Last week brought the arrival of The Wonderful 101 to the Wii U, which in our view is a terrific and unique exclusive for the system. Unfortunately for PlatinumGames' bombastic action title it's had a major struggle to earn early sales in the UK, with this week's UKIE all-format chart showing the new title making its entry in 22nd place.
It was a week with three new multi-platform releases — Saints Row IV, Splinter Cell Blacklist and Disney Infinity dominated the top three positions. In the case of Disney Infinity, the breakdown by platform places the Wii at 21% of sales, Wii U at 10% and 3DS at 4%. What should be noted of The Wonderful 101's 22nd place is that it won't include sales directly on the Wii U eShop, which did include a 30% off promotion for those that also purchased Pikmin 3 on the platform.
While being outgunned by multi-platform games is inevitable, the position of the Wii U exclusive is put in some level of context by the continuing top-10 presence of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which is in 7th position. A number of other 3DS releases are hanging on further down the charts — Luigi's Mansion 2 and Mario Kart 7 are in 29th and 30th positions, respectively, while Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is in 34th position. Disney Planes, which is available only on Nintendo systems, squeezes into 37th place.
Not a headline grabbing week for The Wonderful 101 in the face of major third-party titles new to the market. We can only hope for reasonable momentum into next week, and wonder just how long Animal Crossing: New Leaf will stay in the top 10.
[source ukie.info]
Comments 144
This is depressing... I hope the sales pick up soon :/
I bought the wonderful 101 digitally with the promotion in place. It's a great game, and charts mean practically nothing these days since no download is ever included. Let's see what platinum / nintendo themselves have to say about the sales, while I'm playing the heck out of it
You can see it on Miiverse. Many people are hesitent to buy it because of professional reviewers giving it mediocre scores. And its funny that it doesnt matter how many people praise it to heaven, as long as one single person complains, you get a couple of "is it worth it" posts the next couple of minutes.
I would definitly reccomend it. An easy 9/10 if not higher and a definite must have for the system. A fresh, new take on the dry hack and slay genre from the people who defined and perfected it beforehand.
But i fear that as long as it is no Assassins Creed, Call of Duty or Fifa, it wont be recognized by the mainstream media and audience.
@erv Absolutely ! Also, with so many applications that track what is played when (wara wara plaza, activity log etc) why arent we seeing a list of what is played how often, by how many and how long ?
Wouldnt it be much better press for nintendo to release that a new game is played but countless people over a rediculous amount of time ?
The sad thing is, there are enough Wii U owners to get games into the top 10, and even in the top 5. Lego City reached 12 in it's debut week, Monster Hunter got 7th, and Pikmin 3 was 2nd. Why didn't the people that bought those games buy Wonderful 101?
I went into my local Game store on Friday and it was nowhere to be seen, I see this as a major Wii U release and was very eager to pick up a copy but without a prominent position in stores and a lack of promotion from Nintendo every new release may still struggle.
It will be interesting to see how Rayman Legends performs after Friday should it suffer a similar treatment.
So far lackluster sales it would seem... Well hopefully it will get a second wind in terms of sales this fall as a few more Wii U owners pop up.
Anyone that isn't a fanboy saw this coming.
This game is just far too niche in appeal.
Let's all judge the game based on like 2 days or less of sale.
It'll be fun.
@MilesVor Nobody is judging the game itself, we're discussing the sales. Every game making it's debut on the chart only has 3 days of sales, and the vast majority sell more in those 3 days than any week that comes after it.
@MilesVor Its been out nearly a week
Typical Platinum game on it's way to become a cult classic.
Personally I think It's a fantastic game, here's hoping it performs better in other territories. Anyone who is on the fence should buy this game.
@MilesVor
Dude,
The writing is on the wall and no amount of defensive naivety and optimism is going to change that.
This is a niche title, it has been from day one (before that even), and it's not the game to change or even help Wii U's fortunes.
It's just another average (albeit quirky) Wii U third party game, despite what the fans might want to believe, and not one of the third party games that actually matter or that the vast majority of gamers actually want.
The Wii U needs and deserves more than this.
@Peach64
Money is tight, kinda, at least for me. I bought 8 full retail games on the eShop since launch, but I'll only be able to buy 2-3 more Wii U games by the end of the year, not counting gifts I may recieve for being on Santa's nice list
Anyway, just remember that most of the people that want Wii U systems and haven't gotten one already are kids, and those are the kind of people that rely on allowance and Christmas presents. My attitude towards this whole deal, is spend my money before I use it on "more important things" so I have an "excuse".
Jobs are few and far between where I live...
These stories make me feel a little guilty for not buying the games I want as soon as they release. Problem is though, in addition to a massive backlog of games to play there are games like Luigi's Mansion 2 that I still haven't gotten round to even buying. (I still need to get an external hard drive for my Wii U too).
I ordered Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate the other day, but that doesn't do anything for the opening weekend sales they care so much about.
Knew it,I did my bit and brought it,and as amazing as the game is,you can tell this is going to be a cult classic.
I did also get Infinity and it's dare I say it,a wee bit better than the 101,and it's great to see it selling well.
I wonder how Rayman will do next week.
@DBMONK It's only been out like 3 full days... and sales lists aren't instant. They need to be compiled.
@Kirk Naivety? Where did I state that it would be a major success? I just said that 2-3 days is not a valid timeframe to judge something like W101.
The "naivety" is yours and of other people here. You hear "niche" when people talk about Platinum games, and you just repeat it as if you even understand what you're talking about.
W101 on hard difficulty is indeed very hard, hence "hard difficulty".
But this game on easy is as mainstream as it gets, and a child's wet dream. For people who don't know anything about Platinum or w/e this game SCREAMS accessibility. Reviewers who couldn't cope with the steep normal and hard difficulty levels should have played on easy, but their pride wouldn't allow them to. So the game suddenly had "bad controls" and was "unfair".
This game, if not for the incredibly negative and incorrect word-of-mouth, perpetuated by people like you (who keep going on about niche and it being destined to sell bad), this game could become a relative success.
