@DarkwingLz That and the fact that the shader models that are used in the next generation consoles isn't compatible with anything but those consoles and PC, means that there is a lesser chance of the high profile indie titles coming to not only the Wii U, but current generation consoles as well.
"Support and enthusiasm from the current download / Indie market is not an area of concern for the Wii U at this time"
Really? Because the last time I checked, I'm seeing major indie titles launching on comepitior's services, but not the Wii U over and again. Nintendo has chalked up lots of praise for all of its "indie" support, but it the weekly releases clearly don't reflect this.
@MrGawain It could have been a number of them: EA, BioWare, SEGA, Vigil Games - there were several developers who ported games to the Wii U at its launch. The developer clearly is trying to get finished code to work on the Wii U, instead of writing new code, which the basis of my sentiment comes from.
@GC-161 Considering that the developer was most likely breaking NDAs with this article, I'd like to think that he/she intentionally penned it to make it look like they were someone they aren't.
I want to see more side titles released from Game Freak. Not really a sequel to HarmoKnight, but more frest eShop titles that offer us something unique and fun.
I know that the possibility of this happening is indeed quite high, but I want to see it nonetheless. A proper 3D sequel to Drill Dozer would be ace too!
@Damo The only real reason to purchase anything in the mobile version is for when you get to the point that you need to upgrade your monster capacity. Spending money on the Rare Egg Machine is a complete waste of money, seeing how the ratio of gods to 3-star garbage drops is entirely too high - a $5 game of chance is a bit ridiculous IMO. Thankfully, GHO does a good job of dishing out stones for consecutive logins and monthly events.
I too am looking forward to this landing on the 3DS. If it wasn't for the region lock, I'd already be having a blast with it. Haha
@Damo Oh, I wan't questioning her in the knowledge, not even in the slightest. I was just elaborating a bit on the developer's past a bit - I've seen a lot of crazy reactions to this title being released around other sites, almost all of which make it clear that these people have no idea that this developer is primarily a console developer.
I've been playing Puzzle and Dragons on iOS for a good six month now - I've probably dropped well over 100 hours into. It's about as hardcore of a game as it comes on the platform and well deserving its praise.
GungHo Online is no stranger to home consoles though. It's been developing games since 1998, so it comes as no surprise that the transition from mobile to console was done properly, seeing how that's where the majority of its experience is.
I'm excited to see Puzzle and Dragons Z land on Western shores. My $40 USD can be considered to be already spent.
Really glad to see that this is doing well already on the 3DS. As an avid fan of the iOS title, I'll be purchasing this on the 3DS the day it lands on the Western market.
For those of you who don't know, Puzzle and Dragons is one of the most hardcore (read: difficult) games on the iOS Marketplace.
I don't see the appeal to Miiverse. I excitedly downloaded it and haven't even the slightest desire to go back into it after spending a good while there the other night.
I still haven't purchased a Wii U and I still haven't purchased a PS4 or Xbox One either. I've grown very tired of the majority of the games released in this generation and I have no desire to spend the high cost of these consoles to play more of the same that I already own - there's too much on the cosoles that I do own that I still want to play any ways.
@Einherjar FIFA 14 and NHL 14 are two of the most polished and refined sports titles released. EA offers daily roster updates to its titles as of this year, allows for online divisional tournaments in its games. Yes, EA truly does flood the market with poorly developed title - eh?
Regardless of how great Super Mario 3D World is, it still doesn't make the weak library for the system enough for me to invest in the console. I'm beyond burned out on Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. is coming to the 3DS, so unless Nintendo comes out with a couple of knock-out punches in the next year or two, I won't be purchasing a Wii U until late in its life cycle.
The very same rule applies to both the PS4 and Xbox One as well. I have zero interest in forking out the high investment prices for these consoles to play a small handful of games.
@Nibelilt It's just those gimmicks that make Nintendo's consoles appealing. Also, the issue that developers have now on home consoles is the high cost to produce AAA games, which stems from the increased specs of these new generation consoles, as well as consumer continuous demand for bigger and better.
Nintendo needs to keep on doing what it is doing, with the exception of its marketing, which in dire need of adjustment.
@Nibelilt I have to disagree with you that Nintendo needs to try and get into the console wars with Sony and Microsoft - isn't that what it did with with Wii U, before it changed it's marketing strategy with casual/family games?
I think Nintendo needs to stay "Nintendo." Great core first party games that are cheap to own and fun for the entire family. And honestly, I think that both the PS4 and Xbox One are going to struggle and push the gaming industry down even farther than it already is. If so, that leaves Nintendo a critical opportunity to be the better opportunity for game developers.
@element187 "The only segment willing to plop down $350 for a console is the core market."
Whom aren't purchasing the console in enough quantities to justify full third party publisher support. But, you're also missing out on the point that I made in my previous post - the Wii U was initially designed as a core gaming console and one that was very much a single player focused console. A year later, this same console design was used to showcase it as a local multiplayer centred console. This created mass confusion within the core gaming community, not just the casual markets.
Today, the Wii U still has the initial appearance of a single player gaming device, yet it's games are primarily focused on local multiplayer gaming. Not only this, but the fact that Nintendo refuses to fully integrate its games online (Super Mario 3D World) only continues to challenge, or should I say, question the minds of core gamers - price isn't the issue here.
