The Wii U Is In Danger, Will We See a Price Cut?

January numbers are out and the Wii U only sold 55k consoles in a 5 week month.

Nintendo has a huge problem on it's hands, this is no longer "games are on the way" this is "something needs to change fast".

Nintendo has never had a console fail this badly in it's history, most other companies have never had a console fail this badly.

I frown upon using the names of other devices on here but let's just say that there's something outselling the Wii U in multiplats and it rhymes with PITA

So what needs to be done?

We've already seen the new value bundle but that's not enough.

Nintendo needs to set up a program to reward the early adopters and then slash 100 dollars off the Wii U, it also needs to move it's first party games to the Wii price level for new software.

What else could they possibly do? Don't say "wait for games" by the time that happens most third parties will have jumped ship and the damage will be done. The Gamecube will seem like a rousing success compared to the Wii U if this doesn't change fast. We're talking a disaster of Virtual Boy proportions.

So anyone have any interesting ideas on how this can be made better?

this isnt system wars...

 

KBFloYd

Nope, it's not, that's why only the Wii U was mentioned

Also I'm not saying anything negative about the console, I'm saying what's happening right now and how they can fix it.

Total agreement, the 3DS was dead in the water too and Nintendo turned on panic mode and drastically reduced the price and dumped games onto the system. Excellent sales and third party games followed. Wii U is in a similar situation now, they seriously need to get on it.WreckEm711

I agree, they've seen this play out with their own hardware before.

The main thing is to reward the early adopters as well, set a date when early adopters will be able to get free games. They'd see a swell of sales then and then they would stay somewhat steady.

The idea that nothing is done and we just wait for games means that more and more third party devs and publishers wont want to put their games on the Wii U because of poor sales.

Nope, it's not, that's why only the Wii U was mentioned

Also I'm not saying anything negative about the console, I'm saying what's happening right now and how they can fix it.

Jaysonguy

this does nothing for the wii forum except bashing, trolling, and name calling.
your talking about sales.

this is a topic straight out of system wars. 

mods don't let him get away with this. please

let him go to system wars if he really wants to talk about this.

Look at the 3DS for reference on what they can do. Slow launch, year and half later games were there, outselling the competition 8 to 1.

So it is a simple case of "wait for games", because you can't be so critical on a console so early in its life.

Give it another year and make this thread again if this is still the case, and we can talk.

/thread. 

Look at the 3DS for reference on what they can do. Slow launch, year and half later games were there, outselling the competition 8 to 1.

So it is a simple case of "wait for games", because you can't be so critical on a console so early in its life.

Give it another year and make this thread again if this is still the case, and we can talk.

/thread. 

trugs26

Did you mean to neglect mentioning the huge price cut that happened there?

[QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

Nope, it's not, that's why only the Wii U was mentioned

Also I'm not saying anything negative about the console, I'm saying what's happening right now and how they can fix it.

KBFloYd

this does nothing for the wii forum except bashing, trolling, and name calling.
your talking about sales.

this is a topic straight out of system wars. 

mods don't let him get away with this. please

let him go to system wars if he really wants to talk about this.

[QUOTE="trugs26"]

Look at the 3DS for reference on what they can do. Slow launch, year and half later games were there, outselling the competition 8 to 1.

So it is a simple case of "wait for games", because you can't be so critical on a console so early in its life.

Give it another year and make this thread again if this is still the case, and we can talk.

/thread. 

Jaysonguy

Did you mean to neglect mentioning the huge price cut that happened there?

A price cut would certainly help, but I doubt Nintendo will wind up doing it out of nowhere. Chances are, if they do plan to cut the price at all, they'll probably do it right after E3, where they've hopefully announced some heavy-hitters for this holiday. It would help if there was a game that showed that the Wii U isn't some watered down Xbox or PS3, too. Again, E3 is where Nintendo could really change that.

[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]

[QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

Nope, it's not, that's why only the Wii U was mentioned

Also I'm not saying anything negative about the console, I'm saying what's happening right now and how they can fix it.

