General Nintendo sales/business discussion topic (previously: The Wii U Thread)

[Solkia]

I doubt they plan on paying for it.

[Blue Blood]

Haha, didn't consider this this, but it's pretty cool. Basically some guy took his Wii U on a train, plugged it into the outlets that most trains have these days and played away thanks to the the Game Pad. It's like an even more impractical SEGA Game Gear! Edited November 26, 2012 by Blue Blood

[Debug Ring]

Haha, didn't consider this this, but it's pretty cool. Basically some guy too his Wii U on a train, plugged it into the outlets that most trains have these days and played away thanks to the the Game Pad. It's like an even more impractical SEGA Game Gear!

Wow. When I get my Wii U and have to go on a long train journey... This is happening. I need to do this. Edited November 26, 2012 by Debug Ring

[MykonosFan]

Oh man. If you're not driving on a car trip, just get one of those AC adapters for vehicles and just play away. That'd be sweet.

[TheNicollette30]

Working Title: Wii Pee with U

*Toliet Paper is not included*

[Thigolf]

The Wii U sold over 400 000 units in its first week.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/26/3693408/wii-u-sales-surpass-400000-in-launch-week-nintendo-says-console-sold

The 6 year old console Wii sold 300.000 though. o:

[JezMM]

Oh wow that is pretty awesome. I didn't think this would be as popular as the original Wii due to hard times money-wise and the general "people buy a Wii and then only play it for a few months" thing but there it is.

[Carbo]

For reference, Wii's first week in retail sold 600k.

So far it's off to a great start but it's hard to tell how long that fuel is going to last considering 400k was the cap. I think it's easy to expect a million units by the end of the year though.

[Blue Blood]

So it's sold less than the original Wii did on this very short time? Not bad though. 400k is still a lot. And there's been Wii sales too, so Nintendo hardware sales are still at like 700k. I wonder what the Europe sales will be like, considering a lot of UK retailers are apparently reporting sell-outs, with four days left to go.

Shadz, did you get a price from Currys yet?

Edited November 26, 2012 by Blue Blood

[JezMM]

The 6 year old console Wii sold 300.000 though. o:

For reference, Wii's first week in retail sold 600k.

Oh wait so Thigolf was wrong? Disregard my previous post if so, lol.

Oh wait or did Thigolf mean the original Wii sold 300,000 during Wii U's launch week? Dayum if so.

Edited November 26, 2012 by JezMM

[Autosaver]

To be fair, the Wii U has massive shortages. Over 250,000 were on Gamestop's waiting list and all preorders were sold out a day after it was announced. I highly doubt the sales were disappointing especially for a higher price machine.

[Thigolf]

Oh wait or did Thigolf mean the original Wii sold 300,000 during Wii U's launch week? Dayum if so.

Exactly.

[Detective Shadzter]

Agreed that those numbers are pretty good considering the shortage of systems and the fact it's a much higher priced console compared to Wii.

Shadz, did you get a price from Currys yet?

Not yet. Had work today, but got the next 2 days off, so I'll see if I can drop in there tomorrow and ask.

[SuperStingray]

*Toliet Paper is not included*

I'm sure Sega will make a game with that as a peripheral. They love their toilet games.

[Tornado]

I'm sure Sega will make a game with that as a peripheral. They love their toilet games.

You mean they'll port STH '06 to the Wii U?

[SuperLink]

You mean they'll port STH '06 to the Wii U?

You mean they'll poot it to the WiiU.

(at risk of beating a dead horse here's an ontopic thing)

Did ya'll hear about this?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=501409

Sounds like no matter how hard ~game journalists~ try to find something bad or controversial to say about the eShop, they can't.

[Detective Shadzter]

Free fries at participating Burger King's in the UK on Wii U launch day this Friday.

http://www.facebook....26541920&type=1

Reggie - Competitors need to react to us, it was the right time for a new Nintendo console

http://www.gonintend...story&id=191559

The Wii U queue has started in London

http://www.officialn...rted-in-london/

[SuperLink]

Reggie - Competitors need to react to us, it was the right time for a new Nintendo console

http://www.gonintend...story&id=191559

He's right and that's very sporting of him.

He's also right that graphics aren't where the big bucks are anymore, to grab bigger demographics in today's market you need... a gimmick (and accessibility). Preferably one that works or one that is in the console to begin with.

