Iwata Braves Press Conference to Explain Nintendo's Earnings

If Nintendo buys both Microsoft and Sony, then it has nothing to worry about.

I wonder if making the tablet an optional but big feature would help in any way... if they went and made U Pros and Wiimotes the main controllers.

Unlike other I don't think Iwata should go. However, Nintendo needs to ADVERTISE this holiday season. They need to be aggressive. Pay some of these Japanese devs to get games on their system. Something. They need to also finish the work with the online Miiverse they already made and make apps that work with it and a unified account system. Also, VC. They have plenty of stuff they can do.

The holiday line-up will help, but they'll come short, of course. I don't blame them for setting the bar high though. That drives them to sell as many damn machines as humanly possible. Even if they come up a few million short, that drive could be what turns this whole thing around for the console.

Shame on the shareholders who want Nintendo to exit the hardware industry and focus on mobile games for the Candy Crush crowd. Nintendo is right to ignore shareholders that are trying to use Nintendo stock as a get-rich-quick scheme.

And someone really needs to teach Nintendo how to brand, market, and promote their own products.

Yes, It will turn things around. Not in a (I bet) a visible way. But hey, enough to make it stand out.
As for the WiiU 9 million mark..... Heh, All I can say that I hope you know what you're doing to make that figure, Iwata.

But overall, I just feel that Nintendo isn't doing enough. They don't have that many first party titles in development right now. Why is there such little effort put into online infrastructure improvements, account systems, VC titles, etc? They wouldn't even need that large of a team working on that stuff. I find it hard to believe that every single employee they have is tied up making Mario Kart.

It's like they completely forgot that the 3.91 million Wii U owners even exist.

Keep the games coming, first and foremost. Try new things (like the new model for distributing/selling Wii Sports), and keep prices as low as possible.

And never, ever, listen to those who would destroy the company for short-term gains (ie. software only).

@Trainer_DJ Yeah, giving the boot to Iwata now would be waaay too soon. Only time will tell if he can get the company running well in the long run.

@Trainer_DJ - I agree. Iwata should stay, but advertising should increase. I own a Wii U and know how great it is, but Nintendo needs to get that message across to those who don't have it. Some of these upcoming games should go a long way as well.

Hurry and fill the eShop with N64 games and i will spend plenty of money on there!

Without question, the Wii U will not be Nintendo's best-selling console. All we can hope for is that the upcoming games give the console the boost it needs. I am confident in the line-up, but I feel that they are a little too slow, and constantly delaying. I am a patient and loyal guy, and will stick to Nintendo no matter what, but 99,99% of the consumers do not have the same mindset.

Its never impossible to recover. The 3DS was once considered dead right after its release when the vita was nearing, and look at the little fella now It took him some time, and the same could happen to the WiiU. Agressive advertising of big hitters like Mario Kart and Smash Bros, both drawing in 3 important demogaphics: the "oh mommy look, its mario and pikachu" kids, the "Mario Kart Smash are the best party games ever" general gamer crowd and the "we tournament the goomba out of those two" hardcore people
Sow your competition whos boss. Show that Mario Kart still comes in at first place, second to none. Show Sony that heir Smash Bros clone was a pathetic mess of a quick cash in game.
The IPs are there, and Nintendos IPs are one of the strongest out there.
Tease the next BIG Zelda game, think about a new Metroid, Starfox, F-Zero etc out loud, tell the people what the WiiU has in store that no other company could ever dream to put out.
Having a strong 3rd Party support is one thing, but having THESE IPs under your hood is another.
Nintendos marketing as of now is...not that good to say it politely. We never heard of Bayonetta and "X" again, heck, "X" doesnt even have a name yet. These are both very major games that should be advertised constantly. You should constantly remind your consumers what is comming up and why it is worth it to own a WiiU and look forward too.
Playing it safe is one thing, and its probably not even the worst idea, but the way it is is much too safe for their own good.
As much as it hurts me to say it, but what they really could need are some quick cash in games. A real Wario Ware for instance. Probably not the most costly game to make out there, but the target audience is huge. Some kind of Pokemon app, fill up the VC with goodies like GameCube games, make some HD remakes to fill release gaps. Anything that screams: "If i buy a WiiU now, i wont get the big hitters, but i can fill the gap with these games until then"

Developing for tablets and smart phones would be nothing more than temporary, shortsighted salve. The benefit is it's easy and likely to turn a profit, but it's no less risky. Iwata is right to trust the vision because, even as they struggle to maintain profits, this path has far more potential for long term prosperity.

@DestinyMan

I think a big part in NSMB DS and Wii's successes was that they were accesible and at the time it seemed fresh to go back to basics, not to mention the latter introduced four-player Mario platforming for the first time ever. But by the time a third and fourth game came around, the magic had worn off. 3D Mario often changes for each generation, so it has avoided landing in that rut.

Here's crossing fingers.

By the time Smash and Kart come out, it's gonna look good again. Those are the games that, combined, pretty much every Wii U owner will get (at least 95% I can imagine), and pretty much persuade anyone planning to get a Wii U. Then there are other heavy hitters, like DK, Zelda U, even Yoshi, that have been confirmed. Not to mention, anything in between, and any other major (as well as minor) surprises or games yet to be confirmed.

