All that situation would have been avoided if Nintendo had made the right decisions a few years back, at the peak of the Wii/DS success wave... Nintendo made billions and billions of profits, and already had a treasure chest of billions build upon two or three decades... and what have they done?

Did they create new teams? Did they buy talented 3rd party studios to improve their own staff force? Did they secure any exclusive deals with 3rd party partners? Did they create a console powerful enough to attract all of the most important studios out there?

OK, they have invested in a new building in Kyoto, with larger and more modern offices, and they try to form some young japanese devs in intern, as many of their biggest devs are now closer and closer to retirement, but is it enough to release a constant flow of AAA games on TWO modern consoles?

Modern games take time to be made, as gamers want great gameplay, great graphics, great story, good lenght, solid multiplayer and/or extra online modes... and i'm sorry, but Nintendo is still not prepared, and lives in the mirage of its glorious past and the way their games USED to be made (very small teams, very big profits)... and without a solid 3rd party backup, that "drought" situation just can't magically improve...

Of course, they will continue to make excellent games, and Nintendo fans (and i'm still one, despite my critics) will be happy with the 5 to 10 "must-have" 1st party games each year on 3DS and/or Wii U... but most of the other gamers, and of course the rest of the world, will just move on...

And it's a shame, as Nintendo had all the tools (and all the money) to be once again the main actor in the console-side of the videogames industry... now, it's there to be taken by Sony once again (hopefully not by Microsoft)...

Such a shame, as i'd love to buy only ONE home console and ONE portable console to play ALL the best games made each year... not gonna happen, now or in a distant future, i'm afraid... or maybe if i play less and less with age? Yeah, not such a great alternative, i must say...

I've just finished Borderlands 2 on PS3, a few weeks after playing the first Borderlands too, and ONE thing was always on my mind: too bad i can't play these games with the wiimote, with controls similar to the ones of the Metroid Prime Trilogy...

And that's my main issue with the Wii U: i read most of the comments here, and everybody's talking about what? The pro controller, which would provide the exact same experience as on PS360, and the Gamepad, which is nearly the same with a bonus screen...

I'm usually not a fan of FPS, Bioshock and Borderlands were the only "alternative" games in that genre that attracted me lately, but Nintendo had something truly great and unique with the wiimote, just ideal for FPS, and now, with the Wii U, it's like all the efforts will be made for the Gamepad, and the wiimote will be left behind and mostly forgotten, like it never even existed, and that's a real shame...

I still can't understand why Nintendo just hasn't released a "Wii HD", with even more power to be sure the best multiplatform games will be ported on it, now and in the years ahead... the Gamepad has increased the costs, but i'd have prefered a console which, for the exact same price, could rival the next Sony and Microsoft offerings, with the wiimote plus (and a pro controller) as the main control methods, simple as that...

Now, i'm sure i may have to buy (once again) two consoles in the next cycle, as the Wii U will miss tens of games i'd like to play as well... why can't a Nintendo console be the only console i need to play the best games out there? I still don't get it, after all these years, and now three generations in a row...

I can't say i'm happy with the way GAMES are (over) priced: Monsieur Guillemot could maybe show the example, and sell Ubisoft games for 30 euros instead of 60 euros? (/sarcasm)

I really don't get why the industry stay with that "model": selling games at a very high price (60 euros) the first year, and then make a "cheap" edition (usually 20 euros) later... if they want better global sales, just sell new games for 30 euros, once and for all, and we'll be able to buy more games, right from the start, instead of waiting for some 2nd hand copies... but what do i know, right?

Anyway, it's curious how Nintendo is always the one to blame: when the PS3 was sold 600 euros, i don't remember any editor or big 3rd party dev makin' any comment... double standard, i guess?

Wait for the prices of the PS4 and X720, and let's hear what he'll have to say THEN...

Little King's Story and Okami, not even in a top 20? C'mon, guys, what's wrong with you? I read you for so many years, and usually love your reviews, so this almost feels like a shame...

Anyway, these games are of course excellent, or quite nice at worst, but as i've played most of these (and many many others), i'd just say Metroid Prime Trilogy is my N°1: best controls on the console (if not ever), and sensational value with two and a half masterpieces for the price of one...

