Since I see irony if you name me one I'll take it back. Ok?
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Media Create Sales: Week 12, 2013 (Mar 18 - Mar 24)
- Thread starter Chris1964
- Start date
Since I see irony if you name me one I'll take it back. Ok?
I am all for this new thread you thread saviour you
I feel killing it off before the end of the generation doesn't really net them a benefit for the reasons Takao listed.
To me it's more about succession planning at this point, and deciding if they want to go with one device or two. If it's two, they really need to sit down and rethink their console strategy and get a ton of feedback from developers on what they want, and then implement as much of it as they can on the Wii U to help set up the next one, even if those changes don't net support in the short to medium term.
If they do decide to go with one, picking something like a very new ARM processor + PowerVR's Rogue would probably be a good idea, since that's very powerful/efficient (devs often call it current gen on mobile, and a dedicated platform can get a lot more out of that), has full DX11.1 compliant hardware (will work with current tools technology, even that targeted at next-gen), and would look good when output to a TV.
I'm not saying your wrong, but I don't think that statement means Wii U is doomed forever.
What Nintendo home console are we really talking about with that statement? I guess N64 and GCN?
A sample size of 2 isn't enough to make me say ok let's kill it 6 months after launch.
electroplankton
Banned
At least some Nintendo home console did bad and this did not cause the company to bankruptcy, or to go third party. And they weren't after Wii and DS.
Right. I really think the hybrid route is the way to go and they way they are looking at anyways- other than buying a bunch of studios I think these last 2 years has made it clear Nintendo is unable to properly support 2 platforms.
slaughterking
Member
The thing is that it is only premature until it's too late. There's a right time for everything and as far as business decisions go it's usually long before you're out of any other options.
Now I'm not saying Nintendo should jump the gun right now, but considering that their current strategy will very likely (but not definitely) have them struggling and faltering in the coming years it might be wise to prepare for some drastic changes.
Bruno MB
Member
Wii U not getting western third-party support was a given. What no one could have ever suspected is that Japanese support would be even worse.
Currently there is only one Japanese third-party game announced for Wii U, and it's just a port of a 3DS game, it's so hard to believe that this is happening.
Well, it is more unbelievable that 4 months after Wii U's launch, Nintendo still haven't set a release date for any of their titles, the only exception was Game & Wario in Japan and it has already been released.
Current release schedule:
Nintendo --- nothing
Japanese third-parties --- Resident: Evil Revelations - Unveiled Edition (05/23/2013)
Currently there is only one Japanese third-party game announced for Wii U, and it's just a port of a 3DS game, it's so hard to believe that this is happening.
Well, it is more unbelievable that 4 months after Wii U's launch, Nintendo still haven't set a release date for any of their titles, the only exception was Game & Wario in Japan and it has already been released.
Current release schedule:
Nintendo --- nothing
Japanese third-parties --- Resident: Evil Revelations - Unveiled Edition (05/23/2013)
It also helps move them into a more differentiated category from their competitors, since they have a fair chance of being the only dedicated handheld left, and it won't really be expected that they get the same games as home consoles, which should help perception.
It might also make it significantly easier to get mobile titles or things that might be DD focused (whether it be XBLA or $30 tier) titles on home consoles, since those are often notably less hardware demanding.
With this kind of hardware setup they could also have a pretty good OS and services approach on their handheld as well.
NeoGAF is always like this. You can find posts calling the PSP, and PS3 dead back in 2006-2008. You can even find a [former] moderator saying Sony is doomed because Final Fantasy XIII came out on 360.
Preparing for (a possibility) and actively pursuing (an actuality) are two different concepts.
Edit: I think it's safe to assume that Nintendo are working on future console projects and supporting their present systems simultaneously and don't see how the present climate should change things, maybe lead to an acceleration of development if need be, but actively pursuing killing off the Wii U (in March 2013) I can't see as wholly a positive.
No Nintendo home console had such a weak first party support initially (and here I'm including shown but yet to be released games).
Right, I almost made a post addressing this. Western support being horrid was predictable, but right now Western support is actually significantly better than Japanese support! It actually makes Wii's support (which came off the back of the GCN failure) look good.
Maybe there is going to be a rush of games announced for the second half of the year to presumably coincide with Nintendo pushing out their own software, but right now support is literally non existent.
