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

[Your Vest Friend]

NeoGaf had this.

Deeeeewm or something, I think that's what people keep repeating anyway.

[Sami]

Q1 2014's results are gonna be fun. :V

[Autosaver]

Sales will boost on holiday with Mario 3D World/Wii Fit U.

 

Then boost again with Mario Kart/Donkey Kong.

 

Then do a tremendous boost on Smash Bros.

 

 

Can't wait to see that graph shoot up.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Autosaver

[canderson]

 

 

Can't wait to see that graph shoot up.

I see a boost, but unfortunately I see things crashing back down to where we're currently at, immediately after the games are released. =(

[Sami]

I'm curious if it'll top the GC's holiday sales. It's already at a pretty big disadvantage, after all.

[Jet Prower]

I see a boost, but unfortunately I see things crashing back down to where we're currently at, immediately after the games are released. =(

 

Any boost is a good boost in my eye. Even if it doesn't maintain it all the time, any boost would be better than no boost at all.

[-Metal Sonic-]

There will most likely be a boost this holiday, then another one in 2014. I doubt the high sales would be maintained though.

[8ther]

Nintendo should have made the Wii U at least as powerful as the XB1, sure the power gap between the Wii U and PS4 isn't as huge as the Wii to PS3 gap but still it's huge enough to keep most games from running on it. I sincerely hope that with Iwata becoming CEO of NoA, it will open his eye to the ways of how the western side of the gaming industry works.

[Sami]

Nintendo should have made the Wii U at least as powerful as the XB1, sure the power gap between the Wii U and PS4 isn't as huge as the Wii to PS3 gap but still it's huge enough to keep most games from running on it. I sincerely hope that with Iwata becoming CEO of NoA, it will open his eye to the ways of how the western side of the gaming industry works.

 

Either that or he gets the boot.

 

I'm rooting for the latter. Bummer about losing a job, but a former CEO of a hugely successful company shouldn't have trouble finding work. Plus, Nintendo could really, really use some new blood at the reigns. 

[Jet Prower]

Nintendo should have made the Wii U at least as powerful as the XB1, sure the power gap between the Wii U and PS4 isn't as huge as the Wii to PS3 gap but still it's huge enough to keep most games from running on it. I sincerely hope that with Iwata becoming CEO of NoA, it will open his eye to the ways of how the western side of the gaming industry works.

 

Why do we have to make it all about power though? Power and system specs honestly are something I could care less about and I don't think should have as big of a focus as they do have in this console race. I know Nintendo doesn't usually have the most powerful consoles there is, but I still doubt that should be the focus after all. At least that is how I see it.

[Jetronic]

Why do we have to make it all about power though? Power and system specs honestly are something I could care less about and I don't think should have as big of a focus as they do have in this console race. I know Nintendo doesn't usually have the most powerful consoles there is, but I still doubt that should be the focus after all. At least that is how I see it.

It's not so much about it being power as it is giving developers more power to do what they want. Some people want to really push a system, some see that there isn't enough power to do what they envisioned...or they're just bad at optimization.

 

The point is, you want to give other developers more to work with, you don't want to go "Here's something weak, now make the best of it" even if they COULD make the best of it.

[Jet Prower]

It's not so much about it being power as it is giving developers more power to do what they want. Some people want to really push a system, some see that there isn't enough power to do what they envisioned...or they're just bad at optimization.

 

The point is, you want to give other developers more to work with, you don't want to go "Here's something weak, now make the best of it" even if they COULD make the best of it.

 

Yeah I know what you mean. Having more power to make games can be an important thing, but it shouldn't the only reason is all I see. As long as you can make good games with what you have, that should be what matters. Not that I don't get that power is a good thing of course. I'm all for giving the developers more power to do what they need to do. I just think some people have taken that the wrong way and use that as a sole means to bash other consoles now based on power and specs rather than the games.

[Sami]

Yeah I know what you mean. Having more power to make games can be an important thing, but it shouldn't the only reason is all I see. As long as you can make good games with what you have, that should be what matters. Not that I don't get that power is a good thing of course. I'm all for giving the developers more power to do what they need to do. I just think some people have taken that the wrong way and use that as a sole means to bash other consoles now based on power and specs rather than the games.

 

The problem is that developers are having issues making good games with what they have.

 

Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XV were built on PC with DirectX11 and ported to the PS4 and Xbone, which both support DX11's featureset. The Wii U does not. Shit. No Wii U version.

[Conando]

Nintendo uses OpenGL instead or something, that's why I thought. It's actually comparable to a DX11 feature set, but it's not similar enough I guess.

[Autosaver]

PS4 also uses OpenGL. DirectX is a Microsoft exclusive.

 

Indie devs have been able to use DX features on Wii U. Too bad Square Enix doesn't want to bother.

[Sami]

PS4 also uses OpenGL. DirectX is a Microsoft exclusive.

 

Indie devs have been able to use DX features on Wii U. Too bad Square Enix doesn't want to bother.

 

That particular indie developer of that particular indie game spent a bunch of time completely rewriting and programming a specific DX11 feature.

 

This actually hurts the Wii U's case more than anything else, as they themselves said that they had to completely rewrite the code for just that one feature. 

