Just 160,000 Wii U consoles were sold worldwide between April and June, along with 1.03 million software units. The figure is a 51.3 percent decrease on last quarter; the console has now sold 3.61 million units around the world despite Nintendo’s initial prediction of 5.5 million systems moved by the end of March.
To put the 160000 figure in perspective – Microsoft sold 140000 Xbox 360s in just the US, in June alone, and that’s after a sharp sales drop, for a console that’s 8 years old. Nintendo is not doing well.
The review were bad. Updating doesn’t work. Battery life on controllers SUCKS, not many exciting titles, upcoming new generation of PS and XBox.
Nintendo might actually not make it this time.
It could just be a temporary problem, as happened with the 3DS. Most of the games that might potentially boost sales – Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D World, Super Smash Bros, Sonic Lost World, etc haven’t been released yet, so it could go either way. Sales will either improve during the Christmas period or they wont.
Edited 2013-07-31 13:57 UTC
Don’t forget that there are many options for casual gaming these days such as phones, tablets, and even Android game consoles (Ouya, Shield, others likely on the way). And then there’s Steam and related tech.
This isn’t just Nintendo’s problem. The XBox One and PS4 are going to face a tough road, too.
They are having problems with HD, so releasing the prime games are taking them more time, the weak hardware the WII U has can’t really handle HD in the best manner.
Wii U has some serious issues. These are in my opinion some of the largest challenges Nintendo has in order of the importance…
Games, the Wii U needs more variety in games, and especially games made by 3rd party publishers. Nintendoware alone has never done a good job of ensuring that Nintendo stays in the competition. Nintendo should also buy Atlus. They need something to bring people to their platform. Nintendo also is badly in need of “adult games” and games made for “young adults”. There just isn’t enough content for Wii U.
The Wii Branding Issues, Nintendo has traditionally used noticeably different names for different platforms. However with Wii U, People have problems distinguishing differences between “Wii” and “Wii U” brands unless they have constantly followed what’s been going on in the gaming world. I’ve seen more than enough people who don’t understand that Wii U is a whole new gaming platform that has nothing to do with the Wii. Nintendo should have named Wii U something else. Wii U has a weak brand visibility. And it’s funny to see in shops those A4 papers which say that “Wii U games DO NOT RUN in a Wii” or “Wii U games are not compatible with Wii”. And in generally people are very confused about this Wii U thing.
Region Locks, Nintendo seriously wtf? There’s just no reason to have region locks. It doesn’t make any sense. The reasons they gave such as “ability to support local age restrictions, etc.” is just BS.
Battery life of the Controller, it sucks. You practically have to keep it charging constantly, which will lead to shorter life cycle of the battery inside the controller, and reduces the overall life cycle of the controller.
Networking and services, Nintendo lacks so much behind everything else. They know the situation, but for one reason or another aren’t doing much to it.
Family Friendliness, is a feature, but not a system seller in itself, in my opinion.
Gimmicks alone don’t sell systems, Wii’s motion controller was a fun gimmick which made literally everyone interest of their system since it was very easy to approach. Tablet controller however is an interesting idea, but it makes the system seem difficult to use when you have to view several screens at the same time.
Hardware Capabilities, Wii U’s hardware is not totally outdated in the case of Wii, but in contrast to PS4 and Xbone which have x86-architecture and which essentially are just IBM-PC-compatible clones with their own embbed OSes, they are much more attractive and cheaper for developers to target. This wouldn’t be such a large problem if Nintendo could have secured a large user base for the Wii U. But when PS4 and Xbone are released the architecture differences between PPC and x86 will drag Nintendo.
Nintendo Corporate Culture, is very problematic. Nintendo wants to own their system, and games, and everything. They’re not willing to compromise the principles that made Famicom (aka. Nintendo Entertainment System) a commercial success 30 years ago. However times have changes and the market requirements with it. And while Nintendo is doing fine, they have this problem with how they see themselves compared to others. They don’t see themselves from the perspective of the others. They don’t even have a clue. Which makes them Apple-like in many aspects except that they lack the kind of vision for the future that Apple had when Jobs was leading the Apple. This drives developers away from Nintendo’s system.
