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[Uncle Rupee]

Assuming this trend of low sales continues, I hope this teaches Nintendo a lesson.
Stop trying to get the people who like the 2D Marios to play 3D ones by dumbing them down. Make 3D Marios that appeal to people who like to play them.

 

[Dl07]

• A hardware that is anything but futureproof.
  
• Created around a controller that nobody asked for and that is expensive to manufacture
• Sub par online and social experiences
• Unable to run modern frameworks that most devs will be using.

A console based on an idea nobody feels attracted to, that nobody wants to program to is a bad product.

When nobody wants to play with it, it does not matter wich game(s) you put out for it.

What's wrong with Miiverse? I actually think its pretty brilliant and a lot of fun. You can't find an experience like that on any of the other consoles. Once it hits 3DS next month and they release the mobile app, it'll be pretty accessible. Not to mention, I think they've stated they're working on bringing more features in that lets you see how other people play.

 

[Josh7289]

Those two statements contradict each other.

No, they don't. Nintendo did some things poorly under him, but most things well.

Assuming this trend of low sales continues, I hope this teaches Nintendo a lesson.
Stop trying to get the people who like the 2D Marios to play 3D ones by dumbing them down. Make 3D Marios that appeal to people who like to play them.

That's not the lesson to learn here. It's more about releasing a video game system that's actually an appealing purchase for many people.

 

[pulsemyne]

The low sales are nothing to do with the quality of the game, rather it's a symptom of a trend in japan away from home consoles. Whats the point of having a machine at home when you spend little time at home? Japans working hours are crazy.
If you think the WiiU is selling low then guess what is going to happen with the PS4...

 

[Glass Rebel]

I have my fingers crossed that they'll bounce back from this gen with a powerful handheld (dual sticks, no gimmicks), a proper account system and a fully fleshed out Virtual Console. They might as well knock consoles on the head.

It's scary how often I agree with you lately. The Vita is taking over my brain.

 

[ChronoX]

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

I have no clue how people find joy in this.

Maybe those people are old school Nintendo fans who feel that Nintendo had lost the plot with the Wii, and are hoping that all this failure will be the kick in the pants Nintendo needs to wake up and get back on track.

Or they could be bitter Sony/MS fans who didn't like how the Wii dominated last generation, feel that it's casual focus wasn't conductive to the evolution of video games as an entertainment medium and art form, and view the Wii U's failure as a rightful rejection of that casual-focused message.

Or maybe they're just like me and can only find joy in the suffering of others.

 

[Cmagus]

You aren't gonna move anything on this console at the $300.00 price point period. Sad really because this game does look excellent and I'm certainly excited but at $300.00 there is no way I would pay for this. Give me a $199.99 bundle I'd gladly jump in but right now the value just isn't there.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

The first 3D Mario game.

Failure? Talk to me about lifetime sales, or its response in western Markets. I refuse to believe people are stupid enough to write off the Wii U at this stage because a 3D Mario game sold pretty decently in its first week in a market that favours handhelds.

"At this stage"? The console has been out for a year. I'll be interested to see the NPDs, but for a system that is in dire need of a spark, the fact that another big game might miss the mark doesn't bode well. And I've seen your posting enough to know that you have a tendency to keep moving the targets. So, when's the cutoff? When can we responsibly write it off and conclude that the platform isn't likely to succeed?

Fake edit: As an addendum to this post, I want to clarify that I'm not rooting against the Wii U. I bought one at launch, and I picked up 3D World last Friday. It's a great game. I'm looking forward to several more games next year. However, there's no need to get emotionally invested in sales discussions. The data is what it is. It's fine if you don't share the same outlook as more pessimistic individuals. You think there's a good chance that Mario Kart (or whatever else) will get the ship on course? Great. What I don't like, however, is your condescension.

You refuse to believe that people are "stupid" enough to write the system off after a year? Why? Maybe it's an overly pessimistic outlook, but I really don't understand how one can't find it to be a reasonable possibility. It may be ultimately incorrect, and your optimism may be on the money. But there's no reason to be so combative, particularly given that you have never demonstrated any particular competence in the realm of analysis.

 

[Mrbob]

Does this mean we will only get 2D Mario games from now on? Because that would be terrible. I'm so burnt out on the New Super Mario Brother shtick. Mario 3D World is damn amazing.

 

[HolyBaikal]

Mario is so moe. I want to hug him right now.

The catsuit idea was the best idea ever.

