Wow... Nintendo just totally blew it. Please let them fix this in a quick patch pronto. This IS a big deal. If they don't get GC games on VC soon, they might lose me again. I was just starting to fall back in love with the Big N.
Good to know I won't be playing an inferior version of the game on my U. Also, "Bayo 2" looks too damn good to be worried if it doesn't run quite so smoothly as the first game.
I'm hoping the one-two punch of "Bayonetta 2" and "Fatal Frame" (why hasn't this been announced for NA yet?) will put the Wii U numbers back in the teens for a few weeks. Neither on it's own is going to do that, but together they have a shot at closing out this quarter with an uptick.
@tsukipon I guess I was using the term gamer to apply to those who are into the lifestyle/scene/culture of gaming. "Core" or "true" gamers are also terms for what I was describing, but core comes with it's own subset of stereotypes which don't apply broadly, and "true" makes it seem as if other gamers don't really like to play games.That's the main reason I noted that "casuals," who are also part of the gaming demographic, need not worry about entrenching themselves in the history. When I say "gamers" should know the Commodore 64 or NES, I'm referring to the informed minority - such as a "cinephile" should know their silent films, or a beer aficionado should know their Trappist quadruples. Sorry for the confusion of terminology. You don't have to know the C64 to enjoy games. If you're active in the gaming community, it's not a bad idea to research the classics...
No kidding. It's like 3rd party publishers are the only ones that don't realize the reason Wii U isn't selling in the numbers the Wii did is that most of the casuals switched to other devices. They need to be marketing games towards the N64/GCN audience if they want to move Wii U software - those are the fans who are still on the U.
@tsukipon Not to bash, but knowing nothing about the Commodore 64 is another cardinal offense if you're a gamer. If you're a casual, then even something as outrageous as not recognizing an NES can be forgiven... Seriously, though. I would recognize an Atari 2600 if I saw one, and I am too young to have ever owned one. It's fine that people are unaware of gaming history. If you're a true gamer, though, you've probably already dug back through some of the classic consoles. Many can still be purchased from used game stores.
Warriors games are, generally speaking, not my thing. Still "Dynasty Warriors: Gundam" got me, and I'll be picking this up too. Maybe not day one, though... Depends on how "Destiny" holds up after a few weeks.
If it goes a fair way towards proving that, provided a little extra time, a Wii U title can stand up to its PS4/XBO equivalents visually, then it will have been worth the wait.
If the perception that the Wii U is too dramatically under-powered for AAA titles begins to fade, third parties will have fewer reasons to forgo the system... we all know that the install base argument is just just a load of bull.
@NodesforNoids The game is named "Zelda Musou" in Japan. Apparently Zelda games aren't popular enough for Hyrule to be a household phrase for the Japanese, either. I just like that it isn't confusing people here in the States into thinking it's an actual Zelda game and not just a spin-off. No need to soil the brand. Quality first-party IPs are Nintendo's major selling point.
@Action51 Hard to say. I expected "Hyrule Warriors" to pull a bigger first week of around 100,000 copies and then slowly settle into a steady 20k a week for at least six weeks or so. 0.25m was my rock bottom expectation for lifetime sales in japan.
Right now, it's looking like 150,000 might be a better lifetime estimate for the game there. Tecmo wanted 1m units sold worldwide, but - unless they can move a cool half-mil in the US - that's not going to happen.
I'll only be buying this thing if it comes with current DLC/patches and they make some interesting use of the gamepad. I really want to support third parties on the Wii U, but they aren't giving me a lot to go on...
@VolcanoFlames I think something similar (a Super Wii U) might be a sharp move to play in 2016. It will still be well ahead of the next-generation and could put the U platform closer to equal footing with Sony and Microsoft in terms of raw power, without Nintendo having to take a loss in profit on hardware sales again. Technology will be cheaper and the "new" system will already have an excellent backwards library.
