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Forums - Nintendo - So Why is the Real Reason WiiU Failed?

OnlyForDisplay on 15 May 2015
Ka-pi96 said:
Put quite simply it's just not what the majority of gamers want. They want consoles like the PS/Xbox and they want all the big 3rd party games. The Wii U is way too different from PS/Xbox and hasn't got any big 3rd party games. These two things kind of go hand in hand as well, if the Wii U had been very similar to PS/Xbox then it likely would have got much more support from 3rd parties.

Nintendo consoles being different from PS/Xbox is a good thing, for sure. But being different just for the sake of being different isn't good. There are a lot of things that have made PS/Xbox successful that Nintendo will need to copy if they want another high selling home console, but they don't need to sacrifice what makes them different to do it.


Indeed. However, I just wish that developers could have given the Wii U a chance.



" It has never been about acknowledgement when you achieve something. When you are acknowledged, then and only then can you achieve something. Always have your friends first to achieve your goals later." - OnlyForDisplay

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kupomogli on 15 May 2015

Wii U failed because people don't like good games.  



Jumpin on 15 May 2015

A combination of a really twisted looking controller and only 2 big games through the entire history of the console. One (MK8) launched on its third year of availability, and the other is still in flux (Zelda U). Wii launched with two massive titles in Wii Sports, Zelda: TP, and had big games coming out about one every 6 months, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy coming out at the 8 month and 12 month marks.

So far, no Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, no Donkey Kong, no Kirby, no Pokemon. Just spinoffs and remakes. The system launched in 2012, we're halfway through 2015. There should have been 8 major games out by now, instead it's just 1.



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

160rmf on 15 May 2015
Zekkyou said:
160rmf said:

And what you believe? That people go for these consoles for variety of games? That people are killing each other to have a ps4 to play persona? star ocean? indie games? and x1? ori? sunset?

I don't know if you know but there are a lot of people outside these forums that don't give a shit for these games that we praise on videogame websites, they just look the case and say "cool" and add to their cods and fifas collection. If you don't believe in what i say, then we must live in different worlds

Outside of adolescents who can't afford to purchase more than a handful of games anyway (and are usually just as happy to play cartoony games), i believe that people buy and play the consoles and games that best suit their tastes. Major titles like COD, FIFA, and GTA certainly don't make you look 'cool' amoung the core market in forums and the like, and yet we still see a significant number of people who buy them. Curious that. You'd almost think they just liked them or something.

I expect variety also plays a big role for many. If you buy a PS4 or X1, there's a very high chance that they'll have or will have the types of games you like (though with specific quantity variations between them). Titles like SO or inFamous might be less popular than very mainstream titles like COD, but such titles will likely end up representing a significant portion of both consoles libraries software titles.

 

Claiming that "you look cool playing mature and realistic looking games" is a more valid reason for the X1's success than simply "it provides the experiences its install base wants" makes you no better than those that claim Nintendo only makes 'kids games'. People buy want they like, and they play what they like. Regardless to if you like what's mainstream or what the X1 and PS4 offers, that's reality.

This post covers pretty much everything i have to say on this particularly silly topic, so i'll leave you to it from this point ^^ I need to go feel cool playing GTA5.


I don't get why people get so defensive on this, In any moment i generalizate and said that evebody who purchase realistic and mature looking games buy because it looks cool (i like gta and infamous too). But the reality is that MANY (I'm not saying all) take or avoid the game by the look, only because that.

Terrible example infamous, the realistic looking AAA title that Sony fans like to showcase because grapixxx, but anyway... stay cool thats what we ALL want to be! 

Edit: Do you wanna know another reason why X1 passed the Wii U this soon? Because they dropped the price really fast to make it cheaper than ps4, if they didn't then we wouldn't be talking about this



 

 

We reap what we sow

mjk45 on 15 May 2015
RolStoppable said:
MikeRox said:
It's interesting that barring the Wii, the chart goes predictably in chronological order.

