Wii U has had a difficult few months in practically every country since the New Year. Many have attributed it to a distinct lack of new releases - something that is beginning to improve with the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.
One nation where Wii U owners have had a more difficult time than others is Australia. Unfortunately games such as 007 Legends, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct and The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition - all Activision titles - won't be heading Down Under.
However, it appears Wii U is more or less achieving the same success in Australia as it is in any other nation if retailers are to be believed.
Vooks recently caught up with a few of them to get their thoughts on Wii U and it produced mixed responses.
Kelsey Gamble, community manager at EBGames Australia, had this to say:
We were quite happy with the launch, there were solid pre-sells and general excitement for the release. Wii U is currently facing some headwinds in the market but this is in line with what Nintendo is seeing around the world.
We feel that it’s all about educating customers on the great features of this console.
Letting consumers know about the new system was a recurring theme, as Rob Jenkins, the national marketing manager at Gametraders, also believes Nintendo needs to up its awareness campaigns:
Currently Wii U is slow. It needs an injection of great titles both from Nintendo and third parties. Plus some marketing. It may be a console that takes time to get market penetration but we’re hoping it takes off – people love Nintendo and we do too.
The same can be said for most other nations around the world, so despite missing out on several titles it appears Aussie Wii U owners have no more reason to panic than those in other countries.
Meanwhile, in the UK Nintendo plans to meet with retailers to discuss the company's plans for building some momentum for Wii U.
How do you feel Wii U is doing, Australia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
[source vooks.net]
Comments 35
Yeah, outside of the "Wii U Tour" Nintendo did before release I've not seen any advertisement for Wii U anywhere, other than a few small posters here & there in EBGames & JB Hifi. I've not seen a single TV ad either (though I don't watch much TV so I wouldn't know anyway ). Nintendo Australia need to advertise it wayyyyy more.
Sad thing with EB is that the store by me had 2 Wii U Monster Hunters for sale on release day and of course sold out and now they have none to sell. Seems like they dont believe in the console at all.
Ninty need to start advertise Wii U or it'll do bad. With great games coming I still didn't notice any adverts yet.
@Razalom People still buy games from those clowns?
Nintendo needs to learn it's lesson on the importance of marketing!
Nintendo's advertising is crap.
The only people I've met who even know about Wii U are geeks and 10-year-old boys. Sheesh.
The good thing about EB & JB is at least they have the full range of games and bundles compared to Big W & Kmart
@MagicLink95
It was the same in my generation to.
I wouldn't worry to much, because if the wii u takes off they would singing a different tune.
the thing is I dont know any adults that do their gaming on a 360. All the adults I know play ps3 or wii.
I dont know many kids but the ones I do know play 360, but yet the wii was seen as a kids console
@Moshugan Nintendo's marketing effort in Australia was massive.
I think you are mistaking a lack of TV Advertising (a tiny and increasingly unimportant part of a marketing campaign) with a lack of marketing.
On another note I really wish people would stop rolling out that tired and completely inaccurate assumption that a TV advertising campaign will magically fix sales problems.
Anyone with any knowledge of marketing would realise how inefficient and how ineffective TV advertising is in converting sales. It's a joke.
Those Activision titles are all horrible anyway, no loss. It's cancellations like Metro: Last Light, & the general lack of current 3rd party games like Bioshock Infinite & Tomb Raider to fill the gap that's problematic right now. What's happened to Splinter Cell: Blacklist?? Oh yeah, & the complete absence of 1st party..but that will change soon. $420 (AUD) isn't an awful lot of money in the scheme of things for a hobby you love. If the system came out with original content that was compelling it would be selling a lot more right now.
It doesn't need a price drop, it needs games. It also needs to convey to people why that second screen is a game changer & not a throwaway gimmick..
.
@Bankai Please enlighten me as to how Nintendo Australia's marketing campaign was massive.
