| fatslob-:O said: Nintendo's problem really isn't about making games fast enough. Their real issue here isn't appealing to what the market wants. |
Please enlighten me as to what huge "must have" titles they've thus far released on Wii U, that would appeal to "what the market wants".
Nintendo Land = A neat concept that just doesn't hit it out of the park in excecution like Wii Sports did.
NSMB U = A very good game, but the fact is, they released it just a couple months after already having a new NSMB title on 3DS, and increadibly dense move. People don't usually feel like buying such similar games so close to each other, and thus while NSMBU's sales are actually very good compared to the total install base, NSMB2's close release absolutely canabalized NSMBU's potential sales. Meaning, people might have been a lot more excited about U if 2 on 3DS hadn't JUST come out, much less in the same year even.
Lego City Undercover = Another very good game, the best Lego game I've ever played, in fact. It was obvious that the developer put a lot of time and effort into making this game special, and not just a lazy rush-job. I would absoltuley call this, as of right now, a "must have" for the console. BUT, having said that, Lego games have never, under any circumstances, been system selling titles, and considering this was the only Nintendo-published game to release on Wii U in a span of about 6 months, yeah...that's pathetic. And obviously not going to have the positive kind of sales impact it otherwise could have if it had been coupled with at least one or two other Nintendo-published gamed, or for that matter, quality third party exclusives (such as, I don't know, Rayman Legends?).
Game & Wario = As always, these Wario Ware type games are always neat, worth a few chuckles, with at least a handful of really fun micro-games in them. But again, when has Wario Ware, or any Wario title, really ever been a system seller. It hasn't. Considering this game came out to almost no advertising or fanfare, and considering the install-base, the 100k+ that it's sold thus far is actually pretty respectable. But again, this is FAR from a "must have" piece of software, even in the best of times.
Pikmin 3 = They actually bothered to advertise and promote this, which is nice, and it's actually sold really well thus far, all things considered. Half a million over 3 month span is pretty good even on a healthy console, so on Wii U it's actually a great sign. But AGAIN, when has Pikmin ever been a system selling franchise? It hasn't. It's a cool, but niche series, that has it's fans, but isn't "for everybody".
The Wonderful 101 = Honestly a great title, very original, very creative, and even though it has a couple of hiccups in it's overall desing, it's very fun to play. But again, a VERY niche title that was never, ever going to really help move units off shelves. It needed to actually be advertised and promoted, and more people REALLY need to play this, because it's honestly a very good, high quality game.
Wind Waker HD = A great remake/port of a game that lot of people, but not everybody, loves. It IS Zelda, and it DOES come in a cool limited edition bundle. That bundle DID help spike sales a bit, and even the stand-alone retail version is selling pretty well. But again, it's just a remake, and not even of a Zelda that "everyone" loves. An HD remake of Ocarina of Time (even though they already remade it on 3DS) would have been a bigger deal in a lot of people's eyes. As it is, many people were excited for WWHD, and many even bought the system for it specifically. But not enough to have a dramatic sales impact overall.
Wii Party U = I get it, the Wii ____ series on Wii did really well sales-wise, even Wii Music ultimately had really good sales. But that was also with a massive install-base. Wii Party U, I'm sure, is a decent game, but it's by all accounts also very much just "more of the same", and NOT in any way shape or form, a system seller.
Wii Sports Club = Now it remains to be seen just how much impact in system sales this has over time, it IS Wii Sports after all. However, while a great concept and I'm really glad Nintendo is doing this, it is hindered by a couple of key things. The first being, it's a digital title. NO digital download title is going to sell mass-units of consoles, because it's the type of thing people actually have to know about, and it's NOT the type of game they can see in store demo displays or on shelves and go "OH LOOK, THE NEW Wii SPORTS!". Secondly, even if it were a retail title, and I'm sure that would help it move some units, at the end of the day, all it really is, is an updated port of the five original sports from the first game. It's not Wii Sports 3, it's not all new, with new sparkling features and shiny HD graphics. It's just a version of the sports with online play. Great idea, but not a system seller.
Wii Fit U = Could ultimately sell really well, and go a ways to drawing in more of that Wii crowd who has yet to make the leap. But on the other hand, it is just Wii Fit. Wii Fit alone could not have sold the Wii. Wii Sports was the killer ap that sold Wii, and Wii Fit benefitted from that, not the other way around. Wii Fit U could very well help sell units, especially because in some areas there is a Wii Fit U bundle. BUT, I still don't think at this time, considering Wii U's install-base, that this game is going to be the big seller for a lot of people.
Super Mario 3D World = THIS, honestly, is the only "killer ap", "MUST HAVE" type of title that Nintendo has release all year. It's a brand new, fresh looking Mario title, it just oozes creativity and fun, they're actually putting marketing and advertising muscle behind it's release, there's a healthy buzz surrounding it, etc. If any one single Wii U game is going to help sell people on the console (outside of the bundle deals) this holiday season, it's going to be this one. And if you ask me, it will be this one. As in, 3D World WILL have a strong, positive effect on sales by the end of the year, and it will also have major legs.
BUT, there you have it. That is all Nintendo themselves have released on Wii U so far. Really stellar, amazing line-up, wouldn't you say? Many of those games ARE really good games. But they're just not system sellers, they're just not enough. NEXT year, is pretty much the year shit happens, if it's going to happen. Nintendo has stumbled, and there's just no way that with the games they've managed to get out, that they're going to really have a huge impact against the launches of PS4 and XBone. I think Nintendo realizes this, which is perhaps partly why they pushed DKCR back. I think it was ready to go, but they decided to give Retro some extra polish time, and hold it off for a Feb. release, when the PS4Bone hype has died down a bit, when it, and other titles they release next year, can have a bigger spotlight. Their two BIG guns, both "MUST HAVE" types of games, Mario Kart 8, and Smash Bros., are slated for 2014. THOSE two games will, without question, help sell the system. In fact I'd be very shocked not to see Nintendo put out a Mario Kart bundle next year, which would helps sales big time. That is the kind of "killer ap" they need, that even Mario 3D World, while a certified system seller, doesn't quite reach.
And as I keep saying, if they can manage to ship Zelda U by at least Dec. 2014, that will also be huge, sales wise. A brand new, shiny HD Zelda, that is guaranteed to be massive, epic, and shit-your-pants exciting, is sure to sell a HELL of a lot more than a remake of Wind Waker.