How can that guy keep his job? He's been wrong so many times in the past, i mean, in any firm out there, such an incompetence would see him fired in less than a year, and nobody would want any of his "expertise" anymore... except of course, Sony or Microsoft...

It makes sense, as the "mainstream audience" won't be able to find any Wii U in stores: all the pre-orders have been purchased by the die-hard Nintendo fans, and Nintendo can't produce enough consoles to satisfy a huge demand anyway...

But by the end of 2013, we'll know for sure if there's a huge demand, or not...

I really hope Retro is working on another Metroid: a big, epic, immersive and incredible 3D Metroid... in more than 30 years of gaming, i consider the Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii as the best game(s) i've ever experienced, and it's by far the best controls EVER...

No doubt, these guys could work on a great Zelda, too... but Aonuma's team is doin' a fine job, and i'm sure they'll come with the goods in a near future...

But so far, the best use of the Gamepad i could imagine is in a 3D Metroid, used as a scanner alongside the Wiimote for the other controls...

So, if there's ONE game that could really push me towards Wii U, it's not even a new 3D Zelda or a new 3D Super Mario (even if they would be welcomed), but a new 3D Metroid made by Retro, simple as that...

They won't be able to sustain that kind of price that long: Wii was like a cultural phenomenon, and created such a demand that they could have sold it even at a higher price during its first two years...

But since then, the market has changed, and also, there has been the 3DS "pricing disaster"... that's the main reason why i don't want the Wii U at launch: cos' the 250 euros i've paid for the 3DS are still a very fresh and very painful memory... and i know i'm not the only one...

Also, the free-to-play model is on the rise, and i understand why Nintendo wants to stick with their old good business model: but we, as consumers, need to put some pressure on them, make them understand some things need to change, as we can't be treated like milkin' cows for ever and ever...

If you add the pressure created by all the other gaming companies out there, Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Steam, whatever, i'm quite sure we'll see that price goin' down at the start of 2014, and the same could apply to the pricing of their games, now $60 instead of $50, even downloaded...

That "business model" needs to change, otherwise Nintendo will (once again) only sell consoles to their most dedicated fans, while the mainstream market will move elsewhere... and they'll very deeply and sadly regret it...

It's a good move by Nintendo, and REAL fans of that game should enjoy the fact that Nintendo made it possible... otherwise, there would be NO Bayonetta 2 AT ALL, because one or two million copies doesn't seem to be enough for the big guys of the videogames industry lately... and THAT tells you something about the actual state of this industry...

And about the reactions of all the so-called "hardcore gamers", what's new here? Wii and DS were my primary consoles this gen, but i had to buy a PS3 (not that long ago, and at a reasonnable price) to play... Bayonetta, Little Big Planet, Valkyria Chronicles, Journey, Tales of Grace, Uncharted 1+2+3, God of War III, and in a few months, Ni No Kuni...

Now, because THEY have to do the same thing in the opposite way, it would be a shame? That's a very strange kind of double standard, while it's not a big deal, as the same has happened with Mass Effect, by example: the first was on 360 only, the second on PS360, and the third is on Wii U also, so what?

When Sony or Microsoft try to have some exclusives, or create a separate and so-called "hardcore" HD gaming market, it's cool and totally normal, but when Nintendo does the same, it's a shame because it's not released "on a real console, but on a toy"?

WTF? These so-called "hardcore" gamers are the ones who should feel the shame, cos' there are great games on each console, and if you don't want to buy each one of them, then STFU and play on what you've got...

And the lack of consideration they had for the Wii, while titles like the Metroid Prime Trilogy, the two Zelda's and the two Galaxy's bein' some of the most brillantly designed and control-friendly games EVER, just proves these guys haven't got a clue about "hardcore" gaming, and lack any sense of respect to one of the greatest, if not THE greatest company, in videogames history...

All that said, i don't want to buy Wii U at launch, so i won't play Bayonetta 2 till' 2014-2015... but as i did the same for the first one, it's OK: it's good to know it will be there, waiting for me...

