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[TC McQueen]

Sony is a Japanese company, yet Kutaragi was demoted shortly after the PS3 launch.

Sony has a bit more of a western attitude in some areas, which is why they're doing a bit better than others in the Japanese entertainment industry.

Is this a meme? Either way, I got a kick out of it— fits their games' E rating pretty well.

Yeah, it's a meme on 4chan and the like.

 

[Amir0x]

I see Nintendo making a deal with Apple or something before just entering the wilderness on their own as a third party or what have you. In a lot of ways, an Apple/Nintendo partnership is a match made in heaven for both companies.

I don't much care for Apple, but if they are interested in entering the videogame market, it might indeed be a smart match.

I don't see much of a better outcome in the next 20 years for Nintendo than Apple making a deal with them. That's probably a best case scenario. In the short term, Nintendo will be fine, but their war chest will eventually run out. They can't keep having system failures of this magnitude indefinitely.

I want them to drop the game pad at this point just so I can say I was right. This thing could sell double 150k and it would still be a catastrophobomb. You could see it from space.

It needed to move at least 1mm combined nov + December to even register on the EKG IMO and it's not going to do that.

You know though it's so bad I don't think any change of that magnitude would even change the fortunes at these sales. The system would have to be like $150 and have Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Final Fantasy Next, Bravely Default Wii U, Bayonetta 2, Street Fighter FIVE Ultra Nexus, Resident Evil 7, Call of Duty Next (exclusive), Grand Theft Auto 6 (exclusive) all released on the same day at this point to make a dent

 

[Maidenpool?]

Yes, that is what some suggest they should be doing now. I actually do think it might devalue the brand, but I don't know what the alternative is.

It's a very tough situation in the future. I think a lot of people will have a tough time, but due to Nintendo's reliance on handhelds, I am especially worried about the strategy they will have. They have not shown themselves particularly adept since the Wii.

Some might argue they haven't shown to be adept since the SNES... but regardless, I think the future is actually pretty bright for Nintendo. I mean.. not right now or in the next few years... but in half a decade from now, when tablet tech is at Wii U levels. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Wii U was Nintendo's last home console, and what we get next is some sort of super-gaming tablet along with their games being outsourced to the Androids and IOS crowd. That is a market that by 2017 is estimated to be almost a billion people, as compared to the console crowd which is currently around 250 million.

 

[Y2Kev]

So... what does this post mean? lol. Someone else will probably leak the numbers later in week, I would think.

It means we vouch for him and he's not going to give you numbers for PiiU unless he wants to so don't ask.

 

[prag16]

But I hope you understand it's a completely meaningless argument to have. That's like arguing "well if there was a nuclear war during the Gamecube era, the Wii U would be doing better right now!" Such hypotheticals merely fade into wishful thinking, because there is no way to prove whether the scenario would ever actually be true or not, and it simply avoids stating what is here at face value.

The face value of the night is "Wii U is performing demonstrably worse than GCN by every metric available." The why is the only thing really up for discussion, I feel

And that's what he alluded to, some of the whys.

I do agree though. It's a useful argument only insofar as those claiming the Wii U will "kill Nintendo" have no idea what they are talking about.

But otherwise, I agree with you without a doubt.

 

[Xun]

The juniors are having a field day I see.

 

[Interceptor]

Their flagship holiday game doesn't really use the pad. Why is it a thing.

Except it does.

 

[Aquamarine]

It means we vouch for him and he's not going to give you numbers for PiiU unless he wants to so don't ask.

John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
(Today, 06:58 PM)

He has that tag for a good reason!

 

[opticalmace]

It means we vouch for him and he's not going to give you numbers for PiiU unless he wants to so don't ask.

Moderator bias! I'm drafting a hand-written letter to Evilore as we speak.

 

[Malio]

As their handheld business expands and brings them greater profits, and the Wii U continues to flop, we're going to see a lot more (than even now) handheld games and a lot less console games. Fucking pisses me off.

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

If Wii U had sold only 150k in November we'd already have heard of mass sudoku inside Nintendo.










But what do I know, I said the same thing about it selling less than 100k in January...

Woah woah! Let's not get carried away now!

