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Wii U situation... what is the answer?


Mendon

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Well, Nintendo has the answer--start up the girl's club. :?

I guess it's easier for them than putting out interesting games...

 

In other news, I tried to find a reason to buy a 3ds again a couple weeks ago and failed miserably.

My birthday is in a few days, and I haven't managed to think of anything I want for it.

Terrible form factor, no games--I guess that pretty much sums up my thoughts on wii-u too.

Edited by Reaperman
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Considering we're at the point where a AAA title that sells less than 5 million copies is a failure, I'm suprised we get any new IPs at all. The only innovation iseems to only be on the indy side, where the teams and budgets are so small that they have to create a new 'hook' in order to make their game stand out from all the crap titles like Flappy Bird.

 

AAA games are stagnating because the budgets are too damn high, which prevents the major studios (Nintendo included) from taking chances. Even the current media darling Titanfall was described as 'Call of Duty with mechs' by one of it's own developers. I don't consider that innovative, so much as evolutionary.

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Considering we're at the point where a AAA title that sells less than 5 million copies is a failure, I'm suprised we get any new IPs at all. The only innovation iseems to only be on the indy side, where the teams and budgets are so small that they have to create a new 'hook' in order to make their game stand out from all the crap titles like Flappy Bird.

 

Really? As I see it, most indie games today seem to be samey '8-bit' platformers and beat'em ups.

Granted that might trump nintendo's blowing into a microphone and waving a couple wands around while drawing on an etch-a-sketch.

It sure doesn't beat it by much...

Edited by Reaperman
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I know one answer would be for Nintendo to DO SOMETHING, they have accepted blame, made salary cuts and promise to do many things most of which has been all talk. I recently saw THIS video and I have to say, there may be something to it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yArvLiFHEU&feature=share&list=UUY__V-0y9gcTOLLryg-5hJw&index=3

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Really? As I see it, most indie games today seem to be samey '8-bit' platformers and beat'em ups.

Granted that might trump nintendo's blowing into a microphone and waving a couple wands around while drawing on an etch-a-sketch.

It sure doesn't beat it by much...

 

Considering most of the AAA titles seem to be me-too, or me-again first person shooters, or polished up reiterations of things that have been done before as well... The only thing separating the AAA from the rest is that they push the polygon count. The real problem with AAA titles is that there's been no realistic attempt to budget the damned things resulting in them needing more than 5 million sales to be considered worthwhile.

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According to the New York Times, Bioshock Infinite cost $100 million to develop and spent $100 million in marketing. Tomb Raider cost $40 million to develop and spent $60 million in marketing. I image other recent AAA 'failures' like Sleeping Dogs had similar budgets. While I understand the need to get word out about your game, I can't comprehend why you need to spend as much or more on marketing than you do on development. It's insane.

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After many years of good systems and games I'm kind of disappointed in seeing them struggle so badly when there are a few games that look so fun when I just can't afford them yet. I'm hoping they stick around long enough for me to get them later in the game. I like the idea of my system actually coming with some good games as it has been many years since I have seen a system bundled with a game I actually wanted. I hope they keep the Mario/Luigi bundle on store shelves and don't change it up; or at least not drop those titles and just add more.

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The saddest part of the whole Wii u situation, for me, is that so many game companies are continuing to totally ignore it.

 

Pac-Man Museum was recently released for almost every system but Nintendo was totally ignored. The Vita received and is receiving a couple of excellent games: Gearbox is releasing Borderlands 2 for the Vita and and Telltale released Walking Dead Season 1 with the 400 Days add-on.(rumor has it that Season 2 is coming for Vita). Other than the belief (and history seems to prove it) that Wii U owners won't buy anything in large numbers that isn't from the Nintendo itself, the absence of the above games makes little sense to me:

 

Pac-Man is a family safe game with a long & popular history but the Wii U wasn't considered as a release format. Lego sells well, why wouldn't Pac-Man?

Borderlands 2 would seem to be a natural fit for the gamepad with inventory control & mapping. And lots of Wii U owners are playing FPS CoD. But Gearbox says no to Wii U.

Resident Evil always sold well on NIntendo systems and lots of Wii U owners love the Walking Dead TV show. But the game isn't considered for a Nintendo release.

 

I don't blame companies for not releasing games on a Nintendo system if the game won't sell and the company takes a loss on it. And this has happened with games such as ZombieU, Batman, and Assassins Creed. But I'm not convinced that major releases like Walking Dead or Borderlands 2 wouldn't sell in large enough numbers to match Vita sales.

