Pachter: Nintendo are "a few years late" in everything they're doing

Nintendo Insider writes:

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has once again turned his attention to Nintendo, discussing the company within the latest episode of his weekly Pach Attack show.

[BlackWolf]

And here comes the Pachter one more time... Oh well.

[FriedGoat]

Where did Patcher come from? I mean, anyone can point out the obvious.

[BlackWolf]

Man, I'm just joking with the fact that Pachter always makes this kind of comments.

[FriedGoat]

yeah, sorry it wasn't a direct reply to you, I just wondered how this guy is always around spouting predictions. Where did he come from?

[gaffyh]

He is an analyst for Wedbush-Morgan Securities (Now Wedbush Securities) and has to write reports and such to investors on certain stocks for that company, and he looks after a lot of gaming company stocks, so he goes to all the industry events and meets with the game companies quite a lot. He's more knowledgeable about the industry than we give him credit for, but he thinks about it as an investor, which is why his predictions are not usually very accurate.

[BlackWolf]

@FriedGoat
It's okay.

[MaxXAttaxX]

Some people are bound to take this negatively, even though this isn't about Nintendo's success.

[EVILDEAD360]

I love Pachter. The entertainment value he brought to gaming has been a blast to watch.

But, he's definately eaten his lunch quite a few times.

The greatest thing about Pachter was hiswrong Wii HD prediction was really the one that gave him his fame.

The irony is that had Nintendo launched a Wii HD a few years ago, it would have been a massive hit. We all would have bought one and it may have extended the Wii's life at the top a couple of more years.

Evil

[Red_Orange_Juice]

Where do I apply? I can do all this

[DeadlyFire]

I need to learn Patcher's technique for stating the obvious and drawing out my own conclusions while gaining fame and having a job of just stating those things.

[MikeMyers]

Not many thought much about the Wii either and look at how well that system did. If things were based purely from a technical standpoint with leading edge hardware the PC would win hands down but there's much more to it than that.

[UnholyLight]

You know for as much shit as this guy gets for making poor predictions at times, he is a realist when he says things like this.

[solid_warlord]

Anyone can be a realist by just stating the obvious. Nintendo is gonna hit rock bottom if they arleady haven't. The original Wii was somet different and it was well advertised...from casuals to hardcore gamers, they all wanted it. The Wii sports game that came free with every Wii made it fantastic deal..unfortunatey it got bored after awhile. The Wii U just didnt have that spark as the original Wii had. Wii U was not innovative compared to original Wii. Nobody expected Wii U to come with a high end hardware but the final hardware is poor 2008 tech. It slower CPU and GPU is 5 years old. Its poor efforts by Ninty, i think Wii U will be the Gamecube all over again. Sure, Mario's, metroids &, star fox games will come out and do well but it wont be enough.

[IAmTheBest35]

i feel like if nintendo came out with wii u in 2009 or 2010 it would have been very poor timing. their timing is just right. historically, all next gen consoles come out within one year of eachother. the only one i can think of that broke this trend is the dreamcast (ps2/xb/gc/dc all launched within the years 1999-2001.) and ironically, look how dreamcast turned out. it was a little too ahead of its time. (that and the piracy issue lead to its demise.)

anyway, the point is that if nintendo released a new console a couple years ago, it would have seemed like they really have no idea what they were doing. especially since the wii had plenty of life left in it during the time that im sure pachter thinks the wii u should have been released. they also probably would have not made as much money in the long run due to the wii having more years left in it.

you dont just abandon a console thats been on the market for only three years. 2012 is perfect, because the ps4 and 720 will more than likely come out this year. so honestly, i dont think coming out with the next console mid generation is a very good long term strategy lol. it doesnt make him sound like a realist. it makes him sound like he would run his console manufacturing company into the ground if he had one.

