What Is This MESS?!?!?

[DeadManReedeemed]

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-1 ... f-wii-u#p1

[Orodrist]

Precisely what everyone expected.

[ChickenSoup]

Precisely what everyone expected.

This.

[JOJ650s]

Looks like the Wii U is going through the same phase as the 3DS,
I bet it will do much better next year, as Smash Bros and a new Legend of Zelda will be coming out.

[Sstavix]

Yes, unfortunately it's performing about as well as others have expected. Nintendo is really going to have to ramp things up if they're going to be competitive, now that the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft are out. It seems like, for the past year or so, the portable game systems have been the ones carrying Nintendo, while the Wii is merely waiting in the wings, as it were, for another miraculous big break.

Nintendo's been playing "follow the leader" too much lately. They had a fantastic surge with the motion controls, but now that everyone's got them (there's even a larger "controller" planned to work with Steam and the Oculus Rift) it's becoming passé. They need to present something truly innovative if they hope to retake the lead in the console war (especially with the strong showing that Sony's PS4 has shown).

[ChickenSoup]

What they need to do is focus on proper hardware rather than gimmicks and recover a name for themselves. I don't want to buy a Zelda/Mario machine it bums me out, cause Nintendo was my console of choice up through the Gamecube years.

[Sstavix]

What they need to do is focus on proper hardware...

I would say that they did that with their motion controllers. It was a fresh and innovative idea when it came out, and everyone loved it for the potential for further gaming immersion. But Nintendo seemed to have stopped at that point. They could have done so much more with the original Wii - I still find it weird that the thing can't even play DVDs or music CDs without hacking. And Nintendo let the concept of the motion control/immersive game stagnate until others were able to catch up (and, if the Oculus Rift has any potential, easily pass). It's like, after they finished with the Wii, they transferred all of their good R&D techs over to the handheld division. (Part of that could be due to Nintendo executives viewing the iPad, of all things, to be a threat to their market share. I remember reading an article years ago where some Nintendo CEO cited Apple as their chief competitor, rather than Microsoft or Sony.)

[ChickenSoup]

I'm talking performance-wise. Sure, Nintendo has always had comparatively cheaper consoles, but the Wii wasn't really even in the same category as the 360 or PS3 and the WiiU was already outdone before it was released. If the only third party titles I can play on a console are crappy shells of their actual selves, what's the point?

And for the record, I hated the motion controls and the moves to appeal to casual gamers. The Wii made Shooters impossible. Their motion controllers as the main controller was a pretty lame decision even for games where you'd think swinging your own sword would be cool (e.g. Twilight Princess, whose controls where interesting at first until I remembered how insanely comfortable the GameCube controller was. You could argue that many games allow GC controller play, but the need for that at all is kinda pathetic.

I haven't played the Wii U but it seems like another wrong step. "WELL, look at THIS CONTROLLER HEH HEH, it has a SCREEN!! please love us"

[DeadManReedeemed]

I think there are several things that people overlook when comparing Nintendo to other companies.

Nintendo has it right at this point. True, they had a rough start and they have it a little rough now. There's no denying that. But considering the stupid mistakes that Sony and Microsoft have unwittingly made (excluding the blue light and faulty disc drives #itsoundslikeimtrollingbutimnot), Nintendo is looking at their mistakes and, whether people realize it or not, they are indeed learning from them. This a perfect chance for them to make a comeback, too. For one thing, the price is lower. Second, it has a lot more games out for it than the other current-gen consoles (excluding the fact they just came out) and, as with EVERY console launch, the games are terrible for the most part and the reviews for some of them (especially PS4) do not bode well. Even the Free-to-Play idea didn't ease the fact that it was a bad launch. Xbox One is extremely over-priced (and has a faulty disc drive), PS4 has some faults (blue light specifically) and the most important thing to note is that they only work on HDTV. They completely disregarded the fact that not everybody is ready to move on, therefore they are forcing people with no cash to buy a whole new HDTV (or at least extra components/an LCD monitor with HDMI connectivity) in order to use the thing. And even when they do, it still may not work well for them.