 

I'm not complaining, just sad that the Wii U isn't doing better because it deserves to.

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It all comes down to projections. If these publishers thought they'd sell even reasonably well on the Wii U, it would on their radar. It's not directly comparable, but you can already see the difference between third party game sales on the PS4 and Xbox One in their first few months versus third party sales on the Wii U in its first few months (and obviously, things haven't improved much). Certainly the PS4 and Xbox One have sold far better, with the former already eclipsing lifetime Wii U console sales and the latter on its way, but the fact remains that if there was a revenue stream to be had, the Wii U would be getting more third party releases going forward. Again, the time for the Wii U to have established a foothold has long since passed in my opinion. It will get even worse once Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are no longer created, and no comparable engines are made for the Wii U to match the now preferred PS4, Xbox One, and PC trifecta.

 

One thing we need to keep an eye on is Watch Dogs. Every version but the Wii U's has been delayed to some unspecified date. I'm curious the exact thinking behind that other than not wanting to compete with Mario Kart 8. It certainly won't do sales any favors when it's going to be available for a while on other platforms, continuing the Wii U's third party downward trending spiral. At some point it will just be first party games, indie digital titles, and the occasional third party shovelware.

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Well, Nintendo has the answer--start up the girl's club. :?

I guess it's easier for them than putting out interesting games...

 

In other news, I tried to find a reason to buy a 3ds again a couple weeks ago and failed miserably.

My birthday is in a few days, and I haven't managed to think of anything I want for it.

Terrible form factor, no games--I guess that pretty much sums up my thoughts on wii-u too.

Kinda how I feel about xbone,nothing there for me and most was that way on the 360 I have (and never use)

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Kinda how I feel about xbone,nothing there for me and most was that way on the 360 I have (and never use)

 

I'm loving both the Xbox One and PS4. They definitely feel like a next step up, though they're adding new features that should have been in there from day one at a bit of a slower pace than I'd like. Nothing on the Wii U has really hooked me, honestly, though my daughters play Disney Infinity endlessly on it. The controller screen is definitely the console's best feature since they can occasionally play solo that way while we do other things on the main or bedroom TVs.

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The U is a great console. The problem is not the U, it is them. They are to blame.

 

I'd say more specifically that their marketing (or lack thereof) is to blame. I've owned a Wii for years and love it. I also own a PS3, a Vita, and my daughter has a 3DS. I'm someone who is very interested in video games and follow related news closely. Yet to this day I still have no idea what the heck the Wii U really is. I see pictures of the gamepad but I don't know exactly what it does, or if it does it for every game or just some. I don't know if I can use my original Wii controllers with it or if I have to buy new ones. I simply have no sense of what the console is or can do.

 

Compare that to the Wii when it was first released. Even people who weren't traditionally interested in games could describe it to you. "Oh yeah, that's the one with motion controls, right?"

 

Also, I think the U is suffering a little bit for the sins of the Wii. When the Wii was released it was the only console that didn't play DVDs or support HD. I think many gamers assume that the U will have the same deficiencies in comparison to other next-gen consoles (e.g. no Blu-ray). Console buyers are looking for more than just a game machine; they want a total media experience. They've learned that Nintendo has no interest in filling that role.

Edited by WestofHouse
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I'd say more specifically that their marketing (or lack thereof) is to blame. I've owned a Wii for years and love it. I also own a PS3, a Vita, and my daughter has a 3DS. I'm someone who is very interested in video games and follow related news closely. Yet to this day I still have no idea what the heck the Wii U really is. I see pictures of the gamepad but I don't know exactly what it does, or if it does it for every game or just some. I don't know if I can use my original Wii controllers with it or if I have to buy new ones. I simply have no sense of what the console is or can do.

 

Compare that to the Wii when it was first released. Even people who weren't traditionally interested in games could describe it to you. "Oh yeah, that's the one with motion controls, right?"

 

Also, I think the U is suffering a little bit for the sins of the Wii. When the Wii was released it was the only console that didn't play DVDs or support HD. I think many gamers assume that the U will have the same deficiencies in comparison to other next-gen consoles (e.g. no Blu-ray). Console buyers are looking for more than just a game machine; they want a total media experience. They've learned that Nintendo has no interest in filling that role.

not sure about the total media part.. blueray players are a dime a dozen and most folks have one, so is that really needed? to be fair I use one of my ps3's as the dedicated blu ray player since it does 3d. You are right on about the marketing or lack thereof, even thinking back to the old days,console makers woyuld show a system and games and show how easy it was to still use your old games. seems like a no brainer to me.

