Nintendo has not had an especially enjoyable day. The manufacturer slashed its hardware forecasts in the early hours of this morning, with the Wii U’s numbers looking particularly bleak. As a result of the harrowing figures, armchair analysts all over the web have taken to message boards and online forums to speculate how the troubled platform holder can turn its fortunes around. Alas, seasoned industry commentator Michael Pachter’s suggestion may just be the boldest of them all.
Writing as part of a note to investors, the Wedbush Securities executive pointed out that the Japanese giant may improve its outlook by publishing its games on the PlayStation 4 – at least until it has a new system ready to release. “Once Nintendo has a new console on the market, we think that it would make sense for the company to pull all of its software from the PS4 and Xbox One, and go back to being a proprietary software maker,” reads the suit’s report.
According to Pachter, the House of Mario’s current predicament is a result of its “uncompetitive console” and not its “first-rate” software, so it needs to solve that before it can return to profitability. While we can sort of see the analyst’s point – through a very potent microscope, anyway – we just don’t think that a temporary turn as a third-party publisher will do the platform holder any good. After all, we’re still waiting on the Dreamcast 2.
The reality is that the manufacturer would have to learn a brand new set of architectures in an incredibly short timeframe – and that doesn’t even factor in the untold damage that it would do to its brands. With a handful of big releases on the horizon, we still have faith that the company can turn its business around. Let’s not forget that this is the same firm that utterly outmanoeuvred Sony in the handheld space when everyone thought that the PlayStation Vita had the declining market sewn up.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 54
If I could get my Playstation and Nintendo games on the same console then that would be perfect
Isn't having Nintendo games on a Sony system one of the main reasons Nintendo double crossed Sony with the CD add on and gave birth to the Playstation in the first place?
@Tsuzura Haha, it would be sort of awesome — but it's never going to happen. I like Sony and Nintendo (and Microsoft) competing and pushing each other hard, as that results in better games and systems. I'm sure the Wii U will be just fine in time, everyone's gone a bit mad today.
Must admit, though, that box art looks beautiful.
Pokemon! Pokemon! Pokemon!
Who would buy the next Nintendo system them? I know I wouldn't. I would feel pretty betrayed, and not trust them with the next system. I'm not sure who would trust them again.
I have ALWAYS been saying this
It will never happen so I won't even get hyped for this. :/
The box art looks nice (the PEGI rating isn't correct!).
But yeah it could be a could experiment for Nintendo and it could actually be beneficial if they would promote their games this way, since their games could get more exposure this way, but the problem is that it's going to damage people's trust. So Nintendo is going to have a tough time to get people to buy their console for the Nintendo games, with consumers knowing that Nintendo games could again potentially go multiplatform if the console doesn't take off.
A can of worms that didn't need to be opened.
A huge range of nintendo's games could not be played with a DS4. Sure they could just create and publish "traditional" video games and they would sell very well on a Ps4, but I for one would be very sad if nintendo stopped experimenting with gameplay/controls.
@Tasuki Yeah found this ⇨ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_PlayStation some of what it stated was Nintendo signed a deal with Sony to produce a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES. After several years of development, Sony introduced a standalone console at 1991's summer Consumer Electronics Show called the "Play Station." The system was to be compatible with existing SNES titles as well as titles released for the SNES-CD format. However, due to licensing disagreements with Sony, Nintendo announced that it had formed an alliance with Sony's rival Philips to produce the SNES-CD add-on. The partnership with Philips did not produce a CD add-on for the SNES. Eventually Sony dropped its partnership with Nintendo and developed its own console independently, which resulted in the release of the original PlayStation, a chief competitor of the SNES's cartridge-based successor, the Nintendo 64.
Could you imagine if Sony finally created a full RPG Pokemon game on the PS4? I've always wanted a console version.. I could be epic. Skyrim + Pokemon = greatness
@Cowboysfan-22
You mean Nintendo right? Pokemon is a Nintendo franchise.
@Gamer83 yea I know but if Nintendo let Sony create some new things that would be one title that would sell crazy good. Could you imagine if Naughty Dog created it. Jeez
While it would be good, it just wouldn't be a fit. Nintendo's games don't mix with Sony or Microsoft's install base.
