with a can of Monster and play for 8 hour binge sessions.
3) There's a certain attraction to having a single all-in-one unit that you can play without disrupting others. I think that there was a lot of that thinking that went into the Wii U Gamepad. Unfortunately, the Gamepad is limited by it's range and it's not exactly stellar.
One device is failing as a handheld device, the other one is failing as a console device
Call it a "companion device" or whatever, it's a failure just like the other one
outunderthestars
Banned
Really think it is fine for Nintendo to consider winding down the Wii U . The market had spoken and simply does not want the system.