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

[RK64]

This whole idea just feels nasty. Hopefully Nintendo proves me wrong and that it's gonna be fine, but this just seems.. blegh.

 

Especially if there's no downporting and it's just mini-games put on the smartphones/tablets. How will mini-games sell games that play completely different on a console? That doesn't make too much sense, unless you're talking just brand recognition.. which would make Nintendo seem like some desperate sellout.. which they sort of would be, but I'd expect Nintendo to have more dignity than that I guess?

 

Egh.

 

Smart Phones aren't that bad for games if done right; just look at the Rayman iOS games. Jungle Run and Festa Run were very fun and great controlling games with tons of content and well designed stages. I could easily picture Nintendo porting over some of the more creative DS games like Kirby's Canvas Curse, Brain Age and WarioWare Touched as test runs for there mobile plans. They could also balently copy Ubisoft and have a Mario Auto Runner (you tap the screen to jump, tap a button to use a power up like the Fire Flower, tilt the device to change the landscape of the level, and even have you rhythmically tapping the screen to bounce from planet to planet ala Galaxy). A Zelda one could work to with you tilting the phone to steer Link riding Epona across large battlefields or something).

 

Mobile Nintendo could be great but we have to see if they do that well .

[azoo]

Picture this: Nintendo offer money off or eShop download codes for people who do well in their alleged phone minigames.

 

If you were a mass-entertainment sort of person who had no idea what the Wii U was but just played a very fun free minigame and want more of it, how would a message at the end saying "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU WON MONEY OFF A WII U" or something like that sound? It would probably make far more people know what the Wii U actually was, because if there's something I know about most ppl who browse internets and play free games it's that if they win something they really want to know what it's about.

 

That sounds really dang smart to me.

 

Yeah, admittedly it does.

 

I just hope this isn't their only solution they've come to. Like, they just do this and say "okay now to wait on the results". Hopefully they'll be smarter than that and also do some of the things to get the gamer crowd interested/invested into this, instead of just pandering to a more casual crowd.. because, well, you can see how just doing that has helped them recently..

[SuperLink]

Yeah, admittedly it does.

 

I just hope this isn't their only solution they've come to. Like, they just do this and say "okay now to wait on the results". Hopefully they'll be smarter than that and also do some of the things to get the gamer crowd interested/invested into this, instead of just pandering to a more casual crowd.. because, well, you can see how just doing that has helped them recently..

Oh no I'm certain that considering they know how bad their situation is and how dedicated Iwata is to getting Nintendo out of this issue they have or will come up with multiple ideas on how they can increase their brand strength again for new markets. I don't really have any doubt of that, phone stuff is probably the tip of the iceberg.

 

I mean GameFreak have already been making phone apps and minigames for Pokémon, so it's not all that weird or new really, just something Nintendo would adapt into their first party core.

[azoo]

Guess I'm just paranoid due to their past incompetence is all.

 

This does have me hyped for what's coming Thursday though. I mean, ND usually happens on Thursday right? And this article talked about them going into detail about it. So... Nintendo Direct incoming!

[SuperLink]

Yeah NDs are usually on Thursday I think, and considering Pokémon Bank went up in Japan last week followed by statements from Nintendo about western releases soon, and the Palutena Smash "leak" last week.. I think that an ND this Thursday would be a decent estimate.

 

Nikkei are excited because there's some kind of big meeting happening with Nintendo on Thursday? An investor meeting or something. I'm not sure if that effects the chances of an ND being aired the same day, but NDs are all pre-recorded so I doubt it matters much.

 

Still I also wouldn't be surprised if this phone thing was Japan-only at first, maybe teased for the west.

 

But at this point if nothing happens before February a whole lot of people, fans and investors, are going to get pretty impatient.

[Your Vest Friend]

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't NDs usually announced about fives days to a week in advance?

[SuperLink]

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't NDs usually announced about fives days to a week in advance?

Naw they're usually announced just a day in advance, at least they have been for the last few months.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Naw they're usually announced just a day in advance, at least they have been for the last few months.

december's was announced 2 days ahead, but yeah, they always cut it close(like they used to with game releases, I mean didnt they announce MM's release a week before they sent it out?)

[The Kid]

What I said actually has more truth in it than you would normally think. Part of the reason Nintendo's followers are so very dismissive of things that the competition are doing is because Nintendo themselves are dismissive of it. At least until it they are met with large amounts of criticism or sub par sales. Nintendo was wholly dismissive of the idea of a powerful console with a strong online infrastructure (They still are, kinda). That's why the Wii was the way it was in the first place. It wasn't a big enough deal to people back then tho'.