Edited 2013-07-31 13:40 UTC
Mhuahaha, the prophecy is happening :
http://www.gamefaqs.com/dreamcast/916412-dreamcast/answers?qid=2713…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPktjDHO0Y0
Kochise
How important is the point from the same site about Sega Dreamcast dying because PS2 could play DVDs and the Dreamcast could not?
Parallels the PS3 being my main pivot point for BluRays, Netflix, Vudu, etc. Nintendo could read DVDs on the Wii and BluRays on the Wii U if they implemented the codecs. But Nintendo is too damn stubborn to do that. Unbelievable.
That’s mostly the point. Anyway :
– The DC couldn’t either run Saturn games and DVD disc.
– The Wii cannot run Wii U games
– The DC, while technically capable, couldn’t compete with the Sony marketing machine
– The Wii U, while technically viable, couldn’t compete with the Sony and Microsoft marketing machines.
– etc…
Just like Sega did, Nintendo should perhaps consider opening its licenses.
Kochise
The Dreamcast had a lot of issues that were simply unavoidable however. The Saturn’s failure scared consumers and retailers away from the Dreamcast. Piracy and preexisting tensions scared away developers. Sega had financial issues. The list goes on. Nintendo has very few issues that Sega had and most of their issues are of their own doing. It is Nintendo’s fault the name is too closely related to the Wii. It’s their fault the online support and multimedia support is crap. They decided to make a stupid controller for who knows what reason. It is their fault they have few good titles on the system. Sega had many missing titles, particularly from EA. So they made their own and are some of the best games of the era. Nintendo just recycles worn out series and seems to be slow at even doing that.
Well-said.
That being the case, for those claiming that the WiiU will be the death of Nintendo, it’s important to remember that Nintendo has billions of dollars in the bank and is easily able to afford multiple failed consoles before they would be in any real financial peril.
It’s a shame. I’ve always been a fan of Nintendo and I really want them to succeed, but it just seems like they’re bogged down by a decade(s) old business mentality and the inability to adapt to the modern high-definition always-online era of electronic entertainment.
Edited 2013-08-01 15:33 UTC
IMHO, Nintendo’s offering just isn’t particularly relevant. The console is under-powered and the games are overpriced for what they are.
A work colleague purchased on the day of release and has enjoyed the single game they purchased.
I remember chatting with another colleague, and our conclusion was that we’ve already played the games Nintendo are offering on previous Nintendo consoles (or close enough for _our_ tastes)
I do believe a place exists for a console aimed at a wider audience, however this isn’t it. I *loved* my SNES and the WII is still under the TV for the occasional Sports Resort session, but Nintendo need to stop recycling.
They also need a *lot* more than a tweaked Wii that does 1080p…
They aren’t trying to compete with the PS4 and the Xbox One. Once those come out, Microsoft and Sony will be competing with themselves. Do I buy a PS3 or a PS4 which can’t play all of the PS3 titles still coming out? Do I risk, after all of the bullshit at E3, investing in the costs of an Xbox One when there are still so many questions unanswered concerning it?
New WiiU titles are coming this fall, winter, and spring. Those who purchase Nintendo consoles to get Nintendo franchise games are patient.
While games are talked about here, this is not a ‘gamers’ site. Those that I am on, the repeated posts go something like this: “I can’t afford a new PS4 when it comes out especially since I have a large PS3 library. I won’t get an Xbox One! I will wait for the first price drop on the WiiU. I look forward to their new titles coming later this year.”
Yup, that describes me to a tee as well. We shall see, but I am not betting on Nintendo’s demise just yet.
Yup, some of my friends on G+ who are die hard Nintendo fanboys, are saying the same thing. And the sad thing is, they’re usually right. The tech press predicted doom and gloom for the Wii and 3DS, and then look what happened. Nintendo are Apple-like in their ability to build up a rabid fan base. In fact, they could put turds in a box, and as long as Mario or Zelda was on the cover, could have people lined up around the block.