@gage_wolf I couldn't have said it better myself. MK8 was "complete" and well worth the money when it launched. And yet, like every other game in history, there are a few things I would have liked to see in the game that can now be added via DLC!
Once I golded all the Mirror Mode tracks, and took out some time trials, I was hungry for new courses... They are on their way. I felt like the "complete" roster was great, but could still use some more diversity - it's on its way!
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for some legit Arena courses in the DLC to follow these, but I'm happy with what's been announced. These additions will really keep the game alive for me, and should ensure that the player base for the title keeps growing well into 2015.
@Kirk That's what gets me. These are all great games. Stack the Sonic games up side-by-side and see how many duds are strewn in there (no hate, I love Sonic).
@Kirk I see SSB4 as more of a tipping point than as a solo-seller. Sure, I have friends who buy Nintendo consoles just for Smash, and wait for Smash before buying them. At the same time, the general public seems to operate more on game-climate than on single events.
MK8 moved some units, and console sales have growing globally since it's release (the U has outsold XBO for a few consecutive weeks now). Did it miraculously turn the Wii U into the number one contender? No. What it did do is shift public perspective on the U - there's a lot of marketing data to confirm this. People noticed MK8 and - in doing so - their attention was brought to the fact that Nintendo is finally building a decent offering on the U.
DK County: Tropical, Mario 3DW, Pikmin 3, Wind Waker HD, are all large profile first-party releases (none of which were really going to sell systems on their own). Once Mario Kart hit, those titles became extra incentive to buy a U, and no longer had to be the main driving force. Add to that a few existing 2nd and 3rd party offerings like Wonderful 101 - and Nintendo's upcoming slate of games including Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors, and Captain Toad - and the lay of the land starts to shift.
Enter Smash Bros. 4.
Enter Amiibo.
Ubisoft is playing damage control because a lot of retailers, like Gamestop, are expecting a bit of a comeback for the U this holiday season. When you combine a growing consumer interest in a console due to back catalog with a few high-profile releases, one can easily predict that a little bit of financial "magic" may occur.
Everyone is expecting Smash to be a success. Many are predicting the same of the Amiibo line. These products don't have to sweep the world away in order to turn things around for the Wii U: the tide is already turning.
If Smash sells anything like MK8 (I'll reason it does, given that the current climate looks a lot like that of the old GCN days - where Smash actually topped Kart in sales), it will be just one more factor moving the Wii U's weekly totals up, up, and up.
Right now, the aroma of the "coffee" seems to indicate that the Wii U won't ever be the staggering success that the Wii was, but that it might just shape up to be a formidable third of the home console market if Nintendo keeps releasing quality software titles that catch the attention of everyday gamers... and maybe even convince some of the massive crowd of casuals from last-gen to make an upgrade.
Comments 222
Re: RETRO Game Magazine Well On Its Way To Funding Another Year Of Issues
Good thing I live in the US. $5 an issue isn't bad.
Re: Turns Out The GameCube Controller Adapter Won't Be Compatible With Other Wii U Software
Wow... Nintendo just totally blew it. Please let them fix this in a quick patch pronto. This IS a big deal. If they don't get GC games on VC soon, they might lose me again. I was just starting to fall back in love with the Big N.
Re: Nintendo Confirms GameCube Controller Adapter Will Have More Use Than Just Super Smash Bros.
This is the best news I've read all day. Yes, even the confirmations of US Smash/Toad dates.
Re: Bayonetta on Wii U Bewitches as the Best Version
Good to know I won't be playing an inferior version of the game on my U. Also, "Bayo 2" looks too damn good to be worried if it doesn't run quite so smoothly as the first game.
Re: Wii U Version of Watch Dogs to Miss Out on DLC
Why even bother, Ubisoft?
Re: Hyrule Warriors Battles Its Way to Number 3 in UK Chart Début
Just plain old "Eternal Darkess 2" would work even better. "Eternal Darkness HD" would be fine by me, as well.
