I really don't want to get into a "Wii U is doomed!" debate or even contribute to it. And to be quite honest, I really don't even care if the Wii U gets any third-party support. Chances are I'll either have a PS4 or next-Xbox to fill all my third-party needs. I've always played Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games, plain and simple.

I recently had a thought, though. If Nintendo has been operating a flawed business strategy, and their console buessiness has been suffering because of it, then wouldn't a console failure give them a "wake-up" call and force to them to adopt a new strategy? They made so much money with the Wii that I'm sure they have piles of cash in reserve to relaunch themselves should this ever happen.

I personally can't help but think that maybe this would do them some good because if they only continue to do so-so in sales, it won't be enough motivation to consider a drastically different console strategy.

Yes.

what if i said sony needs to kill off the vita cause of low sells cause it pretty much is the same position

Not at all. The system needs games and advertising and a price cut late this year or early next year. I dont think it will repeat the success of the Wii but I doubt any system this gen will. Once its first party offerings come out Nintendo fans will buy it. Once they up the marketing other people will buy it (I litwrally havent seen a Wii U commercial since Christmas) and once the price comes down bargain shoppers will pick it up. It may never get the 3rd party support of MS/Sony but it should get some solid excluaive 3rd party games like GC/Wii got. Give it time, I honestly believe things will turn around starting in Aug and Wii U will sell well for 3-4 years.

I agree, but as I looked up sales numbers for the Gamecube, I'm actually astonished that Nintendo didn't cut off its Gamecube console early on and try again. Then again, they didn't have the same amount of revenue earned now, but I can't believe what an utter failure the system was sales-wise. Nintendo may or may not have considered it a failure as it sold ten-million less than the N64, but even that sold terribly.

Looking at the sales number further, Nintendo has consistently sold less systems as each console generation passes. It wasn't until they released the Wii did those sales numbers jump dramatically. But right now it seems Nintendo has adopted a console strategy that's trying to leech off the Wii userbase, while attracting the hard-core gamer back. It would appear to be a solid strategy in an initial thought, but obviously they tapped the casual Wii audience well dry. So it seems that what Nintendo has left are those hardcore faithful to keep the system aflot until they can either release new software in hopes to boost sales, or somehow create a different marketing strategy to dig a new well (most likely both).

It seems that their handheld console business is what they've done consistently well at, but it makes no sense to me why Nintendo can't achieve the same results with their home console business.

"just" beefing up the power of console is not really drastically different strategy...

nintendo took a risky move.... like what they did to ds and wii... it is a hit or miss with these kind of things....

I would be OK with a Nintendo-Sony alliance, Nintendo driving the handheld and Sony maybe being the driver of the console side, but both supplying software and having equal amounts of input into hardware design.

I think that would yield a console better than the PS2 or Super NES even, so I can't see how that would be bad for consumers.

Honestly I think we might be headed not towards a video game collapse but a large shrinking of the market, one which will impact Nintendo the worst because they relied a lot on fickle casuals. Sony/MS will be insulated a bit more because "mainstream" gamers will still need their shooters, sports games, etc. but Nintendo is left only relying on their core Nintendo fanbase, which isn't enough to sustain a console platform beyond 30 million units I don't think.

I'll tell you what happens if the Wii U "fails".


(looks at Gamecube, Wii).

Nintendo will lick its wounds and try to bottle lightning once again. That's what they do. They don't incur in great losses (if any) when producing their home consoles, so they play it safe and if they hit they hit, if they strike out, they strike out, and then comes a new day.

All this does not effect me one bit. I genuinely only bought the Wii U for Nintendo games. Maybe if 3rd parties abandon it, Nintendo will work harder. So this might actually be a good thing, for me at least.

One obvious flaw I can point out is that Sony and Nintendo have drastically different images. To me, it'd appear to be mixing oil and water together.