Nintendo Wii U

[Garrett Williamson]

*Wind Waker HD Bundle comes with a download code for Wind Waker HD, a Wind Waker themed GamePad and the Hyrule Historia art book) all for the same price as the newly discounted system (starting September 20th) - $299

Super Mario 3D World and Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze switched release months, with SM3DW coming out in November & DKCTF coming out December 6th.

All you need to know.

[Brandon Strader]

Just to put things into perspective:

- PS4 ($399) + 1 game ($59.99) = $460

- Wii U(WWHD bundle - Digital Wind Waker HD + Hyrule Historia) + Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze ($49.99) + Sonic Lost World ($49.99) + Super Mario 3D World ($59.99) = $460

- Xbox One ($499) + 1 game ($59.99) = $560

*prices before tax & PS+/Xbox Live subscription costs.

Nice, having that bundle deal at launch might have helped Wii U. But also, charging $300 for Wii U when the hardware and software is so much weaker than the PS4 at $400, is not a particularly good idea. I still think people will be hesitant to buy the Wii U just because it still seems as weak as a Wii (which seemed as weak as a N64)

They really needed to have all those things bundled in with the Wii U for like $250 at launch

[ocre]

Nice, having that bundle deal at launch might have helped Wii U. But also, charging $300 for Wii U when the hardware and software is so much weaker than the PS4 at $400, is not a particularly good idea. I still think people will be hesitant to buy the Wii U just because it still seems as weak as a Wii (which seemed as weak as a N64)

They really needed to have all those things bundled in with the Wii U for like $250 at launch

Do you read what you type before you post?

[Brandon Strader]

You can't deny that consumers thought the Wii U was too similar to the Wii. That's why Nintendo has tried to come out and make it more clear that they are different things through marketing.

[ocre]

Okay, that's one theory as to why Wii U had such a slow start. I don't think that's the biggest concern.

Back in 2011, It was said that the 3DS failed to take off in its first 6 months due to brand confusion because people thought it was "just another DS" but sales picked up once the price came down and big games started hitting it. They didn't change the name.

Another thing: 3DS was to crumble immediately when the more powerful, competitively priced Vita launched. Just food for thought.

Edited August 29, 2013 by ocre

[Brandon Strader]

Another thing: 3DS was to crumble immediately when the more powerful, competitively priced Vita launched. Just food for thought.

I've never actually SEEN A VITA in real life, but aren't they about as bulky as a Game Gear? I know the PSP was pretty bulky. Ain't nobody want to carry a skateboard around with them to play games on (in addition to the skateboard they're skating on) so I can see why Nintendo would win that one, with their small folding handheld.

About Wonderful 101: http://www.videogamer.com/wiiu/the_wonderful_101/news/the_wonderful_101_slows_down_wii_u_sales_in_japan.html

Edited August 29, 2013 by Brandon Strader

[Mirby]

Okay, that's one theory as to why Wii U had such a slow start. I don't think that's the biggest concern.

Back in 2011, It was said that the 3DS failed to take off in its first 6 months due to brand confusion because people thought it was "just another DS" but sales picked up once the price came down and big games started hitting it. They didn't change the name.

Another thing: 3DS was to crumble immediately when the more powerful, competitively priced Vita launched. Just food for thought.

Wasn't the original DS meant to be crushed by the lovelier less gimmicky PSP as well?

[Lampje4life]

Even though the Wii U will be the best console I've owned with the upcoming games (and more yet to come in the unannounced future) I think it might end up being a Gamecube-alike console, with decent sales, nowhere near good sales, and with a bunch of GREAT exclusive games. Just not mainstream enough.

[Brandon Strader]

About Wonderful 101: http://www.videogamer.com/wiiu/the_wonderful_101/news/the_wonderful_101_slows_down_wii_u_sales_in_japan.html

Another interesting article out today:

http://kotaku.com/nintendo-says-wii-us-name-not-responsible-for-wi-us-p-1221242513

I didn't realize it was only 1.5 million Wii Us sold in the USA. There were more Vitas sold in America than Wii U

Gotta hope Wonderful 101 sells better here than it did in Japan.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Brandon Strader

[ocre]

Vita came out in February 2012, didn't it? (Yes.)

[Mirby]

gotta love it when people compare the sales of a handheld system to those of a console when the handheld has been out for almost a year longer than the console

totally fair comparisons there

[Devyn]

Unless Russia invades the US or something equivalent to that happens in the US, the Wii U will fly off shelves at the release of Kart and Brawl. Mark my words. Those two games kept the gamecube breathing and their iterations on Wii moved consoles like mad. That's not including the recently announced price cut and the games coming out this year, which may very well move plenty of consoles.

It's a 299 Zelda bundle. It'll sell.

And by the time people start finally shelling out for a wii u, there will be a good number of game options instead of the somewhat weak lineup us early adopters gave ourselves.

Will it beat out the PS3 and Xbone? No. And I don't care. I don't want everyone else to fail. I want to see Wii U be successful on its own enough so that I run into others who play it and enjoy it on the street, and that the system is remembered well down in the future for a good library of games, and that I have fun with it while I have it.

Nothing wrong with that.

[Calpis]

As much as I want to agree with Megadave, reality gets in the way of it. Iwata has said in the past that if the Wii didn't outsell the Gamecube, then they'd have considered it a failure. Maybe it's good enough for you, but if it's not good enough for their stockholders, then they won't be able to continue down that path.