Re: Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric Speeds To Earlier Release Date On Wii U
@Djreisat
Knuckles has some sorry buds. As the saying goes: "Friends don't let friends skip..."
Re: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS Thrashes the Competition in Japan – 3DS Sales Increase
I'm hoping the one-two punch of "Bayonetta 2" and "Fatal Frame" (why hasn't this been announced for NA yet?) will put the Wii U numbers back in the teens for a few weeks. Neither on it's own is going to do that, but together they have a shot at closing out this quarter with an uptick.
Re: Video: Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
@tsukipon I guess I was using the term gamer to apply to those who are into the lifestyle/scene/culture of gaming. "Core" or "true" gamers are also terms for what I was describing, but core comes with it's own subset of stereotypes which don't apply broadly, and "true" makes it seem as if other gamers don't really like to play games.That's the main reason I noted that "casuals," who are also part of the gaming demographic, need not worry about entrenching themselves in the history. When I say "gamers" should know the Commodore 64 or NES, I'm referring to the informed minority - such as a "cinephile" should know their silent films, or a beer aficionado should know their Trappist quadruples. Sorry for the confusion of terminology. You don't have to know the C64 to enjoy games. If you're active in the gaming community, it's not a bad idea to research the classics...
Re: Activision Is Bringing The Dulcet Tones Of The Voice To Wii U Next Month
@Tsurii897
No kidding. It's like 3rd party publishers are the only ones that don't realize the reason Wii U isn't selling in the numbers the Wii did is that most of the casuals switched to other devices. They need to be marketing games towards the N64/GCN audience if they want to move Wii U software - those are the fans who are still on the U.
Re: Video: Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
@tsukipon Not to bash, but knowing nothing about the Commodore 64 is another cardinal offense if you're a gamer. If you're a casual, then even something as outrageous as not recognizing an NES can be forgiven... Seriously, though. I would recognize an Atari 2600 if I saw one, and I am too young to have ever owned one. It's fine that people are unaware of gaming history. If you're a true gamer, though, you've probably already dug back through some of the classic consoles. Many can still be purchased from used game stores.
Re: Interview: Eiji Aonuma and Yosuke Hayashi on Hyrule Warriors and Shigeru Miyamoto's Definitive Role
Warriors games are, generally speaking, not my thing. Still "Dynasty Warriors: Gundam" got me, and I'll be picking this up too. Maybe not day one, though... Depends on how "Destiny" holds up after a few weeks.
Re: Project CARS Wii U Delay Was To Ensure It's As Good As Other Versions, Says Dev
If it goes a fair way towards proving that, provided a little extra time, a Wii U title can stand up to its PS4/XBO equivalents visually, then it will have been worth the wait.
If the perception that the Wii U is too dramatically under-powered for AAA titles begins to fade, third parties will have fewer reasons to forgo the system... we all know that the install base argument is just just a load of bull.
Re: Weirdness: In An Alternate Universe Danny DeVito Would Have Starred in Super Mario Bros. The Movie
Love the "Returns" reference.
Re: Yokai Watch 2 Finally Stripped of its Top Position – 3DS & Wii U Sales Steady
@NodesforNoids The game is named "Zelda Musou" in Japan. Apparently Zelda games aren't popular enough for Hyrule to be a household phrase for the Japanese, either. I just like that it isn't confusing people here in the States into thinking it's an actual Zelda game and not just a spin-off. No need to soil the brand. Quality first-party IPs are Nintendo's major selling point.
Re: Yokai Watch 2 Finally Stripped of its Top Position – 3DS & Wii U Sales Steady
@Action51 Hard to say. I expected "Hyrule Warriors" to pull a bigger first week of around 100,000 copies and then slowly settle into a steady 20k a week for at least six weeks or so. 0.25m was my rock bottom expectation for lifetime sales in japan.
Right now, it's looking like 150,000 might be a better lifetime estimate for the game there. Tecmo wanted 1m units sold worldwide, but - unless they can move a cool half-mil in the US - that's not going to happen.