Edited November 16, 2013 by Discoid

[Chili Dawg]

Either that or he gets the boot.

 

I'm rooting for the latter. Bummer about losing a job, but a former CEO of a hugely successful company shouldn't have trouble finding work. Plus, Nintendo could really, really use some new blood at the reigns. 

But then who would flip his hair and bow and say "please understand" and (laughs).

[Autosaver]

That particular indie developer of that particular indie game spent a bunch of time completely rewriting and programming a specific DX11 feature.

 

This actually hurts the Wii U's case more than anything else, as they themselves said that they had to completely rewrite the code for just that one feature. 

Link? "bunch of time" is a bit meaningless when all the dev has stated is that it was just extra effort. You're making it sound like a huge drag on the developer when the developer himself didn't put it out that way. He even stated he loves the console.

 

It's also not "one features", he specially stated features. He also pointed out how the extra effort also includes time spent to make unique Wii U gimmicks.

 

Keyword Indie - Small team making a game for a bunch of systems. I'm sure a studio compromised of 100's of employees could do it much faster. I don't think the issue is if it is possible, more so the question of will it pay off?

Edited November 16, 2013 by Autosaver

[Conando]

Bringing up the whole power thing kind of implies that people buy a Nintendo console for multiplat titles. That hasn't been the case since the SNES.

[Sami]

You're missing the point. 

 

Regardless of how much extra time and effort it takes, that doesn't diminish the fact that it does, in fact, take extra time and effort. Time and effort that makes the console an extra hassle to develop for, to say nothing of the fact that the chances of it paying off and being worth it are incredibly slim. Also keep in mind that a single small indie game is much easier to add these things to and test than a big time multiplatform game.

 

With an exclusive indie game the developer codes for the console and has the console in mind the whole time. With a multiplat? "Alright, so we're building the game with these features, we'll have this part that shows it off. Perfect! ... Oh, fuck, we have to recode on the Wii U again." 

 

Being the odd one out like that only works when you're the winner that everyone wants to be associated with. See: PS2, and to a much lesser extent, Wii. 

 

 

Bringing up the whole power thing kind of implies that people buy a Nintendo console for multiplat titles. That hasn't been the case since the SNES.

 

Also why they've been beaten out every generation except the Wii. That's a pretty big flaw to have in a several hundred dollar investment, don't you think? Not being able to play almost all of the biggest and best games?

 

Sounds like a huge negative stigma that they need to get rid of ASAP.

[Jet Prower]

The problem is that developers are having issues making good games with what they have.

 

Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XV were built on PC with DirectX11 and ported to the PS4 and Xbone, which both support DX11's featureset. The Wii U does not. Shit. No Wii U version.

 

If you can't make a good game with what you have, that has more to do with the developers, not the console. If you can't make things work or you can't make a good game unless you have some super powerful console, then that says something about the developer to me. Budgets are always way to massively overblown as is these days. Pretty graphics and power do not make the game, gameplay does. Power does not make the game.

[Chaos Warp]

 

 

Also why they've been beaten out every generation except the Wii. That's a pretty big flaw to have in a several hundred dollar investment, don't you think? Not being able to play almost all of the biggest and best games?

 

Sounds like a huge negative stigma that they need to get rid of ASAP.

In fact that's what I love about Nintendo. They don't compete with the big 2 and they don't need too. They always make a profit despite how shit the sales seem by comparison (To make a profit on Wii-U all they need is to sell one game per system, IIRC) to the other guys. They do their own thing for better or for worse, and I quite love what they do.

 

I can understand why not everyone can like them, but don't dismiss the appeal they, their systems, and their games can have. 

Edited November 16, 2013 by Chaos Warp

[Sami]

If you can't make a good game with what you have, that has more to do with the developers, not the console. If you can't make things work or you can't make a good game unless you have some super powerful console, then that says something about the developer to me. Budgets are always way to massively overblown as is these days. Pretty graphics and power do not make the game, gameplay does. Power does not make the game.

 

Uh huh. Look, I'm tired, so I'll just leave this for someone else to respond to, or respond later tomorrow when I have time. I don't particularly care to rebut "graphics don't make the game" for the millionth fucking time right now.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Discoid

[The Kid]

That particular indie developer of that particular indie game spent a bunch of time completely rewriting and programming a specific DX11 feature.

 

This actually hurts the Wii U's case more than anything else, as they themselves said that they had to completely rewrite the code for just that one feature. 

 

Depends honestly, on whether or not the extra effort overshadows the good faith and extended hand Nintendo is supposedly offering to indie developers. 

[Conando]

 

 

 

Also why they've been beaten out every generation except the Wii. That's a pretty big flaw to have in a several hundred dollar investment, don't you think? Not being able to play almost all of the biggest and best games?

 

Sounds like a huge negative stigma that they need to get rid of ASAP.

Yet they are still the only company to make a profit every single year from the launch of the NES even until now. You can argue that it might suddenly stop working for them, but with over 30 years of green it's pretty hard to argue that they suddenly try to mimic the competition (to them).

Edited November 16, 2013 by Wreck-It Ralph