Nintendo’s Wii U Is Costing It Billions

Putting a *fad* device like a tablet that's doomed to follow netbooks down the path of non-relevance into a controller on a console that was supposed to make sales for longer than the touch/tablet fad will last was a really stupid idea.
 
I don't think it will happen with the Wii U but Nintendo has a big chance to really make Sony and MS look like fools. The thing that made console gaming so popular was the simplicity of it. Put the game in and play. Now you have to install system updates, install the game and then install game updates. If Nintendo can come out with a modern system that cuts out that bullshit then they will be on top again.
 
john doe 182 said:
I don't think it will happen with the Wii U but Nintendo has a big chance to really make Sony and MS look like fools. The thing that made console gaming so popular was the simplicity of it. Put the game in and play. Now you have to install system updates, install the game and then install game updates. If Nintendo can come out with a modern system that cuts out that bullshit then they will be on top again.
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It's called "don't connect your console to the internet" if you want this.
 
ocellaris said:
It's called "don't connect your console to the internet" if you want this.
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Except the Xbone and the PS4 both require a connection, Xbone requires a CONSTANT connection and the PS4 requires an occassional ping back and forth to their login servers. Nintendo has no such requirement.
 
ocellaris said:
It's called "don't connect your console to the internet" if you want this.
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Updates ship on disks... consoles will always require firmware updates. They didn't require them back in the days of the NES/Sega Master System because they really didn't have a way to get them to the customers. Now each disk has so much extra space they can easily include firmware on them.

As new games come out, they'll have the updates on the disk to make sure the consoles that play the new games get updated...
 
CreepyUncleGoogle said:
Putting a *fad* device like a tablet that's doomed to follow netbooks down the path of non-relevance into a controller on a console that was supposed to make sales for longer than the touch/tablet fad will last was a really stupid idea.
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I agree with this incredible run-on sentence.
 
The biggest problem with the Wii U is the lack of software. Nintendo has something like $7-10 billion in cash, and they're not taking advantage of development houses that would love to work on a AAA title under the guidance of some of the greatest designers in the history of video games. That's insane.

The gamepad is still an excellent idea, though. When people are watching the TV I can still play games. ZombiU used the game pad to excellent effect as a method of inventory management, but the game was clunky. Lego City Undercover used it as a communicator unit, which felt really cool and made it a bit more immersive.

I don't know if people are forced in to developing a feature for it(that would be asinine, but it's Nintendo.) or if it's just something that's always available, but controlling it as part of the ecosystem by including it with the console is a smart move. Should they find development houses that want to innovate gameplay experiences with it, the gamepad could do some really cool stuff.

Just want to see more game that aren't cross-platform but aren't "cutesy" Nintendo stuff. Cross platform will always be PC.
 
MostComfortable said:
Nintendo has billions in the bank and they still own the handheld (non-smartphone) console market. If they flub with the Wii U they have more than enough to weather the storm.

The idea of them going multiplatform is asinine. Nintendo is all about the marriage between hardware and software. The d-pad, shoulder buttons, rumble, trigger button, analog stick, motion, all popularized by Nintendo.

Super Mario 64 was made in tandem with the hardware. The model of third person platforming (tilting the analog stick by varying degrees to control movement speed within 3D space) was literally invented in SM64. It works so well it is still being followed almost 20 years later.

Like the power of their hardware or not, but the entire gaming industry needs a 100% gaming focused company like Nintendo where hardware and game development happens inside the same building.

As it stands, the Wii U has become a great console. Super Mario 3D World is one of the best games this year, Pikmin 3 is superb, and Wind Waker HD is amazing. Even if it doesn't sell so well, as long as Nintendo keeps delivering great games then I'm happy.
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+1 for this. For all of those wishing Nintendo would just license their games to other consoles... it would spell the doom of any future hardware development from them. Considering all the gaming hardware advancements they have made over the years.. that would be a sad loss. Just imagine if we all had to still play games with the Atari 2600 joystick :(

Even the wiimotes were a step in the right direction in my opinion, while everyone thought they were a horrible idea. I've picked up a couple of the wii pro controller gamepads, but both myself and my girls much prefer the wii remotes. Not to mention, while I realize I can just sit on the couch and play, getting up and standing/moving around while playing helps to artificially limit the amount of time playing, and anything that keeps kids moving is a good thing in my book.

