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[jarrod]

Don't forget this week. Zack & Wiki don't like neglect, even if that's what they'll get.

You never know... we've had some breakout JP adv game hits on GBA/DS recently (Gyakuten Saiban, Another Code, Professor Layton, Kyotaro Nishimura Mystery, etc)... Zak & Wiki could follow in that tradition (hopefully).

 

[Hcoregamer00]

You never know... we've had some breakout JP adv game hits on GBA/DS recently (Gyakuten Saiban, Another Code, Professor Layton, Kyotaro Nishimura Mystery, etc)... Zak & Wiki could follow in that tradition (hopefully).

Yeah, notice something?

DS =/= Wii

Just because the DS made some large selling series massive sellers (as in GS1 selling 100,000 with GS4 selling 450,000), that is not indicative of how the consoles are.

 

[Deku]

Yeah, notice something?

DS =/= Wii

Just because the DS made some large selling series massive sellers (as in GS1 selling 100,000 with GS4 selling 450,000), that is not indicative of how the consoles are.

You can make the X =! Y arguments all day and no one can conclusively disprove you. Because well, different products are indeed different.

That said, DS =! Wii arguments have been floating around for more than a year now and more often than not, they've been wrong. Last year's theme was the Wii would perform just like the GCN and would not have the broad appeal of the DS, looked how well that worked out. Not only did it have a similar demographic appeal, it didn't have to suffer through 12+ months of anemic sales which begged for a redesign like the DS did.

Products are different but they're also related. The DS put Nintendo in a good position to market the Wii, and I wouldn't be surprised many Wii owners bought one because of the DS, and regardless of the spin anyone would like to put on it, consoles in living rooms will demand software.

 

[Arde5643]

You never know... we've had some breakout JP adv game hits on GBA/DS recently (Gyakuten Saiban, Another Code, Professor Layton, Kyotaro Nishimura Mystery, etc)... Zak & Wiki could follow in that tradition (hopefully).

Capcom should put 2 different ads for this game: one appealing to family with kids with the cartoon show-like animation quality of the game - show how cute Wiki is and the funny cutscenes from the game, and don't forget to add the waggle aspect from the game.

The other one advertising the reviews from IGN, Gamespy, Gamespot - something like "this game signals the return of point n click adventure genre in consoles", "unlock epic adventure with great puzzles to solve" - it should show the point n click aspect of the game with little mention of the waggle.

I think that should interest both casuals and hardcore gamers - especially PC adventure gamers.

 

[Drinky Crow]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Did the 20 and 60GB get early price cuts like here? Or do they not get cut into the 40GB arrived on the 17th?

60GB is even more of a no-brainer there, with the new MSRP only ~$43 over the new 40GB.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

This is almost laughably irrelevant in this conversation, but the 360 is getting a price drop and bundles analogous to the US holiday bundles this Christmas as well for Japan.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7629&Itemid=2

Microsoft Japan has announced that the 20GB and Core Xbox 360 packs will be subject to price cuts effective November 1, while a new “Value Pack” is also set for release.

From the beginning of next month the 20GB Xbox 360 bundle, which originally retailed for 39,795 yen, will cost 34,800 yen ($305). Meanwhile the Core System will be receiving a 2,000 yen price cut to 27,800 yen ($244).

A new, limited-edition 20GB "Value Pack" bundled with Viva Piñata and Forza Motorsport 2 will also go on sale, retailing for 34,800 yen ($305). This pack will not contain an HDMI cable as standard.

The move is aimed to boost sales of Microsoft’s next-gen console in Japan, which currently lag way behind those of Nintendo’s Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3. Earlier this month Sony dropped the price of the PS3 in Japan and announced its intentions to introduce a new 40GB model to the market.

So Nov. 1st:

Core = $27, 800 yen ($244)
Premium + Viva Pinata + Forza 2 = 34,800 yen ($305)

The new premium bundle should really come with DOA 4 instead of Viva Pinata, but I suppose Forza is always a good choice. The price drop should help Lost Odyssey meet and/or exceed the debut of Blue Dragon. How much does the Elite cost in Japan?

 

[Frillen]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

Breaking News!: Poor Hardware sales results into poor Software sales!

 

[jarrod]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

It's like the PS2 era all over again. :lol

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Breaking News!: Poor Hardware sales results into poor Software sales!

It's not like the existing Wii owners can't buy games every week.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

It's not like the existing Wii owners can't buy games every week.

You win

 

[Phife Dawg]

This is almost laughably irrelevant in this conversation, but the 360 is getting a price drop and bundles analogous to the US holiday bundles this Christmas as well for Japan.

You're only a page late.

Did the 20 and 60GB get early price cuts like here? Or do they not get cut into the 40GB arrived on the 17th?

60GB is even more of a no-brainer there, with the new MSRP only ~$43 over the new 40GB.

Yes, both the 20G and the 60G get price cuts before the release of the 40G. That's what part of the discussion was about, wether PS3 will outsell Wii in the week of the price cut (officially) taking effect. Or maybe I misunderstood your question?

