i had no idea the pound was doing that badly.
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Is Wii U still sold out ?
- Thread starter BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO
- Start date
i had no idea the pound was doing that badly.
Not sure about the US, but my experience of the UK PS3 launch was laughable. Casually strolled into a store 2 hours after they opened, nobody else there, and was the first one to buy a PS3.
I definitely saw more interest on Day One when I picked up my launch Wii U, but they're not exactly hard to find either I don't think.
The two Targets near me and the Best Buy don't have them.
So they are out there, but not everywhere.
Alcibiades
Member
I think he meant UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008B5YB4W/
Seems Nintendo is having problems making this a hot item. We'll see how they fare the next few months.
Strange. The PS3 had the best console launch ever in the UK in terms of sales. The Wii U had one of the worst ever.
The fact the PS3 had the best ever should tell you that week one sales aren't everything though.
iknow, when I first palyed with a demo station, both me and my partner were like wtf? A demo station that has no demos to play. NOA at its finest.
I think they'd better aim for 'luke warm' before 'hot'.
They're in stock pretty much everywhere around me. I was tripping over 'em at the weekend.
I guess most of the feedback in this thread is from the US, but I'll post about a change I have seen in Spain for marketing at retail stores.
Up to last week, in the FNAC store I usually visit they had only a normal demo station, the one with only Rayman playable and videos of the other games. This weekend they changed the white demo unit to a black one, with Nintendo Land. There was a lady with a Nintendo T-Shirt all day demoing the different games and inviting everyone to try them. They also had some leaflets with an FAQ about Wii U - this was quite interesting, as the questions they answered are the obvious ones that we think the very casual crowd are confused about - the FAW read almost like "we know it is not clear at all for you, so let us explain everything very clearly".
Up to last week, in the FNAC store I usually visit they had only a normal demo station, the one with only Rayman playable and videos of the other games. This weekend they changed the white demo unit to a black one, with Nintendo Land. There was a lady with a Nintendo T-Shirt all day demoing the different games and inviting everyone to try them. They also had some leaflets with an FAQ about Wii U - this was quite interesting, as the questions they answered are the obvious ones that we think the very casual crowd are confused about - the FAW read almost like "we know it is not clear at all for you, so let us explain everything very clearly".
How was the response?
Had the same experience here in Germany on the first day after launch.
Basic mistake like that is just crazy. I'm really not sure what the plans are here? It seems in all regions prior to launch nintendo really didnt go with a blitz marketing campaign at all and any marketing they did do wasnt very good.
Even in Japan (from the mediacreate thread), people over there were saying it was bizarre as so close to launch you didnt see anything about the console.
It seems very strange to me.
I got my PS3 from a coworker who was trying to flip a launch console and wasn't able to get enough over to cover shipping and ebay fees. I never really went looking for one, but bought it just to help him out and I knew that I eventually would get one.
Here in the UK, I've seen way more Vita ads than Wii U ads. Nobody knows or cares about the system from what I can tell. Anybody can buy one online. I absolutely love mine, so I really hope it takes off and attracts good games.
Alcibiades
Member
I think Nintendo was counting on not having to do too much marketing. The Wii sold itself and the TV ads and flyers were only icing on the cake of all the free media and word-of-mouth that happened. I don't think marketing is going to help Nintendo much - even a super expensive ad campaign. Nor will dropping the price do much unless it is a drastic cut that would result in losing a lot per console.
The best Nintendo can do is improve the experience so word of mouth sells it. Once people want it, that desire can be nurtured with marketing and promotions.
The best Nintendo can do is improve the experience so word of mouth sells it. Once people want it, that desire can be nurtured with marketing and promotions.
well a super expensive ad campaign can do wonders. a $500m launch campaign basically forced xbox and kinect upon the world.
I honestly do not know if Nintendo would've been able to do that.
Bidermaier
Member
Nintendo has to make money. I wonder how much has been spent on the whole xbox360 project and how much return Microsoft has had.
axisofweevils
Holy crap! Today's real megaton is that more than two people can have the same first name.