Marketing and advertising are two separate entities. The Wii U, by design, isn't a local multiplayer device. The Wii U's games, by design, are both marketed and advertised as local multiplayer centred video games. This is the fundamental issue the Wii U faces and this will continue going forward, because Nintendo's chances of recapturing the core gaming market with the Wii U is practically slim to none. This stems from, but not limited to, the near complete loss of third party support and the lack of full online integration with its games, as well as the games that it's producing for the console.
Where does price become an issue? While the Wii U might look cheaper upfront, the need for an HD upgrade for the console - something that core gamers are aware of - puts it basically equal to the investment in the upcoming consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Also, from a technology standpoint alone, the Wii U's price point pales in comparison to these other consoles, which finds the Wii U investment the less appealing choice for core gamers.
The Wii U will sell for the games that Nintendo produces for it though. This is its primary selling point. The Wii U's high investment price is either going to prove how valuable it's brand is to the gaming market as a whole, or it will prove itself to not be as in demand as many would like to believe it to be. Either way, the Wii U has already forced Nintendo to restructure its business strategies and unless things start looking up for the console, we will most likely see a much different type of console and marketing strategy coming from Nintendo over the next few years.
Every business makes mistakes, just like every person does. Nintendo has made mistakes in extremely critical areas with the Wii U and some that I fear will continue to keep the system from attaining mass market appeal. If so, Nintendo will learn from its mistakes and move forward; that's the nature of business.
Thomas, I truly thought by the title of this piece alone that this would be a much different piece, but I think you've done a great job explaining both sides of the issue on this front. Thankfully, I've missed out on the "doom" articles, as I've been off the grid for a few days.
My thoughts: the Wii U's marketing has been very poor. The initial design of the console was primarily for a single player experience, yet the core Nintendo titles for the consoles have been nothing of the sort. This is the primary fault of the console/software and it will most likely be its Achilles' heel throughout its life cycle.
I think it's probable that the Wii U will be a stop-gap console and its next console will be more focused on the family gaming experiences that made the Wii such a fantastic console.
I think the bottom line, is that Nintendo should have never tried to go after the core/hardcore gamers with the Wii U in the first place. I've stated this many times over the past few years and I'm afraid I was correct in my assessments. Nintendo has simply lost too much third party support to keep core/hardcore gamers on board with its consoles and going forward it needs to focus on doing what it does best, which isn't appealing to these specific crowds. It needs to stay out of the console wars and focus on being a unique and tried-and-trusted company that produces fantastic games on budget friendly consoles for all ages; that is Nintendo and that is the only way that I can see it being a sustainable company as the technology wars rush ever forward.
Very good piece @Damo - I hope to see more like it in the future here at NL.
I think the main issue with this piece of hardware is the Wii's terrible online attachment rate, but this type of console would have forced attention onto it, which could have potentially rectified that issue as well. With that train of thought - could it be possible that the Wii U and it's improved online infrastructure could be benefiting from this missed opportunity as well? I think it's feasible to think so.
I felt that you were really onto the key point that the Wii U is failing in at first - marketing - before the whole talk on the Nintendo Directs, which obviously aren't helping the system to sell.
The Wii U's marketing woes are in the actual console itself. Regardless of how many times Nintendo and its fans proclaim that it isn't a tablet, to the mainstream media, it's a tablet that plays Nintendo games and can do very little else that the tablets that they already own can. Furthermore, free and cheap-to-own titles fill the mobile marketplaces with games are are continually growing in value and console-like quality - not to mention sociability.
Those very same people that purchased the WIi by the millions are the same crowd that is now enjoying Plants vs. Zombies 2 and Candy Crush Saga on their mobile devices. If Nintendo wants to draw back this crowd, it has to completely change its marketing and advertising strategies for this console to give them a reason that they should spend $250 (plus games/accessories) for this console.
I don't see that happening though - it's too risky and by doing this it would alienate its core user base in the hopes to reclaim customers without loyalty.
Nintendo needs to market the Wii U for what it was intentionally designed to be: Wii You. A core gaming console that can offer fun for all ages, with its multiplayer offerings being primarily focused on online gameplay. It's just that simple, really. It can still offer local co-op/multiplayer, but one thing is for sure, keeping Super Mario Bros. 3D World offline is deal-breaker for me.
I'm not even going to vote on those polls with the options that are available.
Nintendo needs to stop trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft and just do its own thing - inexpensive family friendly gaming.
Also, the only place that I continue to see the whole "Nintendo is doomed" rants, outside of comments sections on published articles on other websites, is here at Nintendo Life - that became tiresome six months ago.
With the Vita being a current console and being in the digital age, all it will take a simple patch to the Vita games' controls to become compatible with the Vita TV, if needed. Sony found a way to put dual analogue controls in all of its PSP games on the Vita, so I don't think doing the same for the Vita TV will be too terribly difficult - not to mention that the PS4 controller has a touchpad on it too!
Nintendo is finally getting up to par with its digital services, I agree, but even with the Indies it still a long way from even par with PSN and XBLA. Many of the most popular indie titles aren't available on Nintendo's services: Limbo, Bastion, Braid, Spelunky, Thomas Was Alone, Dragon Fantasy, Hotline Miami, Papo and Yo, Terraria and Pid,
Nintendo is doing a good job, but unless it can absolutely ensure that the major indie releases are launching on the eShop(s) simultaneously with the other digital platforms, its service will continue to under perform behind its competition.
