Nintendo drops Wii U $50 due to poor sales (1 Viewer)

[LeoA]

Morgan, we've been using this thread for 3DS discussion too. It's basically become the HTF's general purpose discussion thread for all aspects of modern Nintendo gaming.


But I suppose for the uninitiated, it's good that you pointed that out. I shouldn't of taken it for granted that everyone that reads that post is familiar with Sega's 3D Classics program.

 

[LeoA]

Reports yesterday make it sound likely that Wii U fans will at least get the traditional Mario RPG entry that each Nintendo console generation since the Super Nintendo has received.


http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/01/rumour_intelligent_systems_is_working_on_new_paper_mario_for_wii_u


If true, nice to see another decent game to look forward to. Even though they haven't came close to matching the first two Paper Mario entries, it will undoubtedly be a decent game.


I'm still surprised to not see a proper Animal Crossing here. If anyone had told me back in 2012 that Nintendo's biggest hit franchise of the 2000's would be skipping the Wii U, I'd of thought that they were nuts.


And Mario Party style games with the AC branding aren't what I'm talking about before it's brought up.

 

[Bryan^H]

Forgive me if this has been brought up earlier-RUMOR-Nintendo NX will work with PS4? What?

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/01/20/nintendo-nx-will-allegedly-work-with-ps4-and-smartphones/

 

[LeoA]

I would imagine it would be generic support of some sort, possible due to common standards. I'm envisioning something like when I first plugged my PSP into my Xbox 360 and was able to stream mp3's off of it to play on my console.


Pretty novel in 2005, but hardly an example of a Playstation system working with an Xbox system since it was just tapping into the ability that any USB equipped MP3 player had with the console.


The PSP just happened to also be able to double as a MP3 player, making that relationship possible. If there's any truth to this rumor, I can't imagine this being any different.

 

[Bryan^H]

I would imagine it would be generic support of some sort, possible due to common standards. I'm envisioning something like when I first plugged my PSP into my Xbox 360 and was able to stream mp3's off of it to play on my console.

Pretty novel in 2005, but hardly an example of a Playstation system working with an Xbox system since it was just tapping into the ability that any USB equipped MP3 player had with the console.

The PSP just happened to also be able to double as a MP3 player, making that relationship possible. If there's any truth to this rumor, I can't imagine this being any different.

Interesting, if true it is probably more what you mention than my imagination running wild. I immediately thought back to the near partnership with Sony to make the Nintendo Playstation in SNES days. I'm thinking it could happen again, and playing Zelda, or Mario on the Ps4 would be neat. But like I said I am thinking outside of the box. I just hope Nintendo reveals information this year.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I think that "NX works with PS4" rumor started with a misspoken and mistranslated quote from some financial guy in Japan. I believe what they meant was something more like "cross-platform online multiplayer game servers." As in, online NX gamers can play against online PS4 gamers. Some PC and PS4 games already do this, but Microsoft puts all of their stuff on Azure servers so that isn't possible, IIRC.


I seriously doubt the NX is an OS, online platform, or tiny device that plugs into competitive hardware.

 

[LeoA]

Has a long precedence. I can remember playing Unreal Tournament on the Dreamcast with PC gamers for instance. That said, i doubt that it has anything to do with online multiplayer.


That would be up to individual publishers to decide and doesn't strike me as something that would be coming out of the Nintendo rumor mill at this early date. With online services having to be handled by each publisher on both platforms (Assuming that NX follows Nintendo tradition), it's certainly a small possibility that someone will implement that for a game or two. But I see no reason why any developer would be mentioning it right now.


And Nintendo or Sony surely aren't actively pursuing such possibilities or promoting them, even if neither has any prohibition in place to prevent it with a competing console platform.