@Cowboysfan-22
I don't know if ND could make a good Pokemon game. Besides, I'd rather it stick with games like Uncharted, TLoU or do what it does best and come with a brand new IP.
Pokémon would be the only thing worth buying.
@Gamer83 but could you imagine playing a game on PS4 where you are walking through a forest then BAM a wild pokemon pops out and battles you? A first person experience on a console with your pokemon fighting the other Pokemon.
@Jaz007 - You said it so well, but I'm going to ramble on anyway as I originally planned.
That's possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Dump current hardware, port games to rival systems, build new hardware and expect gamers to buy your new hardware and games on your new system when it comes out? How does that make any sense?
I certainly think the arguement can be made that Nintendo should get out of the hardware busines and pull a Sega. Or they can muster on a couple more years and get out 3D U (Wii 3D) sooner rather than later. But they can't abandon Wii U now, port their games, then come out w/ a new home console in a few years. That new console would sell worse than the PSPgo.
Nintendo has a history of poor selling home consoles - N64 and Gamecube - but here they still are. They'll stay the course long enough to release MK8 and SSB and Wii U Music or whatever casual crap they come out w/ next holiday. And then hopefully they'll abandon the home market for a hybrid. They may have great IP, but they don't have enough of them to support both home and handheld games. Their teams keep bouncing back and forth between the 2. Just build a 3DS w/ TV out. Done. Why sell 1 copy of MK8 and SSB for the home when you can sell 2 or 3 or 4 for each household members 3D U?
Considering how big of a flop the Wii U is and is looking to be, it makes fiscal sense... in the short term. I don't know if it's a good idea for Nintendo to hurt its biggest fans by making its software line-up non-exclusive, even if it's just for a few years, though, especially considering how the games would probably be better on PS4 and Xbox One than the Wii U (better graphics, better online, and Nintendo's games still don't really use the gamepad in any fundamental way yet). I doubt many Nintendo fans would be willing to buy another Nintendo home console ever again.
I do think Nintendo should put some of its lineup on other platforms (like VC games on the app store. It'd only have to be NES and SNES. They're simply not a selling point to 3DS and Wii U owners, since there isn't enough coming out). But even if they'd make way more money putting their Wii U lineup on other systems, they'd hurt their biggest fans in the worst way possible.
@Cowboysfan-22
It could be cool I guess. No reason Nintendo couldn't try something like that by itself on the Wii U though. Who knows, that might be just what it needs to get the Wii U to take off.
@rjejr
All I can say is, there's a reason nobody takes Pachter seriously. It's his thing to say negative things about Nintendo and make insane suggestions regarding the company to get people talking. It's beyond pathetic at this point.
This will never happen. Pachter just says crap to get his name into articles.
That could work (not!), or, and I'm jist spit-balling here, actual third parites could expand to the Wii U and stop lying about install base and power. PS360 having a cross generation multiplatform game that Wii U does not have makes no sense when:
A: at the time Nintendo needed their help the most, they complained about a missing install base and lack of audience, now that Nintendo put out some of their own games their new complaint is that all Nintendo fans want are Nintendo games (not realizing that that is all we get when we get shafted oit of third party support), and
B: even though the Wii U will be overtaken by the PS4, at the time third party support was needed and now the Wii U has the highest 8th generation console count becaise of it's year head start.
The saddest part is that I will get a PS4, but turd party games are not even being considered by me as they are mostly just crappy yearly franchises and/or FPS games, which I dislike. It is not that we Nintendo fans don't like third party support, trust me we love it, but we are akin to variety, eack console gets 1-2 of a specific genre as to not undermine the value of similar titles, whilst thord parties are falling over themselves to make FPS games 6-7 at a time per console per console cycle. It is embarassing.
Seriously, the Vita has been flatlining for twice as long a the Wii U, yet it got most of the third party support missing from the Wii U. If third parties supported Nintendo, like they had pledged to, the Wii U would mot be in dire straits. I think Sony should have held back on the PS4 to rescue the Vita, I mean it will be pretty sad for the little guy when PS4 passes it in sales.
