Wedbush Securities' analyst skeptical of Nintendo's new console, says company won't get "lucky" again; claims Activision and others pressured firm into developing Pro Controller.
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has offered some harsh words about Nintendo's forthcoming Wii U console, saying during a Develop Conference presentation last week (via Edge) that the system plainly "isn't going to work."
"I don’t get it," he said. "I think that essentially this is a solution in search of a problem. I mean, somebody had an idea--'let's make the controller a tablet'--and there aren't many games that are going to take advantage of that."
Pachter also claimed that Activision and publishers of other major franchises pressured Nintendo into developing the Wii U Pro Controller, a more traditional gamepad.
"Activision never said anything to me," he explained, "but I know that [for] big games like Call Of Duty they said, 'No, we're not putting it on there if you don't give us a conventional controller'. So they gave in."
Pachter had little faith in the original Wii at launch in 2006, calling the system "gimmicky." That system exploded with regards to popularity upon launch, and is currently the top-selling current-generation console. Pachter admitted this was true, but claimed that Nintendo's success will not be repeated.
"[The Wii] worked, they got lucky, [but] I don't think they're getting lucky with Wii U," he said. "I don't think they suck. I just think that they really believe that, 'If we're still novel, everything we do will work'. This isn't going to work. Hardcore gamers will buy them; hardcore Nintendo fanboys will buy it. They could put out a piece of cardboard and say that it'll play Mario and they'll buy it."
The Wii U is due out worldwide this holiday season.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Again, with the smear campaign. When was the last time they had an article saying "Wii U looks awesome" or "Wii U going to be a hardcore system?" Seriously. This guy doesn't even give a solid argument, he's just babbling opinionated nonsense. "Activision didn't say anything, but they totally made Nintendo make a Pro controller." "It won't work. The controller is stupid, and it won't work. I don't like it."
I'm also a bit skeptical of Nintendo's chances on this, but this Pachter guy thinks WiiU is going to sell to hardcore gamers as a primary audience? ... I understand that definitions of terms like "hardcore gamer" can get a bit fuzzy... but ... no.
1 Like @Michael83917 you do realize that it was only with the Wii that Nintendo targeted the casual userbase, right? Before the Wii(and mobile gaming), there was no clear line between hardcore and casual markets. Unless you were looking at Gameboy+GBA vs Tiger games and N Gage... Casual gamers will be content with their Wiis, which means Nintendo has to get back in the fight for the core gamer. And with titles like Assassin's Creed 3, Arkham City: AE and ZombiU, they'll be off to a retty good start.
Pachter should be forced to provide a disclaimer with every official comment he makes.
(What Ever I Say Will Undoubtedly Turn Out T Be The Exact Opposite).
Could get tricky with stock options, but should be pretty easy to work out for gaming...
Bring on the Wii, U & everyone else - YAHTZE!
I wish that Michael Pachter didn't work. That's if the pathetic part he has to play in society can actually be considered 'work'.
I'd like to meet him face to face so I can tell him what a huge D bag he is. How does this guy even have a job?
Well I personally think that it will sell quite well but many will regret getting it. I personally wont get it. Back when I was at college by roomie had a WII. It was fun for around 5-6 hours. Next month he sold it because it was just a big dust collector after that. Good for children I suppose, to be interactive (clumsily) with games and all that, but for me its just..not good. I really prefer having just a normal controller or keyboard+mouse. Its how I like to play my games.
Y'know, I'm usually the one defending Michael Pachter, but that's just drivel. I had major reservations about slapping a touchscreen on a handheld. It turned out to be the biggest thing since sliced bread. Frankly, I think they did the console a disservice associating it with the Wii rather than calling it something like DS Home(or something catchier, but still branded DS). Because that's what it is. And just like the original DS, it'll take some time for developers to figure out how to use it, and other devs more time to figure our how to NOT use it, but when it gets over the inevitable Year One Blues stage, it will bring the respect back for Big N in the console space.
@El_Zo1212o It's not a DS, because of two main and obvious reasons as follows, mate!
1) It's a console not a handheld, all the guts of the machine doe's not originate from the controller, at all. At the end of the day it's a very well crafted controller, nothing more, nothing less...