Geminon

this does nothing for the wii forum except bashing, trolling, and name calling.
your talking about sales.

this is a topic straight out of system wars. 

mods don't let him get away with this. please

let him go to system wars if he really wants to talk about this.

go back to sonyland troll

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

meetroid8

I think they had the idea from when the Wii launched so many people only played Wii Sports

Having Nintendoland bundled just made people want the franchises they were shown.

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

meetroid8

3DS was a fine example of a failed launch. No games at launch and nothing on the horizon at the time. To make matters worse, it lacked almost all of its features until its update 3-4 months later. However, I'd argue that the WiiU had a decent launch. It sold well in its first month, almost at the Wii's pace. There were the few exclusives and alot of multiplats but they were good ones that weren't expected to show up on a Nintendo console (Mass Effect, Darksiders, AC, Batman and Ninja Gaiden).

Then it got nothing in December,January, and now February. That is the problem now, and Nintendo has to react. Monster Hunter will pick up some slack (in Japan at least), and hopefully LegoCity will help, but it needs more than that. A price cut is risky, considering how Nintendo lost billions of dollars last year because of the 3DS's lackluster performance and price cut.

[QUOTE="meetroid8"]

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

thetravman

3DS was a fine example of a failed launch. No games at launch and nothing on the horizon at the time. To make matters worse, it lacked almost all of its features until its update 3-4 months later. However, I'd argue that the WiiU had a decent launch. It sold well in its first month, almost at the Wii's pace. There were the few exclusives and alot of multiplats but they were good ones that weren't expected to show up on a Nintendo console (Mass Effect, Darksiders, AC, Batman and Ninja Gaiden).

Then it got nothing in December,January, and now February. That is the problem now, and Nintendo has to react. Monster Hunter will pick up some slack (in Japan at least), and hopefully LegoCity will help, but it needs more than that. A price cut is risky, considering how Nintendo lost billions of dollars last year because of the 3DS's lackluster performance and price cut.

Oh wait, Monster Hunter is already out in Japan. My bad.

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

meetroid8

I said well before I bought two launch Wii U's that it was going to have a price cut this year, so I still maintain that stance.

I predicted though that drop would happen at the second half of this year, near the next machine launches.

[QUOTE="meetroid8"]

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

thetravman

3DS was a fine example of a failed launch. No games at launch and nothing on the horizon at the time. To make matters worse, it lacked almost all of its features until its update 3-4 months later. However, I'd argue that the WiiU had a decent launch. It sold well in its first month, almost at the Wii's pace. There were the few exclusives and alot of multiplats but they were good ones that weren't expected to show up on a Nintendo console (Mass Effect, Darksiders, AC, Batman and Ninja Gaiden).

Then it got nothing in December,January, and now February. That is the problem now, and Nintendo has to react. Monster Hunter will pick up some slack (in Japan at least), and hopefully LegoCity will help, but it needs more than that. A price cut is risky, considering how Nintendo lost billions of dollars last year because of the 3DS's lackluster performance and price cut.

About time people start making sense rather than spouting fanboy nonsense. Well done.

Like he said 3DS had virtually no games at launch, now it has lots of them, a realistic price, and it is the top selling system worldwide every week now for months. Wii U had a pretty good launch, just there has been next to nothing released for it since then. It's price is good considering the Gamepad costs almost half as much (in Japan at least). Im guessing this year Ninty might drop the prices to 249$/299$ perhaps in response to PS4/720 announcements and details.

So the Wii U dwindling because of price is moot. It has not got any new good games. More is coming soon, this summer, and later in the year. Gosh these fanboys these days. 

For perspective it took the PS3 well over a year to finally start moving units at a reasonable pace. It had the disadvantages of being super expensive and lack of good games from the onset. Also a certain other portable is floundering too: okay launch, okay price considering the specs, but next to nothing for games, and it's selling worse worldwide than everything else, including its predecessor.

The WiiU just needs some great games released, as it's going to be fairly dry for a while. I was hoping for some in-house digital only games for the Nintendo EShop to suffice the market for now but nothing is going on in that department either.