@ MagicLink95
It's called peer pressure. I'm at an age where I could care less what people think of my preferences. In fact i'm more likely to go in the opposite direction, because there's nothing worse than being the member of an unthinking herd. I have a mid-range PC and it makes the XBox360 look like a malfunctioning toaster...So what?? The only real valid argument in favour of 'power' as far as i'm concerned is in the potential for better AI, and larger levels/more detailed environments provided by better CPU/System Memory.. Graphical fidelity is less important. Most Nintendo games are stylized anyway, so photorealistic graphics aren't a priority.
Nintendo games are great, and the Wii U will definately get some good exclusive 3rd party content in time. Ignore those kids... they have no imagination.
Marketing only makes sense if you've got something to market... I expect Nintendo to make a big marketing push in Q3 and Q4 with some big-hitter titles that will make those consoles fly off the shelf (Wind Waker HD, 3D Mario, Mario Kart)
@WiiLovePeace Nintendo had the largest display in the most prominent position at the EB World Expo last year. That would have cost a fortune. It then went and set up pop-up 'shops, in prominent locations throughout the major cities in Australia, so people could play the console which again would have cost a lot.
Nintendo understood that the best way to market the Wii U is to get people to play it, and it picked the opportunities to get the largest and most responsive audiences to play the console.
Now. Since you're all about supporting evidence, your turn - prove a TV advertising campaign would benefit the Wii U.
Ps4 will struggle and with all the rumours about the microflop durango i can see that having the lowest sales ever, atleast wii u as a bit of a headstart on the compeition.
Nintendo really need to advertise the WiiU more i mean i see 360 ads on TV everyday but i have never seen a advert for the WiiU
Nintendo are not going to get a free ride this time not like they did with the Wii they are going to have to push the WiiU and push HARD especially with the PS4 and Nextbox round the corner
Here in NA, they only show Lego city Wii U commercials... Oh yeah I REALLY want a Wii U now (insert sarcasm)
Nintendo does a great job here with PR and events, face-to-face communications. Having been to most of these events I can say they're outstanding, especially compared to Microsoft and Sony who don't show up to anything.
Problem is the eShop is garbage and unfortunately our government is half the problem there. We've basically got none of the games in the last month. Still waiting on Mighty Switch Force HD. The content + prices are ultimately the only thing that matter.
@Bankai
I don't think tv adverts would make the console an overnight sucsses.
But it would go some way to making people aware of its existence, because there are not many people that know what the wii u is.
I was in cex the other day, I was paying for the amazing spiderman and the girl serving me asked me how the wii u works, I was stunned.
out of sight, out of mind.
Wii u needs advertising
So the Aussie retailers are saying it's ok their crappy Wii U sales are crappy b/c Wii U sales are crappy in every country not just theirs?
Well that should make everybody feel warm all over.
Walmart is advertising a $20 GC this week with either Wii U. I read Best Buy was selling the Basic for $250.
I think Nintendo is right to focus on the 3DS this week w/ the Pickachu 3DS XL and Luigi's Mansion and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon all coming out on the same day, but it's almost April, time to do some good for the Wii U before E3. If Pikmin 3 and W101 are coming out before E3 they need to be announced early April so the stores can begin taking pre-orders. Even Target has those $5 pre-order cards hanging up months before games come out, they need some more for the Wii U. I still don't see Pikmin 3 before Sept. though.
The Wii U isn't even available here in Thailand and according to the game shop likely wont ever be.I find this strange as the 3DS was available here at launch and so was the Wii as far as I know.Out of curiosity does anyone know if its available in any other Asian countries outside of Japan?
The Wii U would get more sales if they advertised what it did alil more so, some people still think it's a expensive upgrade to there Wii lol I know in GameStop in Canada, all the stores I have visit they had a very small section for Wii, would combine there 3DS and DS game into one mess of a section, and no section or ads for the Wii U at all. That's right, if you want Wii U stuff, they have to go in the back and bring it out for you to see...that's sad.