@ACK So true.

Nintendo games need to stay on Nintendo consoles with a controller.

I hate how smart phones have cheap games that people play for 10 mins that are free or 69p.

Then people refuse to spend £5.50 on Super Mario World because it looks really expensive in comparison.

Let's be optimist, guys, Wii U is slowly starting to recover. The console has been selling better thanks to it's price-drop and the Wind Waker HD bundle, plus, with all the new bundles coming this months AND Super Mario 3D World, Wii U then would start to recover. I think when Wii U would finally start to be succesful just like the 3DS is going to be when Mario Kart 8 launches... and from there it's all going to be good I'm sure. Leave Iwata alone, he is my favorite CEO, okay? haha.

There is plenty nintendo can do to turn this around but going software only would be the death of them i dont think i could take that not after Sega I do not want to see Sony and Microsoft running things.

The problem isn't the system. It's Nintendo's approach. They don't do enough advertising. There needs to be commercials because no one knows what the heck the Wii U is. I remember that there used to be a ton of commercials for the original Wii and that's why it sold well.

Personally I think that they should hype the fact that many classic games will be playable in HD for the first time.

I miss the days as a gamer pre-internet when NONE of this temporal sales stuff mattered one bit to gamers.
I like video games. Let's talk about those.....
The business side is for those actually involved to deal with.
Nintendo keeps with tradition, which I am thankful for...I don't need them to impress the brain dead masses of anything.

I think Nintendo should have ditched Nintendo Land as the pack-in game personally and put Nintendo EAD Tokyo onto making the next 3D Mario game as a launch title, even if it meant delaying the Wii U by a few months and selling it early 2014.

It would have at least shown Nintendo is serious about making the "core" games, as the casual crowd have since moved on from the Wii onto their phones and tablets.

I only see it reaching that goal if Mario Kart 8 is out before March 2014

Nintendo needs to go private. These shareholders bought the stock when it was totally overvalued during the Wii's heyday and they will never, ever be happy. The company has been and will continue to be wildly profitable, but they don't care about that. They just want the stock back up at four or five times where it is now so they can sell it. If the company goes broke and Mario is just something used to sell endless runners, they don't care. Every time I hear talk about shareholder meetings I keep worrying the wrong people are going to buy up enough of the stock to sell Nintendo off into a hundred useless pieces. I really want to know what's going on with Yamauchi's share.

They just need to make a Nintendophone. . . . .That is all. . . . aaaaaand, it's still Hardware!

Nintendo's main headquarters need to allow NoE and NoA to start producing more games catered for the western audience. We're two thirds of the Nintendo buying population, and for years the potential for tapping into huge profits have been allowed to slip into the hands of the competition.

Oh my god...Iwata needs to go. If the man honestly...Honestly believes that this year's lineup of games on the Wii U is going to sell the remaining 8.5M units, then he's clearly out of touch with today's gaming. I can't tell you how upset this article makes me feel. And the man also doesn't feel that the company doesn't need a major strategic overhaul? Are you high?! Another thing that he said that irritated the Hell out of me is that One game has the power to change everything. WHERE THE HELL IS THAT GAME IWATA?! Please explain to us. What game could you possibly be referring to? SSB4? a game that is nowhere near it's release date? And Hell, I wouldn't put it pass me if the game got delayed because this is suppose to be a triple A release? mabye even X? A game that we don't really know much about and the fact that Nintendo hasn't really talked about the game leaves me to believe that it is possible that that game might also get delayed? Mabye even Zelda Wii U, another game we don't know anything about, all we know is that Aounuma or how ever you spell his name is going to talk about it at next year's E3. 'Sigh'...Iwata...you tell us to please understand and I and others just don't understand. And I really wish the Nintendo community would speak up on this matter and tell Nintendo that their is a massive problem with the Wii U....This is so depressing...'Sigh'

I think its time for Mr. Iwata to step down. The ball-dropping on all things Wii U is just mind boggling. From marketing, to consumer demands like unified account systems, to software droughts and 3rd parties jumping ship far too early, to what should be a spectacular use of the VC that just isn't, to something as simple as the name of the console itself... there needs to be a fresh approach. Someone to create energy and maybe give their products and image a new perspective.
Have you seen the headlines on the news sites talking up MS and Sony? Little to no mention of Big N, and if there is, its how they are failing. How can any CEO of a company who was THE major game in town for 25 years let this happen?
Do the honorable thing and step aside, Mr. Iwata.

Let's recap... so far Nintendo has been advertising itself through Nintendo Direct, so at most they might be preaching to 3DS owners that might be curious about the Wii-U. They haven't advertised outside of that, so I'm not seeing any run away success. They're going to need to blitz the advertising maybe around Mario World 3D, throw in Nintendo exclusives like Zelda, Wonderful 101, Wii-U Fit, Pikmin 3, Zombi-U, might generate interest. I don't think they have a whole lot to offer to be honest. Outside of Mario World 3D and Wii-U Fit all the other titles have been released so if people weren't buying Wii-Us for Zelda, etc, then there's little hope Wii-U fit or Mario World 3D will fix things. You also have to look at non-exclusive titles that have completely bypassed the Wii-U (which you may as well consider them to be exclusives to Xbox and PS3). I don't think Nintendo's line up is strong enough, especially after Sonic's (exclusive) dismal ratings. I wouldn't be surprised to see Xbox 360 and PS3 sales perform better than Wii-U in the forth quarter, especially with all the discount titles and Gran Theft Auto V in the lineup.