I'm still looking at picking up the Wii-U (which I have to say is no more weirdly named than the XBOX One is) and almost grabbed the Skylander Swapforce bundle last week but we've already spent too much on Christmas as it is. My girls still love the Wii and play it 3-4 days a week. They even asked for new Wii controllers to replace the older non-motionplus ones and a generic knock-off one that sucks (yay for Nintendo refurb sales at $20 each for the controller+nunchuck).
 
the biggest problem with the Wii-U is two fold well 3 fold but we all know the 3rd one.

biggest problem is the bloody NAME..Wii-U was AWFUL. Wii2, Super Wii, or a completely different name would have been better.

2nd biggest problem is lack of -steady-game releases.
the wiiu had a ~6 month Drought of Nintendo games releases for the system and that hurt alot.

the third is lack of western devs taking the platform seriously. just like they did for the Wii

historic factiod for the wii doubters

the wii sold more units than the ps3 or xbox360
the wii sold more SOFTWARE than either the ps3 or 360
also for the parent company vs MS or Sony.

nintendo is the only COMPANY that -except for last year- made a profit EVERY YEAR for their home console division. handheld they are making money hand over fist.

if nintendo stopped making handhelds or consoles, they would LEAVE THE BUSINESS all together, they are a game company. a TOY company, and they make software for their "toy" ie the console.

you want to play a nintendo made game- buy the fucking console.

for the record my house has 2 wii's one wiiu and soon a ps4.

we have over 110 wii games, 20 wiiu games.
 
FrEaKy said:
Except the Xbone and the PS4 both require a connection, Xbone requires a CONSTANT connection and the PS4 requires an occassional ping back and forth to their login servers. Nintendo has no such requirement.
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XB1 requires constant connection that's funny because that's not true. Yes if you want multiplayer and other features you need XB1 connected to the Internet but same goes with any console. Xbox one and PS4 require nearly identical amount of connection to the Internet in order to operate at similar levels.
 
Bigbacon said:
i am still adamant that all their problems are because of the Wii's success and the Wii's demise.

So many people went out and got a Wii, played it for like a month and then it just sat on the shelf collecting dust. They may have sold tons of them but the real 'fan base' was really really small.

They banked on the Wiis numbers but all those who bought a wii and had it collect dust have no want to get another "Wii" console and have it sit and collect dust again, those people have moved on from social gaming. All they were left with were the "fan boys" who can't keep the system afloat.

Price of the system is not the problem, again, it is those casual/social gamers that left their Wii to rot a month after they bought it. No first party games are going to being them back.
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This. And this is precisely why you don't design a console for casuals and non-gamers. The casuals and non-gamers will lose interest in the thing very quickly, and you end up alienating the hardcore gamers who actually buy a lot of games.
 
Why aren't they releasing a Windows/Linux driver so we can at least use the new Wii U Remote as a mouse?
 
It's actually quite awesome, having the option to use the console without having to tie up the TV is a godsend for anyone that has more then 1 person in a household.

And it's also the best dam controller I've ever used on any console..
 
It's actually quite awesome, having the option to use the console without having to tie up the TV is a godsend for anyone that has more then 1 person in a household.

And it's also the best dam controller I've ever used on any console..

CreepyUncleGoogle said:
Putting a *fad* device like a tablet that's doomed to follow netbooks down the path of non-relevance into a controller on a console that was supposed to make sales for longer than the touch/tablet fad will last was a really stupid idea.
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I think Nintendo's problem is that they market for an demographic that doesnt really exist. Because they started this industry (yes I'm going to give them credit here for the same of simplicity) when we were all children, we were the pioneers, the 80's kids. As we grew up, our tastes matured and console makers kept targeting us accordingly, except for nintendo. Nintendo is still trapped in the 80's/90's. They still think there is this children's market that they need to cater to, and that not everyone is into GTA. But they're wrong. Aside from the fact they have alienated their base, the children of today all play mostly mature rated content anyway. Even if it's not CoD/GTA, kids today are still playing a lot of "standard" games like racing, sports, adventure, etc. Not so much colorful platformers and such. I mean yes, there are obviously little children who love Mario, but the vast majority of the entire gaming audience is a little bit beyond that these days. There's just not a strong enough audience to keep nintendo afloat like this.