This is unless Nintendo reaches out to Indies with actual funding to bring exclusive indie titles to the Wii U that take advantage of its unique control/interface options. This is Nintendo's absolute best alternative, in my opinion, seeing how everything else that people are praising it for is practically been standard practice for half a decade from Sony.
Sony's PubFund:
matches developmental budget with royalty guarantees
self-publishing at no cost
developer retains IP
developer sets the price
developer is free to sell its games on multiple services after the initial exclusivity window has expired
free advertising and marketing
titles can take advantage of the PS3/Vita cross-play and cross-buy support for dual console releases
And when you add the price to upgrade the HD on the Wii U, you're still just under the cost of the PS4. Why Nintendo didn't put, at least, a 250 GB HD in the Wii U with this change, blows my mind.
@ScroogeMcLz Yes, they have to. We've already seen the middle tier (low to middle budget titles from small and major publishers) of of the industry subside drastically and the publishers that are left are the ones that have a large amount of capital to bank upon. Either these publishers push their top tier games ahead as far as they can to attract as many consumers possible, or they risk the continued stagnation that we're seeing in the industry right now.
You have to realize that these top budget titles sell extremely well. Assassins Creed III has sold over 12 million units worldwide. Based on the $20 profit to third party publishers rule on new retail titles, that's $240 million in revenue on that one game alone. The more these developers continue to bring the "wow" factor, the more people will spend to get these games.
Nintendo is struggling to sell its games at the $60 price point for a different reason - it is the platform holder. It's Wii U isn't selling, which is money that's being lost and it isn't attracting third party games, which is lost licensing and royalty revenue streams. It's then spending the high cost of AAA HD development to support its struggling console, which is more money that's being output. When you're continually spending money on a console and not recovering it in console/game sells, it makes things very difficult, especially in the eyes of investors.
The reality is that the Wii U will not be able to play games developed for the next generation consoles. You talk about graphics over and again, but graphics are only one part of the equation. The things that will be implemented into the next generation video games (advanced AI, physics, etc.) will require significantly more processing power than the current generation games. When you add the graphics upgrade, especially when you factor in that the PS4 is launching a title with Ray Tracing in it, the Wii U simply will not be capable of playing these games, regardless of scaling.
@DePapier I don't think that's quite necessary, as it is practically common knowledge that third parties in Japan have greater support in its home territory.
Agreed Thomas, the Vita' price reduction will not negatively affect the 3DS at all. I would like to see the Vita's sales take an upturn though, because if it can climb up another good 10 million or so consoles sold worldwide, we could potentially see third parties bringing games to both consoles simultaneously - both handhelds are receiving poor third party support, regardless of sales.
These game's have their issues, but I still love the fact that they brought platforming into a FPS in the way that they did. Also, dinosaurs are just so much cooler to be stalked by than random AI guys that we mow down these days!
Instead of blaming GameStop for taking advantage of a demand issue, why not point the finger at Nintendo? It published the dang game and didn't print enough copies of it to meet demands - Nintendo created this issue, not GameStop!
Video game demos are a norm, and have been for a very long time, with the exception of Nintendo's consoles.
Nintendo Directs are marketing to a niche crowd, which is not a great way to market either its games, or its consoles, if it is trying to achieve mainstream support.
Nintendo has far too few games, over too long a timespan to properly sustain this console on its own. It has a real problem on its hands with the Wii U. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 are going to have a fantastic holiday season with high profile software release: Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4 and Gran Turismo 6, just to name a few. Then you have the next generation consoles, which will sell well at first and then drop off after first year, as they always do.
This will take a lot of focus away from the Wii U. Yes, it will do well this holiday season, but I'm starting to have serious doubts if it will be enough to push this console into the eyes of the mainstream media, whom have practically written the console off for the moment.
I do agree that there are very likely a lot of newcomers getting a, well, bad start into "gaming," especially in comparison to us older gamers who grew up in the golden age of this industry. Hopefully, Apple's recent decision to allow official controllers for its devices will rectify some of this.
Then again, there are some truly fantastic games on mobile devices as well. The experience is indeed different, and usually not as immerse or long-lasting, but still fantastic nonetheless.
Nintendo's indie games are filled with terrible games that cost a good deal more than other platforms. The "quality over quantity" argument is a weak one. I'll take my quantity any day, because all it takes is a little research to find the great games hidden within the masses - Ouya and the mobile markets are proof of just this.
The original article(s) are written off of nothing but pure speculation. There is nothing substantial to show that Nintendo is even considering acquiring Atlus at this point in time. If there was, there would be a bit of substance for this "rumour," but as for now - this is all pure speculation from a journalist who talks like his words are factual.
I do not agree that Nintendo has "fully embraced the digital age with the launch of the Wii U eShop", but I absolutely agree that the prices within it are too high.
@djepic209 Actually, Nintendo is the ONLY major platform holder and developer that only deals with the gaming industry. This is also the reason that Nintendo isn't taking part in the high-end next generation (read: pushing high-end technology) consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft subsidise loses with other, more profitable sectors of their companies.
Over and again you make accusation after accusation that simply aren't true. Your claims continue to have nothing substantial to back them up. Nintendo is not doing better than Sony. In fact, the majority of the business side of the gaming industry is all carefully watching Nintendo with a keen eye, as its reluctance to fully integrate into the online market and HD developmental pressure is currently holding the company (and the Wii U) back. Of course, nobody with any sense will ever rule Nintendo out - it is still doing very well for itself - once the new consoles land on the market and fully integrate their cloud-based online structures though, Nintendo will be another full generation behind once again. This is one of the major factors that is keeping the third parties from putting their upcoming titles on hold. It isn't so much the Wii U itself, it is Nintendo not implementing a solid online structure for its consoles, once again.
