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[Taker666]

There's clearly enough quality content released/announced that it should (but the same was true of the Dreamcast and Gamecube).

I've no idea if it will save the Wii U from poor sales or get them back to profit...but then as a consumer I'm not sure why that matters as long as there are the games that make my purchase worthwhile..and there are.

When it comes to purchasing a Wii U....anything regarding profit/sales should really only be a concern if you're Nintendo or one of their shareholders at this stage.

 

[nintendork666]

I don't even care anymore. Wii U rules, and the upcoming lineup totally stole the show. I'm 100% convinced I won't need a PS4 or XBONE for a long while now.

If the upcoming titles can't convince others to jump on board, then I guess it's their loss.

Cheers, Nintendo!!

 

[Drkirby]

Its going to be hard, they really need to announce a few more titles for this year, they likely have enough lined up for next year though.

 

[Tabris]

Before E3 I hoped Nintendo would get their shit together and to my surprise, they sort of did. I was actually quite impressed. At this point, I would pick up a Wii U if there was a price cut and if they introduced proper user accounts.

A price cut is likely, but I'm not so sure about accounts.

I agree with this. Mainly just for Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Define "save."

This is generally the point of contention in these threads.

Wii U > GameCube

Then, no. Probably not.

People should just be happy there are more new games coming for it from Nintendo.

 

[Comandr]

I don't really see the Wii U turning around. I don't know what the western sales for Mario Kart are like, but in Japan, it wasn't a smash hit like I thought it would be. Sales dropped hard and fast. Though I'm sure the legs will be quite long, given the install base of the Wii U, how long those legs are might be a matter of perspective.

If you look at just percentages of Nintendo console owners to MK owners, we are more or less at that ceiling already. That is- most people who are planning on getting Mario Kart already have.

Furthermore, only a handful of major games for the last 6 months of the year, and only one of them with real sales potential. As much as I'm looking forward to Bayonetta 2(+1!), it's not a system seller. Or a self-seller really. A bizarre game with a very particular target audience.

I feel like the writing is on the wall, and Nintendo knows it. Virtually zero third party support, and the major first party releases are few and far between. I suspect that at e3 2015 we will see the successor to the 3DS, and by extension, the successor to the Wii U (assuming that the hybrid console rumor has any validity), with an eventual release in 2016. I feel that a four year lifespan is acceptable for a console that has performed as the Wii U has.

We already have Mario, DKC, Mario Kart, Smash, a big JRPG, Yoshi, Kirby, Zelda, etc targeting late 2014/2015. All of the major IPs have launched or will launch soon, and 2016 and beyond is going to be pretty desolate.

The wisest thing to do right now would be to take a feather from Sony's cap, along with a slice of humble pie, and start asking developers and consumers what they want. Because it obviously wasn't a gamepad. Take those thoughts and ideas, and channel them into the R&D department and get something together for the future. Another Wii U size failure will probably kill Nintendo's hardware business.

 

[gngf123]

There's enough content there. In that respect it deserves to do fairly well but sadly as other consoles show that isn't always the case.

Nintendo need to fix the their marketing. E3 was great but in the long run they need to do far more.

 

[Tohsaka]

I doubt it, but at least it has a really solid-looking 2015 to look forward to.

 

[Zeyphersan]

It will never be "saved," but I do think we'll see a steady, consistent improvement

 

[cZarKastic]

The first party games will sell the console a bit but not enough to make a real profit considering the loses they've already had. I think this generation is a lost cause as well in terms of trying to get third party publishers involved. In that sense I'd say there's no saving the Wii U, but it will be successful when it comes to their first party releases.

 

[SmokeMaxX]

The good news is that Nintendo's already making money on every console and they're developing ways to monetize further (Amiibo, shifting to digital, etc.). They'll do fine financially while they figure out what they need to do to improve on console sales for the next gen.

 

[fuzzyreactor]

its starting to get a nice lineup. ill prob bite at $200

 

[TDLink]

in 2015 nintendo really is no match for competitors though. number of third party games coming out 2015 is insane.