[showtimefolks]

y'all can hate the man but one thing i agree with is wii-u is late to the party, ps4,xbox720 will over shadow it and wii-u isn't a clear message for unknown consumers

but nintendo late to everything not true, but wii-u should hev come out 1-2 years ago not now

[jony_dols]

I fear that the Wii U is going to become the next Dreamcast; both sold well initially, had good features & games, but unfortunately was released between console generations & fell in sales, behind more powerful hardware of the upcoming competition (Orbit & Durango)...

[fatstarr]

lol except in the money making category.

[rezzah]

I wonder if he reads the comments on various gaming sites, only to gather his information from other people.

[Hellsvacancy]

N4G is his source

[iamnsuperman]

You should watch the video he smirks when saying this because he knows more of the low level websites will pick it up. He is essentially looking for a response by these websites and they fell for it

[pablo-b]

lol and there aint much lower than n4g!

[Kos-Mos]

Not when it comes to be a successful company that knows business and aren`t in the game to halt other companies for total domination.

[Merrill]

I mostly agree with him.

They really missed the boat with online & HD gaming, it could really hurt them(I think it already is)in the end.

They can still be innovative and keep up with the times. Not adopting online support and HD support sooner was a grave mistake, IMO.

[iamnsuperman]

I think the most die hard Nintendo Fan has realised that they were behind when it came to (now) basic features like HD and online functionality. Being late doesn't mean bad but it is what the next standard feature will be and if Nintendo has done it or have they done something more than catch up in these areas

[Murad]

I agree with you with agreeing with him.However, I think of it like this. I love my 3DS, no games, but love it anyway, and if Wii U price does go down, I will pick it up to play titles like Zombi U. Why, because I like Nintendo and their creative titles, such as No More Heroes, and Red Steel.

[bauer007]

Pachter telling it how it is :)

[LOL_WUT]

Yup, regardless of what he says he sure knows how to make a headline and the fanboys eat it all up. ;)

[araman]

"Patcher telling it exactly like anyone who already follows gaming already knows".

FTFY.

[RogueStatus28]

So much negativism concerning Nintendo w/ the gaming media. (Pachter, Kotaku, Webb, Geoff K, G4, Gamespot, GiantBomb, etc)

[poo342947294792]

patcher is having clibby B's luv child the next n4g headline

[imXify]

At some point he's right.
Call of Duty never got a single DLC on the Wii console and because of that, sales dropped 75% with each CoD release...lack of support.
Now the WiiU and BO2 are out, patches are missing, Nuketown 2025 and Nuketown zombies are still not there. DLC may never come to this console.

EDIT: WiiU OS is slow and not interesting. It shouldn't take me 30 seconds to load and get out of the option settings

[metroid32]

Yeah because ps3 and 360 have a

Social network right on the main menu in real time 24/7.
Video chat right out the box.
Dual screen Browser.
NFC tech on controller.
Panaramic 360º Viewpoint for ultimate in game camera.
Game suspension.
Off TV Play.
Eshop almost equal to Steam as far as indie devs are concerned.
Dual rumble.
Dedicated Sound Processor.
GPGPU from 2011/2012.
32 MB EDRAM.
Compute shaders.
2 gig RAM.
Unique Co-op gameplay.

Wow 360/ps3 don't even come with a HDMI lead why because there not real HD consoles 600p is not real HD.

Not to mention WiiU has standard gamepads as well and wiimotes it's win win and Patcher the WiiU is doing all these things above that current gen don't do get over it WiiU is setting the standard now.

[Shok]

Well, the 360 DOES have voice chat out of the box, actually. And game suspension.

Everything else you said though are pretty good points.

[R_A_LEE20]

Read it properly next time and you'll see that it says Video Chat straight out of the box not Voice Chat.

[hivycox]

nice list there bro !!

[porkChop]

Haha. That was funny to read. K.

1) The Eshop is in no way even close to Steam, and is nothing special or even good as far as digital distribution goes.

2) Dual rumble? Are you fucking kidding me? Why do you think they call it a DUALSHOCK? Nintendo's only 17 years late with that one.

3) Yeah, it's got GPGPU capabilities. Problem is, its GPU is a very low end model that is too slow to even utilize GPGPU, so that really means nothing.