 

How many times have you heard someone say that they love Nintendo because they're "different?" Quite a bit, I'm sure. Nintendo goes out of its way to ignore trends and try to set trends themselves. In more recent years it has backfired. The people drawn to that uniqueness (and their exclusive IPs) are those who have allowed Nintendo to survive as long as they have despite various set backs.

 

Appealing to your always loyal fanbase is all well and good but the industry is evolving to the point where staying afloat with just them is no longer possible. If it was, we wouldn't have all this doom and gloom shit surrounding the Wii U. The four million plus Wii U owners in the wild now are most likely people who have supported Nintendo for a long time.

 

You know what has always really confused me about Nintendo? It's like there are two separate companies functioning in the same place there. Like.. complete fucking opposites of each other. The Nintendo console that everyone wants / the console people want the Wii U to be has 1) Nintendo's signature IPs in full force and 2) Third party support. Third party support including but not limited to multi platform releases of major games and third party exclusive titles that aren't Sonic Lost World are notable. You know what that sounds like to me? ..The 3DS.

 

Actually, no. It sounds like every Nintendo handheld that has been released pretty much since the beginning. I love Nintendo handhelds. They are always a safe bet no matter what. The 3DS' start was a little shaky and I was worried that Nintendo may have lost its touch in the handheld department but after the price drop and 3D Land everything did a complete 180 degree turn. I can't even say that it was just Pokemon that did it because the 3DS was on the come up long before Pokemon came out.

 

Is there someone else in charge of Nintendo's handheld division that I'm not aware of doing all this? There must be because I don't get it.

 

I never actually said this and you know I didn't.

 

Again, back to my comment about people who literally worship the ground of their favorite company. Of course they're going to mimic ideology and parrot it off in excuse whenever there is some sort of pushback (and they don't have a legitimate response). It can happen in the most obsessive part of any fan base. They aren't dismissive of it because they actually dislike it as much as they are dismissive to reinforce the godly image of their favorite company. 

 

I believe that about a year ago the handheld and console divisions of Nintendo merged to provide more fluidity among releases. I don't know how much really changed, but they were separate entities I guess.

 

Also, it may not have been said, but it definitely was implied. I don't know what you want me to think when you say that Nintendo die hards hate what other companies are doing, like it is a statement exclusive to the Nintendo fandom.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

inother news, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is 20$ in both E-shops till the 3rd! kinda tempting

http://www.capcom-unity.com/dubindoh/blog/2014/01/27/monster-hunter-3-ultimate-is-50-off-on-the-nintendo-eshop-until-feb-3rd

 

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is 50% off on the Nintendo eShop until Feb 3rd

Jan27

 

While we we're all excited about the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate announcement from yesterday, we figured it would be a great time to run a Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate sale. All details below:

{C}

So, from now until February 3rd at 9AM PST you can get either the Nintendo 3DS or Wii U version for only $19.99 on the North American Nintendo eShop!

And for our European friends and future hunters, fret not! The word out there is that your sale starts this Friday and goes until February 6th. Though your discounts will be slightly different, it'll still be a very significant sale!

So, go tell your friends and make the world of Monster Hunter even better with some fresh hunters! Everyone wins! =)

 

[Solkia]

The cell phone thing makes sense to me, but at the same time it doesn't.

 

I'm not sure what to think. It's no secret a lot of people would love to have Nintendo games on other platforms, this would probably just fuel the fire.

 

But it could also be a good form of advertising if it doesn't backfire.

 

Is it legit or is it just more bullshit?

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

inother news, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is 20$ in both E-shops till the 3rd! kinda tempting

http://www.capcom-unity.com/dubindoh/blog/2014/01/27/monster-hunter-3-ultimate-is-50-off-on-the-nintendo-eshop-until-feb-3rd

Urgh, the lack of physical release bothers me.

 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Urgh, the lack of physical release bothers me.

there are physical copies available, but only the digital is on sale

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

there are physical copies available, but only the digital is on sale

Pretty much what I was referring too. Shame too, 'cause I prefer physical releases and would've loved for that to finally be on such  sale. Oh well....

[Chronozoah]

Are there currently any good deals in the UK for the Wii U that you guys / gals are aware of? 

