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[TJ Spyke]

Ah ok, thanks for the info! Are there announced any more Wii games that will support the Wii MotionPlus by the way? I would assume that more Wii games will come that supports Wii MotionPlus, but what about around the time when Wii Sports Resort is released? Selling the Wii MotionPlus addon separately might be bought for a second (or more) controller, since Wii Sports Resort have 2 (or maybe more as well) player at the same time support, like with that sword fighting thinigie

Games confirmed to use Wii MotionPlus:
Wii Sports Resort
Red Steel 2
The Conduit
A currently untitled tennis game from EA Sports

 

[kswiston]

Have you checked the sales of Wii Sports in Japan? I think it will easily hit 2 million.

ta, Wii Sports Resort will indeed be bundled with Wii MotionPlus (although Nintendo said they will sell Wii MotionPlus separately too for those who just want that).

I'm not saying Wii Sports Resort will never hit 2 million (it probably will eventually), I'm just saying that it's not necessarily going to the next Wii game to do so. I also don't see Wii Sports Resort breaking 2M in 2009. Wii sports took 10 months to hit 2 million. Wii Play took 13 months. If Wii Sports Resort is still a Q2 release, it will have somewhere between 6 and 9 months to match that feat.

While Wii Motion Plus seems like a cool idea, I wonder if the fact that Wii owners will have to purchase at least one extra unit to play the multiplayer mode in Wii Sports Resort will hurt its appeal (assuming the game absolutely requires it, maybe you can play without Wii Motion Plus?).

 

[jesusraz]

For anyone interested, RT GBA (when I checked) is #533 in the Amazon JP best sellers list. Surely due to a very limited re-release by Nintendo, as opposed to lack of interest considering RTG's phenomenal performance (I still recall people being somewhat sceptical when I said it'd hit a million...now look at it!).

 

[swerve]

For anyone interested, RT GBA (when I checked) is #533 in the Amazon JP best sellers list. Surely due to a very limited re-release by Nintendo, as opposed to lack of interest considering RTG's phenomenal performance (I still recall people being somewhat sceptical when I said it'd hit a million...now look at it!).

I bought the re-release of RT for a friend who had fallen in love with RTG in the current boom. She's loving it just like I did the first one all those years ago...

Memmmoriiieeeess......

 

[Link]

What about the Wii then? It's down by 20% as well. We may be seeing the continued shift away from home consoles towards handheld gaming (including phones), superimposed over other factors.

edit: I don't buy the theory that the Wii is already nearing hardware saturation. Maybe in another ten million but not yet.

Wii's third party support has ranged from sub-par to awful, and it's starting to catch up with the hardware in terms of sales. Maybe something in 2009 will boost sales, but if more consistent support doesn't arrive soon, it's going to fall into the same fate of the GC and N64: hardware spike when that one big game comes out every few months surrounded by poor sales otherwise.

We already saw it starting to happen before the holiday bump came around. And even the holiday numbers aren't all that great. Nintendo's own software is only going to prop things up alone for so long before the bottom drops out.

 

[markatisu]

While Wii Motion Plus seems like a cool idea, I wonder if the fact that Wii owners will have to purchase at least one extra unit to play the multiplayer mode in Wii Sports Resort will hurt its appeal (assuming the game absolutely requires it, maybe you can play without Wii Motion Plus?).

Reggie said it was 100% required which is why it comes as a pack-in

I thought they were contemplating selling the Motion + seperate after initial Wii Sports Resort sales

 

[swerve]

Nintendo's own software is only going to prop things up alone for so long before the bottom drops out.

This month it all hinges on Fragile and FF:CC Echoes of Time.
February has Dead Rising and One Piece Unlimited.
March has Monster Hunter G-make (meh)

I think my view of Wii's Japanese chances in early 2009 are all down to the quality of the jet-ski game in Wii Sports Resort , and the other games from Resort that we haven't seen. I sort of LOVE how silent Nintendo are about all their stuff nowadays.

I have absolutely no doubt about the M+ hardware or what it can offer in the right hands, but I need to know more about the other games using it (Dynamic Slash *must* use it, and I can't wait to see that). I guess if they were worried about Wii in Japan, they'd be singing about what's to come as loudly as they could.

 

[jesusraz]

I bought the re-release of RT for a friend who had fallen in love with RTG in the current boom. She's loving it just like I did the first one all those years ago...

Memmmoriiieeeess......