 

[metalslimer]

At this point it will be surprising if Bayonetta 2 breaks 100k worldwide. Happy to be wrong, of course.

Quick edit: What do you think they're thinking at NCL about these sales? Panic, or nervously assuring themselves that it's a long tail ever-green product that will continue selling at full price for years?

Iwata is likely still delusional thinking that 9 million will happen somehow, but in the back of everyone's minds they can see the shit show this is going to be come end of the FY. Iwata might keep his job, but there are going to be some huge changes to do it.

 

[Father_Brain]

Exactly.

The reactions are the typical political laughs and GIF's. It's normal here. It doesn't change the fact that this is not a good start and paints an even bleaker picture of WiiU.

People laugh and mock Vita day and night. Where are all the reactionary defenses there? Get used to this Nintendo WiiU owners. Sad but true.

There are plenty of reactionary responses to negative-toned Vita sales discussion (though admittedly less than there used to be), but seriously... grow a thicker skin, people.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

Sales != quality.

You can't be serious. So only good games sell in droves?

It´s a Mario game and not some new unknown IP. Mario games sell well in Japan. Much better than this.

 

[prwxv3]

To me it looks like Nintendo overestimated the strength of their IPs after the Wii sales monster. Don't get me wrong their IPs are some of the strongest in the business but they can't carry a console without 3rd party support and decent online infrastructure by themselves.

 

[Zornack]

Wii U still 100% doomed.

Nintendo only 50% doomed.

I'd say 50% is 49% too high. They still have a massive bank, a successful handheld and some of the most popular franchises in the history of video games. I'd put Iwata and the rest of Nintendo's current management at an 80% doomed figure but I don't see Nintendo as a company being in any trouble.

 

[Zalman]

Does this mean we will only get 2D Mario games from now on? Because that would be terrible. I'm so burnt out on the New Super Mario Brother shtick. Mario 3D World is damn amazing.

Nah, it means nothing will sell Wii Us and that they really need to get their act together for the next console if they want to stay in the hardware business.

 

[cafemomo]

Japan has bad taste confirmed?

The future for Japan are handhelds and mobile devices.

Taste has nothing to do with this.

 

[Azure J]

Is it bad that while I'm of the mind that Nintendo fucked up in an impressive way with everything Wii U to date, I still hate the sentiments of relief in this thread regarding SM3DW's performance?

That game is too much fun to fail and have people actively cheering on its (potential) nosedive.

 

[NYCrooner]

This turns my stomach but not terribly surprised. I'm a universal gamer but the idea of losing Nintendo consoles bothers me to no end. I just fully believe Nintendo won't go third party. They just won't.

 

[Sushen]

Travesty.

Not because it would have returned Nintendo to the top spot or some shit.

But because this game is fucking awesome on a number of levels and deserves to be played by as many people as possible.

To me it doesn't matter how good the game is because I'm getting sick of the iterations. They shouldn't released the other mario game last year for Wii U that was meh. It really ruined my taste.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Nintendo finally released hardware so undesirable that good games can't even move the dial. My recommendation is the same as it's been for the past 6 months, and the same I've been pushing in Xone threads; ditch the peripheral as a mandatory pack in, drop the price on the low end sku, and pray that sales pick up enough to start turning a profit on some of these games. Nintendo's going to take a bath this holiday if the PAL/NA sales show a similar decline (hint: they will). And if even Nintendo's software can't break even 3rd party support is a pipe dream until the install base improves 5-fold.

 

[Xater]

Iwata is likely still delusional thinking that 9 million will happen somehow, but in the back of everyone's minds they can see the shit show this is going to be come end of the FY. Iwata might keep his job, but there are going to be some huge changes to do it.

They will have to finally adjust their projections after christmas.

 

[Chindogg]

Well if cboat is right then they already made a deal with Microsoft, right?
My memory be wrong so someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

Bayo 1 and MGR didn't sell that great either.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

Not surprising really. I like all the cynicism in this thread though, you can tell most of these people are just haters.

somehow not selling well in Japan = the game is not good.

lol

Wii U is in a terrible situation. Still Mario 3D land is better then anything on either "next gen"systems right now.

 

[Zalman]

This turns my stomach but not terribly surprised. I'm a universal gamer but the idea of losing Nintendo consoles bothers me to no end. I just fully believe Nintendo won't go third party. They just won't.

I believe they are too proud to go third party. They won't even consider it unless their next console bombs just as hard.