Yes, Nintendo has done a significantly better job this generation than before, but it is still nowhere near equal to the current generation consoles in the online markets. Again, it will be a full generation behind within the next two years, if everything implements correctly on both Sony and Microsoft's end.
Anything else that you would like me to direct you to the truth of? If so, please feel free to do so?
FYI, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm trying to teach you a very valuable lesson. I know what it is to be a fan - I've wrote for this very site for years, as well as the several of the other sites in the Nintendo Life network. In fact, here's a link to my favourite article that I penned for this site: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/11/feature_how_japanese_folklore_inspired_marios_tanooki_suit
Yes. I am a huge Nintendo fan. But being a fan doesn't make everything Nintendo does right. I see your comments here all the time and you defend EVERYTHING that is stated that is critical towards Nintendo, even when the things you think you are correct in defending simply aren't true.
If you want respect in the online world, constantly defending everything is not the key to obtaining this. Criticism is a great thing. If fans/journalist aren't critical to a company, then why should it push itself to go above and beyond for its fans. If your teachers in school didn't criticise your work - would you have a decent education? The answer is most likely "no" to both accounts.
Only by a company hearing its flaws will it know its missteps. I work with game developers and publishers everyday, as I am an editor at an industry based gaming site. Developers, of course, want perfect scoring reviews, but they also want to hear where they messed up, because only then will they know what they need to work on harder in its next game.
I once had this same advice given to me many years ago. You can do with it as you like, but it has worked wonders for me. Oh, and one other thing, many times the best thing to say, is to not say anything at all.
@SCAR392 That was over a year ago, before Sony has a near complete internal restructure. Also, selling electronics at a loss has practically become a standard in the PC, mobile and gaming markets. The money lost is quickly regained via third party licensing and royalty fees, as well it's own software sales.
Sony has been a selling insurance since 1979 and pulls in billions of dollars in revenue in doing so. Sony is also involved in medical devices as well. And no, it isn't bad that Sony makes astronomical amounts of money selling insurance.
Yes. Sony over expanded and started losing a lot of money. It then made major business decisions - PlayStation 4 being one of them - and the company is now back headed in the right direction. If you actually understood the industry, you would already know that selling electronics is not a major source of income, and yes, this includes Nintendo, who sold both the Wii U and 3DS at a loss.
Comments 1,712
Re: Talking Point: Claims of Wii U Third-Party Development Troubles Shouldn't Be Dismissed Lightly
@DarkwingLz That and the fact that the shader models that are used in the next generation consoles isn't compatible with anything but those consoles and PC, means that there is a lesser chance of the high profile indie titles coming to not only the Wii U, but current generation consoles as well.
Re: Talking Point: Claims of Wii U Third-Party Development Troubles Shouldn't Be Dismissed Lightly
"Support and enthusiasm from the current download / Indie market is not an area of concern for the Wii U at this time"
Really? Because the last time I checked, I'm seeing major indie titles launching on comepitior's services, but not the Wii U over and again. Nintendo has chalked up lots of praise for all of its "indie" support, but it the weekly releases clearly don't reflect this.
Re: A Third-Party "Secret Developer" Gives an Inside Story of Working on Wii U
@Zach Hahahahahaha! I tried to eat Dove soap once, but quickly realized that Dove soap and Dove chocolate isn't the same thing.
Re: A Third-Party "Secret Developer" Gives an Inside Story of Working on Wii U
@MrGawain It could have been a number of them: EA, BioWare, SEGA, Vigil Games - there were several developers who ported games to the Wii U at its launch. The developer clearly is trying to get finished code to work on the Wii U, instead of writing new code, which the basis of my sentiment comes from.
@GC-161 Considering that the developer was most likely breaking NDAs with this article, I'd like to think that he/she intentionally penned it to make it look like they were someone they aren't.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Games We'd Love to See in 2014
I want to see more side titles released from Game Freak. Not really a sequel to HarmoKnight, but more frest eShop titles that offer us something unique and fun.
I know that the possibility of this happening is indeed quite high, but I want to see it nonetheless. A proper 3D sequel to Drill Dozer would be ace too!
Re: Matters of Import: Drop Matching And Dragon Evolving In Puzzle & Dragons Z
@Damo The only real reason to purchase anything in the mobile version is for when you get to the point that you need to upgrade your monster capacity. Spending money on the Rare Egg Machine is a complete waste of money, seeing how the ratio of gods to 3-star garbage drops is entirely too high - a $5 game of chance is a bit ridiculous IMO. Thankfully, GHO does a good job of dishing out stones for consecutive logins and monthly events.
I too am looking forward to this landing on the 3DS. If it wasn't for the region lock, I'd already be having a blast with it. Haha
Re: Matters of Import: Drop Matching And Dragon Evolving In Puzzle & Dragons Z
@Damo Oh, I wan't questioning her in the knowledge, not even in the slightest. I was just elaborating a bit on the developer's past a bit - I've seen a lot of crazy reactions to this title being released around other sites, almost all of which make it clear that these people have no idea that this developer is primarily a console developer.
