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

[Autosaver]

 

Luigi confirmed for Sonic Lost World?

[Sami]

What is the Vita's excuse then? It seems like the same problem, but the causes can't be the same.

 

It's a very niche device with a higher price point than its competitor. I like it because that niche fits me to a tee, but it doesn't have anywhere near the mass appeal of the 3DS, and Sony, for better or worse, is putting more focus on PS4.

 

Vita could get by with more RPGs and Japan-centric games, I think. The core market of the west just isn't too interested in handhelds. At least not in comparison to consoles.

 

 

Exactly

 

Which is why I feel the Wii U will turn around after holiday season. It will also gain a huge boost with Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros 4. It will also drop to $299.99 in 2014 so I expect great things.

 

We don't know about the price drop, though. Hasn't it been more or less stated that the price won't be dropped for a long time because it'd simply cost Nintendo too much? 

 

And in regards to those two games... they most certainly fit the Nintendo niche. But will they sell systems to the mass market? I'd argue they sold so well on Wii not because people wanted one for them, but because people already had a Wii and wanted games for it.

 

But we'll see.

 

Oh, and I think you missed my point, lol. If they had made the system more powerful instead of spending all that money on a controller nobody wanted (not saying it's bad, I'm saying nobody said "man I wish they'd make a controller like this"), they could have gotten much better ports of PS3/360 games, and also easy ports of PS4/Xbox One games. 

Edited August 25, 2013 by Discoid

[The Kid]

It's a very niche device with a higher price point than its competitor. I like it because that niche fits me to a tee, but it doesn't have anywhere near the mass appeal of the 3DS, and Sony, for better or worse, is putting more focus on PS4.

 

Vita could get by with more RPGs and Japan-centric games, I think. The core market of the west just isn't too interested in handhelds. At least not in comparison to consoles.

That is the system right now, mostly. The sales in Japan aren't that good either, so it isn't specifically the West. My point is that games drive the system regardless of gimmick or price or even power. If the Wii U gets those games, sales will pick up.

 

 

We don't know about the price drop, though. Hasn't it been more or less stated that the price won't be dropped for a long time because it'd simply cost Nintendo too much? 

 

And in regards to those two games... they most certainly fit the Nintendo niche. But will they sell systems to the mass market? I'd argue they sold so well on Wii not because people wanted one for them, but because people already had a Wii and wanted games for it.

 

But we'll see.

 

Price won't be dropped, it has been confirmed multiple times (and with the factory closing down soon I thought it was suddenly going to be more expensive to produce). Waiting for that to happen before Christmas 2014 is pointless.

 

Smash Bros. fits the niche, but Mario Kart 8 arguably doesn't. It sold really well on the Wii outside of being bundled, and saying "because people had a Wii but just wanted some other games but not because they wanted the system for Mario Kart" is a guess at most. Regardless of it being true or false, it isn't really something that you can say with certainty.

Edited August 25, 2013 by The Kid

[Sami]

That is the system right now, mostly. The sales in Japan aren't that good either, so it isn't specifically the West. My point is that games drive the system regardless of gimmick or price or even power. If the Wii U gets those games, sales will pick up.

 

I'd argue the Vita really doesn't have a chance to really compete with the 3DS at this point. In the same way that I don't think the Wii U stands a chance against the PS4 or Xbox One.

 

Yeah, games will sell the system, but you also have to bear in mind that the competition is extremely fierce. It's really nothing like the handheld market.

 

Price won't be dropped, it has been confirmed multiple times (and with the factory closing down soon I thought it was suddenly going to be more expensive to produce). Waiting for that to happen before Christmas 2014 is pointless.

Smash Bros. fits the niche, but Mario Kart 8 arguably doesn't. It sold really well on the Wii outside of being bundled, and saying "because people had a Wii but just wanted some other games but not because they wanted the system for Mario Kart" is a guess at most. Regardless of it being true or false, it isn't really something that you can say with certainty.

 

I still think that if the masses were frothing at the mouth for Mario Kart and Smash, the Gamecube wouldn't have been third place in its generation. We'll see, but I will be absolutely floored if the Wii U is in first place sales wise (hell, I'd be surprised if it isn't dead last) by the second fiscal quarter of 2014.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Discoid

[The Kid]

I'd argue the Vita really doesn't have a chance to really compete with the 3DS at this point. In the same way that I don't think the Wii U stands a chance against the PS4 or Xbox One.

