Bloomberg: Nintendo’s Outlook Disappoints and Mario Can’t Save Wii U (Stock down 8.7%)

[binary solo]

haqqaton said:

SjOne said:

Nintendo consoles always sell worse than their predecessor. Wii is the only exception and that's because of a lightning in a bottle moment that can't be replicated.

Logically speaking, it makes no sense at all. Why that success can't be replicated?

It can be. But only if the stars and planets align and with the passage of time. Wii had 2 things which captoivated a non-gamer market and convinced them to buy a gaming console: motion controlled gaming and fitness (Wii Fit in particular). If Wii had merely been an improved Gamecube it would have tanked, like Gamecube. These non-gamers bought Wii, had heaps of fun, and maybe even got a bit fitter with it. But they are not repeat hardware customers. For lightning to strike a second time you basically need a whole new generation of non-gamers who were not around for the Wii craze and for Nintendo to produce something that attracts those non-gamers like the Wiimote and balance board did. It's not impossible but it's unlikely. You might think that just re-emphasising Wiimote will have that effect. But for all MS failed to capitalise on Kinect with the Xb one it is a piece of tech that is superior to Wiimote for non-gamers on a number of fronts. So Nintendo would have to find that inspiration somewhere else.

Meanwhile mainstream console gamers, who pretty much stuck with the Xbox/PS last gen with merely a shuffling of the deck chairs from gen 6 continue to be happy to keep on gaming with somewhat tweaked traditional controllers. And as repeat hardware customers they are staying with Xbox/PS in droves.