BTW Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is really really great!! :thumbsup:

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not sure about the total media part.. blueray players are a dime a dozen and most folks have one, so is that really needed?

 

Yeah.. In this day and age, it kind of is. Heck, if my Wii U played BluRay discs, and since I don't own a PS3 or have a standalone BluRay player, I would have had even less of a reason to invest in a more modern platform like the XBOX One or PS4.

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I could be swayed with Blu-Ray video playback on the Wii U. I'm not sure if it would actually help sell many more Wii U's, but the more useful functionality that would help keep the Wii U front and center despite near constant software droughts in the homes of existing customers, the better.

 

But I don't think the lack of DVD ever significantly harmed the Wii. It definitely damaged the GameCube, but by the time late 2006 rolled by, I really doubt the absence of an official means to play DVD videos on the Wii was much of a problem.

 

DVD players were pretty ubiquitous by that time. I can't imagine many Wii's were contemplated but not purchased because of the lack of DVD capabilities. I'm sure it irritated a few, but I really doubt it turned many away from actually buying it.

Edited by Atariboy
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I could be swayed with Blu-Ray video playback on the Wii U. I'm not sure if it would actually help sell many more Wii U's, but the more useful functionality that would help keep the Wii U front and center despite near constant software droughts in the homes of existing customers, the better.

 

But I don't think the lack of DVD ever significantly harmed the Wii. It definitely damaged the GameCube, but by the time late 2006 rolled by, I really doubt the absence of an official means to play DVD videos on the Wii was much of a problem.

 

DVD players were pretty ubiquitous by that time. I can't imagine many Wii's were contemplated but not purchased because of the lack of DVD capabilities. I'm sure it irritated a few, but I really doubt it turned many away from actually buying it.

 

The lack of DVD or Blu-ray playback on the Wii U is curious only in the sense that like the 360, PS3, Xbox One, and PS4, it's designed to be something of a media hub, so the inability to play any optical media is a strange ommission. Do I think it affects sales of the consoles one way or the other, though? No, not really.

 

It's also true that the lack of DVD playback or HD didn't hurt the sales of the Wii, but that's mostly because the motion control gimmick really took off and it came packaged with a killer app, Wii Sports. The Wii really did reach out to a new type of audience, one, unfortunately for Nintendo that apparently wasn't interested in continuing the relationship or further educating themselves about videogames in general (hence the confusion many have about the Wii U even being a new system rather than an add-on).

 

The PS2 having DVD playback capabilities definitely helped the PS2, but by the time the Xbox and GameCube came around it was less of a bullet point, so again, I don't think it hurt the GameCube all that much. What did hurt the GameCube - particularly with third party conversions - was not only the slightly offbeat controller, but also the fact that its mini optical discs held far less than the standard DVDs that the PS2 and Xbox used. That's part of the reason why some of the bigger name titles, like GTA III, never made it to the GameCube. Of course, Nintendo's third party woes started with the Nintendo 64 (cartridge versus CD) and more or less went downhill from there.

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Adding DVD/Blu-ray would only have brought up the cost. Nintendo would need to purchase hardware/software licenses/patents.

 

I've read posts from others who say the same thing you posted and I wonder: the original Xbox could play DVD's but only if you bought a dongle from MS that activated that feature. Supposedly, the cost of the dongle paid for the licensing costs so that MS wasn't having to and raising the price of the Xbox.

 

This method, to me, was an excellent solution for the situation: if you wanted DVD playback, you bought a dongle for $10 and could now watch them. If DVD playback wasn't something you were interested in, you didn't buy the dongle and saved $10.

 

Not sure why Nintendo couldn't do the same sort of thing with the Wii U and make everyone happy.

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Not sure why Nintendo couldn't do the same sort of thing with the Wii U and make everyone happy.

 

Yeah, just add a piece of software in the e-Shop for $10 or $20 that enables BluRay playback on the system. I'm pretty sure the Wii U has a BluRay-derived drive.

 

Another example of disc-based video playback on a system that wasn't originally available out of the box was the original Wii. Hackers and modders released software for modded Wiis that enabled DVD playback. Another case there where Nintendo could have offered a pay app in their shop to enable the option themselves.

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Adding DVD/Blu-ray would only have brought up the cost. Nintendo would need to purchase hardware/software licenses/patents.

The hardware is capable and the software investment is minimum. It's the DVD Forum and Blu-Ray Disc Association licensing cost that they're avoiding by not implementing it.

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