4) You say EDRAM like it's a new thing. The Xbox 360 has had EDRAM since 2005. Nintendo's late yet again.

5) Oooh, compute shaders! Great! Now that would actually matter if the Wii U's GPU was fast enough to utilize GPGPU, but as I've already said, it isn't. So again, that means absolutely nothing.

6) It's funny that you say the 360 and PS3 aren't real HD console because a small portion of their games are sub-HD. Well using your logic, the Wii U isn't a real HD console either because many of it's games are sub-HD as well.

[MasterCratosKong66]

you didnt even refute half of his list

[WeAreLegion]

That's because the rest of his list has no business being on a list. I enjoy my Wii U, but Nintendo is really behind on almost everything...

[IAmTheBest35]

hmm.. the only point i would like to respond is the rumble feature in relation to gaming. wasnt it nintendo that released the rumble pack with starfox 64 in 1997? i am pretty sure the playstation picked up that feature after starfox 64 came out, and thats when they created the dualshock. i dont know if i would say that nintendo was late on that one..

[Eyeco]

The Japanese release of the Dual Analog featured, force feedback and was released in April 1997 same month as Rumble Pak, the misconception that Sony copied Nintendo is a false allegation. And even if they did , force feed back had been around gaming arcades for 2 decades, it wasn't really a new concept.

[MasterCratosKong66]

@crowtrobot im not arguing that nintendo isnt behind everything because they are, along with every other console maker. thats why those things on his list contribute to why you enjoy your wii u whether you realize it or not. im not against the other console makers because they all offer experiences that i dont want to miss out on. if nintendo tried to stay at the forefront of tech they would be wasting their time. they should stick to making fun experiences because that is what will keep them in the game foryears to come

[porkChop]

@IAmTheBest35

The Rumble Pack was singular rumble. The DualShock is dual rumble. He claimed that the Wii U was the first console to have dual rumble, which is complete bullshit. Most of his points are incorrect. The Wii U may be the first Nintendo console to do those things, but most of those points have been done before in other consoles. Nintendo have made many innovations in their time, but many more times they have been slow on implementing features of other consoles. They've always been split between being a follower and a leader, though they follow much more than they lead.

[specsmatter]

Lol for everything you mentioned ps3 A seven year old system has things the wiiu doesnt have in return...... Hmmmm lets see

1) Blueray you can discount It all you want but blue rays hold alot of information for gaming and ppl love it for movie s.
2) Trophies-Nintendo fans wish they had
3)Ethernet port-Ive heard Wii u owners complaining about online hiccups and having to get ethernet dongle lol
4) True stereoscopic 3D not that bs infocular fake 3D you guys have that comes from software not hardware.
5) Playstation home is massive and although miiverse is different we all know where they got their Inspiration from lol
6) Controllers that stay charged for hours on end not just 2.5 Hours lol
7) Online infrastructure better than wiiu you cnn lie all you want but wiiu online doesnt compare
8) For all the supposed innovation wiiu lacks alot and also borrows alot from others like web browser on system, miiverse borrows from home and overall trying to be a media hub like ps3 Which it has been doing for years with blu ray, true 3D, 7.1 Full dolby surround sound, etc....

You can lie and say you have a ps3 Tht you dont use but we all know wiiu is playing catch up to current gen and 7 Years later still isnt a step up or an evolution. My bet is your brother has a ps3 That you are secretly envious of and you come with this bs you hardly play your ps3 Lol

[WeAreLegion]

Despite your lack of grasp on the English language, you are correct. The PS3 is incredible. The Wii U is nice, but not nice enough. I want games. I want features. More demos? Anything will do, really...

[specsmatter]

I love the pseudo professors on this site. You know the ones that get excited and wet when they see syntax or gramattical errors.

Get a life and hop off. Some ppl on here are actually typing on mobile devices and give two $ucks about syntax or diction . Its about speed, not trying to impress some false wannabe nerds.