Cool. Would have been nice to see the GBA edition at least make it back into the MC Top 50, but obviously with the increased sales across all other titles it never did...

 

[test_account]

~27 million is not bad for a two-year total.

Indeed. Please correct me if i am wrong, but i guess that he maybe ment that since the PSP is claimed to be the "too bad games doesnt sell on it" system (or at least it used to be before), and based on this, that the Wii selling about as much software as PSP isnt really a too big of an accomplishment in that sense.

But to be fair, the PSP has been out longer than the Wii though, so the PSP has an adavantage there when it comes to the total software sales. So by the Wii being out for a shorter period of time compared to how long the PSP has been out, it might be concidered a bigger accomplishment by the Wii software sales compared to the PSP software sales.

I think it should be interesting to see how the Wii VS the PSP software sale will be in 2009. In the last months, the Wii and the PSP software sales has been relatively close to eachother

EDIT: I fixed alittle on one senstence.

Games confirmed to use Wii MotionPlus:
Wii Sports Resort
Red Steel 2
The Conduit
A currently untitled tennis game from EA Sports

The Conduit supports Wii MotionPlus? I had no idea, thanks for the info! Is it optional by the way?

 

[donny2112]

** Thanks to donny112 for the awesome hardware presentation formatting. I'll be using this from now on/until the DSL is discontinued.

You're welcome.

Don't know about PS, but that was bound to happen to the CG version of ToH.

As far as sales go, Tales of Hearts might as well have only released as the Anime version, since that's the only version that's actually selling.

The new Wii version can't compare to the old, but barring a huge plummet or insane legs, this one will probably end up doing a third to a half of what the original did.

I see the "Play on Wii" titles as budget re-releases, and those do have insane legs. The budget re-releases are the only games that can quite often sell 5K in their launch week and end up over 100K.

The Conduit supports Wii MotionPlus? I had no idea, thanks for the info! Is it optional by the way?

Details are scarce. However, it was a late addition, so if it is used much, it should still be optional.

 

[jarrod]

Wii upcoming Q1 so far...

01.15.09 Akumajou Dracula Judgment (Konami)
01.15.09 Wii de Asobu: Mario Tennis GC (Nintendo)
01.22.09 Fragile: Sayonara Tsuki no Haikyo (Namco)
01.22.09 Rabbids Party: TV Party (Ubisoft)
01.22.09 Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekidou (Kadokawa Shoten)
01.29.09 Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Square Enix)
01.29.09 Tomb Raider Underworld (Spike)

02.05.09 Another Code R: Kioku no Tobira (Nintendo)
02.05.09 High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE! (Disney)
02.12.09 Skate It (EA)
02.19.09 Dead Rising: Zombie no Ikenie (Capcom)
02.19.09 SimAnimals (EA)
02.26.09 One Piece Unlimited Cruise Episode 2: Mezameru Yuusha (Bandai)

03.12.09 Phantom Brave Wii (NIS)
03.12.09 Sonic to Ankoku no Kishi (SEGA)
03.12.09 Winter Sports 2009: The Next Challenge (Arc System Works)
03.19.09 Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Next (Konami)
03.19.09 Monopoly (EA)
03.19.09 Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play (EA)
03.26.09 Suzumiya Haruhi no Heiretsu (SEGA)

...not too exciting honestly, mostly mulitplatform stuff or old ports/conversions too. Another Code looks like the only real original stand out title imo, at least with a chance to perform (Fragile's got bomba written ALL over it). One Piece and Mario Tennis will probably do well though.

Q2 looks way stronger already with Wii Sports Resort, Ougon no Kizuna, Arc Rise Fantasia, Monster Hunter G, Deca Sporta 2, Winning Eleven Playmaker 2009, Kororinpa 2 and likely some other notable additions (Sengoku Musou 3, Oboro Muramasa, Valhalla Knights, more Wii de Asobu, etc).

 

[TJ Spyke]

The Conduit supports Wii MotionPlus? I had no idea, thanks for the info! Is it optional by the way?

I don't know. All I know is that it will support Wii MotionPlus, as well as the Wii Speak mic and have online play.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Q2 looks way stronger already with Wii Sports Resort, Ougon no Kizuna, Arc Rise Fantasia, Monster Hunter G, Deca Sporta 2, Winning Eleven Playmaker 2009, Kororinpa 2 and likely some other notable additions (Sengoku Musou 3, Oboro Muramasa, Valhalla Knights, more Wii de Asobu, etc).