While that's true, I think that most people who buy Nintendo systems are in one of the following two categories:

A. Nintendo-only fans and families
B. People who buy multiple consoles and/or have a gaming PC, using a Nintendo system as a secondary console

There is enough coming to satisfy and sell to both of those groups. You're right in that Wii U is never going to "beat" the other two to become the ONE system "gamers" will want to own, however in reality most people either aren't in that demographic or own more than one system.

I think Mario Kart 8, plus these E3 announcements, plus the holiday lineup will really start to build momentum for the system. Then in 2015 the extremely solid lineup they have will propel it to greater sales.

Wii U is never going to be a Wii-level success, but I think it can at least be a success. I think higher than Gamecube numbers in its lifetime are certainly possible, and I think you're going to see the install base break 10 million this year.

 

[zeromcd73]

After I showed several of my friends and family that Nintendo direct they have all shown interest in picking up a Wii U for Christmas.

So I certainly hope it's saved

 

[MisterGrey3000]

The whole 'Save the Wii U' bugs me, it's not happening, best Nintendo can do is salvage what they've got left and work hard to do better next generation.

This is pretty reasonable.

The only logical thing they can do is try to make the platform more profitable than it is now(Maybe try and steer it towards the NGC's LTD), and serve their current user base the best entertainment that they can create. They can always try and bounce back in the next generation.

At this point, I'm just happy that Nintendo is continuing to make really good games on WiiU all the way into 2016.
Luckily for us, they're not SEGA.

 

[DaSorcerer7]

its starting to get a nice lineup. ill prob bite at $200

You can already get it for that price.

 

[zerokoolpsx]

The lineup of games are better than it was before. A bunch of Wii U owners will be happy. Its LTD won't reach the Gamecube.

 

[StoopKid]

Nope.

I get the feeling the majority of people hyped for there e3 announcements already own the wii u.

 

[MrXavier]

There may not be enough in the pipeline to save the Wii U, but the upcoming games got me to go out and purchase a Wii U yesterday and now I'm enjoying MK8 with free Wind Waker HD. They sold me a Wii U based on the promise of what they showed this E3.

 

[Joey Ravn]

I don't know if it will be "saved" in terms of number of units sold, but, in my opinion, the Wii U is a first-party device and, so far, my purchase has been justified.

 

[Delta Assault]

It's never moving out of its #3 spot, so... no?

 

[shinra-bansho]

While that's true, I think that most people who buy Nintendo systems are in one of the following two categories:

A. Nintendo-only fans and families
B. People who buy multiple consoles and/or have a gaming PC, using a Nintendo system as a secondary console

There is enough coming to satisfy and sell to both of those groups.

I think that would actually break into three groups. The family console market, the Nintendo core fanbase and the "secondary console" market. The first one is the key to greater sales, I'm generally unconvinced that the last is particularly substantial, although I'd welcome contrary information. The middle is already buying the system.

I think the system is competing better for the first than before. But it's still not that well positioned. It's still too expensive for that market, and it's competing with non-console platforms in that market, which provide even greater accessibility in cost, simplicity, ease.

You're right in that Wii U is never going to "beat" the other two to become the ONE system "gamers" will want to own, however in reality most people either aren't in that demographic or own more than one system.

I think Mario Kart 8, plus these E3 announcements, plus the holiday lineup will really start to build momentum for the system. Then in 2015 the extremely solid lineup they have will propel it to greater sales.

Wii U is never going to be a Wii-level success, but I think it can at least be a success. I think higher than Gamecube numbers in its lifetime are certainly possible, and I think you're going to see the install base break 10 million this year.

It still seems unlikely. Based on the info Nintendo released in their analyst briefing at E3, US sales in May were around 90K or so, assuming the rest of the month was around April average. That's with the most mass market title Nintendo has in their stable. Which is roughly the same as the GCN in the equivalent month in its lifespan, in which I think Wind Waker released. I can't remember whether it's still tracking behind in Japan.

 

[Zimmy64]

It definitely made a lot of people rethink the extent of Wii U's lifespan.

Before this E3 a lot of people were expecting the Wii U to be dead in 2015 with support ending after Smash. That is now clearly not the case. 2015 looks to be the Wii U's best year yet with a healthy lineup beginning to materialize for 2016 with SMT vs Fire Emblem, another 3D Mario, and whatever they announce next E3 like a new 3D Metroid, and Retro's next game.