I can't see Nintendo publishing any of its IP on Sony or Microsoft consoles. It would mean the end for Nintendo manufacturing hardware. They're a cash rich company according to reports and can afford th Wii U to tank. What they need to do is invest in more internal studios and come back with a stronger console in around 3 - 4 years time.
I got a Wii U this summer for 200 euros and the only game I have,excluding VC, is an Avengers fighting game. The problem is that most Nintendo games don't appeal to me any more. I got tired of Mario that is mostly the same game for years and from the bland plot and setting in Zelda. In fact the Wii U feels outdated with clunky and slow OS. The only game I really look forward is this X rpg. I really don't see the console recovering. The upcoming games are for Nintendo fans and most of them already have the console.
On 3DS the situation is better although some of my favourite games received an HD edition since no one bought them. I keep buying jap games for it like Layton, Ace Attorney and Pokemon (the only Ninty title I still follow) but after them not so much. Clearly 3DS has a bad screen resolution for today's standards. I really look forward to Layton vs Ace Attorney and some similar jap games that are coming.
Oh Patcher, more proof that you actually doesn't know a single thing about what you speak and just says things to get noticed. You're the Harry Redknapp of video games. How about Sony dump the Vita and release games on the 3DS for a while too, eh? Moron.
@belmont The amount of non-Nintendo gamers who go for Mario Kart is insane. Sure Mario Kart Wii is the biggest selling game of all time or something. That would be a start for recovery but ultimately I fear it's too late.
@Cowboysfan-22 Nintendo said over a decade ago Pokémon would never have a main game released on a home console as it wouldn't make sense. The game is meant for on the move so will never happen.
The wii u could be easily saved, Nintendo own dozens of game studios, get these studios to make games like zombi u ( a new IP, aimed at the core gamer, only on wii u, and uses the pad like it should be used) If you knew a game like this was coming every month aswell as the normal nintendo stuff, the console would fly out the shops.
Nintendo need to show the pad doing more than off tv play, local MP with two screens is great.
Sadly non of the above will be done, and they won't publish there stuff on PS4, so the wii u is sunk.
(now going over to NL, to see the comments on this story over there, should be a laugh!)
I love my Wii U but I am concerned for its future.
I wish Nintendo would pull its head from out of its ass sometimes and get with the times!
If you're all interested and have a spare hour, give the following articles a read.
For me, they show Nintendo as being the shortsighted, single-minded geniuses that they are.
I think first party Nintendo games ported to Sony systems is a great idea for Nintendo. From a purely P&L stance-getting out of the home console business would be the right move for them, as they're seemingly unwilling to get in to a competitive stance with other consoles. Weird really considering the powerhouse SNES vs MegaDrive days.
Anyway, give these a read, the first one is quite long, but very, very informative.
http://www.dromble.com/2014/01/07/dolphin-tale-story-of-gamecube/
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-secret-developers-wii-u-the-inside-story
This is what Nintendo should do http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/01/17/how-becoming-a-third-party-
would never happen, much as id love it. it would save me $300 by not having to buy a wii u (which i was planning on eventually)
thing is, even if the wii u is a complete and utter flop financially for Nintendo, and a "failed" console, it will be in a certain (small) number of homes, and owners will buy Nintendo's great first party games for it, and it'll be a niche console somewhat like gamecube was. Nintendo, with $10 billion in the bank, will live to see another day, and make another system eventually.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/01/17/does-it-really-matter-if-the-wii-u-fails
no they shouldn't Nintendo make great games for their system because they can make it work for it they build their systems round their games, yes they made some mistakes with the WiiU (which is still a great system BTW) but just because the WiiU is doing badly all these people come out of the woodwork and shout doom and gloom, just remember the 3ds was the best selling system last year beating everyone else and Nintendo are more than just the WiiU
Nintendo will be fine anyway because they offer a type of gaming experiance that no one else does and they have never competed with sony or ms, they have always done their own thing
Pokemon I used to love Sega but since they ruined shenmue by not letting go and sushified colonial marines and now won't be sending yakuza west I really am not impressed to say the least. Its a long long way down but Nintendo could learn a few lesson. eg don't drop out of the console market and don't be so reluctant to change. I can see maybe Samsung and in the future China getting into the console market.