Hope i conveyed that message properly lol

[1upgamer99]

I do have PS3 and it is a great system, but Nintendo is offering new ways to play. Take BOPS2, I bought it for my PS3 ( I could not wait the extra week for the Wii U version) When I picked Wii U up I rented BOPS2 just for fun to see how Wii U version stacked up. I had a friend over and we went to town. Its a way better online, multi-player experience. At that point in time it took longer to find online players, but I could see the potential was there. About two weeks ago someone pointed out you could play with two pro controllers and Use the gamepad for a Map if you wanted. After that added perk I was sold. I traded my BOPS2 in for the Wii U version. I do not regret it, accept I can not play with my PS3 friends. Still Nintendo has a system that has really made playing games unique, immersive, and most of all FUN.
I do not Use my PS3 for Blu-Ray, because it puts more wear and tear on your drive, the Wii U uses single layer Optical Disk that hold 25gig, and I am sure just like Wii They will use multi-layer too.
The Internet on Wii U is HANDS DOWN better.
The battery life is about 2.5 hours, I have no problem with that when I am not playing I charge it. Also there is a battery boost that will keep your gamepad up for 5 hours.
Assassins Creed 3 Runs in true 3D.
I have no problem with "hickups" or lag.

[specsmatter]

in response to 1upgamer....

assn creed does not use true 3d it uses infocular 3d which is what xbox has as well tht is why you see none of those systems touting that thy have true 3d like ps3 steroscopic 3d. You have a ps3 budnt knw the diff? lol Use kz3 3d on a 3d tv compared to tht bs 3d your tlking about an youll see diff.

[metroid32]

Disagrees hey last time i turned my ps3 on it did none of these things ? GOOD LUCK BLIND FANBOYS.

Google it eshop is the shop to beat going forward mate end of ive got a ps3 it's not as good it feel very old now,as for the guy saying who gives a shit,when ps4 has half of these features will they still be shit ?? GROW UP GUYS.

Almost as good as a service like Steam at lauch means going forward it will equal or surpass it.

[iamnsuperman]

I disagreed because A: why have you said this. B: because some of the stuff is just idiotic. I mean of course the PS3 and 360 does not have a "GPGPU from 2011/2012" nor "2 gig RAM" (because 2 gig back in 2006 was monumentally expensive).

Some may be blind fanboys but for people like me I just see desperation.

I mean "dual rumble", "Eshop almost equal to Steam as far as indie devs are concerned" and "Video chat right out the box". really? that is what you are going with

[Riderz1337]

Social Network on the main menu? Who gives a shit.
Video Chat? Who gives a shit.
Dual rumble? Who gives a shit.
Eshop almost equal to steam? Almost is not good enough.
Game Suspension? INNOVATION AT IT'S FINEST.
Off TV play? Who gives a shit.

People buy a gaming console for games, and last time I checked the Wii U is filled with ports of games that are already on the 360/PS3.

[PopRocks359]

So in other words, your argument is completely subjective. You can't just say "Who gives a shit" to everything when there are some people out there who actually care about features like that. I personally am happy that I can run Netflix on the Wii U screen, and the picture is clearer than how it is on the 3DS.

"People buy a gaming console for games, and last time I checked the Wii U is filled with ports of games that are already on the 360/PS3."

Well it seems this generation people are buying consoles based on graphics. And besides, Nintendo actually got some third party software for a change. You might say it's "just ports" but now that software can be accessed on a Nintendo console. Whether your acknowledge it or not, that's a new thing for Nintendo console owners.

EDIT: I'd like to add that that's an unfair argument given the state the PS3's "ports" are in. For almost the entire generation the PS3 iteration of multiplatform games have been running a little bit less well than their 360 counterparts. I assume this has to do with the difficulties in developing on PS3 hardware.

For many of the Wii U ports, there were technical hitches, but nothing that broke any of the games. While in some cases the Wii U received the least best version (Darksiders II) Some of them ran under just the 360 version but better than the PS3 version (such as ASsassin's Creed or Black Ops 2).

