Nintendo's presence at E3, despite the battle between new systems from Microsoft and Sony, was nevertheless successful at earning some media attention. The focus was mostly on Wii U, as the company went into the expo with little choice but to acknowledge its issues so far, but nevertheless revealed playable demos of some big-name franchises that will come to the system both this year and in 2014.
Speaking to cnet.com, Scott Moffitt, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo of America, emphasized the company's expectation that the lineup revealed would drive significant sales for the Wii U.
We know the power of great software driving hardware. We have powerhouse titles that will drive hardware sales this holiday season.
...With some great content coming on Wii U, we will ignite sales and start seeing phenomenal growth
Moffitt cited the success of the 3DS as an example of the kind of turnaround that Nintendo hopes to see with the Wii U. When asked the usual question about the company moving into smartphones either with software or its own hardware, meanwhile, the answer was unsurprising.
We draw the line at creating a playable game on those devices. We have a firm position.
...When you have the marriage of hardware platform dedicated to gaming and Mario, there's magic that can't be replicated on a phone.
And finally, on the issue of used games restrictions or online requirements, as confirmed for the Xbox One, Moffitt avoided direct comment but made clear where the company's priorities lie on those topics: "We try to make decisions that will respect our fans and their intelligence and win their support."
It reflects an increasingly challenging and evolving games market that Nintendo is regularly stepping up to bat on questions of Wii U's sales, 3DS against smartphone content and issues of DRM (digital rights management), rather than "do you have regular money fights with the Wii and DS profits?"
And yet Nintendo currently has reasonable standard lines for these issues, with the biggest question mark being whether it'll successfully convert its Wii U lineup into a substantial revival for the system. Naturally we hope it will.
[source reviews.cnet.com]
Comments 43
Wow Moffitt is ALIVE! I was getting worried, he basically vanished after smack-talking Reggie.
Some of these games does look like they could ignite sales! Mario 3D Land, Windwaker HD, Wonderful 101, and the other Ames coming out in 2013 looks promising.
I think he's right. I'm a little disappointed with what Super Mario 3D World is however there's no doubt it'll sell. And Nintendo has the price advantage.
Brillant games on the way, thank you Nintendo bring it on!
Just drop the Deluxe set to $300 and that'll be perfect
@Grubdog He merely required reeducation. He knows his place now.
I really hope it does. Better sales only means more and better games for us big fans.
I don't see how anyone can be disappointed with Super Mario 3D World. We finally get a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom in HD with the soul of Super Mario World with the mechanics of Super Mario Bros 2..... I prefer EAD Tokyo cut their teeth in HD on this game then on an epic outerspace adventure. The epic adventure can come later when they learn the ins and outs of HD development as well as the Wii U hardware.
Instead of multiplayer mode, we can zoom in on the action in singleplayer and do a normal 'behind the back' camera. Its going to feel like we are being transported into the Mushroom Kingdom.
There's no denying that Mario 3D World,DK,Wii Party,and Fit will bring in a bucket load of people to the Wii U crowd.
Many games shown are surely to give the Wii U the boost it needs. If third-party developers just ignore the DLC for the Wii U, it could backfire by that happening. I don't have much hope for Super Mario 3D World though. Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. and X are possibly major sources to the Wii U's victory. Heck, even Sonic Lost World could get the Wii U back on its feet and running as fast as the hedgehog himself.
The console will sell, but then EA will still complain that the Wii U audience is not in the market for their products. And they're right, because the new customers will buy the Wii U to play colorful, family-friendly platform games - not gray, sadistic shooters.
Wonderful 101 is something that will grab a lot of people's attention.
"We try to make decisions that will respect our fans and their intelligence and win their support."
What a great line! I wish I could come up with a smack in the face like that.
However...
What about Regionlocks?
Downloaded software gone if my 3DS gets broken or stolen?
I have a household with 3 boys and 4 3DS consoles. I have to pay for the same download game 4 times!
Our Nintendo club account is registered to my 8 year old son. We bought 3 games for the free game promotion and a 3DS XL. But you have to 16 to get the free game. We even asked Nintendo if we still could get it. No way they said.
So a little self reflection won't hurt either.....
And Nintendo when u make the comercial please include that it's a new console and not a add on.
i'd like to see that upcoming lineup. if by that you mean pikmen3 and SM3DW and all those other games, then i'm just going to give my wiiU out for free on Craigslist. give me 3rd party titles (oh wait, you dont have 3rd party support...)!
Vp of sales and marketing? He must play a lot of golf, as the marketing has been almost non existant for the Wii U
The line-up of first party games will obviously increase sales and hopefully boost Wii U install base but my only concern is that it will be happening at the same time 2 competitor systems launch.
This first party content needed to be released since Wii U's launch up until end of 2013. Not starting end of 2013...
Despite Nintendo killing PS3 and 360's sales last generation, I'm skeptical they can pull out a turnaround based on the software they had at E3. I do have hope, though, considering that by the time PS4 and Xbox One launch, there should be a number of quality titles on WiiU, and the competition will still be offering launch-quality software (which is nearly always unfinished garbage on every platform, Nintendo's included). If past generations are any indication, it will take at least another full year before either PS4 or Xbox One start offering any good games at all, at which point Nintendo's first party stuff on WiiU will be seriously impressive... we'll all be playing Smash Bros and Zelda and whatever else already.
Drop the deluxe by 50 bucks by the time pikmin 3 comes out.
@Ducutzu I disagree completely.
@stephenmunn I doubt we'll be playing Zelda by that point, but yes everything else would be on point.
@BossBattles that's a good time to drop it.
