Wii Outselling Wii U, Only 160,000 Units Shipped Last Quarter 212
rescendent writes with news that the Wii U still isn't selling very well. From the article: "Nintendo's Wii U console sold only 160,000 units worldwide during the past three months, with the company blaming a lack of first-party releases for the poor performance. Software sales for the system were just 1.3 million units. During the period Nintendo sold 90,000 Wii U consoles in Japan, 60,000 in the US and only 10,000 in Europe and Australia."
El Reg reports that the Wii sold 210,000 units in the same quarter. On the bright side, Nintendo is once again profitable.
The move to HD hurt them (Score:4, Insightful)
Nintendo dragged its feet in the move to HD and is paying the price. They underestimated the time and money expense, and now their first-party releases are behind. On top of that, there's barely been any marketing for the Wii U, which has a name that implies it's an accessory for the Wii rather than a new console. The console's tablet controller doesn't offer anything that people's existing smartphones and iPads can't do better. It was likely released in reaction to the iPad (Nintendo stated in 2010 that Apple is their biggest threat [eurogamer.net]). With the lack of hardware power and user base, there's nothing with which to court third-party developers, who are focused instead on the more powerful consoles coming out later this year.
Nintendo's stronghold remains handheld gaming. However, even that is under threat from smartphones. On top of what Android already supports, iOS 7 will ship with native physical controller APIs, and Apple is working with hardware manufacturers to release official attachments and wireless controllers. While the 3DS certainly won't disappear, it will be interesting to watch how well it fares among adult gamers when physical controllers become commonplace in the iPhone accessory aisle.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm only a data point, but my friends parallel my issues. We used to ALL be Nintendo zealots. We loved our Nintendo, SNES, N64, and Gamecubes. So clearly, when the chance to stand inline to midnight for the next great gaming machine with motion controllers came out, we volunteered happily! We bought a Nintendo Wii. ... and then we plugged a game in. $60 game after $60 game, felt like pathetic toy. A tech demo at best, and pandering to an entirely different userbase at worst. They went from serving hardcore
Re: (Score:3)
You shouldn't have sold your Wii. It makes a fantastic low-cost, low-power system to emulate older systems including a few arcade games.
I just wish there was more arcade/Neo-Geo titles in their library.
Re: (Score:2)
You shouldn't have sold your Wii. It makes a fantastic low-cost, low-power system to emulate older systems including a few arcade games.
I just wish there was more arcade/Neo-Geo titles in their library.
The Ouya does that better at lower cost, no soft-mod required.
But they aren't in EMUya (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have the first version of the GameCube with component video output, I don't think the cable has anything special inside it.
Re: The move to HD hurt them (Score:2)
Yes... and no.
When the Wii came out, it had fluid, well-executed 480p60 when Sony & Microsoft were lurching around with grossly-underpowered 720pWhatev3r, and true abominations like 1080i60. They finally caught up, and can now do effortless 720p60 and 1080p30 (maybe even 1080p60). Now *Nintendo* has the mediocre, underpowered HD, saddled with expensive controllers that are basically less-capable than a no-name $79 Rockchip-based Android tablet from Shenzhen. They would have been better off with a $149 7
Re:The move to HD hurt them (Score:4, Insightful)
The only thing special about the Wii U is the controller has a screen.
Actually, the 5 player same-console multiplayer is pretty nice too when you have a lot of kids (or kid's friends).
Re: (Score:3)
The only thing special about the Wii U is the controller has a screen.
Actually, the 5 player same-console multiplayer is pretty nice too when you have a lot of kids (or kid's friends).
That didn't save the Turbo Grafx.
Re: (Score:2)
5 player? How about SEVEN, the PS3 supports 7 controllers at a time.
Re: (Score:3)
Just like there are none on the PS3 at 7. Unless you care to give an example?
Most sports games support 7 players.
Here's an incomplete list:
http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/furtivespy/lists/7-player-offline-games/82340 [giantbomb.com]
And if you don't have enough Sixaxis/DS3's you can use USB controllers to supplement them. Heck plugin in DS2's into USB dongles meant to use them on PC's and plug them into the PS3, they work.
