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Could a 2 instead of a U save the WiiU from being a sales catastrophe?
- Thread starter LordOcidax
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LordOfChaos
Member
No, I don't buy at all that the name was the major problem for its failure. Was it confusing for some parents and a minor factor, sure.
It launched only a year ahead of the vastly more powerful PS4 for only 50 dollars less while having closer to 360 like power, and even falling short of the PS360 in some CPU scenarios according to developers. It's not like the Switch is a powerhouse but its portable form factor seemed to make that more forgivable and its sales success drew in more third party and indie titles. The SDK for the Wii U was also brutal.
Still think if they immediately pivoted and dropped the Gamepad requirement and made it the HD Wii at $249 it should have been envisioned as it could have done better. Even BoTW which was supposed to be the game that saved it had its gamepad features stripped out for Switch parity
It launched only a year ahead of the vastly more powerful PS4 for only 50 dollars less while having closer to 360 like power, and even falling short of the PS360 in some CPU scenarios according to developers. It's not like the Switch is a powerhouse but its portable form factor seemed to make that more forgivable and its sales success drew in more third party and indie titles. The SDK for the Wii U was also brutal.
Still think if they immediately pivoted and dropped the Gamepad requirement and made it the HD Wii at $249 it should have been envisioned as it could have done better. Even BoTW which was supposed to be the game that saved it had its gamepad features stripped out for Switch parity
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Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
I had a fine time with my Wii U and the games that used the damn GamePad correctly (ZombiU, Splatoon, SuperMarioMaker Spliter Cell) all were very good gaming experiences.
The concept was too far ahead of the technology.
The concept was too far ahead of the technology.
LordOcidax
Member
Not true. MK8 and Smash Ultimate, Splatoon, Mario Maker, New Super Mario Bros U, etc born there. The software was there, but the hardware sales were abysmals and third party support jump from the ship due hardware sales too. All hardware fault. The install base never toke off.
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Geometric-Crusher
"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
GamePad was the villain + sub360 class hardware, no storage and no GTA 5 for freaking $299 a year before the PS4
it would be as if the Dreamcast was the Namco System 12 arcade board pretending to be a next gen console.
it would be as if the Dreamcast was the Namco System 12 arcade board pretending to be a next gen console.
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Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
Also that Star Fox game was so over engineered. Just give me on rails space battles with dope ass graphics and cheesy furry banter.
I have never been more disappointed with a game in all my years. AND YOU HAD PRIME PLATNIUM HELP YOU WITH IT?!?!
A Metroid Game on Wii U could have been very dope using the Gamepad tho.
I have never been more disappointed with a game in all my years. AND YOU HAD PRIME PLATNIUM HELP YOU WITH IT?!?!
A Metroid Game on Wii U could have been very dope using the Gamepad tho.
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dcx4610
Member
It would have helped but the main issue is you had a lot of non-gamers buying a game console. It was an anomaly in console history.
The physical media/movie business is going through the same thing. You had millions of people buying DVDs at one point and because physical movies are a niche collectors market, people think it’s dying. Those people buying DVDs weren’t movie collectors. They were buying DVDs because at the time, that was the cheapest and easiest way to watch a movie. One they got a better solution, they stopped.
Same with the Wii. People bought it because it was the hot new toy. It was a party machine and bowling device. Why would they need or want a #2 when they already have one?
I think it would have helped with the confusion but not the overall picture.
Switch is different because while it’s a huge success, it’s very much for gamers. Grandma isn’t going to randomly go out and buy one like she did the Wii. That said, Switch 2 is the right way to go. Apple and Sony have shown that naming scheme works.
The physical media/movie business is going through the same thing. You had millions of people buying DVDs at one point and because physical movies are a niche collectors market, people think it’s dying. Those people buying DVDs weren’t movie collectors. They were buying DVDs because at the time, that was the cheapest and easiest way to watch a movie. One they got a better solution, they stopped.
Same with the Wii. People bought it because it was the hot new toy. It was a party machine and bowling device. Why would they need or want a #2 when they already have one?
I think it would have helped with the confusion but not the overall picture.