Do you lot really believe that PS4 andX1 won't have this same problem ?

@Adrien260 and all those problems will somehow be magically solved if Iwata would resign? I don't think so

It's not 5% of the target. Stop spreading misinformation,

What started this: confusion in the name, lack of games earlier in the year, same 3rd party games that the PS3/360 has at a more expansive price earlier in the year, lack of commercials.
Solution:more commercial of games and the system, gives the consumers a reason why they should buy a Wii U.

If you disagree that is ok, please be respectable if you reply.

@ColdingLight

They don't have to sell 8.5 million. It's 5 million with an end target of reaching 9 million. It already has close to 4.

Does the 3DS not exist to these Investors?

Did they suddenly forget Nintendo had both the best selling home console and handheld last generation?

The Wii U is not the be all, end all of Nintendo hardware. What could possibly make them think that getting out of the hardware business now is a good idea? Jesus, Ninty needs to go Private again before these idiots talk them into doing something that really will doom them.

@JustinH

Yes! Totally agree. Shareholders suck. They ruin companies. The company I work for almost went down. Thank god we went private.

I hate the stock market. All they seem to care about is making quick bucks. Instead they should support Nintendo and remember how the 3ds started slow but now is huge. One thing I think we need to start doing is start nick naming the Wii U and just call it the U just like how people don't say xbox 360 they say 360. Keep working on those future games Nintendo and tell your advertisement area to get off their butts and start advertising those future titles like crazy.

"I-AM-REGGIE said: Do you lot really believe that PS4 andX1 won't have this same problem ?"

No I don't see the same problems at all. Their marketing is on track, everyone knows these are NEW consoles (no confusion). There's ZERO chance a developer will utterly denounce their hardware on social media, skip over their consoles completely (naturally this doesn't include exclusives), cancel exclusive projects because console sales are pathetic. There's a million things wrong with the Wii-U launch and their lack of a lineup. The biggest problem for Nintendo right this second is the lack of software development outside of their own studios. Nintendo has had OVER a year to improve this and so far things aren't looking very good. They've been abandoned by most 3rd party video game developers and now they're trying desperately to bring Android and iOS titles to the Wii-U. They're in desperation mode right now... Angry Birds for $59.99... So far that looks like the future for the Wii-U, in house titles and grossly overpriced tablet games. The way things look right now, Nintendo is completely out of the running.

I dislike those pompous "investor" types who are far too wealthy to understand the current state of business affairs. And also, they don't know poopsiedoodoocacapoopiedoodoos about gaming industry.
_{Please watch the profanity — TBD}

Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 did help Nintendo move some 3DS systems in the 2011 holiday season. Can Super Mario 3D World along with Wii Party U, Wii Fit U, Wii Sports Club, plus Pikmin 3 and Windwaker...help the Wii U sell systems in a similar way? That is the question.

I'm glad that they are taking their time with Mario Kart 8 on Wii U and not rush it like Mario Kart 7. Nintendo could've easily decided to release Mario Kart 8 in time for the holiday season and would've helped the Wii U sell more systems. I think once that game is released and they see the results after, that's when they'll decide the long term course of the system. At least, I hope they do that. I really don't think 3D World alone, as great of a game that it can be, will not help Nintendo sell Wii U's. But I sure hope I am wrong.

@I-AM-REGGIE They won't have the SAME problem, but they will share different problems: Both are launching almost at the same time. The so called "hardcore gamer" crowd probably won't buy both of those consoles, and so sales will be split on those consoles, and core third party non-exclusives. Another problem is launch titles: Having all those titles launch with a console isn't good. Only the few 'good ones' will cancel out the others (Nintendo's --not only Wii U's — biggest problem, and a reason why competing developers hate competing with them ... this is also why they want them to go "Blackberry"). There will be more errors, no doubt. But they will probably have a more successful launch, than Wii U had.

The "Cult Information Campaign" (Nintendo Direct) that Nintendo has produced hasn't helped those who aren't in the Know. People are still confused about the Wii U, and they haven't really done anything to help. What they need to do is use mockery. Mockery is an excellent tool to get people to change, or want to learn things. Displaying those who don't know anything about Wii U as idiots, or undesirable people.
Nintendo is doing a lot of work, toward those "Indies", but so are it's competition.
Iwata said: "One game has the power to change everything...Are we satisfied with these sales results? No. Is it impossible to recover from this? No." In the past, single games have caused consoles to sell like crazy. He didn't say they had one.
Having Iwata leave probably isn't the best idea. First of all, it's going to make people lose confidence. Second, whoever replaces him could be worse for the company.

Two things I could imagine, in the next 2-3 years: Nintendo adopting SEGA as a 2nd party. The Wii U getting an 'Expansion Pak' type add on.