Its plausible that Wii U will make it to 2017 even and have a normal 5 year lifespan. Think about that, just last week people were saying that Nintendo would be abandoning the console in least than a year, now it looks like we'll have at least two more years of full support from Nintendo.

As for the sales question, it depends on what you mean by save. If you mean Gamecube level save (20-25 million) its unlikely but possible. If you mean more like 16-18 million units save thats very possible.

I think next E3 we'll get the announcement of a 3DS successor which will launch in Spring 2016. The Wii U's successor will most likely be unveiled at E3 2016 with a launch in Fall 2017.

 

[Drakeon]

It will not sell more than the GameCube. The GCN was doing far better at this point in its lifespan. Which isn't to say it's a complete failure, it'll produce just enough to keep its fan base happy, but do not expect it to do consistently well in sales. It'll have blips when it gets a new game, but that's about it.

As long as your ok with realizing it's going to be Nintendo's worst selling system and look forward to its games, you'll be fine.

I do expect an announcement for a new system next year to launch in 2016. Still think hybrid console/handheld is the way to go since they can put every single development team they have and focus it all on one system.

 

[Maiar_m]

I don't know if it will be "saved" in terms of number of units sold, but, in my opinion, the Wii U is a first-party device and, so far, my purchase has been justified.

That is my impression as well. However if people weren't interested in Mario Kart, the 3D World and NSMBU before E3, I highly doubt Zelda or Splatoon would convince them to buy. The real untapped buying base are those who were already on the edge.

 

[danmaku]

They have enough games to avoid complete failure, but it'll never reach mass market. They will cater to their fanbase, try to expand it (with games like Bayo2 or Devil's Third) and then aim higher with their next console. I don't think it'll reach GC numbers (GC had actual 3rd party support, the WiiU will have none), but at least it won't end like the Virtual Boy.

 

[foxbeldin]

posted this in the npd thread

 

[Rooster]

What they've shown may get any Nintendo fans who've been on the fence to jump in but I'm not sure there's a huge number of Nintendo fans who haven't bought in already. Other non-traditional Nintendo exclusives are too niche to attract the mainstream in my opinion.

 

[bfwings55]

Nope.

I get the feeling the majority of people hyped for there e3 announcements already own the wii u.

I've noticed this E3 that most of these comments come from people with Infamous beanies in their avatars.

 

[bedlamite]

right now e3 hype is making things look good for the Wii U, but i'm sure this fall/winter people will forget about Wii U and go about business as usual. certainly no one in the mainstream/casual market will care about the games announced at e3.

Yep, this. I feel really good about the purchase of my Wii U coming off Nintendo's showing at E3, but none of the new games are really going to appeal to the casual gamer, where the big money is.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Before this E3 a lot of people were expecting the Wii U to be dead in 2015 with support ending after Smash. That is now clearly not the case. 2015 looks to be the Wii U's best year yet with a healthy lineup beginning to materialize for 2016 with SMT vs Fire Emblem, another 3D Mario, and whatever they announce next E3 like a new 3D Metroid, and Retro's next game.

Its plausible that Wii U will make it to 2017 even and have a normal 5 year lifespan. Think about that, just last week people were saying that Nintendo would be abandoning the console in least than a year, now it looks like we'll have at least two more years of full support from Nintendo.

I don't really see how this E3 changes how one should perceive things. I don't think the implication was ever that Nintendo wouldn't make any more games for the system after Smash and the already announced titles, but rather it's unlikely that we'll see many if any big budget games announced thereafter.

Games were pushed into 2015. Others were already announced. Some of those will probably be pushed to 2016. Things that were announced were comparatively small titles compared to things like a full-fledged Legend of Zelda title.

 

[airmangataosenai]

Wii U > GameCube > Virtual Boy

Pure fantasy to even entertain the idea of Wii U reaching over 20 million. At this stage even 15 million would constitute a major recovery.

At this stage, even reaching the Vita might not be possible.

 

[StoopKid]

I've noticed this E3 that most of these comments come from people with Infamous beanies in their avatars.

Ok.