@Bankai Basically its all well & good for Nintendo to set up expensive events but if they don't advertise those events then not as many people are going to go to them as they don't know they're happening. I never saw Nintendo advertising the "Wii U experience tour" outside of its own website, just the same as I don't see the Wii U anywhere. TV is one way to spread the word of Wii U beyond just a few days of exposure. They've got to work more on making people want to seek out the Wii U & play it instead of depending on passing traffic on a few events over the space of a couple of months which ended a while back & doesn't help Wii U in Australia now, know what I mean? An ongoing advertisement campaign on TV etc. can do more for Wii U than just showing it off before launch. They might have spent a "massive" amount but it doesn't mean their advertisement campaign is massive.
Also, I'd like to see more Wii U demo units, there are only 15 Wii U demo units in the whole of QLD, for example. & cheaper priced games might be nice, I know business wise it might be hard or whatever but at the end of the day I still have to buy these games & if I can't afford them as they are at my local game stores & departments, I'll just send my money to where I can (imports or UK/Ireland eShops generally or 2nd hand rarely). Hence instead of making a $60 sale on a game which would RRP for $80, they're making $0.
@hydeks Thats the biggest problem.I haven't lived in the UK for years but it's exactly the same there and also throughout much of Europe.It's a catch 22 though,sales would presumably be much better if it had the same exposure as the other consoles but on the other hand retailers aren't going to give it the exposure it needs if it's not selling.All this recent negative press,a lot of it unwarranted certainly hasn't helped either.
I have seen some TV ads for the Wii U in NA but not many though.
Yeah we love ya Nintendo but you seriously need to step it up with big name titles that millions play or have played instead of wasting your time on small time platformers and pinball games.
put the wii u and/or its games on the side of the london busses.
tomb raider and metal gear rising have done just that
@WiiLovePeace Nintendo wasn't responsible for advertising the EB World Expo. But because it took the most prominent part of the floor, every single person that attended that event (and I have no idea of exact numbers but it was tens of thousands over three days) would have had Wii U exposure, and the chance to play it.
Nintendo didn't need to "advertise" the experience stores because they were sitting right there. In the middle of major shopping malls with thousands of people walking by each day. That is the advertising. How silly would it be to advertise the advertisement?
The idea behind Nintendo's marketing strategy was to get people to play the console, and then generate positive word of mouth. It's a far more effective marketing strategy than throwing millions at a TV advertising campaign in the hope that it impresses people with something that's remarkably hard to visualise.
Do you understand the purpose of TV advertising? How it fits into a broader marketing strategy? Why a company should spend money on TV advertising? How small the TV advertising budget is as a percentage, even of companies like Coca Cola that are constantly advertising on TV?
TV Advertising is the tip of a very large marketing iceberg. And just like an iceberg, the bit that you need to care about is not the bit you see.
Once again - can you prove that Nintendo would be in a better position with the Wii U if it embarked on a TV advertising campaign. You need to answer all the questions I've outlined above.
I feel like Nintendo needs to gain momentum in the window before the PS4 and Xbox 720 are out. Either that or get cranking on the first party titles which has always been their way of standing out.
Many EB Games in Australia have a Wii U in store for people to play, but it needs more than a few videos and a Mario demo.
@Bankai TV ads are one thing, but I haven't seen many online ads promoting the Wii U or any of its games. If I'm not mistaken online advertising is the most effective form of advertising.
Wiiyoo! An article about Australia! =D
Aussie Aussie Aussie!
@WiiWareWave Generally speaking the most effective marketing these days are social - generating word of mouth or viral marketing.
Neither of these methods rely on "advertising." Instead, what you get is the media writing about your product, the social networks going on about it an so on. The advertising looks after itself to a degree then - the media writes about you it's free publicity.
Nintendo gunned for word of mouth. Hasn't quite happened yet. "Advertising more" isn't going to help.
Actually I checked dodgy Dick Smiths today because I haven't had a look in that place for a couple of years and this is what I found...
Xbox 360 stand had a error on screen
PS3 stand wasn't even turned on
Wii stand was the only functioning one
No WiiU stand but all they had was ZombiU, BLOPS2, NintyLand and Sing Party
Target, Big W & Kmart is just all round crap for every system
EB & JB HiFi are the only sure bet for all systems
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