Personally I have not bought one yet because of lack of games, but I am almost certainly going to purchase one by the time Wind Waker U comes out (not JUST for it, but for all they have shown off recently).  E3 is going to be the deciding factor for me.  I may buy one sooner or never, though I highly doubt never will be the outcome :P.

[QUOTE="thetravman"]

[QUOTE="meetroid8"]

I'd desperately hoped they'd learned their lesson with the 3DS, or at least learned something from that failed launch. I don't think the price is a major problem, but a cut could only help. It needs games. Why did they launch a system without any games again? Nintendo really boggles my mind sometimes.

svaubel

3DS was a fine example of a failed launch. No games at launch and nothing on the horizon at the time. To make matters worse, it lacked almost all of its features until its update 3-4 months later. However, I'd argue that the WiiU had a decent launch. It sold well in its first month, almost at the Wii's pace. There were the few exclusives and alot of multiplats but they were good ones that weren't expected to show up on a Nintendo console (Mass Effect, Darksiders, AC, Batman and Ninja Gaiden).

Then it got nothing in December,January, and now February. That is the problem now, and Nintendo has to react. Monster Hunter will pick up some slack (in Japan at least), and hopefully LegoCity will help, but it needs more than that. A price cut is risky, considering how Nintendo lost billions of dollars last year because of the 3DS's lackluster performance and price cut.

About time people start making sense rather than spouting fanboy nonsense. Well done.

Like he said 3DS had virtually no games at launch, now it has lots of them, a realistic price, and it is the top selling system worldwide every week now for months. Wii U had a pretty good launch, just there has been next to nothing released for it since then. It's price is good considering the Gamepad costs almost half as much (in Japan at least). Im guessing this year Ninty might drop the prices to 249$/299$ perhaps in response to PS4/720 announcements and details.

So the Wii U dwindling because of price is moot. It has not got any new good games. More is coming soon, this summer, and later in the year. Gosh these fanboys these days. 

For perspective it took the PS3 well over a year to finally start moving units at a reasonable pace. It had the disadvantages of being super expensive and lack of good games from the onset. Also a certain other portable is floundering too: okay launch, okay price considering the specs, but next to nothing for games, and it's selling worse worldwide than everything else, including its predecessor.

Your perspective didn't happen in the real world, that other console you bring up never had a month like the Wii U just had.

Here's the problem about the "just wait for games" idea, third party devs are leaving.

This is probably the worst sign as far as the Wii U, Just Dance sold better on three other platforms than the Wii U. That's Nintendo's core right there and it's not buying the games directed for it.

Third party devs can't put their support behind Nintendo and it's console right now and it's going to keep on missing out on games. The third party games at launch were almost all major busts missing features or running badly, we've seen games like Rayman and Ninja Gaiden become multiplats instead of exclusives, and games like Bioshock are skipping the system.

If they lose third party now they wont come back this generation, there's new consoles on the way with companies that have better relationships with third party devs and publishers. This time now is where Nintendo has to hook them and convince them to offer just as good software on their consoles because it'll sell. Instead they're chasing them off.

We know that in a lot of cases Wii U third party development is going to need to put in more work on the Wii U versions, a company can't justify that cost when they know their games wont sell.

[QUOTE="svaubel"]

[QUOTE="thetravman"]

3DS was a fine example of a failed launch. No games at launch and nothing on the horizon at the time. To make matters worse, it lacked almost all of its features until its update 3-4 months later. However, I'd argue that the WiiU had a decent launch. It sold well in its first month, almost at the Wii's pace. There were the few exclusives and alot of multiplats but they were good ones that weren't expected to show up on a Nintendo console (Mass Effect, Darksiders, AC, Batman and Ninja Gaiden).

Then it got nothing in December,January, and now February. That is the problem now, and Nintendo has to react. Monster Hunter will pick up some slack (in Japan at least), and hopefully LegoCity will help, but it needs more than that. A price cut is risky, considering how Nintendo lost billions of dollars last year because of the 3DS's lackluster performance and price cut.

Jaysonguy

About time people start making sense rather than spouting fanboy nonsense. Well done.