I've got a PS4 and a Wii U (Santa said I was really good this year), personally I think its a great little machine and I'm happy with the combo that I have. It sucks that they're having such a hard time, as I'm convinced there is some potential within the box to give us some really great games... time will tell I'm sure, but the numbers as of late have been pretty bleak. Still, Smash Bros and Mario Kart this year, something to look forward to!!!
WiiU is great, but greatness doesn't mean market viable, as I say, read the articles I linked to above to understand how Nintendo work.
I remember when similar statements were made during the GameCube days.. And then the Wii came out and outsold both consoles... Just because one system isn't doing that great doesn't mean Nintendo should just give up on hardware. They just need to see their current mistakes and try to fix them ASAP or at least by the time the next console launches.
@rastamadeus
I only joke around about this because there's not a chance in hell it'll ever happen but my wallet certainly wouldn't mind if Sony and Nintendo put their past dealings behind and teamed up with Sony handling the majority of the home console business and Nintendo obviously doing what it does on the portable side.
@zeldagaymer93
That's why this 'Nintendoomed' stuff is hilarious. GC sold a mere 23 mil units but Nintendo had the GBA so it didn't matter. This time it has 3DS and on top of that I don't think, when its all said and done, that the Wii U will end up selling as few units as GC did.
@KALofKRYPTON Wouldn't work. Nintendo make their systems for their games. How could they do, say, Link's sword attacks in Skyward Sword on PS3 and make it comfortable? They couldn't. If - if! - Nintendo ever went third party it wouldn't be as easy as people think for them to just port over all their games, especially the ones in the last ten years or so. But the one thing Patcher and his ilk don't like to mention is that Nintendo aren't actually in trouble in any way, they can lose the same amount of money for the next thirty-forty years and still be fine. But saying that doesn't get you a "NINTENDO ARE DOOMED" grabbing headline does it?
@Gamer83 In an ideal world that would be perfect. But in an ideal world Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone would be constantly sleeping with me with my future wife's blessing. If one of them comes true I hope it's the latter!! Haha.
@rastamadeus Consoles are, generally made at a loss. The licensing fees and revenue from games are what makes consoles profitable for the first few years, a lack of uptake on the WiiU hardware impacts that greatly. It has an effect on investor mentality .
The niche carved with the Wii isn't viable anymore, and Nintendo themselves have muddied the water and confused their casual market.
I'm not saying they're doomed, but they really need to evaluate their practices and market view.
Again, read the articles, especially the first!
Pffft Pachter knows nothing
I'm a huge fan of Nintendo hardware. It's not just the games, it's the creative and unique ways in which they are played, too. They're never afraid to try the next big thing. Some innovations are less successful than others, but all of them have added to my personal gaming experience, and I'm thankful for each and every console made. Yeah, Nintendo's got some work to do with the Wii U, but as a gamer, I'll leave that to them and continue enjoying the system for what it is, and it really is a great system.
The Wii U and 3DS provide me with one half of the greatest games on the market- the Nintendo games and games exclusive to the systems. The PS4 and Vita will be providing me with the other half of the greatest games on the market- the western AAA and 3rd party gems. I really couldn't imagine being a gamer and limiting myself to only one half, or one console. If this is gonna be a hobby, I wanna experience everything, and miss nothing. I'll be grabbing Steambox and X1 down the line, but those can wait for now since Sony and Nintendo cover a pretty big majority of the games I'm interested in.
@rjejr They're not abandoning anything. Wii U will be fine. People are schitzing over low sales like it's the end of the world. It's this panic mentality that is distorting reality. The Wii U has already sold 5.3 million consoles. In just over a year. And I think we would all agree that its' worst days are behind it. As the library continues to fill out, as more people are informed of it's existence, sales will continue to see improvement. So, EVEN IF it only mustered an average of 3 million sales a year for the next 5 years, it will STILL hit GC numbers. And nobody freaked out over that. It wasn't impressive, but it wasn't tragic either. And neither is the Wii U.