[Tornado]

RE: Removing the tablet controller from the Wii U:

 

Remember how well the "insert peripheral of choice here" did when it wasn't massively bundled with the *insert console here*?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why on earth would anyone buy a Wii U (inb4 "noone is buying it now") if the remaining developers started abandoning the gamepad outright (and they totally would) because Nintendo deemed it non-essential and thus they can too? A lower price benefited from dumping it isn't going to get people to switch, since the 360 is under $200 now and the tablet doesn't cost that much.

[SchemingMinor]

I got my WiiU Deluxe bundle ( came with New Super Mario U and Luigi U bundle kit) for under $200.00 US dollars before Christmas on the naval base. I don't think they have any deluxe bundles currently for under $ 200 but it doesn't hurt to look if you are part of a military family and have access to the NEX Stores around the county (and in Japan, if I recall.)

[Sami]

Nintendo's selling one of their manufacturing plants to Sony for 7 billion yen. production will likely speed up once that happens, and Nintendo can recoup some of their losses. Everyone wins. (inb4nintendosellsittophillipsinabackalleythedaybefore) Edit - Apologies, I misread. Nintendo doesn't own it, they're just one of its customers. Sony is buying the plant from a company called Renesas.

[The Kid]

I believe it was one of the ones they were going to close in the next few years, so they're effectively keeping it open.

[Meta77]

What I said actually has more truth in it than you would normally think. Part of the reason Nintendo's followers are so very dismissive of things that the competition are doing is because Nintendo themselves are dismissive of it. At least until it they are met with large amounts of criticism or sub par sales. Nintendo was wholly dismissive of the idea of a powerful console with a strong online infrastructure (They still are, kinda). That's why the Wii was the way it was in the first place. It wasn't a big enough deal to people back then tho'.

 

How many times have you heard someone say that they love Nintendo because they're "different?" Quite a bit, I'm sure. Nintendo goes out of its way to ignore trends and try to set trends themselves. In more recent years it has backfired. The people drawn to that uniqueness (and their exclusive IPs) are those who have allowed Nintendo to survive as long as they have despite various set backs.

 

Appealing to your always loyal fanbase is all well and good but the industry is evolving to the point where staying afloat with just them is no longer possible. If it was, we wouldn't have all this doom and gloom shit surrounding the Wii U. The four million plus Wii U owners in the wild now are most likely people who have supported Nintendo for a long time.

 

You know what has always really confused me about Nintendo? It's like there are two separate companies functioning in the same place there. Like.. complete fucking opposites of each other. The Nintendo console that everyone wants / the console people want the Wii U to be has 1) Nintendo's signature IPs in full force and 2) Third party support. Third party support including but not limited to multi platform releases of major games and third party exclusive titles that aren't Sonic Lost World are notable. You know what that sounds like to me? ..The 3DS.

 

Actually, no. It sounds like every Nintendo handheld that has been released pretty much since the beginning. I love Nintendo handhelds. They are always a safe bet no matter what. The 3DS' start was a little shaky and I was worried that Nintendo may have lost its touch in the handheld department but after the price drop and 3D Land everything did a complete 180 degree turn. I can't even say that it was just Pokemon that did it because the 3DS was on the come up long before Pokemon came out.

 

Is there someone else in charge of Nintendo's handheld division that I'm not aware of doing all this? There must be because I don't get it.

 

I never actually said this and you know I didn't.

I agree with all of this.

 

The Like This button will suffice next time. -Diz

Edited January 28, 2014 by Diz

[Agie]

I got a Wii U for christmas. I ejonyed New Super Mario Bros. U, and am looking forward to Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze despite the admittedly silly name.

[Jolt_TH]

I'm looking forward to finally playing Super mario 3D world on valentines day with my gf... Just have to avoid going into my cupboard where it is waiting unopened!

[Autosaver]

So DKCR:TF supposedly has no use of the Wii U Gamepad. If you use it while playing, the screen will be off.

 

WII U LITE 2014

[Detective Shadzter]

Nintendo denies 'mini games on mobile' report
Publisher unequivocally denies latest rumours leaking from Japan
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/447079/nintendo-denies-mini-games-on-mobile-report/

Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto to take pay cuts
Nintendo execs and board members to have salary reduced by up to 50 per cent
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/447224/satoru-iwata-and-shigeru-miyamoto-to-take-pay-cuts/

Nintendo reports revenue and profit declines
Yet corporation is still in the black for nine month period
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/447219/nintendo-reports-revenue-and-profit-declines/

[Indigo Rush]

Cutting their own pay so their employees can still make money? That's actually really friggin' honorable. Props to Nintendo.