If anyone exits the console market next it's Sony...not Nintendo

ill tell you what wont help wii u 's sales is the severe lack or reviews or coverage of deus ex human revolution,which i find insulting,considering how many articles are put up about wii u failures and lack of third party support,you need to support third party wii u releases too nintendolife!

@jord91
I agree, here.

@Einherjar Come now, I'm a huge Smash fan, but I enjoyed PSBAR and it was anything but a quick cash-in game. I thought it was a pretty fun fighter that was rough around the edges. Does it beat Smash? No, but I enjoyed it more than many of the recent fighters that have come out.

I agree to some degree with your other points, but PSBAR has to be one of the most unfairly hated on games that came out last year. It was not that bad of a game, and was certainly more than a souless copy of Smash Bros.

Anyone that spends any time with game will quickly pick up on the differences between gameplay(The KO system is different for one thing.)

I know you may not have liked it, but I enjoyed PSBAR. I'm still playing it right now!

And this is from a huge fan of Smash. I really wish Sony would try their hand at a sequel, The game was rough around the edges at times, but it was a pretty good fighter.

I just don't understand the hate PSBAR gets. It does several things right, and is a playable fighter that is pretty enjoyable. People just need to get it out of their heads that its nothing like Smash Bros outside of being a 4-player mascot fighter.

They need to kill it off ASAP. Preferably, with Iwata gone.

Instead of sounding off all the things Nintendo should be doing and hasn't, like advertising, I'm simply going to say that as a staunch Nintendo-only fan, I'm worried about what the future holds for the Wii U.

If Iwata and co. don't do SOMETHING drastic soon, it may be too late.

Thing is that these are today's problems and not necessarily tomorrow's problems. Nintendo has games lined up for next year like Bayonetta 2, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, Yarn Yoshi, X, FExSMT, and I'm sure more that we don't know about. Not to mention there's Super Mario 3D World coming out in a few weeks. There's a solid NSMBUNSLU bundle coming out along with the Wii Fit U trial and new Wii Sports. The package is going to get better and better and more people will sign on once the deal is sweetened.

Iwata leaving, the Wii U getting killed off, andor the company going third party would kill any confidence people have in the company. Nintendo is a household name and will carry the torch. They need to remain a strong presence in the console world so we have continued innovation. One company leaving would harm the whole industry.

And another point is that the new console launches will surely bring shortages and the Wii U might look awfully tempting to parents wanting to buy their kids a new console for Christmas, especially if it is the only thing on the shelves and coupled with new games.

Nintendo's best bet is to keep sweetening the overall deal and show why the Wii U is great.

@WingedSnagret
I'm not. GCN wasn't that hot, but I have a lot of fond memories playing it. It had a great library.

@dizzy_boy I agree 100%. Like Sony or not, many of their development houses are based in the UK and the US. Which means they can develop games that are catered to the Western Markets. I love what Retro has done with classic Nintendo ips, but the time has come for them to be given free reign to make their own titles.

You have a very talented development house, and all they have done is revivals of old Nintendo ips. Why not give them the freedom to do what they want and put them in charge of making new IPs for western audiences? Imagine what Retro could accomplish with that approach.

Nintendo could still guide them as needed, but let them make their own titles. If they want to make a FPS game, then let them. Look at Rare back on the N64. Nintendo let them have their freedom, and they created some of the greatest games of all time.

More importantly, they created numerous ips that were highly successful.

I wonder if Nintendo holds studios like Retro on a tight leash because they don't want a repeat of what happened with Rare. Maybe Nintendo fears losing ips if they ever let Retro go, so they only allow them to work on existing Nintendo ips that are clearly owned by NIntendo.

It's a shame because while I love their work on Metroid and Donkey Kong, Retro could do so much if they could create new ips. They could very well be Nintendo's Naughty Dog or this generation's Rare if Nintendo would give them the reigns to make a new ip that's catered to Western Audiences.

And yes, I think NOA and NOE should be allowed to form their own development houses here. Focus their efforts on games catered to Western Audiences. I would love to see a FPS or a Western RPG with the NIntendo name and quality behind it.

Maybe this is the time for Nintendo to move some development outside Japan. I'm not saying they need to stop Mario, Zelda, or Pokemon, but get some new blood in there that is not tied to the Japanese development style and system that is in place in Japan.

@Savino Yeah but as good as Mario Galaxy was (And with all the effort that went in). New Super Mario Bros Wii sold loads more. (Even though with just a little more playtesting it could have been loads better).

@Caryslan Western console games are generally rubbish though. Any of the good studios bought by Microsoft or Sony never did anything interesting again.

Look at Capcom's western targeted stuff its garbage.

@Bliquid Perfect examples of what I think is garbage. (I liked MDK and MDK2 when it was Eidos). Mercury Steam have no redeeming qualities.

Stuff like all the Half Life games are good if that is what you want (And it is not watered down like everything that says they are targeting the Western Market).

i wish smash bros and mk8 were this holiday! that will sell MILLIONS! of wii u's!

Like someone else said, do you guys all seriously think firing Iwata will magically solve Nintendo's issues? No, it won't. They'll still be there if he gets fired and they'll still be there when they hire a new CEO.