I think it's obvious Nintendo is going to fold like Sega, I mean they simply cannot sustain this business model anymore. Their 1st party classics arent good enough, nobody cares, and their hardware is simply too lacking.
 
McFry said:
I think Nintendo's problem is that they market for an demographic that doesnt really exist. Because they started this industry (yes I'm going to give them credit here for the same of simplicity) when we were all children, we were the pioneers, the 80's kids. As we grew up, our tastes matured and console makers kept targeting us accordingly, except for nintendo. Nintendo is still trapped in the 80's/90's. They still think there is this children's market that they need to cater to, and that not everyone is into GTA. But they're wrong. Aside from the fact they have alienated their base, the children of today all play mostly mature rated content anyway. Even if it's not CoD/GTA, kids today are still playing a lot of "standard" games like racing, sports, adventure, etc. Not so much colorful platformers and such. I mean yes, there are obviously little children who love Mario, but the vast majority of the entire gaming audience is a little bit beyond that these days. There's just not a strong enough audience to keep nintendo afloat like this.

I think it's obvious Nintendo is going to fold like Sega, I mean they simply cannot sustain this business model anymore. Their 1st party classics arent good enough, nobody cares, and their hardware is simply too lacking.
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Yes, the 3DS has shown them how unpopular and un-profitable the children/young adult segment of the market is.
 
How is it possible that a console released last year, not quite powerful enough to get ports of top games which run fine on consoles released in 2005 & 2006, isn't doing too well? lol
 
kmoed said:
Yes, the 3DS has shown them how unpopular and un-profitable the children/young adult segment of the market is.
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Considering the 3DS has sold roughly 10 million less units than its predecessor, the DS, during the same time span and is currently 244 million units less compared to over all lifespan I would say that market is declining. While Nintendo makes a profit on each 3DS system it is foolish to ignore the trend to mobile phones for basic handheld gaming.

That is part of the argument against the Wii U. Nintendo has not reacted to market forces as well as other companies. Reliance on casual gamers will not sell consoles. My girlfriend bought the original Wii and never purchased another game outside of Wii Sports that came with the console before giving the Wii to her sister. My sister works as a RN at a nursing home that bought Wiis for the patients to play. Nintendo can not count these individuals as repeat customers.

Like many on this forum I am primarily a PC gamer. I have always bought the Nintendo console up until the Wii was released because of the difference in exclusive games. I would love to play a new Zelda, not a HD version of a game that I played ten years ago, but I do not want the gimmick of the control pad or motion controls. While many would want to label the GameCube a failure it was the last time that Nintendo was included on multi platform releases for AAA titles. (Not delayed like the Wii U) I really wanted to buy a Wii U but I can not see a future for the device. Third party developers are abandoning the console, it lacks features found on the Xbox One and PS4 such as bluray, has a terrible online store and presentation, while having a tiny install base that will just snowball the lack of game problem.

Those features will be wanted and found in the new generation as well as the last generation of consoles. The average age of a console gamer today is in the low 30s depending on source. While Nintendo can now survive in the niche of the children game market the future is looking rather murky.
 
My nephews own both GameCube and Wii. Despite having a whole bunch of games for Wii, they rarely play it anymore and prefer to play GameCube games (to which they were first exposed via the original Wii's backwards compatibility - their original unit failed and the replacement didn't have BC). For Christmas this year, I'm giving them X-Men Legends 1 & 2 for GC, and I'm certain I'll be hearing all about them for the next month.

FWIW, neither of them has asked anyone for a WiiU for Christmas despite theoretically being in Nintendo's demographic sweet spot (5th/6th grade).
 
Andy735 said:
Considering the 3DS has sold roughly 10 million less units than its predecessor, the DS, during the same time span and is currently 244 million units less compared to over all lifespan I would say that market is declining. While Nintendo makes a profit on each 3DS system it is foolish to ignore the trend to mobile phones for basic handheld gaming.

That is part of the argument against the Wii U. Nintendo has not reacted to market forces as well as other companies. Reliance on casual gamers will not sell consoles. My girlfriend bought the original Wii and never purchased another game outside of Wii Sports that came with the console before giving the Wii to her sister. My sister works as a RN at a nursing home that bought Wiis for the patients to play. Nintendo can not count these individuals as repeat customers.

