Topic: Wii U's console life span?

The problem I see of Nintendo 'releasing a console of the PS4/Xbox One's power' in say 3 years time, is that in another 2 years after that it'll be underpowered and up against god knows what from the HD twins.

There is no way the Wii U will last as long as the PS4 and Xbox One unless a miracle happens and sales spike. The WIi U is going to need more than a minor boost in sales for Nintendo to not release a new console in 4 years.

They could probably come out with something that's roughly the equivalent of a PS4/XBone by then- at a reasonable price. I'd be okay with it if they came out with a new console in 2016. I've got almost all the games I want for it- especially after Mario Kart, Smash, Project Cars, Bayonetta and Donkey Kong. Gonna guess that they will want to keep it around longer if they can, but who knows- maybe they just move on.

Go to any gaming website that is not a "Nintendo fan" site, and you will see thousands of people who feel this way. People who bought a Wii, played it for a year or two, then who got bored of it and stuck it in a closet. Die-hard Nintendo fan's loved it, but a lot of casual gamers and those who previously owned Sony or Microsoft consoles hated it and felt like they get ripped off after buying it due to its lack of "good" games (i.e. not having all the big third party titles).

Ocassionally I buy used Wii's from online ads in my city (sometimes you can get system, 4 controllers, games and more for $100, then I break it up and sell items separately on eBay) and 70% of the ads will mention within them "used maybe two or three times then put back in the box". I have NEVER seen anyone reselling a PS3 or a 360 who says they barely used the console.

Then again, due to the small number of Wii-U's sold up to this point, most owners are already Nintendo fans and will likely purchase whatever comes next. Its the other 70-80 million former Wii owners who will be skipping whatever it is.

Yeah, I think most of those people are what I hear most commonly referred to as the casual gaming market. They were a big part of the huge Wii sales numbers, these were people who normally didn't buy consoles but bought it for Wii Sports, had a bunch of fun, got tired of it and never bought another game. Maybe they dusted it off when Wii Fit came out and played it a few more weeks. They are not going to buy a Wii U.

I have no doubt that segment is much larger, but I do think there are many core gamers who also bought it and did not play it much. They didn't play it much because they were playing games on the HD twins and quickly looked down there nose at the underpowered Wii. They also look down at the Wii U as underpowered and throw in some shovelware and waggle insults in to the mix. They are not going to buy a Wii U.

That second segment of people that will not buy a Wii U possibly would buy a nintendo super xbox if it was the most powerful console out there, had robust onlilne, and ran their COD's and FIFA's and Maddens better than there PS4/xbone.

The only people buying Wii U as of now are the Nintendo fans and even some of them are still in wait mode on it.

Some people on other forums are posting that Mario Kart 8 has been given a May 2014 release date. Hopefully that will help things.

@JohnRedCorn
I've seen plenty of online ads selling Xbox and PS consoles, even the One and 4. Xbox 360s and PS3s tend to get thrown around, quite a bit actually. I've had 2 Xbox 360s, and they weren't broken. I have a PS3(which I would get rid of, if I could. It's not entirely mine), and my Wii U has essentially replaced my Wii and both the Xbox 360 and PS3, besides the media playback.

Not trying to say that you're lying, or it doesn't matter, but there are other situations, besides what you've seen. There were at least 50 Xbox Ones and PS4s on sale the same week they came out, in my area.

@OP
I think the Wii U will last a long time. It's an up to date and modern console that just needs more support and features. Nintendo has probably invested in this console as much as Sony and Microsoft have for theirs, so making a new console would ultimately be a big waste of money that they've spent making the Wii U.

Also, there's some opinion that Nintendo is being slow and has dropped the ball. Things would arguably be worse, because they'd have to start all over again, without a sure result.

As long as they put more work and effort into the Wii U, it will be fine for longer than 4 years.

I know people are complaining about VC. That would take longer than it already is, because they would be abandoning the work they've already done, regardless of how little anyone thinks it is. The GamePad and Wii remote would still absolutely need to be compatible with a new system, and they already have that in the Wii U.

In conclusion, making another console would be redundant, because they already have a good console that just needs more time, effort, and work into it. Releasing a console would definitely do more harm than good. This short lifespan would basically be a Sega repeat, especially with how much more people have come to expect from a device life span, outside of smartphones and tablets.

It's basically guaranteed that Nintendo won't allow this console to have a short lifespan. The staff has already taken pay cuts, they've been working on VC, getting games, and providing more features, whether you believe or not.