2) Place your LCD, LED, HDTV or SDTV on hinges connected to the controller and notice, it is not a DS, it's just to heavy to carry around. And not to mention none of the above Tv's take AA's, that I know of...
But ultimately you are correct, they should have given it a more deserving name, just because all the peripherals are backward compatible does not mean it has to be associated with Wii in any way, but son't tell Nintendo that!
@Rinslowe I'm aware it isn't a handheld, which is why I suggested "DS *HOME*" or something similar. It's a dual screen home console.
I'm surprised that anyone can actually agree with this guy. Even if you think the Wii will fail, I find it hard to agree with him, personally. His reasoning were quite dumb, and, for your own sake, you shouldn't agree with one who says that the success of a console (thereby proving him wrong) was a "fluke". That reeks of opinion not based on any sort of fact, and as an analyst, that should be an immediate red flag to us.
I probably won't buy the WiiU but I'm not ready to call it dead on arrival. Let it play and see how it does. What the hell good does it do to call it a failure before you even get your hands on it?
This comment has been deleted
1 Like this guy sounds like a weatherman, hes gunna get paid even tho he has no clue what hes talking about.
@blackothh Difference there is that a weather man (a good one) will at least have the homework done for him, and the answered presented in front of him.
1 Like @LinkLuigi apparently gamespot does not like me calling this dude a foul name, been deleted 2x now
I say, everyone who reads this buy a Wii U within the first month of release, and hopefully put Pachter out of a job!
1 Like And the award for "most nonsensical boycott game plan" goes to...*drum roll*.........Razer361!!! come on up for your five finger Rick James award! ..........SLAP!
5 Like Ironically, I think the Wii U's biggest flaw is not that it's gimmicky or that the newness won't sell units like it did with the Wii. Instead, the fundamental problem is that Nintendo has done such a poor job of differentiating it from the original Wii. The vast majority of laymen think the Wii U is simply a controller add-on for the Wii, and the fact that the system itself looks almost identical and uses Wii Remotes doesn't help.
When you've got a system with the same name that also looks the same as the previous model, you have a problem. It doesn't help that the Wii U will, at best, have price parity with the PS3 and 360 (but will likely be more expensive), yet have much less value-added features - BLU-RAY playback, etc.
When I look at the Wii U, I see a system that barely competes with the PS3 and 360 in terms of game support, online functionality, and multimedia support. A controller with a screen isn't exactly a huge selling point to me, especially since I already have an iPad and I generally am averse to gaming on anything that resembles a tablet.
I feel like the Wii U is jumping on a perceived bandwagon in the same way the Vita did - it's trying to merge the tablet/smartphone market with gaming. That's not exactly going well for the Vita right now.
Gods damn this man, I really don't get this why bash a console because its a game-play console instead of shiny pictures, like reading the Iliad and saying it sucked, just because there were no coloured pictures in it.
Some people like a game for pure game-play (me included) and don't care for the sceit that big producers pump out each year...
So keep at it Nintendo and all you Indie game-makers.
You've got my support.
2 Like "[The Wii] worked, they got lucky" That's hilarious, he thinks the success of a console was completely a fluke. The fact that this guy gets paid to pull this crap out from under him blows my mind.
Is Wii U supposed to be a next gen console or a new handheld? If its a next gen console, I laugh as it is no competition for CURRENT gen consoles, let alone next gen. If its a handheld, there's no reason for the 3ds and no reason for the Wii U because the PS Vita has pretty much all that the Wii U apparently has to offer, except for the flagship Nintendo games. But then again, Mario versus Nathan Drake? Not to mention that even the PS Vita will have more of the mainstream gaming market, as its confirmed that Call of Duty, Bioshock, and Street Fighter x Tekken will have their own Vita counter-part. I agree with him, the Wii U will sell because of its fanboys. Otherwise, its just a last gen tablet with Mario. And now comes the hate...