Like many on this forum I am primarily a PC gamer. I have always bought the Nintendo console up until the Wii was released because of the difference in exclusive games. I would love to play a new Zelda, not a HD version of a game that I played ten years ago, but I do not want the gimmick of the control pad or motion controls. While many would want to label the GameCube a failure it was the last time that Nintendo was included on multi platform releases for AAA titles. (Not delayed like the Wii U) I really wanted to buy a Wii U but I can not see a future for the device. Third party developers are abandoning the console, it lacks features found on the Xbox One and PS4 such as bluray, has a terrible online store and presentation, while having a tiny install base that will just snowball the lack of game problem.

Those features will be wanted and found in the new generation as well as the last generation of consoles. The average age of a console gamer today is in the low 30s depending on source. While Nintendo can now survive in the niche of the children game market the future is looking rather murky.
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Really, What is terrible about the online store? it works quite well. And having it included in the rinse / repeat COD / Battlefield yearly snore fests is somehow going to make it better? I don't think so.

I think Nintendo is doing just fine, they fill a niche that the others cannot compete in. They have always been that, A gaming company that innovates, not recreates, like their competition. The XBone and PS4 bring little to nothing new to the table. At least Nintendo TRIES to make a difference.

Their console still remains the best companion to a good gaming PC. And it can't be beat when it comes to family based entertainment, you can dump on that all you want, but there is nothing close on the competitors console that a family of 4+ can enjoy an evening with, plenty on the WiiU, and there is a considerable market out there for that .
 
I'll disagree with a lot of you. The Wii (and Wii U) are good consoles. However, they are not "adult" consoles. Nintendo makes a lot of games that are 1) Fun 2) Kid friendly.

Look at the titles available for the PS3, 4, Xboxes and there are very few kid friendly games. Nintendo OWNS the handheld gaming market. Period. If you have 6 year olds.....the Wii's are the system to get.
 
farscapesg1 said:
+1 for this. For all of those wishing Nintendo would just license their games to other consoles... it would spell the doom of any future hardware development from them. Considering all the gaming hardware advancements they have made over the years.. that would be a sad loss. Just imagine if we all had to still play games with the Atari 2600 joystick :(
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I think at this point, the console world would survive and thrive is Nintendo stopped making hardware. They just want control and therefore make hardware in order to keep the IPs from expanding away from their control.

If they'd just get off their high horse and push their IPs to other places, they'd make way more money and wouldn't have to deal with the ridiculous cost of hardware.

Only the thing they should at least continue with for the time being is the handheld market.
 
kmoed said:
Really, What is terrible about the online store? it works quite well. And having it included in the rinse / repeat COD / Battlefield yearly snore fests is somehow going to make it better? I don't think so.

I think Nintendo is doing just fine, they fill a niche that the others cannot compete in. They have always been that, A gaming company that innovates, not recreates, like their competition. The XBone and PS4 bring little to nothing new to the table. At least Nintendo TRIES to make a difference.

Their console still remains the best companion to a good gaming PC. And it can't be beat when it comes to family based entertainment, you can dump on that all you want, but there is nothing close on the competitors console that a family of 4+ can enjoy an evening with, plenty on the WiiU, and there is a considerable market out there for that .
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I feel the experience of the Wii U store and interface is just not the same quality as the Xbox or PlayStation but that is just personal preference really. Likewise, I am not saying that every console has to have COD. However, having a wider selection of third party "AAA" games will help sell more units. The real question is whether or not just focusing on children is enough of a market to justify the hardware. At launch Nintendo said that they would have a profit at $350 plus one game bought. Prices have been cut by $50 and stores now have constant promotions. For example, Target and Bestbuy both have a $25 gift card included with the purchase of a Wii. Kmart had so many launch basic units they marked them at $220 to get rid of the left over old SKU this holiday season. It would appear that deep discounts are the only way to sell the Wii U.

Looking at lists of top children games for the consoles I see major bleed through for the Xbox, Wii, and PlayStation generations. The only separating factor is Nintendo games. Worse, with the next generation of consoles out, I fear that the initial third party support for the Wii U will dry completely. I also do not find HD versions of old games to be innovative and no better than having a new COD every year. Can Nintendo games justify the $300 price tag or can Nintendo take an even greater loss on each console and lower the price? Those are the questions that need to be answered.