Like he said 3DS had virtually no games at launch, now it has lots of them, a realistic price, and it is the top selling system worldwide every week now for months. Wii U had a pretty good launch, just there has been next to nothing released for it since then. It's price is good considering the Gamepad costs almost half as much (in Japan at least). Im guessing this year Ninty might drop the prices to 249$/299$ perhaps in response to PS4/720 announcements and details.

So the Wii U dwindling because of price is moot. It has not got any new good games. More is coming soon, this summer, and later in the year. Gosh these fanboys these days. 

For perspective it took the PS3 well over a year to finally start moving units at a reasonable pace. It had the disadvantages of being super expensive and lack of good games from the onset. Also a certain other portable is floundering too: okay launch, okay price considering the specs, but next to nothing for games, and it's selling worse worldwide than everything else, including its predecessor.

Your perspective didn't happen in the real world, that other console you bring up never had a month like the Wii U just had.

Here's the problem about the "just wait for games" idea, third party devs are leaving.

This is probably the worst sign as far as the Wii U, Just Dance sold better on three other platforms than the Wii U. That's Nintendo's core right there and it's not buying the games directed for it.

Third party devs can't put their support behind Nintendo and it's console right now and it's going to keep on missing out on games. The third party games at launch were almost all major busts missing features or running badly, we've seen games like Rayman and Ninja Gaiden become multiplats instead of exclusives, and games like Bioshock are skipping the system.

If they lose third party now they wont come back this generation, there's new consoles on the way with companies that have better relationships with third party devs and publishers. This time now is where Nintendo has to hook them and convince them to offer just as good software on their consoles because it'll sell. Instead they're chasing them off.

We know that in a lot of cases Wii U third party development is going to need to put in more work on the Wii U versions, a company can't justify that cost when they know their games wont sell.

Remember Nintendo have been profitible with all of their consoles - that includes the GCN. Nintendo are fine, and I think the "just wait for games" thing will apply. They may need to make some decision later such as a price cut or bundles, but I don't see why everyone is up in arms about Nintendo current Wii U status. Give it some time to establish itself with pricing, bundles and most importantly a library - and it'll pick up.

Damn I hope we see a price drop. Nothing will motivate the dumbf#cks at nintendo more than losing money when selling a console! My god I could have run this whole damn corporation better than the suits that currently run it, we would have been seeing new IP's left and right and teasing old classics continually. They really don't know how the hell to do their job and it shows...

Damn I hope we see a price drop. jer_1

There will be a price drop...in 2-3 years.

its only been out for what like 3 months now at least wait till its a year old before you guys start saying it in danger 

they are not in danger if 3 ds keeps selling also wiiu has not many of its big hitters and ps xbox arent out yet this thead is over! system wars is the other way

the Wii U will do fine when some more games come out, duh.

I'm just going to cut right to the chase here. If you ask me, the Wii U's fate is sealed at this point. Much like a sports team that has lost a star player, Nintendo is in 'rebuilding mode' right now from a console point of view.

Now, before there's an outpour of reactions, allow me to explain. I'm not saying that a price cut or Nintendo's tried-and-true IPs can't come along and help, but it'll only be to a limited degree. And even then, it'll probably be too little-too late for the system to really make a massive splash. Anyone that's expecting a 180-degree turnaround for the Wii U's fortunes becasue of such things are setting themselves up for more disappointment. This is GameCube territory again, nay, worse than that since Nintendo can't even use the "still making profit on the console" card at the moment. I can't say this is a mind-blowing outcome, outside of the fact that it's already gotten to this point. I saw something like this coming, but I'd be lying if I said it would reach this magnitude already.

Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to. Furthermore, Nintendo's decisions the past few years have been puzzling at best. Pulling the plug prematurely on the Wii, only to have two extremely lackluster launches just isn't acceptable under any circumstance. I'm not even sure how a company can squander the momentum of the two biggest brands in gaming (DS and Wii) as badly as Nintendo has done it.