This would lead me to conclude that the market itself changed, while Nintendo didn't. Which actually makes me sad, as I love Nintendo consoles and think the Wii U certainly offers the most interesting software lineup of the 8th gen home consoles so far (to me).

It's the other way around. The market didn't change, but Nintendo did.

You can separate Nintendo systems in two categories:

1. The primary motivation was growing the video game market.
2. The primary motivation was console wars.

Depending on the main reason for the system's creation, you get vastly different results in how the hardware looks and what kind of software is being created by Nintendo. One thing that sticks out is that systems that were made with market growth in mind have a notably higher amount of new IPs than the systems that were made with console wars mentality. Now let's look at how Nintendo systems fared:

1. NES: Market growth. Huge success.
2. SNES: Console wars. Decline.
3. N64: Console wars. Decline.
4. GC: Console wars. Decline.
5. Wii: Market growth. Huge success.
6. Wii U: Console wars. Decline.

But it doesn't end here. Nintendo has also made handhelds:

1. GB: Market growth. Huge success.
2. GBA: Market growth. Huge success.
3. DS: Market growth. Huge success.
4. 3DS: Console wars. Decline.

Consistent results throughout Nintendo's entire history.

When market growth was the primary motivation, Nintendo displayed leadership and didn't care about what other companies did. When console wars led to the creation of a system, Nintendo looked at what other companies did, and as a result, they got too focused on certain areas while missing the big picture. What does this focus mean? Simply put, someone like you would think that what Nintendo does is pretty good, but for a lot of other people it looks like Nintendo isn't interested in selling to them. Sales, or the lack thereof, obviously show who is the bigger market. It's worth noting that this is not an either-or situation, because the smaller market has repeatedly existed within the larger market.

What I got from reading that was at first glance it looks sound and may well be right, but on further inspection there is no evidence put forward that shows
Nintendo leadership focused on only themselves was responsible for the upswing and concentrating on others resulted in decline .
It could be simply that the Nes pretty much inherited the market after the crash and the future declines happened with the advent of more competion and a more crowded and changing market , also if that was the case and the success or decline was attributable to their focus, the Wii's success would lead one to believe that they changed there thinking only to suddenly reverse it in regards to the Wii U , this along with the difference in regards to the hand helds at the same time makes one think that their focus wasn't what made Nintendo succeed or decline rather a combination of things with their focus playing a part along with many other factors.



Research shows Video games  help make you smarter, so why am I an idiot

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marioboy2004 on 15 May 2015
160rmf said:
Zekkyou said:

Outside of adolescents who can't afford to purchase more than a handful of games anyway (and are usually just as happy to play cartoony games), i believe that people buy and play the consoles and games that best suit their tastes. Major titles like COD, FIFA, and GTA certainly don't make you look 'cool' amoung the core market in forums and the like, and yet we still see a significant number of people who buy them. Curious that. You'd almost think they just liked them or something.

I expect variety also plays a big role for many. If you buy a PS4 or X1, there's a very high chance that they'll have or will have the types of games you like (though with specific quantity variations between them). Titles like SO or inFamous might be less popular than very mainstream titles like COD, but such titles will likely end up representing a significant portion of both consoles libraries software titles.

 

Claiming that "you look cool playing mature and realistic looking games" is a more valid reason for the X1's success than simply "it provides the experiences its install base wants" makes you no better than those that claim Nintendo only makes 'kids games'. People buy want they like, and they play what they like. Regardless to if you like what's mainstream or what the X1 and PS4 offers, that's reality.

This post covers pretty much everything i have to say on this particularly silly topic, so i'll leave you to it from this point ^^ I need to go feel cool playing GTA5.


I don't get why people get so defensive on this, In any moment i generalizate and said that evebody who purchase realistic and mature looking games buy because it looks cool (i like gta and infamous too). But the reality is that MANY (I'm not saying all) take or avoid the game by the look, only because that.

Terrible example infamous, the realistic looking AAA title that Sony fans like to showcase because grapixxx, but anyway... stay cool thats what we ALL want to be! 