But i know, all these spoiled kids and crying babies don't even understand the word "patience": they've got to have everyting immediatly, as if the whole wide world turned around their little consumerist ego... pfffff, and that's the youth of today? It promises great tomorrows...

My wallet "will be ready" in 2014 or 2015, when i'll find the console for less than 150 euros, and titles like Rayman Legends or Bayonetta 2 (and i guess, many more) for less than 15 euros in a second hand shop... THAT will be a good deal...

@Boo_Buster

Well, i'll just say i play Nintendo games since the Game & Watch days, which should tell you something about my age, and my experience... and after all the games i've played in my life, i think i know the difference between a bad game, an OK game and an excellent game: don't care if it's made by Nintendo or anyone else, basically... but true, Nintendo has an history of makin' many excellent ones, with great gameplay, great level design, and great controls...

But that wasn't my point: my point is, i've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on Nintendo products over the years, i've bought nearly all their consoles on day one or at least in their first year, and for the first time, i won't... because no, it's not a "must have" for me, and a handful of good games plus will not make the deal for me...

This doesn't mean i won't buy their console: as i've already written, i'll wait, and will maybe resist till 2014-2015, and its first huge price cut... and the only games i may buy "full price" are the next Zelda, a new Metroid if it's as good as the Prime trilogy, and the next Super Mario if it's as good as the two Galaxy's...

But no, i won't buy that console on day one, just thinkin' these games will be out one day, in a distant future... i've done such an error many times, but not anymore: which doesn't mean i've lost all my respect for Nintendo as game makers... i've just lost my respect for Nintendo as a business company, and i don't force anyone to follow my logic, btw...

"Must have", "must have"... i hate that expression... nothing is a "must have" (except but food, house, etc), and especially NOT brand new game consoles...

I've bought the DS (phat), the Wii, the DS (lite) and the 3DS on day one, and i still don't know why... especially with the 3DS: how many months have passed, and still... 3 games in my "collection", the only 3 i'd call... "must have"...

What a pity... 250 euros (340 dollars) plus 3x40 euros (170 dollars), that's 510 dollars for 3 games, 170 dollars each game... (yeah, i know, i'v got 20 downloadable freebies: most were already in my collection, so what???).

And back to the Wii's first years, i was so excited by that console, i imagined tons and tons of great gameplay ideas, and a list of impressive masterpieces to come...

Six years after, i've bought and played maybe 70 games, 25 only are still in my collection, and 10 only are games i could call masterpieces, or "must have"... yeah, it's not bad... but it's not that great either, especially when you consider 2/3 of these 10 masterpieces were made by Nintendo (once again), with usually a wait of months and months between each of these...

So yeah, you can fool me once, you can fool me twice, but with age and experience comin' my way, don't expect to fool me anymore, Nintendo... i'll buy the Wii U in three or four years: when its price is cut, when at least 10 games look really incredible (and yeah, may be considered by me as "must have"), and when i can find most of these in a second hand shop...

That's what i'm doin' to Sony with my brand new (ex-must have 5 years ago 600 euros console) PS3, btw: i've paid it less than 200 euros, and i have a great time playin' excellent games i've paid 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 euros each...

Yeah, "must have" is really a stupid expression: if you have the patience to wait and find the best occasions, gaming is then 3 times more affordable, and feels even more fun...

I still don't get why people expect most of their games to look like any sci-fi blockbuster movie or any high-end animation movie...

Just take a look at what Pixar is doing to create a 90 MINUTES movie close to perfection: they need 4-5 years of hard work (à la Zelda, btw), involving a HUGE budget. Because they know they may afford it, and they'll make profits anyway: tens and tens of millions of people worldwide will pay movie tickets and will buy their dvds...

Now, if you believe the videogame industry can afford to release AAA games lasting 40 to 50 hours with such a high-end graphic quality (plus of course great story, great level design, great controls, great camera, great online play, etc, etc), and do it every two or three years for each big franchise out there, and do all that for a very reasonable budget on a brand new platform they must get used to every six years, i'm sorry, but you live in fantasyland: such games would need 10 million sales to begin being profitable, and everytime a game fails, another studio would go bankrupt!

