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Forums - Nintendo - The Wii U's Name Isn't The Problem

zippy on 14 April 2013
VGKing said:
zippy said:

VGKing said:



Mythmaker1 said:




VGKing said:




sethnintendo said:
Problem is they haven't released the next Smash and Mario Kart for it yet.



Because those titles worked wonders for the Gamecube......
While its true that Wii U needs games, it needs new IP. Another Mario or another Smash Bros isn't going to be the killer app people are hoping for. The Gamecube is proof of that. It also needs a price cut but that didn't work that well for Gamecube either. But considering the year headstart Nintendo has, it could make a difference.





In fairness, the Gamecube came out more than 11 years ago.  A lot can, and has, changed since then. 




Not much has changed within Nintendo though.They got lucky with the Wii and now they're trying to replicate that but it isn't working.




zippy

I hate it when people say Nintendo got lucky with the Wii, Nintendo thought outside the box and it paid off quite nicely.It was smart planning and innovation that bought the Wii success, not luck. On topic, games will help sell Wii U, you can argue as much as you want about it not helping Gamecube sales way back when. The market has since changed and Mario and company have been exposed to a much wider audience thanks to Wii. A sequel to 2 of the most critically acclaimed games (Galaxy 1&2) is going to push hardware units on its own.

You think the moms/dads/grandmas that used the Wii for Wii Sports or Wii Fit will lineup to buy the Wii U? It's clear this isn't going to happen. Mario games sell well and they sold in record numbers on the Wii because the Wii sold well. If the Wii U doesn't sell well, Mario games won't back a difference. Mario Kart and Smash bros didn't sell Wii's, Wii Sports did.



As i have said though,Mario, smash bros etc were opened up to a whole new audience by Wii. Some of these casuals people say abandoned the Wii might have actually become converted gamers thanks to these games, and potential future customers. Its utter crap to think it was only old people that bought the Wii, sure a lot of kids may own one, but thats a good thing, especially if their introduction to the gaming world is Mario Galaxy.



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VGKing on 14 April 2013
Soundwave said:
Even on the 3DS, the Mario games will likely see a large drop from last generation.

Mario Kart 7 is not going to put up Mario Kart DS numbers, and NSMB2 is going to end up nowhere close to NSMB1 (I don't think NSMBU + NSMB2 combined will match NSMB1 actually).

Mario definitely benefited by the explosive popularity of things like Brain Training, Nintendogs, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit which brought in lots of casual/fringe players.

You sure about that? Years 1 and 2 of Mario Kart 7 are higher than Years 1 and 2 of Mario Kart DS. The 3DS still hasn't taken off in America, so maybe another price cut or hardware revision and it could be selling like hot cakes and pick up a Mario Kart 7 along the way.



VGKing on 14 April 2013
sethnintendo said:
1 Wii Sports Wii 2006 Sports Nintendo 40.46 28.40 3.77 8.54 81.18
2 Mario Kart Wii Wii 2008 Racing Nintendo 14.54 12.23 3.63 3.22 33.62
3 Wii Sports Resort Wii 2009 Sports Nintendo 14.85 10.52 3.18 3.02 31.57
4 Wii Play Wii 2006 Misc Nintendo 13.84 9.11 2.93 2.84 28.72
5 New Super Mario Bros. Wii Wii 2009 Platform Nintendo 13.39 6.50 4.66 2.26 26.80
6 Wii Fit Wii 2007 Sports Nintendo 8.91 8.15 3.60 2.08 22.74
7 Wii Fit Plus Wii 2009 Sports Nintendo 8.83 7.95 2.53 1.86 21.17
8 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii 2008 Fighting Nintendo 5.91 2.28 2.48 0.94 11.61
9 Super Mario Galaxy Wii 2007 Platform Nintendo 5.71 3.15 1.20 0.72 10.78
10 Just Dance 3 Wii 2011 Misc Ubisoft 5.64 3.17 0.00 0.98 9.79
11 Just Dance 2 Wii 2010 Misc Ubisoft 5.69 2.79 0.01 0.91 9.39
12 Wii Party Wii 2010 Misc Nintendo 1.68 3.29 2.46 0.67 8.11
13 Mario Party 8 Wii 2007 Misc Nintendo 3.69 1.96 1.58 0.68 7.91
14 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Wii 2007 Sports Nintendo 2.55 3.77 0.66 0.90 7.87
15 Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii 2010 Platform Nintendo 3.38 2.05 0.98 0.61 7.02

 

