Topic: Are There Enough Core Gamers On Wii U? (Opinion)

The Wii U is an awesome console with the best Exclusives to be found around as of now, and in terms of quality I think it has the best games so far this Generation.But how well are those games doing on the console? As much as I didn't want to bring this topic up, I have been thinking lately.Are there enough core gamers on Wii U? I am going to write how I feel about this whole situation with few additional things.Also I am not going to get technical/providing sources/concrete numbers and things like that. Let me know how you feel or what are your thoughts.

I wish it were not true.But I have to say, mature games have not done well with the Wii U.In fact the only mature game to relatively do well I think is ZombiU, which has sold 700,000 plus copies (I think ).But Ofcourse Ubisoft still thought that was not enough, I don't know why? Given the install base, those numbers are pretty darn good if you ask me.Also to add the fact that it was not a AAA game that had high production costs...Well that's Ubisoft for you.But let's look elsewhere at the games that is out in the wild for the Wii U and how they fared.I will also share my concerns on the games that I own.At the beginning of the cycle, Wii U showed promises with 3rd party games and mature titles.With almost all the Multi-Plats coming to Wii U as well.Two years down the line and all of that is gone.AAA multi platform games like Batman Arkham City, Batman Arkham Origins, Call Of Duty Ghosts, Call Of Duty Black Ops 2, 007 Legends, FIFA 13, Assassin's Creed 3, Assassin's Creed 4, Splinter cell, Need For Speed Most Wanted U, NBA etc. all shares one thing in common, that is they all did badly with the Wii U.I mean I own few Of those titles and I can assure that there is nothing wrong with those games.Games like :

• Assassin's Creed 4 : People have complained about frame rate problem, game being unplayable, this that.I don't know if the copy of these games that others owned was poop or maybe the developers did a special Edition specially for me.Because I have not experienced any of that.I mean c'mon of course a little frame rate drop downs here and there.But it is more than just playable, It is enjoyable. The game itself isn't great but well above average. Outcome? Failed.It is a Multi-Plat and what else were you expecting.
• Batman Arkham City : The same fate is shared by Batman Arkham City, and I can tell you this, that the Armoured Edition is the Definative version of the game.The Graphics holds up with the PC Edition but the overall experience is best on Wii U,the game has exclusive contents for Wii U,has the extension pack etc. I enjoyed the game so much that it is one of my favourite games on my Wii U, So much so I got into the series and bought the follow up to the game being Arkham Origins.And now just to play Arkham knight I will be getting a PS4 sometime Next year. Outcome? Failed
• Splinter Cell Blacklist : I have Splinter Cell blacklist and I can say that it is a good port and enjoyed fairly.Outcome? Failed.
• Need For Speed Most Wanted U : It is the definitive edition among all consoles, yet it failed.
• 007 Legends : I can't say I enjoyed this game, but it's a fairly good port. Outcome? Failed.
• Batman Arkham Origins : The same fate as all above games and mabe below.A very good game, had a blast with the game.Outcome? Failed.
• Call Of Duty Ghosts : I have been really enjoying COD Ghosts' Multiplayer/Online and I'm not even into shooters, it's a good port with good features implemented for the Wii U.Like in multiplayer, one player plays on TV while the Other on the Gamepad.Though the single player campaign is Meh, but who plays COD for it's solo campaign.Outcome? Failed.

Now the above games mentioned are only few of them that I own and all Multi-Platforms, So you can still use the excuses that it can be found elsewhere, unplayanble or with whatever reason you are suited to. Now that the real concern will start here, What about the Nintendo exclusive games??? Games like Monster Hunter 3 HD,Pikmin 3,Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2.Why did they not do well?

• Wonderful 101 : This game was such a fresh take on action genre, one of a kind sorta game.Outcome? Failed
• Bayonetta 2 : One can argue this is the best ever action game, Critics have voiced the same opinion.My very reason to buy a Wii U this generation.Bayonett 2 was also very much hyped.Oh Boy they even had Bayonetta 1 packaged with Bayonetta 2 to make it a sweeter package.Visually impressive and gameplay wise the game is unmatched.And in 60fps as they say.Outcome? Failed !

So why are all these games failing to make a mark on Wii U ? Also what is common among all these games apart from the fact that they sold badly are, these games have compex mechanics, deep combat systems, longer learning curve, longer gaming sessions required etc. also these sort of games are commonly described among gaming communities as Hardcore games and all the above games are out of the usual Nintendo styled games.