Switch is different because while it’s a huge success, it’s very much for gamers. Grandma isn’t going to randomly go out and buy one like she did the Wii. That said, Switch 2 is the right way to go. Apple and Sony have shown that naming scheme works.
Digital-Aftertaste
Member
I think THQ singlehandedly made the confusion of the naming convention a thousand times worse when they released the Wii uDraw tablet in 2010.
LordOcidax
Member
Star Fox learning curve is a pain, but when it click is an amazing experience.
DonkeyPunchJr
World’s Biggest Weeb
A $300 Wii U (or realistically $350 pro version which was much more popular than the gimped basic one) competing against 360 and PS3 in 2012 is much different value proposition than a $300 Switch competing against PS4 and Xbox One in 2017.
And with Switch being portable, there was a compelling reason why gamers might choose to buy 3rd party games on Switch, whereas Wii U had little to no reason why you’d choose to play 3rd party games there instead of on the PS3/360 you already owned.
Pasta la Vista
Member
Concept was trash, the tablet was terrible, mine currently doesn't even work properly.
Will probably go down as one of the least desirable pieces of hardware for collectors too as the vast majority of its games were ported to Switch and good luck replacing that tablet if it breaks. The onboard storage is a fucking joke and if you want to use an external HDD, it has to be powered. The distance that you have to be from the Wii U console in order to play games on the tablet is a joke. Losses connection easily in just the next room over.
Will probably go down as one of the least desirable pieces of hardware for collectors too as the vast majority of its games were ported to Switch and good luck replacing that tablet if it breaks. The onboard storage is a fucking joke and if you want to use an external HDD, it has to be powered. The distance that you have to be from the Wii U console in order to play games on the tablet is a joke. Losses connection easily in just the next room over.
Jinzo Prime
Member
The Wii U is the only Nintendo console I hate. The slooooooooow interface and the self-discharging battery in the tablet was disastrous.
Robb
Gold Member
Would probably have helped but I don’t think that alone would’ve saved it.
The marketing in general was aimed way too heavily towards the tablet controller. The Wii had so many peripherals that I can’t really blame anyone for thinking the WiiU GamePad was just another addition, especially when advertised alongside a slightly updated Wii Sports.
The ‘asymmetric gameplay’ idea wasn’t all that great of a concept either, imo. Difficult to sell and not very interesting.
There was a lot of stuff that didn’t work. The name was just one cog in the disaster machine.
The marketing in general was aimed way too heavily towards the tablet controller. The Wii had so many peripherals that I can’t really blame anyone for thinking the WiiU GamePad was just another addition, especially when advertised alongside a slightly updated Wii Sports.
The ‘asymmetric gameplay’ idea wasn’t all that great of a concept either, imo. Difficult to sell and not very interesting.
There was a lot of stuff that didn’t work. The name was just one cog in the disaster machine.
kevboard
Member
the people who bought the Wii didn't want a new system.
the Wii catered too much to non gamers, which are really bad customers to have for a gaming system. they didn't buy many games, and they would have never bought a Wii 2, no matter how it's named.
the Wii also alienated core gamers by having massive timespans where nothing of interest released, and where the only games you saw release were super low quality shovelware trash.
imo the Wii was the reason the Wii U failed.
the Wii catered too much to non gamers, which are really bad customers to have for a gaming system. they didn't buy many games, and they would have never bought a Wii 2, no matter how it's named.
the Wii also alienated core gamers by having massive timespans where nothing of interest released, and where the only games you saw release were super low quality shovelware trash.
imo the Wii was the reason the Wii U failed.
It wouldn't have just like the bundled kinect didn't, the wii and kinect fad was over.
Hawk The Slayer
Member
That WII U tech demo Zelda game would have easily saved it cause it has a similar style to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Twilight Princess. But I guess a full game of that would be too demanding for the Wii U so hopefully it'll happen on the Switch 2.
ZoukGalaxy
Member
Helped but not saved.
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
No, it’s unique selling point (USP) didn’t appeal to anyone. Hardcore Nintendo fans like me bought it regardless for their exclusive games.
The Switch is so ridiculously successful because it’s USP is so compelling to consumers which is why they’re sticking with it for their next console and why their competitors are suddenly interested in handheld gaming again.