Unless these ports were all egregiously terrible, you can't really argue "Oh, they're just ports." It's the same thing for the PS3! The definitive version for almost all of these games is on the 360. Does that mean people HAVE to buy them on that platform? No. That won't stop PS3 owners from buying their games on the PS3. Same with Wii U owners.

[IAmTheBest35]

the wii u is filled with ports of games from current gen consoles because it just came out. thats what happens when the first next gen console comes out. (look at 360 for the most recent example). i am not attacking you, im just assuming you didnt know.

[Dgander]

Dont give a shit? Wow this site is full of retarded fanboys and yes you are retarded along with the people that supported your comment. Dont worry when Sony copies all those features im sure you will love it (or at least pretend to). Its De Ja Vu all over again, blind haters like you are nothing new and nothing special. Those same games that haters like YOU was bashing Nintendo for not having on their system and now that they are bringing them its a problem because those games are on another system? I hope you can stick to your story when the PS4 launches and has no games also? Two month old consoles tend to be like that you know....

[Nivalis]

As a PC gamer, let me say this.
Oh you have HD now? Welcome to the party, you're only 15 years late to PC gamers and 7 years late to console gamers.

[OmniSlashPT]

As much as I despise Pachter, his statements about the Wii U and Nintendo have come closer to the truth.

Deep down we all know the Wii U is just a Wii with the HD and online features the PS3 and X360 already had back this gen.

Fanboys come saying Nintendo always innovates when it comes to controllers. You know what? Since the NES that they've changed their controller every single new console release. The DS is 15y old and is still up to date. Without the 'pro' controller the Wii U would be unplayable. That's like giving a move instead of a DS in a PS3 package and making you buy the DS if you want to play for real.

The Wii U is certainly over hyped and overrated, there's nothing about it that makes it a success. Pachter might not be the best example, but I'm glad someones points the finger at Nintendo and says they're doing things wrong for once. It's been all fun and games with the Wii, but somehow everyone, from devs to players and journalists, hated it or didn't found it the best console. Surprisingly, they put the Wii on a pedestal as it something divine. Sold a lot? Yeah, so does Bieber, it doesnt make him the best though.

[PopRocks359]

I'm going to go off on a limb and assume you've never held the Wii U gamepad in your hands? I use that thing for each game I play, and it works just as well as the Pro controller (albeit the new size takes minor adjustment time). So no, I disagree with your sentiment that it is "unplayable" without the Pro controller.

Finally, it's too early to determine if the Wii U is success or failure, but the sales numbers are decent. NeoGAF already posted NPD numbers showing this to be the truth. I'm no rocket scientist, but if it sold faster than the 360 and PS3 at launch in a worse economy, then what exactly leads anyone to believe it's "DOOMED?"

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

The from your comment it looks you're defining "success" through quality, which you simply cannot do. Success and quality are two completely different things and are hardly mutually exclusive.

The Wii U is well running console with potential. Nothing's changed about that. What needs to change is its library, as does any gaming console that has just launched.

[hduce]

Actually..... I game with the gamepad more than I do with pro controller.

[hivycox]

why does he even get money for what he says???

Poeple work hard in their jobs to ensure a safe life...but this faggot comes out and say one thing a million times and gets money for it... and on top of that he's opinions are so terrible...

But on the bright side: everything negative thing he said about Nintendo something good came out of it...for Nintendo ;)
remember how he statet that the wii will be a failure back in the day?? I'm sure you do ;)

[Redempteur]

nobody knew that the wii would be a success like that .
NObody predicted that. nobody.
i don't like patcher but that one is out of everyone hands.

[blackbirdi]

well wasn't nintendo always who came up with a new type of controller in the gaming industrie ?

[Thepcz]

why is everything this guy says, news?

[Rivitur]

Fanboys + Weekend = people looking at comments trying to pick a fight because they know about the topic so they basically are trying to show case their skills.

[linkenski]

If Nintendo can still release new and original games with several 9.5/10 or 8/10 scores like Super Mario 3D Land and NSMBU, then how are they "a few years late in EVERYTHING they are doing"?

