Serebii Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 This has really surprised me actually, not the West but Japan. I thought at least Capcom would have put some effort in and as much as I adore Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate it is still a port. The other game they released ( Resident Evil ) is also a port. Again, I think this is where the 3DS is hurting things because most Japanese developers just want to develop for that. You can't blame them though given that its cheaper than HD development and the size of the user base. Also, most Japanese developers have really struggled with HD development. It's not just that. Japan has turned into a very portable country. It's irrational to assume home consoles are going to do massive amounts because of this. They'll do moderately to decently, but they'll never set the country on fire.
Hero-of-Time Posted July 17, 2013 Author Posted July 17, 2013 It's not just that. Japan has turned into a very portable country. It's irrational to assume home consoles are going to do massive amounts because of this. They'll do moderately to decently, but they'll never set the country on fire. I know that and i'm not on about the sales on the consoles, more about Japanese developers supporting the Wii U. Capcom clearly had no problem supporting the HD twins from the start or the Wii but with this they are remaining a little more skeptical.
liger05 Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 This has really surprised me actually, not the West but Japan. I thought at least Capcom would have put some effort in and as much as I adore Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate it is still a port. The other game they released ( Resident Evil ) is also a port. Again, I think this is where the 3DS is hurting things because most Japanese developers just want to develop for that. You can't blame them though given that its cheaper than HD development and the size of the user base. Also, most Japanese developers have really struggled with HD development. The thing is many Japanese developers now are looking to produce console games that can sell worldwide. Who would sink money into the Wii U in its current state when you have the PS3/360 install base to work with.
Daft Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 I know that and i'm not on about the sales on the consoles, more about Japanese developers supporting the Wii U. Capcom clearly had no problem supporting the HD twins from the start or the Wii but with this they are remaining a little more skeptical. I think Japans hesitance towards home consoles since the beginning of this generation and Nintendo's aggressively Japan centric game development has really made the Wii U suffer. Worst thing is, it could so easily have been avoided.
Goron_3 Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 It's slightly worrying just how much competition the Wii U has this Winter. There'll be GTA5 for 360/PS3, Pokemon for the 3DS and then two next generation consoles all going after the same market. Clearly, not everyone can win.
bryanee Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 Theres gotta be a price drop at some point this year right for the Wii U? I just cant see sales staying up with just the games they have this year. Having the odd bump every now and again when a game releases just wont cut it. As for Japan I think they have a little bit of luck with the PS4 not releasing there until next year.
khilafah Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 man them Wii U Hardware sales are not good @ all. Will be back to under 15k next week! Lego City will not do anything for Wii U in Japan.
liger05 Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) It's slightly worrying just how much competition the Wii U has this Winter. There'll be GTA5 for 360/PS3, Pokemon for the 3DS and then two next generation consoles all going after the same market. Clearly, not everyone can win. Yep it's in such a difficult spot. The more I think I about I just fail to understand how this console was able to be designed like it was and then released into a hostile market with no software. It's been such a cluster fuck. I would ditch the gamepad and reduce the price of the console as much as possible. The gamepad isn't needed and just have it as an optional extra. Edited July 17, 2013 by liger05
Goron_3 Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) Yep it's in such a difficult spot. The more I think I about I just fail to understand how this console was able to be designed like it was and then released into a hostile market with no software. It's been such a cluster fuck. I would ditch the gamepad and reduce the price of the console as much as possible. The gamepad isn't needed and just have it as an optional extra. Yeah it really does seem as though they threw the gamepad in there just for the sake of being different. Its basically just being used for off screen play now. Edited July 17, 2013 by Goron_3
khilafah Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 Yeah it really does seem as though they through the gamepad in there just for the sake of being different. Its basically just being used for off screen play now. This. Nintendo cant even come up with anything innovative or something that some one will say wow! when using the gamepad! Its not needed.