Gamers these days have poopiedoodledingdongloviedoodlepoop taste. No surprise there sadly.
Well, I saw that coming. The same old crap will always outsell brilliant, innovative games in the UK. I did my bit. I bought the game, should arrive this morning.
@MilesVor Bought my boxed copy thursday morning, thats all day thursday, friday, saturday, sunday and monday..... 5 days my count
Also @EveryoneWhoDontOwnThisGame..... fix it, buy this game you will not regret it!
I'm still waiting for my game to arrive from Amazon, so can't really speak about it.
The sales, however, are entirely in line with my expectations - it's a niche game, and while it can be a great one, it's also too "different" to appeal to your average gamer. Aside from that - not a single Platinum game was a smash sales hit. Not Vanquish, not Bayonetta, certainly not Madworld. The Wonderful 101 will not shift consoles and will not change the situation of the Wii U if that's what anyone's been hoping for.
Before everyone starts weighing in with their "expert analysis", please bear in mind:
"What should be noted of The Wonderful 101's 22nd place is that it won't include sales directly on the Wii U eShop, which did include a 30% off promotion for those that also purchased Pikmin 3 on the platform."
I bet the only reason this game is "niche", supposedly, is because it has cartoony visuals. Make it a gritty, realistic game and it'll be as "mainstream" as it gets.
I'd say with the 30% discount, that highers the known sale number by 30% based on how how many people bought Pikmin 3, digitally.
Big speculation, right there.
@MilesVor
The naivety is that you think 2-3 days is not a valid timeframe to judge the performance of this game.
It is in this case.
Anyone who has a clue could see this coming a mile off.
Also, I'm sorry but I think it's you who's out of touch with what great games are. A game that's far too visually cluttered and confusing (too many on-screen elements from the amount of action happening at once to all the HUD stuff on top of that too), and apparently similarly so in terms of gameplay and design, for it's own good is not the kind of game that's going to appeal to a large audience or indeed sell to them. It's a game for people who like niche quirky products and not a lot more.
Note: It's not about difficulty but more about overhwelming people with too much to concentrate on at once time, be it in terms of what's visually happening on-screen (multiple player characters and enemies, countless flashes and sparks everywhere, lots of HUD stuff, constant info pop-ups) or the controls and gameplay etc. There's just too much going on all the time to actually be able to simply take it all in and enjoy the game.
Look at Knack on PS4; especially the bits where the character is bigger in the environment that actually look very similar to 101...That's a bit more like how this game should have been designed in terms of being clean and easy to read visually, even if you add in the extra characters and different weapon abilities from 101.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcHfHwRMqMk (jump to 10:55)
You can hype this game all you want but it was destined to fade into obscurity before it was even released and unlike many of Platinum's other games I don't even see this one garnering any genuine cult status either, outside of fanboys, because it just doesn't look good enough in my opinion (and the critical reception is reflecting this too).
I might be proven wrong about the cult status thing but I'm willing to bet that's the only thing I MIGHT be proven wrong about in the future regarding this game.
Hideki Kamiya needs to figure out how to design games that are a bit less cluttered and that aren't just for a tiny little group of people.
Sadly, this game was always destined to have low sales.
I'll get it in a few months, I don't have a WiiU yet.
@Kirk I take it you've played the demo... once... on normal.
If that's what you did, then I'd suggest that you're suffering the same psychological dysfunction as the nay-saying reviewers and that is the inability to swallow your pride and run through on "dead-easy", take your time to learn, then go back and play on Normal.
Fortunately for me, I know my twitch-index stinks and it was only on a second play on "dead-easy" - after playing on Normal because of the confusion you mentioned - that I got through the demo entirely.
Are you Gen (cr)Y? (just kidding )
@Schprocket
This isn't about difficulty.
It's about a game that's just far too busy for it's own good.
There's just far too much going on at any one time, be it in terms of presentation-graphics, HUD or gameplay, to the point that it's actually detrimental to the enjoyment of the game, and that's only ever going to be appealing to a tiny niche of people at most.
Hideki Kamiya needs to figure out how to make games that are far more readable (if you understand what I mean by that).
Tried getting it in Smyths, no luck. Tried getting it in Tesco, no luck. Tried getting it in Toys R' Us, no luck. Tried getting it in HMV- delivery was late- no luck.
Ended up getting it in Game- £39.99 as opposed to everywhere else that was selling it for £34.99 but didn't have it. Tough game to get hold of.
Saying that, IT IS FANTASTIC- and all beyond fantastic action gameplay, there are a few set pieces and jokes that really elevate it into the top 3 games for the system, if not the best. GET IT I PROMISE IT'S BRILLIANT.
I'm not buying it til payday....
@Kirk I agree aside from the "average" part. W101 love it or hate it is far from average.unless you think bayonneta,vanquish and okami were also "average albiet quirky" titles?
W101 is destined to be a poorly sold underapreciated gem just like most other platinum games are and its a shame. Its a game that realy shows what wiiu is capable of.
One last question,what "more" do you think wiiu deserves?
@Marshi
When I say "average" I just mean that unlike some of Platinum's other games, that generally received pretty high marks and positive critical acclaim all round, this game is averaging far lower than that.
If you jump forward in time and try to imagine all the games that will ever get released on Wii U and then place 101 on that list in terms of scores and critical acclaim, commercial sales, being talked about years from now...
It's just not going to stand out.
To me that basically makes it about as "average" as any other "average" game.
Harsh but true.
I think Wii U deserves lots of truly indisputable 9+ rated AAA games, both first and third party, and now.
This was known, expected, and reasonable.
@Kirk Did you even buy this game? The demo tried to teach you a billion things during 1 mission. The actual game gradually builds up; it's hyperactive, but not clusterloved.
