220°

Activision Disappointed with Wii U Launch

Activision is not ecstatic about the Wii U launch. In a post-earnings financial call today, company CEO Robert Kotick said Activision is "somewhat disappointed" with the platform's launch. The console has sold 3 million units worldwide to date.

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gamespot.com
Jadedz4526d ago

It isn't happening, so Nintendo needs to release the software that'll drive in a bigger consumer base (Mario Kart U, Wii Fit U, Mario Universe, LOZ: Wind Waker, X).

-Mika-4526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

First party games doesn't automatically make the console sell. Look at the Gamecube. Nintendo games usually sell the same amount of copies as sony and MS exclusives. Look up the numbers.

With PS4 and the 720 around the corner. What does the WiiU offer? Gamers will just buy third party games on the ps3/360 or Tthe ps4/720. There honestly is no incentive in owning this system and third party games will continue to sell horrible on it. I seriously don't think you and some of the other users on this site aren't thinking about the WiiU in the long term. Exclusives Is honestly not going to make this system sell 60 million units. Third party games do and people are not going to buy third party games on a system with no achievements and inferior gameplay.

Jadedz4526d ago

Here they are:

http://images.nintendolife....

http://www.theaveragegamer....

There are core fans who enjoy Nintendo exclusives. It's foolish to think of Nintendo as a ''depleted'' company. The top selling games (of all time) are Nintendo related, so I really don't understand what you're trying to state.

And the Wii made a fair amount of 3rd party developers happy (Activision, Junction Point, Ubisoft, Take 2, Sega, High Voltage Software, etc.). There's no denying that Nintendo needs to convey a better message about their Wii U hardware (and sell more units), but it's a bit harsh to predict that the system is already ill-fated by labelling it, ''DOA'' (which you surmised in your own colourful words).

Gr814526d ago

'First party games doesn't automatically make the console sell. Look at the Gamecube.'

Or you could have added the Vita to prove that point as well..seeing as it will probably sell less than Gamecube, Dreamcast, and possibly the Game Gear as well.

BlackWolf4526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

Why do we have to suffer your constant rant?

Blastoise4526d ago

The first party Gamecube games were by far the best selling on the console.
Honestly you'll have trouble finding a game with Mario in the title that sold less than a million on the Gamecube.

mcstorm4526d ago

What people are forgetting is the WiiU has sold more in its 1st 3 months than the 360 and PS3 did. Also the Wiiu is the 1st next gen console so people are waiting to see what Sony and Microsoft offer. Also we have just had a big finish to the year with games like FarCry 3, Halo 4, CODBO2 and others. People will buy theses games on the consoles they own and wont buy a console to play the game that is out for there already owned console.

Once the next PlayStation and Xbox are out then sales of the WiiU will pickup as there will be people knowing that every one has a next gen console and games for the current gen will start slowing down.

I don't think there will be a market leader the way we have seen over the last 3 gens with this next gen as Sony Microsoft and Nintendo will all be going for the core and none core market so I expect there to only be a few million between the leading console and the lowest selling console next gen.

Cupid_Viper_34526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

@ McStorm

I dont' really care about Activision's or Bobby Kotic's disappointments to be honest, I think they're full of it.

But first of all, the PS3 launched at $600.00 (compared to Wii U's $350.00 for the top sku) and didn't launch in Europe until Late March 2007.
But even then it sold 3.6 million between November 2006 to March 2007.
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wi...

I think Nintendo and the Wii U are going to be just fine to honest. But at the same time, I've said many times that I don't that Nintendo will repeat the successes of the Wii. I'm of the opinion that the Wii U is caught in between trying to be both casual and hardcore at the same time, thus excelling at neither really.

If you take the current sales of the Wii into account, it should tell you that the Wii market is indeed saturated and will come to an abrupt stop pretty soon. And this is the first problem for Nintendo and Wii U. The Wii U doesn't have the "ultra casual" appeal of the Wii meaning that grandma's and grangpa's and retirement centers are not buying them in drones like they did with the Wii.

Now the second problem for Nintendo, is that the Wii U is not being seen as a very powerful next gen console either. Meaning that, even at the base price of $250.00, people rather sit on the fence and see what the other Big 2 have up their sleeves. And that is very discomforting to be honest, because now the Wii U is destined to be seen as the weaker, older console for this entire new generation.

If the big 2, but more specifically Sony, breaks tradition and go for cost effective hardware, then Nintendo will certainly stand a chance. But if they stay the course and pump out hardware and cater to the hardcores, then I believe Nintendo will be in trouble.

See it's always easier to cater to casuals if you already have powerful, versatile hardware. But it's not that easy to do cater to the hardcore with weaker hardware.