So, I’ll never count Nintendo out, even though I’ll admit it would give me a bit of satisfaction to see them fail, if only so I wouldn’t have to see 5,000 ‘I told you so’ post on G+ for the next several months, if they manage to turn it around
What unanswered questions are there about the xbox one? The used game question was answered, the hardware is well described, the online experience will be similar to today, the developer situation is well explained.
I’m not really sure what you mean.
Happened to the PS2, the PS3, the DS and the 3DS. All ultimately very successful. Will go away next year.
Wii U isn’t the first Nintendo home console with slow sales.
N64 and Gamecube didn’t have a lot of sales nor a lot of 3rd party support… but both of them were very profitable for Nintendo (and very good products for the fans).
In the end the only important thing about a product if it is profitable or not.
Wii U will do it well when the strong games comes up, not at Wii levels of success obviously, but at Gamecube/N64 levels sure. And that’s fine for Nintendo and their fans.
Home consoles for Nintendo are the same thing as the Mac line for Apple, they’re not the core business of the company at economic level… but they’re very important for the hardcore customers. The spirit of the company.
The obvious difference is that Apple doesn’t sell Macs at a loss like Nintendo does with the Wii U.
I’m not saying that a Wii U flop is the end of Nintendo but it is definitely going to drag them down until they start getting software out there. I also wouldn’t underestimate the power of third parties. You may not care that the latest FIFA or Madden isn’t coming for the Wii U but some people do.
FWIW, I’m in the “wait for a price drop then re-consider” which is the same place I am with the Sony PS Vita. Games like a new Mario Galaxy could change that sentiment.
As I understand it, the Wii U becomes profitable with one game sold. Since every Wii U owner will inevitably purchase at least one game, it isn’t likely that Nintendo is taking a loss on the console when all is said and done.
The old Wii was the generation leader with nearly 100 million units sold.
And the makeup of the Wii market was a lot of casual gamers, that don’t really follow or care about all the logic of why the Wii U is supposedly bad.
I still play the Wii with my family, but we don’t really get the chance to buy titles any more. I bought all the major titles, Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports Resort.
But when the major titles stopped appearing – naturally I didn’t have anything to buy, and those titles were also system sellers – so the interest in the Wii dropped off. One would think Nintendo planned that.
But where are the titles that would force me to pick up a Wii U, in order to continue my Nintendo habit of the last several years.
Well I don’t know. I got so curious about why no good titles were coming out I purposely searched out when I could expect the next Mario Kart – 2014???? WHAT?
It’s like Nintendo forgot what business they were in, or something. Oh I hear they are claiming that titles will fix everything….well, if they really understood that, then where are they?
your real value is in your games. Just sell them to gamers on every platform.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mMY-_n3_E
I own the Wii, Wii U, PS3, XBOX360, and several modern PCs. I’ve owned GB’s, XBox, PS2, and about every other Nintendo console in the past. I no longer game on a PC mainly because of lacking the time to troubleshoot the glitches. It’s nice to launch games on the console and they just work.
The Wii U is more or less a big GameBoy. I find little reason to look at the TV during gameplay, so in my mind it’s hardly a console. I like how the Wii games play on it, too, but we still have the original Wii since our plasma screen only had one HDMI and it’s tied to another source. The Wii U looks absolutely beautiful on the LED, but in reality I am always using the screen on the controller. Netflix looks nice on it, but Netflix and Vudu are already built into the TV. The kids often play the Wii U while we watch a different source because the TV is irrelevant to the games.
I also detest the lack of two master controllers for the Wii U. The second player in team games is severely handicapped the way games were coded. So the kids never play multiplayer because it sucks. Seriously, like the GB, it’s pretty much a single player centric console. It makes me wonder why they even did it like that.
