Against The Grain: Wii2 at this years E3???

[Mr Khan]

RolStoppable said:

Sempuukyaku said:

Ok....so a November 2011 Japanese relase does not equal a spring 2012 release. Nintendo isn't going to prematurely launch a new console....just because. The Gamecube was pretty much dead in the water, yet NOA waited until the holiday season 2006 to launch the Wii to maximize sales during the biggest retail period of the year. The new console will not be any different. It's not going to launch any other period other than fall. It's going to be fall 2012 or fall 2013. 

No, Nintendo didn't wait until the holiday season 2006 to launch the Wii to maximize sales. They did so, because they wanted to go head to head with the PS3 and get publicity by outselling it initially. It was guaranteed that they would do so, because Sony's problems regarding PS3 production were well known (to game industry people, not the public). Nintendo kicking Sony's ass being all over the news could only be good for Nintendo, it was the underdog beating the dominating force.

Now on the Wii successor, it's not really a good idea to launch a console during the holiday season. Production is usually limited at that point and the system would sell out regardless. It practically means wasting the benefits of a holiday season altogether. A launch in the spring period seems more beneficial, because it gives the company time to build a solid library come the holiday season and that's when non-gaming news outlets write about video game systems and try to educate their readers how good of a purchase any given system is.

Bingo. I mean Sony was partially right when they declared that "people will buy a PS3 even if there are no games," as there's a core group of purchasers who will just buy any major console right out of the gate regardless, and will do so at any time of the year. These people will rush to get preorders away from other customers, and so will (and have) monopolized holiday launch periods. Might as well get these people (i'm included in this group, as are many on this site) out of the way, then have a holiday season where you've worked out the earliest production problems