 

[steveovig]

I can't imagine Nintendo going third-party is coming anytime soon, if at all. They'll get out another console, maybe more, before that happens. Not to mention, they have to live with the U for a couple more years, at least. We're looking at a good 6-10 years before a possible third-party situation, if it even comes down to that. Of course, we can rush that number if they ditch the U too early.

Needless to say, if Nintendo goes third-party, I become a casual retro gamer.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Game production on their consoles seems to be ever dwindling. I mean, the Wii U isn't even coming close to the Gamecube's output. This will only ever get worse as machines get more complicated. You need third parties to fill those gaps or you don't bother.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

The games will still be there when it's $99.

It's personal, but I prefer to support Nintendo than buying the console when it's 99 bucks and then it would just be dead, the controller is more expensive than that.

 

[Freezie KO]

Game production on their consoles seems to be ever dwindling. I mean, the Wii U isn't even coming close to the Gamecube's output. This will only ever get worse as machines get more complicated. You need third parties to fill those gaps or you don't bother.

Or you ditch this silly idea of having two separate platforms.

 

[Y2Kev]

Moderator bias! I'm drafting a hand-written letter to Evilore as we speak.

Sorry it was auto correct from a prior troll of Wii u lol

 

[cyberheater]

the lack of attention to the wii u is bizarre in comparison and seems grounds for any sort of random conspiracy theory.

I've also said this before. But it's like only 4 people work at Nintendo. They seem incapable of working on multiple things at once.
I believe it's because every stage of a project has to be approved by upper management and they are too fixed in their approach and schedules to get the job done so a lot of projects simply stall.

 

[Ormberg]

EmCee laid out several valid theories in another thread, I had wondered if you saw them

Anihawk if these numbers are even close to being right, what would you do about the Wii U

You wouldn't happen to have a link to those theories?

Can't it be late January already? That Nintendo briefing is going to be absolutely fascinating.

If I had a million bucks I'd invest heavily in 7974 and learn Japanese just so I could attend that meeting!

 

[mckmas8808]

I've been saying this for a while. Apple's ability to sell to the masses combined with Nintendo's IP would assure success for the company for a long time.

And how much money will Apple give Nintendo for them to do that?

 

[Aquamarine]

Can't it be late January already? That Nintendo briefing is going to be absolutely fascinating.

I want to ask Iwata a hard-hitting question!

 

[Y2Kev]

As their handheld business expands and brings them greater profits, and the Wii U continues to flop, we're going to see a lot more (than even now) handheld games and a lot less console games. Fucking pisses me off.

Don't worry, it hasn't been that profitable either this cycle. The next Nintendo handheld is either going to be crazy innovative and progressive or it is going to be so restrictive and draconian that it will force them out of the hardware business.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

As their handheld business expands and brings them greater profits, and the Wii U continues to flop, we're going to see a lot more (than even now) handheld games and a lot less console games. Fucking pisses me off.

you don't have to play them, also the 3ds is awesome, check it out if you haven't.


I wonder if the hybrid idea would even work, the device would probably be less powerful than the Wii U, but it could do the whole handheld/console thing, I wonder how gamers would react.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

When is NPD?

 

[Log4Girlz]

Or you ditch this silly idea of having two separate platforms.

I still think they can support two KIND OF. Meaning, you have discrete handhelds and consoles, just that the console needs to play up-rezzed, better looking handheld games out of the box as opposed to a handheld device capable of streaming to your TV as your one and only product.

 

[Crimson_Gold]

When is NPD?

Thursday

 

[Kiant]

It's personal, but I prefer to support Nintendo than buying the console when it's 99 bucks and then it would just be dead, the controller is more expensive than that.

Which is admirable but let's face it, the console still needs another price cut, esp in the UK, £249.99 for the Wind Waker HD bundle : /

 

[cyberheater]

You need third parties to fill those gaps or you don't bother.

Unless Nintendo are money hatting you. Why on earth would you develop for WiiU given the projected return on investment.

 

[inner-G]

Sucks for N, as expensive as the gamepad is, I'm sure they can't drop the price that much lower.

Could be a total abandonment.