Forget changing course to improve sales. I can tell you right now, this is what's going to happen: Nintendo will just continue pumping out great 1st party games for the next 5 years, and then they'll release a new console again holiday season 2018. Wii U will sell somewhere between the Gamecube and N64, unless something unexpected happens which drastically increases demand. Nintendo's not going to abandon anything, nor should they, nor do I want them to as a gamer. Wii U really is a great console, whether it's selling well or not. PS4 and X1 will surely sell twice what the Wii U does, but who cares? I know I don't. I just play games- I hold no stock in any of these companies.
@JaxonH - Always with the well reasoned arguments
The only thing I would add to this Wii U = Gamecube thread is historical perspective. Yes the Gamecube only sold 23mil, but so did the Xbox at that time, so they were basically in a tie for 2nd while the PS2 crushed everybody. And the Gamecube was a follow-up to the N64 which at 32mil didn't sell a whole lot better than the Gamecube. And this was after the dot.com bubble burst and we all survived so people felt a sigh of relief.
Now the world is still recovering from the great recession, and the Wii U is looking like it could be far behind in 3rd place behind the PS4 and X1 in units sold. And Nintendo is coming off of a generation w/ the Wii where they dominated the home console market. Shareholders don't like to support losers in 3rd place throwing away 1st place dominance. I dont think shareholders are as in forgiving of a mood now supporting a 3rd place system as they were in 2005 supporting a tie for 2nd.
I don't think you can just say, well the Wii U is selling as many as the Gmaecube so it's all good. It ins't all good unless you take in the context of the gaming world. If X1 and PS4 sell as poorly as the Wii U, then it's fine, but if those two manage to sell well, then shareholders get uneasy. And they are ultimately the boss.
@rjejr
But here's the ringer- console sales don't equal profit. PS3 is proof of that. 80 million consoles sold and Sony still lost money. Gamecube had 23 million sold and Nintendo made money. There are other factors to consider besides how well a console sells in relation to the competition. Factors like, is the console being sold at a loss? If so, how much? How many millions are being spent on advertising? Or how many millions were saved by NOT advertising? How much does game development cost? How many copies need to sell to post a profit? How many profitable games were developed? Etc, etc, etc...
There are infinite factors playing into profitability. Yes, more console sales are a good thing, but Nintendo spends exponentially less money on game development, exponentially less on advertising, exponentially less on online infrastructure and server maintenance, and sells exponentially more 1st party titles, because their consoles are based around their own games, not 3rd party.
Sony and MS most likely will sell many more consoles. But, that doesn't mean Nintendo isn't a profitable investment. Investors don't care about a console war that doesn't exist in the first place. They care about TR - TC, or in layman's terms, total revenue minus total costs. And one thing Nintendo is consistent with, is posting profits.
Now, none of this should matter to us. Sales bore me to death, and I hate talking about them. Unless the company is in financial ruin and is going to stop making games, this stuff is irrelevant. PS4 will hail many great games, regardless of Sony's financial status. Wii U will hail many great games, regardless of Nintendo's financial status.
@KALofKRYPTON I read them, hence my reply saying it won't happen, work or be a good idea. Sadly a lot of this "Nintendo should go third party" rubbish is from people who just don't want to/can't afford to buy a second console but want the games that Nintendo make.
I'd be happier if Sony became a third party and started to make games for Nintendo. Nintendo games just wouldn't be the same without a Nintendo console.
@JaxonH - No fair tacking that last "sales bore me" paragraph on there after I already have a reply in my head I need to get out.
It's not about the "console war" per se, it's about as you said making a profit. Which Nintendo said would be 100B this year, but they now changed that to a 25B LOSS.
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/01/nintendo_confirms_major_reductions_in_sales_and_financial_projections
They predicted 9m in sales but changed that to 2.8m. It doesn't help if you make a profit on each unit SOLD if you manufacture 9m but only sell 2.8. That's 6m UNSOLD units sitting in warehouses, no profit there, that's a big loss on every console not sold. And if they do continue to sell 3m per year like you mentioned, that means they wouldn't need to build any more for 2 years. If they stopped production on Wii U even for a year that would make news and kill the console, regardless of what games are due out. Even if Nintendo were smart and only built 6m to go w their 9m prediction that's still 3m sitting in warehouses so they could shut down production for 6 months and still have a 1 year supply.
