What is the Wii U's position after the conference last night?

[OrbitingCow]

N is too proud I think to go software only though I think it is the right choice. They would have a LOT of leverage on software royalties with their IPs which would be guaranteed million sellers.

That said the WiiU is one gigantic mistake IMHO. People aren't going to be buying this thing en masse until it hits 200. And with that controller in there, really the worst thing about the console, I don't see this happening very soon.

They really F'd up designing a supposed nextgen system with a controller that really nobody wanted or asked for. That thing is such a huge money sink in the context of the system itself. I just don't see how a smart company could do something so vigorously reckless.

 

[(((interference)))]

Yeah, Nintendo should become like SEGA - I can bet they were too proud to make games for other peoples consoles too.

Everyone will win, Nintendo devs won't be hampered by penny pinching hardware and gamers can enjoy Nintendo games without having to waste money on a console that's pretty much useless for everything else.

Perhaps the failure of the Wii U will be for the best.

 

[Squilliam]

Yeah, Nintendo should become like SEGA - I can bet they were too proud to make games for other peoples consoles too.

Everyone will win, Nintendo devs won't be hampered by penny pinching hardware and gamers can enjoy Nintendo games without having to waste money on a console that's pretty much useless for everything else.

Perhaps the failure of the Wii U will be for the best.

Nintendo devs are enhanced by penny pinching hardware. 3rd party developers benefit from high performance and highly similar environments whereas Nintendo seems to make games that either take advantage of some unique gimmick or are high revenue, low cost games made around established baselines.

3rd parties want an environment where the consoles are either all identical (one major manufacturer with a huge lead) or all consoles are similar. If Nintendo leaves the console market then it will be to their detriment and to the advantage of 3rd parties at the same time. The only reason why it would ever be to Nintendo's advantage would be if 3rd parties manage to force Nintendo's hand.

 

[eastmen]

Nintendo devs are enhanced by penny pinching hardware. 3rd party developers benefit from high performance and highly similar environments whereas Nintendo seems to make games that either take advantage of some unique gimmick or are high revenue, low cost games made around established baselines.

3rd parties want an environment where the consoles are either all identical (one major manufacturer with a huge lead) or all consoles are similar. If Nintendo leaves the console market then it will be to their detriment and to the advantage of 3rd parties at the same time. The only reason why it would ever be to Nintendo's advantage would be if 3rd parties manage to force Nintendo's hand.

I dunno , Nintendo is big enough that they could perhaps get a no royality deal for exclusives. A sony ps4 with exclusive Nintendo games would sell a lot of consoles and leave ms in a huge bind. Same thing switched around . The Nintendo games represent a segment of the market , pretty much pull in younger kids and are all huge sellers.

 

[Arwin]

I'm scared that something like having Lego Universe exclusive could lead me to getting a Wii U (having a 4yo Lego fan in house). I hope that the game either sucks, is too adult, or comes to multiple platforms.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If Wii U fails, could it go multiplatform? Otherwise I can't see that happening.

 

[Grall]

Nintendo would have to start running out of cash to such an extent they simply can't finance development of a new console to go multi-plat, IMO. Otherwise they'll just bite down and hang in there; they're a pretty stubborn bunch.

Nintendo going the route of sega would be a benefit to gamers, but probably not to nintendo. After all, sega hasn't exactly prospered; the best that can be said about them is they're still around... On some other manufacturer's platform they would no longer get any royalty payments of course, and they would have to compete with the titles of other developers. Their potential customer base would get (perhaps much) bigger though depending on just how badly wuu does, which could make the difference perhaps.

*shrug* Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future is, as some little green dude once said.

 

[Arwin]

If Wii U fails, could it go multiplatform? Otherwise I can't see that happening.

Maybe not, but there is hope, with Ubisoft halting Rayman Legens and releasing that now multi-platform in September. Third party exclusives are expensive ... But who knows.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Lego City Undercover is published by Nintendo. Unless Nintendo go multiplat, I can't see this game getting released elsewhere. Unless, maybe, it's a timed exclusive with Nintendo publishing on Wii U and someone else publishing on other formats. Is that possible?