Punch-Out!! should see release in Q2 in at least one region, as Nintendo gave a first half 2009 release date for it.

 

[donny2112]

Wii upcoming Q1 so far...

Welcome back, jarrod!

 

[RpgN]

It does sound like a long time to me. Releasing a sort of demo and after a year the full game is still not out? Weird.

Yeah dude, us dutchies have to keep an eye on each other :lol That's a bummer, and I think a junior status like that is permanent unless a mod changes it manually.

Yeah, they're being too ambitiously and the Japanese developers, many of them, are still behind the Western developers when it comes to HD games. I heard that GT5 might not make it in 2009, crazy!

Oh oh! I don't like the sound of this. What am I supposed to do? It was really not worth the change. I'm surprised Vinnk changed mine for such a joke. He might have had a bad day or something Oh well, thanks for keeping an eye on me. I really appreciate it as a Dutch citizen

 

[ivysaur12]

Ugh, Phantasy Star has already dropped in price? Crap.

 

[lupin23rd]

I'm in Japan again for a short period of time, and went to Bic Camera (Shinjuku-West Exit) today.

Phantasy Star 0: ¥2800
Tales of Hearts CG: ¥3800
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword: ¥980
Soul Eater: ¥2980

LOL @ 3800 yen being a price collapse, that should be the regular retail price of handheld games over there.

 

[RpgN]

LOL @ 3800 yen being a price collapse, that should be the regular retail price of handheld games over there.

True, unfortunately they're not. I'm surprised how expensive those games are there, since they're made in Japan and all.

Too bad about PSZ, I didn't expect a pricedrop so soon.

 

[jarrod]

I asked this in the other thread, but does anyone have comparable data for PSO and PSU in relation to PS0. Obviously the game was big disappointment coming off PSP, but I sort of wonder how it compares historically for the franchise?

Welcome back, jarrod!

hey, nice to be back!

 

[Drkirby]

Wii upcoming Q1 so far...
03.12.09 Phantom Brave Wii (NIS)

Come on English option! You know you wanna do it NIS, its anther bullet point on the back of your box... I don't wanna have to wait an extra 3-9 months to play the Wii Version in english.

 

[schuelma]

Wii's third party support has ranged from sub-par to awful, and it's starting to catch up with the hardware in terms of sales. Maybe something in 2009 will boost sales, but if more consistent support doesn't arrive soon, it's going to fall into the same fate of the GC and N64: hardware spike when that one big game comes out every few months surrounded by poor sales otherwise.

We already saw it starting to happen before the holiday bump came around. And even the holiday numbers aren't all that great. Nintendo's own software is only going to prop things up alone for so long before the bottom drops out.

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Come on.

It was doing a consistent 40K a week most of 2008. Not DS numbers, but to compare it to GC or N64 is a bit much.

There is a lot more good 3rd party stuff for 09 that we already know of.

I do think sales will be pretty slow until Wii Sports Resort arrives, but let's save the GameCube comparisons for the PS3.

 

[Link]

It dipped to the mid to low 20k's for a while, before the holidays boosted it back up. It's certainly on a downward trend.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

PS0 already dropping in price? Damn I might have to seek someone out to snag me a copy cause waiting for the US version is going to blow.

 

[bttb]

.

 

[Lightning]

I do think sales will be pretty slow until Wii Sports Resort arrives, but let's save the GameCube comparisons for the PS3.

I can't wait until FFXIII launches for the PS3 and silences the GC comparisons permanently.

 

[Link]

I can't wait until FFXIII launches for the PS3 and silences the GC comparisons permanently.

How do you figure? There will be a sales spike, then it will go right back down again. Sounds just like the GC to me.

 

[schuelma]

It dipped to the mid to low 20k's for a while, before the holidays boosted it back up. It's certainly on a downward trend.

It dipped even lower in 07 around that time.

 

[Oxx]

I wonder what the ratio of sales is going to be between the DS and Wii versions of Echoes of Time?

I can't help but think that the Wii version is going to be the Tales of Hearts CG Edition of the two.

 

[Link]

No doubt. Is there any legitimate reason for buying the Wii version at all? Serious question, I don't know.

 

[[Nintex]]

No doubt. Is there any legitimate reason for buying the Wii version at all? Serious question, I don't know.

It's Square-Enix's Crackdown:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers Trailer
Includes Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

 

[Oxx]

No doubt. Is there any legitimate reason for buying the Wii version at all? Serious question, I don't know.

