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Forums - Sales - Wii losing its thunder?

Chrizum said:
Rpruett said:
Metallicube said:
Rpruett said:
Metallicube said:
thx1139 said:

As for reason and price.  The discussion is focused on Wii success this year compared to other years not overall.  People say that the rebound the Wii had last year when it was also down going into August was the end of the year.  They believe the rebound was solely the release of NSMBWii and they do that to say DKCR along with Kirby will do the same this year.

The reason the overall has been a huge success is in order of impact

1. Motion Controls
2. WiiFit/Board
3. Price compared to others
4. Games

Last years turnaround
1. Price Drop
2. WiiFit/Board
3. Motion Controls
4. Games

LOL that you actually put games, the #1 reason, at #4.

Come on people, this is common knowledge.. Games are ALWAYS reason number 1 for a console getting sales. Wii is not exempt from thsi rule.

People buy consoles to play GAMES. End of story. They do not buy consoles so they can sit and admire the hardware, or to press buttons.

Again, almost ALL of the Wii's 'great' console moving games were motion control based or enabled.  These motion controls were only desirable and considered fun because the Wii was so accessible with it's low priced market entry point.  If the Wii was priced at $600 (Like the PS3 was or even $400 like the 360) and packaged without motion controls it would have been dead where it stood.   

If not for the low entry price, consumers wouldn't have taken the gamble of purchasing a system with controls that nobody has really seen before.  Without Motion controls, the Wii would have been another (Gamecube) with probably worse graphics (Than the 360/PS3) or horrible third party support (like the GC/Wii) or both.  It would have been Gamecube part two.

One could paint a picture (With evidence that supports) that the Wii has every bit the weakest software lineup (Of the major 3) and that by all accounts the software that really shifted units was actually premised on motion controls or enabled because of motion controls (Wii Sports / Wii Sports Resort / Wii Fit) or did not arrive until the Wii had already built a comfortable 48-49% of the market share lead.

 

You keep confusing this generation with the last generations and that is incorrect.  This generation is much different.  No generation winning console has been priced above $300 and won the generation. 

This to me, indicates that pricing over $300 is a very slippery slope for companies and that when consoles are priced above $300 you miss a lot of semi-casual buyers right out of the gate.  Once market dominance is established, the primary console gets put in the front of the aisles and gets a bigger section devoted to it, more games are sent it's way.

To me, that was the story this generation.  This generation has been a three console race (In terms of software) all three companies putting out superb efforts (I prefer PS3's lineup over PS2's at this point TBH).  But the Wii won console dominance because of pricing and motion controls.  

What will be interesting to see, is how the next generation plays out.  Nintendo will really need to innovate above and beyond their competitors.  Graphically, I think Sony and MS will put out superior efforts at a much much lower cost than they did this generation.   And both Sony and MS will more than likely have 2nd generation versions of Move/Kinect (Which Move appears to be a direct upgrade over Wii Motion Plus and Kinect has a lot of potential).   

Personally, If Sony or MS release at a comparable price point (Within $100 and no higher than $400),  I can see Nintendo losing it's first place finish next generation.

Why did you buy your console of choice? Hell, why does ANYBODY buy a console? Do they buy one to admire cinematics or graphics? Do they buy it to admire the hardware, or wave their arms around with motion controls? No. They buy a console to play GAMES. The primary funcion of a console is to play GAMES. Now, until this changes, No console has, or will EVER be market leader, without a strong game library.

If Wii did not have a sufficient library to back it up, it would not have recieved sales. And if it did, its sales would have immediately plummetted like a rock, because people who have discovered its lack of quality games.

It amuses me that people so deeply try to analyze why a console succeeds and they drone on about non gaming features for the cause; "blah blah blah blu ray players, hd graphics, motion controls, competitive pricing, teh casualz!!1" when in reality, the reason for success is really very simple; it's the GAMES, and ONLY the games.

If Nintendo falls to Sony and MS next gen, it will be for one reason, and one reason only; because its game library was weaker than Sony and MS, and did not appeal to as many as theirs did.

Again, one could make quite a compelling argument that the Wii has the worst library of the three companies.  How then to this person do you explain that it was 'TEH GAMEZ!!' that contributed to success. 

You are being very, very narrow-minded and taking a very simplistic mindset for something that has a myriad of factors. 

Price/Motion firmly entrenched the Wii where it is sitting right now,  games just continued the rush

One could also make quite a compelling argument that the Wii has the best library of the three companies. Arguing in these terms is absolutely fruitless.

Absolutely.   Which is especially why 'Game quality' is such a subjective term in this discussion.  Price (Being lower than the competition) and Motion Controls (Being unique within either of the three companies) are not subjective values here though. 