[Crowbar Man]

When asked just recently about a price drop they had said before that a price cut wasn't feasable due to them not making money on the unit as is, but obviously they've gone more aggressive. Bundling with Wind Waker, dropping price, pushing Mario 3D World's date closer, I think Nintendo is more aware than ever the danger they pose on themselves if they don't get the Wii U in the public eye before the doomsday XBO/PS4 drops. These are good steps, but they need to push harder!

If I didn't already own a Wii U, the Wii U WW HD bundle would definitely have made me jump the fence, along with all the other games available this holiday (and Pikmin 3). I am definately going to pick up a PS4 next year, but most of the top games coming out near XBO/PS4's launch you can get elsewhere (including Wii U if I for some reason wanted to). I can't get the games on Wii U coming out this holiday anywhere but on Wii U, and that is a pretty important distinction. Nintendo needs to drive this fact home if they hope to push more units.

Wii U will not conquer the world, or have anywhere near the sales of Wii, but as long as they keep a close 3rd or at the very least, sell more then GCN, they'll be fine. The surplus they made with GBC/GBA/DS/Wii they could survive multiple generations of "bad" decisions before they'd need to worry about money really.

They've turned the 3DS around (which is a wonderful platform BTW) and they will be making plenty there to make up losses from Wii U if it doesn't do super well, but I'm sure it will hold its own.

I still think people will be hesitant to buy the Wii U just because it still seems as weak as a Wii (which seemed as weak as a N64)

I dont understand this. Wii U a leap beyond Wii in terms of power, and Wii was leaps above N64. Who on earth thought Wii was as weak as the N64?

Edited August 29, 2013 by Crowbar Man

[zircon]

Personally still waiting for a *new* Zelda or new 3D Mario game a la Sunshine or Galaxy. A Wind Waker HD remake at $50 gets a big yawn from me.

I'd also be interested in seeing more unique RPG titles on the platform, sort of like Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube.

[Crowbar Man]

Hopefully "X" and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem will turn out pretty cool. I'd love to see what direction they will take the next Zelda, and even though this Mario isn't exactly the 3D Mario we were expecting, I'm interested to see how far they push this one.

Also they need something charming like Giftpia/Earthbound/etc

If Square was willing, maybe Bravely Default follow up, but expecting anything from a 3rd party at this point is probably not going to happen

Next year better not be just Smash and Mario Kart from Nintendo :/ I'll get those, and I'm sure I'll enjoy those, but I'd like to see a lot more than that.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Crowbar Man

[The Derrit]

I'd also be interested in seeing more unique RPG titles on the platform, sort of like Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube.

if they made a crystal chronicles game a la the gamecube version i would cry tears of joy

that game is criminally underappreciated

[Garrett Williamson]

gotta love it when people compare the sales of a handheld system to those of a console when the handheld has been out for almost a year longer than the console

totally fair comparisons there

^this right here

[Bleck]

if they made a crystal chronicles game a la the gamecube version i would cry tears of joy

that game is criminally underappreciated

it kind of sucks that all of the super interesting ideas they had with the gba/gamecube have never been followed up with the wii/ds or wiiu/3ds; I think it would be fair to say that the gba/gamecube ones didn't do so hot because expecting every person to have the link cables was a bit much, but now that everything is wireless I'm not really sure why nobody has tried it again

[The Derrit]

it kind of sucks that all of the super interesting ideas they had with the gba/gamecube have never been followed up with the wii/ds or wiiu/3ds; I think it would be fair to say that the gba/gamecube ones didn't do so hot because expecting every person to have the link cables and their own game boy advance was a bit much, but now that everything is wireless I'm not really sure why nobody has tried it again

my thoughts exactly

[Native Jovian]

Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube.

Fuck yeah, that game was awesome.

Crystal Bearers on Wii was pretty good too, though it wasn't really the same kind of game.

[Devyn]

I'm digging Wayforward's support. Mighty Switch Force 2 in October!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/35306

[Brandon Strader]

Fuck yeah, that game was awesome.

Crystal Bearers on Wii was pretty good too, though it wasn't really the same kind of game.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were games like Crystal Bearers Wii and The Last Story that actually drove people away from the Wii U. Here's my reasoning: Neither of these games used the Wii controls to their "full potential", being blunt, the controls in both of these games were horrid. The lack of a second analog stick for adjusting the camera, also, completely ruins the experience. It was like playing GTA3 again on the PS2. In The Last Story, there was no attention paid to using the Wii controls -- you still had to aim your bow manually, no wii-mote. What is this? This opinion/theory is conjecture, but at least in my mind, it explains why I was hesitant to trust developers taking adequate advantage of Wii U controls (although I still bought a Wii U, so we shall see if they do it.)

I think the only good example I can think of is games like Elebits or Metroid Prime 3.

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

I think the problem with Crystal Bearers is that the gameplay mechanics weren't particularly deep. The fact that Layle essentially had psychic abilities really could have opened up a lot of possibilities. Maybe at one point gain the ability to hold on to two objects using the Wiimote and nunchuck, and maybe hold them in a certain way to activate some kind of shield, or maybe hover around somehow.

To me, much like the 3DS at its early days, it was simply just lack of quality software that held the Wii back from the "hardcore" audience, which may very well happen to the Wii U if Nintendo isn't careful about it.

[Thalzon]

So....

Who's picking up Rayman Legends?

I played the c hallenge mode for like a month and a half after it was released in March but got bored with it. I gotta wonder how high peoples' scores got in the meantime.