It's easy to take a Corvette and cruise down your block, do groceries, pick up your son or daughter from school, etc....But a quick change of tires and you're track ready. But you try and take your fully loaded Minivan with built-in TVs, and folding 3rd row seating, and sliding doors on both side, to the track and try to keep up with the other cars.

jmc88884526d ago

If they want the best graphics they'll buy it on PC.

Sorry PS4/720 won't be equal to PC high settings.

So if you want graphics you'll buy PC.
If you want a particular flavor, you'll buy that version. Maybe it's the gamepad. Maybe it's the free Sony online. Who knows.

But for you to think 'people will just by the PS4/720 version' because why? It's so much better?

Ha. The PS4 will be at most 3x better than a Wii U, 720 2x. In other words, all the games will play games that look pretty similar. You might think each system is a one notch PC graphics settings higher.

So what exactly is the reason to buy PS4/720?

Because it's not power.

There are plenty of reasons, but 'ps4/720' being the best, really isn't one of them.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4526d ago
Kevlar0094526d ago

Don't forget Rayman Legends...

Too soon?

Starfox174526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

It sold 3 million by the end of dec ? and Sonic all stars racing transformed sold 260,000 on wiiu contributing to over 25% of total sales ??? so even with just 3 million it sold more than the 147 million consoles in the ps3 and 360,now shouldnt sega be saying how upset they are with the ps3 and 360 sales on that game ?

Jadedz4526d ago

The media's ''Scapegoat.''

Cupid_Viper_34526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

replied to the wrong post. My apologies.

CouldHaveYelledUiiW4526d ago

Can't release software that you don't currently have-
Let them Games cook before you serve them Raw and Undone.

Plus, People who thought that the WiiU was going to sell as much as the Wii, should be more disappointed in themselves than Nintendo- because Iwata warned them long before release.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4526d ago
Benjaminkno4526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

Well, I suppose we can count on third-party sales to remain lackluster on Nintendo's home console. I'm not sure how this curse got started (N64), but to be honest, is anybody really surprised? I mean, even Skylanders aimed at youngsters couldn't muster any meaningful results. With WiiU in such an infant stage, it's hard to see how anything can get off the ground for this system. The more third party games that slip away, the more they stop taking Nintendo seriously. But doesn't there have to be a breaking point?

How is Nintendo going to become mainstream again when Nintendo games are all that sell? I just don't see it happening.

When next-gen rolls around, Sony or Microsoft would be happy with sales resembling Nintendo's, just saying.
However, third party developers know that their games aren't competing against first party games.

Worse case scenario? I can see WiiU owners trading in their consoles for next gen systems just as easily as I can see it going the other way around. I think Sony and Microsoft competing against each other at the same time this year is a recipe for disaster.

Maybe Nintendo has more room to afford to do things the way they've been doing them. However, they may be forever branded "high risk" to develop for.

It's just a shame that the curse just keeps trudging right along.

Reborn4526d ago (Edited 4526d ago )

Why would they? COD probably isn't doing as well as they would like/expect. However, it's a recent launch. Give it some time for the base to grow even further.

Hopefully, Nintendo has some good stuff in the works.

LOL_WUT4526d ago

I'm more disappointed with Activisons inability to create something new instead of relying on the same CoD game year after year.

With that said I don't think anyone was expecting the Wii U to be as successful as the Wii with the exception of a few people.

Ezz20134526d ago

well, they are making
The Walking dead: Call of duty edition

stuntman_mike4526d ago

I honestly don't think any console will sell like the Wii did, especially in the same time frame.

moegooner884526d ago

Screw Activision, when the PS3 was struggling, they threatened to drop support for both PS3, and PSP, and now they are complaining about the Wii U launch sales, even though their support for both was minimal at best. Their priorities are obvious, sales, then sales, then sales, then gamers.

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190°

While Layoffs Hit the Industry, Nintendo Retains 98% of Staff Including 78 With Disabilities

TNS: Based on its most recent ESG data, Nintendo boasts a remarkably low staff turnover rate of just 1.9%, with virtually no reported layoffs.

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thenerdstash.com
Jin_Sakai2d ago

Because Nintendo makes great games.

Yesyes1d 23h ago

It’s unreal that people are downvoting this when they consistently have the best scoring games on metacritic.

2d ago
rlow12d ago

Well it doesn’t surprise me. As much money as they make and how they value their employees. It’s a great company in that regard.

2d ago Replies(1)
drivxr2d ago

Well, when your games remain full price many years after release.

And you make profit off of outdated hardware.

I would be shocked if they couldn't afford to retain their staff.

lodossrage2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I didn't want to say anything but drivxr is right.

Nintendo always sells at a profit because they purposely use tech that's always 5 or more years behind. And it's also true their games hardly ever get price decreases.