liger05 Posted July 17, 2013 Posted July 17, 2013 Taken from GAF. FAMITSU DREAMCAST WII U 1/4/1999 28,830 1/7/2013 21,489 1/11/1999 27,439 1/14/2013 16,635 1/18/1999 22,788 1/21/2013 12,335 1/25/1999 37,249 1/28/2013 11,714 2/1/1999 20,327 2/4/2013 11,092 2/8/1999 15,160 2/11/2013 10,167 2/15/1999 2WEEK1 2/18/2013 9,495 2/22/1999 22,797 2/25/2013 9,528 (19,203 2WEEK1) 3/1/1999 13,362 3/4/2013 9,089 3/8/1999 9,232 3/11/2013 8,567 3/15/1999 8,952 3/18/2013 10,172 3/22/1999 16,657 3/25/2013 21,502 3/29/1999 14,675 4/1/2013 14,413 4/5/1999 13,348 4/8/2013 10,147 4/12/1999 6,747 4/15/2013 8,047 4/19/1999 2WEEK1 4/22/2013 8,058 4/26/1999 14,882 4/29/2013 10,573 (18,631 2WEEK1) 5/3/1999 7,392 5/6/2013 6,744 5/10/1999 4,458 5/13/2013 6,058 5/17/1999 3,344 5/20/2013 5,536 5/24/1999 4,743 5/27/2013 5,669 5/31/1999 2,567 6/3/2013 4,549 6/7/1999 676 6/10/2013 5,031 6/14/1999 479 6/17/2013 4,236 6/21/1999 45,058 6/24/2013 5,846 6/28/1999 25,249 7/1/2013 6,380 7/5/1999 20,741 7/8/2013 20,728 TOTAL (from this chart) DREAMCAST - 387,152 WII U - 273,800 Tracking behind the Dreamcast in Japan. Thats just madness.
Serebii Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Yep it's in such a difficult spot. The more I think I about I just fail to understand how this console was able to be designed like it was and then released into a hostile market with no software. It's been such a cluster fuck. I would ditch the gamepad and reduce the price of the console as much as possible. The gamepad isn't needed and just have it as an optional extra. They will not ditch the GamePad. It is vital to the system. You may not like it, and there may not be massive innovative ways to use it coming out of Nintendo, but it NEEDS it. Trust me
Hero-of-Time Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 They will not ditch the GamePad. It is vital to the system. You may not like it, and there may not be massive innovative ways to use it coming out of Nintendo, but it NEEDS it. Trust me They wouldn't drop it at this point anyway but Nintendo still haven't show us a rich, new gameplay experience using it. Not that it bothers me, I mean I would be happy with with an off TV play option for every game. I care not for gimmick controls methods and would much rather they stick with a normal pad.
Rummy Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Yeah they won't, and shouldn't, ditch it. It's the Wii U's identity pretty much. It does need a cut though. £200 for the premium is the sweetspot imo, quite a number of Wii U owners on here alone picked it up in a price-cut deal like that(Flink and DuD as most recent examples in the ASDA drop...which is still sitting at £200). Edited July 18, 2013 by Rummy
liger05 Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Yeah they won't, and shouldn't, ditch it. It's the Wii U's identity pretty much. It does need a cut though. £200 for the premium is the sweetspot imo, quite a number of Wii U owners on here alone picked it up in a price-cut deal like that(Flink and DuD as most recent examples in the ASDA drop...which is still sitting at £200). I dont see how they can afford to sell it at £200 without taking a major loss on each console sold. The gamepad is just an anchor around the neck. Lose it.
Rummy Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 I don't see how they can afford to let it sit on shelves gathering dust rather than selling. How can you even contemplate them dropping the GamePad? What would the Wii U be then? Some half-arsed lastgen.five console that doesn't really do anything special? What would make it, what would define it, what would make the Wii U the Wii U? Dropping the gamepad is suicide. Much greater loss to them than taking a hit in the pockets. They need to get the Wii U sold, and fast. They missed out BIG by not getting a real solid jump on the competition with their year advantage, but they could still turn it around. They need to get the Wii U into homes, they need to show that it sells, and then they can show that the games do too.