Re: Matters of Import: Drop Matching And Dragon Evolving In Puzzle & Dragons Z
Thanks for the article Kerry.
I've been playing Puzzle and Dragons on iOS for a good six month now - I've probably dropped well over 100 hours into. It's about as hardcore of a game as it comes on the platform and well deserving its praise.
GungHo Online is no stranger to home consoles though. It's been developing games since 1998, so it comes as no surprise that the transition from mobile to console was done properly, seeing how that's where the majority of its experience is.
I'm excited to see Puzzle and Dragons Z land on Western shores. My $40 USD can be considered to be already spent.
Re: Puzzle & Dragons Z Shifts Almost 80% Of Its Initial Shipment With Half A Million Copies Sold
Really glad to see that this is doing well already on the 3DS. As an avid fan of the iOS title, I'll be purchasing this on the 3DS the day it lands on the Western market.
For those of you who don't know, Puzzle and Dragons is one of the most hardcore (read: difficult) games on the iOS Marketplace.
Re: Talking Point: Miiverse Can Promote System Unity And Serve As A Powerful Wii U Advertisement
I don't see the appeal to Miiverse. I excitedly downloaded it and haven't even the slightest desire to go back into it after spending a good while there the other night.
Re: Soapbox: Even With The Arrival Of PS4 And Xbox One, I'd Still Pick The Wii U
I still haven't purchased a Wii U and I still haven't purchased a PS4 or Xbox One either. I've grown very tired of the majority of the games released in this generation and I have no desire to spend the high cost of these consoles to play more of the same that I already own - there's too much on the cosoles that I do own that I still want to play any ways.
Re: New York Times Critic Identifies Super Mario 3D World and Wii U as Highlights of the Season
@Gamer83 Yep. In fact, I'd prefer to have it on the 3DS than on the Wii U.
Re: Ashes Cricket 2013 Officially Cancelled as 505 Games Issues Apology
@Einherjar FIFA 14 and NHL 14 are two of the most polished and refined sports titles released. EA offers daily roster updates to its titles as of this year, allows for online divisional tournaments in its games. Yes, EA truly does flood the market with poorly developed title - eh?
Re: New York Times Critic Identifies Super Mario 3D World and Wii U as Highlights of the Season
Regardless of how great Super Mario 3D World is, it still doesn't make the weak library for the system enough for me to invest in the console. I'm beyond burned out on Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. is coming to the 3DS, so unless Nintendo comes out with a couple of knock-out punches in the next year or two, I won't be purchasing a Wii U until late in its life cycle.
The very same rule applies to both the PS4 and Xbox One as well. I have zero interest in forking out the high investment prices for these consoles to play a small handful of games.
Re: Ashes Cricket 2013 Spins Onto PC, Yet Remains in the Wii U Pavilion
And I really wanted this game to turn out great too!
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Resilience Against Wii U Criticism Emphasizes Its Longevity
@Nibelilt It's just those gimmicks that make Nintendo's consoles appealing. Also, the issue that developers have now on home consoles is the high cost to produce AAA games, which stems from the increased specs of these new generation consoles, as well as consumer continuous demand for bigger and better.
Nintendo needs to keep on doing what it is doing, with the exception of its marketing, which in dire need of adjustment.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Resilience Against Wii U Criticism Emphasizes Its Longevity
@Nibelilt I have to disagree with you that Nintendo needs to try and get into the console wars with Sony and Microsoft - isn't that what it did with with Wii U, before it changed it's marketing strategy with casual/family games?
I think Nintendo needs to stay "Nintendo." Great core first party games that are cheap to own and fun for the entire family. And honestly, I think that both the PS4 and Xbox One are going to struggle and push the gaming industry down even farther than it already is. If so, that leaves Nintendo a critical opportunity to be the better opportunity for game developers.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Resilience Against Wii U Criticism Emphasizes Its Longevity
@element187 "The only segment willing to plop down $350 for a console is the core market."
Whom aren't purchasing the console in enough quantities to justify full third party publisher support. But, you're also missing out on the point that I made in my previous post - the Wii U was initially designed as a core gaming console and one that was very much a single player focused console. A year later, this same console design was used to showcase it as a local multiplayer centred console. This created mass confusion within the core gaming community, not just the casual markets.
Today, the Wii U still has the initial appearance of a single player gaming device, yet it's games are primarily focused on local multiplayer gaming. Not only this, but the fact that Nintendo refuses to fully integrate its games online (Super Mario 3D World) only continues to challenge, or should I say, question the minds of core gamers - price isn't the issue here.
Marketing and advertising are two separate entities. The Wii U, by design, isn't a local multiplayer device. The Wii U's games, by design, are both marketed and advertised as local multiplayer centred video games. This is the fundamental issue the Wii U faces and this will continue going forward, because Nintendo's chances of recapturing the core gaming market with the Wii U is practically slim to none. This stems from, but not limited to, the near complete loss of third party support and the lack of full online integration with its games, as well as the games that it's producing for the console.
Where does price become an issue? While the Wii U might look cheaper upfront, the need for an HD upgrade for the console - something that core gamers are aware of - puts it basically equal to the investment in the upcoming consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Also, from a technology standpoint alone, the Wii U's price point pales in comparison to these other consoles, which finds the Wii U investment the less appealing choice for core gamers.