Now, as for what Nintendo should do at this point? That's tough to answer, but like I've said before, Nintendo has to evaluate what kind of consumer they best appeal to and cater strongly to their needs. Frankly, this means at some point trying to make the Wii U a 5-85 yr. old friendly console to some degree of its predecessor. The Wii U isn't going to get any more powerful or 'dudebro' appealing, and I'm sure any efforts to make the system third-party friendly are moot, given the systems hardware AND software numbers. (Heck, Ubisoft is probably laughing it now over the fact they decided to make Rayman Legends a multiplat now). Honestly, I just don't see any other alternative for Nintendo at the moment, and even saying that, it won't be as easy to attract the mainstream this time around, after Nintendo has basically ignored them for about three years now. Even more telling is that the Wii U is still built around a HD gaming approach and its unique feature, the Gamepad, wasn't exactly built with accessibility and simplicity as its strongest qualities, but rather as an expansion to the already complex modern-gaming control scheme. I almost dare say (well, I guess I AM saying it) that in order for this to work, Nintendo will either have to pull a rabbit out of the hat in terms of the Gamepad's potential or make it a very optional accessory.

Yeah, this could all be an overreaction, but at this point, I'm standing by what I'm saying with total confidence. Not to toot my own horn, but I've been fairly on point so far. :P We shall see how Nintendo goes from here in actuality, though.

Nintendo wins 100% of the time, 100% of the time.

soundcellx

There will be a price drop...in 2-3 years.

soundcellx

I'm just going to cut right to the chase here. If you ask me, the Wii U's fate is sealed at this point. Much like a sports team that has lost a star player, Nintendo is in 'rebuilding mode' right now from a console point of view.

Now, before there's an outpour of reactions, allow me to explain. I'm not saying that a price cut or Nintendo's tried-and-true IPs can't come along and help, but it'll only be to a limited degree. And even then, it'll probably be too little-too late for the system to really make a massive splash. Anyone that's expecting a 180-degree turnaround for the Wii U's fortunes becasue of such things are setting themselves up for more disappointment. This is GameCube territory again, nay, worse than that since Nintendo can't even use the "still making profit on the console" card at the moment. I can't say this is a mind-blowing outcome, outside of the fact that it's already gotten to this point. I saw something like this coming, but I'd be lying if I said it would reach this magnitude already.

Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to. Furthermore, Nintendo's decisions the past few years have been puzzling at best. Pulling the plug prematurely on the Wii, only to have two extremely lackluster launches just isn't acceptable under any circumstance. I'm not even sure how a company can squander the momentum of the two biggest brands in gaming (DS and Wii) as badly as Nintendo has done it.

Now, as for what Nintendo should do at this point? That's tough to answer, but like I've said before, Nintendo has to evaluate what kind of consumer they best appeal to and cater strongly to their needs. Frankly, this means at some point trying to make the Wii U a 5-85 yr. old friendly console to some degree of its predecessor. The Wii U isn't going to get any more powerful or 'dudebro' appealing, and I'm sure any efforts to make the system third-party friendly are moot, given the systems hardware AND software numbers. (Heck, Ubisoft is probably laughing it now over the fact they decided to make Rayman Legends a multiplat now). Honestly, I just don't see any other alternative for Nintendo at the moment, and even saying that, it won't be as easy to attract the mainstream this time around, after Nintendo has basically ignored them for about three years now. Even more telling is that the Wii U is still built around a HD gaming approach and its unique feature, the Gamepad, wasn't exactly built with accessibility and simplicity as its strongest qualities, but rather as an expansion to the already complex modern-gaming control scheme. I almost dare say (well, I guess I AM saying it) that in order for this to work, Nintendo will either have to pull a rabbit out of the hat in terms of the Gamepad's potential or make it a very optional accessory.

Yeah, this could all be an overreaction, but at this point, I'm standing by what I'm saying with total confidence. Not to toot my own horn, but I've been fairly on point so far. :P We shall see how Nintendo goes from here in actuality, though.

Madmangamer364

No, Nintendo needs to make the gamepad appealing. The fact of the matter is, the money is in the casual market. It's what made the PS2, DS, and Wii such resounding successes. The casuals like gimmicks. WiiU never had a WiiSports or Nintendogs, and that's what's killing it's potential. Dumping the gamepad at this point would be suicidal. 