Re: Ubisoft's Latest UK Release Schedule Still Shows Watch Dogs Wii U As "TBC"
@johndevine
I'll only be buying this thing if it comes with current DLC/patches and they make some interesting use of the gamepad. I really want to support third parties on the Wii U, but they aren't giving me a lot to go on...
Re: New Wii U and 2DS Bundles Announced, Rolling Out in North America this Fall
@VolcanoFlames I think something similar (a Super Wii U) might be a sharp move to play in 2016. It will still be well ahead of the next-generation and could put the U platform closer to equal footing with Sony and Microsoft in terms of raw power, without Nintendo having to take a loss in profit on hardware sales again. Technology will be cheaper and the "new" system will already have an excellent backwards library.
Re: Mario Kart 8 DLC Coming In November, Features Zelda, F-Zero And Animal Crossing
@gage_wolf I couldn't have said it better myself. MK8 was "complete" and well worth the money when it launched. And yet, like every other game in history, there are a few things I would have liked to see in the game that can now be added via DLC!
Once I golded all the Mirror Mode tracks, and took out some time trials, I was hungry for new courses... They are on their way. I felt like the "complete" roster was great, but could still use some more diversity - it's on its way!
I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for some legit Arena courses in the DLC to follow these, but I'm happy with what's been announced. These additions will really keep the game alive for me, and should ensure that the player base for the title keeps growing well into 2015.
Way to go, Nintendo! Coming through in a big way!
Re: Poll: Which Is The Best Super Mario Platformer?
@Kirk That's what gets me. These are all great games. Stack the Sonic games up side-by-side and see how many duds are strewn in there (no hate, I love Sonic).
Re: Poll: Which Is The Best Super Mario Platformer?
Super Mario Land 2, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are my favorite sequels. I love, love, love 64 and Sunshine, as well.
Re: Ubisoft Executive Talks Up Super Smash Bros. as a Wii U System Seller
@Kirk I see SSB4 as more of a tipping point than as a solo-seller. Sure, I have friends who buy Nintendo consoles just for Smash, and wait for Smash before buying them. At the same time, the general public seems to operate more on game-climate than on single events.
MK8 moved some units, and console sales have growing globally since it's release (the U has outsold XBO for a few consecutive weeks now). Did it miraculously turn the Wii U into the number one contender? No. What it did do is shift public perspective on the U - there's a lot of marketing data to confirm this. People noticed MK8 and - in doing so - their attention was brought to the fact that Nintendo is finally building a decent offering on the U.
DK County: Tropical, Mario 3DW, Pikmin 3, Wind Waker HD, are all large profile first-party releases (none of which were really going to sell systems on their own). Once Mario Kart hit, those titles became extra incentive to buy a U, and no longer had to be the main driving force. Add to that a few existing 2nd and 3rd party offerings like Wonderful 101 - and Nintendo's upcoming slate of games including Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors, and Captain Toad - and the lay of the land starts to shift.
Enter Smash Bros. 4.
Enter Amiibo.
Ubisoft is playing damage control because a lot of retailers, like Gamestop, are expecting a bit of a comeback for the U this holiday season. When you combine a growing consumer interest in a console due to back catalog with a few high-profile releases, one can easily predict that a little bit of financial "magic" may occur.
Everyone is expecting Smash to be a success. Many are predicting the same of the Amiibo line. These products don't have to sweep the world away in order to turn things around for the Wii U: the tide is already turning.
If Smash sells anything like MK8 (I'll reason it does, given that the current climate looks a lot like that of the old GCN days - where Smash actually topped Kart in sales), it will be just one more factor moving the Wii U's weekly totals up, up, and up.
Right now, the aroma of the "coffee" seems to indicate that the Wii U won't ever be the staggering success that the Wii was, but that it might just shape up to be a formidable third of the home console market if Nintendo keeps releasing quality software titles that catch the attention of everyday gamers... and maybe even convince some of the massive crowd of casuals from last-gen to make an upgrade.