Why Sony And Microsoft Have Already Lost The Next Generation of Gaming

With all the talk lately of Wii U’s failures many are turning their attention to next gen gaming from Sony and Microsoft. Sony showed off the PS4, which is scheduled to be released Holiday 2013. Microsoft has had rumors flying around constantly regarding their next gen console, Codename Durango. As much as people have talked both consoles up, the truth has also become a little clear. Sony and Microsoft have already lost this next generation in gaming.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Saying "Don't count the WiiU out because everyone counted the Wii out and look what happened!" is a groundless argument.

First, prior to launch, hardly anyone counted the WiiU out. According to Nintendo, the console was packed with eager 3rd-party devs waiting to put their games on it. The holiday sales were incredibly strong (likely because no one wanted to be left out if the system was sold out for 18 months straight like the Wii was).

The "WiiU is doomed" forecasting only began en masse within the last three months. Why? What has happened in the last three months? Nothing. Literally, nothing. Nothing has been going on with the WiiU. Nintendo has been either a) silent, or b) begging us to "be patient" like they always do. The WiiU's sales are dismally low with no next-gen consoles competing with it, and it is launching in a worse global climate compared to 2006 when the Wii launched. The Wii launched prior to the tablet boom, while the WiiU is two years late. Additionally, the WiiU's "revolutionary" tablet actually works against it. Since the tablet is inferior to a lot of tablets already on the market (and it will only grow more inferior as time goes on), people don't think "Wow! A Wii with a high-tech tablet! I want!". Instead, they think "Ugh, a Wii with an outdated tablet that has fewer functions than my Kindle HD"

[showtimefolks]

wii was once in a lifetime kind of a sensation, don't expect that with wii-u. for nintendo to even compete this gen they need 3rd party and guess what just like always 3rd party publishers are not interested

and wii-u isn't even next gen, its stuck between last gen and this gen. the R&D that went into the gamepad should have gone towards making the actual specs of the system.

i think its a 2 horse race between sony and ms.

also take notes MS this is what you get when you target casuals and they move on to mobile gaming.

say whatever you will but sony has proved that targeting the core mainly could be really successful

nintendo was counting on the casuals from wii to move onto wii-u and that didn't happen because most don't even know wii-u is the successor to wii they just think its a ad on

[snipermk0]

what a shoddy piece of writing. A high-school diploma should be a prerequisite before posting an article like this, which is responsible for the genocide of a million brain cells.

[Gaming101]

Wow, some people just don't get it. Nintendo is not competing with Sont and Msoft. They finally did something smart - instead of fighting Sony over the same pie, they created their own pie, a whole new untapped market of gamers, and they created the fastest selling console in videogame history.

Msoft is fighting Sony for the same pie, because that's what American companies do, they steal from other company's rather than innovating and creating a new untapped market like Nintendo and Apple are always doing. Nintendo doesn't have to steal a single hardcore gamer away from Sony or Msoft to be successful, they just have to sell their new console to anyone who bought a Wii, and they'll duplicate the license to print money that was the original Wii.

Whether Nintendo can duplicate their success remains to be seen, however it isn't going well so far, at least not as well as Nintendo hoped, so they're going to need to do something to pull hardcore gamers into the Wii U with superb software. I don't think anyone is banking on Nintendo stealing away the hardcore fringe from Sony and Msoft, as the Wii U hardly puts out games that can compete with the cream of the crop from the PS3 and 360, much less what is coming down the pipeline for next gen. Whatever you do, don't buy Nintendo stock! It's going to plummet!

[showtimefolks]

Gaming101

do you think its so easy to sell wii-u to those who bought wii? those are casuals they moved on to other casual gaming. that's where nintendo is back tracking last gen they were all about casuals now they all about core but they are actually just stuck in the middle

oh yeh Nintendo has been targeting some other audience that's why they are targeting the same core fanbase. serious some of you nintendo fans are so delusional its not even funny

the sensation that was wii can't be match again, and the only reason wii sold was because of Gimmick. Now people can buy actual ipad than a system with low res gamepad

where is the 3rd party support? these are all the games not coming too wiiu this year, nintendo systems are good for one thing and that's nintendo 1st-2nd party games and that's not my opinion that's a proven FACT

as long as nintendo fans keep thinking nothing is wrong with wii-u than its your loss.

bioshock came out for wiiu?
tomb raider came out for wiiu?
GTA 5 coming to wiiu?
Defiance on wiiu?
dead island riptide?
BF4?
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen?
metro last night?
remember me?
destiny?
grid 2?
saints row 4?
fuse?
dead pool?
south park stick of truth?
rainbow six patriots?
killer is dead?
lost planet 3?
castlevania lords of shadow 2?

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Showtime- I just got to agree with the man.

Though I really hate Kinect, I got to hand it to MS, they unlike Nintendo devoted a whole lot of teams to making JUST casual games. The IP's MS has made on Kinect 1 will make people want Kinect 2.0.

What IP did Nintendo make to make anyone want them in the causal respect besides that gimmick that is Wii Sports? By letting 3rd parties make Nintendo's REAL motion ips, they pretty much put there future in 3rd party hands. ie games like Zach and Wiki, No More Hero's, Resident Evil light gun games, Red Steel, EA Fit etc. Now what happens when Sony goes back to Motion and MS starts doing motion?