1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 PS3 2011 Shooter Activision 5.47 4.71 0.47 2.02 12.67
2 Call of Duty: Black Ops PS3 2010 Shooter Activision 5.68 3.97 0.47 1.79 11.91
3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 PS3 2009 Shooter Activision 4.85 3.37 0.38 1.53 10.13
4 Call of Duty: Black Ops II PS3 2012 Shooter Activision 4.24 3.74 0.45 1.59 10.00
5 Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 2008 Action Take-Two Interactive 4.40 3.39 0.39 1.50 9.68
6 Gran Turismo 5 PS3 2010 Racing Sony Computer Entertainment 2.24 4.23 0.80 1.59 8.86
7 FIFA Soccer 12 PS3 2011 Sports Electronic Arts 0.78 4.03 0.11 1.41 6.33
8 Battlefield 3 PS3 2011 Shooter Electronic Arts 2.53 2.46 0.30 1.03 6.33
9 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PS3 2007 Shooter Activision 2.93 2.12 0.28 0.97 6.30
10 FIFA Soccer 13 PS3 2012 Action Electronic Arts 0.88 3.95 0.09 1.39 6.29
11 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves PS3 2009 Action Sony Computer Entertainment 3.05 1.96 0.21 0.92 6.15
12 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception PS3 2011 Action Sony Computer Entertainment 2.45 2.22 0.19 0.94 5.80
13 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PS3 2008 Action Konami Digital Entertainment 2.55 1.59 0.83 0.79 5.76
14 Red Dead Redemption PS3 2010 Action Take-Two Interactive 2.36 2.03 0.17 0.83 5.39
15 Assassin's Creed II PS3 2009 Action Ubisoft 2.31 1.99 0.21 0.87 5.38

 

1 Kinect Adventures! X360 2010 Misc Microsoft Game Studios 13.53 4.36 0.24 1.82 19.95
2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 X360 2011 Shooter Activision 9.24 4.10 0.12 1.43 14.89
3 Call of Duty: Black Ops X360 2010 Shooter Activision 9.08 3.42 0.10 1.30 13.91
4 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 X360 2009 Shooter Activision 8.27 3.39 0.08 1.26 13.00
5 Call of Duty: Black Ops II X360 2012 Shooter Activision 7.33 3.47 0.04 1.16 12.00
6 Halo 3 X360 2007 Shooter Microsoft Game Studios 7.72 2.72 0.13 1.18 11.76
7 Grand Theft Auto IV X360 2008 Action Take-Two Interactive 6.21 2.87 0.13 0.99 10.21
8 Halo: Reach X360 2010 Shooter Microsoft Game Studios 6.70 1.79 0.08 0.84 9.41
9 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare X360 2007 Shooter Activision 5.63 2.26 0.13 0.87 8.88
10 Halo 4 X360 2012 Shooter Microsoft Game Studios 5.53 1.76 0.04 0.74 8.07
11 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim X360 2011 Role-Playing Bethesda Softworks 3.97 2.38 0.09 0.71 7.15
12 Call of Duty: World at War X360 2008 Shooter Activision 4.49 1.78 0.00 0.66 6.92
13 Battlefield 3 X360 2011 Shooter Electronic Arts 4.08 1.97 0.05 0.66 6.76
14 Gears of War 2 X360 2008 Shooter Microsoft Game Studios 4.04 1.87 0.06 0.64 6.61
15 Halo 3: ODST X360 2009 Shooter Microsoft Game Studios 4.20 1.29 0.06 0.60 6.14

Brawl is on par with Halo 3 sales.  Nothing can touch Mario Kart Wii.  Super Mario Galaxy sold better than any Sony PS3 IP.  Sony has 3 games in the top 15 that are their IPs, Microsoft has 6, and Nintendo has 13.  I'd like to see you spin these numbers.  Let me guess those Nintendo titles are too casual for you.

This is exactly why 3rd party support on Nintendo consoles is abysmal. People only buy Nintendo games.



TheFallen on 14 April 2013

@SethNintendo

I'm not spinning any numbers, but you pretty much proved my point. I see the word Mario in most of those games and no new core franchises are there. It's getting these people to buy new exclusive franchises hasn't happened yet. I'm not saying it isn't possible, I'm saying Nintendo hasn't given it's fan base the chance to prove it. EDIT: Damn auto correct



Soundwave on 14 April 2013
VGKing said:
Soundwave said:
Even on the 3DS, the Mario games will likely see a large drop from last generation.