Would love a Nintendo Vita-level handheld with TV-out.

 

[Jinfash]

As their handheld business expands and brings them greater profits, and the Wii U continues to flop, we're going to see a lot more (than even now) handheld games and a lot less console games. Fucking pisses me off.

I was under the impression that their handheld business, while healthy in Japan, is following a contracting trajectory WW. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Freezie KO]

I still think they can support two KIND OF. Meaning, you have discrete handhelds and consoles, just that the console needs to play up-rezzed, better looking handheld games out of the box as opposed to a handheld device capable of streaming to your TV as your one and only product.

I think the unified software platform (two boxes, same games) could work. But you're right about their development output. It's only going to diminish from here. So it's either that or the hybrid.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Which is admirable but let's face it, the console still needs another price cut, esp in the UK, £249.99 for the Wind Waker HD bundle : /

300 was enough for me to bite, I actually had to pay around 400 bucks for the Nintendoland bundle because I don't live in the USA and was the best price I could find(it's usually around 500 bucks here).

I get why it's unappealing, I fully blame the name and marketing of the console, it's amusing how much they fucked up with that. But the games are there, and it sucks that a lot ignore them for whatever reason.

 

[Mik317]

If Nintendo leaves the industry, half of the Japanese output goes with it. Nothing but IOS crap, Westernize stuff.

The niche titles would become even less.

That bums me out.

 

[JinjoUnchained]

Oh my god, enough with the fucking 2D platformers. Wii U is already drowning in them and we don't need them cannibalizing the sales of each other. Besides those kinds of games are beneath Retro and should be kept in the 90's. Here Nintendo has a unique western studio as an asset, and they put them on a fucking 2D platformer that any other developer owned by Nintendo can make. I'm not buying 2D fucking Metroid to support this and I can't wait to see when it is proven that 3D action-adventure Donkey Kong in space would have outsold it and catered to a demographic not already on Wii U.

Spoiler

hehehehehehe

Do you have something against fun? As long as we get other kinds of games too, you can never have too many 2D platformers. They provide much more precision and typically a faster pace than 3D games. There's room for both: sometimes you want a fast paced platformer and sometimes you want something more exploration-based. Considering that Nintendo is the only developer consistently making AAA 2D platformers, if anything, we don't have enough of them.

Also, since this post is about the Wii U bomba and if it's possible to turn the system around, 2D platformers are much more popular. So the people calling for a good 2D Metroid are right. I won't even dignify with a response your asinine insinuation that any developer could have made DKCR.

 

[NeededSleep]

Don't worry, it hasn't been that profitable either this cycle. The next Nintendo handheld is either going to be crazy innovative and progressive or it is going to be so restrictive and draconian that it will force them out of the hardware business.

Fuck region locking, its gonna be all about time zone locking now. Hour difference? no games for you!

 

[Gator86]

The games will still be there when it's $99.

That's my plan here. Let the Wii U do its thing then I'll pick it and the marquee titles up for nothing later. Not like I have to worry about a diminished online community or spoilers for Mario.

 

[The Boat]

Your right, 2D Metroid in design is completely different from the other platformers and I've played enough of the Metroid games to know that well. I was intentionally generalizing it as a joke just like many were generalizing DK. (literally any other studio could make DKC etc.)

Regardless, if Pachter is right about Wii U then I don't think there is any "What game can save the Wii U?". Mario Kart may help, but it won't save the system. Everything else might as well be a nonfactor (Smash, Zelda) considering that franchises like 2D Mario, 3D Mario, Wii Fit, Wii Sports, etc. were unable to turn the system around. As many perceived, Wii U is in a completely different boat from 3DS. The latter just needed a price slash and a good game library to get out of its slump, Wii U on the other hand seems like it is doomed to low sales simply because the market has no interest in the device.

Fair enough.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

If Nintendo leaves the industry, half of the Japanese output goes with it. Nothing but IOS crap, Westernize stuff.

The niche titles would become even less.

That bums me out.