That said, I prefer online multiplayer.
I don't play my Wii/360/ps2 (never went for the PS3 DRM, won't likely go for the XBO or PS4 either).
What PS3 game DRM are you referring to. PS3 games are actually less restricted than PS2 games, they have no region locks for example.
Re:The move to HD hurt them (Score:5, Interesting)
You are correct about most things, but will disagree on your assessment of the Wii U tablet. If used properly, it could offer some very unique game play.
They've started to scratch the surface of that potential in a few "Nintendoland" minigames; the Luigi Ghost game and Metroid most notably. Being able to host competitive multiplayer on actual separate screens is a new development in console gaming.
Of course, these two little games aren't nearly enough to sell a system, or completely validate the concept... but it's a start. We need developers to actually utilize this technology to make new, interesting games. Imagine a dungeon crawler game, one person with the Tablet is the Dungeon Master, controlling hordes of orcs/zombies/etc like an RTS while up to 4 players on normal controllers try and make it through the dungeon, or save the princess, or whatever. The concept works for any cooperative multiplayer game... just let one person act as the opponent in place of the computer. Left 4 Dead does a similar thing, but it requires every player to have their own copy of the game, and be sitting on their own TV, with their own console/computer, etc. Wii U could bring that concept to a single living room couch.
Another big step will be the possibility of hosting multiple tablets on a single system. Especially for sports games, where your tablet can serve as your playbook. No more picking plays onscreen where the other player can clearly see what you're running. The TV can be dedicated to the actual on-field situation, with substitutions, sneak plays, formations, etc handled on the tablet. Hell, this could make for actual compelling "Video Games as a spectator sport." Two players have their tablets, control the plays, etc while a crowd watches a TV. To them, it looks like a regular game, with slightly awkward running motions at times.
Re: (Score:2)
I understand the gameplay potential given by the wii u controller. But forking 350 dollars to get the wii U with a crapppy tablet when an iPad would have done the trick (close to) just as well is counter productive. There are only a handful of games that will use the tablet in meaningful way. That make the cost of a Wii U not really justified.
I was really interested in the wii U. But it is very expensive for me and not really worth it at that point. A Ouya seems like a better choice than the Wii U. That's n
Re: (Score:2)
Interesting that you compare Wii U to iPad, and then complain about price. The deluxe Wii U package deal thing is still cheaper than a 2-generation old iPad.
Ouya + Nexus 7 might be an interesting concept (if the two can work together.) Haven't done too much tinkering with my Ouya yet (DAMN YOU STEAM SALE) but the few games I've downloaded are incredibly fun. Towerfall and Stalagflight are amazing as multiplayer games. Gives me hope that the Ouya experiment might bear fruit long term. Fingers crossed.
Re: (Score:2)
That idea has already been done a few times, but it's never caught on. The GBA could be connected to the Gamecube with a cable. The best game to use the link was probably Pac-Man vs. One player was Pac-Man, who used the GBA screen and could see the entire maze. The other players were the ghosts. They had their individual split screens on the TV. The ghosts had a very limited view so that pac-man wasn't completely screwed with 3 human controlled ghosts.
Of course, the difference is that with the Wii U the scr
Re: (Score:2)
The GBA - Gamecube hookup was a half baked add-on halfway through the development cycle that required additional hardware (the GBAs of course, and the cables, which were hard to find) and had the wired-distance limitation. Wii U is starting with that concept out the gate, but hasn't done much with it beyond a few cute minigames. I'm sure they'll incorporate the tablet into other games a little bit (Dungeon Maps for Link, weapon selection for Samus, etc) but they need games that really explore the potentia
I don't know if unique is good (Score:2)
Also, I found it annoying as heck to keep staring down at the tablet while playing Rayman Origins.
I agree with you on sports games, but that basically means EA, and I don't see EA getting behind Nint
Re: The move to HD hurt them (Score:2)
Online pickup groups with strangers (Score:2)
Left 4 Dead does a similar thing, but it requires every player to have their own copy of the game, and be sitting on their own TV, with their own console/computer, etc. Wii U could bring that concept to a single living room couch.