Watch the profanity — TBD
Also, the first-week sales are incredibly important for most AAA titles, true. That's because, much like the games themselves, sales are fairly short-lived and tend to blow their loads in one go. Nintendo games (and make no mistake, W101 on easy is very much a Nintendo game) tend to be evergreen and sell over long periods in time. Because regular gamers (read MOST gamers) don't need to get a game the first second it comes out. They tend not to care about older AAA games because by the time they're thinking of getting it, the bro-gamer crowd is already hyping up a newer, bland AAA shooter as the Citizen Kane of video games. Games like Mario, Donkey Kong, and W101 have the potential to sell over a long period of time, especially since w101 is treated by Nintendo almost as an internal title in terms of publicity and visibility on their eshop, Nintendo Directs, etc. If people would stop dooming W101 to a tragic fate, and spread the word about how AMAZINGLY FUN it is, it would probably do better.
You and some other people here are for a big part to blame for the negativity around the game and the Wii U. Look this up on wikipedia: SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
"A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior."
@Kirk I see what your saying mate but I have to disagree. As a big fan of all platinum games,starting with veiwtiful joe I persnally rate this as on of their best. On face value the game does look like a cluttered messy pikmin 3 hack n slash hybrid,but I assure you,once youve got your head around it the action makes alot of sense and is not as cluttered as you think.
But if anything THAT is the problem with this game. People just arent willing to have the patience for a game like this anymore
@MilesVor
Look, you can't blame me for the game not selling.
If you show me 15 minutes of gameplay footage and all I think the whole time is that there's just far too much going on. It's too cluttered. The HUD and all the popups are far too distracting. It's hard to see whats going most of the time. Etc etc etc.
Well, that's not going to sell your game to me, or the millions of other gamers out there who aren't interested in niche experiences that require a very specific type of mindset to enjoy and get the most out of.
I don't want to have to try and force my way through a game experience that's just pummeling my brain with information overload every single second.
I like to actually sit back and enjoy the games I'm playing, at my own pace, in my own way, without my visual cones being melted with sensory overload.
I'm hopeful that it sold more digitally, which these charts don't account for & therefore are in error. Da end.
@Marshi
The thing is that even if the core gamplay isn't that cluttered and messy once you get used to it, which I'm really not convince of since it appears to get even more complex the further you get into it (with being able to do multiple unites at once etc), I can still see the visual and sensory overload is going to be like that no matter how long I play.
I've watched hours of this game now and every time I walk away thinking it's just too much. I'm not going to enjoy it because every second I'm going to be thinking it's just too much and it needs to take a break from itself from time to time.
That's why I promise you that a crap load of people are just not interested in the game and only the designer can be blamed for that.
If you imagine the game was a bit more like this, purely in terms of clarity, then I think that would have made such a difference it's not even funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcHfHwRMqMk (jump to 10:55)
So much easier to read visually and process what's going on and actually enjoy and appreciate it too.
Basically, switch out the characters for those in the 101 (can still have the unite abilities and world interaction etc) and that's basically how it should have looked in my opinion if it ever hoped to sell to anything other than a tiny niche.
@SanderEvers
so ninja gaiden 3 RE is first party too since nintendo published it right? i laugh at you as i play it on my PS3.
@Kirk
agreed any resonable person knew this game would bomb. ill personally buy it @ a $20 price point.
@Peach64 I own lego city. The reason I had zero interest because to put it blunty, the game looks very stupid. I also have zero interest in pikmin 3. Its not a genre I enjoy.
@Kirk I'm not blaming you and other negative people for bad sales, though I am blaming you for giving it such a negative rep. You're not just criticizing a game you think is niche or bad. You're talking about how doomed it is, how wrong Nintendo and Platinum games are for making it this way. You're trying to impose your own view on how "niche" and tragically doomed it is on other people as a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion.
Again, this game on easy is an enormous throwback to the sidescrolling brawlers of old, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cult brawler that most of us loved as kids.
Not only that, but you keep using Knack, a playstation title as example of how it should be done, kinda coming across as a console warrior. Not only is Knack a different game, it doesn't have half the personality that w101 has art/design wise, and has been described by most journalists who played it as "bland". Lots of those journalists even expressed their hopes that the game would improve later in development.
But that doesn't matter... what matters is, have you played the finished Knack game? No. Have you played the finished w101 game (not the demo)? Going by what you're saying... no.
You're welcome to say you disliked the demo, but stop making assumptions based on a game(s) you haven't even properly played, And stop trying to support your arguments with bogus "facts" about the video game industry and video game sales.
@Subie98 Since when The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 are in the same genre?! For crying out loud, do those games even have ANYTHING in common aside from multiple small characters on screen? Geez, people... Also explain to me why does the game "look stupid" and what exactly do you mean by that.
As for the digital promotion - well, after caclulating prices it turned out that if I get both games on discs I'll still pay far less than for both digital, promotion included. Guess the attractivity of that depends on where you live.
@MilesVor
Hey, I'm simply expressing to you exactly the kinds of views and impressions I expect most of the other people that haven't bothered to pick up this game probably have too.
If the designer makes a game that installs that reaction in us before it's even released then when it flops upon release the only person to blame here is the designer.
I may sound like I'm telling you stuff as though it is a matter of fact and that's because I think it is.
Don't make the HUD too intrusive.
Don't have pop-ups and stuff intruding on the action all the time.
Don't have far too much going on onscreen visually all the time.
Don't overwhelm the gamers with having to concentrate on too many things at once.
Don't have a visual look and style that's unnecessarily limiting in appeal (overly shiny and plasticky main characters for no good reason)
Don't make it hard to tell where the main character is during the busy action.
Don't ask gamers to perform actions and motions during heated battle moments that aren't 100% intuitive and reliable.
Don't put me off your game before I've even tried it.
It's basic game design 101.
Pun intended.
Note: I'm using Knack simply to show the difference in terms of clarity of reading the game and what's going on, not really anything else beyond that, because when zoomed back slightly it actually happens to remind me of 101 in many ways.
I too think Knack is a bit simple and linear but then again 101 is just as extreme in the other direction. What we need is something somewhere between the two in my option but at least Knack still has a chance to achieve that by simply adding in a bit more level interaction and a couple more abilities for example, whereas with 101 it's now too late to do anything about all it's issues.
PS. The game pretty much is "doomed" as a matter of fact.
