The Trends of the Wii U Section

Obviously as a Nintendo fan I frequent the Wii U section more so than the others and comment on related articles more often. To put the headline into context, here is my observation;

EDGE put out a review of an upcoming Wii U exclusive called Lego City Undercover. It was one of the earliest reviews, and they granted the game a 5/10 score. This particular article generated some sizable buzz (not massive, obviously but big enough to be considered significant).

Almost every comment consisted of something along the lines of, "Well, I expected this," or "Damn, I was looking forward to this game," or other such comments. Game Informer had recently given the game an 8.5 and I pointed this out, only to be met with higher disagree ratio and a reply suggesting that Gamestop (owners of Game Informer) wanted to give the game a higher score to forward used physical game sales.

I would have appreciated just about any other reply over a baseless conspiracy theory.

Since then a ton of reviews have been accepted onto N4G's Wii U section and almost all of them have been mixed to positive. Most of them are receiving 7/10 scores and I have seen a couple of 9/10s and at least one perfect score.

None of these articles have received any buzz.

This echoes the treatment I saw ZombiU receive. Many people said they did not care for it because of its "bad reception." Well if one had gone to Metacritic at the time, they would have seen it was receiving nothing that could be considered negative reception. The game consistently held a 70+ score on Metacritic with mostly mixed to positive reviews. Positive ZombiU articles and review would generally get little buzz and very few comments if any.

I'm not necessarily saying Nintendo has it the worst, but pretending all of the criticism in Nintendo related articles is honest criticism just does not cut it with me. There are people who want negative news for Nintendo, who seemingly enjoy negative news. And that is a damn shame because it fogs out the aforementioned honest criticism which I am actually interested in reading as oppose to the former.

I do not expect people to agree, but this community as a whole is in need of improvement. This post just cites one of the reasons.

[SilentNegotiator]

That doesn't only happen to the Wii U section. Not even close. Highly deviant reviews usually get a lot of degrees.

[PopRocks359]

"I'm not necessarily saying Nintendo has it the worst"

Never really implied that. This was just about the Wii U section specifically.

EDIT: It's also worth noting that the EDGE review could not really be considered deviant at the time because it was the only review to be read for a while. Meanwhile the Game Informer review was pretty much completely ignored.

[SilentNegotiator]

Then why make a blog specifically for Wii U when its a universal problem?
To play the Nintendo victim as usual with baseless conspiracy theories, right?

As for Edge's review, first review gets lots of attention as well. Between that and it being a score that shocks, it's going to get lots of attention.

And it's not exactly a "baseless conspiracy theory" that GI gives higher scores because they're associated with distributors:
"For 5,356 reviews, this publication has graded:
63% higher than the average critic
4% same as the average critic"

[dedicatedtogamers]

Two years ago, I wrote an article predicting that a "hardcore Wii2" would run into a lot of trouble. This was one of the issues I mentioned. 3rd Party Nintendo games just don't get the same treatment as other games. Call it unfair. Call it whatever. Journalists will sit back and claim "hey hey I gave Super Mario Galaxy a great score!" but when it comes to smaller games on Nintendo consoles, especially 3rd-party games, they are ALWAYS trashed. Was I the only one who was reading Wii reviews since 2006? This has been going on for years. And because hardcore gamers are more likely to read and base their decisions on reviews, this hurts a game's sales. Hence, low 3rd party sales.

It's funny. "Teh stupid casualz" are often smarter than the hardcore gamers. At least they'll buy a game that looks fun and enjoy it. The hardcore scream and cry and demand that a new console (the WiiU) should cater to their needs and be "more hardcore", and then when that console comes out and when it has more hardcore games, the hardcore don't even buy it. Hahahah!

[PopRocks359]

Because I specifically said that I frequent the Wii U section and therefor noticed it in that section? If I could list more specific scenarios in other articles I would, but I'm not in the other sections as often. But hey, I was starting to miss your little attacks; here I was thinking you were actually making an attempt to provide a respectful and sound argument. Boy do I feel silly.

You and the word context just do not mix. Like at all.

The reason the Game Informer review was slammed was because it was the only positive review at the time. Yet for some reason a bunch of 7+ scores have popped up for the game, rendering the theory that Game Informer only gave the game a positive score for that reason completely irrelevant. The basic point is other people liked it, probably because (here's a crazy-funny idea) they liked it.

You cannot discredit the idea that the game may be at least decent based on one review that might have been the product of some conspiracy with little evidence to support it. But hey, why stay on point, right?

EDIT: Not even a minute after this was posted does it receive a phantom disagree. Are you really so disgruntled that your petty responses hold no water? That your attacks do not really phase me?