Don't get me wrong, it's great they kept most of their workforce, but making a point to have your tech specs behind everyone else affords that luxury.

Darkegg2d ago

I don’t think it’s their purpose to use old tech. It’s their purpose to make value of software and know their value. Nobody makes games like them that’s for sure. I just don’t appreciate their customer unfriendly policy.

It’s not impossible to take their status. Companies need to have a selection of 8-bit and 16-bit. Now imagine a split screen for 8 player game for SNES Mario kart and selling at $9.99. The problem is that it doesn’t make profit. So many companies won’t invest in “old” technology. Everyone guns for triple AAA modern technology software but honestly we can enjoy modernized 16-bit creative ideas that allows 8-player mayhem. It’s a pipe dream, possible but impossible.

Shane Kim2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

If they ended up kicking people out after all of that stated above, it would be truly shameful.

DivineHand1252d ago

Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Tesla and Meta are all trillion dollar companies yet they are laying people off in large numbers.

I believe the reason Nintendo layoffs off less workers may be a result of their culture. It seems Japanese companies believe in giving their workers long term or life long employment opportunities and will exhaust all options before laying off workers. This is something we don't see much of in the west unfortunately.

Rdeal2d ago

might be something to do with the fact all those companies hire more than 20x the employees than Nintendo

LoveSpuds2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

What the hell are you talking about? It has nothing to do with how profitable they are. Its completely cultural, MS and Sony make stacks of cash and still lay folks off. Nintendo chose not to lay off staff for the same reason their execs took pay cuts to increase staff pay instead; because they value their staff and view them as colleagues, and respect them as such.

If Sony weren't so US centric I fancy they'd fare better too, they should get shot of US and European leadership and go back to when Japanese execs were running the show if you ask me!

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470°

Nintendo Switch 2 sales shatters records, most-sold console in 24-hour period

The Nintendo Switch 2 has set a new record by selling over 3 million units within 24 hours, tripling the PlayStation 4’s previous launch day sales.

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tweaktown.com
Jin_Sakai23d ago

Crazy. Switch 2 is going to do very well.

darthv7223d ago (Edited 23d ago )

No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.

The number of SW2 specific titles pales in comparison to the variety of SW1 games that get a performance boost right out of the box on this. And like the SX and PS5 before it, you can bet the majority are going to be using it as a means to better enjoy their existing titles that can benefit.

This may have been quick out of the gate... so was the WiiU. I quite enjoy it for what it is, but am keeping my expectations in check.

GenoPurpel23d ago (Edited 23d ago )

The Switch 2’s price point is great and fine and it’s still cheaper than the current gen of consoles aside from the Series S.

The only place I think they will fall short is their software sales, which also in turn may affect the hardware sales but not significantly. Parents will be fine paying for the system for their kids, but one look at an $80-$90 price tag for a single video game, that is where a lot of people will draw the line. Maybe not so much the people who are in the “willing to pay because I buy deluxe editions anyway” crowd, but for parents specifically, more sacrifices are gonna need to be made in their choices of gifts for their kids.

OtterX23d ago

As a parent of 3 with a very modest income, it was very affordable bc I already had an immense library of games, and the Mario Kart bundle came out to only about €50 more than a standard bundle. Both Zeldas were upgraded w Family Expansion Pass that I already had. Many games were upgraded for free. The only additional game I bought was Fast Fusion for 14.99 which was a great purchase!

Killer2020UK23d ago

People seem to forget that the Switch was $299 at launch which in today's money is roughly $400. That makes the Switch 2 a $50 increase when inflation is taken into account compared to the original.

Yes, people have less spending power on average compared to 2017 (Switch launch year) but this is not the MASSIVE price hike that people are making out Nintendo to be doing.

raWfodog22d ago

“No doubt, but.... the current price is out of the realm of the average parent / kid to buy like the SW1 was. So this launch achievement is from those of us with more disposable income.”

It could also be many people rushing to buy to avoid any possible tariff hikes in the future, but I think it’s still a good sign that many people still want physical consoles. Congrats to Nintendo! I’m not getting one at this time though (unless I get it for a Xmas present for one of my kids).

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 22d ago
1Victor22d ago

Congratulations Nintendo on finding the happy medium between their weak console and their invincible handheld plus learning from Sony and clearly defining the new console from the old unlike their Wii and Wii U just add a higher number simple yet effective 👍👍

victorMaje23d ago

Are people that keen on $90 games?
Is it true some remasters will also be $90?