[ToonarmY]

Yea like the Wii controller............Patcher just fuck off

[abzdine]

Pachter: Nintendo are “a few years late” in everything they’re doing

SHUT UP BITCHH!

[MEsoJD]

I love how he pisses off you fanboys. He must be right. XD

[hduce]

I love how you fanboys troll every article with "Nintendo" in the title.

[MEsoJD]

@hduce

I don't see any indication of me trolling... Just pointing out that it's hilarious how emotional fans can get over something so trivial.
It is annoying that the word,"troll" gets flaunted towards anything that is negative or anti.

[hduce]

@MEsoJD You don't see trolling because you are not in front of a mirror.

[MEsoJD]

@hduce

Trolling is, "The art of deliberately, cleverly, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue."
This wasn't my intention, but it's up to you to decide which you already have.
Learning is fun :3

[nintendoland]

I like how pathcer is right when he bashes nintendo :DDD

[arbitor365]

i dont always agree with him, but he is 100% correct. the wii u is a waste of time.

also the 3DS is incredibly cheaply built and feels like a child's toy.

[Rivitur]

That's because the 3ds is marketed mostly towards children with classic games like Mario ____, Disney's ___, and for children who have premonitions of burning down their houses the Cooking Mama series.

[klecser]

Sales say otherwise. All that needs saying.

[Nelson M]

Patcher's Mullet is a few years to late too

[Apollo1]

He's Stupid.
Nintendo Numbers Talk

[axisofweevils]

LOL Pachter.

Nintendo were first with rumble, shoulder buttons, D-pad, motion controls, 3D without glasses, built in NFC.......

Nintendoes what Sony and Microsoft can't.

[AO1JMM]

Pachter needs to look up the definition of everything.

[stragomccloud]

Like with D-pads, analog sticks, motion controls, touch interfaces, software design... oh wait.

[wishingW3L]

Nintendo weren't the first at any of that.... -__-

The only true thing that came from Nintendo was the rumble pack, shoulder buttons and nothing more. So get your facts straight and read more.

Look for info about the SNK systems, Vectrex, Eyetoy, Intellivision....

[Benjaminkno]

Actually I think Nintendo streamlined everything here when it comes to console gaming. His point isn't about "being first". The point is that Nintendo historically isn't behind with the times. You would do well to get 'your' facts straight.

[Raimond]

Wow I didn't think the question I asked to Pachter on GT would cause such a stir on n4g!

[cyclindk]

Well they kinda are... fine, tablet controllers a first for consoles, but tablets are hardly new, relatively speaking, and Nintendo's tabtrollers don't exactly shine when compared with the best of the best dedicated tablets (but of course that's somewhat to be expected).

Power-wise, I don't believe there is any mistaking that they won't really be able to compete with what's coming (Sony and Micro and PC offerings, though we all know power isn't always necessary to succeed).

No blu-ray playback (fine, but another step behind regardless of streaming options).

It's just not an all around very impressive package when weighed against the deluge of behemoth gaming tech on the horizon.

[zugdar]

I'm a hardcore Nintendo fan and even I agree with him. Pretty stupid headline if you ask me.

[broken_back-man]

metroid32 is obviously blind toeverything, he tells people that are backing m $ and sony to grow up but last I remembered nintendo wii and wiiu are more aimed towards children. and I canpromise the ps4 and 720 are goibg to make the wiiu look a gen old when they come out just like last gen, I think when 3rd party developers are already dropping suppord for the wiiu its pretty sad just look up the crytek article the wii u is introuble and the new counsles havent come out yet, but good luck playibg the same games over and over ill have both systems that have 3rd party support lol

[Drainage]

sony is putting a screen on their ps4 controller. enough said

[Phil32]

Just reading the comments section here is proof enough why gaming isn't considered a legitimate hobby yet-- Grown ass adults bitching and trolling about electronic toys. So embarrassing. Makes me ashamed to be called a gamer. :/

[IaussieGamer]

Of course Sony will stay with Blu-Ray next gen. What other choice do they have going backwards to DVD and limiting their console? Blu-ray will be required for next gen as data of the games get larger. Just look at the 360 and some games having 3 or even more disks to fit the games on.