Was it's "doom" a self-fulfilling prophecy forced into being by naysayers like me...
I really don't think so.
The designer already sealed it's fate long before we ever had anything to say about it.
Judging by the demo, the gameplay seems very repetitive, and the combat is not as satisfying and intuitive as I had hoped. I can see it getting 6-7/10 scores.
@Einherjar Its been getting 8/10s in most places. Its IGN stinking 7.9 that is likely scaring people off. I feel Keza's reasons for taking points were very silly
@Wolfgabe
Actually, IGNs rating looks to be right on the money in this particular case: http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/the-wonderful-101
It's averaging [aggregating] a 7.9 from 27 reviews on metacritic as we speak.
@Kifa
I'm guessing you're from the U.K?
In the U.S., prices are set at $60 most of the time, besides Amazon deals. The money you save from buying digitally and buying eShop cards equals about how much you would get the game used at a second hand shop a while later.
The Deluxe Digital Promo combined with in-store deals always ends up getting me the overall better deal vs. buying a physical copy and having the option to trade it in.
Once you resell or trade in your physical copy of the game, it ends up equalling out to how much you paid for the digital copy in the first place.
Since you can't resell a digital copy, you're never giving a second hand shop the opportunity to take advantage of what you originally paid.
That's just my take on digital vs. physical. I'd probably buy physical copies if I was in the U.K. as well, but the price of any format is still cheaper in the U.K, regardless.
Really, your money means alot more depending on what format you buy, based on obvious reasons.
@Kirk
You're not the target audience, maybe? Everyone generally has a good outlook on this game, unless they don't like the said genre to begin with. The least we can do is understand why others do enjoy the game and leave it at that. Critisism doesn't work in subjectivity.
@SCAR392
You are 100% correct.
I am not the target audience.
Hence why the game is destined to only sell a tiny amount of units to it's niche audience and quickly fade away into obscurity.
I'm not sure that's particularly smart game design.
@Kirk
The thing is, YOU could be the niche audience. You can't assume your tastes in gaming are automatically the majority.
@SCAR392
Well if we're going to start being ridiculous now...
@SCAR392
really dude? really? smh...
"Don't make the HUD too intrusive.
Don't have pop-ups and stuff intruding on the action all the time.
Don't have far too much going on onscreen visually all the time.
Don't overwhelm the gamers with having to concentrate on too many things at once.
Don't have a visual look and style that's unnecessarily limiting in appeal (overly shiny and plasticky main characters for no good reason)
Don't make it hard to tell where the main character is during the busy action.
Don't ask gamers to perform actions and motions during heated battle moments that aren't 100% intuitive and reliable.
It's basic game design 101."
No, it's bad criticism 101.
@SCAR392 Well-said. It's funny how they assume they're the be all and end all of gaming. It's like those people who say "Man, 90% of humans are so stupid.", yet never consider they themselves are quite probably part of those 90%
@meppi
Amen!
@Kirk
If you like Knack, go for it. That's all I gotta say. I like W101 better in comparison to Knack, so I can technically say Knack is niche since that was the argument you made against this game.
@URAmk2
Really.
This is a real shame, though can't say I expected anything else...
@MilesVor
Well of course you're going to come up with a counter argument for everything I say.
That's what fanboys of something always do.
A great example is you completely misinterpreting my comment about the game looking too "shiny and plasticky" as being "kiddie". Nope, I'm saying it's too shiny and plasticky. If they made the characters look more like they do here, on the 101 official site no less, I don't think any reasonable person would debate they wouldn't be more universally appealing: http://www.thewonderful101.nintendo.com/ or here http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xoqd2Kxpnro/UgQ0c_CoAVI/AAAAAAAANzs/bSHoT3EzkiA/s640/Wonderful-101-Nintendo-Direct.jpg
Suffice to say; the ratings, critical acclaim, sales and more will paint a picture that somehow conflicts with everything you seem to believe to be true.
Feel free to try and paint over that too if you want.
@SCAR392
It's not about "liking" Knack.
I'm simply using it as an example to try and explain how I think just cutting back some of the unnecessary layers and excessive fluff a little bit on 101 might have went a long way towards making it a better realized game.
Knack is a little too far in one direction in my opinion, just a little, and 101 is too far in the other direction but if the designer had just taken just a few more leaves out of the Knack book of design I think we'd not be having this big debate right now.
That's all I'm saying in terms of referring to Knack.
wow well that sucks it does seem like a good game i dont see why ppl wouldnt get it o.O and its by platinum so yeah
least im waiting on my copy to arrive here in the US o.o
@Kirk Oh yeah, like how the vast majority of reviews are 8/10 and above. Excellent scores. Besides, people just aren't used to gameplay-focused games anymore. Any game that doesn't play exactly like other games (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, Call of Duty, etc) obviously has bad controls.
Easy controls != good controls.
@MilesVor
Stop making excuses.
The reviews average out at 7.9 so the game is averaging 7.9.
Also, it's nothing to do with people not being used to gameplay focused games any more in the slightest.
There's hundreds of very popular "gameplay" focused games out there, especially indie games.
Make games that don't put people off by their very design and they will sell.
Also; Intuitive, responsive, reliable and fun controls = good controls.
@meppi Nah, replace 'Gamers' with 'Wii U owners'.
@Kirk So I take it your also not a fan of bayonetta or any other platinum games for that matter? W101 is DESIGNED to be an over the top action game. Will it sell poorly? More than likely,but by your analogy on that been bad design that means every game should be call of duty or fifa inspired. This game will become a cult classic,just like bayoneta,like vanquish,like viewtiful joe,like mad world,like every other platinum game. Just because your not a fan and its not selling does not mean its a poor game
@Doma
To be fair, there aren't enough of those out there yet to put the blame solely on them. But when looking at sales numbers for Sin & Punishment 2 with millions upon millions of Wii owners out there, I guess it just doesn't matter. Gaming has changed a huge deal in the past decade, for better or for worse. It's just sad to see how a game such as this which would have been an instant hit in the 16 bit days for instance is getting ignored for the likes of the next generic fps game or Fifa update. It certainly won't affect my enjoyment of the game when my copy finally arrives from shopto, but when sales numbers start to impact the possibility of getting similar games in the future, it really does make me sad.