1 Like Jesus, do your homework kid. The Wii U isn't a handheld, it's a console that uses a tablet controller, and will have a traditional controller for those who wish to use one. As for competing with current gen consoles, it may or may not, but it will certainly have all of the graphical and processing capabilities to compete with them. I'm not a Nintendo fanboy, i didn't really like the Wii (but I do own one) cuz it had little to offer to me as a core gamer, but I do enjoy a select few games Nintendo makes. I will say this however - this is the console that Nintendo should've made in the first place. Obviously due to technology constraints, their controller probably wouldn't have been a tablet, but there's no reason their graphics and processing chip couldn't have been just as powerful as the Wii U. Lastly, you're right about only one thing, this CONSOLE can't compete with next gen consoles, so if this is their next gen console, then Nintendo's in trouble. But don't hate on Nintendo just for the purpose of hating - it's childish.
um...the definition of a handheld is anything that you...(brace for it)...hold in your hand. You hold the Wii U in your hand genius. Thus it is a handheld. maybe you should think before you lash out on others yourself "kid"
Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and agree with El_Zo1212o and myself in that your logic is about as solid as fart gas. You don't sound very intelligent, so I'll try and dumb things down for ya. The Wii U is NOT the tablet controller, it's the little, white box that you put the game disc in. Get your facts straight before you try to step to the big boys - you'll only get yourself hurt.
@Gravity_Slave @ooblah umm... the definition of a handheld is a unit that doesn't require a home console component. As you cannot insert the games into the controller, and it will not function outside a certain range from the home console, it is NOT a handheld. Better luck next time, pal. By your definition, every home console ever made is a handheld as the controller is always held in one's hand.
@ooblah agreed, what bothers me is why nintendo release a currenty gen hardware when they could kill the market for sony/microsoft with a "next gen" console...
what I mean is that the Tech Specs of the wii U are better than current Xbox360 or PS3, but far from a PC gamer PC... (when the PS3 was release a PC was unable to match it, or could but it will cost way more than the ps3 BACK then. )
@linuxg100 Actually this is wrong, when the ps3, and 360 launched there were plenty of higher end PCs that would match, and surpass both the 360, and ps3.
The correct statement, and its still pushing it, was: at the time of those consoles it was hard to get a gaming pc that would beat them, for the "same price."
Do you realize that if they released a console that was truly more powerful than any high-end gaming pc that it would cost more than any console has in history, including the 3DO that was over $1000.
1 Like Well normally I buy Nintendo consoles for games like Mario, the Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, but I daresay that if Nintendo does NOT create a console capable of bringing me EVERY watered down, mediocre COD sequel on the market so's some microcephalic 12 year old special ed child drop out can spit racial slurs at me while playing multipla...ahhh hahahaha I can't even go on. Bringing up COD to prove your point against Nintendo's future success? If this pseudo intellectual chimp were to be paid for his inane gibberings in used napkins what spilled from an Arby's dumpster, he'd STILL be getting paid too much.
Seriously though...COD in a Nintendo discussion. What a fing champ. *wipes a tear from the corner of his eye*
1 Like First off, I don't know why the mention of the name Michael Pachter causes so many of you gamers to go into fits. Is it because you disagree with his "analyses" or because he actually gets paid to do it? I'm always interested to hear the opinions of insiders...it doesn't hurt my feelings or invalidate me as a pesron just because his ideas conflict with my own.
As far as Nintendo's "luck" goes, I think it could go either way. The Nintendo DS was novel, but the transition to the 3DS hasn't been as smooth. Sadly, some of the same problems that kept devs off the DS are keeping them away from the 3DS...adding a 3D element didn't do much to make things better, so the games have been slow to trickle out.
Lots of people had fun with their Wiis, but for many folks that time has passed. Nintendo might still be able to capture some loyalists if the price is low enough...getting a new console while still being able to play older games does have value, regardless of what Sony and Microsoft now say about it. But Pachter is right about this much--the XBOX 360 + PlayStation 3 + PC trifecta works so well because devs can assume a certain baseline of processing power and physical controls. Anything too far outside that norm means more time (and money) writing code, which eats into profits. For many games on the Wii, that effort was not deemed worthwhile...why would anybody assume the Wii U will be different?
Making the tablet controller an option is a good idea, but many devs will say stick with the standard 14-button / two-stick controller we all use and make it easier for us to port our games.
1 Like @theKSMM Because if anyone else failed at their jobs as much as he does they'd be fired... Yet somehow he's getting payed to plaster his guesswork around the internet and have it be known as 'profesional'
Saying that the WIiU wont work, just because Nintendo can't possibly prove his 'Profesional oppinion' wrong twice is not something that should be newsworthy or payed for.