Do you guys really think taking away the GamePad and giving the Wii U a more traditional controller will help anything? Because then we'll literally have three identical consoles on the market, the only difference being different exclusives and a different brand name. The GamePad brings out the Wii U's uniqueness - it brings out Nintendo's uniqueness. Take away their uniqueness, and what will Nintendo be? Nothing. Just another old video game company that only focuses on yearly rehashes.

Nintendo will not be the first company to go third party. They have more money than Microsoft and Sony combined. Microsoft and Sony are closer to going third party than Nintendo is. Nintendo can bomb at least two more generations and still be fine.

That being said, the real problem here is ADVERTISING. I'm sick of having to explain to everybody what the heck a Wii U is. Come on Nintendo, market this thing AGGRESSIVELY. I liked what somebody else said about mocking the non-owners. Remember when Reggie did that with the 3DS? He said, "If you don't own a 3DS, what's wrong with you?!"

Spread the word, Nintendo. Make the Wii U known!

"the Nintendo president did confirm that company executives would review the performance of these new titles and then decide "what the company needs to do, over the long-term, about its platform"

That's promising to hear. It shows they aren't completely burying their heads in the sand.

@Hayabusa
They wouldn't sell as many as they would next year. Have you heard about the PS4 and XBONE launching?

They should consider putting their egos aside and partner with Apple. Both of them together could collaborate and release a console in a few years that could be a powerhouse!

I think what they need to do is regroup and go with all the 2nd and 3rd tier IPs. I love Zelda and Mario games as much as the next guy, but they've gotta start giving those franchises a break. I think a big part of the reason that Nintendo is falling on tougher times is because they're too content to retread familiar ground and attempt to capitalize on past successes. Obviously, that hasn't been working, we need lesser known franchises to step into the light. There's a reason why Fire Emblem: Awakening and Kid Icarus: Uprising were so acclaimed: We hadn't played anything like them in quite some time and the quality gameplay was there.

Nintendo, kiss and make up with Sony. Climb into bed together and create the world's best in hardware and IP's it is clamoring for. The only big loser there is Microsoft.

@Falco As far as abandoning the system, I doubt Nintendo would do that. I don't even own a Wii U (3DS XL only) and I don't see that happening. The Wii U will be fine in about 1.5 to 2 years from now but I do believe the post-N64 era Nintendo paints themselves into these ridiculous corners they have to pull teeth to get out of though...

The Wii's best Christmas didn't sell as many units as the WiiU will need to sell this Xmas to hit the sales target.
Unless they are planning on giving away 5 million units (maybe?) there is no chance of hitting the target.
I love my WiiU, but not changing the target is delusional.

@EvisceratorX
That's a good idea. There are a lot of games that would be great on Wii U. Primarily Star Fox, or Metroid (Just because they aren't unannounced)... It was nice to see Kid Icarus return.
I'm not against having the announced Kirby, Mario, Zelda and so-on games released, I'm excited for them! And yes, there have been a lot of Mario games. There are a lot of Spinoffs that are pretty good... I'd love to see a Mario AND Sonic platformer, rather than an "Olympics Sport mosh"... and I bet I'm not the only one.
Back to the err... point these 1st tier franchises are becoming too "Maddenized". There have been several NEW Super Mario games in such a short period of time, it just kind of makes a release less exciting.
I'd love even more to see an Anti-Hero game Starring Wario and Waluigi... and Wario's friends, I suppose... that isn't Wario Ware. I'd love to see a game with Wario able to throw Waluigi around.
Most of all, however, I'd love to see Advance Wars return (Wii U and/or 3DS).

@shuis
I often think of how different the world would have been if the Nintendo Play Station came to fruition.

I love Nintendo. I've owned/bought almost every system they've released with blind faith. But I do not have Wii U. It seems to me that Wii U owners are being treated as second class citizens by publishers. What's worse is that even with a miracle holiday season there are still no 3rd party games in development to sustain it. Games take time to develop. The Wii has a great virtual console, it seems Nintendo is flushing money down the toilet by not filling the Wii U and 3DS eshops with virtual cashcows. In short, I'm worried.

This is exactly what happened to the 3DS and the Wii after they first launced. Questions whether they would sell or not. After seeing 3D world, I'm pretty sure Mario will save the Wii U just like how Super Mario 3D land saved the 3DS.

@electrolite77

Target is 9 million, but they already sold almost 4 million. The difference is about 5 million, which makes 460,000 closer to 10% of their goal.

@CaviarMeths Nintendo actually already knows how to market, just go and look at all of the Nintendo commercials of the 90s, then look at the marketing for the GBA/DS, the problem here.....is that Nintendo is cheap, cheap as f@*! since the old president stepped down ages ago, the lowered their marketing and failed to even remotely promote 3rd party games, this was the Gamecube/Wii era, (even though the few Wii commercials they made were pretty damn good and very memorable) "Wii would like to play" Needs to come back and for please nintendo, make realistic and or funny commercials again, eveyone HATES those generic smiling families playing random games.