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Of course the Wii is losing some of its thunder. That's what happens when your fifth holiday season comes up! What did you think, it was going to sell 20 million units again?



Rpruett said:

 Absolutely.   Which is especially why 'Game quality' is such a subjective term in this discussion.  Price (Being lower than the competition) and Motion Controls (Being unique within either of the three companies) are not subjective values here though.  

 


Who's arguing game quality?  Let's use an objective measure, like game sales, to prove out which console has the most appealing software from a massmarket perspective.

And again, there's zero indication that Wii's sold due to it's (initially) lower pricepoint.  And as I said before, most context surrounding the price (2nd hand prices, length of time w/o a price drop, historical pricepoints of Nintendo systems relative to performance, etc) more indicate the opposite.  I've yet to see anyone bring up a single thing that really indicates being a whopping $50 cheaper than a HD system for it's first two years (and then $50 more expensive it's next year) was the driving factor in sales here.  The argument there seems to be it was cheaper, so that must've been why it sold, without a shred of supporting evidence as that...



Rpruett said:
jarrod said:
Rpruett said:

.  What makes a Wii more appealing than a full-fledged motion control line-up of Kinect or Move?  

The same thing that made Wii a success in the first place: Nintendo games.

Wii Party alone will probably outsell all the (unbundled) Move and Kinect launch games combined.


I don't believe for one second that Nintendo games were the sole or even primary reason for Nintendo being in a success in the first place this generation.  I believe Motion controls and price take the top two spots. 

The Nintendo games just were after thoughts or benefits after the fact.  I say this because,  I have had a blast playing Nintendo games on every Nintendo console (Dating back to NES/SNES/N64/GameCube)  good games from Nintendo has been a constant not a variable.    Motion controls and price (relative to the competition) is a variable however. 

I think the point is... Nintendo Games are what made the motion controls successful.

I mean, how many good third party motion control focused games are there on Wii?

OK, so why is that going to be different with PS3? 

Can sony make good motion control wii like games?  Who know.



Kasz216 said:
Rpruett said:
jarrod said:
Rpruett said:

.  What makes a Wii more appealing than a full-fledged motion control line-up of Kinect or Move?  

The same thing that made Wii a success in the first place: Nintendo games.

Wii Party alone will probably outsell all the (unbundled) Move and Kinect launch games combined.


I don't believe for one second that Nintendo games were the sole or even primary reason for Nintendo being in a success in the first place this generation.  I believe Motion controls and price take the top two spots. 

The Nintendo games just were after thoughts or benefits after the fact.  I say this because,  I have had a blast playing Nintendo games on every Nintendo console (Dating back to NES/SNES/N64/GameCube)  good games from Nintendo has been a constant not a variable.    Motion controls and price (relative to the competition) is a variable however. 

I think the point is... Nintendo Games are what made the motion controls successful.

I mean, how many good third party motion control focused games are there on Wii?

OK, so why is that going to be different with PS3? 

Can sony make good motion control wii like games?  Who know.

As many Nintendo fans have pointed out to me before,  the Wii was practically a critical success before it even hit the market.  Lines were incredibly long just to 'try' to play the Wii.  There NEVER was the same buzz for the Gamecube as for the Wii (For example) .

In my opinion, this is not something that would have occurred had the pricing been out of range / if the Wii did not have motion controls.  As has been mentioned many times before, the Wii is essentially a Gamecube 1.5 with Motion Controls and a cheaper price than the competition. 

Why did it sell gangbusters (From Day 1)  and the Gamecube not?   And don't tell me the software. 



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jarrod said:

Rpruett said:

 Absolutely.   Which is especially why 'Game quality' is such a subjective term in this discussion.  Price (Being lower than the competition) and Motion Controls (Being unique within either of the three companies) are not subjective values here though.  

 


Who's arguing game quality?  Let's use an objective measure, like game sales, to prove out which console has the most appealing software from a massmarket perspective.

And again, there's zero indication that Wii's sold due to it's (initially) lower pricepoint.  And as I said before, most context surrounding the price (2nd hand prices, length of time w/o a price drop, historical pricepoints of Nintendo systems relative to performance, etc) more indicate the opposite.  I've yet to see anyone bring up a single thing that really indicates being a whopping $50 cheaper than a HD system for it's first two years (and then $50 more expensive it's next year) was the driving factor in sales here.  The argument there seems to be it was cheaper, so that must've been why it sold, without a shred of supporting evidence as that...

We have no idea what market Nintendo has tapped with their games sales this time around.  It won't be evident for years what market they hit.   Did they hit the fitness market?  If so, will this market keep buying future video game consoles?   Are they repeat buyers?   Will they purchase essentially exercise peripherals every generation?  