 

Yeah, games will sell the system, but you also have to bear in mind that the competition is extremely fierce. It's really nothing like the handheld market.

 

 

I still think that if the masses were frothing at the mouth for Mario Kart and Smash, the Gamecube wouldn't have been third place in its generation. We'll see, but I will be absolutely floored if the Wii U is in first place sales wise (hell, I'd be surprised if it isn't dead last) by the second fiscal quarter of 2014.

 

I guess I'm not more concerned about the Wii U being first place by the end of the generation, more that it actually sells well by the end of the generation.

[Sami]

I guess I'm not more concerned about the Wii U being first place by the end of the generation, more that it actually sells well by the end of the generation.

 

First place always gets the most games, so I always root for my choice console. 

 

Part of me hopes the Wii U sells well because I like Nintendo's IPs and I appreciate what they represent, but the other part wants a mass restructuring and new blood running the company, because I've hated their practices for years now.

[Red Cap]

I really don't think Smash Bros and Mario Kart can be considered niche games. They sell waaay too much for that.

And in regards to those two games... they most certainly fit the Nintendo niche. But will they sell systems to the mass market?

Mario Kart has always sold amazingly, so I don't doubt that it would push a few Wii U's. Smash Bros /also/ has a history of pushing consoles. It's true that those two alone wouldn't turn the sales around, but it'd definitely help the Wii U just like how Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 helped the 3DS. Edited August 25, 2013 by Red Cap-Blue Spikes

[Conando]

>Niche game

>Mario Kart is like the second best selling series period

 

No, seriously. What?

[The Kid]

First place always gets the most games, so I always root for my choice console. 

 

Part of me hopes the Wii U sells well because I like Nintendo's IPs and I appreciate what they represent, but the other part wants a mass restructuring and new blood running the company, because I've hated their practices for years now.

 

Xbox 360 and Ps3 got about the same amount in the West and they were tied for last this past generation. The lead may get the most games, but it isn't the only way to get a ton of sales.

 

Nintendo reorganizing their way of thinking to fit in with the other two? You have a better chance of the company quitting altogether.

[Sami]

Nintendo reorganizing their way of thinking to fit in with the other two? You have a better chance of the company quitting altogether.

 

Why not do that they do best without the handicap of lackluster, out of date hardware and arrogant refusal to implement any innovation that wasn't theirs (*cough cough online play*)?

 

 

>Niche game

>Mario Kart is like the second best selling series period

 

No, seriously. What?

 

Halo made a bigger splash than Double Dash did. Maybe "niche" was the wrong word, but I don't see how Mario Kart is supposed to be Nintendo's "Halo" as far as sales go. People bought Xbox for Halo. That's indisputable; it was a phenomenon. People bought the Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, not for Mario Kart.

 

I'll eat crow if the Mario Kart 8 somehow sells tens of millions, but I don't see it happening. It'll make a ton of money, but I don't see people going "MAN, I'M TOTALLY BUYING A WII U FOR THAT NEW MARIO KART!"

[Conando]

If it were Nintendo's Halo, it'd be selling significantly worse.

[Sami]

If it were Nintendo's Halo, it'd be selling significantly worse.

 

 

Didn't Halo 2 outsell Double Dash? I wouldn't expect MK8 to do much better when the system itself has sold far less than the Gamecube did.

[Red Cap]

People bought the Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, not for Mario Kart.

The only reason why Wii Sports sold so many copies was because it was a pack-in game. Mario Kart Wii sold over 1 million copies in it's first two weeks in the US, and went on to sell a total of 34.26 million. I am absolutely SURE that it didn't sell that much just because people already had Wii's. Honestly, I'd be more surprised if MK8 DIDN'T push a respectable number of Wii U's.

[Sami]

The only reason why Wii Sports sold so many copies was because it was a pack-in game. Mario Kart Wii sold over 1 million copies in it's first two weeks in the US, and went on to sell a total of 34.26 million. I am absolutely SURE that it didn't sell that much just because people already had Wii's. Honestly, I'd be more surprised if MK8 DIDN'T push a respectable number of Wii U's.

 

You're not seriously suggesting that Wii Sports and Wii Fit weren't what kickstarted and led the entire phenomenon, are you? It became a fad. Sales spiked extremely high and millions upon millions of units were sold, until the fad died about two years ago and sales plummeted completely.