And yeah, losing Nintendo would be a damn shame. Huge loss for gaming. Really hope they can turn it around.

 

[qizah]

Considering the install base that isn't really surprising.

Though I don't think a 3D Mario is going to help any more than 2D Mario did for the Wii U. Nintendo really needed Mario Kart 8 this holiday. That's their biggest system seller.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

SEGA... X...? wut?

My bad. I thought it was simply a Atlus (and now Sega) game.

 

[trixx]

Yep nothings going to sell this console in Japan or anywhere else. Mario kart may do some damage but nothing substantial. Anyways I'm going to enjoy my dead console.

 

[BGBW]

It´s a Mario game and not some new unknown IP. Mario games sell well in Japan. Much better than this.

NSMB sold better than Super Mario Galaxy.

So I guess it's the better game then huh?

 

[Heyt]

What's wrong with Miiverse? I actually think its pretty brilliant and a lot of fun. You can't find an experience like that on any of the other consoles. Once it hits 3DS next month and they release the mobile app, it'll be pretty accessible. Not to mention, I think they've stated they're working on bringing more features in that lets you see how other people play.

Miiverse does not make up for the lack of built in voice chat in-game, party chat, not being able to view collection and achivements/trophies, etc. You may not be able to access Miiverse on other platforms, but if you have access to any internet forum, you don't need to. Also, most of the Miiverse content is or pretty much worthless post made my children or amazingly elaborate drawigns that don't add too much to your social gaming experience.

It's unique but it's not what people wants from online gaming. Nintendo thinks being unique for the sake of it is a strenght but somebody has to teach them that works only when you cover your customer demands first.

 

[PhantomR]

At this point it will be surprising if Bayonetta 2 breaks 100k worldwide. Happy to be wrong, of course.

Quick edit: What do you think they're thinking at NCL about these sales? Panic, or nervously assuring themselves that it's a long tail ever-green product that will continue selling at full price for years?

Um.....neither?

 

[Hero]

While most of it is still Nintendo's fault for the system being so unappealing, I still feel a bit of this is Japanese consumers' fault.

 

[metalslimer]

While most of it is still Nintendo's fault for the system being so unappealing, I still feel a bit of this is Japanese consumers' fault.

lol

 

[prwxv3]

Um.....neither?

They can't be happy with these results

 

[BlazingDarkness]

The console is still much too expensive.
I basically never use mine, but I know that it'll ultimately be worth it to play X, aside from that though, it's just the usual Nintendo fair, which doesn't cut it for me.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

This turns my stomach but not terribly surprised. I'm a universal gamer but the idea of losing Nintendo consoles bothers me to no end. I just fully believe Nintendo won't go third party. They just won't.

It won't happen. Well, if it does, Nintendo will stick to handhelds, which I think they should. It seems like it's pretty popular as a device people play with while on their travels.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

While most of it is still Nintendo's fault for the system being so unappealing, I still feel a bit of this is Japanese consumers' fault.

Consoles in Japan are in a weird place. Look at handhelds and mobile games over there. they absolutely kill it.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

Nah, it means nothing will sell Wii Us and that they really need to get their act together for the next console if they want to stay in the hardware business.

But the problem with that is Iwata. If he's not going to stick around for the next few years, he needs to step aside sooner rather than later and give his successor a good run at the next generation. Otherwise we're going to have another GameCube scenario, where the wheels are already set in motion and the new CEO will have to follow through with whatever next-gen plans his predecessor had.

 

[crinale]

My bad. I thought it was simply a Atlus (and now Sega) game.

I bet you meant FE X SMT, right?
In another thread people are making jokes it may actually move to 3DS.

 

[cyberheater]

No, they don't. Nintendo did some things poorly under him, but most things well.

He is the president and CEO of Nintendo where he in charge of total management of an organisation. Under his total management of the organisation. The has overseen two botched hardware launches. The failure is totally on him. He needs to go.

 

[qizah]

While most of it is still Nintendo's fault for the system being so unappealing, I still feel a bit of this is Japanese consumers' fault.

It's Nintendo's job to make the console appealing to the market. It doesn't matter how good Super Mario 3D World is, Nintendo hasn't done enough to make an appealing case for the Wii U. They need to step out of their comfort zone IMO to get things on track again.

 

[Exile20]

Why in the world should I care that this system has awesome games? There will be plenty of other awesome games on the billion other systems. It;s not my job to help Nintendo

What? I never said you should help Nintendo. Where did I say that?