I thought UC is coming out that week? It's not Mario but it's big enough.

As for this coming week, if there was a big PS3 game coming out it might be able to overtake Wii before the Mario release, but with Imabikisou and Eye of Judgement, I dont expect much. That would be the first week that Wii hasn't won (console-wise) the whole year, wouldn't it?

Still, it's a price cut and the Wii sales have been slowing down for weeks. Like Ichigo stated, UC will be released later.

Don't forget this week. Zack & Wiki don't like neglect, even if that's what they'll get.

Seeing Z&W bomb will be sad indeed. I just hope it sells enough to warrant a sequel, I want more p&c goodness.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

You can make the X =! Y arguments all day and no one can conclusively disprove you. Because well, different products are indeed different.

That said, DS =! Wii arguments have been floating around for more than a year now and more often than not, they've been wrong.

I thought of bringing this up, but possibly the most DS-ey of Wii titles, Big Brain Academy Wii Degree, didn't really take off. Perhaps the graphical adventure will have a better home on portables, too. *shrug*

 

[Eteric Rice]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

Calm before the storm.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I thought of bringing this up, but possibly the most DS-ey of Wii titles, Big Brain Academy Wii Degree, didn't really take off. Perhaps the graphical adventure will have a better home on portables, too. *shrug*

I attribute that to price. The DS game was a budget title. The Wii game was not. There isn't really marketspace for a full price "training" game IMO. Same with Wii Cooking Mama. These were both games that should have been Wii Ware or budget priced boxed titles, not full price.

 

[Arde5643]

I attribute that to price. The DS game was a budget title. The Wii game was not. There isn't really marketspace for a full price "training" game IMO. Same with Wii Cooking Mama. These were both games that should have been Wii Ware or budget priced boxed titles, not full price.

The very weird part was how Big Brain Academy Wii was a budget title for Europe, and not for US.

It sold pretty well in Europe because of that - and sold very poorly in US because of that exact reason as well.

 

[jarrod]

Seeing Z&W bomb will be sad indeed. I just hope it sells enough to warrant a sequel, I want more p&c goodness.

I just hope it sells enough to keep the core team together... another bomb like UGG and I think they'll just be split up into more profitable teams. :/

I thought of bringing this up, but possibly the most DS-ey of Wii titles, Big Brain Academy Wii Degree, didn't really take off. Perhaps the graphical adventure will have a better home on portables, too. *shrug*

Too be fair, I'd expect the same of any similar "conversion". Zak & Wiki's more built around the Wii platform than BBA was, this isn't really like an upconversion of Phoenix Wright or Layton.

 

[Rocksteady33]

I just hope it sells enough to keep the core team together... another bomb like UGG and I think they'll just be split up into more profitable teams. :/



Too be fair, I'd expect the same of any similar "conversion". Zak & Wiki's more built around the Wii platform than BBA was, this isn't really like an upconversion of Phoenix Wright or Layton.

I'm assuming UGG stands for Ultimate Ghouls 'n Ghosts, right? I think they can overlook that failure considering the platform it was on.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Yes, both the 20G and the 60G get price cuts before the release of the 40G. That's what part of the discussion was about, wether PS3 will outsell Wii in the week of the price cut (officially) taking effect. Or maybe I misunderstood your question?

I was just wondering about the timing. On what date did the 60GB get cut?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I'm assuming UGG stands for Ultimate Ghouls 'n Ghosts, right? I think they can overlook that failure considering the platform it was on.

The platform that Zack & Wiki is on seems to be suffering a similar problem.

 

[Deku]

I thought of bringing this up, but possibly the most DS-ey of Wii titles, Big Brain Academy Wii Degree, didn't really take off. Perhaps the graphical adventure will have a better home on portables, too. *shrug*

They are related but not joined at the hip. This is the same problem people had with the PS brand and the PSP, it certainly helped a lot, but not nearly enough to overcome most of the platform's problems, software and hardware.

Wii has to find its own library, or we risk turning into DS Home Version, and we've already seen what happens when the parent platform overshadows the offspring.

 

[Billias]

Btw, where's Vinnk? I haven't seen him posting here the last few weeks.
I kinda miss his report... it was one of those essential elements of M-K threads...

 

[Stumpokapow]

Btw, where's Vinnk? I haven't seen him posting here the last few weeks.
I kinda miss his report... it was one of those essential elements of M-K threads...

Nothing is supply constrained, period.

 

[Billias]

Nothing is supply constrained, period.

Yes, I already know that

It is not about just hardware availability.
His report was quite the source of useful information about j-gamers,trends etc

 

[ksamedi]

The very weird part was how Big Brain Academy Wii was a budget title for Europe, and not for US.

It sold pretty well in Europe because of that - and sold very poorly in US because of that exact reason as well.

BBA didn't do that bad in the US, it had very long legs and it probably passed the million.