Game sales can be related console sales (Especially ones entirely bundled with console sales like Wii Sports).  That is a crucial slap in the face to my core point.  Which is the inclusion of motion controls / low entry price has created a scenario where it's intriguing and different to try a Wii and it's cheap enough that everyone jump in and do it.  The games were after thoughts after the initial jump in purchase.     This is also why I think the Wii has sold a ton of shovelware. (Not meant to be offensive) and why Third Party Developers have continued to push the shovelware.  Sure, some quality games have sold very well due to a myriad of reasons like looking good / nostalgia / etc /etc.  (Like NSMB).

People who went in head first and bought a Wii really did so because Motion controls were fun (Either from personal or second hand experience) and the price was cheap enough for a person of any income level.  You didn't need 18 jobs to buy a Wii on Day one.

 

 

And how in the world is there zero indication?  The Wii had outsold the 360/PS3 on day one of it's lifespan.   Look by the end of it's first year?   Price is DIRECTLY related in every single purchase.   I love how people keep mentioning the $300 barebones horrible 360 and the $500 barebones horrible PS3.  The 360's barebones SKU needed so much additional stuff to function in it's intended capacity that you ended up spending over $400 to begin with and the PS3s barebones SKU was so horrendous that they discontinued it.

I mean 360 (Had a yearly subscription fee for online if that interested you in the slightest bit), the core came with a 'wired' controller, composite cables, and no hard drive and no wireless?   My lord, that's a lot of accessories just to have a truly functional 360. 

 

In that context, it was tremendously cheaper than a fully functional 360 and/or PS3 (To get the package you were believing in when you bought a PS3/360 you had to spend $400 / $600 respectively compared to the Wii at $250.  No console has ever been priced higher than $300 and won a generation.  Food for thought.

Price relative to the competition is what matters.  Consumers aren't stupid, they saw right through MS / Sony seling them barebones systems and knew full well they would have to spend a nice chunk of coin to get the system. 



CGI-Quality said:
Salnax said:

Of course the Wii is losing some of its thunder. That's what happens when your fifth holiday season comes up! What did you think, it was going to sell 20 million units again?

4th holiday season to be exact, but yeah I see what you're saying. It wasn't going to hold onto those numbers for ever. I only wonder what Nintendo has planned. Perhaps some bundles, but it won't be another price drop. At least not till next year and even that may be pushing it.

1. 2006
2. 2007
3. 2008
4. 2009
5. 2010

5th holiday season is correct.



CGI-Quality said:
Chrizum said:
CGI-Quality said:
Salnax said:

Of course the Wii is losing some of its thunder. That's what happens when your fifth holiday season comes up! What did you think, it was going to sell 20 million units again?

4th holiday season to be exact, but yeah I see what you're saying. It wasn't going to hold onto those numbers for ever. I only wonder what Nintendo has planned. Perhaps some bundles, but it won't be another price drop. At least not till next year and even that may be pushing it.

1. 2006
2. 2007
3. 2008
4. 2009
5. 2010

5th holiday season is correct.

Sure, if you want to count the launch as a full hoilday season. Looking at it from a different angle, however, most call it it's 4th year. That's what it is. 4 years on the market, not 5.

False. The statement was holiday season. Holiday season starts in november/december. Wii was released in november. 2006 was its first holiday season.



CGI-Quality said:
Chrizum said:
CGI-Quality said:
Chrizum said:
CGI-Quality said:
Salnax said:

Of course the Wii is losing some of its thunder. That's what happens when your fifth holiday season comes up! What did you think, it was going to sell 20 million units again?

4th holiday season to be exact, but yeah I see what you're saying. It wasn't going to hold onto those numbers for ever. I only wonder what Nintendo has planned. Perhaps some bundles, but it won't be another price drop. At least not till next year and even that may be pushing it.

1. 2006
2. 2007
3. 2008
4. 2009
5. 2010

5th holiday season is correct.

Sure, if you want to count the launch as a full hoilday season. Looking at it from a different angle, however, most call it it's 4th year. That's what it is. 4 years on the market, not 5.

False. The statement was holiday season. Holiday season starts in november/december. Wii was released in november. 2006 was its first holiday season.

OK, you're right, you're always right. Pardon me for arguing....

What a strange and rahter empty reply... I thought a forum was meant to discuss things and reply to eachother, no need to chicken out I'd say, but whatever floats your boat.



Rpruett said:
jarrod said:

Rpruett said:

 Absolutely.   Which is especially why 'Game quality' is such a subjective term in this discussion.  Price (Being lower than the competition) and Motion Controls (Being unique within either of the three companies) are not subjective values here though.  