I'd say more than half, I wish they wouldn't ignore the PC but it's obvious they will stay 3ds/ps3 for the next years.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

I'm going to go out on a limb (hardly) and say that these estimates are about the ballpark figure to expect. Certainly under 200k. Mario has shown that it's not pushed hardware much if at all across other key territories so I'm not sure why we'd expect such a big bump in the US from it either. Why now (other than it being peak selling season) would we see such a huge uptake in WiiU if we haven't any other month of the year? Have people just all of a sudden grasped WiiU is some must have and now know about it to want it in such bigger quantities (and by this I'm talking the 300-400k mark)? Where has that come from all of a sudden that wasn't there even a month before? Again can't just be Mario as it's underperformed in other markets. Much of November was about 2 new systems and also some great deals for PS3/360 eating up a lot of disposable income and interest. I'd be shocked if it was any higher than 200k just based on there's been nothing to change the situation for the console other than Xmas buys. But to jump from 50k to 300k+ seems too good to be true from almost nowhere. I'd be happy to be proven wrong though. I just can't see it.

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

I gotta admit, I'm in the "drop the gamepad" group. It could help cut the price dramatically, hit that $199 sweet spot, and sell soft bundles with Smash and Kart. I actually feel like a whole re-branding marketing campaign could work wonders for the system next holiday. Strip the gamepad, drop the price like an anvil, and blast all channels with "the Wii 2" in stores now with a copy of the new Super Smash Bros.

It worked wonders for Sony, when they rebranded the Playstation 3 as the PS3.

 

[Freezie KO]

As long as we get other kinds of games too, you can never have too many 2D platformers.

Yeah, but the bolded is the problem with the Wii U.

 

[Exokell]

I love how Nintendo fans think Nintendo will just commit sepuku instead of becoming 3rd party. I thought the y are a business and has shareholders. Well what do I know I'm still auprised that clown iwata is still the ceo

 

[Log4Girlz]

Unless Nintendo are money hatting you. Why on earth would you develop for WiiU given the projected return on investment.

When I envision Nintendo courting third parties, like say, in whatever meeting had to take place to get the president of EA to come to the stage at their Wii U unveiling, I can't help but imagine Iwata sitting across from whatever exec in charge of whatever particular company with both middle fingers pointed straight up in their direction the entire meeting through. And then after EA's presentation they pull all support, I imagine Iwata wondering aloud, this time with his middle fingers pointed at a picture of the president of EA, "Where did I go wrong?".

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I'm going to go out on a limb (hardly) and say that these estimates are about the ballpark figure to expect. Certainly under 200k. Mario has shown that it's not pushed hardware much if at all across other key territories so I'm not sure why we'd expect such a big bump in the US from it either. Why now (other than it being peak selling season) would we see such a huge uptake in WiiU if we haven't any other month of the year? Have people just all of a sudden grasped WiiU is some must have and now know about it to want it in such bigger quantities (and by this I'm talking the 300-400k mark)? Where has that come from all of a sudden that wasn't there even a month before? Again can't just be Mario as it's underperformed in other markets. Much of November was about 2 new systems and also some great deals for PS3/360 eating up a lot of disposable income and interest. I'd be shocked if it was any higher than 200k just based on there's been nothing to change the situation for the console other than Xmas buys. But to jump from 50k to 300k+ seems too good to be true from almost nowhere. I'd be happy to be proven wrong though. I just can't see it.

I believe it too, I don't think we will see good sales until another cut + Mario Kart and Smash.

The one thing I want from Nintendo is for them to NOT fuck up the online of Smash, it could be great.

I love how Nintendo fans think Nintendo will just commit sepuku instead of becoming 3rd party. I thought the y are a business and has shareholders. Well what do I know I'm still auprised that clown iwata is still the ceo

They won't go 3rd party or suicide, worst case scenario they go full handheld. Which I don't think will happen.

 

[Gartooth]

Do you have something against fun? As long as we get other kinds of games too, you can never have too many 2D platformers. They provide much more precision and typically a faster pace than 3D games. There's room for both: sometimes you want a fast paced platformer and sometimes you want something more exploration-based. Considering that Nintendo is the only developer consistently making AAA 2D platformers, if anything, we don't have enough of them.