 

[Ruz-El]

Sony's always struggled with handhelds, and Nintendo has been struggling with console sales of late. A Nintendo handheld that streamed through a PS4 would be a dream come true. Too good to be true of course, but it would be neat.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Nintendo has had a pretty tight grip over online multiplayer in order to control the environment that it fosters. Splatoon doesn't have party chat, even though the Wii U has a microphone. They do not allow third parties to have cross-platform online multiplayer right now. MS provides the servers and prohibits it. Sony allows it but that usually just works with PC.


The "rumor" was a mistranslated out-of-context comment from a Japanese investment company (that has no relation or inside connection to Nintendo) on Twitter. This is the definition of "take with a grain of salt."


A recent GfK research poll went out that had a whole slew of info about the NX that was also more or less bogus. It said that the console would output at 900p/30fps, even though the Wii U already has 1080p/60fps and it's a game-by-game thing rather than a console standard. So this kind of info has a tendency to "leak" out and make absolutely no sense.


If the NX connectivity was something more significant than cross-platform play, I imagine it would be a website that could be accessed on other consoles' browsers or something like that. I do not see how Sony would allow the NX to actually connect to the PS4 in some gameplay capacity. Maybe something like the Xbox One's HDMI pass-through that does something? Even that seems kind of silly and I don't see what the value would be.

 

[LeoA]

They do not allow third parties to have cross-platform online multiplayer right now.

How do you know this?


Like you said, they do keep a pretty tight grip on things. But while I don't doubt it, I'd also just be making an assumption. Without something like leaked paperwork showing the do's and don'ts for online support or an interview with someone in the know, I'm not sure I'd make that assumption.


Even with no requirement, I'd of been surprised to see any Wii or Wii U titles support PC cross-play. The demand just doesn't strike me as being there one way or another so I could see that eventuality just not even being covered by their standards.

Nintendo has had a pretty tight grip over online multiplayer in order to control the environment that it fosters.

I imagine so, but it's also up to each individual publisher to setup that online infrastructure for their title.


This decentralized and somewhat haphazard (But cheaper) way of handling online multiplayer is a more advantageous model for cross-platform support than the Xbox 360 is where everything's funneled through Xbox Live thanks to it handling matchmaking and other basic functions.


So barring a restriction from Nintendo, I suppose it could happen if online resembles the Wii U since the publisher doesn't need Nintendo's direct support to enable anything. They just need Nintendo to essentially look the other way by not disallowing it from happening in the first place.


But I really doubt we're ever going to see any titles that allow NX & PS4 players to go up against each other. I still don't see the demand and they're undoubtedly going to be very different platforms that aren't necessarily going after the same slice of the pie much of the time.


And if nothing else, it just over complicates things with no real benefit past the first title or two that is able to boast of having the feature.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I believe the main issue with Xbox One is that MS is using their Azure servers for online play. If a publisher wants to invest a ton of money into their own servers then that's their call, but MS has already done all of the heavy lifting and it keeps players from being able to interact with non-MS (Xbox and Windows) platforms. Sony has several games on PS4 that play online with PC but my understanding is that you don't see Xbox One vs. PS4 online multiplayer because of MS.


I agree that there's no much of a market for NX vs. PS4 online multiplayer, but the idea of Nintendo having a more open online system that could possibly allow that makes way more sense to me than the NX being designed to interact with other consoles.


I did a little bit of digging and it seems the original "NX plays with PS4" quote comes from an article that David Gibson wrote for the Wall Street Journal. He was looking at a patent Nintendo filed and interpreted the idea of interconnected devices as meaning "interconnected to non-Nintendo hardware." He tried to read between the lines and made it up. So this whole idea is just bunk.

 

[LeoA]

Nintendo's financials are out, with the highlight being that Zelda U again has a 2016 release window listed. Apparently, it was listed as "to be confirmed" in the quarter 2 results a few months ago which cast some doubt on when it would appear for some people, despite a Nintendo Direct right around the same period in November clearly stating 2016.

