WiiU - Part 1

[Spidey-Bat]

I didn't know about that. They needed to say more about the WiiU. The 3DS has a decent library, especially with everyone gushing over the new Fire Emblem. The WiiU literally has nothing on the horizon except Pikmin 3 which is TBA (after being delayed) and Rayman Legends which was delayed.

[Matt Mortem]

I'm really regretting purchasing a Wii U at this point. I thought that this Nintendo Direct would put my mind at ease about things, but based on how Nintendo's doing, all those games that are a minimum of 6 months away are going to be closer to a year to two years away. I'd say we'll get a new Zelda in 2015. In 2014 we'll be lucky to get Super Smash Bros or that new Mario they talked about. If Pikmin 3 does eventually come out (I'm starting to doubt it ever will) I'd hazard a guess that it's the only real Nintendo IP to come out in 2013 (I'm not counting Wind Waker since it's a remake). I would love nothing more than Nintendo to prove me wrong, and to do so viscously, but I don't think they will.

[Iceman]

Yeah this strategy of Nintendo is strange to say the least. The future release slate is looking really good but they are leaving a glaring gap till we get to it. And this is the period they need to capitalise on while they are the only next gen console around.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...report-claims/

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Iceman

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...report-claims/

I don't know what the **** Nintendo is expecting. You can't release a new console who's games consist mainly of ports of games people have already payed. No one in their right mind is going to pay $60 to play a game they may very well already own just to use the gamepad with it.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by Matt Mortem

I'm really regretting purchasing a Wii U at this point. I thought that this Nintendo Direct would put my mind at ease about things, but based on how Nintendo's doing, all those games that are a minimum of 6 months away are going to be closer to a year to two years away. I'd say we'll get a new Zelda in 2015. In 2014 we'll be lucky to get Super Smash Bros or that new Mario they talked about. If Pikmin 3 does eventually come out (I'm starting to doubt it ever will) I'd hazard a guess that it's the only real Nintendo IP to come out in 2013 (I'm not counting Wind Waker since it's a remake). I would love nothing more than Nintendo to prove me wrong, and to do so viscously, but I don't think they will.

By that time, Sony and MS will be out with their new stuff and will most likely blow whatever Nintendo has out of the water. They had a full year headstart and they botched it. I don't think the system will recover especially since it doesn't look like they have much of a plan for the next 6 months to grab onto people that haven't jumped yet. Those will most likely just wait for the nextXbox and PS4, but of which are building up quite the momentum at the moment

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Havok83

By that time, Sony and MS will be out with their new stuff and will most likely blow whatever Nintendo has out of the water. They had a full year headstart and they botched it. I don't think the system will recover especially since it doesn't look like they have much of a plan for the next 6 months to grab onto people that haven't jumped yet. Those will most likely just wait for the nextXbox and PS4, but of which are building up quite the momentum at the moment

They could have easily pulled ahead in the console war, but taking a year off from releasing anything of worth on your new next gen console is just stupid Nintendo. If they didn't have any games ready, they shouldn't have launched the console. Instead, people are upset with Nintendo because they bought a console that just doesn't have anything to play on it. I imagine Nintendo's defense is something like "You can still play Wii games on it" and that ticks me off. You have to go into an entirely different menu that looks identical to the original Wii, no upscaling or anything. I didn't pay $350 to play Wii games

[JB-the-Hunter]

Originally Posted by Havok83

By that time, Sony and MS will be out with their new stuff and will most likely blow whatever Nintendo has out of the water. They had a full year headstart and they botched it. I don't think the system will recover especially since it doesn't look like they have much of a plan for the next 6 months to grab onto people that haven't jumped yet. Those will most likely just wait for the nextXbox and PS4, but of which are building up quite the momentum at the moment

Nintendo systems that start off slow always recover. All they have to do is show off the new 3D Mario, Smash Bros. 4, Retro's game, Zelda, Bayonetta 2, Monolith's game and whatever else they have in store at E3 because Sony and Micro$oft will mostly be showing off hardware instead of games. Unless they reveal the hardware early and focus E3 around games. Either way, I wouldn't count the Wii U out this early

[Spidey-Bat]

If the rumors are true that the 720 and PS4 will block used games, that is severely going to hurt them. I wouldn't be surprised if they do a new price modeling where a new physical copy is $70 and digital version is $60.

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Spidey-Bat

If the rumors are true that the 720 and PS4 will block used games, that is severely going to hurt them. I wouldn't be surprised if they do a new price modeling where a new physical copy is $70 and digital version is $60.

That's true, but it's more of a Sony/Microsofts beats themselves, rather than Nintendo out and out winning.

That said, I do have extremely high hopes for E3. If they don't blow minds at E3, then Nintendo may be ****ed.

[Soapy]

I don't think Nintendo really cares about E3 that much anymore, hence Nintendo Direct. Which is a way of delivering news that I prefer to E3 to be honest.

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Soapy

I don't think Nintendo really cares about E3 that much anymore, hence Nintendo Direct. Which is a way of delivering news that I prefer to E3 to be honest.

I do prefer Nintendo Direct to E3, but isn't Nintendo making some big game announcements at E3?

[8Diagrams(WU)]

I think they wanted to keep the wii strategy of offering a less powerful cost effective console alternative at a different timeframe. But to be honest they rushed it because with the lack of games there interest isnt there then the naysayers jump on it to diss it. Also they need a completely different marketing team in that company, the cutesy wii style does not attract any core gamers, callinng the unit WiiU was a bad move as well. They need to go back to cool.