@Einherjar quick cash in you say? how about a HD re-release of the last 2 pokemon games in 3d form like the new one, with miiverse pokemon swapping and a online stadium mode with quarterly Nintendo Hosted tournaments for real prizes (like mega rare legendary pokemon and/or real world badges to move to higher tournaments), how amazing would THAT sell? The fans are waiting Nintendo....

and to REALLY make a cash grab game, how about Nintendo Universe (emphasis on the U) and design it like Skylanders/Disney Infinity, I would be sold so fast if it combines the game play element of its star franchises( Mario, Metroid, and Zelda for starter pack) include some popular side characters, online multiplayer and a fight mode that plays like Super Smash bros.....INSTANT SUCCESS!! Even I would go broke getting those Zelda figurines...YOUR WELCOME NINTENDO, I JUST MADE you a TON of cash TWICE!!!

@Trainer_DJ You're right. On NBA opening night the games were bombarded with One and PS4 ads at almost every break. I'm pretty sure the Wii I did nothing like that last year and hasn't done it this year.

I am going to start off by saying that I do not own a Wii U (nor any other home console) up until now I have owned every Nintendo home console including the Wii. However with my job and family I am home maybe 12 hours a week and simply do not have the time to be tethered to a TV to play a home console game nor do I have the time to enjoy them.

I do however own 2 3DS systems and 1 3DS XL system which get hours upon hours of gameplay time while traveling for work and also at home as I lay down to unwind. Which brings me to this point. Every critic is so quick to point out the slow start that the Wii U is having and completely over look the amazing success of the 3DS.

If Nintendo would bring games to smart phones and tablets this would severely impact the sales of the strongest horse in Nintendo's stable: The 3DS and its stranglehold on the handheld gaming market. Which Nintendo has dominated over the last countless years. While I don't think Nintendo should abandon the Wii U. However, if sales continue to fall. I don't think it would be such a bad move for them to solely focus on the handheld market, which is clearly where they are making their money hand over fist.

While the ios and android have made an impact in the handheld gaming market, it has not slowed the sales of 3DS hardware or software. If anything it has enticed some more (casual) game players to pick up a 3DS to get a more satisfying gaming experience.Nintendo has over and over again proven they will not lose the crown in the handheld market, even as though some thought they would to the smart phone trend. So why not take that success and know how, and run with it if all else fails on the home console front.

Just my thought.

It's not at all impossible to recover. Nintendo shouldnt do what Sega did with the Dreamcast ans Sega Saturn. Nintendo's Wii U is missing a killer title to start with. Given it's strong alliance with Sega, Nintendo should fund Shenmue 3 and also Shenmue 1 & 2 HD remakes that were and still are both Dreamcast classics. The reason I say Shenmue is because as I said, Nintendo needs a killer exclusive thats not Zelda, Mario or Sonic. The Wii U's hardware is ideal for such a title and also there are so many die hard fans out there including myself who have been waiting for the thrid installment foir 13 years and have been waiting somewhat 2 years on the rumored HD remakes. On top of this more Dreamcast remakes on the Wii U would bring across many more Sega gamers and would result in a mass amount of units sold. I can vouch for 20,000 members from facebook page Shenmue500k and not to mention every other page, fan site, forums and silent fans out there. Were all willing to throw our cash at whatever console picks up the series and revives it. secondly, Nintendo needs to create some more adult audience games as well, games such as Syndicate wars and even a True Lies snes remake. All in all, the Wii U is an awesome piece of hardware but unfortunately it's being under estimated by publishers and under advertised.

@HarveyManback
You got that right. Had I not run out of friends, I'd buy a few more of these 3DS bundles. No WiiU, yet for precisely the reason you mentioned.

@BlatantlyHeroic
"If Nintendo buys both Microsoft and Sony, then it has nothing to worry about. "
Do you even know how ridiculous that sounded?

I don't know the point of making ridiculous claims, they won't make 9 millions, there's no point of announcing a goal you know you can't make, it just makes you look bad

@verymetal

Agreed, I thiink this is the best solution for Nintendo, finding a partner who can design hardware for them so Nintendo can focus on games, Apple is a possibility but there are also others possibility, Nvidia or even Samsung (I know must Japanese company would probably prefer to go bankrupt that work with Koreans but times are a changing)

I only have a 3DS and Wii U. No plans to buy a PS4 or Xbox1. I've lost faith in Sony & Microsoft. They keep putting out the same ol' same ol' consoles over & over. Better graphics, same gameplay. Nintendo, on the other hand, is trying something different with both the 3DS & Wii U. I like both systems a lot. I wish more gamers would see how awesome the Wii U is. Love the gamepad. Enjoying it a lot.

I hope Nintendo doesn't get rid of Iwata. I like him. As far as going software only: if Nintendo ever did that, i'd stop buying their games. I love Nintendo software AND hardware (they do a great job of developing both imo). I don't own a cellphone or tablet. I don't want one either. And I have no plans to buy those other systems coming out. I think Nintendo can and WILL turn things around with the Wii U. Its taking awhile but Smash & Mario Kart will help.

The biggest problem will still be the lack of games released before Christmas, every game apart from 3d mario is for the casual audience. I don't see wii fit u or wii party u convincing many people to buy a console. Mario kart, donkey kong and ssb should all be available by now. By the time they are released the damage could already be done.