Honestly, if you only feel the need to insult me then why are you even here? If you can't provide an argument why do you bother replying?

[zerocrossing]

Nintendo get a lot of unjustifiable hate these says.

I wish I knew why (maybe someone will explain it to me) honestly all I can seem to make of it is that they aren't Sony or MS, and that's reason enough for some people to hate them and anything they publish/develop... smh.

Articles regarding Wii U games getting negative review scores are just going to be more popular than the positive ones, because people are petty and enjoy seeing anything they dislike fail even if the evidence is totally non factual and/or completely biased.

[SilentNegotiator]

You need an explanation? When you stick your head in the sand with every criticism that arises, it's easy to call it all "hate"

EDIT: It's because you guys are focused on it. Nintendo doesn't do much for the hardcore, the hardcore are the ones discussing video games on the internet, Nintendo doesn't get as much love on the internet. It's that freaking simple.

[khowat]

There is some genuine hate though and a lot of people will white-wash everything to be some sort of constructive criticism when sometime it's really not, sure there are a few times when it is something of even the slightest value that people have to say but most of the time it's trying to bully some nintendo fan into a corner so that they admit that the wii u sucks.

[Ducky]

... and there are others that like to cover their hate with the blanket of criticism as well.

When you make comments like:
"To play the Nintendo victim as usual with baseless conspiracy theories, right?" like you did above, then it's pretty easy to see which category you're in.

[SilentNegotiator]

@ducky

He suggests that Nintendo gets 'extra hate' for 'no reason'. That's what "baseless conspiracy theories" are made of.

[zerocrossing]

I agree that it's not all blind hatred being directed at Nintendo, but you're just lying to yourself if you can't honestly see that the vast majority of criticism aimed their way is unjustified.

Many people who dislike Nintendo do so because they aren't appealing to them, simply hating a company because you aren't their target demographic is ridiculous.

Why don't you explain why Nintendo get so much hate then? you seem to enjoy pushing your opinions on other people, so here's an open invitation.

[zerocrossing]

"It's because you guys are focused on it. Nintendo doesn't do much for the hardcore, the hardcore are the ones discussing video games on the Internet, Nintendo doesn't get as much love on the internet. It's that freaking simple."

Well guys I guess Nintendo do deserve the hate after all, they sure don't do much to appeal to the hardcore gamers right? I mean what better reason to hate a company than for not being in their target demographic?.../s SMH

[SilentNegotiator]

Nice twisting of my words. You should be a politician.

I didn't say "LOL NINT SUX DESERVE TEH HATE".

I said that because Nintendo doesn't serve the people that typically discuss games on the internet, they get less praise from the internet. Follow me so far? Okay. And so the "hate" that they get stands out. It's not extra criticism, it's not unjust criticism...it just stands out because the amount of people squealing over a system like Beatles fans is less for Nintendo. If you put people with hate or criticism in a room full of Beatles fans, they're harder to notice; put the same amount of people in a nearly empty room, they seem pretty loud. Get it? I'm not justifying the hate (although I think the "hate" is infinitely less than you perceive).

If you seriously think Nintendo gets "more" criticism than Sony's/MS's systems, try getting out more often (from the Wii U section)...there's LOTS of "hate" and criticism to be seen from the N4G homepage, and most of it isn't directed at Nintendo.

Edit: @below
But far from the same ratio as of the number/popularity of xbox/playstation sites.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

@Silent

Sorry but your restricted view of N4g doesn't encompass the internet. Many other sites which love Sony and Microsoft also equally love Nintendo and are looking forward to many of their games.

Stop talking out your ass please.

[TongkatAli]

The irony is that they are ganging up on you for saying your piece and your opnions, full of shit and hyprocrisy. You dont like N4G get the fudge out, but you won't cause you on this site more then the Sony fanboys.

[PopRocks359]

@SilentNegotiator

"Nice twisting of my words. You should be a politician."

Considering your track record, you are really not in any place to be saying anything like that about anyone.

EDIT:

@TongkatAli

SN opened himself up to criticism just as I do in articles on N4G. If you can't handle a lot of people disagreeing with you, then you should not be commenting on the internet.

It's a personal blog of mine, so I'm not surprised that there are people who disagree with SN who tends to approach his comments with a degree of malice.

Furthermore, did you not whine like a baby last blog and ask me to put you on ignore? Why are you even visiting my blog if you hate my guts so much?