I want Nintendo to succeed but it may be time to reconsider the Wii U experiment. Nintendo can either try to reclaim the "hardcore" gaming audience or go for the child market. But much like the Wii U being in between console generation power and feature wise, sales are proving you can not try to go in between markets.
 
Target and Best Buy offering gift cards argues against the point you're trying to make, Andy. The $25 dollar gift cards are Target and Best Buy promos, not Nintendo, and the money for them comes from the corporations offering them.

If anything, it contradicts what you concluded from it. The stores are willing to use the Wii as a loss leader because its popularity is capable of drawing in customers.
 
mope54 said:
Target and Best Buy offering gift cards argues against the point you're trying to make, Andy. The $25 dollar gift cards are Target and Best Buy promos, not Nintendo, and the money for them comes from the corporations offering them.

If anything, it contradicts what you concluded from it. The stores are willing to use the Wii as a loss leader because its popularity is capable of drawing in customers.
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Those promotions can possibly be funded by Nintendo. This way, the Wii U is cheaper without actually making it a price drop.
 
They aren't for Target. I confirmed it with a Target manager before wording my post. Some members work at Best Buy so they'll have to post if they care.
 
I don't think Nintendo has anything to worry about.

worldwide_totals.png
 
Scythe said:
I'll disagree with a lot of you. The Wii (and Wii U) are good consoles. However, they are not "adult" consoles. Nintendo makes a lot of games that are 1) Fun 2) Kid friendly.

Look at the titles available for the PS3, 4, Xboxes and there are very few kid friendly games. Nintendo OWNS the handheld gaming market. Period. If you have 6 year olds.....the Wii's are the system to get.
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I have a 7 year old and a 3 year old. I have PS3's, PS4, a Wii, and several DSI's.
The Ps3's Get used constantly by them for streaming the kids cartoons through netflix because it plainly looks better and is easier for them to navigate than the terrible UI on the wii. They also prefer the sonic games over most everything on the Wii.

The Wii has been collecting dust for well over a year, possibly 2. I originally had a first gen Day 1, but traded it in when they released the black one even though it was hardly touched at that point because of the GPU memory chip issues with artifacting. We have about 20 games or so for the Wii and it still never gets touched by the kids.

The DSI's are the clear winners obviously.

PS4 is mine.

I do have a 360..it's dead in a closet and I got tired of RMAing it.

So on kids/family friendly stuff. It really is YMMV. I don't see the Wii as having any kind of advantage and the wiiiu definitely doesn't as it has even less to choose from. The handheld systems are really nintendo's bread and butter. It also helps that quite frankly the game quality for the handhelds has just flatly been better in recent years. Frankly I believe it would be exceedingly smart of Nintendo to partner with Sony/MS and produce their console games for those platforms. I know I have interest in several titles and have heard many others as well who share the same, but are unwilling to buy the Wiiu.

Nintendo needs to accept the simple fact that the WiiU is just a flat out failed platform. Reality is, the Wii wasn't as successful as people want to paint it. Sure it sold lots of volume to the extreme casuals who wanted to fiddle around with Wii Bowling. However for a Very very large percentage that is where it stopped. All those Wii's on the market never translated into huge sales of their games after the first 12 months. They basically remained dead even to slightly behind major launches on the PS3/360 in terms of software moved from that point forward. For those that aren't aware, That is where the companies really make their money. That is why Sony and MS could afford and Did sell the console at a loss. They knew that Software licensing volume would more than make up for it. This article is spot on, Nintendo could make money hand over fist by porting their major IP's to flatly bigger platforms. It isn't like that shitty controller is required or anything. :rolleyes:

Ashbringer said:
I don't think Nintendo has anything to worry about.

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Except the fact that those numbers are with over a year head start for the WiiU and sales have basically flatlined. I am pretty sure the people who's job it is to track this stuff are more informed than one person posting random graphs from a website. If all of them are saying the WiiU is failing miserably, then chances are they know far more than you do. So yes nintendo has quite a bit to worry about. Their console has been on the market a year and has Failed utterly to gain any kind of measurable lead. That coupled with the fact that it does indeed have a handful of amazingly good games, games that sold Less total volume than far worse titles on Launch day of newer platforms. Nintendo has a ton to worry about..
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Except the fact that those numbers are with over a year head start for the WiiU and sales have basically flatlined. I am pretty sure the people who's job it is to track this stuff are more informed than one person posting random graphs from a website. If all of them are saying the WiiU is failing miserably, then chances are they know far more than you do. So yes nintendo has quite a bit to worry about. Their console has been on the market a year and has Failed utterly to gain any kind of measurable lead. That coupled with the fact that it does indeed have a handful of amazingly good games, games that sold Less total volume than far worse titles on Launch day of newer platforms. Nintendo has a ton to worry about..
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Experts have been saying for nearly a decade that PC gaming is dead, and here I was saying they're huffing paint. Same experts that say Windows 8 is awesome, and that cloud is the future. But what do I know, I'm just a tech Geek who's never wrong about outcomes.