 

People bought Wii's for Wii Sports. Just glancing at the news stories and TV appearances will show you that.

[Tornado]

The only reason why Wii Sports sold so many copies was because it was a pack-in game.

Wii Sports was the entire (and, for what is certainly a large portion of cases, only) reason people were buying Wiis for a long period of time. It wasn't the punchline to a joke it is known as now. It was the killer app for the system that made people buy it who had never bought game systems at all otherwise, and it did so for years. Not Mario Kart. Not NSMB. The only game that came close is Wii Fit, which wouldn't surprise me if it was the only other game many of those people who bought the Wii for Wii Sports ever owned.

 

 

Yeah, it only sold so well because it was packed in with every Wii. But those Wiis wouldn't have sold in the first place if it wasn't there.

[Red Cap]

You're not seriously suggesting that Wii Sports and Wii Fit weren't what kickstarted and led the entire phenomenon, are you? It became a fad. Sales spiked extremely high and millions upon millions of units were sold, until the fad died about two years ago and sales plummeted completely.

I'm not arguing that the Wii ____ series wasn't the reason why sales for the Wii blasted off into space. I'm saying that every Mario Kart game, with the exception of the original and Double Dash, has sold a shitton of copies and has helped push their respective consoles to success, or in the case of the Wii just contributed to it. Either way, I'm just saying that you MIGHT be understating Mario Kart's selling ability by a little. Because not only does Mario Kart have a lot more casual appeal than it did when Double Dash came out, gaming itself is definitely way more mainstream than it was back then.

EDIT: I'm not trying to say that Mario Kart was the reason why the Wii sold well. We all know the Wii ____ series was only the reason why last gen ended with it in the lead. I just think that Mario Kart 8 will *help* (Keyword right there) the Wii U in a more significant way than what Dissident is thinking it will. Edited August 25, 2013 by Red Cap-Blue Spikes

[Autosaver]

I personally think the Wii had multiple killer apps.

 

Sure Wii Sports and Wii Fit were amazing at getting people to buy a Wii, I'm still going to place Mario Kart and NSMB in that killer app line.

Wii Sports ---> Wii Fit -----------------> Mario Kart ---> NSMB

 

Selling almost 40 million copies? It had to be something.

[Mr Loopone]

I'm sure that Mario Kart 8 will do well considering that both Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 were heavily advertised on TV, especially Mario Kart Wii where they were still advertising that 2 years after it came out. The reason why Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii were massive sellers was because they were hugely marketed, not just lots of TV adverts but also had events where people could play them. If Nintendo took the same approach on Mario Kart 8 to get interest (or even a bundle like the Wii/3DS), then it will be okay. Probably won't sell as much as Mario Kart Wii or even Mario Kart DS due to the high ownership base but much more than now in terms of the Wii U. Unless Nintendo sells more systems at October/November/December time and next year, it would struggle to sell a million but higher than most games where they are lucky to get a 1000 copies sold.

 

Well enough to sell the system? Probably not and chances are that Nintendo is still going to be 3rd place but it would be a big help and most likely going to be one of the top selling games on the Wii U.

[Candescence]

Tonight, we interrupt these constant arguments with this amazing piece of work.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5wplnqlqUD4

 

Seriously, it's puzzling why this vid is unlisted, it is godly.

[Cortez]

Tonight, we interrupt these constant arguments with this amazing piece of work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5wplnqlqUD4

Seriously, it's puzzling why this vid is unlisted, it is godly.

ok that was mega cool. I'm surprised that it hasn't shown up here before!

Those Toad twins were really fit as well <3

[FourCartridge]

Tonight, we interrupt these constant arguments with this amazing piece of work.

 

Seriously, it's puzzling why this vid is unlisted, it is godly.

 

Nintendo being awesome in ads? They need to more of this stuff and less... Whatever they've been doing.

[Milo]

Nintendo being awesome in ads? They need to more of this stuff and less... Whatever they've been doing.

 

 

I WAVE MY SWAG BACK AND FORTH

[Autosaver]

Tonight, we interrupt these constant arguments with this amazing piece of work.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5wplnqlqUD4

 

Seriously, it's puzzling why this vid is unlisted, it is godly.

 

 

I already posted it yesterday and nobody cared.

[MykonosFan]

 

I already posted it yesterday and nobody cared.

...who are you?

[Autosaver]

New Super Luigi U for Nintendo Wii U 24.99 with code GUST5 and SAVER.