The Switch is so ridiculously successful because it’s USP is so compelling to consumers which is why they’re sticking with it for their next console and why their competitors are suddenly interested in handheld gaming again.
Majukun
Member
it would have helped, but the wii u was doomed from the start by nintendo's design choices, so much so that many people, myself included, predicted exactly what was going to go wrong before the console was ever out.
makes you wonder how nintendo didn't see it, but probably their eyes were covered by wii money
makes you wonder how nintendo didn't see it, but probably their eyes were covered by wii money
Geometric-Crusher
"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
the fate of any console is decided at the conceptualization stage, if the concept is bad it's doa. Sega Saturn, WiiU, Xbox One and Virtual Boy have conceptual errors.
I'll give you an example, the Wii had the concept of movement so offering better graphics would be foolish, so the concept was perfect.
xbox one, the mistake in concept was Microsoft politically deciding that the xbox would be weaker than the ps4, this is a very serious error, a direct competitor to Sony could never be weaker and cost more no matter the reason.
I'll give you an example, the Wii had the concept of movement so offering better graphics would be foolish, so the concept was perfect.
xbox one, the mistake in concept was Microsoft politically deciding that the xbox would be weaker than the ps4, this is a very serious error, a direct competitor to Sony could never be weaker and cost more no matter the reason.
Tertullian
Member
They really did make an insane number of unforced errors with the Wii U.
I mean, to take one less-discussed example, what they hell was up with their confusing-ass approach to Wii Sports? They should've had a game called "Wii Sports HD" on the shelves of every Walmart and Target.
I mean, to take one less-discussed example, what they hell was up with their confusing-ass approach to Wii Sports? They should've had a game called "Wii Sports HD" on the shelves of every Walmart and Target.
Apples to oranges. Yes, PS3 was a loss leader for Sony, but consumers buying over 80M of them is a different matter.You are very intelligent thinking losing money = success.
That's why your initial "3 didn't save the PS3 from being a catastrophe" post was dumb as selling over 80M units is no small feat, and it's not like selling 100M units would have prevented it from losing a ton of money to Sony.
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Pegasus Actual
Member
Should have called it the "Wii Few", launched on 25 October and had a complete St. Crispin's Day marketing blitz.
analog_future
Resident Crybaby
And Nintendo anticipated that, which is why the made the Wii U. The Wii U is essentially a prototype of the Switch.
TGO
Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Complete opposite, it would have a sold a little more if it dropped the Wii name all together.
People thinking if they associate it with the Wii people would have bought it are delusional.
Most of the Wii userbase stop using the Wii a month after release so they was never going to buy it.
.
People thinking if they associate it with the Wii people would have bought it are delusional.
Most of the Wii userbase stop using the Wii a month after release so they was never going to buy it.
.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
I need to get a new WiiU gamepad charger and maybe try it again.
I have a significant Wii U collection
50 physical games 2 consoles and 3 WiiU gamepads (don’t even know where the other one came from)
I will say the one thing Wii U got right was how it embraced indies. I played Shovel Knight on the Wii U and it was thee game that changed my mind about what indies can do.
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fastest finger
Member
The general public had 2 misconceptions.
Wii U was a controller for the Wii
Wii U was a Wii in HD.
Nether of these were a significant draw, so it just got ignored.
Wii U was a controller for the Wii
Wii U was a Wii in HD.
Nether of these were a significant draw, so it just got ignored.
DKPOWPOW
Member
That would not be enough to save the Wii U. It truly comes to down to the library in this case, and the launch. For once this doesn’t fall on third party’s, it falls on Nintendo. 3rd party’s provided solid support for the console. Nintendo absolutely failed to engage its core audience for almost 2 years. For the first 18 months of the console’s life there was only 1 game to truly engage the core and it was a remake of Wind Waker. Pikmin 3, New Super Mario U, and Nintendoland is not what you use to grab the core. Wonderful 101 was never going to be a big hit.