I agree Nintendo has to find a way to be cool again, especially  with the teen demographic



Zappykins on 15 May 2015

Can you give me one big compelling reason to get it?

I think the small second screen has limited appeal. At least this one the way it was implemented.

There isn't anything major to distinguish it from the Wii to most consumers.

The Wii had played out.

Also - No upscaling of older game! Really a blunder - as I would love to see Endless Ocean in HD. But 480p just doesn't look that good on a nice big flat screen.



 

Really not sure I see any point of Consol over PC's since Kinect, Wii and other alternative ways to play have been abandoned. 

Top 50 'most fun' game list coming soon!

 

Tell me a funny joke!
SJReiter on 15 May 2015
Jumpin said:

A combination of a really twisted looking controller and only 2 big games through the entire history of the console. One (MK8) launched on its third year of availability, and the other is still in flux (Zelda U). Wii launched with two massive titles in Wii Sports, Zelda: TP, and had big games coming out about one every 6 months, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy coming out at the 8 month and 12 month marks.

So far, no Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, no Donkey Kong, no Kirby, no Pokemon. Just spinoffs and remakes. The system launched in 2012, we're halfway through 2015. There should have been 8 major games out by now, instead it's just 1.


Couple things: 

One: I guess you don't think Smash is a big game?

Two: "no Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, no Donkey Kong, no Kirby, no Pokemon." Um, Wii U has a Mario (SM3DW), has a Donkey Kong (Tropical Freeze), has a Kirby (Rainbow Curse), and what Nintendo console has a Pokemon? Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Snap for N64 is all I think they ever did. 

 

I agree that Wii had a better software lineup over the first three years, but how could you not be aware of all the games I listed for Wii U?



DarkD on 16 May 2015

Put simply Nintendo has great games that are becoming a niche market. They don't appeal to the mass of gamers anymore. Gamers now want extreme violence and higher resolution graphics.

It's not a new phenomenon either. Originally in the NES era, Nintendo was seen as a children's toy by the masses, but there wasn't any real competition offering anything different at the time. Playstation 1 came in and offered what Nintendo didn't and thus stole a good portion of Nintendo's audience while at the same time creating new gamers.

Nintendo has never had the appeal of these gamers, and with Sony and Microsoft gamers badmouthing Nintendo games as "children's games", Nintendo loses more of their regulars every year.

Nintendo only "wins" a generation now by offering something crazy. I.E. motion controls. Nintendo lost this generation because the tablet thing wasn't really anything that exciting. People carry tablets with them everywhere: smartphones, touchscreen laptops, tablet accessories, grocery checkout counter, etc. During the Wii generation, people asked themselves "can I get this anywhere else" and the answer was a resounding no; thus, they bought the Wii.



baloofarsan on 16 May 2015
fleischr said:
Nintendo's stuck in a vicious cycle in which publishers just don't find it worth it to develop and market WiiU titles. The publishers know that almost nothing they've tried to make WiiU versions of games stand out have either caught on to either the 'Nintendo' gamer or the rest of the gaming population in general. It makes the platform inherently risky - so they stick to what they know has consistently worked within the PS/Xbox brand.

Creating WiiU versions of games isn't hard -- it just takes time and focus away from versions that will make up 90-98% of your revenue anyway.

Seeing as Nintendo makes peanuts on 3rd party licensing, and makes nearly all its money on 1st party games, console sales, accessories, and amiibo now, Nintendo should slash their licensing/royalties. If publishers know they'll make 50% more on a unit sold of a WiiU version of a game vs unit of a PS/Xbox version of a game, maybe they'll be give the Nintendo platform another serious look and actually promote and properly support their presence.

I think this is good advice. The games that we have abbreviations for (GTA, CoD, AC, FIFA) are the ones that sell software on PS4 and X1. As for console exclusives, Wii U exclusives sells better than for the other consoles.

This would reduce the retail price with a couple of dollars (~$7). They could reduce its price for the digital release on eShop even more. They would not sell many consoles but they could learn to collaborate and communicate with major third parties again.