We all knew that Nintendo was in for an uphill battle with the WiiU. At this point, apart from all the delays from Nintendo and third parties, the situation is pretty much what I expected it to be. Now to get to the important question in this thread:

So anyone have any interesting ideas on how this can be made better?

Jaysonguy

Nintendo has to wait. Not for games, but for the competition to play their hands. It seems to me that a huge increase in power is going to drive a lot of developers away from those consoles due to their prohibitively expensive development costs. The huge publishers will be able to pump out their huge games still, but there won't be any room for little guys of any sort, apart from smaller games in the downloadable space.

Maybe those devs will stay on the XBLA and PSN platforms of the next generation, but that's where Nintendo needs to place all their bets. They NEED to drive devs who can't afford to make more ambitious games on the powerful consoles to the WiiU. 

Obviously the WiiU needs to sell more units for Nintendo to even begin that fight, but again, if the other consoles are expensive, then Nintendo will have an opening in the fall - if they're clearly the cheapest on the market. They can roll out their charts to devs and show them that they've sold more consoles than the competition, and at that point, they'll have a couple big-selling games to tout as well.

Then, if devs are sold on it, we'll see some games being announced next year and the ball will really be rolling.

I know those aren't particularly interesting ideas, but Nintendo doesn't have that many options, and we don't know enough about what the market is going to look like in nine months to be able to prescribe anything very specifically.

I am getting wary of these Wii U threads that I tend to avoid them (a new one appears each day in the System Wars which I usually adblock), but I feel that I need to say something about the system. I would say that the Wii U is only in danger if its current situation has not improved one year by now and I strongly believe regardless of the skeptics think that better times will be found for Wii U as better times eventually found their way with the 3DS. Only time will tell.

No, Nintendo needs to make the gamepad appealing. The fact of the matter is, the money is in the casual market. It's what made the PS2, DS, and Wii such resounding successes. The casuals like gimmicks. WiiU never had a WiiSports or Nintendogs, and that's what's killing it's potential. Dumping the gamepad at this point would be suicidal. 

meetroid8

I know where the money is. The question I have is whether or not the Gamepad was truly built with the mass market in mind. Nintendo wants to say it is, but much like building a console that sells for $300-350 at a loss, I'm not so sure that's really the case. The problem is that Nintendo seems to be searching for a way to make the Gamepad appealing, whereas the system should have been able to showcase its appeal instantly. Ironically, Miyamoto mentioned something along these lines when Kinect debuted, only for Nintendo to fall into that very trap. Nintendo Land was even supposed to be that Nintendogs/Wii Sports-like game to prove its appeal, and it didn't get the job done. It's all very un-Nintendo-like by what we've seen from past systems, and the most significant accomplishment the Gamepad has under its belt so far is being the key reason why the system has launched at an unattractive price point.

Under the circumstances, and considering that most people will never have more than one Gamepad to begin with (heck, the system only allows two), the idea of making the Gamepad an option instead of a necessity isn't the most unrealistic thing in the world. I'm not suggesting that it's a must for Nintendo, but it's certainly something that should be considered if the Gamepad fails to generate enough attention as time goes on. Frankly, there are enough Wii Remotes out there for the mainstream consumer to re-adapt to if need be, and the Gamepad would still exist for anyone that cares to utilize it. Otherwise, Nintendo is stuck with a key 'gimmick' that simply has no magnetism whatsoever, meaning that the console itself has next to no hope to expand its user base.

I'll be surprised if it doesn't go 250$/300$ before the end of the year. Or at the least dump the 8GB model and just sell the premium at 300$.

I'm just going to cut right to the chase here. If you ask me, the Wii U's fate is sealed at this point. Much like a sports team that has lost a star player, Nintendo is in 'rebuilding mode' right now from a console point of view.