If that's what you want for the future of the videogames industry, be prepared to play $0.99 games on IOS/Android or some free-to-play games full of ridiculous DLC, because that's all that's going to be left with such a business model... plus all the Nintendo games done with the right budget in regards to their sales, of course...

Nintendo has missed an opportunity, but imho, not in this year's E3 but in recent years...

A small example will be better than a long speech: many fans were expecting a new reveal by Retro Studios, and rightly so as the studio is easily in Nintendo's Top 5 teams... but with the fortunes Nintendo has made thanks to Wii and DS, tens of billions in 5 or 6 years, they should not rely on a few development teams, they should have build/bought many others....

If Nintendo had three or four Retro Studios, three or four Intelligent Systems, and the double of their own EAD teams, by example, THEN they could produce (and show at E3) the amazing line-up which could blow us away...

We all want games with creative gameplay, incredible lenght, amazing graphics: but in this day and age, such games take two, three, four years to be made... if Nintendo doesn't expand its production force, it won't be able to offer all the goodies needed to provide the two consoles a very strong line-up. And as we all know, third parties won't help, or only minimally...

Ubisoft is this year's exception, but once again, Nintendo needs three or four strong partnerships like this to really impress the gaming community. With all their money, i just can't imagine how they don't offer more friendly deals with all the best third parties: by example, get some good exclusives and then offer the promo for these titles, or at least be assured to get all the best multi-platform titles in the making...

So that was i wanted to say: the missed opportunity was made way ahead of this year's E3, and Nintendo needs to change strategy and invest massively if they want to secure a good place in gamer's hearts. A big Zelda game every 5 years, a Mario Kart for each console, and some very fine (or very average) 2D or 3D Mario's just won't be enough forever... even for a 20 years-plus fans like me...

This is ridiculous: if i pay a game 50 euros, i still may resell it once finished (as i do for the 2/3 of the games i play), and get at least 30 or 35 euros back in my favorite videogame shop, which does a great exchange program... with downloads, i find myself with stuff i just have to keep, and won't play again...

What's the value here? Kill the second-hand market and make even more billions, in Nintendo's point of view? I'm sorry, but the second-hand market is vital for me, otherwise, gaming would be a luxury i just can't afford... i buy half of my games second-hand, i resell 2/3 of my games in second hand, that's the only way to keep my budget reasonnable... if downloads cost the same price, there's absolutely NO value in downloading anything, just like with all those overpriced Wiiware and DSiware stuff i regret to have purchased, but even worse as the price is here three or four or five times more expansive...

No, if that's the future of videogames, i prefer to stop playing, it's that simple...

These are great games, and i've played most of them... and there are a few more good ones for each console, but not that many...

And that's what bothers me: something like 15, or maybe 20 great games... in 5 years... for each console? Is that really impressive? Is this something we can cheer about? 3 or 4 excellent games each year, with some years way better than other, very boring ones?

I know Nintendo must rely on its own, as most 3rd parties never seem to involve, and i know Nintendo's task force is limited, as they also release many good handheld games... but after months and months of wait in the last 10 years, it's hard for me to say Gamecube and Wii gave me total satisfaction, even with all the great Zelda's, Mario's and Metroid's, and a handful of others...

My point is... will i still buy the next one, Wii U, with passion and impatience? With no console Zelda in the next three or four years, and no Metroid Prime or Mario Galaxy on the horizon, i guess you know my answer...

53. TwillightPrince

Exactly what i was thinking... for sure, a redesigned 3DS will be made, and all the early 3DS buyers are screwed... not even the 20 free games (which i've already played to death) are gonna change my feelings, that's for sure...

I keep buying Nintendo consoles for Zelda, Metroid and the best Mario's, but this time, that's for sure: Nintendo won't trick me in the future, as i won't buy anything after the Skyward Sword...

Maybe i'll rent some games for my Wii and my 3DS, and that's it: tired of giving them so much money, they don't desearve it anymore...