This game is so Wonderful (okay, bad pun XP) that make me stop regret I bought a WiiU only few days before the trailer showing the special Zelda edition.
Totally worthy to have the console now just to play the W101, really hope it will get higher in charts as it deserve ^_^
@Marshi
To be honest not really.
I didn't say it was a poor game but I do know it could be tweaked in so many ways to make it more appealing to a broader audience of gamers without actually changing the game in any major way but still ultimately making a better game in the end.
This game might become another Platinum cult classic, I'm not so sure, but that doesn't mean it's particularly good just because a small niche of gamers happen to love it.
I just think this game could have been realized so much better.
@Peach64 - Why didnt those people buy W101? Probably b/c it didnt have a 3 in the title like Pikmin and MH. And how many popular Lego games have sold by now?
Its a new IP, thats the real sales problem. Not the over the top action or cartoony graphics - though they both contribute - but how many new IPs sell well? Factor in its on the Wii U - land of the 2D platformer - and this is what you get. It would have sold way better on PS3, not just total #s but % as well.
Like Rayman this will be $20 by Christmas. There are probably people waiting to but it then. Not every person needs every game day 1.
Oh, and comparing 3DS game sales and Wii U game sales doesnt make a lot of sense, aren't there literally 10x more 3DS in the wild?
@Kirk dude you're missing the point that the game is aiming for as you say "those small niche of gamers" because its those same gamers that bought and loved all the other games platinum have made. Its an excellent game and again gave to say just because you and others may think its a bad game it dosnt mean it is. You're entitled to you're opinion dude,just like we're are entitled to ours. Lets just leave it at that and agree to disagree
I had no problem with the demo at all, it's a very old school type game which generally requires skill, patience and timing, so straight away it's not going to be to some people's tastes. From what I've read it seems like people are marking it down for having a learning curve and being slightly difficult, which says more about modern gaming than anything else quite frankly.
I've ordered the full game, so hopefully I'll get in the next few days...
@dbmonk In all fairness to the other guy, the charts aren't based on Monday sales. I think it's just Friday and Saturday.
Anyway, this game IS DEFINATELY Worth getting, love it. I've had a whole ton of Yeahs! on Miiverse for my sale demand post.
@erv how much did it work out to cost for w101? Out of curiosity......=)
@ULTRA-64 got the game for 34.50 euro's. Plus, pikmin got me 5 euros through the premium offer, and I had some from the monster hunter purchase, so I used those and only added 25 euros to get the game Although, that first 5 euro's is a given for anyone who bought pikmin digitally of course.
I think we see here a number of factors:
@Marshi
And this is why Platinum's game's fate's are sealed before they're even released.
I've been playing it non stop!Having a blast! For me it's the best thing I played in a while and even worth getting my Wii U on the first place. The controls are really intuitive once you learn them and only then will you see past all the chaos, because you'll know what you're doing. Too bad that a couple years ago everyone complained that the games on wii were too simple, wanting more complex inputs and now people have this reaction?! Also the characters are awesome and full of charisma but it all depends on personal tastes I guess. As for the "professional" reviewers that gave an "average" grade to the game, I just say this..If The wonderful 101 was multiplatform it would be riding on all kinds of praise just like Bayonetta. No. I'm not saying that this would change the fate of this game sales wise, since none of the other Platinum games were an abysmal sucess on that category, but the public wouldn't be so on the fences about the brilliance of this gem!
Bottom line here is...the sales chart isn't representative of the quality of The Wonderful 101!
@Kirk okay now we're moving into the realms of imaturity and stubbernness. I respect you're opinion mate. You'd do well in life to respect others peoples. Now I think i'l be the better man and leave it there. You have a nice day now
Still have to pick this game up. I will most likely pick it up Friday but my only problem is that I already have a back log of games that I have to get through.
@Marshi
Look, you can shut down your end of this debate all you want. That's your prerogative.
I'm just telling you what's true regardless of if I were telling you it or not...
The game is niche, it won't sell very many copies, it won't garner critical acclaim (unless you consider a 7.9 impressive of course) and it is destined to be just another typical "Platinum" game.
All because I expect Hideki Kamiya thinks very similar to you; sticks thinking that most of the stuff that needs to be looked at more objectively and critically doesn't need to be.
Hence my comment "And this is why Platinum's game's fate's are sealed before they're even released."
You going off in a huff doesn't change that.
Hideki Kamiya needs to modify the way he thinks or we'll keep ending up in this similar place pretty much every time one of his games is released with the only variation being whether it's more or less well critically received.
Personally, I'd rather his next game be a universally acclaimed 9+ masterpiece that a large audience of gamers actually buy and enjoy rather than a niche 7.9 averaging game that a tiny group of people ever bother playing.
Of course, I'm sure for some inexplicable reason the fanboys will find that whole notion entirely unreasonable and feel the need to jump to Hideki Kamiya's, Platinum's and The Wonderful 101's defense.
Or, I'll get the same old crap "It's all a matter of opinion, blah, blah, blah...".
I'm under the impression this is somewhat the fate of a Platinum game... Their sales are slow, but they become cult classics and many people, even after years, manage to still not have heard about the games. Madworld was one such game. By the time a new copy was only still €10, you could still get surprise reactions when telling someone about its existence.
Real gamers are niche these days...
@Peach64 maybe more got it digital because of the 30% discount?
It's highly likely it would of sold better on the PS3 just because the install numbers are a lot larger, & PG is well known. But depending what game it is PG games don't sale extremely well anyway, which is ashame because i doubt thay'll be a W101 2.
Well I was going to buy it but... well it's not released yet, so that can't happen
While it probably won't be on launch day, I plan on picking this one up. I don't believe it's doomed though.
@Marshi I don't respect his opinion, what I can gather from a couple of those "novels" that he's posted is that is his entire point of reference is just messing about on a demo and watching a bunch of videos, yet he's managed to form an in depth opinion on the full game.