The Wii U will sell for the games that Nintendo produces for it though. This is its primary selling point. The Wii U's high investment price is either going to prove how valuable it's brand is to the gaming market as a whole, or it will prove itself to not be as in demand as many would like to believe it to be. Either way, the Wii U has already forced Nintendo to restructure its business strategies and unless things start looking up for the console, we will most likely see a much different type of console and marketing strategy coming from Nintendo over the next few years.
Every business makes mistakes, just like every person does. Nintendo has made mistakes in extremely critical areas with the Wii U and some that I fear will continue to keep the system from attaining mass market appeal. If so, Nintendo will learn from its mistakes and move forward; that's the nature of business.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Resilience Against Wii U Criticism Emphasizes Its Longevity
Thomas, I truly thought by the title of this piece alone that this would be a much different piece, but I think you've done a great job explaining both sides of the issue on this front. Thankfully, I've missed out on the "doom" articles, as I've been off the grid for a few days.
My thoughts: the Wii U's marketing has been very poor. The initial design of the console was primarily for a single player experience, yet the core Nintendo titles for the consoles have been nothing of the sort. This is the primary fault of the console/software and it will most likely be its Achilles' heel throughout its life cycle.
I think it's probable that the Wii U will be a stop-gap console and its next console will be more focused on the family gaming experiences that made the Wii such a fantastic console.
I think the bottom line, is that Nintendo should have never tried to go after the core/hardcore gamers with the Wii U in the first place. I've stated this many times over the past few years and I'm afraid I was correct in my assessments. Nintendo has simply lost too much third party support to keep core/hardcore gamers on board with its consoles and going forward it needs to focus on doing what it does best, which isn't appealing to these specific crowds. It needs to stay out of the console wars and focus on being a unique and tried-and-trusted company that produces fantastic games on budget friendly consoles for all ages; that is Nintendo and that is the only way that I can see it being a sustainable company as the technology wars rush ever forward.
Re: Wii Karaoke U Doesn't Censor Explicit Lyrics
True story: Afroman's wife was in several of my college classes.
Re: Review: Wii Party U (Wii U)
This title releasing in itself shows the misguided direction of Nintendo's marketing strategies for the Wii U.
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo Could Have Ruled The Micro-Console Market With Wii
Very good piece @Damo - I hope to see more like it in the future here at NL.
I think the main issue with this piece of hardware is the Wii's terrible online attachment rate, but this type of console would have forced attention onto it, which could have potentially rectified that issue as well. With that train of thought - could it be possible that the Wii U and it's improved online infrastructure could be benefiting from this missed opportunity as well? I think it's feasible to think so.
Re: Talking Point: Marketing Wii U to the Masses
Good piece Gaz.
I felt that you were really onto the key point that the Wii U is failing in at first - marketing - before the whole talk on the Nintendo Directs, which obviously aren't helping the system to sell.
The Wii U's marketing woes are in the actual console itself. Regardless of how many times Nintendo and its fans proclaim that it isn't a tablet, to the mainstream media, it's a tablet that plays Nintendo games and can do very little else that the tablets that they already own can. Furthermore, free and cheap-to-own titles fill the mobile marketplaces with games are are continually growing in value and console-like quality - not to mention sociability.
Those very same people that purchased the WIi by the millions are the same crowd that is now enjoying Plants vs. Zombies 2 and Candy Crush Saga on their mobile devices. If Nintendo wants to draw back this crowd, it has to completely change its marketing and advertising strategies for this console to give them a reason that they should spend $250 (plus games/accessories) for this console.
I don't see that happening though - it's too risky and by doing this it would alienate its core user base in the hopes to reclaim customers without loyalty.
Nintendo needs to market the Wii U for what it was intentionally designed to be: Wii You. A core gaming console that can offer fun for all ages, with its multiplayer offerings being primarily focused on online gameplay. It's just that simple, really. It can still offer local co-op/multiplayer, but one thing is for sure, keeping Super Mario Bros. 3D World offline is deal-breaker for me.
Re: Talking Point: With Calls for Nintendo to Follow the Crowd, It Faces a Dilemma
@VolcanoFlames Professional or semi-professional publications and ranting fanboys are two separate entities.
Re: Talking Point: With Calls for Nintendo to Follow the Crowd, It Faces a Dilemma
I'm not even going to vote on those polls with the options that are available.
Nintendo needs to stop trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft and just do its own thing - inexpensive family friendly gaming.
Also, the only place that I continue to see the whole "Nintendo is doomed" rants, outside of comments sections on published articles on other websites, is here at Nintendo Life - that became tiresome six months ago.
With the Vita being a current console and being in the digital age, all it will take a simple patch to the Vita games' controls to become compatible with the Vita TV, if needed. Sony found a way to put dual analogue controls in all of its PSP games on the Vita, so I don't think doing the same for the Vita TV will be too terribly difficult - not to mention that the PS4 controller has a touchpad on it too!
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's eShop Policies Deserve Both Praise and Attention
Nintendo is finally getting up to par with its digital services, I agree, but even with the Indies it still a long way from even par with PSN and XBLA. Many of the most popular indie titles aren't available on Nintendo's services: Limbo, Bastion, Braid, Spelunky, Thomas Was Alone, Dragon Fantasy, Hotline Miami, Papo and Yo, Terraria and Pid,
Nintendo is doing a good job, but unless it can absolutely ensure that the major indie releases are launching on the eShop(s) simultaneously with the other digital platforms, its service will continue to under perform behind its competition.