Now, before there's an outpour of reactions, allow me to explain. I'm not saying that a price cut or Nintendo's tried-and-true IPs can't come along and help, but it'll only be to a limited degree. And even then, it'll probably be too little-too late for the system to really make a massive splash. Anyone that's expecting a 180-degree turnaround for the Wii U's fortunes becasue of such things are setting themselves up for more disappointment. This is GameCube territory again, nay, worse than that since Nintendo can't even use the "still making profit on the console" card at the moment. I can't say this is a mind-blowing outcome, outside of the fact that it's already gotten to this point. I saw something like this coming, but I'd be lying if I said it would reach this magnitude already.

Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to. Furthermore, Nintendo's decisions the past few years have been puzzling at best. Pulling the plug prematurely on the Wii, only to have two extremely lackluster launches just isn't acceptable under any circumstance. I'm not even sure how a company can squander the momentum of the two biggest brands in gaming (DS and Wii) as badly as Nintendo has done it.

Now, as for what Nintendo should do at this point? That's tough to answer, but like I've said before, Nintendo has to evaluate what kind of consumer they best appeal to and cater strongly to their needs. Frankly, this means at some point trying to make the Wii U a 5-85 yr. old friendly console to some degree of its predecessor. The Wii U isn't going to get any more powerful or 'dudebro' appealing, and I'm sure any efforts to make the system third-party friendly are moot, given the systems hardware AND software numbers. (Heck, Ubisoft is probably laughing it now over the fact they decided to make Rayman Legends a multiplat now). Honestly, I just don't see any other alternative for Nintendo at the moment, and even saying that, it won't be as easy to attract the mainstream this time around, after Nintendo has basically ignored them for about three years now. Even more telling is that the Wii U is still built around a HD gaming approach and its unique feature, the Gamepad, wasn't exactly built with accessibility and simplicity as its strongest qualities, but rather as an expansion to the already complex modern-gaming control scheme. I almost dare say (well, I guess I AM saying it) that in order for this to work, Nintendo will either have to pull a rabbit out of the hat in terms of the Gamepad's potential or make it a very optional accessory.

Yeah, this could all be an overreaction, but at this point, I'm standing by what I'm saying with total confidence. Not to toot my own horn, but I've been fairly on point so far. :P We shall see how Nintendo goes from here in actuality, though.

Madmangamer364

The way I see it Nintendo is a lot like the San Antonio Spurs. Not always the flashiest team, not always the most exciting but they execute well and have great fundamentals. Almost always getting to the second round or conference finals with the occassional championship.

I don't think they need to make the Game Pad optional, rather they need to cut the costs on the **** thing ASAP to cut costs on the console to get the price down to $250. The Game Pad shouldn't cost anywhere near $100 to make like it seems like it does. Ship systems with a Game Pad mini with a smaller screen, cheaper parts whatever to cut those costs.

We should also remember that other new consoles from Sony/MS will be met with a similar reaction later this year. Sell great at first and have rough early 2014. I mean they could be $399 or $499. bonesawisready5

Honestly, Nintendo looks more like the Lakers at this point if I was to go that route. A company with a storied history, watched by everyone, regardless of if they're fans, haters, or in-between, and typically solid (Nintendo has dominated the portable market like the Lakers have won titles at times.) However, both have recently decided to make unnecessary decisions, and the next thing you know, it's like "what the heck is going on?" And for the record, I didn't approve of L.A.'s moves this past off-season, much like I have not approved of Nintendo's in the past couple of years. :P Still, I say Nintendo's in 'rebuilding mode' because it seems as though the company needs to reestablish a successful model, much like teams have to rediscover how to win games.

Sports comparisons aside (I could go on with that all day, but I must control myself), I think I need to make it clear that if Nintendo can make the Gamepad a truly engaging feature, I'm all for it. I just can't say that I think the chances of that happening are very good. Regardless of price, if the Gamepad fails to impress as a primary part of the Wii U, the system is going to continue to suffer. Along with the lowering the cost of the system, that's the reason why I've brought this up option, even though I doubt Nintendo would actually do such a thing. I'm also not sure how cost-effective it would be for Nintendo to mass-produce another version of the Gamepad at this point, even if the desire is to lower console costs. It still wouldn't make the Gamepad itself more accessible or mass-consumer friendly, either. If Nintendo's going to trust in the thing, it's probably best that they just continue to look for ways to make the current model attractive.