Fun fact I don't even own infamous.

 

[Jomjom]

What do you mean by "save"? If you mean make it sell better than PS4, then no. If you mean make it sell respectable numbers and make a good profit for Nintendo and not leave a bad taste in people's mouths as they transition to the next console, then absolutely.

 

[Coolwhip]

If saving means making the Wii U profitable, yes.

But the console market in general is shrinking, the Wii U wont suddenly appeal to the mass market again (and neither will PS4/Xbone).

 

[Arklite]

Save it as in highly raising its relevance? No.
I can say that I'm now personally very interested in picking one up, but mostly for their niche Japanese third party stuff that sells like shit on any console regardless, so that's not really helping them.

 

[Zimmy64]

I feel some people are being slightly pessimistic about the Wii U's fortunes.

Reaching Gamecube Numbers is definitely the absolute best case scenario, but I don't think its the impossible hurdle that some people make it out to be.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Before E3, there were many people claiming Nintendo would barely announce anything this year and the console would be dead by 2015.

Well, clearly that's not happening, so in that sense, the Wii U has already been saved...at least for a couple more years.

 

[DVCY201]

I think Nintendo is aiming to satisfy the current install base, which is not necessarily a bad idea. They can bolster software sales, which should help with the lack of hardware sales. Although, I'm sure we'll see an increase in users, as Smash, The Legend of Zelda, etc. definitely have pull.

 

[Jigorath]

Doubt it, like the Vita the WiiU at it's core is simply an unappealing product for the mass market. This isn't like the 3DS or PS3 where all it took was a price drop and a few games to make the systems competitive. Nintendo's best bet is to just make as much money as they can selling software for the console and then release a new system in 2016.

 

[dimb]

It's way too late for that, but Nintendo might not even have a big holiday game for the WiiU if Smash Brothers doesn't hit at the right time.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Let's wait and see how the next couple of months fare, and let's also keep in mind that "saving" Wii U, means getting it to Gamecube levels of sales.

One thing is the positive reception in the press and among gaming enthusiasts, but more important is how likely the average Joe now think of the Wii U as an interesting product. Perhaps most important of all: Will the big stores start taking them in in larger numbers and give this thing shelf space?

 

[TDLink]

It still seems unlikely. Based on the info Nintendo released in their analyst briefing at E3, US sales in May were around 90K or so, assuming the rest of the month was around April average. That's with the most mass market title Nintendo has in their stable. Which is roughly the same as the GCN in the equivalent month in its lifespan, in which I think Wind Waker released. I can't remember whether it's still tracking behind in Japan.

I don't think May sales alone are going to indicate much of anything. Not everyone buys games on the first day (which would be all of what was tracked for Mario Kart), especially not these sort of long-leg Nintendo games. I think June will be higher than May with Mario Kart post-day 1 sales plus these E3 announcements pushing some people. I don't expect that to continue an upward trend though, sales will definitely plummet again until the holiday season. This holiday season is when I expect it to really start rolling with the lineup they have and building off the announcements they made this week.

They have enough games to avoid complete failure, but it'll never reach mass market. They will cater to their fanbase, try to expand it (with games like Bayo2 or Devil's Third) and then aim higher with their next console. I don't think it'll reach GC numbers (GC had actual 3rd party support, the WiiU will have none), but at least it won't end like the Virtual Boy.

The thing about comparing the Gamecube and Wii U is that the market/industry is completely different now. I don't think they can be compared 1:1. In the Gamecube era there were 3 different systems all offering, for the most part, significantly different games/experiences. In this current gen you have two systems that are near identical (and with most of their games also releasing on PC, in a market where more people game on PCs) and then the Wii U doing its own thing.

Since that Gamecube gen you have also had a shift from a market dominated by Japanese games to a market dominated by Western games. Now Nintendo is somewhat like a holdout to that change, with most other Japanese companies trying to imitate the Western style and/or releasing many fewer games. Additionally, games are more accepted in the mainstream than they were back then. It is no longer inherently "uncool" to like video games, and they target both genders and all ages more than they did back then.

The situation is completely different.