This is unless Nintendo reaches out to Indies with actual funding to bring exclusive indie titles to the Wii U that take advantage of its unique control/interface options. This is Nintendo's absolute best alternative, in my opinion, seeing how everything else that people are praising it for is practically been standard practice for half a decade from Sony.
Sony's PubFund:
Sony has been doing this since 2009.
Re: StreetPass Relay Issues Reported in North America
It's worked for me several times recently.
Re: Reaction: Nintendo Surprises Us All With the 2DS and Wii U Price Cut
And when you add the price to upgrade the HD on the Wii U, you're still just under the cost of the PS4. Why Nintendo didn't put, at least, a 250 GB HD in the Wii U with this change, blows my mind.
Re: Talking Point: The Wii U's Limited Hard Drive Space and Future Install Headaches
@ScroogeMcLz Yes, they have to. We've already seen the middle tier (low to middle budget titles from small and major publishers) of of the industry subside drastically and the publishers that are left are the ones that have a large amount of capital to bank upon. Either these publishers push their top tier games ahead as far as they can to attract as many consumers possible, or they risk the continued stagnation that we're seeing in the industry right now.
You have to realize that these top budget titles sell extremely well. Assassins Creed III has sold over 12 million units worldwide. Based on the $20 profit to third party publishers rule on new retail titles, that's $240 million in revenue on that one game alone. The more these developers continue to bring the "wow" factor, the more people will spend to get these games.
Nintendo is struggling to sell its games at the $60 price point for a different reason - it is the platform holder. It's Wii U isn't selling, which is money that's being lost and it isn't attracting third party games, which is lost licensing and royalty revenue streams. It's then spending the high cost of AAA HD development to support its struggling console, which is more money that's being output. When you're continually spending money on a console and not recovering it in console/game sells, it makes things very difficult, especially in the eyes of investors.
Re: Talking Point: The Wii U's Limited Hard Drive Space and Future Install Headaches
The reality is that the Wii U will not be able to play games developed for the next generation consoles. You talk about graphics over and again, but graphics are only one part of the equation. The things that will be implemented into the next generation video games (advanced AI, physics, etc.) will require significantly more processing power than the current generation games. When you add the graphics upgrade, especially when you factor in that the PS4 is launching a title with Ray Tracing in it, the Wii U simply will not be capable of playing these games, regardless of scaling.
Re: Talking Point: Gamescom Announcements Raise the Stakes for the Wii U and 3DS
@DePapier I don't think that's quite necessary, as it is practically common knowledge that third parties in Japan have greater support in its home territory.
Re: Talking Point: Gamescom Announcements Raise the Stakes for the Wii U and 3DS
Agreed Thomas, the Vita' price reduction will not negatively affect the 3DS at all. I would like to see the Vita's sales take an upturn though, because if it can climb up another good 10 million or so consoles sold worldwide, we could potentially see third parties bringing games to both consoles simultaneously - both handhelds are receiving poor third party support, regardless of sales.
Re: Review: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (Nintendo 64)
These game's have their issues, but I still love the fact that they brought platforming into a FPS in the way that they did. Also, dinosaurs are just so much cooler to be stalked by than random AI guys that we mow down these days!
Great review Martin!
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles
@James And look who sneaks in every now an again!
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles
Instead of blaming GameStop for taking advantage of a demand issue, why not point the finger at Nintendo? It published the dang game and didn't print enough copies of it to meet demands - Nintendo created this issue, not GameStop!
Re: Talking Point: The Wonderful 101 Direct and Demo Set the Standard for Wii U Marketing
Video game demos are a norm, and have been for a very long time, with the exception of Nintendo's consoles.
Nintendo Directs are marketing to a niche crowd, which is not a great way to market either its games, or its consoles, if it is trying to achieve mainstream support.
Re: Talking Point: Wii U and Third-Party Inconsistencies Pose Questions for Console Owners
Nintendo has far too few games, over too long a timespan to properly sustain this console on its own. It has a real problem on its hands with the Wii U. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 are going to have a fantastic holiday season with high profile software release: Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4 and Gran Turismo 6, just to name a few. Then you have the next generation consoles, which will sell well at first and then drop off after first year, as they always do.
This will take a lot of focus away from the Wii U. Yes, it will do well this holiday season, but I'm starting to have serious doubts if it will be enough to push this console into the eyes of the mainstream media, whom have practically written the console off for the moment.
Re: Soapbox: Mobile And Tablet Gaming Is Creating A Generation Of Talentless Players
Great article Damo!
I do agree that there are very likely a lot of newcomers getting a, well, bad start into "gaming," especially in comparison to us older gamers who grew up in the golden age of this industry. Hopefully, Apple's recent decision to allow official controllers for its devices will rectify some of this.
Then again, there are some truly fantastic games on mobile devices as well. The experience is indeed different, and usually not as immerse or long-lasting, but still fantastic nonetheless.
Re: Talking Point: The Download Games Battle is Just Beginning
@JaxonH Limbo is now on the iOS Marketplace!
Re: Talking Point: The Download Games Battle is Just Beginning
Nintendo's indie games are filled with terrible games that cost a good deal more than other platforms. The "quality over quantity" argument is a weak one. I'll take my quantity any day, because all it takes is a little research to find the great games hidden within the masses - Ouya and the mobile markets are proof of just this.