That's the largest negative with hardware competition - exclusive titles you want needing a whole new expensive box to play. If there was but one console, we wouldn't have that issue.

 

[DRS]

I think, in 5-6 years from now, most families currently owning a Wii because of Wii sports, will own a Wii U. It's like buying a new car of the same type and brand for them. By that time Wii U is like Wii today. That being said, I can't understand why Nintendo didn't try to pull in some PS360 owners by producing a system that runs PS360 ports consistently at 60fps.

He sounds like one of those waggle fans who thinks a pointer is better movement than traditional dual stick pad until they start playing multiplayer which is why people buy these games. It's the least compatible console in that regard.

You are right, wii mote pointer is for better aiming, not better movement. You can waggle while aiming but it won't help increasing the killrate, does it?

 

[function]

Wii U position update:

Bent over.

 

[Cjail]

Nintendo's fiscal year report revealed that WiiU sold 3.45 million units.

 

[Rangers]

Nintendo's fiscal year report revealed that WiiU sold 3.45 million units.

to date.

only a pathetic .39m (390k) in the last 3 months.

as a gaffer posted tho, it's probably surprising they managed to ship any new ones at all. launch quarter shipments presumably could have nearly held them over.

i dont see a basis in current sales for them shipping much more than 500k/q in the slow 9 months ongoing. as such, even the conservative 9m fiscal target looks impossible to me.

Wii U position update:

Bent over.

rofl

 

[Deleted member 13524]

And because Nintendo failed to reach their console sales estimates (which were already revised to lower values, more than once), Satoru Iwata has decided to take over Nintendo of America, becoming "Global President" of Nintendo.

Since I'm convinced that their problems reside mostly in the greediness of their top management in Japan (which is who takes care of the hardware AFAIK), to me this is Hara-Kiri. Pun intended.

 

[Cjail]

The 9 million mark for the end of the year could really be wishful thinking.
I don't want to sound mean and I don't say this for hate but WiiU could really be Nintendo's last console.

 

[Cyan]

And because Nintendo failed to reach their console sales estimates (which were already revised to lower values, more than once), Satoru Iwata has decided to take over Nintendo of America, becoming "Global President" of Nintendo.

Since I'm convinced that their problems reside mostly in the greediness of their top management in Japan (which is who takes care of the hardware AFAIK), to me this is Hara-Kiri. Pun intended.

They are apparently working on a new version of F-Zero, which could be a lifesaver for them, at least in my case, given the fact that it is my favourite Nintendo franchise ever.

http://www.aussie-gamer.com/news/shinen-multimedia-bringing-f-zero-to-nintendo-wii-u/

As you say though, lack of potential good games is not the actual problem of the WiiU....

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

As I said from the moment they announced the price, it's way too expensive. You pay next Gen money for current Gen hardware.

It should have been 250 euro, max, like Wii.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

They are apparently working on a new version of F-Zero, which could be a lifesaver for them, at least in my case, given the fact that it is my favourite Nintendo franchise ever.

http://www.aussie-gamer.com/news/shinen-multimedia-bringing-f-zero-to-nintendo-wii-u/

As you say though, lack of potential good games is not the actual problem of the WiiU....

As good as it is, I don't think a racing game with 7-year-old looks coming to market somewhere in 2014 will be able to single-handedly save a console.

Third-party support is gone for the Wii U and it isn't coming back. Apparently they're hoping the Indie developers will save them but I wonder if OUYA isn't already in a stronger position for that.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Still has a $200 requirement to target a dead platform (business entity), versus free for Android et al, unless I misunderstand what that tweet means. Unless ports are extremely easy (one button solutions) I can't see many indies caring, and those that do won't be enough to float the hardware.

 

[Grall]

With Nintendo's extremely shitty attitude towards its paying customers (tying purchases to the console, not the user), why should anyone buy anything from their estore, indie games or otherwise? I certainly won't.