Some people don't want to have to gather all participants physically, especially with friends who live hundreds of miles away. I've talked to some Slashdot users who can't even coordinate schedules for an online friend match and instead prefer to play in pickup groups with strangers. Nintendo's child-friendly "friend code" policy has hurt its value proposition for stranger play.
Re: (Score:2)
You're not wrong, but on the other hand not moving to HD made them a fortune in the previous generation.
You're comparing different markets. Smartphones have tons of games that require no investment that can be played for a couple minutes. Portable consoles
Re: (Score:3)
Smartphones are getting more and more of those too.
The Ravensword series is a good example. As time goes by more and more long form games will come out on smartphones.
Re: (Score:2)
Smartphones are not primarily for making calls. I use my every day. I have not made a call with it in 3 days.
I do carry an external source of power for the device to deal with the battery issues.
Re:The move to HD hurt them (Score:4, Insightful)
Nintendo: Doomed since 1991.
Personally, I'm grateful Nintendo is a games first type company. How often do we complain about any industry bending to the shareholders desires for short term profits? Yet you complain about Nintendo not cheapening their IP in order to make tons of money. Nintendo's doing the right thing. It will work for them. If you'll excuse me I've got some Pikmin 3 to anticipate playing this weekend.
It depends on how Japanese law works (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I think you demonstrate my point exactly. We remember games like Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy 2. We don't remember "EA Sports Game 2003" or "Random Activision Shooter 5: This time more swearing". Nintendo makes masterpieces where every game stands on their own, even games that are a part of a series. You don't hear people say, "My favorite Boring Doom Clone is _____" Instead they say, "My favorite Zelda game is _____" and you get a variety of answers. The games themselves don't degrade with t
Re: (Score:2)
On top of that, there's barely been any marketing for the Wii U
My local Gamestop had a Wii U kiosk for a while. But some of the games on it didn't even work right, and the ones that did just looked like warmed-over versions of the same Mario platformers they've been doing for over 20 years. There was absolutely nothing in the display that made it even remotely enticing.
Re: (Score:2)
What HTPC game replaces Smash Bros.? (Score:2)
the same ones that I saw playing Wii units and Nintendo handhelds are now playing angry Birds on their tablets and have replaced their handhelds with a smartphone
Was this true of Smash Bros. fanatics as well? What HTPC game replaces Brawl, for example?
Pretty much agree (Score:2)
I'm never one to praise Sony, but with the VIta they at least pitched it right - we make games consoles. We've made the best portable games console we could. If you want a portable games console, please buy it.
I frankly fail to see if Nintendo think that the future is a touch screen, why they didn't just go software only. Square seem to have leapt into the tablet market with both feet, and just ignor
No iOS 7 on iPod touch 4 (Score:2)
The console's tablet controller doesn't offer anything that people's existing smartphones and iPads can't do better.
What the Wii U GamePad has that the vast majority of phones and tablets lack is physical buttons. I tried playing the demo of Pixeline and the Jungle Treasure on a Nexus 7 tablet and it was far more difficult to control than Super Mario Bros. 3 on my NES. I played a game that's pretty much the same thing on my cousin's OUYA console (Giana Sisters) and it was far more enjoyable.
On top of what Android already supports
It's not necessarily what Android supports as what people already own. I can think of only three name-brand Android devices that shi
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
But at least the screens are the same distance away and in the same angular area. You can easily watch both screens. With the U, you'll be back and forth between the two, refocusing and changing your field of view.
HD needs bigger faster disc and more geometry (Score:2)
Textures are more dependent on the memory available than the output resolution
More output resolution needs larger textures, and this in turn needs not only more memory (RAM) but also more memory (ROM) and faster access to the memory. In addition, more output resolution needs more geometry, and some of the shortcuts in modeling for SD/ED don't apply as well to HD in the same way that the low-definition models of Doubutsu no Mori for N64 stuck out like a sore thumb when the game was ported to the GameCube as Animal Crossing. (They fit in better in Wild World for DS, which is also low-d
Ironic (Score:2)
I find it ironic that Nintendo blames Nintendo for the slow sales of the WiiU.