[Gaming4Ever]

N4G still proving it's one of the scummiest sites on the web I see.

[modesign]

patcher bashes ps3 = "pachter is insightful, he is spot on, he can predict the future".

patcher bashes 360/wii = "pachter is a moron, he cant predict anything, why isnt he dead yet, OMG hes a moron".

same old same old with these kids.

[Question_Mark]

I think you got those backwards.

[lilbroRx]

When and how often has Patcher bashed the PS3, or the 360 for the matter?

Almost every sentence that comes out of his mouth has Nintendo in it.

As for people calling Pather a moron for bashing the Wii. Are we reading the same comments?

[Orionsangel]

They are? Duh! Haha! Everyone knew the Wii was a slightly more powerful Gamecube with no HD and few online games. That didn't matter though. They managed to take over the industry with a fascinating gimmick. Personally I think motion control has seen it's best days. It came and went. Now it's that silly oddity we all laugh at while still using Gamepads for the majority of games we play.

Anyway, the Wii appeared at the right time and basically won this gen in terms of numbers. I don't know about relevance though. Wii ran out of steam. While 360 and PS3 kept going strong and games like Call of Duty and Mass Effect made lasting impacts this generation. Nintendo is trying to do it again, but again they're gonna be left behind when 720 and PS4 come out. The Wii U isn't exactly setting the industry on fire at the moment, but it doesn't matter though. Nintendo will release Wii U Mario & Zelda game and they'll flock to the Wii U. On the other hand, judging from the Launch. It looks like Wii U will be the new Gamecube this gen. A good system with great games, but it could never quite make it to the top.

[Bowzabub]

This doesn't require any analysts....

[broken_back-man]

I agree but last gen I had lots of casual gamer friends that picked up the wii because of the price, the wiiu isnt doing so hot because they mostly have ports from counsoles that are cheaper and I also believe the wiiu is already in trouble because they are already loaibg 3rd party support this early in its life

[dani25pr]

give a fuck what Pachter says that I have a ps3 and xbox360 and buy the WiiU mind now and I like it much more than ps3 and xbox360

[MadMen]

I agree, Nintendo has become a waste of gamer space

SONY and MS are where its at.

[Hassassin]

Wii sold more.

As far as best gaming machine (costs not considered) you have to go PC.

[sway_z]

We're entitled to our opinion about Pachter, like he is entitled to his...whilst I don't agree with a majority of what he 'touts' ...I agree with this notion.

Nintendo will always be behind in terms of software support, and here's why.......Besides Nintendo (and a few 3rd parties) Nobody makes money on Nintendo hardware.

Nintendo need to build better third party relationships or their users (YOU) will miss out on some awesome games that aren't Mario, Zelda etc..

Nintendo diehards will tell you they only need Nintendo's franchises to justify lack of third party support...but then they get Black Ops 2 and start hootin and tootin lulz

[wiiulee]

that clown and haters like him....yup nintendo always a couple years late...thats why the 3ds is beating the psvita by a long shot...thats why the wii motion controller was copied by the competition..thats why the wii won last generation by over 20 million systems more sold then the competition...thats why the wiiu gamepad will be copied by the competition , thats why miiverse and tvii will be copied, even that clown said so...oh sony and microsoft will bring out a better version of miiverse and tvii admitting that the competition will be copying nintendo...go figure..haters will hate though

[Fel08]

Pachter, go home, you are drunk.

[360ICE]

I agree with mr Patch for once. If Wii U had been released in 2010, same year as the iPad, that would probably be pretty impressive. Are anyone really impressed by a pad controller with those specs in 2012? or 2013? After Vita cross play and smart glass even...

Btw, not saying it won't sell (even though it would sell more if it had the "wow" factor), just saying that it's not really all that impressive to tech geeks.

[lilbroRx]

The controller has no specs, its just a controller. And Nintendo released "that type" of controller long before the ipad was ever a thought. It was called the Nintendo DS.

