Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 15th Feb 2013 09:34 UTC
"We're told by someone with access to the NPD's data that sales for January were 'well under' 100,000 units. By our estimates, sales were somewhere between 45,000 and 59,000 units for the month, which is lower than any of the three previous-generation home consoles sold in their worst months, with the possible exception of a recent performance by the original Wii." This doesn't surprise me. I've always wondered: who's the Wii U for? Casual Wii buyers - which comprise most of the Wii owners, I'd guess - have little reason to upgrade, and hardcore Nintendo fans are waiting for the next re-releases of Mario and Zelda from the Nintendo Game-o-tron. Until then, who's going to buy this thing?
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RE[2]: it will save the market
by andrewclunn on Fri 15th Feb 2013 15:24
in reply to "RE: it will save the market"
Member since:2012-11-05
While the WiiU does not have anything of value, compared to the competition, it has roughly equivalent spec to the PS3 and the XBox360.
Umm, what? Half a gig of ram vs 8 gis. A six year old R520 based graphics processor compared to a heavily modified R700. What are you talking about?
RE[3]: it will save the market
by alko on Fri 15th Feb 2013 16:27
in reply to "RE[2]: it will save the market"
Member since:2010-01-31
RE[3]: it will save the market
by 0brad0 on Mon 18th Feb 2013 01:16
in reply to "RE[2]: it will save the market"
Member since:2007-05-05
RE[2]: it will save the market
by alko on Fri 15th Feb 2013 16:15
in reply to "RE: it will save the market"
Member since:2010-01-31
RE[2]: it will save the market
by WorknMan on Fri 15th Feb 2013 21:04
in reply to "RE: it will save the market"
Member since:2005-11-13
3DS is now competing with smartphones, which have a strong impact on sales.
Really? Last I checked, the 3DS was outselling the DS thus far in its life cycle. Phones don't even come close to scratching the same itch that the 3DS does. Not saying that one is better than the other, but there's definitely room for both. When I'm in the mood for something a little 'meatier' than Temple Run or Super Hexagon, that's what my 3DS is for.
While the WiiU does not have anything of value, compared to the competition, it has roughly equivalent spec to the PS3 and the XBox360, for roughly the same price, with almost no game available. Oh and it has a new controller with a screen on it, but I have yet to see a good use for that, or at least, an use that would make people think they really need the WiiU.
Are you married? I'm not, but I have a few friends that are, and they LOVE the Wii U screen, because they can now game in the living room without monopolizing the TV. Some of them, who are hardcore Nintendo fanboys, are convinced that this is what is going to make the Wii U rule this gen... millions of fathers and husbands in the same position they are. I have my doubts, but I give them the benefit of the doubt, because for all the times people have been predicting doom and gloom for Nintendo, they always seem to find ways to print money. They are a lot like Apple that way
Edited 2013-02-15 21:05 UTC
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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2006-02-01
Are you kidding the Wii was huge success from the very beginning, after two months and half, it had reached 4.5m sold units (worldwide), against 2.5 for the wii (source: vgchartz). It was the most successful launch for a game console. The DS was at 3.3m after two months and half in sale only in Japan, the 3DS 2.5m, with only one month between Japan and worldwide release. DS and WII were very hot success right from the beginning.
But both DS and the Wii brought something desirable for the consumers, DS was the only way to get portable gaming at the time, 3DS is now competing with smartphones, which have a strong impact on sales. Wii came with something truly brilliant, the wiimote, and the promise of a new way to play. That is the wiimote that made the Wii so successful. While the WiiU does not have anything of value, compared to the competition, it has roughly equivalent spec to the PS3 and the XBox360, for roughly the same price, with almost no game available. Oh and it has a new controller with a screen on it, but I have yet to see a good use for that, or at least, an use that would make people think they really need the WiiU.