I don't really see how this E3 changes how one should perceive things. I don't think the implication was ever that Nintendo wouldn't make any more games for the system after Smash and the already announced titles, but rather it's unlikely that we'll see many if any big budget games announced thereafter.

Games were pushed into 2015. Others were already announced. Some of those will probably be pushed to 2016. Things that were announced were comparatively small titles compared to things like a full-fledged Legend of Zelda title.

It absolutely was the implication. In fact, more than an implication. Many people here were saying over and over how Smash and Zelda would be the last hurrah of the system. How there would be another drought next year, after Smash, until Zelda and then the system would be dead. No one expect an announcement like Splatoon. No one expected a new Star Fox to be announced. No one expected anything like Mario Maker. No one expect a Kirby Canvas Curse sequel. People weren't even sure if all the previously announced things were actually going to show up, with people assuming Yarn Yoshi was vaporware just because they hadn't talked about it in a while.

 

[Zimmy64]

I don't really see how this E3 changes how one should perceive things. I don't think the implication was ever that Nintendo wouldn't make any more games for the system after Smash and the already announced titles, but rather it's unlikely that we'll see many if any big budget games announced thereafter.

Games were pushed into 2015. Others were already announced. Some of those will probably be pushed to 2016. Things that were announced were comparatively small titles compared to things like a full-fledged Legend of Zelda title.

There were definitely some people that were saying Nintendo should stop making titles for the Wii U and have a successor ready by Fall 2015. As for whether the games are not Big Budget I think thats kinda of a useless term, I suspect even something like Zelda costs much less to make than your typical AAA game.You can't buy quality. I don't think anyone expected a Kirby, Star Fox, or New IP on Wii U so the fact that those exist is a huge win for Wii U owners.

The point I was trying to make is that a lot of people even Nintendo fans thought Wii U's 2015 would be like Wii's 2012, no games with a successor released at the end of the year and that would be it for Wii U. In a sense Nintendo did save Wii U and gave it at least two more years of support.

 

[Toparaman]

With MK8 + Smash + Zelda + Splatoon + the current back-catalog, I think there's a good chance of seeing Gamecube total sales numbers at the end of the Wii U's lifespan. And all things considered, that's a damn good turnaround.

I mean, think about all the missteps that were made.

• New controller they didn't know what to do with
• Confusing name
• Bad marketing
• Unprepared for HD

Yet now the Wii U is going to have a catalog that undeniably makes it a great console for families and anyone who likes colorful, whimsical games. And sure, mobile/tablet games can fill that space too, but I think people are going to intuitively see that many Wii U games are offering rich experiences that require more powerful hardware and a proper controller.

I doubt it very much.
The Dreamcast won an E3 the year before it went tits up too, you know.
Doesn't matter what kind of great software you churn out if you can't get Joe Consumer to buy it.

The Dreamcast died not because it wasn't selling well, but because it wasn't selling well enough to save Sega's hardware business. Keep in mind Sega had a string of hardware failures: the Saturn, the 32X, and the Sega CD.

 

[EdwardTeach]

It certainly won't be the best selling console this round, but I can see them cementing second console status. I think that sales will pick up, partly because people are now disappointed with what is our so far for xbone and ps4 and can see the relative richness ofnNintendo's offering.
I think wii u sales will be confined more to the core gamer market, and the casual gamers who bought a wii have probably moved on.

 

[bart64]

If Nintendo has no chance of success after that, the whole industry is already dead.

 

[melman101]

As a new Wii U owner (bought MK8 bundle yesterday), I sure hope so. I have a PS4 as well, but Mario Kart 8 was too juicy to resist and that new Zelda looks ridiculous. I gotta wait a little bit for some of the E3 games but I have a ton to play anyhow.

I sure hope it lasts till at least 2017

 

[ProtomanNeo]

My knee jerk reaction is to say no.

However, I'm in my 30s and in my social media there is a ground swell springing up around Zelda that have self proclaimed retired gamers talking about what was shown. All of them, myself included are feeling a kind of giddiness, a sparking of the imagination around whats been shown. There's no way you can call such things, but damn if it doesn't feel like somethings coming.

 

[Zee-Row]

Did they even say when Zelda for Wii U is coming out? I fear we may not see a gameplay demo of it until next year's E3.