Mario Kart 7 is not going to put up Mario Kart DS numbers, and NSMB2 is going to end up nowhere close to NSMB1 (I don't think NSMBU + NSMB2 combined will match NSMB1 actually).

Mario definitely benefited by the explosive popularity of things like Brain Training, Nintendogs, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit which brought in lots of casual/fringe players.

You sure about that? Years 1 and 2 of Mario Kart 7 are higher than Years 1 and 2 of Mario Kart DS. The 3DS still hasn't taken off in America, so maybe another price cut or hardware revision and it could be selling like hot cakes and pick up a Mario Kart 7 along the way.

The 3DS is never going to take off in North America like the DS did, that's just the point. They've already thrown an $80 price drop, a hardware revision, like 8 color variants, Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario 2, Mario Kart 7, Mario Tennis, Brain Training, Nintendogs, Zelda: OoT, Kingdom Hearts, Tales, Street Fighter, Castlevania, Resident Evil (x2), Kid Icarus, Paper Mario, Fire Emblem, Luigi's Mansion, at it and its still not really even coming close to the standard sales the DS would punch out once it got going.

Mario Kart U will not even come close to Mario Kart Wii either.



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KungKras on 14 April 2013
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.


No. It isnt the system's fault or Nintendo's fault if that is the case. That would be the people's problem...since they cant figure out something simple with reading comprehension. l0l

Never, EVER, blame the customer.



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KungKras on 14 April 2013
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.


No. It isnt the system's fault or Nintendo's fault if that is the case. That would be the people's problem...since they cant figure out something simple with reading comprehension. l0l

Never, EVER, blame the customer.


Yes. Blame Nintendo because the customer cant read the name of the product properly....Its like people buying Tomb Raider for the PSX thinking its Tomb Raider 2013 (or Sonic the Hedgehog / Sonic the Hedgehog 2006).

People who aren't super interested don't do a lot of research. It is absolutely Nintendo's fault for choosing a name that confuses people.



I LOVE ICELAND!

KungKras on 14 April 2013
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.


No. It isnt the system's fault or Nintendo's fault if that is the case. That would be the people's problem...since they cant figure out something simple with reading comprehension. l0l

Never, EVER, blame the customer.


Yes. Blame Nintendo because the customer cant read the name of the product properly....Its like people buying Tomb Raider for the PSX thinking its Tomb Raider 2013 (or Sonic the Hedgehog / Sonic the Hedgehog 2006).

People who aren't super interested don't do a lot of research. It is absolutely Nintendo's fault for choosing a name that confuses people.

Do you honestly believe people arent buying the Wii-U because of its name?

So its not the price tag ($299.99 to $349.99) compared to its predecessor (which was like what , $249.99? When it came out?), its not because of the lack of a decent gaming library that includes exclusives that people actually want , its not because the competition already has those games that people are actually interested for cheaper (i.e. Steam) or on cheaper hardware (PS3/Xbox360?) and its not because of economical situations that a lot of people are going through right?

Also people who arent interested dont do a lot of research eh? Doesnt take a lot of research to see the price tag and the name of the product.....

First off, I had to correct a friend of mine who thought it was an addon, and he isn't a super "casual" player.

To answer your question, I refer to my very first comment in this thread.



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KungKras on 14 April 2013
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.


No. It isnt the system's fault or Nintendo's fault if that is the case. That would be the people's problem...since they cant figure out something simple with reading comprehension. l0l

Never, EVER, blame the customer.


Yes. Blame Nintendo because the customer cant read the name of the product properly....Its like people buying Tomb Raider for the PSX thinking its Tomb Raider 2013 (or Sonic the Hedgehog / Sonic the Hedgehog 2006).

People who aren't super interested don't do a lot of research. It is absolutely Nintendo's fault for choosing a name that confuses people.

Do you honestly believe people arent buying the Wii-U because of its name?

So its not the price tag ($299.99 to $349.99) compared to its predecessor (which was like what , $249.99? When it came out?), its not because of the lack of a decent gaming library that includes exclusives that people actually want , its not because the competition already has those games that people are actually interested for cheaper (i.e. Steam) or on cheaper hardware (PS3/Xbox360?) and its not because of economical situations that a lot of people are going through right?

Also people who arent interested dont do a lot of research eh? Doesnt take a lot of research to see the price tag and the name of the product.....

First off, I had to correct a friend of mine who thought it was an addon, and he isn't a super "casual" player.

To answer your question, I refer to my very first comment in this thread.