Plus what you said can be applied to Sony and MS. That message wasn't geared towards you because obvious you don't care about the Wii U or its games yet you are in every Wii U/Nintendo thread.

 

[takriel]

So what about sales in the US?

 

[UNCMark]

The major problem with the Wii U involves two things: 1) the gamepad 2) the marketing. The gamepad was a difficult sell from the start. We've yet to see the "Wii Sports," definitive title showcasing the gamepad to consumers. In my personal opinion, the gamepad wasn't a great idea to start with, but that's another the discussion.

I'm not sure even Nintendo knows how to properly use the gamepad well enough to set sales on fire. They can't even be bothered to use it well in their own games. Mario 3D World is the GOTY for me, but its worst moments are when it forces gamepad interaction. Nintendo seems to be treating the gamepad as Microsoft is treating Kinect - a means to add gimmicky controls to an already proven formula that drives up the cost of the console while also sacrificing power. Terrible combo.

 

[btkadams]

I've been really enjoying Super Mario 3D World, but it doesn't surprise me that there's a possibility it won't be the system seller people wanted it to be. The catsuit is amazing, but from the distance of a prospective buyer, the game really doesn't do that many new things compared to 3D Land. It looks the same, even if it isn't the same. I just can't see it grabbing people's attention.

It's a great game though.

 

[Justice_dp]

It hurts to see the WIIU struggle so much

It seems like it is fated to be this generations Dreamcast.

 

[Conor 419]

"At this stage"? The console has been out for a year

A fifth of a traditional console cycle.

I'll be interested to see the NPDs, but for a system that is in dire need of a spark, the fact that another big game might miss the mark doesn't bode well

???

So, when's the cutoff? When can we responsibly write it off and conclude that the platform isn't likely to succeed?

So, the systems first real wave of software started with Pikmin 3 and will presumably simmer down after their (what I'd fucking hope to be huge) Fall 2014 title. Mario Kart/Mario/Smash Brothers/Fit U/Donkey Kong will be all out at this point, outside of Animal Crossing these mark the bulk of Nintendo's top selling titles, if things aren't looking positive worldwide with the release of these games and wildcards like Miyamoto's new IP or their new stupid hardware innovation look shit then you can reasonably say Nintendo wont be able to do much else to save it.

Fake edit: As an addendum to this post, I want to clarify that I'm not rooting against the Wii U. I bought one at launch, and I picked up 3D World last Friday. It's a great game. I'm looking forward to several more next year. However, there's no need to get emotionally invested in sales discussions. The data is what it is. It's fine if you don't share the same outlook as more pessimistic individuals. You think there's a good chance that Mario Kart (or whatever else) will get the ship on course? Great. What I don't like, however, is your condescension.

I don't like panic analysis, the same issues plagued the 3DS and Vita, the latter of which I'm only beginning to accept may be done for simply because the release of the PS4 combined with a lack of upcoming software allows that to be a reasonable conclusion.

You refuse to believe that people are "stupid" enough to write the system off after a year? Why? Maybe it's an overly pessimistic outlook, but I really don't understand how one can't find it to be a reasonable possibility. It may be ultimately incorrect, and your optimism may be on the money. But there's no reason to be so combative, particularly given that you have never demonstrated any particular competence in the realm of analysis.

It's unreasonable as it's too early to call, there is reason to be combative because awful, short sighted posts like this plague this forum. I don't know how you can remotely mock my analytical skills, I'm pretty pleased with what I've been able to call in advance on this forum, whether it's the 3DS resurfacing, Microsoft's downfall or the quality of Sony's first party titles. I am a Chemist, I can assure you my analytical skills are more than capable.

 

[RobFox64tm]

I believe they are too proud to go third party. They won't even consider it unless their next console bombs just as hard.

And yeah, losing Nintendo would be a damn shame. Huge loss for gaming. Really hope they can turn it around.

Sadly, people won't realize just what they've lost till it's gone. I really hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[Baleoce]

It's Nintendo's job to make the console appealing to the market. It doesn't matter how good Super Mario 3D World is, Nintendo hasn't done enough to make an appealing case for the Wii U. They need to step out of their comfort zone IMO to get things on track again.

Yeah this isn't something you can just pin the blame on consumers. It's always the companies responsibility to respond to consumer purchasing trends or innovate in a way that makes the consumer buy something they never even realized they wanted. That's just what companies do.

In business, you never blame the customer.

Exactly.