They told investors 9m Wii U and 38m game sales, cut Wii U to 2.8 - nearly 70% less, and software 19m so an even 50% less. What will investors think about next years "projections"? Will investors want to invest in hardware that doesn't sell and games that don't sell b/c nobody owns the hardware to play them on? Nintendo needs to plan for supply, manufacturing, distribution. How do they do that being off by so much and do investors stick w/ them?
Nintendo needs a good Nintendo Direct w/ release dates for Mario Kart 8, SSB, Bayonetta 2. Then they need to convince investors Jan 30th that the Wii U will sell enough to sell their software and that they can make realistic projections. I can easily imagine the Wii U being discontinued in spring 2015 if they only sell 3m this year.
I know you are excited for DK next month, but it wont sell a lot of Wii U in Feb. If however MK8 has a March date and Bayonetta 2 April and SSB May, then DK would get the ball rolling for a very good year, but not on it's own. But I don't expect MK8 until April or May and SSB until Q3.
I'ld hate to be Iwata Jan 30th unless he has some surprise good news to share. .
@rjejr
You worry for nothing. They'll be fine. They don't manufacture 9m consoles at once just because they project that many sales. They produce "as needed". Even so, the day that extra inventory in a warehouse kills a console, is the day we might as well throw our controllers into the sea. Trust me, you're overanalysing this stuff. There are ALWAYS investors. Always. The media is overplaying this stuff. Sony's been making losses for years, and they're just fine. Really, there is nothing to worry about. The media wants to make it seem like this is a really big deal, and don't get me wrong it's not exactly GOOD news by any means, but this isn't the first time a business has posted an annual loss, and it certainly wont' be the last. I really can't stress the fact Sony's been posting losses over the last 8 years enough, and have a console that's doing worse than the Wii U (7 million sold in TWO years for Vita vs 5.3 million is ONE year for Wii U). And Sony's fine. They're not losing investors, the Vita's not "dead" from extra inventory in a Warehouse. No, they're fine. And Vita's making a comeback. So is Nintendo, and so is the Wii U.
Sales projections are just a hope- a goal if you will. Not a promise. Investors stick with Nintendo because they VERY RARELY don't post profits. They're reliable. But even Nintendo, even the most reliable companies, have off-years. It's business, it happens. They stick with them because statistically, Nintendo is a good investment. And they know it can pay off big. Investing is risk/reward, and some investments are more risky than others. But trust me on this, you needn't worry about Nintendo finding investors. There are always people willing to take the risk, especially when they know how big it can pan out. Besides, stockholders are in it for the long term profit. It doesn't matter if Nintendo posted a small loss last year, because they're looking forward 5, 10 years from now.
The Wii U's worst days are behind it. As the library fills out, and popularity increases, it will continue to perform better. BUT, even if it didn't, and even without a single investor, Nintendo has enough money in the bank, CASH ON HAND, to operate at a 25 billion yen loss for another 50 consecutive years straight. And we all know that's not going to happen. If you're curious how I came to that conclusion, well, 25 billion yen is only 239 million US. With 12 billion on hand, if you do the math, that's enough for exactly 50 years straight. That's not counting assets or investor dollars. So like I said, don't worry.
This is why I think it's foolish for the media to shove investment analysis down the throats of gamers, who really don't have a breadth of understanding when it comes to this kind of stuff. We don't need to follow sales trends, or financial statuses, or look at EBITDA data, or profits/losses, or any of that stuff. Nintendo, Sony and certainly Microsoft are corporate giants, and it would take an act of God for any one of these three to go down in flames. I just turned 30 years old. Nintendo could repeat Wii U sales of 2013 every year until I'm 80 and in a wheelchair, and still wouldn't be out of business. So I'd advise everyone to take a deep breath, relax, and stop worrying about nothing.
@JaxonH - "You worry for nothing."
My new years resolution was glass half empty, rather than simply empty.
I'm not worried about Nintendo, they own Mario, I'm worried about playing new 3rd party games on my Wii U over the next 5 years. My kids really enjoy Lego and Skylanders. Will companies port w/ 3m sales each year? Will Nintendo keep making Wii U and games if sales drop below 3m this year? I don't own Nintendo stock, I own a Wii U. (And a Dreamcast, which had some of the best games I ever played and don't regret buying it, but I do wish it had lasted a few more years.)