His entire rant is based on half the story, digital sales are not included in the "all platform" chart, the eshop has a 30% offer if you bought pikmin and also bearing in mind that in general Nintendo's digital sales have been on the rise recently... this would suggest to me that MAYBE people might be more inclined to download the game?
If my memory serves me correctly,then this is the same person that was moaning incessantly about paying $10.00 for a copy of Earthbound from the eshop when the cost would be something like $150.00+ for the original Super Nintendo cart?
Why are you even trying to reason with this guy?
@banacheck How do you come to that conclusion? Bayonetta selling poorly on both PS3 and 360 is why SEGA didn't fund a sequel hence why Platinum are now releasing games for Wii U. If Bayonetta bombed on PS3 then why would this succeed?
@Kirk Now you're just proving you cant let things go. Ive said numorous times now that you are entitled to you're opinion yet that seemingly isnt enough. Instead you are proving your imaturity by getting petty (going off in a huff?i wasnt I was trying to end the debate amicably but I realise now that isnt possible. And ofcourse your final statement on "the same old crap,matter of opinion blah blah blah" proves it further.
Genuine question,why on earth are you on this thread if you neither like this game or even any of platinums work? And even more so singling out Hideki kamiya(apologies if the names wrong!)? Do you not think your time would be better served in threads you care about?
Now I will say again,with no huffing puffing or blowing any houses down that I respect your opinion but we are going to have to agree to disagree on the subject...okay?
If Pikmin 3 couldn't hang on to UK charts, I already knew Wonderful 101 wasn't even gonna make it to Top 10.
I'm almost sure it will do better on US charts. Games that seem to fell in UK seems to do better in US.
@Cohort He's entitled to his opinion dude just like we are entitled to ours. However I think he's just trying to score points and "win" the debate we're having. I am starting to regret answering him though as I dont think hes guna let it go...
Well it's not out here in the US yet, but I played the demo and... I don't get it.
For those that have played the full version, there IS a tutorial right? That would be the dealbreaker here, since it looks like I could figure this game out, but...
@Marshi I didn't say that he wasn't entitled to an opinion, I said that I don't respect his opinion, of which I explained my reasons why thoroughly by the way..
Now if he had said that he believes that the W101 is only going to appeal to a niche audience due to the fact that in order to make another Bayonetta, Platinum had to go to Nintendo, where they haven't particularly done well before (MadWorld). That would probably carry more weight than what he actually wrote..
@Cohort I know matey I was agreeing with you
@Kifa I never said they had anything in common in my post. I was just saying w101 looks stupid and i also didnt like pikmins genre either. You also could stand to calm down. It looks stupid because it does, thats my opinion and im entitled too it. I really dont have to explain it. However i will say I like all types of games, fighters, fps, jrpg, adventure/open world, platformers, racing, simulation, strategy. So I cant be accused me of just liking fps. I personally think the whole concept of the game looks stupid. Nuff said. edit I have liked other platinum games, just not this one.
@Marshi I know
I hope that people give this game a chance, rather than dismissing it due to some misguided reviews... Reviewing games is a dying art these days I'm afraid.
@Cohort I couldnt agree more mate. In the words of The Wachoski's "people should make up their own damn mind"
Its listed as 14th in the individual game charts:
http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/latest/index_test.jsp&ct=110032
Whats really bad is although WiiU Disney Infinity got to 24th in the individual charts, The WiiU version of Splintercell didn't even get into the top 40... Start saying bye bye to Ubisoft supporting WiiU.
@Marshi I stopped buy games magazines when "Mean Machines" split up, but even back then you had stuff like GamesMaster Magazine giving Sonic 2 65% out of 100
@GiftedGimp That doesn't include digital sales either does it?
@Marshi
"Now I think i'l be the better man and leave it there. You have a nice day now"
Indeed.
@Cohort No, but it is individual retail game sales on each platform. Basically the 'fails to reach top twenty charts' refered to here has W101 going against games out on multiple platforms.
With the lower install base, and obviously being only on WiiU being at 22nd in the all formats chart probably isn't that bad.
@GiftedGimp Exactly! That's what I was referring to, 14th is not bad at all and that's without digital sales as well..
If my wife can play this game it cant be that complicated. My wife loved the demo I think its the first game she's played since Barbie on the NES. This game was brilliant and I will be picking it up this weekend hopefully along with all the other people who have waited until payday so we can get a wonderful 102.
@Cohort
as if digital sales would really help. lol! your grasping for straws.
Sure, all those people that bought Pikimin are not going to bother taking up the 30% eshop offer?
This is too bad, but I can't say it's surprising news. Quirky niche titles like this don't make enough waves, especially on consoles with such small user bases.
@thesilverbrick Its listed as 14th in the individual game charts, that's not bad at all really.
@Cohort I guess not, but considering how starved the Wii U is for software and the fact that this is supposed to be a flagship release, I guess I expected more. I'll be picking it up when it releases in the states, though. I can't let Platinum go unsupported.
@URAmk2 Sorry, but digital sales would really help the overall total, considering a $30 discount if this game was downloaded in addition to Pikmin 3. I'd strongly bet that many of the people anticipating both this game and Pikmin 3 went the download route to save $30 and their purchases aren't reflected in the overall total. So, no, @Cohort is not grasping at straws.
Looks like the 101 is on it's way to becoming a cult classic; not popular when released, but a steady growing fan base when more Wii U's are purchased with time.
This game looks right up my alley but I'm holding off 'till MK8 is released to purchase a Wii U. Ironically, it's all Nintendo's fault for releasing such a cool system as the 3DS! Too many great games and so little time
@Cohort
whats the Wii U install base? the PS3 is around 77 million but as i said, but depending what game it is PG games don't sale extremely well anyway, which doesn't help the game also. Bayonetta sold around 1.08m on the PS3, which this game should easily topple over the life span of the Wii U.
The likely hood of someone buying your game if there are 77 million users over the Wii U's 7 million which i don't think is that many uses. Is higher than the Wii U? thats why i used the word likely, as there is no guarantee it would but there is a higher chance no?
but you must but right, it wouldn't sell on the PS3.