The Wii failed because it sold loads and got lots of people into gaming that didn't even bat an eyelid at it before, but because "hardcore gamers" don't like it, it's fine to suggest it was a waste.
If his oppinions were kept to himself and not stuffed down my ethernet cable on a regular basis I probably wouldn't care anymore about his oppinions than most of the crappy opinions you find in most gamespot comments, but while it is, I'm going to continue being annoyed by it.
1 Like @theKSMM The problem as I see it are 2 things.One is Almost 4 times a month Gamespot posts articles with this guys troll opinions. Why are they more valid than any one elses opinion? He has no information so far that everyone else doesnt have, and he has no new information or inside information, so his is an uninformed opinion so its sort of like saying im supposed to take this guys opinion and agree with him because he feels Nintendo will fail. The problem is Im not anti Nintendo,Microsoft or Sony. I dont take sides and I really feel the gaming media shouldnt either because it compromises their credibility especially when they do stuff like reviews also.The posing needs to stop cause it seriously doesnt add anything to the articles nor does it even sound right for a supposed analyst to come to predetermined conclusions based on 0 information period!
@IanNottinghamXif you haven't figured out that he's doing his job then nothing is going to help you... IT'S HIS EFFING JOB! He gets paid to analyze and give his educated opinion on something that he shares some of this with the general public is because he loves the industry. /rage
4 Like @Vegeta-sama It being his job or not is not the point First of all his job isnt to carelessly throw around opinions dogmatically. That's not what analyst does nor is it what they are supposed to do. Theyre supposed to weigh the facts objectively. Hes not even giving his opinion based on facts at all hes pulling stuff out his ass and thats why he deserves to get dumped on.
1 Like That would be you opinion...it's his job to do this... if your job is to load freight on a truck that's what you do if it's to do what he does then that's what you do... are you going to always load the freight on the truck with 100 percent accuracy? No... is he always right no... he's still one of the best... he doesn't claim to KNOW the future he's giving you his best guess based on trends and other factors.
2 Like @Vegeta-sama thats irrelevant to my point.Hes very BAD at his Job is what Im saying VERY VERY BAD!
1 Like The only games I am interested in playing on the U that might possibly come out are first party titles that I can't get on another system. All of which would play better with a traditional contoller and since they are Nintendo titles, the chances of them having traditional support are approx less than a snowballs chance in hell.
Not even remotely interested.
Well, as long as the Wii U sells better than GC, Nintendo should be fine. Because if they can get a killer app with tablet functionality on it, like "Pokemon Online" we'll see it sell like hotcakes.
1 Like I agree with him. Nintendo has yet to give any reason as to why the WiiU's controller is like that, and will probably be a pain to programme games to. I honestly think it will bomb. Nintendo is also to being the best in promoting the system pre-launch, like not giving price or release date at this point.
4 Like I love how much stock Gamespot puts in this patcher guy who is an obvious troll it really says a lot about their own credibility overall. Why is his opinion any more important than any other troll he doesnt even have any information noone else has its just his opinion....and this deserves its own column why?????
2 Like "Hardcore gamers will buy them; hardcore Nintendo fanboys will buy it. They could put out a piece of cardboard and say that it'll play Mario and they'll buy it" Speculate all you want Pachter (I'm still in disbelief in why it's even a job), but refrain from comments like this. It's far from professional, it's insulting.
4 Like Console makers don't drive innovation. Developers drive innovation.
Nintendo doesn't innovate. Niether did Microsoft or Sony. Minecraft inovated, so did Limbo, Braid, Frozen Synapse, Spaz, Endless Space, STALKER, Mirror's Edge, Left 4 Dead.
I could go on, but the bottom line is: Console makers should make their money, not by selling the consoles, but by licensing developer tools, and collecting development royalties.
It should not be the console maker saying "hey developers, this is how we are going to make our consoles. Now shut-up, and make your game so it fits with our hardware"
That's not innovation, that is streamlining development to a single company.
It should be "hey developers, we want to make a console that you will be eager to make games for. Here are some accessible developer tools, flexible hardware, and specs that are powerful enough for complex gameplay engines and graphics engines."
[UPDATE] Retailers Amazon, Target, and Best Buy offer first look at packaging for upcoming Wii U software; Nintendo confirms design.
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