I have a friend who doesnt even play games but buys games for his 14 year old son and he knows the difference between the Wii and the Wii-U simply because he looked at the name and the price tag on the box...and asked me why he should buy it over the cheaper and more enticing Playstation 3 or the Xbox360. The answer was obvious lol.

Your first comment on this thread is wrong.

KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.

It isnt a problem at all - majority of people know the difference between a Wii and a Wii-U - its the price tag (not that Nintendo can do much about it) and the lack of games (again 50/50 not fault of Nintendo themselves but their  past reputation with third parties). The people who cant tell the difference between the Wii and the Wii-U are a minority.

Not even news stations got it right about the Wii U, how can you then say that people have no problem knowing what it is? Do you have any statistical data that I am unaware of.

Also, it's not just that the name is confusing, it goes against what made Nintendo choose the name "Wii" in the first place. Wii is simple, easy to say, and sounds the same in just about every language. Wii U sounds awkward, sounds very different in different languages, and is esthetically ugly,  at least from a linguistical perspective. The name IS a problem. The only real debate is about the size of that problem.



I LOVE ICELAND!

KungKras on 14 April 2013
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
BasilZero said:
KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.


No. It isnt the system's fault or Nintendo's fault if that is the case. That would be the people's problem...since they cant figure out something simple with reading comprehension. l0l

Never, EVER, blame the customer.


Yes. Blame Nintendo because the customer cant read the name of the product properly....Its like people buying Tomb Raider for the PSX thinking its Tomb Raider 2013 (or Sonic the Hedgehog / Sonic the Hedgehog 2006).

People who aren't super interested don't do a lot of research. It is absolutely Nintendo's fault for choosing a name that confuses people.

Do you honestly believe people arent buying the Wii-U because of its name?

So its not the price tag ($299.99 to $349.99) compared to its predecessor (which was like what , $249.99? When it came out?), its not because of the lack of a decent gaming library that includes exclusives that people actually want , its not because the competition already has those games that people are actually interested for cheaper (i.e. Steam) or on cheaper hardware (PS3/Xbox360?) and its not because of economical situations that a lot of people are going through right?

Also people who arent interested dont do a lot of research eh? Doesnt take a lot of research to see the price tag and the name of the product.....

First off, I had to correct a friend of mine who thought it was an addon, and he isn't a super "casual" player.

To answer your question, I refer to my very first comment in this thread.


I have a friend who doesnt even play games but buys games for his 14 year old son and he knows the difference between the Wii and the Wii-U simply because he looked at the name and the price tag on the box...and asked me why he should buy it over the cheaper and more enticing Playstation 3 or the Xbox360. The answer was obvious lol.

Your first comment on this thread is wrong.

KungKras said:
Of course it's not THE problem.

It's A problem out of MANY problems.

It isnt a problem at all - majority of people know the difference between a Wii and a Wii-U - its the price tag (not that Nintendo can do much about it) and the lack of games (again 50/50 not fault of Nintendo themselves but their  past reputation with third parties). The people who cant tell the difference between the Wii and the Wii-U are a minority.

Not even news stations got it right about the Wii U, how can you then say that people have no problem knowing what it is? Do you have any statistical data that I am unaware of.

Also, it's not just that the name is confusing, it goes against what made Nintendo choose the name "Wii" in the first place. Wii is simple, easy to say, and sounds the same in just about every language. Wii U sounds awkward, sounds very different in different languages, and is esthetically ugly,  at least from a linguistical perspective. The name IS a problem. The only real debate is about the size of that problem.

The name argument is invalid cause other systems have similar setups (Playstations, Xboxs) - you have news stations saying the wrong thing about those systems but you dont see people blaming those systems due to their lack of good number of sales in their early years (especially the PS3) because of the name - it was the price of the product, the gaming library and what the competition is offering.

I have no statistical data but do you? (If you do I would like to see it - and please please please dont let it be a Kotaku Article).

The main problem and the main reason (s) why the Wii-U isnt selling is because of its game library and price tag - along with the fact that the competitor systems - PS3, Xbox360 and yes even PC have better bundle deals, better selection of games and are cheaper in one form or another. I'm pretty sure if everyone knew the difference (that includes imo the minority who doesnt l0l) the sales of the Wii-U wont be any different other than a few thousand than what it is now.

Playstation 1, 2, 3 is a pretty clear indicator that it's a sucessor.

I don't have any data, but I would love to see the results if someone decided to poll people. Nintendo should du such a survey to know for sure.

Anyway, those things you listed are of course bigger problems than the name. All I'm saying is that the name isn't helping the Wii U.



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