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Was the Wii a fad?

Yes 131 38.76%
 
No 152 44.97%
 
Irrevelant, next-gen is coming 28 8.28%
 
see results 26 7.69%
 
Total:337
hsrob on 11 May 2012

I still don't understand how a console not being a 'fad' is predicated on it's appeal to the core/traditional gamer. This appears to be the basis of Mazty-versus-the-world's entire argument and it just doesn't make sense to me.

By this logic compact digital cameras could be considered a fad because they aren't typically sold, nor were they targeted at, the traditional/core photography market i.e. photographers. They were brought to the market and were successfully sold to people who were previously not that interested in cameras because they offered new features. If you look at the entire market now though it's dominated by compact camera sales and it's not going anywhere any time soon i.e. not a fad.

Most very successful businesses don't get big by repeatedly selling new versions of their products to their old/like-minded customers. They achieve success and growth by selling products to a new and progressively broader range of clients, often very different from the core market that got them started.

The Wii will likely end as the second highest selling home console of all time. Sales have fallen markedly as tends to happen in the course of a normal console life cycle and following the announcement of a direct successor. While I concede they are aspects of Wii that are fad-like (e.g. Wii Fit) I can't honestly think of any other industry where the second highest selling product ever, with respectable sales persisting into the sixth year, would be labelled a 'fad'.



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DanneSandin on 11 May 2012
Mazty said:
Soriku said:
Mazty said:

You're ignoring the audience it's aimed at. A game console should be sold for it's games, not for the controller. To sell on the controller is a fad. You don't buy a car because the seats are nice while ignoring the ride. 

A fad for gamers - a fad aimed at gamers. It's not a complex notion...Short-lived is relative though. Fashion fads last longer then playground fads as it depends on audience. 

Motion controls have been a big part of this gen, but that doesn't mean it isn't a fad. If motion controls are not adopted as the controls of the future, then motion controls are a fad as they are a one-hit (as in this gen) wonder.  The wii is a fad as it's not aimed for gamers. It offers nothing benefical to gaming, and therefore, is a fad. 


The Wii was sold for its games. Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, etc. If it was just the controller then those games couldn't have possibly sold as much as they did. Not being aimed for gamers (this is false but I'm not even going to bother) has nothing to do with the definition of being a fad.  I disagree entirely with the notion that if motion controls aren't adopted in the future that they're a fad but whatever. As of right now we know that the Wii U will support the Wii remote so they haven't given up on motion controls next-gen yet. But as a game console itself, the Wii isn't a fad. It doesn't matter if you like it or not, that's not how you call something a fad.

Lol no it wasn't sold for it's games; the sales figures prove that. The core games all performed incredibly poorly when compared to the 360.  Skyward sold sold ~7 million units whereas Halo 3 sold ~11 million, yet the 360 has sold 30% less .

What sort of console gives gamers a controller with high latency?? That's like giving a car with poor aerodynamics to a racing driver. A games console not made for gamers; I will actually say fad is the wrong word, whereas gimmick is the right word. 

You can't say "I disagree but whatever"; such a comment is utterly pointless & equally useless. How can something which is merely a one hit wonder be anything other then a fad? If it was truly good, it would last until something better replaces it. 


thats like saying that xboxs core games sold poorly since mario kart and nsmbwii outsold halo with so much its not even funny...



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Jumpin on 11 May 2012
DanneSandin said:
Mazty said:

I believe it was a fad because core games failed on it (CoD series, cursed mountain, the conduit, madworld). Twilight Princes only sold a meagre ~ 7 million units, which pales in comparison to the 11 million units Halo 3 sold, and yet the Xbox 360 has sold 30% less units then the wii.
 The game sales in relation to sold consoles, just don't add up for a console that isn't a fad:
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/04/talking_point_why_skyward_sword_sales_failed_to_soar

It looks like a large proportion of wii owners are not into core games, therefore we have to conclude that a large portion of wii owners are casual gamers. Casual gamers are attracted by fads, not quality, because they have no history of gaming to draw upon.

What will be interesting is how much this will hurt the Wii U because the majority of Wii owners, if they are casual gamers, will not be bothered in upgrading as they are not interested in graphics or hardware; if they were, they wouldn't be casual gamers. Therefore by grabbing a large, yet finite market, has Nintendo sealed it's fate? I think so.


well, using this logic means that games on iphone and ipad are fads as well, and in games for these platforms should seize to exist fairly soon... you know cuz its only casual games on them.

Should have also mentioned that Cursed Mountain, Conduit, and Madworld weren't core games either.

Nintendo's core games include:

Mario (Mario Galaxy sold over 10 million, New Super Mario Brothers sold over 25 million)
Mario Kart (Sold 32 million)
Smash Bros (Sold 11 million)
Zelda (Sold 6.5 + 3.3 million respectively)
Donkey Kong (Sold 5.5 million)

Mario Kart Wii was the most successful core game this entire generation; and it was on the Wii.



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amp316 on 11 May 2012
RolStoppable said:
amp316 said:
This thread was great back in 2007.

Maybe, but...

The Wii is now over five years old. It used to sell like hot cakes which made a lot of people angry. Nowadays it doesn't sell much anymore. It didn't take a lot of third party games away from the competition. Barely any, in fact. Nintendo has abandoned the Wii and now makes GameCube 2.0 which is highly unlikely to repeat the success.