The real problem isn't the move they just made, it was the timing and the pricing of the original launch: a 3DS released in may/june for something like 200 euros/dollars (and with a more "dense" line-up in its first six months) would not have struggled to make its place on the market, simple as that...

Of course, a lot of us know that kind of problem, as the first year of both DS and Wii on the market were exactly the same: only a handful of exciting games (if that), and wait, wait, wait... this time, due to the high entry price, most people have chosen to wait BEFORE buying the console, not after: that's the only big difference, but it has made a huge impact on Nintendo's profits...

But in my opinion, the real trouble here is Nintendo's way of doing business. The market has changed, but they want to stay the same (control freaks with a greedy price model), and ask the customers to adapt to them: bad idea...

Most "average" games don't have that 40 euros value, and 250 euros for a portable console is quite a luxury many parents just can't afford for each one of their kids... and why buy additional hardware when smart phones offer an "all-in-one" solution with many games offering great value?

Nintendo has to change, and just can't expect everyone to stay faithful, just because they've made some of the best games ever. They're still excellent developpers, maybe still the best in their colourful style: but on the hardware side and the business model, this isn't the 80s or the 90s anymore... i hope they finally get it, now...

It makes sense... 250 euros for a 3DS is already way too much, and a lot of people are complaining about it, so we can't expect a "mega-hyper-console" sold with a digital tablet for less than 500...

And what would be the point? The graphics can't improve dramatically past a certain limit, and with a 25Gb disc, there's enough space for high-quality games in HD: so, if it's on par with PS3, and the price is somewhere between 300 and 400, tablet-controller included, that's OK...

Otherwise, it would be a niche product, and most of the gamers concerned by that niche are already busy playing on PS360 with a vast library of games, so it would be a failure... Nintendo would be very stupid to go that way, when a good quality/price to please many different kinds of gamers is the best way to go...

I don't understand the people complaining about BC: you may still use a Gamecube or a Wii for all your old GC games, nobody forces you to have a single console only... with a Wii now sold 100 euros/dollars, and maybe even less in a couple of years, it's not really a problem for the next 10 years, and you still may find an old GC still working nicely for maybe what, 20 bucks?

So c'mon... what would be the point in having 4 GC connections on the Wii U? Raise the price even more to please not even 1% of the users, who will still have all the hardware they need to play these games anyway?

I swear, if the Nintendo headz really had to listen to all their fans, these guys would become crazy, as anything they do seem always too much or not enough for some of you...

A few years ago, i was very excited when the DS and Wii were launched, but now, i just don't care anymore for any new Nintendo console...

The reason? I've been really disappointed by the Wii and DS libraries (both retail and downloadable): lot of potential in the new hardware ideas, but at the end, only a few real masterpieces, really worth the price, and even the other "good" games i've enjoyed seem way too expensive in retrospect...

Over the last 20 years, i've given Nintendo thousands and thousands of euros, but now i don't want to spend even more money that way: gaming has became a kind of silly luxury, and it's time for that "business model" to die... most games are worth 20 to 30 euros (and 10 euros max by download), and we should be able to find them even cheaper after a year or two on the market, just like any CD or DVD...

I hope the competition will force Nintendo to lower the prices of both their softwares and hardwares: till then, i'll see what the competition has to offer, and play the best games i can, at the best price possible...

The most important thing is that in the last 6 years, Nintendo has made billions and billions of profits, more than ever before... so the company is VERY healthy, no matter if profits are now down...

In the meantime, even if the 360 or the PS3/PSP are no commercial failures, i'd like to see the exact numbers, and see if the initial losses are now something of the past... but one thing is for sure: the profits made on these consoles just can't compare to the ones made by Nintendo...

Nintendo lost some money in Wii's first (and even second) year: the demand was so high that the price could easily have been 300 euros/dollars. Instead, that extra money went in the pockets of ebay sellers and such...

So i understand their logic: the launch supply is quite limited (4 millions if i remember correctly), so the first buyers will pay more. It's business we're talkin' about, not charity: what's the point in selling 3DS for 200 euros/dollars, when every copy could sell for more to those who are rich and healthy?

So deal with it, or just don't buy that thing before 2012 and the first price cut, just like me...