This has been posted before, but according to Eurogamer's interview with Nintendo UK, they are deliberately targeting the early adopters and gaming enthusiasts at the moment, so they can show others how good the console is over the holidays. It's almost as though this has been an intentional soft launch. Perhaps this explains their international strategy too?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...o-hopes-fears-why-hardcore-fans-secret-weapon
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...o-hopes-fears-why-hardcore-fans-secret-weapon
H_Prestige
Banned
They're targeting the enthusiasts with stuff like NSMB, NLand, and subpar ports? LOL.
I have no doubt its intentional. I dont think it couldnt be considering I see more vita ads and nobody gives a fuck about that.
klapauzius
Banned
In germany the premium edition is sold out in most places. But the white edition is there.
The Saturn in Hamburg (claims to be the biggest electronic shop worldwide) only has some white Wii U available. Premium editions are sold out as soon as they get them. Seems the white edition is a failure among launch buyers.
The Saturn in Hamburg (claims to be the biggest electronic shop worldwide) only has some white Wii U available. Premium editions are sold out as soon as they get them. Seems the white edition is a failure among launch buyers.
Maybe Hamburg, but not in general. I see plenty here in Dortmund and even amazon isn't sold out.
I wonder how much availability of the white unit is affecting the whole picture. Clearly there is very little demand for the basic system and people are willing to wait on the Deluxe rather than grab a white now. If the white didn't exist, or was a more competetive deal at least, I wonder if we would be having more issues with regards to sell outs.
Post launch I suspect Nintendo will either discontinue the basic, use it to price cut the Wii U or bundle it with stuff like Wii Fit U, Just Dance and Wii Sports U (when they appear) and repackage it to market to the casual audience.
"Dear gamers, please market our shit so we don't have to".
Seems to be working wonders for 'em.
I absolutely believe that was the intention, but Nintendo is missing one extremely important ingredient to make it work: A lineup worthy of hype. I really like the system, but I can't recommend it to anyone looking at the 2013 lineup.
Nintendo Land is serious business.
On topic, it seems to me that Nintendo is not actively doing the supply contraining method they are know for, which is why they can be found. To be fair, what's wrong with that? It's nice that they are somewhat available to people, and parents that want to pick one up for holiday shopping won't be desperate and stressed. (The Wii was a disaster... I felt bad for the parents on that. Consumers shouldn't have to go through shit like that this day and age.)
All of you guys judging the success of the Wii U by units found in stores is all but speculative. After concrete numbers come out, then it'll be safe to judge the outcome.
Also as a side note, I'm hoping that the Wii U is like a GameCube situation for them. Desperate Nintendo is best Nintendo. I felt that the success of Wii alowed them to get lazy. Mario Kart Wii, Wii Music, and Animal Crossing City Folk come to mind as being bullshit casual nonsense, where they dumbed down mechanics or made shit effort in attempt to appeal to the masses. Wii, without a doubt, offered the worst generation of Nintendo 1st/2nd party offerings, and it's unarguable.
MaxwellGT2000
Member
Ahhh carry on then, I was just going to say the Wii U isn't officially sold on Amazon in the US no idea if it's different in the UK
Well you do have an idea because the information is in the post you originally quoted.
The bolded is a fact, the rest of it? your opinion. For me SMG, Punch Out!!, Xenoblade, Last Story, KRTD, DKCR and FUCKING Sin and Punishment, just to name a few, beg to differ.
desperate nintendo led to the wii and ds. that was them doubling down on hardware they were familiar with and hoping they could sell the hardware itself at a profit in case nothing really took off.
as for the software on the gamecube? some of their most rushed games ever. super mario sunshine was an experiment on the way to super mario galaxy, the wind waker was an unfinished game, and mario kart double dash sucked eggs. things didn't start turning around until 2004, when four swords adventure, pikmin 2, and paper mario 2 came out, but after that, there was only fire emblem and dkjb anyway.
this is the same nintendo that got treasure to make sin & punishment 2 instead of a wario world game, had monolithsoft make xenoblade, retro make one good game for once with metroid prime 3, and ead tokyo develop the best 3d marios made in the company. and of course nsmbw, which was the best 2d mario game at the time. it's their best output since the snes days, in terms of games that still stack up (maybe only sm64 and majora's mask are worth anything from the n64 era these days).