[khowat]

@Silentnegotiator

You're right the hate on the wii u just SEEMS like more hate because there is less love that the system gets, you argue that this therefore means that all systems receive a near equal amount of criticisms but differing amounts of love

But hate is relative

if those three beatles haters are all in that room then 100% of that room is beatles hate.

but if 4 beatles haters are in a room with 96 beatles fans then 96% of that room is beatles love and only a measly 4% is hate. In reality in the 100% room there is physically less beatles haters but they make a much larger splash

I think that the internet is a lot of what SEEMS to us to be. Because we perceive more hate then there actually is doesn't mean that the hate that is there is less impactful

You feel ganged up on don't you, you feel like we're insulting you when in reality it has just been 5 people who have been responding to you and you even have one supporter. It SEEMS like we hate you and it SEEMS like we're against you and I can see you're clear getting upset just because of what you perceive, all we have been doing is disagreeing with your comment and offering our reasons for our critique. You can sense the hopelessness that none of these people will even listen to your argument and much rather just comment back in an angry tone, and tone which you can sense.

Plus if you think the wii u hate on this website is infinitely less than we perceive where have you been. You think those litte quotes from Nvidia and Crytek now and then describing the ps4 as a low-end pc are that bad. Those articles have so much temp. just from sony fans going on and completely disagreeing with them that much, and even if the ps4 did get as much flak as the wii u at least your community is equipped to deal with it, you have armies, legions willing to defend the ps4 and all nintendo fans have is a small militia willing to get mowed down in a storm of disagrees. If you think that we don't get that much hate then we probably get infinitely more hate than you perceive.

Sony fans always say we play the victim and act like we get picked on all the time...

Yeah

Everyone respects the wii u

Cause we don't get that much flak

Cause people don't make fun of an criticise the wii u's graphics, games, franchises, community, price point, and controller

@Tongkatali

I like N4g it really is great to get all the news from different websites all in one place first

and the community is not the website

you are not the website

IF i do not like you

and you happen to be on the website

that will not stop me from coming here

And if I post a blog article about you and how much I don't like people like you

I have as much a right to post it as you have the right to reply to it

That is how the internet works and respect is all that is needed to stop these situations from happening

And I am not getting it from you and you will therefore not get it from me.

and in all honesty rarely do nintendo fans try to start things

and when the do they get replied and disagreed with into oblivion

There is not hypocrisy in what Silentnegotiator has to say

I simply don't agree with it

(sorry for the wall of text)I'm all out of bubbles)

[Qrphe]

It's a natural trend for a poor-selling system to be hated on; this is nothing new and nothing exclusive to Nintendo systems at all or even the videogame industry.

Some may consider N4G a bunch of Sony fanboys nowadays but early on the last gen it was a 360 haven (back when the system was the to-go console and the PS3 got nothing but doom articles 24/7).

[TuxedoMoon]

Most of the wii hate comes from gamers disliking Nintendo for having an under-powered system. And then there's the:

"This game is good..FOR A WII GAME."

I always hear that. It's like they don't consider the wii (or Nintendo) a viable console. They don't consider wii games as "real" games.

Does Nintendo get EXTRA hate? Hard to say. I think there are still a lot of Nintendo lovers out there who still hold a sacred candle to Miyamoto. Sure, they might not have a Nintendo system, but Nintendo was a part of their childhood and is something they can't let go that easily. Nostalgia is probably Nintendo's strongest marketing tool. They are old school, but people enjoy their old school (with a new twist) approach...for the most part.

Nintendo's audience are gamers. Not just the labeled hardcore or Casual, but everyone. Nintendo has the brands, characters, and exclusive content to sell their system. People groan about old IPs, but it's really their old Ips that sell the system for the most part. That new Mario Kart, Zelda, or Smash bros game will help the Wii-u fly off shelves. I'm sure 3ds sales will increase the moment pokemon X/Y is released too.

[EffectO]

Going to n4g for good Nintendo/MS news is a bad idea.
But this is not something restricted to n4g,for some reason lots of people seem to have big problems when discussing anything Nintendo.Rational discussion is almost impossible.

In the case of Lego game,people seem to forget what is the target audience of Lego games,Edge history with Lego reviews and why is Edge taking down sequel scores.

WiiU not so good situation doesn't help either.Lego City will sell millions on the WiiU in the long run,millions more when it gets ported to other platforms(yes it will get ported).It will easily outsell Uncharted but the game is not system seller.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Welcome to N4SonyG. This kind of thing is to be expected. Even positive articles about Microsoft where people post positive things are met with 50 some disagrees. This site has an abomination of a community.

[mamotte]

is a Nintendo/MS supporter in N4G.

[khowat]

In all honesty though, even if this site is extremely biased towards sony, why do they have to hate, why can't they love their system and leave the rest alone.

Phantom disagrees
"Someone sounds butt hurt" replies

[MacDonagh]

Haha. This has been an entertaining blog. It attracted the responses that I thought it would.