[360ICE]

Really? The controller has no specifications?
I could have sworn things like
-----
6.2″ inch touchscreen, WVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels), 16:9 aspect ratio
Regular button control layout on the side of the controller, with two analog circle pads
Microphone
Camera
Speakers (left and right)
Accelerometer
Infrared sensor
Gyroscope
NFC and Bluetooth support
Stylus/pen support
Headphone jack + volume slider
Compatible with 3DS as a controller
Uses Wii U sensor bar to track and determine 3D position
----

would have passed under "specifications". But who am I to judge something that everyone agrees with me on? It's not like Nintendo lists gamepad specs on their official site, or anything.

ALSO: I think it's fairly easy to see how Nintendo DS is not a tablet, like the ones the Nintendo Gamepad is often compared to. Though of course it would have been even less impressive if DS is was "that type" (though I never really used that phrase) of a controller. So your point kind of makes no sense.

[DivineAssault]

Hes kinda right.. Nintendo messed up imo.. Miiverse is cool but thats all the wii u has that makes it kinda cool.. Now if Sony or MS make a social app thats a bit more mature, wii u wont have anything that will make people want it for anything other than its own published games.. Im sure there will be a handfull of gems from 3rd party on it but im almost positive that nobody is going to jump ship from PS or Xbox & stick w nintendo.. Its going to remain a secondary console to core gamers nx gen.. Even this gen its secondary for me anyway.. Hopefully some firmware updates to the UI & features will improve it a bit in the future cuz right now, theres absolutely no reason to buy one.. It needs original & exclusive core titles & fast before its too late

[HeroReborn]

Agreed they pushed themselves into the market, and in the proccess lost the casual gamer with bad marketing and a intimidating controller. I own one myself and beside being a really good game at parties to play I'm hopeing that they have some more support for titles because the device itself has so much potienal

[Viper7]

Only a few?

[silkrevolver]

While agree that Nintendo should have kicked up the Wii U's specs up quite a bit, Pachter seems to rag on Nintendo a little too often. They rarely stumble enough to fail.

[thecurseddevil]

no shit

[Benjaminkno]

"Microsoft is a few years late on that RROD"... oh wait, he didn't say that! XD
Pachter's "expertise" is always a welcomed in the land of Nintendo!! We need more fodder for the desperate fanboys that can't stand Nintendo anymore. Let them consume the glimmering hope that their brand demands. It's like hanging a carrot over your heads. Can we get more investment advice from this guy? As far as I can tell, Sony has been a safe investment, aside from the company actually being underwater. Why not see this for what it really is; criticizing Nintendo while you emulate everything they do.

Keep flinging your dung, I thought I smelled bullsh*t...

[HeroReborn]

If what he says is true about multiplayer games than Microsoft will have to restructure the whole idea of Xbox live.... I will be damned if I were to pay a subscription fee twice. Tell you the truth I don't see how it is possible for devs to squeeze money out of the gamer on a monthly basis in the fashion. Know that some of the big MMOs do it but just don't see it for consoles

[The_KELRaTH]

I'm not sure why so many feel the Wii U will be directly competing with the next Sony/MS consoles.
The most likely scenario is it will end up being at a much lower, more affordable price bracket by comparison and still take the " children/family" entertainment segment over the gamers segment.

When mums start buying Sony/MS consoles for themselves like they bought Wii's then maybe Nintendo will have to rethink their strategy.

[e-p-ayeaH]

Nintendo just needs some more inovaion.

[bozebo]

Performance/tech wise, sort of but it's the way they do business. Other than that, they make sure it suits them - they did motion control "right" for the Wii, though motion control wasn't new. This time they are the second to put a screen on the controller (Dreamcast) but I suspect they will pull it off better (probably due to their brand rather than the merits of their product, though they do keep releasing good games too).

[Nevers0ft]

PRO TIP: Pachter gets his opinions on Nintendo from a Magic 8Ball.

[Deku-Johnny]

Me: Pachter's boss are "a few years late" in realising you're good for nothing and need firing."