Nintendo will not pay for 3rd party support, aside from their exclusive software. Microsoft and Sony are not paying for 3rd party games, so asking for Nintendo to is ridiculous. If 3rd parties don't want to put games on Wii U, that's none of Nintendo's business. They can't force or bribe 3rd parties to make games available, so it's pointless to suggest that.

^It would be too soon to show what's next, even 4 years from now.

I think you guys are failing to realizing that a slow start, doesn't always indicate an early finish. Nintendo literally has years to improve the Wii U.

If an OS update that improved the system dramatically, 3rd pary games were announcef, and other things were improved on as soon as tommorow, everyone's "doom" nonsense will have been made in vain. We don't have information to draw a conclusion, so why the hell people keep doing so is beyond reason.

Most of the people who still criticise the Wii U, never liked it in the first place. If you don't like Wii U, get a PS4 or Xbox One. It's not that ****ing hard.

probably will last until thanksgiving/black friday 2016, provided Iwata doesn't destroy nintendo before then.

this is a witty post - no one ever

I don't know if you guys realize this, or not, but 4 years would be the shortest console cycle Nintendo has ever had. I'm not surprised to hear people say that it could be a short cycle. With the Wii U taking the time it is to get any traction, it's possible we may call it a flop, take our flagship titles, and move on, but I have my doubts. It's still far too early to assume that the Wii U won't pick up speed. If not even Smash Bros. can save the new console, then we can put it to rest peacefully as we await our new system, but I think if Nintendo was careful about updates, augmented the hardware properly. kept up hardcore 3rd party franchises until the haters can't deny them, anymore, and showed the fans some love, we'd see the system redeem itself and live at least a minimum 5-year life cycle.

Anyways, the problem with a 2016 release date is that Nintendo would already have to be elbows deep into console development, meaning they'd be short-staffed on the games they desperately need to release to make this console stand on its own. Essentially, for a console to come out in 2016, they would have to have given up on the Wii U mid-2013 and pushed concepts to the forefront of development. I just don't think they'd have scrapped all hope for the Wii U that quickly. I think we'll see this console have the typical Nintendo life cycle. 5-7 years. And we're already about a quarter of the way to the minimum. (Before anyone says 7 years isn't typical, the Famicom lasted 7 years, in Japan before the launch of the Super Famicom, and the Super Famicom and NES lasted 6 years. There hasn't been a life cycle shorter than 5 years, so 5-7 is typical.)

It would also be in Nintendo's best interest to PRESS THE ATTACK, NOW! Their competition is dead in the water, just like they were. If they go rapid fire and give us what we want AND SOON, we will see the Wii U make a comeback, even if it's just a brief one.

(Of course, there's more they need to do than this, but that's what they need to get on RIGHT NOW. If they don't strike while the XO and PS4 are down, they may get overshadowed completely for the rest of 8th gen.)

Yeah, Nintendo needs to go ALL out this year, they can't afford to wait(well ironically, they're the only ones who can literally afford it...but you know what I mean...) .

Not true. Game Boy Color lasted barely 3 years, actually less than that. Game Boy Color came out in November 1998. Game Boy Advance came out June 2001. They do not share the same architecture. GB/GBC uses Z80; GBA/DS used ARM. DS launched November 2004 in the US. 3 years GBC + 3 years GBA. Yes, I'm aware that both handhelds lasted a little over a year after their successors, with backwards compatability (and forwards compatability in the case of black color enhanced Game Boy game carts) helped ease the transitions. And I'm not even getting into DSi, which barely lasted two years...

@SCAR392

I never said I don't see PS3/360's being sold, I said I never see them being sold with the tag line 'almost never used' like I do with the majority of Wii systems I encounter.

Also, the reason you saw so many PS4/Xbox's being sold is because people want to make a profit on them, not because they are 'unwanted' or 'unused' like the Wii.

@StarDust4Ever
The GBC was basically a half-step, it wasn't a full console. If you wanted to make a modern comparison it was the DSi of the Gameboy generation. The Gameboy era just happened to be a lot longer than the others so it's last stand also dragged out a bit.

I would believe this if it weren't for Titanfall.

.

Is it any different than Sonic Lost World being exclusive to Nintendo pkatforms?

Not at all. All three want third-party exclusives to boast with. I just thought Scar's claim that Sony/Microsoft wouldn't pay third parties seemed silly when Titanfall is (to me) a clear example of the opposite.

Oh yeah that's been one of micrisfts things for quite a while. The EA deal goes pass titanfall as well

Madden 25 for Xbox One has Kinect and Smartglass features.

Peggle 3 is Xbox One only for a while

The Plants vs Zombies shooter is xbox only as well.

Like you said all of the big three pay for games or Extra content for time to time.