Nintendo is successful when they are able to engage their core audience, and then the core basically does grabs the rest of the audience for them. They absolutely nailed this with the Switch and DS, and to a lesser extent with the Wii. Wii launched with Zelda: Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, and Wii Sports. Solid, simple, great launch. Followed it up with Smooth Moves, Paper Mario, Strikers Charged, Metroid Prime 3, and Mario Galaxy. A good mix of titles, plus some extra casual affair like Mario Party and DK Barrel Blast.
Wii U they failed, they totally failed to create games that were interesting to their core until 2014. And by then it was way too late. You would have to completely change the direction and the games they were making to save the console. This wasn’t a GameCube affair, where they had the games but not the attention. It was the reverse. They had the attention, but no games. And it was never truly fixed. Hell of a swan song though, in Breath of the Wild. Shame they removed everything from the Wii U version that made it unique from the Switch version.
Nintendo is successful when they are able to engage their core audience, and then the core basically does grabs the rest of the audience for them. They absolutely nailed this with the Switch and DS, and to a lesser extent with the Wii. Wii launched with Zelda: Twilight Princess, Excite Truck, and Wii Sports. Solid, simple, great launch. Followed it up with Smooth Moves, Paper Mario, Strikers Charged, Metroid Prime 3, and Mario Galaxy. A good mix of titles, plus some extra casual affair like Mario Party and DK Barrel Blast.
Wii U they failed, they totally failed to create games that were interesting to their core until 2014. And by then it was way too late. You would have to completely change the direction and the games they were making to save the console. This wasn’t a GameCube affair, where they had the games but not the attention. It was the reverse. They had the attention, but no games. And it was never truly fixed. Hell of a swan song though, in Breath of the Wild. Shame they removed everything from the Wii U version that made it unique from the Switch version.
rodrigolfp
Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
If it loses money it's a catastrophe, doesn't matter the number of units sold.
noob smokes
Member
I only knew 1 kid who a wii u but he also had a ps3 & 360 my dude had em all
HogIsland
Member
Right a "Wii2" would imply next-generation motion control, like we got with VR. What else does "Wii" stand for?
Azelover
Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
I said the great stuff came too late. When asked about the WiiU's failure, Reggie said this exact thing. They had the games but they came too late.
The thread was in relation to units sold. Wi U wasn't a catastrophic loss leader for Nintendo, so your post was out of place.If it loses money it's a catastrophe, doesn't matter the number of units sold.
rodrigolfp
Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
It was. It didn't make money too, afaik. plus OP never said it's only about console units sales.
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Makoto-Yuki
Gold Member
2 instead of U would've helped for sure. how much... we'll never know.
i dreaded the thought of Nintendo putting out a Switch U. Keep it simple and call it Switch 2. Let people know it's an entirely new console.
It's crazy that Sony is the only one who has this figured out. Microsoft screwed up the day they announced the 360 even though that was a success but they couldn't come out with the Xbox 2 against the PS3 or the Xbox 3 vs PS4. I don't HATE the One and Series names but you gotta dumb shit right down for a lot of people.
i dreaded the thought of Nintendo putting out a Switch U. Keep it simple and call it Switch 2. Let people know it's an entirely new console.
It's crazy that Sony is the only one who has this figured out. Microsoft screwed up the day they announced the 360 even though that was a success but they couldn't come out with the Xbox 2 against the PS3 or the Xbox 3 vs PS4. I don't HATE the One and Series names but you gotta dumb shit right down for a lot of people.
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It definitely did, it's just that it didn't do well enough for it to be a sustainable ecosystem.
rodrigolfp
Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
if it did then is a lesser catastrophe.
Barry Burton
Member
Avoiding name confusion would have helped. The Wii U was a bad product with very limited demand, but in naming it "Wii 2" it would have had one less major thing working against it.
It still would have been a failure compared to the Wii, but I don't think it would have been a complete sales disaster. Maybe it does 25-30 million.
It still would have been a failure compared to the Wii, but I don't think it would have been a complete sales disaster. Maybe it does 25-30 million.
S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Sales should be great but will be worse than the current,I do believe it will be partially due to the strong similarity to the current and naming scheme.
Edit: Misread I thought it was in relation to Switch 2 also using a similar name and product.
Edit: Misread I thought it was in relation to Switch 2 also using a similar name and product.
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