Financials are mixed with good and bad news, which I'd say is a win for Nintendo since not very long ago it was definitely tipped in the wrong direction. They seem to be in the ballpark for their projections and are on track for meeting them it seems. 3DS of course is continuing its decline of the past 3 years or so (14 million less games were sold, for an example of the decline) while Wii U again experienced modest growth compared to the same period a year ago.

And a New Nintendo 3DS bundle with pre-installed Virtual Console content (the old Game Boy Pokemon games) was revealed through this. I doubt many care anymore about that than I do, but just the same I still think it's neat to see a hardware bundle centered around the VC.

For Wii U, we will strive to maintain the attention level of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, which are continuing to show steady sales...

That means more updates of course. Reading this from their report makes me all the more surprised that they gave up so quick on Mario Kart 8 after enjoying so much success with that one and the first two DLC packs.

Last spring or so, they even said something along similar lines as what I quoted, yet no new DLC has been announced yet for MK8 and it's now difficult to imagine that ever changing.

I for one would've loved to see two more booster packs. I feel like they stopped too soon with this one.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The 3DS with Pokemon games was announced a while back. They were just mentioning it to remind investors that big things are still happening.

Mario Kart 8 was only planned to get 2 DLC packs. Pretty much all of the Splatoon DLC was on the disc already but then "unlocked" and given out for free, so I don't know if they were really supporting it with extra content or just slowly giving players new things to do to keep them engaged. Mario Maker's DLC has been more like updates than new content, for the most part. They're done with Smash Bros. DLC as of the next week or so with the final 2 characters being added.

Nintendo still has more money in the bank than either Sony or MS' gaming divisions. They're also the top selling console and handheld in Japan. (Seriously, the Wii U has sold better than the PS4.) They are in no rush to exit the gaming business.

 

[Lord Dalek]

I blame years of modern gaming journalism being in Sony's pocket for once again greatly exaggerating Nintendo's demise. They had a great holiday season last year. They've still got a bright 2016 ahead of them.

 

[LeoA]

There's no bad news in Nintendo's quarterly report. It essentially states that they're on track for where they planned to be right now, with just minor deviations from the gameplan.

And there's no way to see what money the other two have in the bank, since their financial statements aren't structured in such a way. You can only see something like cash reserves for Sony or Microsoft as a whole the last time I opened an annual report for them when we were debating something a couple of years ago.

I'm confident that the NX will turn things around. They've been doing a good job at stabilizing themselves and stopping the bleeding. My money is on Nintendo again growing and continuing in a positive direction.

Mario Kart 8 was only planned to get 2 DLC packs.

During a financial report after the second booster pack appeared, they stated that they planned further such support for Mario Kart 8 along the lines of their very well received booster packs.

Either way, I strongly feel that this was a missed opportunity and has allowed MK8 to be shoved out of the limelight a bit prematurely.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I took the extra DLC for Mario Kart to be either amiibo-related or stuff like the Mercedes-Benz car. There haven't even been rumors of more DLC so I doubt we'll get any.

I don't think the gaming media is in Sony's pocket, I just think Sony is making the right decisions. Nintendo sold more Wiis than PS3 and 360 sold, but I think most people would say Microsoft did better overall last gen. Currently, Sony has a basically 2:1 lead over Microsoft and it has to do with the changing dynamics of the user base, the marketing of the hardware, and exclusive content. Nintendo has Mario and Smash Bros., but the tablet controller, awful marketing, and weak hardware (at least, by perception) kind of killed them. They also sold a lot of Wiis because it was cheap, did something unique and fun, and was easy to use, all of which the Wii U did not do. I love my Wii U and I have definitely gotten a good value out of it, but I can see why anyone who isn't a hardcore gamer or Nintendo fan didn't buy it.

That said, the Wii U and 3DS are the best selling pieces of hardware in Japan. The international games media can't be THAT against them.

 

[LeoA]

Morgan, the Mercedes DLC was the first thing that MK8 ever got. And the Amiibo support came with the first booster pack. So no, i don't think so.