Compared to the Wii, the Wii U is failing. But the PS4 and Xbox One is failing far worse. Fact is, Nintendo did nothing to advertise the Wii U. A lot of people still think the Wii U is an add-on for the Wii. They did a terrible job getting people aware of their product. On the other hand, the PS4 and Xbox had so much money pumped for advertising that it's hard not to notice these consoles. Yet still, the Wii has decent sales.

Everyone who's gotten a PS4 or Xbone will tell you there's no good games on them. At least the Wii U has some decent titles, and as long as Nintendo produces better and more mature titles for their console, I don't see problems for them in the future.

On the other hand these so called experts think Nintendo should make games for other platforms, which is just beyond reasoning. Firstly, it would kill Nintendo's hardware. Second, it would support existing consoles like PS4 and Xbone, which would further kill Nintendo's hardware. Wouldn't surprise me if it's just propaganda from these companies to get Nintendo titles on their failing machines.

Sony and Microsoft can pretend that Steam has no effect on their market, but it certainly has, and their business model is falling apart. Nintendo on the other hand is so beyond Steam, that nothing Steam does will have any effect on them. So long as they keep their games exclusive to their hardware, the Wii U won't fall apart. Keep in mind this is the last generation of game consoles, so technically all consoles will fail. The question is, will they at least last 5 years to make a profit?

I don't see Sony or Microsoft lasting another year, but Nintendo has a few years to go before they have to start supporting other platforms like PC, Android, and iOS. Even then, I see Nintendo making custom bluetooth gamepads and their own Nintendo online store. Where you going to see Microsoft and Sony, where they barely have any decent first party titles?
 
Wierdo said:
According to the graph the PS4 accumulated Units in launch month alone that's equivalent to half of what Nintendo has worked on for over an entire year.

That's VERY bad.
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The situation with consoles isn't easy to grasp, but Nintendo had a terrible start. Now that they have quality games, things should pickup faster for them. On the other hand the PS4/Xbone had an awesome launch, but things are slowing down fast. But all consoles had terrible launch titles. I can honestly say there isn't a single game I want on any console, when it was released.

But the Wii U now has a decent game. Super Mario 3D World, which I hear is really good, and probably the best Mario game since Super Mario 64 . And if they create a good Zelda and Metroid game, I may just buy it to play those titles. There are pretty impressive titles coming out.

On the other hand both the PS4 and Xbone are getting titles that will eventually be on PC. Watch Dogs will be on PC for sure, and Destiny will most certainly be a terrible game. Right now you can get a more powerful gaming PC then the PS4/Xbone machines. The Steam console is also coming out, with all of Steam's sales to come with it.

The only way Nintendo could screw this up is if they make more kiddie games, which I hope they realize isn't doing them any good. It's certainly the worst thing to hurt their brand. So long as they don't make any more Mario Sunshine or Wind Waker, then they should be fine. Also, Metroid Other M sucked. More Metroid Primes.

250px-Super_mario_sunshine.jpg
 
Scythe said:
I'll disagree with a lot of you. The Wii (and Wii U) are good consoles. However, they are not "adult" consoles. Nintendo makes a lot of games that are 1) Fun 2) Kid friendly.

Look at the titles available for the PS3, 4, Xboxes and there are very few kid friendly games. Nintendo OWNS the handheld gaming market. Period. If you have 6 year olds.....the Wii's are the system to get.
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I agree. Sony and MS fight for the same games or pay out for exclusives which in the end don't interest me. Nintendo makes the hardware and games. That is pretty amazing if you ask me. I will say though I don't actually remember seeing a commercial for the Wii U. Does Nintendo even advertise the console? Another thing I find funny is how Nintendo is so disliked but everybody wants them to go third party. Usually goes like this: "I don't want a Wii U so make games on my PS4 / Xbone / IOS / Android #YOLO" I grew up with the NES and have had each console by Nintendo since. I find it complements a PC gamer like myself more than an PS4 or Xbox One. I did buy a 360 last gen but when paired up to my existing PC setup and Wii console I found that I just prefered to buy the more mature games on my PC.
 