DankSinatra23d ago

Tell me you don't research without telling me you don't research.

victorMaje22d ago

Nope. I didn’t research, I don’t own any Nintendo consoles and I had read on here something about $90 games on switch 2, so I guess it’s good now, people can calm down. Have a nice day :)

1nsomniac23d ago

I bought the Switch 2 I won’t be buying games at MK prices. I don’t ever pay over £45 for my games. Even my Nintendo switch exclusives I never paid more than £33 for.

franwex23d ago

I think the typo you put was meant to be $80.
Anyway, the answer to those questions seem to be yes.

victorMaje23d ago

Looks like I’ve been enlightened about the amount. Happy to see it’s not $90.

Sgt_Slaughter21d ago

Don't get your news from clickbait TikTokers/YouTubers, only go to the source (Nintendo) or reliable new outlets like IGN.

No game is $90 on the Switch 2, and they will never go there. Most games will be under $80, too.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 21d ago
gold_drake23d ago

cool
wasnt expecting it not to sell well

Profchaos23d ago

Its crazy that it's both the highest selling console on day 1 and people can walk into a store and buy it with no pre order

Ashunderfire8623d ago

Yup while I was waiting in line from Best Buy for Switch 2, like I did for Switch 1 back in 2017, every waiting 12am was going to get a Switch 2! I was in the no preorder line too!

My friend manage to get 4 Switch 2s at his GameStop store, that was lowkey not busy at all. Got them all for himself and his family. Super easy to get a Switch 2 over PS5.

Profchaos23d ago

The struggle to get a ps5 was real had mates wait over 2 years for stock i got lucky and got it day 1 but still

Ashunderfire8623d ago

I know and I also struggled getting a preorder for the PS5, when Walmart, Best Buy among other retailers open their preorders a day early before most of us realize it. I got my PS5 launch day thanks to YouTube Live Streamer Jake Randell. He helps people get preorders and launch consoles.

Neonridr22d ago

the PS5 also released during a global pandemic.

Ashunderfire8622d ago

It’s funny how I got disagrees for speaking the truth for what I experienced getting the Switch 2. Nintendo had more copies of Switch 2 than Sony for the PS5.

Don’t be butthurt about this very fact. People on here disagreeing with crazy reasons lol

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 22d ago
hiawa2323d ago

Doesn't that mean Nintendo made sure they had plenty of stock available at retail.

Profchaos23d ago

Yeah it's nice to see they prepped for it

adamwparker23d ago

Yeah, I remember reading an article over two years ago with Nintendo stating that they were going to do all that they could to make sure their next console didn't have the PS5/XBox reseller swiping /no stock fiasco happen to them.

Looks like they made sure production met demand. Refreshing to see that the reseller thing didn't trend and I hope a lot of people who bought multiple units for the sole reason to resell then at $1000 are now stuck with them.

jznrpg23d ago

It also means there isn’t a chip shortage when PS5/Xbox came out during pandemic

gold_drake23d ago

to be where fair, we had a current gen come out during covid ha

repsahj22d ago (Edited 22d ago )

I remembered I tried 7 pre-order events during the PS5 launch. I gave up and ended up buying 1 from a scalper. But now, I already secured 1 pre-order Switch 2 unit in my country very easy and without problems.

Neonridr22d ago

kudos to Nintendo for ensuring a healthy amount of stock.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 22d ago
Terry_B23d ago

Unlike the Switch 2 , the Playstation 4 was not sold on the same day in most regions.

23d ago
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110°

Xbox May Update: Retro Classics Come to Xbox Game Pass, PC Gaming Updates, and More

A variety of new updates are available this month across the gaming platforms. Coming today, Retro Classics games are available to play for Xbox Game Pass members. Players who stream on the Xbox app on PC now have an additional streaming option with GeForce Now. Game Bar introduces quick settings, visual updates for Widgets in Compact Mode, and coming soon, Microsoft Edge Game Assist, an in-game browser that brings an immersive game-centric experience to Edge. And Xbox gift cards can now be redeemed for any amount via Xbox Rewards.

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news.xbox.com
darthv7241d ago

While i appreciate the gesture.... all of these retro classics have been made available everywhere else. I am hoping to see some other Activision properties make their way out of the shackles of the 5th, 6th and 7th gen. Licensing be damned... bring back the Transformers Cybertron games.

P_Bomb40d ago

Love the Cybertron games! TF games have been shit lately. Would love to see that era revisited. I even did the multiplayer!

MrBaskerville40d ago

Is the retro classics for all consoles?

Obscure_Observer41d ago

Metaphor on Gamepass just announced! O.o

Seriously, this is the best generation of Xbox ever!!!

We can´t catch a freaking break from awesome games arriving all the time!!!

Deathdeliverer40d ago

It’s a HELL of a game. If you like JRPGs in the family of Persona, you will be in heaven… that is until you hear the various battle music…. then you’ll be somewhere BEYOND heaven!

babadivad39d ago

Just finished Clair Obscur. This should be fun.