The Nintendo Wii U, on the other hand, smacks those problems (TO THE FACE!!!!) out of the way. Wii U has both SDTV AND HDTV connectivity, so if you have one but not the other you aren't forced to spend your money on a new TV. So what if HDTV is the new standard? You think that just because a shiny new TV with HD looks cool and has cool features people are just gonna say "OOooooh, that's so awesome!!! Here, take all my money!!!" ? No, because the only time they would most likely do that is if the TV they currently have no longer works. It's called "common sense", something that Sony and Microsoft, although ambitious and innovative, are not using. Second, the bundles. This was (and is) a gamebreaker if executed properly. All the systems- bundles and all- are now the same price: $299. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and the Nintendoland bundles are a bargain compared to the PS4 and X-One. Hands down, no questions asked. A bundle that isn't overpriced? Works for me. Third, PS4 and X-One are not- I repeat, NOT- backwards compatible. PS4 is going to have PS classics, but they're most likely not going to be the ones we want. If they brought back games like Erghiez: God Bless the Ring, The Bouncer, Rival Schools, and any other titles that are actually worth the price of admission and not titles they think people like, then maybe that would be cool. Nintendo's eShop has the first Super Smash Bros. (and who wouldn't want that?), as well as other titles they know people like.

Look, I'm just saying.

[ChickenSoup]

Aside from coming off quite biased, your point about HDTV is rapidly losing validity. HDTVs aren't expensive anymore

[ArchAngel]

Why would you even want to run the new consoles on a non-HD TV? Can you even find them in stores anymore? HD TV is the new standard. Shoot, it's already posed to be knocked off by 4k.

If you can't even afford the now ever-present HD TV, what makes you think you'd pony up for the next gens? A new 30" is literally half the price of the new consoles. Are we expecting these people to buy a lot of games, too?
People without an HD TV is simply just not the market. Without an HD TV, you simply are not getting the graphic fidelity that these consoles dish out. The fact that the Wii U still has analog jacks is only a testament to it's technological antiquity.

Seems like Nintendo's appeal to nostalgia is starting to show it's diminished marginal returns. For someone who has little to no Nintendo Nostalgia, the Wii U is thoroughly one of the most boring and dullest consoles I have ever seen. So dull, in fact, I can't even picture what the console looks like. I just imagine another Wii.

So, the only surprise I have for Nintendo's numbers is that they are has high as they are.

[DeadManReedeemed]

You seem to have ignored me when I said:

...so you're not forced to buy a new TV.

There are still people who have an SDTV that works. If they want to buy an HDTV, that's up to them. I'm not being biased, I'm just saying it's a pretty good option for those who have a budget and cannot afford an HDTV or don't need one. You make it sound like everybody's rich and can buy whatever they want whenever they want to. The fact is, that's not the case.


And what the heck is this about antique hardware? You still can play Wii U games in HD. And in 1080p. It's trying to cater to the majority, not just the one. That's what got them in trouble in the first place, but it may just work in their favor if they play their cards right.

[Sstavix]

Yeah, I'm one of those that also doesn't have an HDTV in the house. Of course, my excuse is mainly because the TV we've got is still working perfectly fine. The new TVs are getting dirt cheap... but if you don't need one, why buy one? Yes, I think the PS4 looks intriguing... but I don't plan on getting one any time soon. Maybe after my existing television blows it's enormous tube (seriously, that thing must weigh 40 pounds. I was moving it this weekend) and I replace it, I'll look into it.

And yes, DMR, the Nintendo does have the advantage of being much less expensive than the others... but that's more of a benefit to the consumers, rather than Nintendo. Last I heard, Nintendo is still selling the things at a loss, and doesn't report making a profit on the units until at least one additional game is sold (I don't know if that counts games that are sold as part of a WiiU bundle, but I doubt it). So yes, the lower price does help Nintendo sell more units... but it doesn't necessarily translate into making more money for the company. That's not something shareholders want to hear.

[ChickenSoup]

Tell me, DMR, did you flip out when cassette tapes were no longer supported and you were forced to buy a CD player or an MP3 player?

[FamilyFriendlyGaming]

Great conversation. Keep up the fantastic work.