| TK14 said: I called this and posted in many threads that at NO point (barring the "mistake" the other day from a German Nintendo employee) had Nintendo EVER given any indication on WHEN in 2014 Super Smash Bros. would come out. And those who expected it in the first half of the year were just being unrealistic. Wii U has 2 titles that stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the lineup for 2014 when it comes to their system-selling potential: Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. To release BOTH of those in the same half of the year or even within a few months of each other would be ridiculous from a business perspective. |
To be fair, you could have said the same thing in 2008 regarding Mario Kart Wii and Smash Bros Brawl... Smash released in the US in March, and then Mario Kart Wii in April. Mario Kart Wii has sold over 34 million copies, and Brawl is at nearly 12 million (almost 5 million more than its predecessor). Nintendo could easily release them that close together again. But they probably won't. Not because of business, but because of development. Smash Bros has to be made for Wii U and 3DS, and the two versions need to release around the same time as each other. It simply won't be ready in time for release at the time that Nintendo is ready to release MK8.
And the main reason why Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros stand "head-and-shoulders above" the rest of the lineup as we know it is that we don't even know half of the 2014 lineup. Consider that DKC:TF was meant to be 2013, so we know of just four confirmed 2014 titles that aren't 2014 due to a delay (Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros, X, and Bayonetta 2) - and X is seen as just as notable as MK8. Do you really think that Nintendo doesn't have a heap of unannounced titles waiting to be revealed? There's no way that they hold off on either MK8 or Smash Bros for "business reasons" when the Wii U isn't flourishing. They'll be released as soon as they're ready, or within a few weeks of that day.
By the way, to the person who suggested that Nintendo planned on Smash and MK8 both releasing before end of financial year in order to reach the 9 million mark, because MK8 wouldn't be enough... I'll tell you right now, Smash wouldn't have anywhere near the impact of MK8. As I mentioned above, Brawl sold 12 million copies on the Wii, while MKWii sold 34 million. If MK8 isn't significantly going to drive Wii U sales (no pun intended), Smash will have even less impact.
Note that I don't think it's impossible, with the right marketing, game releases, etc, for the Wii U to hit 9 million by end of March... but I do think it's unlikely that Nintendo will achieve it. I do think 7 million is achievable, though, between 3D World over the holidays and MK8 in February/March (I assume it'll release somewhere around then), plus Wii Fit U and what I suspect is one surprise title (Nintendo has been curiously quiet about their post-2013 lineup, and I don't believe for a second that we know all of the games for the first half of the year, even).