There are a lot of unlikely scenarios (besides the obvious- that 3rd parties just aren't making games for it) to explain it. The only kind of plausible one I can see is there are some projects in the works that are being delayed until the userbase gets bigger and Nintendo starts actually pushing out its own software.
the difference between the two is that ps3 even in it s darkest moments had 3rd party support which prevented it from careening of the rails and had two blockbusters( MGS4 and FF13) anounced and on the way.
the 3ds did get attention even if it was dropwise(tales of the abbyss .zelda.)
then came mariokart 7 and the price cut explosion .
WII U on the other hand has nothing like that.
A falling Wii U doesn't mean Nintendo is doomed or it will go third party. N64 failed, GCN failed, Wii U is failing. If motion controls didn't catch on Wii is there any serious man/woman who believes Nintendo would be able to do a turnaround with a potential bad start?
Well, I feel I should note that Sony has repeatedly gone around to developers over and over trying to round up Vita support.
We do see some results from that, but it's not exactly a flood.
It is possible Nintendo actually did try and simply failed to have any success, probably because they didn't design the system with the demands of third parties in the first place.
PS3 had from the start the support from japanese and western third-parties (shared with 360).
3DS had from the start the support from japanese third-parties and big Nintendo games coming.
WiiU had for most part ports from old games at launch from third-parties and little else on the horizon and Nintendo have shown very little software to be excited for.
But all it takes is a Wii Fit or a Wii Sports. I'm not saying necessarily a Wii Fit U or a Wii Sports U, or that there necessarily will be a viable alternative that will capture the imaginations of the casual buying public, but to say that what could save the U maybe something that we don't see on the horizon.
Basically what Ubisoft was hoping for; the console base to grow bigger.
The recent topic about PS3 having to overturn it's situation on it's own due to PS2 hubris makes me rather inclined to believe there's still a slight chance Nintendo is able to salvage their own base in the eyes of third parties if they have the guns for it. Unfortunately the odds of it getting big are pretty slim at this point because as has been established, PS3 at least had some support right out of the gate.
Sure, that's always a possibility, but it's kind of like hoping for a "Monster Hunter moment" for the Vita since the PSP had one.
It's always an option on the table, but it's something very hard to plan around or debate because it's so nebulous, and there isn't anything like that seemingly announced.
yes but those games on vita can hardly be called major blockbusters compared to what is released on 3DS which i don't see changing anytime soon.
my opinion is still that japan is looking at the 3ds and have proclaimed it to be "good enough" thereby making the wii u irrelevant to them as a nintendo platform
On that note i wonder how will they react at ps4 if it is the only viable console in japan?
will they ignore it or jump on that train?
Right.
The more realistic route to a recovery (not a renaissance!), is that Nintendo's big hitters- Mario Kart, 3D Mario, and Smash- resonate with a decent amount of the Wii userbase and along with a price drop allow for a relatively healthy userbase and lead to decent Japanese support and a decent ecosystem for software.
I'm not talking selling 100m consoles- I'm talking selling 35-40m in 5-6 years.
I'm not saying I think it will happen, just that I won't say that it can't happen.
Those are unpredictable hits thus hard to bet on.
I don't share the same negativity toward WiiU future as some in these thread (still think Nintendo have yet to push the system) but I understand why they feel it is already over for the system.
I'm not betting on them! I just don't wish to be the Arthur Schopenhauer of the sales threads!
Killing it would be a bad strategy. Going with it and trying to turn it around would atleast amount to some good knowledge of what works in the current market and what doesn't work. Determination is key to good business. They have to learn what ticks. I think stuff like social games (Animal Crossing, Friend collection) would work pretty well on Wii U. They could atleast try some of these IP's. Maybe make a free to play or MMO type of social game with Miiverse. They have lots of options.
Opus Angelorum
Member
The price of the Wii U really is a problem.
I was in my local Tesco today and the Premium Wii U (with Nintendoland) was £270. Beside it was an Xbox 360 Elite with Gears of War : Judgement, Halo 4 and Tomb Raider for £200.
Who on earth would choose the Wii U?
I was in my local Tesco today and the Premium Wii U (with Nintendoland) was £270. Beside it was an Xbox 360 Elite with Gears of War : Judgement, Halo 4 and Tomb Raider for £200.
Who on earth would choose the Wii U?
AZ Greg
Member
With regards to the PS3, I couldn't find the February 2007 NPD thread which was the PS3's first February on the market, but here is the March 2007 NPD thread:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151743
The PS3 did 130,000 which is about double what the WiiU did last month, and that still led to comments like the following:
Those are just a few posts from the first half-dozen pages in a 35 page thread. And again, the WiiU is doing half of that and with little to no signs of third-party support going forward...