The angry people got everything they wished for. Yet they are still bitter.

So after five years it's a fad again?  I never quite thought of it that way, but it's probably true.



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DanneSandin on 11 May 2012
Soriku said:
There you have it folks. A game selling 11 million is a bad performance.


haha lulz, this is too much fun!



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Cobretti2 on 11 May 2012
Mazty said:
sensebringer said:

New Super Mario Bros. sold more than 20 millions before been bundle. Try harder.

Oh? Would you happen to have a source for that?

 

d21lewis said:
Mazty said:

Kinect sales would suggest it's a fad:
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/327350/kinect-sales-pattern-unhealthy-ubisoft/

So what if  the wii had a game for every genre? If they didn't sell well, which they haven't, then it's not a console focused on core gamers. 
If the console is aimed at making people play games, why are game sales so low for non bundled games? 
What's the benefit of an inaccurate, high latency controller for gaming?


Kinect is a peripheral.  It's like a Zapper, Power Pad, Power Glove, Eye Toy, etc.

 

But if motion controls were the future then surely it's sales would be consistant? 

Soriku said:
Mazty said:

What are you on about? The Wii has sold ~45% more consoles then the 360, yet the wii game sales do not reflect anything close to 45% greater sales. They are actually almost identical. Fact. Just look at the numbers...

 


OK...what point are you trying to make though? The Wii got less prominent support from third party developers, it should be expected that sales don't reach the 45% greater sales. That's not the Wii's fault. Despite this, if you look at the chart the DS has sold less SW than the Wii despite unit sales being signficantly higher so it's not like the Wii has heavily underperformed or anything.

 

My point is that the sales show the Wii is not a console for gamers, therefore the wii is a fad because it isn't made for gamers. 

 

 


you are correct, it is a console for gamers who pirate like on the ps1 and ps2.

 

 

 

 



 

 

sensebringer on 11 May 2012
Mazty said:
Soriku said:
Mazty said:

They haven't sold well considering the Wii console sales when compared to the 360 or PS3.
My point is that the wii is not for core gamers. No more heros sold just over 520,000....That's barely anything. 

 If the wii is for core gamers, explain the relatively low sales of core games on the console.

Why do I need people to defend me? The sales speak for themselves. 


You're supposed to base each game on its own merit. Each game I listed has sold well for the publishers. It doesn't matter how well they sell in comparison to the PS3/360, as long as they did well for the publishers that's all that matters, and publishers have made it known that these games have sold well. For some reason you can't understand that. You won't even take evidence from the horse's mouth.

About No More Heroes...you know it's a niche game? And despite that it's Grasshopper's best selling game. And you also do know that NMH is also available on the PS3 and 360 right? Do you want me to tell you how abysmal the sales for the versions are compared to the Wii version?

Instead of going off on a tangent, answer the question:

 If the wii is for core gamers, explain the relatively low sales of core games on the console.

Ranting and raving on about the publishers is entirely beside the point. I'm didn't say "Hey Soriku, yo, yeah, y'think the publishers will be happy?" So just answer the question please instead of desperately avoiding it.

God of War III LTD sales: 4.35 / PS3 LTD Sales: 64.1 =  6.78% of PS3 userbase

Uncharted II LTD  sales:  5.58 /  PS3 LTD Sales: 64.1 = 8.70% of PS3 userbase

Killzone III LTD sales: 2.24 /  PS3 LTD Sales: 64.1 =  3.49% of PS3 userbase

Gears of War III LTD sales: 5.37 / XBOX 360 LTD sales 66.5 = 8.07% of Xbox 360 userbase

 

Super Mario Galaxy LTD sales: 10.11 / Wii LTD sales: 95.6 = 10.57% of Wii userbase

SSBB LTD sales: 11.00 / Wii LTD sales: 95.6 = 11.51% of Wii userbase 

Mario Kart Wii LTD sales: 31.95 / Wii LTD sales: 95.6 = 33.42% of Wii userbase

NSMB Wii LTD sales: 25.41 / Wii LTD sales: 95.6 = 26.58% of Wii userbase

 

1) Are those PS3 and Xbox 360 games "core" games?

2) Should those games sale more copys because they are in "core" systems?

 

Edit: it seems we will have to wait for you answer.

 



Barozi on 11 May 2012

Why do you all even bother replying to him ? It's just a big waste of time...



z101 on 11 May 2012
Mnementh said:

The Wii stopped selling at some point. Was the fad over? 


The Wii never stopped selling, the sales went down after Nintendo announced the Wii U and didn't make more Wii games.

When PS4 and Xbox3 will be announced you will see much lower sales for this PS3&Xbox360.



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milkyjoe on 11 May 2012

I remember when I was younger, and everyone had Pogs for a while, then everyone had a Tamagotchi, and then a few years later the younger kids were obsessed with their Furbies. A few years ago my younger sister had a Tickle Me Elmo, but got bored of it in a week. There are probably many more examples like this that different generations from different countries can remember.

These were all fads, and none lasted as long as the Wii has.

But then you have the problem of console lifespans. Even this abnormally long generation (and it is important to remember that this generation is an anomaly compared to all those prior to it) is a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and then when the next set of hardware is released, we move on and mostly leave the previous hardware behind. That does sound a lot like the examples above.

I'd say that when you consider that, it's pretty easy to label every console ever released as a fad, but picking one out of them all and labelling that one alone is rather silly.



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