I also prefer the PS3 for its simple, standardized wireless controllers in comparison. Kinect on the 360 is more fun than accelerometer driven nunchucks. The Wii U really doesn’t compete with either method. Mario games using nunchucks is a huge let down. And sports games more or less blow on the Wii/Wii U for the same reason. FPS on the Wii U was ho hum, too. Really, wth didn’t they support plain controllers? It’s such a universal expectation on consoles since the N64…
And let’s face it, the old Nintendo franchises are dead. Techmo Superbowl, RBI Baseball, NBA Jam, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, Kid Icarus, Punch Out, Pilotwings, F-Zero, NFL <insert year>, and Excitebike. You could make a case for games like Earthworm Jim, Mortal Kombat, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Mario RPG, < insert latest James Bond title> 007, Bomberman, Star Wars, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo-Kazooie, Super Smash Bros., World Wrestling <insert whatever it is now>, Harvest Moon, Ogre Battle, and Star Craft were addictive time consumers, too.
And why not give us a carrot. There is so much power in the master controller it should have been GB cartridge compatible. Not only that but it should have displayed on the TV! I can throw 15 year old GB cartridges into Super GameBoy, but not the biggest GB of them all, the Wii U? Imagine playing Pokemon Emerald or Tony Hawk on the Wii U master controller. Hey, even Ultimate Card Games would be cool on it. Battalion Wars, anyone? Seriously, give us a carrot.
Resident Evil, The Sims, Civilization, Warcraft, Unreal Tournament or Quake, Crimson Skies, Dragon Quest, Burn Out, Prince of Persia, Diablo or Dungeon Siege, Star Trek, Superman, Avengers, Batman, Spiderman, Top Gun or Afterburner, Tomb Raider, F1 Racing, NASCAR, Dungeons & Dragons, FIFA, Olympic Sports, and Scrolls are franchises that need to be explored. Seriously, they should look into a good warship RTS like Navy Field or Harpoon either which would hit the spot. How about reboot some old C64 franchises like BeachHead, Blue Max, Raid on Bungeling Bay, Ultima, M.U.L.E., Winter Games and Summer Games, Bard’s Tale, Pitstop, Silent Service, Racing Destruction Set, MiG Alley, and Spy Vs. Spy. Nintendo just lacks the good old 3rd Party game development that made NES rock and Android and Apple handhelds successful now.
That and the lack of support for universal things like BlueTooth keyboards, mice, and headsets? Did I forget to talk about online gameplay lacking? Yep. Did I mention the lack of wireless traditional control pads like PS3 and the 360? And did I mention the lack of Kinect-like technology? I won’t mention the overly protective stance Nintendo has on content. They would sell a million copies of a modern Strip Poker or Leisure Suit Larry. Enough ranting.
Edited 2013-08-01 06:12 UTC
I will support Nintendo… The Old School console refreshed.
I see a lot of people bitching about the power and battery life of the Wii U… I’m 36 and ran out to buy one the same day it became available and have only had a $h#t load of fun with it. The batteries are future replaceable so put it on the charger or plug the controller in to play for 4hours str8 or go get a job to allow time to charge the thing up. The games being made by 3rd parties are just ports and make Nintendo hardware look underpowered but it really is not if the games are done right. The games made by Nintendo and games made optimized are/will be silky smooth. Nintendo started in the ROM erra and keep those ideals of tight programming, low noise, low heat and small consoles…vs MS massive beast over kill jet engines that fry themselves into a ring of death. I’m bored of the 100000 shooters from PS and xBox. The Pikmin, Zelda, Mario games are not out yet and are some of the top games so I’m sure sales will increase in 2014. Wii Games continue to work and look better then on the Wii and the old classics are also available too!
If Nintendo released your average console they probably would sell very nicely indeed. However, they are taking the risk that Microsoft is afraid of taking. Nintendo will be the first with a VR console because the others will still be using the controller as their main interface. No one innovates.
Given the history of Nintendo, this is no thing at all. When you’ve been around over 100 years you are going to have your ups and you are going to have your downs. They have had more ups than downs. Expect an “up” soon.
So you missed MS Kinect? Microsoft is perhaps who innovates with interface the most now, and is the closest to “VR console”…