Nintendo has roughly about 7 Million (The numbers are higher by now I guess) Wii U's sitting on People's Homes by now. So what games are they playing?
They are playing games like Super Mario 3D World, NSMBU, Mario Kart 8, Wii Sports Club, Nintendo Land and Now Smash Bros. joins the Party. While Games like Donkey Kong : TF, NSMBU, Shovel Knight and SM3DW are among the finest platmormers around, but that's Nintendo's thing and the usual buy for a Nintendo gamer, and games like Mario Kart 8, Nintendo Land, Wii Sports Club etc. (All btw excellent games) are on the casual side of gaming.And while I hesitate writing this but what about the Mature games, the so called hardcore games? Games Like SM3DW can be fun but so can Far Cry, GTA, Saints Row etc. Mario Kart can be very addictive, but so can games like FIFA, COD, Destiny. Smash Bros. can be a smash, but so can Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat etc.
Also I have been thinking lately about how Wii U gets accused as a Kiddo console.I have come to a conclusion that Wii U is definately not a kiddo console because there are Lots of mature games and lots of best in the house action games such as Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2 which are mature games though they have vibrant and colorful art.But I will admit that maybe majority of the Wii U gamers are kids or of younger age.Reason being Wii U is the most Kid/family friendly console there is.Also because Nintendo IP's appeal the kids a lot.
So at the end of all these.Long story short.Are There Enough Core Gamers On Wii U? Er...Nope, I don't think so.Unfortunately

My points may be flawed, and my POV may be different to yours.So please take no offense.What do you guys think?

I disagree Bayonetta 2 failed if you consider Tropical Freeze & Shovel Knight a success since it sold more in a similar time frame.

I think you are right on Tropical freeze and Bayonetta 2 comparisions, I didn't think too much on that but now that you mention and going flashback Tropical Freeze also didn't have a good opening.But I think it atleast sold consistently (The speciality of Nintendo franchises) .But Shovel Knight is a outright success, specially considering it's an indie.

I am not offended by your take, but am offended at the overall industry view of a "Core" gamer. I own exclusively Nintendo products, and play 20-30 new games every month. I had a PS2 before I moved back to Nintendo, and found that the so called "AAA" titles were all sequels and retreads and nothing new. Do I have to own a PS/XBox and play Madden/FIFA and every iteraton of COD to be a core gamer? I found that by spending a good deal of my teen years playing games like those, I missed out on some amazing and diverse games out there (specifically in the Nintendo space).

I think you make a fair point, and I admit that I am part of the problem. Don't get me wrong, I missed all of the last generation (Wii) because I was a PC gamer spending my time with games like Half Life 2, BioShock, Left 4 Dead, Crysis, and Far Cry. I had fun with them too. Now, however, I don't want to play games like that. I refuse to play games with unneeded strong language, nudity (I mean really? Video games have nudity now?), or gore. I don't need it. I miss the story driven experiences like you get with a Half Life, but these days I think it takes more imagination to tell a good story, with a lot of action, without the language, sex, and gore. If the gaming industry at large has proven anything to me it is that they by and large do not have the creative ability to tell a good story without making it compelling using those crutches. There are exceptions of course, the Zelda series being example numero uno. It is also why I am looking forward to 2015 with X and Zelda WiiU. The second a good story driven game comes out that fits those criteria (and I am not holding my breath) I am going to jump on it.

I do not mean to be preachy. If others don't mind the violence, sex (okay this one is just stupid, I mean seriously, sex and nudity in video games?! I will never understand this, and I think it is nuts), and constant cursing, then more power to them. As I said, I have played a lot of mature titles. They just wore me down. For the time being, I am more than content to play the Mario's, Smash Brothers, Donkey Kong's, and Zelda's of the gaming world until some studio shows me they can make a game without all the unnecessary crap.

Haha ^_^ I so agree with you specially "I found that by spending a good deal of my teen years playing games like those, I missed out on some amazing and diverse games out there (specifically in the Nintendo space) " and that is why I am going through the back log of Nintendo DS currently but I still enjoy FIFA it's my guilty pleasure hehe

You probably didn't even bother trying out the games those systems had to offer if you really think the only AAA games available were rehashed sports and FPS games.

I personally find those third party mature games with deep, immersive combat styles to be boring buttonmashers. That's just me, of course. I just find Nintendo's brand of gaming much more exciting. I don't feel I have to buy a bunch of third party games to prove anything, that I'm a hardcore gamer or that the Wii U can support third party games. A lot of us just enjoy the creativity and ingenuity that Nintendo brings, as opposed to the general repetition of the AAA space or the terrible implementations and hackneyed ideas of the indie quarters.

I think that depends on what a person's definition of core gamer is. I feel that gamers like myself that play a very wide range of genres (and thus own multiple systems) are being replaced by people that play a few games but they consistently buy those games (sports games, AC, CoD...annualized franchises). I personally don't consider those people core gamers at all (and I hate the term) but those are the people that Nintendo needs to keep the system going strong. The diverse titles such as Bayo or W101 are not going to pull in new sales or move systems.

My only point was why do I not fit the definition of a core gamer b/c I play all of my games on Wii U and 3DS? Those items mentioned seem to be the first ones mentioned by those that call themselves "Core" gamers. Throw in Assassin's Creed to that list if you want.

Without innovation, we have stagnation. That's why the Wii U, for all its flaws and lack of third party support, is a creative, interesting console to play, and the others are just low-end PCs.

Well, on the subject of motion controls, they weren't exactly good, but they were definitely innovative. Even Microsoft and Sony copied them with the Kinect and the Move.

I think the Wii Motion controls were innovative, they just should not have forced motion controls.

@Kuhang I agree with your post.

