Support NeoGAF

[AdventureRacing]

You misunderstood. I think, if they don't get those numbers for the March NPD (which we'll get in April), then they need to price cut and rush software.

People are going to get the Panic Mode Nintendo they always wish for and forget that it's a Nintendo that doubles down on existing franchises and rushes software like crazy.

Panic mode Nintendo for the 3DS wasn't Monster Hunter 4, it was the rushed and feature incomplete Mario Kart 7.

I understood. What i mean is there is simply nothing releasing between now and then to prevent those numbers. It's pretty much a certainty that the wii U will sell in that range. Nintendo need to be making those things happen now, the console is already floundering and i doubt they need to wait to see march numbers to know they need to make some desperate moves.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Luckily for Nintendo, an awful lot of people either don't know it exists or think it's a Wii bundled with an expensive U-Draw style device. Not great, but their curious lack of marketing means that perception isn't engraved in granite.

This does bring up a good point that a relaunch is possible.

But it also not only assumes they will play their cards right, but that they also have cards to play right now.

 

[yankeehater]

You misunderstood. I think, if they don't get those numbers for the March NPD (which we'll get in April), then they need to price cut and rush software.

People are going to get the Panic Mode Nintendo they always wish for and forget that it's a Nintendo that doubles down on existing franchises and rushes software like crazy.

Panic mode Nintendo for the 3DS wasn't Monster Hunter 4, it was the rushed and feature incomplete Mario Kart 7.

I hope Nintendo doesnt just rush out software. I think just announcing a lot of the heavy hitters would go a long way. Announce Mario Universe and maybe show 1 screen or just mario in space and the logo, and give us the name of the new Zelda and SSB game. Stuff like that could buy them some time and get some more excitement about the Wii-U. It is still so early in its life, so there is no reason to rush out software.

 

[Synth_floyd]

Why is the Wii U failing? Bad games and bad marketing. The upcoming Durango and Orbis announcements might just Dreamcast it as well. Not looking good for the home console space for Nintendo. 3DS is doing okay though.

 

[antispin]

These sales validate almost all of my hating.

Reboot my precious action focused franchise into stupid casual bullshti? Fuck you, fail.

Try to sell a next gen console in 2013 that's not even as powerful as the Xbox 360? Fuck you, fail.

This was a just NPD.

I am with Draft. This was just. Except for the casual bullshit bit. Not sure what the reference is. Nintendo however, dropped the ball. Should have priced at 199

 

[ksamedi]

Then why is 3DS still selling well below accetable levels in America (and Europe for that matter) despite gaining lots of first party software? It is still failing to hit Nintendo's sales targets and Iwata at the last shareholders meeting said 3DS is not doing as well as it needs to do.

3DS is at an "acceptable" level. 3DS has sold steadily for the last 2 years on Nintendo games alone even with all the competition from smartphones and tables. Its not DS levels, but it is acceptable. The next step is to get close to DS levels of sales which would make investors happy. But the DS was a mega success and is not an easy level to reach. I can see them having a shot in 2013. Don't confuse, 'what investors want' with acceptable levels of sales. The 3DS is profitable for Nintendo right now. The WiiU is bleeding money, though.

 

[jcm]

Man, I forgot about NPD. Do we have any unofficial numbers for the other hardware? Anything from creamsugar? The size of this thread harkens back to the old days.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Haven't been on gaf in a couple weeks and literally the first thread title I see "Wii U 55k"... lmao #ctfu.

Edit- Remember the threads/posts about how "Wii U's launch aligned sales were right on par with Wii's, it's ok guys!"... anyone with an ounce foresight could've seen that was irrelevant, and now we have the proof.

 

[kinggroin]

Right. So this is the part where the thread goes from intelligent analysis and assessment, to fanboy warz and confirmation bias.

I'm out.

Spoiler

And so is Nintendo if they don't clean up their act and remember they have a console to push

 

[Cheebo]

3DS is at an "acceptable" level. 3DS has sold steadily for the last 2 years on Nintendo games alone even with all the competition from smartphones and tables. Its not DS levels, but it is acceptable. The next step is to get close to DS levels of sales which would make investors happy. But the DS was a mega success and is not an easy level to reach. I can see them having a shot in 2013. Don't confuse, 'what investors want' with acceptable levels of sales. The 3DS is profitable for Nintendo right now. The WiiU is bleeding money, though.