Well, extended play of Ring of Fates took its toll on my left thumb, so if the Wii version can be played with the Wiimote+Nunchuck I'm ashamed to say that I would be interested.

 

[Link]

It's Square-Enix's Crackdown:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers Trailer
Includes Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

If it was a demo, then it might have a shot. A trailer will be on the internet before the game even hits stores.

 

[Oxx]

It will probably be one of the old trailers with just a couple of seconds of new footage anyway.

 

[jarrod]

Famitsu Sales Data

						Week 1    Week 2    Week 3     LTD
DC  Phantasy Star Online				80,666    18,687    20,141   185,364 
DC  Phantasy Star Online Ver.2		        108,411    13,358     7,534   167,345
GC  Phantasy Star Online Episode 1&2			71,241    13,679    10,995   138,277
GC  Phantasy Star Online Episode 1&2 Plus		18,869         -         -    18,869
GC  Phantasy Star Online Episode III Card Revolution	21,064         -         -    21,064 
PS2 Phantasy Star Universe			        129,155    23,962    12,669   188,961
PS2 Phantasy Star Universe: Illuminas no Yabou	24,141     6,565         -    30,706
PSP Phantasy Star Portable			        329,455   112,059    68,242   625,504
DS  Phantasy Star Zero				86,000    55,000             140,000

http://www.kyoto.zaq.ne.jp/dkbkq103/yso/maintitle5/sega.htm

Thanks!

PS0 looks like it could pass PSO/PSU at least... though it's obvious Sega and retail alike expected way more from it. Too bad. :/

It's Square-Enix's Crackdown:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers Trailer
Includes Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

Square did it first with Tobal No.1 :lol

 

[Lightning]

How do you figure? There will be a sales spike, then it will go right back down again. Sounds just like the GC to me.

The gamecube library only had Nintendo big releases, the PS3 has the advantage of 3rd parties as well. The biggest games for the PS3 have not been released yet, and when they are it should boost the PS3 above comparisons to the GC. It won't make the system successful or change fortunes on a great scale but it should kill GC comparisons as I can see the PS3 doing over 5mil in Japan. The GC didn't get there.

 

[schuelma]

The gamecube library only had Nintendo big releases, the PS3 has the advantage of 3rd parties as well. The biggest games for the PS3 have not been released yet, and when they are it should boost the PS3 above comparisons to the GC. It won't make the system successful or change fortunes on a great scale but it should kill GC comparisons as I can see the PS3 doing over 5mil in Japan. The GC didn't get there.

What other big 3rd party franchises haven't came out yet besides Final Fantasy? RE5 and Yakuza 3 will be out in a month or so.

PS3 has had a ton of big 3rd party franchises hit already, and it's selling worse than ever.

I agree it will end up selling more than the GC, but as of now the comparison is more than apt.

I'd also add that Sony's 1st party efforts in Japan are quite frankly pathetic compared to Nintendo.

 

[jarrod]

The gamecube library only had Nintendo big releases, the PS3 has the advantage of 3rd parties as well. The biggest games for the PS3 have not been released yet, and when they are it should boost the PS3 above comparisons to the GC. It won't make the system successful or change fortunes on a great scale but it should kill GC comparisons as I can see the PS3 doing over 5mil in Japan. The GC didn't get there.

I dunno, I think FFXIII might have less long term hardware impact than expected. If the game isn't followed up quickly and consistently, I can see the old Xbox trend of glutting the market with used hardware.

 

[BishopLamont]

The gamecube library only had Nintendo big releases, the PS3 has the advantage of 3rd parties as well. The biggest games for the PS3 have not been released yet, and when they are it should boost the PS3 above comparisons to the GC. It won't make the system successful or change fortunes on a great scale but it should kill GC comparisons as I can see the PS3 doing over 5mil in Japan. The GC didn't get there.

So the PS3 goes from GC level of failure to N64 level of failure? Makes sense since N64 was the beginning of Nintendo's downfall.

 

[Regulus Tera]

The gamecube library only had Nintendo big releases, the PS3 has the advantage of 3rd parties as well. The biggest games for the PS3 have not been released yet, and when they are it should boost the PS3 above comparisons to the GC. It won't make the system successful or change fortunes on a great scale but it should kill GC comparisons as I can see the PS3 doing over 5mil in Japan. The GC didn't get there.

Replace FFXIII with MGS4 and we're back in 2008.

 

[Jocchan]

The "wait for..." meme is getting old.