These are some of the games I bought and enjoyed:
Zombi U
Mass Effect 3:SE
Arkham City:AE
Arkham Origins
Darksiders II
Injustice
Deux Ex
and recently Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101
Also bought AC III
I even bought the NBA game and later got rid of it.

Unfortunately, there are only 100,000's of people like me, and not millions. For some reason, 100,000's of people is not lucrative enough for third parties to make the effort for the Wii U. I don't really understand it, but that's the case.

"To Fail" is a very relative verb in this instance. Nintendo has sold less than 8 million consoles, so it's only natural that software sales will be according to that total number.

For example, Splinter Cell: Blacklist has sold only 70.000 copies on WiiU. It means that "only" one player in 114 owners has bought the game.
On the other hand, Blacklist has sold 880.000 copies on PS3 - considering the PS3 audience, it means that only one player in 91 PS3 owners has bought the game.
1 in 114
1in 91
This is just an example, but you can see that these numbers are not 'that' far from each other. It's impossible to expect this kind of games to reach one million of units sold at the moment - it would mean to sell a game to one player in 8 - very few games have that kind of appeal.
Once the console will reach 15 to 25 mil units sold we can evaluate what kind of audience the WiiU has, but at this state of affairs it's impossible.

@spizzamarozzi I wish that was true but it is not. ACIV for example sold 2 million copies for PS4. So it's not about not enough Wii U's. It's more about people already play the game on Sony/Microsoft and third parties not making enough effort to make the Wii U version stand out. I think things like Nintendo characters in Monster Hunter, Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta really helps though, and if there was more colloboration and good efforts from all sides, we could see a lot of more third party games on Wii U in general and also selling well.

The truth is also that...
Even though I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3: SE, there was a trilogy on the other consoles for the same price.
Even though I really enjoyed Arkham City: AE, it was already a year old game on the other consoles so everyone already played it.

There are reasons here.

Well I can't rate how innovative the gamepad is but I think the Gamepad can add a lot of other elements in the gameplay.And I would have preferred it for the sole purpose of Off-TV and I would have to agree with you on ur post above.Nintendo has to have it's hardware on a competitive level with the other two consoles next gen.But I think Nintendo is doing a good job so far.It's really a tough job for Nintendo to shrug off the Wii hangover.Make no mistake Wii was a good console but only you,me and the people who have followed closely knows this,the rest thinks it only plays Wii Sports.I think Nintendo should not compromise on hardware Next-Gen.

If you want to get really specific, the Wiimote was a copy of the Eye Toy for PS2, which was a copy of the Power Glove, which was a copy of the arcade machines where you held a gun and pointed it at the screen.

You know, Nintendo has done many things so far this generation that have cost them sales, from bad marketing / branding to a "cutting off" of third parties from the console's development process. I don't think anyone will argue with that.

That said, I think it's refreshing that there's a major gaming console these days that does not focus on gritty, brown-and-grey, realistic games. People talk about about "mature" games (I freaking hate that euphemism), but make no mistake: video gaming has a LOT to do with a childlike sense of wonder. I love feeling that rush when I play a truly remarkable video game, and in my case this comes more from exploring fantastic worlds than impaling or shooting people in the head. In that sense, no company does it for me like Nintendo.

As a gamer, of course there are a lot of non-Nintendo titles I'd like to see on Wii U. South Park: Stick of Truth is an example. Civilization is another. GTA, Street Fighter, The Elder Scrolls series. Those are all games I played/will play on my PC, and I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting a PS4 in the future to experience stuff like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. That all said, I still don't think the vast majority of them are on the same league as Nintendo, simply because Nintendo puts gameplay first in such a way that appeals immensely to me. I wouldn't trade Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pokémon for Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, Destiny or The Last of Us; not in a million years.

That's me, of course, and it seems the majority of current gamers disagree. Fine by me. For me, Nintendo doesn't need to outsell everyone; it needs to keep being the haven of personality it currently is, while churning out gem after gem, and - yes - making good profits. I'd hate for them to become a "me too" company and start churning out PS/Xbox lookalikes.

In a perfect world, Nintendo would be able to keep doing their thing while also attratcting third parties to their consoles. I firmly believe this is possible, if they learn from the mistakes they've been making, while further driving sales with good marketing and (as a result, perhaps) fostering good relationships with third party developers.

It's worth noting that of Kotaku's list of Top PS3 games the majority aren't gritty or over-realistic. Not trying to start an argument, just wanted to point out that there are a lot of quality, not-gritty games on other consoles too. (Although Nintendo does do a lot more of them.)

• The Last of Us (Realistic, but isn't 100% "brown-and-grey")
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2 realistic titles)
• Valkyria Chronicles (2 Realistic, 1 Unrealistic)
• GTAV (3 Realistic, 1 Unrealistic)
• Journey (3 Realistic, 2 Unrealistic)
• Papa & Yo (3/3)
• Dark Souls (4/3)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (5/3)
• Pixeljunk Shotoer (5/4)
• Portal 2 (Take this one how you want, it's realistic but far from Brown and Grey)
• Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time (5/5)
• Ni No Kuni (5/6)

So out of these twelve games, it's 50/50 realistic/unrealistic if you count Portal as a "gritty, brown-and-grey, realistic" game.