Also, since this post is about the Wii U bomba and if it's possible to turn the system around, 2D platformers are much more popular. So the people calling for a good 2D Metroid are right. I won't even dignify with a response your asinine insinuation that any developer could have made DKCR.

Holy shit! XDDD Man read my post history in the DK threads, that was a parody post I intentionally made to call out all the shitty arguments that I read about DK.

 

[RobFox64tm]

And how much money will Apple give Nintendo for them to do that?

It's all hypothetical man. Ideally, the two companies could reach an agreement that worked for both parties, but yeah, in reality it might be hard for that to happen.

 

[PBY]

When I envision Nintendo courting third parties, like say, in whatever meeting had to take place to get the president of EA to come to the stage at their Wii U unveiling, I can't help but imagine Iwata sitting across from whatever exec in charge of whatever particular company with both middle fingers pointed straight up in their direction the entire meeting through. And then after EA's presentation they pull all support, I imagine Iwata wondering aloud, this time with his middle fingers pointed at a picture of the president of EA, "Where did I go wrong?".

He could do that all day, but if the WiiU had a larger install base, hardware that facilitated ports, and a history of reasonable 3rd party sales, EA games would be on the system.

 

[Iacobellis]

kutaragi also had people above him. iwata's at the top with no one above him.

iwata's tried a very hands-on approach to the us market and that's weird to see. i really have no idea what the plans are for the wii u.

the 3ds on the other hand has been extremely well-supported. the 2ds seemed to be a reaction to poor 3ds sales (they say it took 18 months to make, which would put it in the middle of 2012), and so did bundles and special editions like fire emblem, zelda, and pokemon. it had great black friday deals and good advertising campaigns throughout the year. it's not doing numbers the ds did. it's not even doing numbers the psp did (before it started to disappear), but it's getting a lot of support, and sales are improving.

the lack of attention to the wii u is bizarre in comparison and seems grounds for any sort of random conspiracy theory.

Nintendo dropping out of the home console market after the heavy hitters for 2014 are released?

 

[papercan55]

You forgot to mention that they also launched with Nintendo Land. With 6-year-old avatars sterilizing the images of 20 year old characters, playing minigames with endless tutorials, coupled with a failed interface used for local offline-only multiplayer, you could say that Nintendo Land also signifies everything wrong with Nintendo.

I wouldn't say that about nintendo land though, because at least they tried something new.
even if it didn't come together exactly how it should have, i.e online and with lot's of future plans and dlc for new courses and new attractions .

Mario bros u was the forth ugly 2d mario game in a row with seemingly almost no effort put into it's development. That for me is enough to signify a downfall of complete ignorance and lazyness. As much as it pains me to say it, when nintendo begins to treat 2d mario in this fashion it's over.

 

[Amir0x]

I gotta admit, I'm in the "drop the gamepad" group. It could help cut the price dramatically, hit that $199 sweet spot, and sell soft bundles with Smash and Kart. I actually feel like a whole re-branding marketing campaign could work wonders for the system next holiday. Strip the gamepad, drop the price like an anvil, and blast all airways with "the Wii 2" in stores now with a copy of the new Super Smash Bros.

It worked wonders for Sony, when they rebranded the Playstation 3 as the PS3.

I have no problem with them dropping the Gamepad either. The BEST idea of the Gamepad to date, to this very day, has been Zombie U's inventory off screen thing. That single idea actually has far reaching implications for any game for which tension is a key element. But it's not enough to salvage how much of a dead weight the Gamepad has been.

I don't care about offTV play whatsoever (much less on a shit quality screen when I have an HD TV right next to me), but even if some do, we have to at least arrive at the conclusion that this is not a system seller for anyone. And for the game CONCEPTS, there have been so few that are actually even remotely memorable that I'm unsure as to what Nintendo had in mind when they went with it. Did they have a proof of concept game demo that convinced them it was a good idea? I hope to God it wasn't Nintendoland....

 

[Log4Girlz]

He could do that all day, but if the WiiU had a larger install base, hardware that facilitated ports, and a history of reasonable 3rd party sales, EA games would be on the system.

Nintendo would have to drop the metaphorical middle fingers pointed at third parties for that to happen.