People should stop clinging to the 30% discount. You can buy physical copies of Pikmin 3 and Wonderful 101 for much cheaper than the eShop prices, even with the 30% off. Every game on the list has some of their sales made up by digital, and I'd say it's a bigger percentage for the other games. There is NO physical PC release of Saints Row 4 for example, so PC numbers are ignored entirely for it.
I think it's funny how everyone is comparing The Wonderful 101's sales success to how it sold in the UK which FYI is an awful region for games (especially for Nintendo) in the first place.
@Senario Look no further than Bayonetta. Bayo 1 defined and perfected the genre and even surpassed its former king, Devil May Cry by miles. And...nobody thought it would be worthwhile to invest in a sequel other than nintendo. Sega droppes platinum like a hot potatoe after their initial 3 games deal.
I have NO idea why people can appriciate originality anymore, and why "it isnt like the other game" has become a valid critique point.
Back in the day (roughly 16bit era), everyone complained about games beeing too similar. What became of it ? One, if not THE best and mosr varried gaming generation there is. Nowadays, everything is meassured on the "top tier" games. "X was better than Y, because X had this feature and made that different" Every shooter wants to be a CoD, every western RPG wants to be an Elder Scrolls so on and so forth.
As soon as a dev decides to work outside these norms, outrage is on the plan.
Look at platinums Vanquish. One of the best shooter experiences i have ever had. It had anything modern shooters dont have anymore: Originality, charme, style and gameplay mechanics that were fresh and exciting. Instant hit if you ask me...but nobody did. The game succumbed to behemoths like..uhh...what was that grey, brown military shooter thing calles ? Oh...EVERYTHING !
It seems that there is no place for new ideas anymore. "it needs to be like X" is the new catchphrase....
Honestly I see this coming. It's very hard to compete with those games that are well known like Splinter Cell or Saints Row. But that doesn't mean those games are better than W101, I honestly believe W101 is better than those games who make it in top 5, but unfortunately people just go to buy the stuff they already known, and since W101 is a new IP, there's still a lot of people who doesn't know a thing about this game. Here still have to wait 3 more weeks to play it but I'm enjoying the demo and I would buy the game on day one!
@banacheck The demand on PS3 simply wasn't there though was it, Bayonetta bombed, despite your 77 million install base, so why would the W101 do any better? You've still not answered that..
No one would consider it a viable option anyway, especially as nobody wanted to fund Bayonetta 2 which would probably be a better option when you take into account the reaction to the Wii U getting it.
Also where is the bit where I said that "W101 will sell bucket loads on Wii U..", because I don't remember that at all, but there's certainly no evidence that it would have thrived on the PS3 either..
All-formats chart (UK)
1. Saints Row IV
2. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
3. Disney Infinity
4. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
5. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2
6. FIFA 13
7. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
8. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
9. The Last of Us
10. The Bureau: Xcom Declassified
3DS chart
1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
2. Luigi's Mansion 2
3. Mario Kart 7
4. Mario And Luigi: Dream Team Bros
5. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins
6. New Super Mario Bros. 2
7. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates To Infinity
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
9. Disney Infinity
10. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Wii U chart
1. The Wonderful 101
2. Disney Infinity
3. Pikmin 3
4. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
5. Nintendo Land
6. New Super Luigi U
7. New Super Mario Bros. U
8. LEGO City Undercover
9. Zombie U
10. Sports Connection
Wii chart
1. Disney Infinity
2. Skylanders Giants
3. Just Dance 4
4. Mario Kart Wii
5. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
6. Wii Party
7. Mario Party 9
8. Zumba Fitness Core
9. Angry Birds Trilogy
10. Super Mario Galaxy 2
Hmmm....a sub-par game seeing sub-par sales. Makes perfect sense to me.
@Gloom Awful in what way? The best selling console game of all time in the UK is Mario Kart Wii. Hardly a country full of Nintendo haters. It's doing no better in Japan right now either.
@bezerker99 14th in the individual game charts, that's not bad at all..
2 things that really grind my gears:
When did critics reviews become the word of god?
and
When did a 8/10 become bad.
@Cohort
Sure, that small amount people that bought Pikimin are not going to bother taking up the 30% eshop offer?
fixed that for ya. try harder.
@thesilverbrick
Sorry, but digital sales would really help the overall total, considering a $30 discount if this game was downloaded in addition to Pikmin 3. I'd strongly bet that many of the people anticipating both this game and Pikmin 3 went the download route to save $30 and their purchases aren't reflected in the overall total. So, no, @Cohort is not grasping at straws.
if you think the very small % of people that bought pikmin digital that actually take part of that promotion will even make a dent on the sales charts your grasping for straws right with him. lol!
The probably reason of this is the lack of a commercial (I look for a commercial on youtube but I saw nothing) and the discount on the eshop. The game will get more focus on North America.
@URAmk2 Ah, the old "Fixed iit" quote and you're telling me to try harder
Also you're completely missing the point (but don't worry you're in good company as many have) the 30% offer is on until the 21st of the 9th (that's September by the way), so there's plenty of time for people to jump in on this.
OBVIOUSLY, we are are not expecting millions of sales, but there's going to be a few that will take eshop offer. Thinking that there might be a bit more digital sales than usual? Not clutching at straws, you came to that wild conclusion all on your own i'm afraid.
@Hernandez Hi kirk..
@Hernandez Sure but like kirk, you've not played the full game either? Interesting...
@Cohort: I've checked them out, and users @Kirk and @Hernandez are not the same person, if that's what you're trying to say with your comments here. If we could all discuss the article at hand in a civil manner, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance! :3
@theblackdragon People hardly discuss articles on here in a civil manner, lets not start pretending that they do
But in all seriousness, it seems like it's only people who don't own the game that are the ones that seem to hate it, yet they wish to be taken seriously...
@Cohort: Cute, but it's not necessary to point that out, is it? Haters gonna hate. Let it go.