 

[Jokeropia]

The platform that Zack & Wiki is on seems to be suffering a similar problem.

Well now, PSP has a poor software attach rate, even for a handheld. Wii has the best software attach rate for a new system since 1996. (This doesn't necessarily make Zack and Wiki get mass market appeal, but you know.)

 

[Xeke]

I don't know how people think Z&W even had a chance at selling. If I didn't visit this site I would never in my life know of its existence.

 

[BishopLamont]

mmm, failed ps3 hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

fixed.

 

[Moor-Angol]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

at least DS has some software sales...

 

[brain_stew]

I attribute that to price. The DS game was a budget title. The Wii game was not. There isn't really marketspace for a full price "training" game IMO. Same with Wii Cooking Mama. These were both games that should have been Wii Ware or budget priced boxed titles, not full price.

And in the one market where it is budget priced (Europe) its selling really well. Its been in the UK top 10 for quite a long time now and showing some major legs.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

I don't know how people think Z&W even had a chance at selling. If I didn't visit this site I would never in my life know of its existence.

Exactly, it was bound to fail miserably.

Remember, for every good game that sells well, there is 3 that fail miserably.

 

[Stumpokapow]

And in the one market where it is budget priced (Europe) its selling really well. Its been in the UK top 10 for quite a long time now and showing some major legs.

Now how is it that literally EVERYONE could have told NCL/NOA that this needed to be a budget title but they were apparantly unable to see it for themselves. When NOE gets it right and you get it wrong, you know you're a fucking moron.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

So hey fellow sales nerds... time to put on your shipped nerd hats. I've been gathering the publically available shipment data for a while, and in anticipation of new financial releases in a few days finally put together some tools for making graphs of them online. Not completely Japanese-sales-related, but anyone who would give a hoot enough to see it before I start using it in a few days when the new data shows up probably hangs in these threads anyway.

Here are a load of example results:
PS2 (old) vs Wii, year one, Japan
Current gen, 2006-2007
X360, NA vs EU, NA launch through today
GameCube vs Xbox
GBA vs DS, worldwide from launches
DS, worldwide and regional breakdowns
Xbox vs X360, Europe

There are more Wiis available than any near-launch home console ever.

 

[Kosma]

Nice graphs Josh.

 

[nextgeneration]

Awesome graphs, Josh, especially the shipments for all the consoles. I hope this puts to rest the notion that Nintendo is undershipping on purpose.

 

[PataHikari]

mmm, stagnating wii hardware AND software sales. please let this trend continue.

It isn't stagnating sales you pus filled boil on the face of the boards, it's freaking October and video games in general don't do much in October.

 

[Jokeropia]

There are more Wiis available than any near-launch home console ever.

This chart is the perfect response to people complaining about Nintendo's inability to ship enough Wiis or claiming that the shortage is intentional.

 

[Phife Dawg]

I was just wondering about the timing. On what date did the 60GB get cut?

October 17th.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

There are more Wiis available than any near-launch home console ever.

Good. I can put my *No console has sold nor produced more units than the Wii* hat back on.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

This chart is the perfect response to people complaining about Nintendo's inability to ship enough Wiis or claiming that the shortage is intentional.

Actually, here's one that's even better. On the last one I forgot to put PS1, and I just added a rough set of N64 numbers from a Nintendo PDF of annual data from 1998 on.

Looking beyond home console, though, GBA is still king. At least for the first two years.

 

[Jokeropia]

Actually, here's one that's even better.

Haha, so it is.

 

[Billias]

When NOE gets it right and you get it wrong, you know you're a fucking moron.

QFMT

 

[Parl]

Great graphs. Thanks, JSlone.

 

[test_account]

I'm guessing it will sell around the same as SIGMA. So somewhere between 70 and 100k. Just a wild prediction though.

I would guess something like 20-30k, i'm not quite sure how much japanese people like these kinda games. But its impossible to say how much it will sell, we'll see

 

[Moor-Angol]

Wii Fit already out-of-stock on Amazon.jp

 

[frankie_baby]

anyone else noticed nights aint been doin too bad on amazon and its not out for ages yet

 

[justjohn]

whats with you people and your obsession with amazon? i see ace combat 6 for 360 is high up there, i'm guessing we should be expecting mario galaxy numbers right?

 

[Souldriver]

whats with you people and your obsession with amazon? i see ace combat 6 for 360 is high up there, i'm guessing we should be expecting mario galaxy numbers right?

Absolutely. Amazon is the absolute best indicator of a game's success! Charttrack and NPD should just stop tracking numbers, and use Amazon to make a top 30.

 

[rakka]

whats with you people and your obsession with amazon? i see ace combat 6 for 360 is high up there, i'm guessing we should be expecting mario galaxy numbers right?

i wouldn't be surprised.

 

[test_account]

Wii Fit already out-of-stock on Amazon.jp

Its already in stock? I thought the release date was 1 December.

EDIT: Or do you mean that Amazon.jp has stopped taking pre orders?