Nintendo needs to spend big time on development. They need more studios working on IPs. The need to have all their big guns on launch day (A mario, a zelda, a metroid, etc) to make big noise. They simply need a better way to supply the console with more AND better titles for the hardcore crowd which is the future of nintendo if they want to keep punching hard.

Now if the other two bring out consoles that cant play used games, people are not going to take that well and were looking at a possible market crash and it could be an opportunity to capitalize. I also think that the reveal of Retro studios game (bet you anything its metroid) and a date for a Zelda will get some interest back to the system.

[Spidey-Bat]

Originally Posted by Matt Mortem

That's true, but it's more of a Sony/Microsofts beats themselves, rather than Nintendo out and out winning.

6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other. Either way, the bottomline is that the 720 and PS4 sales would be hurt.

[Havok83]

Originally Posted by JB-the-Hunter

Nintendo systems that start off slow always recover. All they have to do is show off the new 3D Mario, Smash Bros. 4, Retro's game, Zelda, Bayonetta 2, Monolith's game and whatever else they have in store at E3 because Sony and Micro$oft will mostly be showing off hardware instead of games. Unless they reveal the hardware early and focus E3 around games. Either way, I wouldn't count the Wii U out this early

They just showed off a whole bunch of new games but apparently after people got over their initial excitement, it ultimately didnt mean squat bc they cant play them anytime soon

[Soapy]

Originally Posted by Matt Mortem

I do prefer Nintendo Direct to E3, but isn't Nintendo making some big game announcements at E3?

I have no idea if they're going to make any new announcements there. How could I? :P

They will be showing some of their heavy hitters of course, but I'm just saying that I don't think E3 is that important to Nintendo anymore, or anyone else for that matter. E3 is still a big deal, don't get me wrong, but it really isn't the be-all, end-all event it used to be.

[Matt Mortem]

Originally Posted by Havok83

They just showed off a whole bunch of new games but apparently after people got over their initial excitement, it ultimately didnt mean squat bc they cant play them anytime soon

Bingo. Nintendo can announce a new Zelda till the cows come home, but if you can't play then what the hell does it matter?

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by Havok83

They just showed off a whole bunch of new games but apparently after people got over their initial excitement, it ultimately didnt mean squat bc they cant play them anytime soon

Also the competition is tougher now than when it was just a head to head with Sega & they generally had the upper hand. You have Sony the champions of modern consoles & Microsoft backed by billions who completely upped their game from their 1st attempt, you have an ultimate tech PC gaming resurgence, a low tech boom in mobile/facebook type casual gaming rivals, and who knows what upcoming competition from the likes of Apple, Google & Valve. Against this backdrop a low-spec next gen machine that isn't a mile ahead of current gen consoles and no games being released for it. BUT this is Nintendo and with that awesome looking future release slate they would be fine if they had just sorted out this gap in between. It's either terrible planning, management or complacency based on past success. Probably all 3.

[Matt Mortem]

You know, I'd probably do a tad less whining if the Virtual Console was ready to go out of the box. I mean the Wii U VC, not the Wii one.

[Benstamania]

Nintendo is going to wait until e3. They're gonna have to compete with two new consoles...so...they'll come out guns hot in regards to games.

[Matt Mortem]

I was at Gamestop today to do some pre-orders and the guy at the store said Pikmin 3 is due to be released in May. I don't know how accurate that was, but that's what his computer said.

[WolfCypher]

that sounds about right since Miyamoto did say he actually wanted to delay Pikmin 3.

In fact, everything that was slated for 1stQ 2013 has either been delayed (Rayman, Pikmin) or seems to be quietly pushed back (The Wonderful 101).

Nintendo has to stop releasing systems with no killer apps. If they could just have a proper full-scare Mario game (in vain of Mario 64, Galaxy...) and any other big name franchise ready at launch, people will be complacent. The N64 had nothing out of its gate besides Mario 64 and f&$%ing Pilotwings, and just Mario alone helped a system with hardly any launch games (and a slow launch window) sell like crazy. Even a delayed killer-title would help...the Gamecube did not launch with SSBM, but it only took one measely month for that game to come out.

Get the people a must-have game or two at launch, people will buy the system, and then (in my perfect scenario) use the following months to experiment with new franchises and characters while prepping more big name titles (Wii U Kirby, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Starfox)...

Aww...no system has ever had a awesome launch like the Dreamcast...that is sad that the system that had an EXCELLENT launch line-up, AND had great games coming out months after was the system that gave up...

[Matt Mortem]

I don't see why they couldn't have had Wind Waker and Pikmin 3 ready to go for Launch, or at the very least ready by January. They should have worked out a development schedule to make that happen.

[the dmg]

The launch window was looking pretty good until the delays of a lot of games. They did have a strong start with selling 3 million plus in two months (a record), but the dry spell really hit them hard and they realized that I think.

Not only are they going to be at E3 with playable demos for their heavy hitters, but they're also going to be at Gamescon, which they skipped last year.

Coming out early would have been great if they had a steady flow of games, but now they have to pick up steam with a strong release for fall.

I think they need to put playable demos in all the kiosks, and do a Wii U tour at malls like they did with Wii. It would definitely get people interested. Oh and much stronger advertising.

[Octoberist]

I like Nintendo, but they seem so misguided as a company.

[Matt Mortem]

They should also start a Wii U Ambassador Program like they had on the 3DS for all the early adopters who don't have any games to play and have had to deal with problems. My Wii U still freezes daily.