This Week in the Business: 'The Public Isn't Aware the Wii U Exists."

What's happened in the business of video games this past week .

[Sandmano]

The Casuals dont know but the hardcore do, theres your problem Nintendo...

[Mustang300C2012]

Even the so called hardcore are not buying it.

[Sandmano]

Thats my point, the hardcore know but dont want it.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I was in a Best Buy in February returning something and saw the Wii U boxes sitting in the middle of the Isles and completely forgot they existed.

I also think it has to do with the lack of buzz that's going around about it I don't think its just marketing.

[SilentNegotiator]

Why should the casuals want it, though? Most of its games are currently on cheaper systems and touchscreens no longer wow people.

That's the problem. It doesn't have a fundamental attraction for the casuals and lacks in what impresses the other end of the spectrum (the hardcore). What can you expect without the support of the masses OR the support of the group that spends the most (per individual)?

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

HEY!

I am not trying to Flamebait,
-but if you are a Nintendo Fan (& If you Don't Mind)-

Please post something about the WiiU.

Either use it as your Profile Pick on Non-Gamer Social Media or Tweet it or make it your status.

Get the word-out to the Casuals.

PS Spare me the "That's not my job! Nintendo should have done that!"-Talk.
-I said, "(& if you Don't Mind)".

[Raccoon]

I do mind, That's not my job! Nintendo should have done that!

[LOL_WUT]

Why does he need to do it or anyone for that matter? It's Nintendo's responsibility to get the message across. ;)

[WildArmed]

I think it'll gain more track once the other two big HD consoles are out.

People will begin to realise there is a nintendo counterpart for the upcoming gen.

With time it'll happen, esp. when people start talking about the games Wii U offers (and you build a game catalog over time, so it'll get there).

[Mustang300C2012]

This makes no sense. Honestly ths sounds just like the same excuses said about Vita. If people want a Wii U they would get the Wii U. No one knows or cares for the system. No commercials. No shelve space in Best Buy and 3rd party not taking a chance to invest. I am sure price drops will help but if you are relying on a price drop to help your brand new console move in less than a year than you already lost. Along with appeal for games in addition to negativity towards the tablet controller getting a gimmicky vibe. People can hype and talk about impressions but they are not translating into sales

Games alone are not the solution. The initial impressions and lack of consumer knowledge it even exist is the issue. Just like the Vita.

[_-EDMIX-_]

agreed a price drop pretty much means your system is not worth the money you're trying to charge for it. mind you the Wii U is pretty cheap compared to what PlayStation 4 and Xbox are going to cost

at this rate it's only going to get much more worse.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

LOL

I meant what I said.
But Raccoon and LOL_Wut still made me laugh.

@WildArmed I think you may be right.
But I am going to do my part still.
I just want to get this dumb branding crap-out of the way so that it does not dampen my future WiiU investment.

Sony makes great games with movie like sensibilities, Microsoft has great Online, But Nintendo Rules Gameplay- I need All of these companies for the Industry to go where I want it to go.

@Mustang & -EDMix
Slow your horses there brohams. Aren't you forgetting something?

A: The PS4 and the XB720 have no quantifiable sales data as of yet. Using your logic the WiiU is 3.5 Million Units in the lead,

But we will see if that remains or if either Microsoft or Sony has a ruff start.

[BullyMangler]

nice im lovin this . the wiiU is so underground rite now . sweeet!

[LOL_WUT]

And how is that a positive thing? ;)

[BullyMangler]

because only a select few know about the wiiU, the rest will find out about its presence when it is time.

[Hicken]

Anything to not acknowledge the negative, huh?

It's not like it's doomed or anything, but at least admit the damned thing needs a marketing push.

[fairyblaster]

Why don't you understand what the mangler just said? Pay close attention to the words he uses.
Confused you are lol.

[Jek_Porkins]

Hope it doesn't become to hipster to own one, eventually those types of people are going to own one and I'll have to distance myself...lol

Seriously though, if this is true, maybe it'd be better if they stop making the standard Wii altogether? I think they can do a better job at advertising the Wii U, maybe rebrand it or something?

Not sure how the Wii and Wii U are confusing, but Xbox/Xbox 360 and PS1, PS2 and PS3 aren't? I think those all might be confusing to some.

[rainslacker]

I mentioned before launch that the U really had no context to it being the next Nintendo system. New names made sense in the old days when it was just gamers who brought this stuff(Genesis, Saturn, etc). Sony's 1/2/3 is a natural incremental increase that is universally understood to be a way to denote successors, and 360 made sense because it had some standing within the nature of gaming(3D works in a 360 degree world).

Wii U just tacks a letter onto the Wii name(notice not the Nintendo name), using the same nomenclature of every Wii accessory released for it's predecessor(WiiMote, Wii Fit, etc). On top of that, no one knows what the U stands for at all. Just some random speculation, which unfortunately doesn't light up the masses interest like the name Wii did.

Other than that, I do think people know about the Wii U, and know that it isn't the Wii. I've seen people I wouldn't consider gamers be able to talk about it. Realistically though looking at it now it just seems to be something that not many want. If it becomes hipster, then at least it can gain a better install base...for better or worse. I'm sure it'll find it's legs at some point in the future, but the waiting for games is become rather frustrating.

[Jek_Porkins]

The thing that gets me is that Nintendo never focused on the console itself, it really isn't a console with a lot of personality in my opinion.

Nintendo focused on the tablet controller and that is all well and good, but when you unveil a new console, you should show the console! That would probably help people to understand that it is a new console, the Wii U looks like a slightly bigger Wii, but uses blocks to stand up, the Wii was actually much more aesthetically pleasing.

[rainslacker]

Honestly other than the Wii being bigger, they look almost exactly the same outside of some of the angles used.

One thing that I think struck a chord with the consumer on the Wii was that they showed it being used in a family setting where everyone was having fun. Even the name "Wii" implied a group of people.

Wii U is simply negating that group feeling that drew in the casual crowd of the Wii. Showing that one lone person off in their own little world while others are having fun seems to make the whole notion of a tablet counter-intuitive to what made the Wii so successful.

On top of that, there is nothing about the tech itself which is really exciting. Motion controls were exciting(for many) on the Wii's launch as controllers were a barrier to many in gaming. Tablets have been around long enough and are so commonplace, it does nothing to really boost the appeal of the system.

I don't mind the tablet myself, I see potential in it, but it seems Nintendo would be better off making some must have games for the casual and hardcore to get it to sell. Stop worrying about the gimmick and leave that up to the devs to figure out, and instead push the system as a game machine instead of trying to make it into the next fad that was the Wii.

[Grimhammer00]

I think many casuals know that Nintendo does something for that system they bought before tablets and cell phones really took off.

They realize that other system that was so hot really had no games worth a damn. Maybe a dozen in its entire marketed lifespan?

This new system that Ninny is not really trying to sell...isn't much of anything to really be excited for. Old ips rehashed ad nauseum. (Yes that applies to the other consoles too. )

If Ninny wants to get attention...lets see some modern ips that aren't family oriented.

Basicly....lets see Nintendo grow up. Even if only a little.

[Indo]

I wouldn't have known the Wii U exist if it wasn't for N4G lol. Haven't even seen a Wii U commercial since it launched.

[GiantFriendlyCrab]

the causals have all moved to smartphone/tablet gaming even kids play with them now.