Everything's going to be just fine. NO PANICKING!

I love classic Nintendo Ip's, they make us realise why we started playing video games, but as of late they have relied to much on mario and Zelda. Nintendo own a number of game studios, they should use these studios to develop new Ip's which are aimed at the core gamer, and which use the gamepad for more than off screen play. Think Zombi u. The wii u would fly off the shelves if you knew every couple of months a brand new game, with a new Ip, and is exclusive to wii u. Couple this with classic Nintendo games and the wii u would be a must have console. Great new games which use the pad fully = sales.

after mario 3d world, bayonetta, smash bors and mario kart 8 they will recover, it's still early to know what will happen.
What I can say is that the ps4 line up is poor so in this moment a wii u is a better choice
And with X and fire emblem I think that the 2014 will be better for the wii u
ps4 has only cross gen games and a couple of new games
About the nintendo strategy I think that they have to change something anyway.
1 About third parties
2 About hardware

Apart from new mario and stuff I think Nintendo should finally reveal Zelda U which is THE killer app and system seller that Wii U needs so much. It's not coming out soon I guess but it's time to build up a hype and show potential buyers that if you want to play a really unique, polished and one of a kind adventure, you can have it only on Wii U.

I don't think their software lineup will make the difference Iwata is expecting. I can't wait for Mario etc but I just don't think the effect on hardware sales will be that great.

Also as someone said above, why are there not dedicated teams at Nintendo aiming for mass VC releases? We should have the entire back catalogue of NES, SNES, N64 and GC on Wii U, why is this not happening?

All we get is a slow drip-feed of releases that we've already seen which is a real missed opportunity. Ninty should hire people just to get this done as they have such an amazing back catalogue going to waste

These figures are only up until September right? Since then Zelda, Wonderful 101 and Sonic have all been released, I reckon that improved sales a lot. Their holiday line up seems pretty decent even without DKTF and I heard a rumor Smash Bros may be out 31st December, I dont know how much truth their is too that but if true I can see ninty reaching 9mill before years end.

Massive TV-campaign telling people to pull their wiimotes out of the cupboard and come play Wii Sports Club.

That might do it.

@Caryslan Your right, i didnt like it very much. It was my first Vita game and i later got it in the PS AllStars Sale on PS3 in the hopes that the VIta version wasnt the best representation of the title. Turned out, it was a carbon copy. The problems i had with the game:
The overall Menu system, the presentation etc were even less appealing than some flash games ive played. It just felt overly cheap.
The character roster was a mixed bag. Instead of including some once 2nd party characters like Crash ans Spyro, that made the PlayStation what it is today, they included 3rd party characters form multi console games. To me, that feals like a quick advertisement deal.
The gameplay was unballanced beyond beleave. Take two of my most played characters: Kratos and Spike. With a Level3 finisher, Spike can finish 3 opponents max, Kratos on the other hand, gets several secons of one hit kill time. If you play it right, you can rack up your kill count in no time, making the waiting time to get to level3 far more worth it.
I dont say that this game is a mess technically, it works fine, it looks fine but i couldnt enjoy it as much as i tried.
It was a giant ad campaign to promote not only the titled "PS AllStars" but also some 3rd Party games with an overly cheap presentation and questionable mechanics.
Its pretty much the worst 4player brawler i played, and that counts in games like Digimon Rumble Arena 2.

But what i really meant to say was, that nintendo has something to offer, that the competition lacks: Love, care and rock solid production values. And that should be the nr.1 advertisement target: Show everyone, that you cant copy games from Nintendo. That Mario Kart isnt just one of the many kart fun racers, it is THE kart fun racer.

@BlackStar9000 About the Pokemon idea: I had a similar, although much simpler one: Pokemon Stadium U. Some single player challenges and tournaments, maybe to win some trinkets like pokemon fodder etc, nothing game breaking. Full X/Y Pokemon integration through system connectivity (like the transfer pack) and online Multiplayer with regular tournaments. Prices could range from Shiny Pokemon, to Mega-Stones to whatever.
That way, they would just need to polish up the 3D models up to HD standart and thats it. And to hook people to getting that app not just as an extension to the already implemented online lay of X/Y, use the WiiUs power to enable maybe full on 6v6 mass battles exclusive to this title.

I predict a 5-6 million sales in the first year for the PS4 and X1. And I think it will stay around that till a price cut

Iwata is awesome.
When I saw the picture I actually thought they were like "Lolz we built a giant fake GamePad!" but then I realised I just need to rest my eyes... and my arms, and my legs!

"Do you think Nintendo's Wii U holiday line-up will help it to achieve the sales it needs?" In a word... No. I believe they will get to 9 mill but not by end of March. I like Nintendo but I swear sometimes their inability to see the writing on the wall is amazing. Their marketing seriously needs help. You can promote on your SYSTEMS all day long but your only getting the audience that bought the machines. Try awesome commercials during PRIMETIME like I see Sony and Microsoft doing pushing their respective systems. Sigh...

