Cinemablend: Wii U Is Winning Next-Gen Gaming, Not Xbox One Or PS4

[gigantor21]

Aielyn said:

gigantor21 said:
Balanced? Hardly.

The problem isn't that it's not saying the WiiU is doomed. Hell, I could even buy the argument that it's a better system than the other two right now--there isn't anything big enough for the Xone or PS4 coming out until March I'd actually buy one for, while the WiiU has several games out now and lined-up in the next few months that are more intriguing.

No, the problem is that he goes even further than that, sayingthat the WiiU is just a better system overall because of...what?

I'm going to stop you right there. It didn't say that the WiiU is a better system overall. It said it's a better system *right now*. As in, if you're going to buy one NOW, it should be the WiiU. Not because it will necessarily be the best system in the future, but because it's the best one at the moment - yes, because of the year head start. It even acknowledges that.

And Wii U sales *are* up, by the way. By something like 600%.

I mention that because a balanced argument would factor that into it. Why? Because despite all of the "doom" articles - and there are MANY of them - Wii U sales have increased quite significantly, showing that the system is nowhere near dead in the water.

The Dreamcast was a cheaper system with FAR better games available when the PS2 first came out, too. It also saw sales jump in a big way around Christmastime...just like most systems do every year no matter how well they're doing overall. And the Gamecube saw a much bigger jump in sales during it's second November than the WiiU. None of that helped the either system gain market share or software support outside of their core fanbases.

And that's the crux of the problem with this argument. These "advantages" are the result of temporary circumstances that can very easily be lost over time--which has happened during several console cycles already. Buying a console is a long-term investment, and right now? The WiiU's prospects look pretty bleak compared to it's competitors. I won't be convinced that the system is worth buying because it just happens to look better for the first couple of months; I expect the situation to look VERY different come next winter.

And selling below Gamecube levels--let alone at the level of the Dreamcast--can't be interpreted as anything more than having a foot in the grave at best. That's the situation the WiiU is still in right now, even with that big jump. Again, almost all consoles sell higher this time of year.