If it is accetable then why isn't it meeting any of Nintendo's own sales targets for it?

 

[Azure J]

No, lack of meaningful 3rd party support and a PS2 head start are why the GC floundered.

See, I was going to try and refute this with my idea on the matter, but this is already true enough, so I'll just revise what I originally said:

Perception is one of the big reasons the Gamecube floundered. When the industry and market developed their idea of what the Cube was, people started to push it aside or treat it as a joke and Nintendo's "giving in" didn't help matters much.

 

[AdventureRacing]

In 5 months nobody from the general public will give a shit about the Wii U. Everyone will be focused on PS4/ 720 and every gaming outlet, every website, every forum, every TV ad will be only about those two consoles.

Sorry dude but Nintendo had their 6 months to 1 year before next-gen hits and they fucking BLEW IT. No sugarcoating here - they destroyed the Wii brand name in last 3 months.

They ruined the brand name when they waited for the wii to be completely dead before releasing the wii U.

This does bring up a good point that a relaunch is possible.

But it also not only assumes they will play their cards right, but that they also have cards to play right now.

And that any relaunch doesn't get drowned out by the launch of 2 other consoles. It's going to be a lot harder to stage any sort of turnaround when the other 2 start their hype trains.

 

[The_Lump]

In 5 months nobody from the general public will give a shit about the Wii U. Everyone will be focused on PS4/ 720 and every gaming outlet, every website, every forum, every TV ad will be only about those two consoles.

Sorry dude but Nintendo had their 6 months to 1 year before next-gen hits and they fucking BLEW IT. No sugarcoating here - they destroyed the Wii brand name in last 3 months.

Erm, no they didn't. That's just silly.

I'd argue that the primary reason it isn't selling is because nobody knows about it. Seriously where is the advertising? Nintendo are pushing 3ds like hell (promos, ganes advertising everywhere) but not WiiU.

imo they realised they launched before it was ready, so it didn't miss out on Christmas sales. They will now soft re-launch and go apeshit with bundles/adverts.

 

[Synth_floyd]

The (so far) failure of the Wii U and Vita seems to be evidence that the "traditional" console market has shrunk dramatically. The home console market can no longer support 3 players while the handheld market cannot support 2 players (the rest being taken up by Apple/Google). We'll have to see what happens when Durango and Orbis launch.

Nintendo has certainly fucked up the launch of the Wii U but there are bigger forces at play than just bad marketing and bad games.

 

[Dave Meltzer]

Console wars GAF is embarrassing as fuck.

I'd be embarrassed too if I was a faithful Nintendo soldier.

 

[Silent_Ocarina]

I hope Nintendo doesnt just rush out software. I think just announcing a lot of the heavy hitters would go a long way. Announce Mario Universe and maybe show 1 screen or just mario in space and the logo, and give us the name of the new Zelda and SSB game. Stuff like that could buy them some time and get some more excitement about the Wii-U. It is still so early in its life, so there is no reason to rush out software.

The boat has sailed on that. None of that software is being released in the next few weeks. Nintendo could announce a huge game due at the end of the year, but people won't buy the console until it's out. They blew it.

 

[ksamedi]

If it is accetable then why isn't it meeting any of Nintendo's own sales targets for it?

Slaes targets: What Nintendo wants
Acceptable levels: Nintendo can sustain the platform because it generates a profit.

It may not be acceptable to investors because Nintendo made billions of dollars profit from the Wii and DS last gen and wants a repeat, but it is aceptable in that it generates a modest profit for Nintendo while the WiiU does not. That is what I'm saying.

 

[Killer]

How Wii U sales compared to Game cube? Wii is out of the question now. I'm curious.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Also, it's so great to see Far Cry 3 holding strong. I was unsure how it would do but Ubi must be pretty happy. We'll def see a 4th in a few years for next-gen.

 

[kinggroin]

Slaes targets: What Nintendo wants
Acceptable levels: Nintendo can sustain the platform because it generates a profit.

It may not be acceptable to investors because Nintendo made billions of dollars profit from the Wii and DS last gen and wants a repeat, but it is aceptable in that it generates a modest profit for Nintendo while the WiiU does not. That is what I'm saying.

Is it though? Generating a profit I mean.

 

[Pie and Beans]

How Wii U sales compared to Game cube? Wii is out of the question now. I'm curious.

Worse. Already worse.