But those posts should teach everyone that dooming a console 4 months in is pretty embarrassing, if the PS4 or Xbox 720 has a horrible start will people say "yep Sony/Microsoft should just stop and make a new console!"
It's like when 3DS was doomed, people said when the Vita releases the 3DS will be nothing, or like Vita is the end of Sony, or like Xbox is doomed as a gaming console.
All said by people.
I like this dude. GBA is a beast when all was said and done. Dem numbers and DAT LIBRARY.
AZ Greg
Member
Knee-jerk reactions are idiotic, no doubt. But what is needed to turn the WiiU around isn't as simple as what was needed to turn the PS3 or 3DS around...
Why is this kept being brought up? The Wii U's sales failures are no way comparable to the 3DS's for totally different reasons. I think saying that the Wii U is dead is a gross statement, but we can't be ignorant to the steps Nintendo took to put themselves in this predicament. Now, all we can do is wait until the big titles drop and see where we go from there.
Nintendo did make mistakes, and they are getting punished for making some stupid mistakes, I admit that, but as we can see from UK and France is that Monster Hunter 3 made the Wii U sales rise, and that's a game that pretty much released on the Wii in 2010, if Nintendo releases the right games the system will sell, releasing Mario U, Mario Kart and possibly's Retro's game this year would look really good.
FreedomFighter
Member
Man you guys are killing me with this pull the plug (on WiiU) talk. Seriously, I know things don't look too good and all the threads regarding UE4 and Frostbite are contributing to this sentiment, but come on guys - it hasn't been out six months yet. If Nintendo has nothing for the rest of the year and they both the holiday then I concede.
But let's see what happens before throwing in the towel just yet.
And I'd really like to be a fly on the wall in Kyoto right now at Nintendo HQ. It boggles my mind how they could let things turn out like this. They better have a plan because things are dire. And I'd really like to know what the hell their dev teams have been up to since they drop the Wii in 2010. They should have games lined up all over the place right now. Good thing they're restructuring because this should never be allowed to happen again.
But let's see what happens before throwing in the towel just yet.
And I'd really like to be a fly on the wall in Kyoto right now at Nintendo HQ. It boggles my mind how they could let things turn out like this. They better have a plan because things are dire. And I'd really like to know what the hell their dev teams have been up to since they drop the Wii in 2010. They should have games lined up all over the place right now. Good thing they're restructuring because this should never be allowed to happen again.
AZ Greg
Member
The thing can also be found for a slashed price over there. And let's not forget that, with regards to the UK, we were simply told sales increased 125% over the previous week. Not exactly awe-inspiring considering it wasn't selling well to begin with.
metalslimer
Member
First of all, I really dont know why people keep mentioning Retro's game as in the same breath as soething like Mario Kart when we have no idea what it is or what its potential is. Secondly how much did it rise by. Even the 360 gets bumps in Japan
Not selling well would be a massive improvement from what the wiiu is selling in the UK
Anyway, eventually Nintendo is going to have to learn that Mario Mario Mario is not going to save their asses every time. They are damaging the IP and already damaged the NSMB brand
Key software + price cut + better marketing?
Isn't that what the 3DS and PS3* got?
(*PS3slim too).
What's that? The Pokemon NFC game?
Ehh..its download only and I don't believe the toys are being sold anywhere besides Pokemon Centers.
If it was a full blown retail release and the little toys were plastered all over Japan, then maybe it could have an impact.
Seems like a half assed first attempt to me.
frankie_baby
Member
he's talking about the investor conference
They're probably going to announce(or indirectly announce) something big.
metalslimer
Member
Iwata is just going to drone on about waiting for the end of the year. The lack of a direct shows they dont have anything in the very near future to show off.
Like what? Theyve already announced 3d mario u and MK8. Pokemon is announced. Nintendo's big games have been announced. I am expecting more info on the 3ds for later this year. Possibly a Zelda for November.
Like what? Theyve already announced 3d mario u and MK8. Pokemon is announced. Nintendo's big games have been announced. I am expecting more info on the 3ds for later this year. Possibly a Zelda for November.
I imagine they will say something like 3D Mario and Mario Kart will be released in the next fiscal year (so until the end of March 2014).
Doubt it will do much to placate anyone.
Eh, directs are very sporadic. They pop up whenever the hell they want.
metalslimer
Member
They've actually been surprisingly consistent on a general 2 month basis. The lack of one this month shows they are either waiting for E3 or have nothing to show.
Imagine they will try to shift focus to the 3DS.
Aren't we due for one in April?
They had one in January (Wii U), and February (3DS based).
I don't think the 2 month schedule holds anymore.