Maybe the PR person who wrote that piece was/should become a politician.
Re: Ironic (Score:5, Insightful)
But it's honest, which is more than you'd get elsewhere.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
In their last Mario game, he and Luigi just sat around and smoked.
Re: (Score:3)
I'll start caring about computing power on consoles again when we have ray-shaded games, I haven't cared about the shininess of games in years now.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think that. I just don't care about the numbers anymore. Honestly, I mostly play PC games because there's a real breadth of experiences available there depending on my mood.
Re: (Score:2)
I'll start caring about computing power on consoles again when we have ray-shaded games, I haven't cared about the shininess of games in years now.
There's more that can be done with computing power than just make things shiny.
Although, if you're selling the same game over and over with only incremental gameplay improvements, the Nintendo equivalent of Windows 3.11 over 3.1, then there's nothing much you can do with your extra computing power EXCEPT add a few extra shaders.
Re: (Score:2)
There's more that can be done with computing power than just make things shiny.
Only thing I can come up with is AI. And let's be honest, most of the improvements in AI in the last decade have been style and breadth increasing rather than increasing depth of behavior. Neither of those are performance hogs.
Re:Ironic (Score:5, Informative)
It is ironic, but its also a correct analysis.
As a Wii U owner games I would like to see on the Wii U are:
New Mario Kart
New Mario Galaxy
New/Relaunched Metroid
New Paper Mario game
New Mario Party game
New Zelda FPS style game
But NONE of these titles exist!! As a long time Nintendo fan, I'd buy all of these, but they didn't even bother to make and have them ready by the Wii U launch!!
Also, the migration from the Wii to the Wii U was so customer hostile that we don't play Wii games on the Wii U, we fire up the Wii and use that. One time, one direction game data transfer!! Fuck that shit!! One of the worst customer decisions ever by Nintendo. On the Wii you could plug in the cartridge from your gamecube to access the saved game data, why the hell won't the Wii U and Wii allow you to move Wii save game data back and forth on a SIM card. Oh, what's that Nintendo? Piracy, you say? Well Fuck you there too! I'm a customer who's fairly committed to your stuff who is getting rapidly disillusioned.
Re:Ironic (Score:5, Insightful)
New Zelda FPS style game
Worst....Idea....Ever. Zelda is perfect.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The game is first person, the view of the game is third person.
Re: (Score:2)
My favorite is still the side-scroller where you play as Zelda trying to save Link! The cartoon cutscenes are the greatest.
Re: (Score:2)
But...I like patronising bullshit, tons of fetch quests and dumb puzzles that try to make me feel smart!
Re: (Score:2)
Link to the past was by far my favorite of the series. The Wind Waker is my second favorite and in terms of fun I would say the two are a tie. Link's Awakening was another good addition as well on GBC. For some reason I couldn't get into the N64 releases like Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask but my brother did. Haven't played any of the Zelda's after Wind Waker as that was past my point of caring about console games.
Re: (Score:2)
So you want Nintendo to have 6 brand-new 1st party developed games at launch? Name one console that has done this in the history of consoles. Go on. Try it.
Also, a Zelda FPS is the dumbest idea ever. Your idea of refreshing a genre is by shoehorning another tired genre into it?
Re: (Score:2)
We're nine months from launch and still waiting for any of these games!!
Super Mario Brothers U is a great game, but its out there all alone as a Wii U title from Nintendo. Nine months after release!!
As far as a new Zelda goes, the reason I mentioned it as a FPS is because that could take advantage of finally having HD and make a great looking game. I agree that the story and gameplay would need to be good. Perhaps it could be better as a RPG, but whatever, I want a Zelda game in HD.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It is ironic, but its also a correct analysis.
As a Wii U owner games I would like to see on the Wii U are:
New Mario Kart New Mario Galaxy New/Relaunched Metroid New Paper Mario game New Mario Party game New Zelda FPS style game
This exactly. If they released a good game on it, I would buy it. As it is, my kids are replaying their old Wii games on it instead.