Re: Indie Developers Outline Nintendo's Approach Compared to Sony and Microsoft
I was being facetious. Haha
Re: Indie Developers Outline Nintendo's Approach Compared to Sony and Microsoft
Hey look, Microsoft just confirmed that developers can self-publish on the Xbox One too:
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/07/xbox-one-self-publishing/
@banacheck Hotline Miami is absolutely awesome on the Vita!
Re: Rumour: Nintendo Is Shaping Up To Acquire Troubled Atlus
The original article(s) are written off of nothing but pure speculation. There is nothing substantial to show that Nintendo is even considering acquiring Atlus at this point in time. If there was, there would be a bit of substance for this "rumour," but as for now - this is all pure speculation from a journalist who talks like his words are factual.
Re: Nintendo Reveals The 2013 Club Nintendo Elite Rewards
@LzQuacker I stayed at Gold intentionally this year!
Now to start redeeming the last 4-5 3DS games that I bought! Haha
Re: Nintendo Reveals The 2013 Club Nintendo Elite Rewards
I most definitely need a Nintendo calender for my desk!
Re: Soapbox: Retail Games Cost Too Much To Download From The eShop
I do not agree that Nintendo has "fully embraced the digital age with the launch of the Wii U eShop", but I absolutely agree that the prices within it are too high.
Re: Miyamoto: HD Development "Took More Time Than Originally Anticipated"
@djepic209 Actually, Nintendo is the ONLY major platform holder and developer that only deals with the gaming industry. This is also the reason that Nintendo isn't taking part in the high-end next generation (read: pushing high-end technology) consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft subsidise loses with other, more profitable sectors of their companies.
Re: Miyamoto: HD Development "Took More Time Than Originally Anticipated"
@SCAR392 Dude, once again, please get your facts straight - both the 3DS and the Wii U were sold at a loss:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/24/nintendo-will-sell-wii-u-at-a-loss
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/26/nintendo-confirms-that-its-selling-3ds-at-a-loss-expects-that/
Over and again you make accusation after accusation that simply aren't true. Your claims continue to have nothing substantial to back them up. Nintendo is not doing better than Sony. In fact, the majority of the business side of the gaming industry is all carefully watching Nintendo with a keen eye, as its reluctance to fully integrate into the online market and HD developmental pressure is currently holding the company (and the Wii U) back. Of course, nobody with any sense will ever rule Nintendo out - it is still doing very well for itself - once the new consoles land on the market and fully integrate their cloud-based online structures though, Nintendo will be another full generation behind once again. This is one of the major factors that is keeping the third parties from putting their upcoming titles on hold. It isn't so much the Wii U itself, it is Nintendo not implementing a solid online structure for its consoles, once again.
Yes, Nintendo has done a significantly better job this generation than before, but it is still nowhere near equal to the current generation consoles in the online markets. Again, it will be a full generation behind within the next two years, if everything implements correctly on both Sony and Microsoft's end.
Oh, and for the record, Sony posted a net profit of $458 million in 2012, which was its first since 2008:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/09/sony-2012-earnings/
Meanwhile, Nintendo posted a $532 million dollar net loss in 2012:
http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/4/26/2975416/nintendo-earnings-loss
Anything else that you would like me to direct you to the truth of? If so, please feel free to do so?
FYI, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm trying to teach you a very valuable lesson. I know what it is to be a fan - I've wrote for this very site for years, as well as the several of the other sites in the Nintendo Life network. In fact, here's a link to my favourite article that I penned for this site:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/11/feature_how_japanese_folklore_inspired_marios_tanooki_suit
Yes. I am a huge Nintendo fan. But being a fan doesn't make everything Nintendo does right. I see your comments here all the time and you defend EVERYTHING that is stated that is critical towards Nintendo, even when the things you think you are correct in defending simply aren't true.
If you want respect in the online world, constantly defending everything is not the key to obtaining this. Criticism is a great thing. If fans/journalist aren't critical to a company, then why should it push itself to go above and beyond for its fans. If your teachers in school didn't criticise your work - would you have a decent education? The answer is most likely "no" to both accounts.
Only by a company hearing its flaws will it know its missteps. I work with game developers and publishers everyday, as I am an editor at an industry based gaming site. Developers, of course, want perfect scoring reviews, but they also want to hear where they messed up, because only then will they know what they need to work on harder in its next game.
I once had this same advice given to me many years ago. You can do with it as you like, but it has worked wonders for me. Oh, and one other thing, many times the best thing to say, is to not say anything at all.
Re: Soapbox: Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
If I had a Wii U, you couldn't force me to purchase this for $60.
Re: Miyamoto: HD Development "Took More Time Than Originally Anticipated"
@SCAR392 That was over a year ago, before Sony has a near complete internal restructure. Also, selling electronics at a loss has practically become a standard in the PC, mobile and gaming markets. The money lost is quickly regained via third party licensing and royalty fees, as well it's own software sales.
Sony has been a selling insurance since 1979 and pulls in billions of dollars in revenue in doing so. Sony is also involved in medical devices as well. And no, it isn't bad that Sony makes astronomical amounts of money selling insurance.
Yes. Sony over expanded and started losing a lot of money. It then made major business decisions - PlayStation 4 being one of them - and the company is now back headed in the right direction. If you actually understood the industry, you would already know that selling electronics is not a major source of income, and yes, this includes Nintendo, who sold both the Wii U and 3DS at a loss.