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Forums - Sales Discussion - Japan Sales 01/06/14 - Mario Kart 8 Week! (>325k SW, 19k HW)

Soundwave on 04 June 2014
padib said:
Soundwave said:
If there ever is another traditional Nintendo console (which I'm starting to doubt, they probably go the hybrid route) ... it's time for Nintendo to ditch the idea of making consoles designed for Japanese tastes first and foremost.

They have to make a console for the Western audience 1st and foremost from here on out, like Sony did with the PS4, if they want to even compete any more.

I'm not sure what about the U was intentded for a Japanese audience first and foremost. Is it the Nintendo games?


These have historically sold well globally since Nintendo made games.


The obsession on making the console so small for one is certainly a very Japan centric design choice. Read the Iwata Asks on the Wii U hardware, practically all their work on the console itself was making it that small and consume low electricity (another big Japanese issue since their earthquake in 2011). 

From now on, if they want to be relevant in the console business, they have to accept that the Western audience is the only one that buys home consoles anymore, and they can't compete if they're making these weird design choices while Sony/MS just make straight forward consoles aimed at the Western consumer. 

They need to swallow their pride too and admit they need more Western developer support. 



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justinian on 04 June 2014
JGarret said:
justinian said:

Almost everyone and his donkey have been claiming that home consoles in Japan are dead. Yet, these sales seem to surprise the very same people that have been shouting this all along. Strange.

I too believe that home consoles in Japan are a lost cause. They were the first people to accept consoles en mass and now are the first to reject them.

Therefore I seem to be the only one that knows what is really going on :) and not at all surprised by this.

I predicted about 150k SW and 30k HW. Both were for a whole week of MK8 sales.

The real story for Wii U is in America and to a lesser extent Europe.

These are also sales for only two days of MK8 I think.

Sony stated that they need to urgently revitalise the Japanese market with new and innovative software, they better hurry up.


Just WHAT is really going on, justinian?...actually, did you notice all this mess started exactly during the transition from the 6th gen to the last gen?...most Japanese developers really couldn´t fully adapt to HD.


Yes, I noticed that it happened during this transition but never nailed it down to HD being an issue. I just put it down to the "natural" evolution of gaming in Japan.

There was an interesting online discussion about this on a gaming site, maybe even your point about HD adaption was highlighted. It included Sony (or former) game developers or the sort and some Nintendo (probably former as well) bloke.

It is time for me to leave work now but if I remember I will try to post you the link if you are interested - and I can find it.



Conegamer on 04 June 2014
RCTjunkie said:
With sales like these, Nintendo should definitely start thinking more about their western audiences.

Not sure if that's really Nintendo's style though. And Mario Kart is pretty popular in the west as well!



 

Here lies the dearly departed Nintendomination Thread.

Seece on 04 June 2014

"To use that launch and extrapolate to say that W2014 will be lower than W2013 makes no sense, statistically."

Except nobody actually did that if you read through the posts.



 

JGarret on 04 June 2014
justinian said:
JGarret said:
justinian said:

Almost everyone and his donkey have been claiming that home consoles in Japan are dead. Yet, these sales seem to surprise the very same people that have been shouting this all along. Strange.

I too believe that home consoles in Japan are a lost cause. They were the first people to accept consoles en mass and now are the first to reject them.

Therefore I seem to be the only one that knows what is really going on :) and not at all surprised by this.

I predicted about 150k SW and 30k HW. Both were for a whole week of MK8 sales.

The real story for Wii U is in America and to a lesser extent Europe.

These are also sales for only two days of MK8 I think.

Sony stated that they need to urgently revitalise the Japanese market with new and innovative software, they better hurry up.


Just WHAT is really going on, justinian?...actually, did you notice all this mess started exactly during the transition from the 6th gen to the last gen?...most Japanese developers really couldn´t fully adapt to HD.


Yes, I noticed that it happened during this transition but never nailed it down to HD being an issue. I just put it down to the "natural" evolution of gaming in Japan.

There was an interesting online discussion about this on a gaming site, maybe even your point about HD adaption was highlighted. It included Sony (or former) game developers or the sort and some Nintendo (probably former as well) bloke.

It is time for me to leave work now but if I remember I will try to post you the link if you are interested - and I can find it.

Discussion between (former) developers?..that sounds interesting.If you can find it, thanks in advance!



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Seece on 04 June 2014
padib said:
Seece said:
"To use that launch and extrapolate to say that W2014 will be lower than W2013 makes no sense, statistically."

Except nobody actually did that if you read through the posts.

Though that is true, you were using it to support your original claim:

Seece said:

It was 9k the week before MK, before that it was below WiiU yoy, you need to look back more than 1 week. Also I don't know if you can assume any sort of permanent boost in Japan, sales are too volatile there. If the boost was this weak why are you expecting such a good baseline?

I heard exactly the last thing last holiday for WiiU "Cheaper, more games, will sell better!" it didn't, it sold worse, in every country.

So, to clarify. Using W2012 peak sales against W2013 peak sales to show that W2014 will not be above W2013 as users may have predicted just doesn't hold up  to scrutiny.

Again, I wasn't using launch for anything. My point with that quote is that with price cut (or new bundle, whatever you wanna call it) and games, sales were still low. With the same this holiday, I don't expect much of a difference. You're just putting words in my mouth.



 

AlphaCielago on 04 June 2014
justinian said:

Almost everyone and his donkey have been claiming that home consoles in Japan are dead. Yet, these sales seem to surprise the very same people that have been shouting this all along. Strange.

I too believe that home consoles in Japan are a lost cause. They were the first people to accept consoles en mass and now are the first to reject them.

Therefore I seem to be the only one that knows what is really going on :) and not at all surprised by this.

I predicted about 150k SW and 30k HW. Both were for a whole week of MK8 sales.

The real story for Wii U is in America and to a lesser extent Europe.

These are also sales for only two days of MK8 I think.

Sony stated that they need to urgently revitalise the Japanese market with new and innovative software, they better hurry up.

Sony isn't going to do much. They are a joke when it comes to 1st party support. Just like their 3 most recent systems, 3rd parties will be the ones who'll bring "innovative software".
I really want to know what the average Japanese thinks of Sony 1st party.



Check out my Upcoming Wii U Games 2014 Thread

3DS Friend Code: 4553 - 9954 - 4854. Name - David

DélioPT on 04 June 2014
Devil_Survivor said:
DélioPT said:
The sales of the game are great. The HW sales are a letdown.
Makes you think if this is just a Wii U problem or is more of a home console problem.


Its a Japan prefers handheld gaming problem that's only sold 20,000 units even with the game selling 350,000 :P. I wish the people totally downplaying the HW sales would remember and not be so negative. Its like Ryan said Wii U has to be saved in the West.


Yeah, its more because of that but at the same time it`s really worrying that a game like MK 8 can`t do more for Wii U then Pikmin 3 did. Though i don`t remember what Wii U was selling back the, which could invalidate what i said.

It`s like i said before: the next consoles from Nintendo really need to work in unity. Only way to profit on both sides.



Soundwave on 04 June 2014

The West isn't going to "save" the Wii U either (not in the long term), but Japan is just a dying market overall.



AnthonyW86 on 04 June 2014

Wii-U already has a install base of 1.75m in Japan. Most people who wanted Mario Kart 8 already hade a Wii-U.