Topic: This is just sad

All of those people who bought the Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort really need to get off the bum and buy some games.

Marvelous lost money on most of its Wii releases

Muramasa sold 47,000 units in Japan, the company said, not specifying American sales. Arc Rise Fantasia, which will be published Stateside by Ignition, sold 45,000 copies. Little King's Story sold 26,000 copies in Japan, 37,000 copies in North America, and 67,000 in Europe. Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga, which came out in September in North America, sold just 16,000 copies (Japanese sales, which started in October, are not mentioned). Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility on Wii somehow sold 57,000 units in 2009 despite being a 2007 release in Japan, a 2008 release in America, and not out until October in Europe and Australia.

I mean there are some really awesome games on the Wii that are just gem. This really saddens me a lot!

That is just pathetic.

I am one of the guilty for only owning thirteen games.

I however, would like to add how insulted I felt when Excitebots: Trick Racing bombed horribly, preventing a release outside North America and Japan.

I just can't find anything I really like for the Wii.

The problem (at least for me) is
A. not enough advertising. americans only want what they see on TV
B. the cost. back in the gamecube days, a game would cost around 20 bucks after a couple months of being out, now that price has doubled

Lack of advertising is a huge "No, no" I agree.

Also might I add CheapAssGamer, they have a good widget for current prices on games and you can set it up with them where you can set a desired price for a game you want and when the game hits the price they will send you and email. Very helpful.

The problem with that is that most people who play the Wii are "incentive buyers", basically meaning that they buy what "looks fun" to them.

As for the main topic...

Muramasa: I kinda wanted it, but I also forgot about it since it just looked like a fast-past action game.
Little King's Story: Never liked RTS games at all, so this was a instant no-no for me.
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga: Never was into the adventure beat-um-up that told an "epic story" kind of game.
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility: I never have liked sims and never will.

Mmm. I think Nintendo needs to recalibrate its marketing strategy if it hopes to continue its success, and by extension, the success of the third party titles that are currently doing pretty badly. They spent the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube eras with rather paltry 3rd-party support, it'd be a shame to see them lose it again after this gen thanks to poor sales.
The "super-happy celebrities/generic families" tactic is starting to wear thin even with the casual gamers who are normally happy to absorb such things. But then I guess Nintendo are kinda new to this wide-audience advertising thing, they're not used to how to pull it off well for long periods of time yet. They should look at some of the more successful advertisers out there - look at the stylish iPod adverts, just think of how many little white music boxes that ad campaign shifted. I reckon they should try a more stylistic approach to shifting Wii units, and advertise a broader range of games, like the PS3 adverts do.

What makes it even worse is the fact that games like Carnival Games and EA Sports Active are beating them out.

sighs No one listens to me.

It's not a problem with TV advertising. The problem is the way the Nintendo Wii is positioned in the market, which has resulted in quite a small userbase of people who buy the games looking for "hardcore" gaming experiences.

The reason Carnival Games, Sports games, and other "casual" experiences do so well is because that's the audience that own a Wii. That's what people who buy a Wii are looking for. Exceptions aside, they're not looking for the kind of traditional games that appear on other consoles.

There's an awful lot to marketing. "TV advertising" is the tip of a very big iceberg, and it's not going to fix the underlying problem by itself. The problem is that the publisher and developer didn't understand the target audience for the Wii.

well isaw alot of marketing for carnival games and EA sports active so thats a thought.

"Hardcore" games like these sell poorly, yet the hardcore Nintendo fanbase continues to complain that there's not enough hardcore and 3rd-party Wii games. Funny that.

Wow. You'd think it was so easy to market and sell a game that anyone can have the job of a marketer. Publishers are throwing away $70,000+ wages hiring marketers when all they need to do is read a game forum for ideas.

I've never seen a TV ad for Mount Franklin water, but it's the highest selling bottled water in Australia.

Well nintendo, the "casual" audience has it's disadvantages too. Nintendo was better in the gamecube days, when they actually cared about non "casual" gamers too.

Well nintendo, the "casual" audience has it's disadvantages too. Nintendo was better in the gamecube days, when they actually cared about non "casual" gamers too.

"Better" is relative. Better for the hardcore gamers? Yes, mabye. Better for Nintendo as a company that needs to make money? No.

With the Wii, and they way they've positioned the Wii, Nintendo has done a remarkable job of becoming very profitable (again), at a time when the economy was pretty poor. It's in better financial shape now than when it was running with the Gamecube.

Thank you very much.

I'm so tired of reading these threads, especially since many of the replies are always excuses.

Of those games, I own Muramasa and Little King's Story. Arc Rise Fantasia, I might buy when it comes to America. Valhalla Knights had bad reviews, and more than one reviewer said the graphics were ugly. I don't want Tree of Tranquility, but I might buy Harvest Moon Animal Parade.

We're never gonna see a sequel to LKS!!

Yeah ironic isn't it?

I am getting Muramasa for Christmas (can't wait as I enjoyed Odin Sphere which is made by the same people), Arc Raise Fantasia I have been waiting for that one to come out, Valhalla Knights yeah it did do bad in the review (I might pick it up in the bargain bin), I also don't want Tree of Tranquility and I rather get Rune Factory tahn Harvest Moon.

I have not seen a single TV ad for New Super Mario Bros. Wii.