@Peach64
No one is clinging to the 30% discount. It's there, and no one has numbers based on it. It still contributes, even if it is a low number. That's the point most were trying to get across.
The game isn't out in the U.S. I wouldn't doubt this game fairs slightly better than Pikmin 3 in the long run...
@theblackdragon Thanks for noticing my cuteness
I know I should let it go but it's incredibly annoying, it's right up there with people who form an opinion based purely from a headline without reading the full article .. You know what I mean?
@Cohort
your just in denial dude. digital sales for either game wont be anywhere near big enough to hypothetically boost the numbers as you want to believe regardless of the promo. your overestimation of the base that actually owns a wii u that would actually buy both pikmin & w101in the first place & buy them both digital at that is laughable.
your arguing with everyone that points out the lacking sales, making excuses why the game is selling poorly & comments like these trolling people:
Hi kirk..
Sure but like kirk, you've not played the full game either? Interesting...
I know I should let it go but it's incredibly annoying, it's right up there with people who form an opinion based purely from a headline without reading the full article .. You know what I mean?
you openly admitted you cant respect peoples opinions even after you were advised to just let it go. your trying too hard & looking horrible in the process
if Nintendo advertised this game better, then i think it could of at least got in 20th... they could of advertised on TV, facebook ads, youtube ads, newspapers. but then it's not too surprising as there was that promotion.
@URAmk2
I'm sorry but I couldn't be bothered to read your reply, mainly because it will be about bunch of stuff that I've already answered but you obviously don't get it and are determined to push this idea that i really do care that much about digital sales, enough that I want to spend the next three days going back and forth like this... Sorry to disappoint you but I don't.
.
@Cohort
just to take a excerpt from your post
*Cohort said:
and are determined to push this idea that i really do care that much about digital sales, enough that I want to spend the next three days going back and forth like this... Sorry to disappoint you but I don't.*
ok lets see your comments before i said a word a single word to you since you claim not to care about digital sales:
*Cohort said:
Before everyone starts weighing in with their "expert analysis", please bear in mind:
"What should be noted of The Wonderful 101's 22nd place is that it won't include sales directly on the Wii U eShop, which did include a 30% off promotion for those that also purchased Pikmin 3 on the platform."*
*Cohort said:
His entire rant is based on half the story, digital sales are not included in the "all platform" chart, the eshop has a 30% offer if you bought pikmin and also bearing in mind that in general Nintendo's digital sales have been on the rise recently... this would suggest to me that MAYBE people might be more inclined to download the game?*
*Cohort said:
@GiftedGimp That doesn't include digital sales either does it?*
*Cohort said:
@GiftedGimp Exactly! That's what I was referring to, 14th is not bad at all and that's without digital sales as well..*
your right no need to continue this. you constantly contradicting yourself is getting old.
@SCAR392 said:
"No one is clinging to the 30% discount. It's there, and no one has numbers based on it. It still contributes, even if it is a low number. That's the point most were trying to get across"
I'm amazed that some people are unable to grasp such a simple concept..
I love this game and the demo was awesome. Will pick up in future wish could help them out right now but in do time
If some of you guys think games like this are "niche" then it spells a very bleak future for the creativity of games . This is one of the most unique games out ,PERIOD no debating . It oozes originality and style and is just plain fun . It provides a challenge for seasoned gamers but also has an easy mode for those who just want to button mash (it seems that the majority of children these days have this as their comfort zone as many MANY modern games just don't provide a challenge) . It would seem that my generation is now considered the niche generation . Here is a partial list of my niche collection in no paricular order ,
Sin and punishment 2
Super Metroid
Ikaruga
Xenoblade Chronicles
Zelda skyward sword
Gradius 5
Contra shattered soldier
Rtype final
Dodonpachi
Espgaluda
Axelay
Gate of thunder
Lords of thunder
Metroid prime 1, 2, 3
DKC returns
Super mario galaxy
Pikmin 3
Mh3
Mh3u
Alien soldier
Zelda twilight princess
Ocarina of time
Majoras mask
Radiant silvergun
Marvel vs capcom 1 and 2
Tatsunoko vs capcom
Several metal slugs , blazing star shall I go on ? If you don't recognize some of games look them up .
Nichety niche niche niche , that's me . Some of these games were made at a time when games were meant to challenge you while at the same time providing a fun gaming experience . W101 harkens back to that era and thank goodness .
I tried several stores and not one of them had it.
@Kirk Totally agree with you.
Bayonetta wasn't exactly an excellent port it even got down graded on the reviews, but PG games don't sell amazingly well anyway, but that doesn't mean every PG game will bomb on the PS3, and there is plenty of PG games on the PS3 that haven't bomb, your just presuming it would because of one poor port Bayonetta.
@banacheck I'm not presuming at all, your logic is fundamentally flawed, whether you choose to accept it or not..
@URAmk2
Actually I'll come back on this, at no point did I say that digital sales would push the game much higher in the charts.
I was simply suggesting that the digital offer (that's still on) may effect the amount physical copies that were bought more than they usually would. so that MIGHT entice a FEW more people to pick up both Pikmin and W101 through the digital service.
You don't have the sales figures so digital could have POSSIBLY pushed the game up to 20 (but we don't have the figures so we will never know) which is what the article is pretty much based on "The Wonderful 101 Misses the Top 20 in UK All-Format Charts".
So i haven't contradicted myself in anyway whatsoever, you're clutching at straws,
It's a little pathetic in all honesty..
So, did the discount ever come to the states, or was that just a UK thing?
@OGGamer that's my kinda niche! And yeah, no wait, hell yeah W101 is a great game! If you can beat a game in one sitting, it just might be too easy.... I need content and challenge in my games, without those two things, it's like going to Disneyland, paying for parking, eating a crappy meal, then heading home! (Sure, you spent money and time, but what did you get out of it?)
@Kirk I'm confused... In what respects is this a niche game?
Also (not to Kirk specifically, but if you can answer it, cool!), why is the word "Fanboy" tossed around as a negative? If I say I'm a Soccer fan, I, nor would the millions of other soccer fans be offended... I find it strange. I guess I'm a fan!
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