 

[AdventureRacing]

The (so far) failure of the Wii U and Vita seems to be evidence that the "traditional" console market has shrunk dramatically. The home console market can no longer support 3 players while the handheld market cannot support 2 players (the rest being taken up by Apple/Google). We'll have to see what happens when Durango and Orbis launch.

Nintendo has certainly fucked up the launch of the Wii U but there are bigger forces at play than just bad marketing and bad games.

It isn't evidence of that at all. If the durango and orbis fail that will be a sign that the console market has shrunk. As of right now the PS3 and 360 are still selling decent numbers and for all you know durango and orbis could be hugely successful.

The handheld market, sure it has shrunk. Even then i still think the vita and 3DS's failures are because of nintendo and sony dropping the ball and not because the market has shrunk.

 

[RoKKeR]

In 5 months nobody from the general public will give a shit about the Wii U. Everyone will be focused on PS4/ 720 and every gaming outlet, every website, every forum, every TV ad will be only about those two consoles.

Sorry dude but Nintendo had their 6 months to 1 year before next-gen hits and they fucking BLEW IT. No sugarcoating here - they destroyed the Wii brand name in last 3 months.

Exactly. The only real lead Nintendo had on Orbis/Durango was its release window. Months of uncontested new console sales and they couldn't capitalize.

 

[hwy_61]

In 5 months nobody from the general public will give a shit about the Wii U. Everyone will be focused on PS4/ 720 and every gaming outlet, every website, every forum, every TV ad will be only about those two consoles.

Sorry dude but Nintendo had their 6 months to 1 year before next-gen hits and they fucking BLEW IT. No sugarcoating here - they destroyed the Wii brand name in last 3 months.

Ouch. Truth hurts, son!

 

[ksamedi]

Is though? Generating a profit I mean.

Yes, I think they are generating a profit from the hardware and software right now. They have had modest to big hit titles on the platform and a 30 million userbase. Its already out of the danger zone.

 

[Roland Deschain]

I'd be embarrassed too if I was a faithful Nintendo soldier.

Why? Sure, Wii U is bombing now but they will still get an HD Zelda, Mario, SBB, Mario Kart etc. if nothing else. They'll just have to do without sales bragging rights this time.

 

[Huevos de Oro]

Damn those are some very worrying numbers for Nintendo. I wonder what will they come up with come this E3.

 

[The_Lump]

Console wars GAF is embarrassing as fuck.

Yup....

I'd be embarrassed too if I was a faithful Nintendo soldier.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Gamecube - 1270K

2001-2002:

nov:660K
dec:550K
Jan:60K

Wii U - ~940K-944K

2012-2013

nov:~425K
dec:~460K
jan:55-59K

Wii U is tracking behind Gamecube, just slightly

Its saddening IMO. I see so much potential in my Wii U. Hope this jolts Nintendo into action

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I'd be embarrassed too if I was a faithful Nintendo soldier.

This seems like an unfair dig at me and accusation of bias that I don't think is relevant to the discussion at hand. I'd ask you to stop and, if you choose to proceed, will ask for mod attention to it.

Thanks.

 

[Harts316]

Exactly. The only real lead Nintendo had on Orbis/Durango was its release window. Months of uncontested new console sales and they couldn't capitalize.

Isn't the 360's head start over the PS3 one of the main reasons the 360 was so successful in the United States?

 

[miksar]

They should've made the console cheaper to be able to make it $200-250. This is the price at which non-Nintendo fans would at least consider buying Wii U in its current state. On the other hand, could they really afford making an HD Wii with no differentiation from PS360? I doubt so. Right now their best bet is to put up with Vita-like sales for the next few months, release their big spring titles and market them heavily to two audiences: 1) Nintendo fans who still haven't bought the system (Pikmin 3); 2) casuals (make a heavy promo campaign for Wii Fit, release a special bundle at around $300 for those who already owns the accessory). Then they need a decent E3 showing with a few megatons, a very strong holiday line-up and a hefty price-cut right before Durango and Orbis are released.

 

[schuelma]

Luckily for Nintendo, an awful lot of people either don't know it exists or think it's a Wii bundled with an expensive U-Draw style device. Not great, but their curious lack of marketing means that perception isn't engraved in granite.

I think that is actually a pretty decent point.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Isn't the 360's head start over the PS3 one of the main reasons the 360 was so successful in the United States?

The 360 IIRC didnt take off as the clear NA choice of console until the PS3 price was announced and it (PS3) had a much more shitty launch than most other consoles.