Nintendo will always be around. They've been around for 100+ years, so they know how to stand the test of time. Granted, things are different now than they have ever been, but still. They are not going anywhere and I'm with them till I die.

Wii was highly successful. BUT, by the end of it's cycle, people never played it. It was something that sat next to ps3 or an xbox360 collecting dust. (yes there were good games butnot that sold well to the masses) Nintendo trying to ride the Wii wave after it had already crashed was foolish.

Everybody thinking the Wii U would just be "stopped" or something like that has no idea at all what business involves and how it is planned and done.

The tablet controller is just dumb. They need to get rid of it, rebrand the console "Super Wii" or "Wii 2", advertise the hell out of it, and lower the price. It will absolutely sell at a $250 price point and without the tablet they might actually start making a profit off the console sales. Just patch the existing tablet-centered games and move on.

The Wii U is not the problem. Nintendo is the problem. Their approach thus far with the Wii U has been nothing but mind boggling and infuriating. They have NO ONE to blame but themselves. It's time for Iwata to step down.

@marnelljm no way man. The tablet is what makes it unique. The lack of power, poor branding, bad advertising, and Wii name is what hurts it.

@IxnayontheCK I agree with you on your points. However, has anyone considered that children may find the gamepad too big? I don't like the feel of it and I'm in my 20s.

@marnelljm true, there could have been improvements and my 6 year old has trouble reaching the Z buttons. I think the tablet is great jump to give something extra for gaming, but the system struggles to show anything to WOW the PS3/360 gamers

The Wii u was a rough concept. After playing it for a while I like it but I prefer the pro controller or wiimote. There were major American advertising issues last year. If that happens this year Iwata would need to go. Notice that there is no advertising for assassins creed 4 and Arkhangelsk origins? Retailers have kept Wii u titles in the back along with Wii party u. Whatever is going on Nintendo has upset major retailers.

@IxnayontheCK They could very well make it an optional peripheral.
We know third parties are barely doing anything with the screen, Nintendo are the only ones likely to make any use of it so what have they got to lose?

For people that arnt gamers they should have called it Wii2. I think the name wiiu confuses alot of people and they dont know a new console has come out ie people like my friend that baught a wii just for wii fit.
Wii Fit U will shift alot of consoles if they pump the adds out clearly stateing wii fit u for the new nintendo console (hint hint).

For the people more into games ie hardcore gamers it will take a new zelda, metroid, mario kart, smash bros. To get them onboard.
A friend of mine a games dev has canceled his pre orders of both ps4 and xbone due to lack of good launch games.
If nintendo gets a good game out in jan 2014 they could just fill the void for afew months.

The big worry is when next gen start pumping out big hitters like destany, mgs so forth in march.

Holiday sales will help, but not much. It is not really hardware that sells Nintendo, its games. People don't go to Disney World for the biggest, fastest, adrenalin rush, rides, they go for the magic that is Disney. Same with Nintendo. People buy into Nintendo for what Nintendo stands for; Mario and all the other games that are Nintendo.

I can't believe that Nintendo were not developing a killer Mario game bundle for the launch of the Wii u. I'm not sure the new Mario game is a killer game, to much like another 'Mario bros game' that we have enough of for a while, but I hope it's not.

I think most Wii owners also have a 3ds/ds and that should have been used as the gamepad, allowing that Wii u to be priced lower.

Nintendo need to lower the price of the Wii u, even if they sell at a loss for a while; this will result in the Wii u being the better value console, more sales and higher games sales.

Nintendo can help their Wii U sales with a Super Mario 3D World bundle. With 2 Mario bundles Nintendo may have an easier time grabbing parents' attention for their holiday shopping.

I don't agree with Iwata on everything...coughregionlockcough....but I love how so many people think they know better than the man who spearheaded the astronomical sales figures of the Wii, DS and now the 3DS.
But hang on, Wii U is not doing so hot in it's FIRST year?
Better fire Iwata, give up on the Wii U and maybe go third party. Yup. Pure genius.

Not to beat a dead horse, but naming it Wii U was the biggest mistake Nintendo has made so far. I absolutely LOVE the system myself, but the name pigeon-holed it for the "hardcore" crowd and confused the heck out of the casual crowd. Many people still have no idea that it's a completely new system. In my opinion, had they even played on their past and called it Super Wii, it would have at least distinguished it enough to imply it's something different. Wii U sounds like a tool for learning...Wii University.

@Moose_4 The e-shop is already filled with n64 games. If you think that's what's going to turn things around for nintendo... i dunno!

@schopaia the eShop doesn't have any N64 games for the wii u. There's a massive library that I'm sure plenty of people would want to play. I don't think there's a big problem with the wii u anyway, I love it, just wish the name was different to begin with so the apparent casual gamers wouldn't get confused.

I hope Nintendo could bring out the Virtual Console in it's full glory soon.
Gamecube, Saturn and Dreamcast games should be put to the Wii U eShop, of course this would require a lot of support from Sega as well.

3DS eShop will for sure get the GBA games at some point, Nintendo already demonstrated around two years ago with the ten embassador games that GBA games are already working on 3DS, but I suppose they are waiting for the moment when they got nothing else going on so GBA will then boost the sales again.