 


Who's arguing game quality?  Let's use an objective measure, like game sales, to prove out which console has the most appealing software from a massmarket perspective.

And again, there's zero indication that Wii's sold due to it's (initially) lower pricepoint.  And as I said before, most context surrounding the price (2nd hand prices, length of time w/o a price drop, historical pricepoints of Nintendo systems relative to performance, etc) more indicate the opposite.  I've yet to see anyone bring up a single thing that really indicates being a whopping $50 cheaper than a HD system for it's first two years (and then $50 more expensive it's next year) was the driving factor in sales here.  The argument there seems to be it was cheaper, so that must've been why it sold, without a shred of supporting evidence as that...

We have no idea what market Nintendo has tapped with their games sales this time around.  It won't be evident for years what market they hit.   Did they hit the fitness market?  If so, will this market keep buying future video game consoles?   Are they repeat buyers?   Will they purchase essentially exercise peripherals every generation?  

Game sales can be related console sales (Especially ones entirely bundled with console sales like Wii Sports).  That is a crucial slap in the face to my core point.  Which is the inclusion of motion controls / low entry price has created a scenario where it's intriguing and different to try a Wii and it's cheap enough that everyone jump in and do it.  The games were after thoughts after the initial jump in purchase.     This is also why I think the Wii has sold a ton of shovelware. (Not meant to be offensive) and why Third Party Developers have continued to push the shovelware.  Sure, some quality games have sold very well due to a myriad of reasons like looking good / nostalgia / etc /etc.  (Like NSMB).

People who went in head first and bought a Wii really did so because Motion controls were fun (Either from personal or second hand experience) and the price was cheap enough for a person of any income level.  You didn't need 18 jobs to buy a Wii on Day one.

 

 

And how in the world is there zero indication?  The Wii had outsold the 360/PS3 on day one of it's lifespan.   Look by the end of it's first year?   Price is DIRECTLY related in every single purchase.   I love how people keep mentioning the $300 barebones horrible 360 and the $500 barebones horrible PS3.  The 360's barebones SKU needed so much additional stuff to function in it's intended capacity that you ended up spending over $400 to begin with and the PS3s barebones SKU was so horrendous that they discontinued it.

I mean 360 (Had a yearly subscription fee for online if that interested you in the slightest bit), the core came with a 'wired' controller, composite cables, and no hard drive and no wireless?   My lord, that's a lot of accessories just to have a truly functional 360. 

 

In that context, it was tremendously cheaper than a fully functional 360 and/or PS3 (To get the package you were believing in when you bought a PS3/360 you had to spend $400 / $600 respectively compared to the Wii at $250.  No console has ever been priced higher than $300 and won a generation.  Food for thought.

Price relative to the competition is what matters.  Consumers aren't stupid, they saw right through MS / Sony seling them barebones systems and knew full well they would have to spend a nice chunk of coin to get the system. 

Wii Sports wasn't bundled in Japan, and it sold over 3.5 million there.  Or in other terms, it sold twice what FFXIII did, in Wii's weakest market at that.  

But really, I think you're missing a central point, and you've actually indadvertedly touched it at the same time... "Motion controls were fun".  A control interface on it's own isn't inherently "fun"; it's just a tool, it's how it's implemented in software that does that.  I said before that Wii Sports was basically the platform's proof of concept, and that's really what sold new consumers on it.  That's why Reggie insisting on bundling it outside Japan was such a genius stroke, it ensured Wii Sports was always there as the first game new potential consumers would play at a kiosk or their friend's place, it was always there to "sell" new people on Wii.  Wii sold largely on word of mouth, with a viral approach to people outside the traditional market spaces, and Wii Sports was really central to that plan.

 

And again, I'm not seeing any concrete evidence concerning pricepoints from you... this argument is boiled down to "Wii was cheaper and sold more, ergo it sold more because it was cheaper", which is a logical fallacy.  What I'm asking for is any real indication that Wii sold due to it's lower pricepoint, which is something no one's seemingly been able to bring to the table.  Does it selling well above MSRP 2nd hand for years indicate that?  Does it being the most expensive, and yet best selling, Nintendo console in history prove that?  Does it going longer than any other console in history without a price reduction prove that?

And why are you continually shitting on the Arcade/Core?  The Core was exact same industry standard setup we had with PS2, it needed a memory card or HDD, it came with a wired controller, VGA cables, so what?  Was the "real" PS2 launch price $400 using this logic?  Consumers must also be dumber than you think, considering how the $199 Arcade flew off shevles...