 

[schuelma]

Is Nintendo even advertising right now? I swear I haven't seen anything Wii U related since early December.

 

[grimshawish]

Also, it's so great to see Far Cry 3 holding strong. I was unsure how it would do but Ubi must be pretty happy. We'll def see a 4th in a few years for next-gen.

Ubi have done great from AC3 to FC3.
I'd say their the strongest publisher going into the new generation.

Is Nintendo even advertising right now? I swear I haven't seen anything Wii U related since early December.

You advertise to sell. If the product your selling isn't wanted then ads won't help.
They need to just keep their head down until the new software arrives.

 

[Ushojax]

Is Nintendo even advertising right now? I swear I haven't seen anything Wii U related since early December.

I think they are waiting to do a relaunch once Wario, Pikmin and Wii Fit get closer to release.

 

[Kusagari]

The 360 IIRC didnt take off as the clear NA choice of console until the PS3 price was announced and it had a much more shitty launch than most other consoles.

It also had actual real supply issues for months.

 

[Somnid]

Is Nintendo even advertising right now? I swear I haven't seen anything Wii U related since early December.

I'm not sure there's a point. No sense dumping ad dollars trying to sell a comatose system. Wait until it wakes up and you have something.

 

[The Wraith]

55k? Oof. Nintendo really needed to launch at a lower price point. They got cocky off the success of the Wii and now they're in deep shit. How can they make the same mistake twice with the 3ds and now with the Wii U? This may be the dreamcast all over again because when Durango and Orbis drop, I fear the Wii U will be totally forgotten.

 

[jcm]

So no PS3 or 3DS numbers?

 

[ebullientprism]

Man those are disastrous numbers.

I wonder if people still blame Ubi for delaying Rayman, even if it was ready to ship. Its pretty clear no one is buying WiiU HW or even SW at this time. Makes sense to just hold back and wait a few months hoping the userbase will be bigger. If it pisses a few people off, its not a big deal.

 

[dallow_bg]

This seems like an unfair dig at me and accusation of bias that I don't think is relevant to the discussion at hand. I'd ask you to stop and, if you choose to proceed, will ask for mod attention to it.

Thanks.

You're going to tattle?

 

[SmokyDave]

This seems like an unfair dig at me and accusation of bias that I don't think is relevant to the discussion at hand. I'd ask you to stop and, if you choose to proceed, will ask for mod attention to it.

Thanks.

....dude.

To answer your original dig at Draft, I think it's perfectly natural for consumers to want to see their tastes vindicated.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

Did Dreamcast have a higher LTD by January? Given it came out in September

In it's first 3 months (Sept-Nov) the DCs LTD was 1million. By end of January it was 1.5m

 

[electricpirate]

Ubi have done great from AC3 to FC3.
I'd say their the strongest publisher going into the new generation.

2K is killing it too: Borderlands 2, 2k basketball, and their PC lineup did really well this year. Also, they are going into this year with a new numbered GTA.

Avtivision is the most profitable for now, but with WoW and COD having both peaked, they need a new mega hit. Hopefully destiny does really well. They are on the downslide, but may be able to turn it around.

IMO, of the major, public publishers, it seems like the only one really floundering is EA. They seem to be jumping from one bad decision to the next, and they are getting rightfully punished.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

You're going to tattle?

I don't think that has any place in a sales thread.

....dude.

To answer your original dig at Draft, I think it's perfectly natural for consumers to want to see their tastes vindicated.

I don't think that has any place in a sales thread, either.

Moreover it didn't actually make much sense, so you can pick your reasons as you like.

 

[Majmun]

This seems like an unfair dig at me and accusation of bias that I don't think is relevant to the discussion at hand. I'd ask you to stop and, if you choose to proceed, will ask for mod attention to it.

Thanks.

Mods, help

 

[MoogleWizard]

Wii U: Time to press the panic button, holy cow that's worse than the most pessimistic predictions

Vita: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_JLkIOnq04

 

[Aquamarine]

In 5 months nobody from the general public will give a shit about the Wii U. Everyone will be focused on PS4/ 720 and every gaming outlet, every website, every forum, every TV ad will be only about those two consoles.

Sorry dude but Nintendo had their 6 months to 1 year before next-gen hits and they fucking BLEW IT. No sugarcoating here - they destroyed the Wii brand name in last 3 months.

Time to discontinue the Wii U now before the public learns about it.