@Regulus Tera: caught your stealth edit

 

[schuelma]

Replace FFXIII with MGS4 and we're back in 2008.

FF13 is a lot bigger franchise thsn MGS4, but yeah...you'd think that after a 2nd full year of falling behind the GC people wouldn't take such offense to the comparison..

 

[Rocksteady33]

Does anyone else find it surprising that Nintendo hasn't released, or even shown a game for that matter that takes full advantage of the DSi hardware? I mean I know it's selling well (and like Josh showed very in track with the Lite) but why release updated hardware without software to show off it's new features? I think Nintendo could really see another level of success (no not like 2006, but still something) if it had some title that really captured the market the hardware aimed for.

 

[Datschge]

Uh, why would the DSi Wario Ware app and game not count for you?

 

[swerve]

Does anyone else find it surprising that Nintendo hasn't released, or even shown a game for that matter that takes full advantage of the DSi hardware? I mean I know it's selling well (and like Josh showed very in track with the Lite) but why release updated hardware without software to show off it's new features?

10 million (?) animation uploads to their new user-animation sharing site in the service's first 16 days. You can browse them : http://ugomemo.hatena.ne.jp/

Apparently 38% of DSi owners have uploaded some content.

DSi has plenty new for it. Around eight download games on the store already. I totally HEART my DSi since they launched the store.

It's not about a big upgrade, it's about having loads of cool little things on it at once without the need for an R4...

 

[test_account]

Details are scarce. However, it was a late addition, so if it is used much, it should still be optional.

Ye, and isnt the game comming out before Wii Sports Resort as well (which is the same day as Wii Motion Plus comes out if i am not mistaken)? I wonder how Wii MotionPlus will be with other games, if it is easy to make it opinional or if the developers "must" make the game(s) require Wii MotionPlus to take fully advantage of the technoligy. I think it should be interesting to see how things will be

I don't know. All I know is that it will support Wii MotionPlus, as well as the Wii Speak mic and have online play.

Ah ok The Conduit supports Wii Speak mic as well? Nice!


EDIT: I see that jarrod is back, welcome back jarrod!

 

[swerve]

Without doubt any game that doesn't require Motion+ won't take full advantage of it even if it's supported.

I hope Nintendo allow it to be bundled with many different games for the first year, 1st and 3rd party, to ensure it takes off.

The potential of Motion+ is just too great.

 

[[Nintex]]

Without doubt any game that doesn't require Motion+ won't take full advantage of it even if it's supported.

I hope Nintendo allow it to be bundled with many different games for the first year, 1st and 3rd party, to ensure it takes off.

The potential of Motion+ is just too great.

If all goes well we should have a new Zelda with Motion + support at the end of this year.

 

[Calcaneus]

There is a prize: it's called bragging rights. A prize that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft understand and cherish all too well. But hey, I guess some of us would like to ignore the bigger picture and focus on attaining the yearly moral victory, eh?

Or maybe we'd rather focus on

Psp selling more (or well) means more support and a longer lifespan and that's great.

 

[test_account]

Without doubt any game that doesn't require Motion+ won't take full advantage of it even if it's supported.

I hope Nintendo allow it to be bundled with many different games for the first year, 1st and 3rd party, to ensure it takes off.

The potential of Motion+ is just too great.

Ye, maybe, i just thought maybe it would be possible to make 2 control schemes, one scheme that uses the current Wii control system and another control scheme that uses the Wii MotionPlus technoligy But i am no developer so i dont know how the developers intergrate the Wii controller in the Wii games :\

 

[w3stfa11]

Famitsu 2000-2007

Famitsu Hardware Totals

	   PS2          NDS          PSP          360          PS3          Wii
2000	 3,748,200	
2001	 3,603,700
2002	 3,652,800
2003	 2,812,500
2004	 2,750,800    1,095,900      339,900
2005	 2,134,900    4,002,900    2,225,800       81,800
2006	 1,547,900    8,862,900    1,946,900      208,700      466,700      989,100
2007	   816,400    7,143,700    3,022,700      257,800    1,206,300    3,629,400
2008	   480,700    4,029,800    3,543,200      317,900      991,300    2,908,300
[B]Total	21,547,900   25,135,200   11,078,500      866,200    2,664,300    7,526,800[/B]

Is this year an indicator that Wii won't reach the same level of success as the PS2 in Japan? Can the Wii sell over 3 million in 2009 or was 2007 its peak?