Re: (Score:3)
The first step to solving a problem, is identifying it. I find the fact that Nintendo was willing to blame it self for its failure in the market place encouraging.
Rather than a bunch of executives playing CYA and concocting some narrative full of nonsense about macro economic headwinds or something, they actually named something they will be expected to do something about.
Re: (Score:2)
The first step to solving a problem, is identifying it. I find the fact that Nintendo was willing to blame it self for its failure in the market place encouraging.
Rather than a bunch of executives playing CYA and concocting some narrative full of nonsense about macro economic headwinds or something, they actually named something they will be expected to do something about.
Ya, it's refreshing to not hear poor sales being blamed on pirates.
Mario Kart Wii 2 (Score:4, Insightful)
All I wanted was more Mario Kart Wii, not a giant controller with a screen on it.
Re:Mario Kart Wii 2 (Score:5, Insightful)
EXACTLY! (Score:4, Informative)
They are so paranoid about compatibility because of their history of designing things around fixed hardware to get the most out of it (including saving time NOT testing software for such changes.)
Nintendo could simply create an OPTION to run Wii games in full emulation mode or enhanced mode - and let the user set the option; default to the safe option. Later, with enough feedback online (a simple forum or poll online) could allow them to update their software with a list of safe games to run in enhanced mode.
OR they could continue to think like the music and movie industry and expect people to buy replacements... then NOT release HD versions of their old games-- Nintendo rarely ever remakes anything, just a few zelda games and the rest is all emulated.
Re: (Score:2)
He's referring to the GPU being emulated. You don't think they bothered putting the old hardware somewhere on that R700-series GPU do you?
Let me give you a better idea of how this is working. When ATI released the 9700 Pro, DirectX 9 was such a big leap that hardware support for older technologies would have been detriment
Wii GPU == GameCube GPU (Score:2)
You don't think they bothered putting the old hardware somewhere on that R700-series GPU do you?
Actually, I think they did. After 12 years of process shrinks, a GameCube GPU wouldn't occupy much die space.
Re: (Score:2)
I know it's a joke, but 3D games CAN benefit from higher resolution than that for which they were designed. The textures get blurred a little, but the edges of geometry remain sharp. Think of it in terms of raster vs. vector images: you can upscale a vector image without losing sharpness. The same goes for 3D geometry.
Re: (Score:2)
Blocky ass N64/DS models (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Then only upscale games known to work upscaled (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Kids and I always joke about them bringing back the Game Cube controller, which was their favorite.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, a Wii HD with no new features, just HD support for $200 with the games to back it up would have kicked butt.
Just like the PS3 (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ha! I remember 1993 when the bearded engineers playing hex wargames/RPG's/flightsims were complaining about the frat-boys playing DOOM and how action games like DOOM were dumbing down PC gaming. So don't go blaming the console gamers, blame ID and John Romero... the "dumbing down" of PC gaming started with Wolfenstein and all the frat-boy gamers brought to PC gaming because of it.
Really, ID and PC's becoming cheaper changed the demographics of PC gaming greatly. Where once it was your typical upper middl
Re: (Score:2)
I got my PS3 in 2008, when you could get a deluxe model with an 80GB hard drive, the 4 USB ports, built in card reader and PS2 compatibility bundled with what was then the new Dual Shock 3's, oh...and MGS4, but I didn't care much about that. And Pain... All for 499 or was it 459... anyway, good deal for that model in 2008 when there was more of a game selection.
FantaVision (Score:2)
Virtual Console (Score:4, Insightful)
I bought a Wii and a 3DS practically on the potential of their respective Virtual Consoles alone.
I've learned my lesson.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
I didn't mind paying $5 to download Super Mario Bros to my Wii. I do mind having to pay again to download it on the 3DS, and yet again to download it to a Wii U.
And that's not my only complaint about how their Virtual Consoles have been handled.
Re: (Score:3)
That's one of the nice things about PSN, buy a PSone classic once, play it on your PS3 AND PSP or Vita. Used to be up to 5 authorized devices...I think it's 3 now because of people abusing the system by sharing PSN account info.