The fact is that they did say that they'd be continuing in their financial filing back then after the second booster pack. But I take it that you don't agree that Nintendo prematurely stopped adding additional DLC to MK8, although I still think it would've been great to see and would've helped it keep even more attention.

It became yesterday's news relatively quickly once there wasn't any reason to talk about it. Further additions, even if on a smaller scale than the generous add-ons we happily did receive, would've helped it not be overshadowed as much as it has.

Still is a good seller I'm sure, so don't get me wrong and interpret this comment in an entirely different direction from what I've said. But I still think it would've been even more successful with further DLC updates.

That said, the Wii U and 3DS are the best selling pieces of hardware in Japan.

While nice, it's not like Japan is that huge of a market.

Japan for many years had influence in this industry far past the size of their marketplace. But not only has that influence been seriously eroded in the 2000's with most of the one time giants of it now struggling and fighting to adapt, but the market itself is contracting for dedicated gaming hardware in Japan.

It's good to see Nintendo succeed at home, but it doesn't mean all that much where their worldwide success is concerned. So I don't see why the Western press would expend much time in covering it beyond brief mentions here and there.

It just doesn't mean much for the rest of the industry, gamers abroad, etc. It's like Microsoft succeeding in North America with hardware and much of its software lineup that holds little interest back in Japan. I doubt they spend much time over there covering a good quarter for Microsoft here, since it simply doesn't have much of an effect on them.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Nintendo didn't actually say they were making more MK8 DLC. It kind of looked like it with the wording they used and how the press release from their financial report was written, but they were just using the already-released DLC as an example of how they would leverage DLC to maintain interest in their games. Many companies plan out their DLC before a game is released, and that's exactly what Nintendo did with Mario Kart and Splatoon. Some of the characters in Smash Bros. were being worked on before the game came out while some were designed from scratch much later.

I agree that Japan is a small market. But it's still overlooked just how much of an impact they're having there. The fact that they sell all of their hardware at a profit and are doing exceptional at home is a good thing for them.

 

[LeoA]

While not officially confirmed, some good news for many Nintendo fans appeared today. And maybe even better news for US fans, since the $29.99 is Canadian pricing and could mean that they're $20 USD.

Unless a Nintendo fan has the budget to get everything that they want at release date, it's quite possible a title or two that one is interested in has gone out of print and is getting expensive. Or perhaps one just didn't want to spend $60 and had been waiting for a price drop someday on a game that they'd like but didn't want to pay full price for.

Works out well for me across all three platforms, since I see 5 games on here that I've been wanting and I just might be able to get all five for $100 rather than pay the gougers for a few of the out of print titles.

I almost wish I hadn't spent $40 last year on Super Mario Galaxy 2, since it finally saw a reprint last Fall shortly after I finally bought it and obviously is now also joining the revived Selects lineup.

 

[t2smith]

While not officially confirmed, some good news for many Nintendo fans appeared today. And maybe even better news for US fans, since the $29.99 is Canadian pricing and could mean that they're $20 USD.

Unless a Nintendo fan has the budget to get everything that they want at release date, it's quite possible a title or two that one is interested in has gone out of print and is getting expensive. Or perhaps one just didn't want to spend $60 and had been waiting for a price drop someday on a game that they'd like but didn't want to pay full price for.

Works out well for me across all three platforms, since I see 5 games on here that I've been wanting and I just might be able to get all five for $100 rather than pay the gougers for a few of the out of print titles.

I almost wish I hadn't spent $40 last year on Super Mario Galaxy 2, since it finally saw a reprint last Fall shortly after I finally bought it and obviously is now also joining the revived Selects lineup.

This is good news. I've been wanting to buy Super Mario 3D World, but I've never seen it drop below $59. I've also wanted Super Mario All Stars for awhile, but it was out of print and people were price gouging. I know I can buy most the original Mario games on the Virtual Console, but they are the 8-bit versions and not the 16-bit versions that are included in Super Mario All Stars.