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

[LeoA]

It was at Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale yesterday.

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I had posted about it earlier, but it was several days and multiple posts ago, so the connection was easily missed.

I wouldn't normally post something like this since deals happen all the time, but since it's a particular good one, Twilight Princess HD is $25 in Wal-Mart's Black Friday ad.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I will get a 3ds XL-Lime Green(Amazon exclusive) and I promise you it will be the last Nintendo portable I ever buy. If for no other reason than I believe the Nintendo Switch eliminates the need for a new portable system. So from the original Gameboy to the 3DS, it has been a damn good run for Nintendo.

I bought the lime green 3DS XL last Sunday and had it in hand Wednesday evening. I'm enjoying it so much more than my PS4.

 

[LeoA]

Nintendo has confirmed that Zelda is their last 1st party release planned for the Wii U.

http://www.polygon.com/2017/1/19/14...eath-of-the-wild-last-nintendo-game-for-wii-u

I know it's not news, but it's still sad to see it officially confirmed. It might not be the end though for 3rd party content. While the Wii U hasn't been swamped with such releases, several franchises have justified continued development.

So I would not be surprised to see Just Dance 2018 and another Lego title or two this year, for the most likely candidates. Heck, the latest Just Dance even appeared on the Nintendo Wii a few weeks ago, despite most development having ceased long ago on the platform.

Wish we'd of gotten Europe's eShops Selects line. I'd of loved to have gotten Fatal Frame 5, Fast Racing Neo, and Axiom Verge on disc for my top picks of eShop exclusives here.

 

[laser]

Thinking about it, not even Pikmin 4 could get me to buy a Switch at the current prices. I've got a backlog on both my Wii U and "Xbone" though, and I might upgrade my PC to run Planet Coaster, so not getting my Switch on this year isn't a big deal for me at all.

 

[LeoA]

Wii U accessories are all now on clearance at Wal-Mart. Picked up a nunchuk for $15 and a Wiimote for $30. I passed on it, but Pro Controllers were $37, I believe.

No sign of games dropping as of yet. Hoping to see Super Mario Maker, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, Paper Mario, and Star Fox be clearanced out soon.

 

[DaveF]

Is the Wii U discontinued? Curious on pricing, I did some checking and it's $400 at Amazon and Walmart, not even listed at BB.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Yeah, the Wii U is discontinued. However, being that they didn't sell/make too many and Nintendo products tend to retain their prices, I imagine it's either going to stay $200+ or become a "collector's item."

I hope Nintendo ports more Wii U games to Switch so that they can at least be enjoyed by a wider audience, assuming the Switch does better.

 

[Bryan^H]

Is the Wii U discontinued? Curious on pricing, I did some checking and it's $400 at Amazon and Walmart, not even listed at BB.

I'm still seeing a bunch of the consoles at my local Wal-Mart, and Target. I think the price gouging/scalping is starting a little bit early on the WiiU. It hasn't even left store shelves yet.

 

[Edwin-S]

Considering that there will be virtually nothing new in the way of "A" games produced for the console, It is amazing that the price of them isn't falling to just blow out the remaining stock.

 

[LeoA]

I'm still seeing a bunch of the consoles at my local Wal-Mart, and Target. I think the price gouging/scalping is starting a little bit early on the WiiU. It hasn't even left store shelves yet.

Your report is actually the only one I've seen that still is seeing new Wii U hardware in person. In many cases like in my area, Wii U systems were gone even before Christmas. It was also extinct by then from mainstream online retailers selling new hardware, as well.

Since before Christmas online, you basically can only find the system used or pay a large markup for an allegedly NIB Wii U from a 3rd party reseller (Or perhaps a few smaller stores with an online storefront here and there). That's why the scalpers are trying this, for the few that have decided at the last minute that they do want this while they can still locate a new system.

Lots of speculation that Nintendo took back unsold inventory en masse to clear shelves in advance of the launch of the Switch after the Christmas gift buying season had concluded, with the hardware presumably destined to be sold as refurbished via their online store or repurposed to support their service centers.

 

[Bryan^H]

I haven't been to Target in a couple weeks but as of 4 days ago there were still about 3 WiiU consoles(Bundle with Mario Kart 8) at the WalMart closest to my house.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I hope Nintendo ports more Wii U games to Switch so that they can at least be enjoyed by a wider audience, assuming the Switch does better.

I think it's gonna be a huge part of the Switch strategy. Mario Kart 8 is the perfect example - re-release, but with a fixed player vs. player mode and a few extra bells and whistles. I'd expect the biggest Wii U games to either get re-releases in this way, or to get sequels that are very similar to their previous releases, like how Splatoon 2 is coming in the Summer for just the Switch.

 

[LeoA]

I bet we don't get Morgan's alleged Super Mario Maker port, though. Still betting on Super Mario Maker 2 hitting the Switch instead, Splatoon 2 style.

I think you can scratch anything off that has seen a 3DS conversion, since I strongly feel that if they had visions of a Switch port of a game such as Yoshi's Woolly World, they'd of just held off. I'm also skeptical of any 1st party Wii U title that has seen a Nintendo Selects budget rerelease being ported forward as a $60 Switch release.

