Why Mario Kart 8 didn't save the WiiU

[oniyide]

padib said:

RolStoppable said:

This entire discussion started because I said that the Wii U is a failure and explained why it was always doomed to be a failure. Instead of nitpicking on every single thing I've said, maybe we should turn the whole thing around and make you answer why the Wii U is still not doomed to be a failure. Since I am generous, we will define Wii U success as beating lifetime figures of the GameCube.

Since this post of mine right here shall not look like a cop-out, I will answer your above quote in full. However, I will not continue discussing those points any further, because I know that they will lead to further subpoints.

The Wii didn't reach its full sales potential outside of Japan either. It could have easily surpassed the PS2 lifetime totals, provided third parties supported it like the PS2.

The 3DS is not on track to sell anywhere close to 33m units lifetime in Japan. Even 25m already looks like a huge stretch, since it has slowed down dramatically this year.

The psychological barrier exists for both, the N64 and GC. I have said that the upper limit that is tolerated is the SNES layout and both systems have gone beyond that; once beyond, the effect it has on sales is identical, i.e. no purchase. The reason for lower GC sales is that the people for whom such a controller does not pose a psychological barrier had fewer reasons to own a GC than the N64 before it. Since Nintendo at the time was in direct competition with companies like Sony, Sega and Microsoft, their consoles could often be substituted for a competitor's product. While Sega was almost negligible in the fifth and sixth generation, Microsoft found success in at least one region: America. Hence why gen over gen Nintendo's sales were most negatively affected in America. The N64 had already spectacularly lost to the PS1 in Japan, so there wasn't much to lose for the GC anymore.

Handhelds are proportionally more popular in Japan than anywhere else in the world and like I already previously mentioned, Japan sees more 3DS retail releases than any other country in the world. The old rule that software drives hardware sales.

The lack of ability to connect the dots wasn't specific to any particular topic, but a general observation. Granted, it's possible that I and all those other people suffer from the same inabilities when it comes to logical thinking, but I'd say that's very improbable.

That is a fair request.

Why the U is still not doomed to failure, and can beat the cube in sales

Nintendo 1st party is not competing with Sony and MS with the U

Despite the article raised earlier about Nintendo pandering to 3rd parties as part of their console HW design strategy, the fact remains true that Nintendo is in an ocean to themselves in the content they are releasing. For that simple reason, irrespective of the number of analog sticks on the U's gamepad, the games should sell themselves, per the old  trustworthy rule that "games sell hardware". Given the lack of competition and Nintendo's momentum from the Wii, albeit stiffled by the U's awkward launch marketing, the U is still on track to shine in the market it is currently guarding.

The U's strategy mimics the DS/3DS strategy

Though true that the psychological barrier exists and that the U can't equally enjoy the breakthrough aura that the Wii enjoyed, the U's gamepad was based on the design of another very successful platform, the DS/3DS. The gamepad, making exception of the analog sticks and trigger buttons, is in essence a replica of the DS/3DS design. Though the two "screens" aren't tethered in this case, very similar applications are still very well portable.

Since the DS/3DS were able to succeed due to the quality of the games released for them, and the Vita though a portable was unable to sell due to the lack of said games, I believe that there is no valid reason for the U to not be able to tap into that success, at least proportionately.

To clarify, I believe that the U may not be able to reach the sales scale of portables due to the fact that often portables are bought per individuals while home consoles are bought per family, I still see the same appeal being transferrable to the U's success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if Nintendo is able to offer a library that is fun and compelling to consumers, I see no reason why the medium (home or portable) would make any logical difference.

So then why has PS4 already passed it? Why has Xone done better despite being more expensive? IMHO you are putting way too much stock into Ninty titles. There has been no evidence so far to back up what you are saying in this regard. Hell you could say the same in the N64 and GC eras, what happened then?