There is a reason why Nintendo are still in the race after 30 years. And proof that they will not be leaving the hardware space. I've said it 100 times before but hardware is a pillar of their company. And Moffitt said it perfectly; the marriage between hardware, software and Mario is something you simplay can't get on a phone or tablet or on another console.
Add that to his comments aimed squarely at MS in regards to satisfying consumers as their primary focus in light of the DRM / used-games debacle and my faith has never been stronger in the Nintendo brand. We may not have seen Metroid or Zelda Wii U. But we WILL get them! They WILL come! Until then, enjoy all the great games they showed this week!
I think the upcoming titles will help sell a few more systems over the Christmas holidays but I really do think a price drop would make just as big an impact over the short term too.
A price drop along with these new games, or at least at some point soon-ish, would just make things happen a lot faster and in an even more impacting way than just the games alone will achieve imo.
What Wii U needs is a big kick up the *ss and fast and I'm not sure if a few stellar first party games alone are going to be enough.
Nintendo really needs to do EVERYTHING it can to ensure this things sells a lot more units over the coming months...
I'm being a negative Nancy here and saying, Scott, I'll take that bet. See you after Christmas.
@Prof_Elvin_Gadd Exactly
I wouldn't count on Wii Fit U drawing in that segment of people again. It has fad written all over it. I can see some E3 bringing in more Nintendo fan holdouts, but nothing that will rocket Wii-U's off the shelves with the general public, unfortunately. It's going to be rough going for awhile.
It was a giant mistake making the new smash bros for 3DS. So many people already have a 3DS. They should have made Smash Bros 4 clearly for selling Wii-Us, not for game sales. This new 3D mario is going to suck, and Mario Kart doesn't sell consoles. Pikmin is also not a console seller, fanboys. Where is the new Zelda?? That should've been out November 19th 2012.
I seriously doubt that... This guy's idea of “phenomenal content” fits with the likes of NSMBU which failed to ignite sales in the first place.
Most of their line-up consist of slapping a 'U' to the end of existing Wii ones that obtained high sales. The games themselves seem to mimic this amazing title innovation. What kind of awful and stale strategy is this, Nintendo? It deserves failure.
My phone (Xperia Play) has pretty much perfect ports (60hz) of Metal Slug X / 3 and blazing star (and physical controls). There is nothing at that level of quality on the 3DS virtual console or eshop downloads. (Metal Slug 7 on the DS doesn't play right same as anthology on the wii). The D4 enterprise ones on the wii are good neo geo emulations but seen as they are at 50hz for me it is a total waste of time.
The 3DS could have a selection of better games on it but as of now my phone has a better screen and better games on it. (Releasing SNES / GBA / TG16 / Neo Geo stuff on it could change the situation rapidly). I am aware that due to the region lock I am likely to end up not being able to play the games I want. e.g my favourite game at the min that I play on my 3DS is contra 4 which was never released in PAL territories.
(Never owned an AES or knew anyone who had one but the MVS arcade games all ran at 60hz that I did play. I suppose if you were paying ÂŁ700 at the time you would mod it for 60hz anyway and use an arcade monitor).
I am waiting for the Wii U like I should have done with the 3DS (Should have just got a Dsi XL) until there is 6 or so games I want. (Played everything I want to N64 and older already so those remakes don't do anything for me. I have Donkey Kong Country Returns already on the wii so not bothered about that again).
Before making statements like that they should make sure it isn't the case in an indisputable fashion. (Hopefully Kokuga is decent).
phenomenal content for me is better than any other game ever of its type on any system.
I remember Moffitt, he came to my 3DS that one time!
And the Wii U is going through the exact same thing that the 3DS did: Launch with not that much, "drought" for a while, and then BOOM LOTS OF GAMES
I believe it. If they announced a price cut and I wasn't traveling for the next month and a half I'd probably go buy one right now. But if they don't announce a price cut I may have to wait a bit to get some more money >.>
I think so
the only game I could see turning things around for the Wii U from the existing Nintendo IP is a Pokemon MMO
I think Moffitt knows what he's talking about - the Wii U just needs some more games, and more top-notch ones are along the way.
If they do a price cut once these games are released I think that will help the install base grow faster, and I think since the yen is weak right now there is room for a price cut in NA and EU regions.
@Boukman
That sucks, but it did clearly state on the promotion that you had to be 16 or over. I have issues of my own with Nintendo though. I never received any Xenoblade/Last Story/Pandora's Tower coins despite being told I was eligible for them when I registered all 3 games, and never received the Paper Mario Sticker Star sticker booklet despite registering my copy of Sticker Star about 5 minutes after the promotion started at 8am in the morning, and even receiving an email telling me it had been dispatched
@element187 It needs to be online co-op, and Nintendo needs to get a wireless headset out.
More Kool Aid, please.
It will also ignite third party development which we need.
@AceTranerAndy That's funny, I thought Mario Kart sells astronomically more than Zelda... I think you must have one of those cases of "recurring amnesia" that's so popular right now...
http://www.vgchartz.com/article/250157/mario-kart-a-sales-history/
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-07-japan-chart-mario-kart-7-soars-zelda-plummets
As for Pikmin...
http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/19/pikmin-sales-surge-in-japan
Historically, it hasn't sold the most, but it's been profitable.
And why not have a portable Smash Bros? I'm not interested, but there's surely many people who are. There's no reason to intentionally hamstring oneself if you've got good legs.
Slow down Moffit.. The U isn't the Wii, especially in an era filled with ipad and phones which has seen an explosion. Now add that Nintendo games are $60... temper ur expectations.
@BestBuck123 Please don't compare old games who's value would not be a $60 purchase because they are old.. not a good way to compare "value"
Tap here to load 43 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...