I'd love to be proven wrong. For one thing, Super Mario 3D World certainly deserves to be seen by millions more. So I hope that one happens despite my skepticism. But it's difficult to reconcile such intentions with the fact that this one just recently was made widely available at a bargain price. Nintendo is very cautious with protecting the perception of value and such a situation just damages the ability to sell an upcoming port at a premium price.

Since I'm quite satisfied with my Wii U, I'd personally like to see a Ocarina of Time 3D/Majora's Mask 3D port in a couple of years for the Nintendo Switch. Not sure if 3D TV support would allow that particular component to be carried forward since 3D is again on the way out and I doubt Nintendo is concerned with supporting the feature on the Switch, but these look surprisingly good when viewing footage on YouTube from 3DS hardware modified for tv output, and even better with emulator screenshots showing the games rendered in HD.

If Nintendo could do something comparable to what Square just did on the PS4 for another 3DS game, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, I think the end results would be spectacular.

Maybe I'll get my wish, considering Nintendo's love of Zelda remasters the past few years.

 

[Brandon Conway]

All solid points.

Those Zelda remasters (Wind Waker, Twilight Princess) seem like inevitable Switch releases in 2018-19, BTW.

 

[LeoA]

I also doubt they'll stay away since they're too good to keep locked away in the vault, too few got to experience the remasters on the Wii U, and a new original 3D Zelda is too many years away to not take full advantage of their back catalog to wet the appetite of Zelda fans after playing Breath of the Wild. I'd also bet on seeing Skyward Sword remastered to complete that trilogy of GCN/Wii Zelda's.

In fact, I somewhat doubt we'll even see the Switch get its own dedicated 3D Zelda since development periods are so long. Rather, I'm betting that the job of delivering an original Zelda adventure to the Switch will be tasked to the handheld team, with them quite possibly already underway with an overhead perspective 2D style experience like A Link Between Worlds was on the 3DS.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Yeah, seeing as how it wasn't announced at the Switch reveal, I'm guessing that Mario Maker 2 would come to Switch rather than a pot of the original.

I'd say there's about zero chance of any ports having 3D, specifically Ocarina/Majora 3D. I think the Wii U was technically capable of handling 3D but no games supported it and the feature is all but dead on current consoles. I also doubt they would port 3DS games unless it was in a Virtual Console thing. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some Wii U games end up on Switch as Virtual Console releases rather than as enhanced/HD ports. When Twilight Princess and Wind Waker were ported to the Wii U, it was a big deal that they were being remade in HD. That wouldn't really be the case on the Switch, but they would need to work out how to emulate the GamePad. But yeah, I don't see re-releases happening like that.

If there is a second 3D Zelda on the Switch, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a spinoff or direct sequel to Breath of the Wild that reuses the engine or assets to some degree. They spent a LOT of time making it and I think they'd be willing to try and save time on making another. That said, they are making DLC for it so that could more or less be the same idea.

 

[LeoA]

I'm sadly in agreement about the chances of 3DS ports, but I'd sure love to be proven wrong.

I think Skyward Sword HD, hopefully with standard control options and optional Joy-Con motion controls, would be the hook to sweeten the deal where Twilight Princess HD and Wind Waker HD are concerned.

A compilation of all three like Sony often did with their HD Classics releases on the PS3, would be key I feel if Nintendo wanted to bring their first two remasters forward to the Switch in retail form.

If there is a second 3D Zelda on the Switch, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a spinoff or direct sequel to Breath of the Wild that reuses the engine or assets to some degree.

Given the long gestation periods involved, this is basically their only viable option. Not new territory for Nintendo, either. They did exactly what you described over 15 years ago with Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 64.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some Wii U games end up on Switch as Virtual Console releases rather than as enhanced/HD ports. When Twilight Princess and Wind Waker were ported to the Wii U, it was a big deal that they were being remade in HD. That wouldn't really be the case on the Switch, but they would need to work out how to emulate the GamePad.

I doubt it.

I imagine if they're brought forward but Nintendo didn't want to release them via retail channels, that they'd just be sold as digital exclusives on the Switch rather than as Wii U titles via the Switch Virtual Console.

Gamepad support is a non-issue. These two weren't originally even built for it and while the feature is nice on the Wii U when playing on your tv, off-screen play and Pro Controller modes for each demonstrate that the touch screen isn't even necessary for either one when played on the Wii U.

As nice as the streamlined inventory control and map display was, there's no need to bring that feature forward.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Nintendo also used the same engine for the two DS Zelda games, Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass. They tend to be on a two-Zeldas-per-generation timetable, so launching the Switch with a Zelda suggests we might get another one. Also, they've become really willing to adopt middleware engines and have gotten very skilled with them so a quicker turnaround seems possible.

 

[LeoA]

I have no doubt that we'll get another original Zelda, but I'm skeptical short of significant reuse of assets, on if it will be a 3D one. And with how great A Link Between Worlds was, frankly, I don't see that as a problem at all. Been far too long since the world enjoyed a new overhead perspective Zelda on their television screen.

Assuming a typical five year lifespan for hardware (Which could very well be a fallacy to still do these days, given the mid-gen upgrades the competition has done and Nintendo's handheld upgrades through the years), we're looking at Nintendo having to get it out in about three years after Breath of the Wild if they want to maximize its impact. And that's awfully quick by 3D Zelda standards.

 

[Bryan^H]

Made the rounds to all my local store-Target, Meijer, WalMart.

WiiU system is officially gone now.