(of course as good as this guy is with marketing most of the western world probably still has no idea what the WiiU is is it a controller or an app or what, it's really unclear and Nintendo are shooting themselves in the foot by not making that clear.)

[Dobkeratops]

He's also right that graphics aren't where the big bucks are anymore

That's where third party support will be, though. Developers want a reasonable spec jump and consumers want games that run good. Else you're risking a Wii-type wasteland of game releases.

to grab bigger demographics in today's market you need... a gimmick (and accessibility). Preferably one that works or one that is in the console to begin with.

Gimmicks didn't do shit for the 3DS, desperate pricecuts and a proper lineup did (well, in Japan. Portable gaming is fucked up in the west).

The Wii situation applies here too. Its gimmick eventually faded and then dropped like a rock, only having drawn in during its lifetime the most fickle casual masses. Again, publishers barely bothered, as that audience wasn't worth the effort of making versions for the system.

[Tornado]

Also, developers don't just want more power to push more polys. They want more power so they can have more headroom to work with, making their job easier.

[SuperLink]

I'm talkin' about sales more than anything though. 3DS' gimmick may not have sold it, but the brand name and games like Nintendogs did, Animal Crossing and new exclusive Pokémon games will help, but even then when people think "DS" they know the touch screen that worked so well, and the 3D thing is something a lot of people will want to try.

Wii may have been a wasteland for third party support, and the gimmick may have been a shame in potential, but boy oh boy did it sell, and boy oh boy is it still selling.

People aren't buying the Wii for games, they're buying it for the lifestyle it's marketed with.

Whether you like it or not, it's a legitimate business strategy and it works. If Nextbox and PS4 aren't marketed with some kind of lifestyle or accessible gimmick, or a lower price point, the chances they'll make the kind of money or sales the Wii is making are.. low. Graphics and power sell a console, but not on that level.

Edited November 27, 2012 by SuperLink

[Tornado]

It worked for the system that cost hundreds of dollars less than competing consoles and tapped into a new market. It probably won't work for a system that costs hundreds of dollars more than competing consoles and has already exploited that market to nothing (nevermind the confusion Nintendo caused by naming it so stupidly).

Nintendo needs to try to compete directly this time, and they need to actually put effort into it too.

[SuperLink]

Yeah I agree with you there, which is why it's ironic that what Reggie said is right, but isn't necessarily something Nintendo are doing successfully with the WiiU (yet).

imo they need to advertise the WiiU as a thing that plays HD games without the need for a TV or a setup, all you need is a mains source and you can play HD games from your controller, it may not be as big a demographic as the Wii's was but there is definitely a demographic who would love the hell out of that, the amount of people I've seen saying "wow I want a WiiU now" when they heard about that guy playing it on the train, it's funny and a bit sad that some random guy persuaded a lot of people that Nintendo weren't able to persuade yet.

Edited November 27, 2012 by SuperLink

[Dobkeratops]

I'm talkin' about sales more than anything though. 3DS' gimmick may not have sold it, but the brand name and games like Nintendogs did

Oh, I must have dreamed the part where they had to cut the price by a whooping 50% in its first year and throw a shitload of cash to third parties to get huge franchises out asap. And the fact that's only helped them sell the thing decently in one region out of three.

Wii may have been a wasteland for third party support, and the gimmick may have been a shame in potential, but boy oh boy did it sell, and boy oh boy is it still selling.

People aren't buying the Wii for games, they're buying it for the lifestyle it's marketed with.

It's been quite a while since it did great numbers. PS3 and 360 still retain their attractive this far into the generation, but despite the huge lead the Wii has fallen far enough it won't ever reach previous market leader records. It's certainly no PS2.

Besides, all of those consoles sold and yet nobody bothered to release multiplats on it. Why ignore such a huge userbase? Because they're not the types that'd buy these games.

Whether you like it or not, it's a legitimate business strategy and it works.

Sure, but so is writing bad teenage vampire fanfic novels. Me and my worthwhile third party support will just go over there ;P

[Solid SOAP]

..so am I the only one still shitting myself over the possibility of a new Yoshi's Island? Whether or not the leak was legit, the thought in my head of a new, beautiful, side-scrolling, multiplayer Yoshi game has me foaming at the mouth. I'm really, really hoping the leak was real because there are so many people I know who would play this with me and love it.