Re: (Score:2)
If I want to play CT for the eight bajillionth time (never have got everyone up to Lvl 99), I can pull out the SNES and Chrono Trigger cartridge. Or I can pull out the disk of the Final Fantasy Chronicles version and put it in the PS3 (or pull out the stored PS2). Or I can just play the PSN version of the disk version on my PS3, or PSP.
And yes, it's one of my favorite games (up there with Super Metroid, FFVII, Castlevania SOTN, Fallout 3, PSone Diablo).....I should play it again...though I have seen all t
The only title worth playing (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Bad Price Point (Score:3, Interesting)
Nintendo has always had a cost niche that set them apart from xbox and ps3. Why would they want to go head to head? My kids are older now and I am not going to shell out that much money because they want to play a few titles that they liked when they were younger.
Who buys (and keeps) this crap console anyway? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
>"The screen added nothing of value" //
I'm surprised to hear this: I've only played on WiiU a handful of times just on Nintendoland really and it was very good. Far better than I expected.
Re: (Score:2)
A prediction (Score:2)
Sales will pick up instantly as soon as modchips are available.
People don't like the U part (Score:4, Insightful)
So Nintendo back peddled on the motion control thing they had going for them, and as a result the older hardware is still outselling the new hardware because it's cheaper and does as good as the newer hardware in what people buy a Wii for. If the Wii U had a motion control system consumers considered to be an improvement over the Wii, I suspect that Wii U would be at least outselling the Wii.
Re: (Score:2)
The Wii already had that, and it was called the MotionPlus. It didn't work out too well because by that time most third-party developers had jumped ship. Given that, I don't think a Wii 2 would have worked out much better.
MotionPlus was a failure in solving the problem of better motion control. It still would "lose" you, and you had to regularly (sometimes every ten or so minutes) have to recalibrate the thing. MotionPlus was a stop gap, and it's sad that in the current state of things, looks like the solution. Motion Plus was something that could be added to the existing system; what the successor to the Wii needed was an improved motion sensor, not an identical one.
Virtual Boy auto-pause (Score:2)
you had to regularly (sometimes every ten or so minutes) have to recalibrate the [Wii MotionPlus sensor].
But was that any worse than having to rest your eyes every few minutes with a Virtual Boy or 3DS?
I don't want one (Score:4, Interesting)
So now we have the new Wii U and my kids haven't peeped about it, none of their friends have one, my wife doesn't know it exists, and Nintendo hasn't shown me anything interesting.
I am not saying that the thing is great or that it sucks. I just don't know and haven't seen anything cool about it.
They Made Their Bed (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
BluRay vs. DVD and Wii U vs Wii (Score:2)
DVD on the other hand intr
The Controller failed big time (Score:2)
I bought one as soon as it came out, for the HD definition part. The controller with a resistive (one touch only) screen (no multitouch) was a dodo bird. Doomed from the start.
I got the wiimote later on, and was relieved, even though I did not have a WII (the old wii...not the new Wii U). And the games (that was compatible with the Wiimote) was a lot more fun as I had to move my entire body to slash and dice with the sword. The Wii U's
Re:As compared to the XKeystroke article, below (Score:5, Insightful)
If Slashdot only updated when there was a story more important than the previous one, it wouldn't update very often.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't understand. What am I giving the government credit for?
Re: (Score:2)
As a long time game dev & gamer I think I agree with your conclusion and hope your post gets modded up.
The Wii was literally a 2x GameCube. They "won" that round of consoles focusing on gameplay over "flash". It is sad to see them trying to do the same thing with the Wii U and failing. The marketing dept. alone should be fired for dumb naming.
Your comment about Nintendo focusing on Software like Sega is very interesting! Nintendo has a long history of "gimmick" or "fad" hardware and I think it has f
Re: (Score:2)
This generation hasn't been too kind to the genre on home consoles in the first place.
Unless you're a PS3 owner, then you get more. I think it would be more accurate to say that this generation hasn't been to kind to JRPG's, WRPG's have been doing fine.