Nintendo totally irrelevant? Xbox and PS duopoly?? (Home Consoles)

[STRYKIE]

Aielyn said:

Soundwave said:

I'm starting to doubt the Wii U can get to 30 million even.
N64 finished at 33 million and it's so ridiculously far ahead of the Wii U. 

At the equivalent point in the Xbox 360's life, it had sold 5.5 million. Wii U is at 4 million.

Xbox 360 sold about 79 million to date.

Why is the Wii U more like the 360 than the N64? Because the 360 launched a year before its rivals, but really didn't take off until a real killer app showed up about a year after launch. The N64 had its biggest killer app on day 1 (Mario 64), and released last within the generation.

The Wii U is almost keeping up with the launch-aligned 360, despite the economic circumstances, lack of major third-party support, and poor advertising by Nintendo, compared with the 360 launching during great economic circumstances, depending primarily on its strong third party support, and being by Microsoft (who are, when it comes down to it, primarily an advertising company - it's where their real skill lies).

Oh, and Wii U weekly sales now are about where 360 weekly sales were in late 2006. And Mario 3D World is about to launch.

Considering the N64's biggest spike came in Q4 '97 as seen from Soundwave's chart, I think it's fair to say Mario 64 didn't have much to do with it.

And I think (at least, fundamentally) Gears didn't have much to do with the 360's spike either. The Wii U doesn't have a blundering $599 public enemy #1 similar competitor to be helped out by.