BTW, your arguments do make a lot of sense, but I also drive a Saturn. It's a 10 year old car and it runs great, no regrets, but it's hard to buy a new one.
I'll be happier after the next ND and we get some dates. It should be this week or next, cant imagine they wouldn't want some good news out there ASAP.
@rjejr
Gotchya.
Well, 3rd party AAA is gonna be thin, real thin. But we all knew that already. Nintendo consoles don't specialize in those games> that's Sony and MS strength. But games like Skylanders and LEGO and stuff actually sell more on the ORIGINAL Wii than any other console, believe it or not. The Nintendo fanbase, unfortunately, doesn't buy AAA in large enough numbers, but games like those, games like Rayman Legends, games like Sonic Lost World.... those games sell. So I wouldn't be too concerned.
As for Nintendo themselves, if there's one guarantee I can give you, it's that Nintendo will back the Wii U come hell or high water, for the entire span of the generation. Wii U and Dreamcast are completely different. Dreamcast was affected by SEGA getting out of the console business. The console would have had a long life otherwise. Nintendo is not SEGA. The two situations aren't even close.
What we have here, is a millionaire who just lost a $10 bill. And people worrying that millionaire can't pay his rent now because of it. Wii U is not doing that bad. It's on track to sell just as much as Gamecube and N64. That's normal for Nintendo. Now, it had a very rough 9 months last year, but even so, it's not going to do worse than other past consoles. When I say this is being blown way out of proportion, I mean it.
Nintendo won't stop backing the console. There's no reason to. There are games selling millions of copies on Wii U. NSMBU is approaching 2 million sold. Super Mario 3D World is well over a million sold already. Even Wii Party U looks like it's going to break 1 million sold. The console is selling, and Nintendo's games are selling. Slowly, but it's getting there. But even if they weren't, abandoning support for Wii U would be suicide. Reason being, no one would ever trust buying a Nintendo console again, because they'd wonder if support will be chopped in the future. If there's absolutely one thing you can bank on, it's Nintendo supporting Wii U. You have nothing to worry about as far as Nintendo games or games for younger audiences go. Can't promise you anything by way of AAA support, but hey, nobody really buys a Wii U for that anyways. That's why we have PS4 (not that I'm against AAA games- on the contrary, the more the better- it's just that they're more of a luxurious bonus than an expected commodity when it comes to Nintendo hardware)
I know the media's been doing a real number on the fanbase lately, but you can relax friend. Suffering an annual loss isn't the end of the world. I would have been surprised if Nintendo DIDN'T take a loss after such a weak 9 months for Wii U last year. The media doesn't get clicks when they tell it how it is. Nobody is interested in hearing "Nintendo suffered an annual loss, but they'll be fine". That doesn't garner as much attention. But an edgy headline with a hell of a lot of spin that says "Nintendo suffers loss, will they go bankrupt? Will they stop making consoles? Will they abandon their home console market?" THAT brings in the views. Unfortunately, journalists would rather feed the masses a bunch of highly spun garbage and get clicks, than tell it how it is and be ignored. Taking a loss is never a good thing, and Wii U definitely has a lot of room for improvement, but the console isn't going anywhere. And neither is Nintendo or their games. If anything, they'll start ramping up production to fill out the library quicker.
@JaxonH - Maybe Iwata can fly you to Japan for his investor meeting Jan 30th.
It is too bad that the reality is doom and gloom always makes better press than optimism - I'm so sick of 2012, took me all of 2013 to get it out of my system, and the zombie apocalypse and "preppers". Pachter is always going to get his headlines and comments, nobody wants to hear "fine and dandy".
@rjejr
Haha, I don't think I'd be of much help to them. Or any of us for that matter. I trust they'll figure it out though, one way or another. That's their job.
So, it's Pachter's fault that all the idiotic fanboys started screaming that nonsense about coercing Nintendo to abandon the Wii U and develop games for the PS4 and XBO. Far as I'm concerned, he knows nothing. Microsoft probably paid him off to say that gibberish.
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