Ah, yeah, the soft, hardcore-targeted launch strategy that worked so well for the Vita...
You're right on those games being amazing, but I didn't say it was all bad. Mario Galaxy is arguably the best 3D Mario, and MG2 is better than that.
But I don't consider "being published by Nintendo" the same as 2nd party. I count Mistwalker and Treasure as 3rd party. I just think that Nintendo's efforts during the Wii were mostly subpar, aside from a few key titles. On GameCube, they were on fucking point, because they had something to prove.
wiisports, wiifit - great new franchises
nsmbwii, mariokart wii, animal crossing, mario party- great bridge titles
last story, zelda tp and sw, mario galaxy 1,2, sin and punishment, spm, xenoblade, warioland shake it- great nintendo games for nintendofans
blu
Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
NSMBU and ZombiU (since you included 3rd party 'sub-par ports') are enthusiast-targeted through and through, NLand is more of a universal appeal. And nintendo can't magically stop sub-par ports. I'm not saying WiiU has had the best launch lineup ever, but saying there's nothing targeting the enthusiasts is just false.
m.i.s.
Banned
Probably something to do with coming hot on the heels of the most successful console to date. Unlike Wii/U, which has been allowed to whither for around 2 years to near irrelevance.
Certainly, though bear in mind that for Nintendo, the "shopping season" in the weeks leading upto Xmas is their busiest time of the year in terms of units sold. If they're selling this poorly at this time, they are in BIG trouble when we move out to the quieter selling periods of the year.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
What source are you using for this information?
i dont think so. nintendo had more output and more
high quality output with the wii compared to gamecube. sunshine was good but is not galaxy or nsmb level, zelda ww was great but i think tp and sw are better, donkeykong jungle beat was good but both the wii version of it and dkcr are better. mariokart wii is way better than double dash too.
POWERSPHERE
Member
It's easy to get in Australia.
Neff
Member
They have a very long, long way to go in the UK. Ever since the Wii and DS Lite, they've targeted and been heavily sustained by the casual market, who've since flown the coop for Facebook/phone/tablet gaming. Nintendo just isn't a fashionable or hip entity here, it never really was. While American adults may enjoy Pikachu-forming marching bands at football games, that shit would never fly in a million years at a Manchester United match. Most of my chav scum friends would rather die than be caught playing a 'cute' 'kiddy' Mario or Zelda game. We Brits are a rather superficial race, more than ever these days, sadly.
Those are just empty display boxes. My Gf used to work at GameStop and they had to stack and unstack them by the door everyday.
Conversely, I find British press and forums to be more receptive to Nintendo whilst American equivalents always have an air of cynicism about them.
What he says is true...
The best sales launch for a console in the UK goes to the PS3...but the following week/s the sales were pitiful. Then there was all that business with regards to cancelled pre-orders which iirc was like 20-40 thousand, which was blamed on people hoping to cash in on e-bay sales from mass sell-outs.
This never happened because Sony supplied Europe and the UK very well for the demand...and so at no point in the UK at least was the PS3 sold out. People who wanted to e-bay PS3's realized this a few days before launch when places like GAME etc were still taking pre-orders and pretty much all retailers across the board were still taking orders.
Of course Sony still pretended like it was sold out...maybe they were talking about the 20gb model...which was indeed rare to find.
Neff
Member
It's interesting. I think the disparity and relatively secret shame of Nintendo enthusiasts in the UK encourages them to wear their badge with pride, wheras it's probably more acceptable for Americans to shit on Nintendo in a country that gave it 98% market share twice, despite public perception in both territories being the reverse.
Sato Koiji
Member
Shitton of WiiU both versions in germany.
This won't work. When I show this to my friends, they think its cool but then ask if GTA V, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid, Dead Space, and Crysis is coming to it. When I say "No," they say they will stick to their PS3 or XBOX 360 instead. Its hard to convince the non-Nintendo faithful to buy this when the vast majority of games are on systems they already own, and the games they want aren't coming to it.
In Europe didn't exist the 20 gb model. Only 60 gb models were sold here at launch.