New numbers are in today:

http://www.dailytech.com/Nintendo+Slashes+Wii+U+Sales+Forecast+by+69+Percent/article34157.htm

Wii U:
The game company announced that its anticipated units sold from April 2013 to March 2014 will be changed from a previous 9 million to just 2.8 million.
This represents a staggering 69 percent drop. Wii U software doesn't look any better, with sales expectations falling from a previously-reported 38 million to just 19 million.
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3DS:
But at least Nintendo still has the 3DS handheld system to fall back on, right? Wrong. The company also had to revise those sales expectations, dropping from 18 million to just 13.5 million units sold.
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Interesting comment about future plans:
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said in an interview that Nintendo will have to make some major changes, possibly including an entirely new business structure. The company is looking to focus on mobile devices like smartphones, reportedly.
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Exclusives and graphics sell consoles. The Wii U has less powerful graphics than the PS4 and the XBone. That leaves exclusives. Nintendo's "exclusives" are their core franchises. The Wii U has been out for over a year with no:

MarioKart
Zelda
Metroid
Smash Bros
Mario Party

And nobody in the company realizes this? Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
 
Yup, get out of the big console business and make your awesome IPs for PS4/Xbone/PC. I RARELY pay full $60 admission price for a brand new game - but I'd happily pay top dollar for a quality metroid/mario/mario kart/ etc. game on my PC or PS4. And frankly, I'm tired of having all these different consoles anyway - PC please :p
 
Bigbacon said:
They just want control and therefore make hardware in order to keep the IPs from expanding away from their control.
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That's why they won the NES/SMS generation and nearly lost the SNES/Genesis generation. They had such tight control over licensing (non-compete agreements and such) and had a real tight grip on 3rd party licensees. They have always wanted the control of their IP's, their hardware and their licensed software. Times have changed, but Nintendo still wants that control.

I really want a Wii-U. There are ~5 games that I'd love to play, plus the HDMI output for better visuals on my current Wii library. Right now, those few games cannot justify the high cost of the system. I'd rather pony up and spend a few more bucks for a PS4 or XBOne. I know there will be more than 5 games that I want to play fairly quickly. The Wii-U has been out for a while, and there still isn't a big selection of "Must have" games.

Drop the price, bring some excellent games, and sales will rise. Not saying they will fly off the shelves, but those of us on the fence would jump at a $150 Wii-U. I'd buy a few games at the same time. If that controller is holding the price up, then that was a mistake. It might enhance the game play, but if I don't want to pay the higher price for it, I'll never know...

Nintendo is a game company. They don't make operating systems, office suites, TV's, Blu-ray players. They make games and consoles. They really need to find their focus again. Games. Nintendo was what people called consoles after the NES. You had a Sega? It was a Nintendo. You had a TG16? Nintendo. That's what adults called them, they were that popular. It was like Kleenex or Band-Aid. They WERE the brand name that described the product. Not anymore. Nintendo needs to do something to get people excited again. Even as a Sega fanboy, when I saw screen shots or Super Mario World or Castlevania 4 or F-Zero or whatever else on the SNES (Then in person), I was excited. It was awesome. Now, I see the newer games. They look good, nothing special. They look fun, which is expected. But, it's not as exciting as it used to be. Seeing The Division on the PS4/XBOne is exciting. It looks great. I want it. Nintendo has the talent, the money, the technology, the will power to do all this great stuff. But, I see them as kind of resting on their laurels. They are riding their popularity train instead of adding more fuel to keep it going.

They are making good games, but they aren't competing anymore. They are just running along, without taking into consideration who or what their competition is doing. They need to BEAT the competition, not just join in the race. I really want Nintendo to come out with something revolutionary, where we look and go "Holy shit. That's AWESOME.". The games are great, but they aren't making people say "Fuck the PS4, I want the Nintendo!". Sony vs. Microsoft wars are huge. No one mentioned Nintendo in there. They aren't in the competition with gamers. :(

That's my take on it, anyway.
 
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