liger05 Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) I don't see how they can afford to let it sit on shelves gathering dust rather than selling. How can you even contemplate them dropping the GamePad? What would the Wii U be then? Some half-arsed lastgen.five console that doesn't really do anything special? What would make it, what would define it, what would make the Wii U the Wii U? Dropping the gamepad is suicide. Much greater loss to them than taking a hit in the pockets. They need to get the Wii U sold, and fast. They missed out BIG by not getting a real solid jump on the competition with their year advantage, but they could still turn it around. They need to get the Wii U into homes, they need to show that it sells, and then they can show that the games do too. Iwata promised a fiscal year-end profit of 100 billion yen. Dropping the price to £200 will mean Nintendo taking a big hit on each console sold which would mean they would get nowhere close to making a year-end profit and if anything would result in more losses. The Wii u with the gamepad is no different to how you have described it without it. With the Pad its still a console which is a lot closer to the performance of current gen consoles than next gen. With the gamepad it still had a library which is weak and growing too slowly. With the gamepad its still a console with little 3rd party support. I don’t see how the gamepad defines the Wii U when there is no software which actually shows why the gamepad is a ‘must have’ experience over the pro controller? I just don’t see how the perception of the console to the consumer will change for the worse if there was no gamepad. I don’t think the consumer is bothered. Tablets are old news now. Now if there is a bunch of software in the pipeline which will show off just how good the gamepad is then yes keep it but I don’t think there is. Nintendo are either not bothered or just not coming up with any ideas which will show what the gamepad can do which cant be done elsewhere. By now there should be at least one game from Nintendo which justifies the gamepads existence. Edited July 18, 2013 by liger05
Cube Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 They wouldn't drop it at this point anyway but Nintendo still haven't show us a rich, new gameplay experience using it. Not that it bothers me, I mean I would be happy with with an off TV play option for every game. I care not for gimmick controls methods and would much rather they stick with a normal pad. As off-TV play is completely useless to me (playing on a smaller, low-quality screen doesn't interest me), the lack of good GamePad uses bugs me. I think £200 for the Premium, with Nintendoland an another game included (Pikmin?) would be a good price.
Goron_3 Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 As off-TV play is completely useless to me (playing on a smaller, low-quality screen doesn't interest me), the lack of good GamePad uses bugs me. I think £200 for the Premium, with Nintendoland an another game included (Pikmin?) would be a good price. Agree on the first point. The Gamepad is my favourite controller ever other than the GC one but come on, it's not getting used for anything outside of off screen play and that is a HUGE problem. It may as well have been a peripheral a few years down the line of Nintendo launching a cheap next gen console. I understand what Rummy is saying in that if they ditched the Gamepad, what would be the point of the Wii U, but is anyone seriously buying the console for the gamepad? Are the people who will buy it for another Mario Kart, Smash or Wii Fit buying it for the gamepad? I seriously doubt it. Just to be clear, I freaking LOVE the gamepad but the fact that not even Nintendo don't know what to do with it is a huge problem. I can't help wishing they launched a £150-200 console HD console and stuck with motion controls at this point. I really do doubt the gamepad is an incentive for people to buy the console as its not being used for anything amazing outside of Nintendo and Zombie U.
Hero-of-Time Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 Iwata promised a fiscal year-end profit of 100 billion yen. Dropping the price to £200 will mean Nintendo taking a big hit on each console sold which would mean they would get nowhere close to making a year-end profit and if anything would result in more losses. They have the 3DS and with both Pokemon and Monster Hunter both launching at the end of the year ( in Japan at least ) that will seriously help towards that number.
liger05 Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 They have the 3DS and with both Pokemon and Monster Hunter both launching at the end of the year ( in Japan at least ) that will seriously help towards that number. No doubt but I dont see how they could afford to do what they did with the 3DS and take a massive hit on it the wii u HW sales while trying to hit the forecast. There will be a price cut but a £100 price cut I just cant see happening.
Hero-of-Time Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 No doubt but I dont see how they could afford to do what they did with the 3DS and take a massive hit on it the wii u HW sales while trying to hit the forecast. There will be a price cut but a £100 price cut I just cant see happening. I think a bundle is more likely. A Mario bundle that has NSMBU, Super Mario World 3D and Super Luigi U download code would be nice. Or even if they allow gamers to pick 2 Nintendo titles when buy the console.
Wii Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 It's over. A price drop at this stage won't help. 3rd parties are either gone and are never coming back or they soon will be in the case of Ubisoft by the end of the year. Nintendo made every single mistake possible with the Wii U. We all know what they are and to list would take too long. Look at Capcom, they've given us 2 ports and have nothing else announced. The fact that they can't get Japanese developer support speaks volumes to the scale of the problem.
Ashley Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Do we know how much Nintendo are losing on each console sale at this moment? I know they sell it at a loss, but its been on sale now for nearly a year and one would assume that the overall production cost has reduced slightly.
Daft Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 I think the Wii U is the perfect example of a USP that no one asked for, needed or knows what to do with. It may appear to be innovative - and people are much more ready to make this assumption just because it is Nintendo - but it's really all smoke and mirrors to distract you from the fact that when it comes down to it, Nintendo rarely push the boundaries of the medium. What the Wii U really signifies is Nintendo's utter lack of imagination; as if Disney never moved on from Mickey Mouse.
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