As for how well the other consoles will do, in my opinion, that's neither here nor there as far as the Wii U is concerned. Nintendo's already missed the point where they can establish the Wii U well enough to distract consumers from considering those systems, so Nintendo's best option is to push forward with its plans, regardless of how well or poorly the upcoming consoles sell. If you're going to have such a massive shadow hanging over your head, might as well just focus on what you can do best to make your way.

Nintendo will be super successful and then you anti-Nintendo trolls will cry. Reggie's body is ready to consume your tears. 

Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to.Madmangamer364

What I've gathered from Nintendo lately is that they learned from the Wii that the expanded market is fickle and far from dedicated, while core gamers are intensely dedicated. Sure, they sold a ton of Wiis, and three or four of their games shattered sales records for them, but that's obviously not a sustainable path, and the WiiU seems to me like Nintendo's acknowledgement of that fact.

The WiiU is also a continued acknowledgement of the "dead end" approach to console development that Nintendo talked about with the Wii. "Faster and flashier" is a dead end due to exorbitant costs for developers. And I'm starting to think that Nintendo may have simply been one generation too soon with that philosophy. This gen was difficult but manageable for developers, but next gen seems like it will be practically impossible for anyone but money-soaked publishers to make any kind of large-scale games.

[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"]Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to.JordanElek

What I've gathered from Nintendo lately is that they learned from the Wii that the expanded market is fickle and far from dedicated, while core gamers are intensely dedicated. Sure, they sold a ton of Wiis, and three or four of their games shattered sales records for them, but that's obviously not a sustainable path, and the WiiU seems to me like Nintendo's acknowledgement of that fact.

The WiiU is also a continued acknowledgement of the "dead end" approach to console development that Nintendo talked about with the Wii. "Faster and flashier" is a dead end due to exorbitant costs for developers. And I'm starting to think that Nintendo may have simply been one generation too soon with that philosophy. This gen was difficult but manageable for developers, but next gen seems like it will be practically impossible for anyone but money-soaked publishers to make any kind of large-scale games.

they made the wrong console then. core gamers dont want gimmick controllers and last gen hardware; they want cutting edge hardware and solid games....Geminon

[QUOTE="JordanElek"]

they made the wrong console then. core gamers dont want gimmick controllers and last gen hardware; they want cutting edge hardware and solid games....Geminon

The tablet controller isn't a gimmick controller. It's a normal controller with a screen on it. As a matter of fact, I bought the Wii U immediately to support the system for the simple fact that it does not have forced MOTION CONTROL GIMMICKS like the Wiimote, which is awful. I still love a lot of Wii games, just not the controller. 

You do know that cutting edge hardware does not equal good games, right? 

Anyhow, I want solid games and fun games which is why I go with Nintendo. 

[QUOTE="JordanElek"]

[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"]Conceptually, the Wii U has always looked rather flawed to me. The idea that Nintendo could build a system that could attract both the mainstream and the dedicated gamer markets equally just doesn't make sense, given the demands and expectations from both markets in this age. If it COULD be done, the Wii would have already accomplished it before this point. All Nintendo has done is make a platform that manages to be totally unattractive to the masses while still not meeting the [bloated] demands of the so-called "hardcore" they've tried to reach out to.Geminon

What I've gathered from Nintendo lately is that they learned from the Wii that the expanded market is fickle and far from dedicated, while core gamers are intensely dedicated. Sure, they sold a ton of Wiis, and three or four of their games shattered sales records for them, but that's obviously not a sustainable path, and the WiiU seems to me like Nintendo's acknowledgement of that fact.

The WiiU is also a continued acknowledgement of the "dead end" approach to console development that Nintendo talked about with the Wii. "Faster and flashier" is a dead end due to exorbitant costs for developers. And I'm starting to think that Nintendo may have simply been one generation too soon with that philosophy. This gen was difficult but manageable for developers, but next gen seems like it will be practically impossible for anyone but money-soaked publishers to make any kind of large-scale games.