Well it just means those third parties will just port those games and they did for most of them, even that crappy Dead Space game got a port. By Nintendo not making there own unqie new ips JUST for the Wii's controls, they pretty much just "let em in" and it was just as easy to "get out" when those ips where on other systems.

What reason do I have to own a Wii U when the most unique games taht where causal and used motion didn't even come from Nintendo? Don't even give me that crap like Mario Kart, Galaxy, Smash Bros or Animal Crossing needed those controls, hell those controls where tacked on JUST as bad as Sony's Sixaxis controls.

Those people are now moving towards Ipad games, Kinect etc. Again, though I hate Kinect and have zero plans to own a 720 (unless some really beast Mech games comes out or something LOL) I still think MS has done a pretty damn good job with the casual market. Making those IP's will have those Kinect owners not looking forward to ANY ONE ELSE other then what MS is doing. What to give a hoot about the next EA Fit? Don't need a wii for that, its on every system. Thats where Nintendo went wrong. The Wii U is already on a path to fail next gen.

Where are those Wii owners now? Probably out playing Facebook games or Ipad games etc. Yes Nintendo turned them into gamers...too bad they couldn't keep them on Nintendo systems with exclusive ips.

"When I buy a console, I want a reason to buy it" Last I remember, 3rd parties are leaving Wii U behind just like they did the Wii. Unless "less" games is one of those reasons, I suggest you look to own more then just a single console next gen.

If Wii U isn't even getting current gen games, what makes you think aoyone is going to even waste the damn time to even make crap on Wii U? So they won't konw but will later? LOL!

Did wii get Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, RE5/6, Battlefield etc? So.....with a system selling LESS then Wii...its somehow going to get those games? Too funny. This is Wii vs Current gen systems all over again.

Wii vs PS3/360/PC IS Wii U vs PS4/720/PC. Last time I remember....Wii didn't fair out too well with that outcome.

[showtimefolks]

_-EDMIX-_

look man i agree MS has screwed itself over by going all kinect but guess what one thing that MS has that nintendo is struggling with is xblive.

IMO as a gamer for 24 years nintendo and sony are the only ones who actually support core gaming in general while MS has done the same 3-4 IP's over and over again(i hope that changes next gen)

last time it was wii motion,wii resort,wii sports but this time there isn't such a thing, but if you mean to tell me Nintendo has done right than you and others are out of your mind. There is a reason Vita outsold the wii-u in japan few months back

yes we know 1st party games are coming but most of those won't be here this year so nintendo is hoping people will buy the wii-u to play games in future when they can buy a ps3 and xbox 360 and have a huge Library of games day one

this is how sony and MS will finsih off wii-u and remeber when this happens in near future:

1.release newer systems with much better specs and a lot of 3rd party supprt

2.drop the price of their systems to $149-or even $99 than its over with. Nintendo has had a open season on so called next gen but haven't done much damage

IMO nintendo is no longer a big player in home console, their systems will sell but won't be able to compete with ps or xbox brand

i am out of bubbles, i guess we all have our opinions, my only thought is this

nintendo learned nothing from sony or ms when launching their system, no software support, a bad online offering compare to psn and xblive

i meant did they not see or kjeep track or last gen and learn from the mistakes both sony and ms made to make a great system?

good night

[MikeMyers]

Well we are already seeing people on N4G write off 2 of the 3 systems and I expect most of the backlash to this article will be centered around one of them. It's probably the same people who said the same thing last/current generation.

[Mykky]

To speculate about who will win the console war is utterly ridiculous right now.

Why would casuals buy a console that has no games they want? Wii U has yet to release the next Mario Kart, Main Mario, Zelda, Metroid, countless other Mario titles, X and a more just exclusive to Nintendo. I'm sure things will look drastically different in 1-2 years time.

I think though is that Sony will be dominating the hardcore market for a long time. Still I'm sure Nintendo will sell the most consoles just based on the wide variety their games appeals to.

[lex-1020]

@gaming 101

Apple is an American Company.

[1upgamer99]

LOL, sorry dude, go back to past positive Wii U articles on N4G and MOST counted Wii U out 8 months ago. They said that "the Wii U was not even as powerful as PS360. Even when the launch was better than other current gen sales figures the articles spelled doom from week one. Look at em for yourself. I was on here defending Wii U.

Also you are wrong about the Wii U having a "High-Tech Tablet" It is not a tablet...its a GAMEPAD.

[Mr_Writer85]

I also don't get how the PS4 is just an upgrade but the WiiU isn't?

I mean so it has a gamepad so what? Off TV play, yeah that would be cool but the PSP and Vita say hi, and it can't be done with all games so its not like it even improves on that.

Plus look at games made this gen, no other games have been like Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Heavy Rain, Journey, Gears of War etc.

The stuff inside the PS4 will allow them to create new experiences, rather then just a tacked on gimmick with a gamepad.

I mean they are already trying to use the gamepad to cash in on the Skylander craze with a Pokemon version, how does that change a thing.

Also Nintendo fanboy still think everyone who bought the Wii will buy the WiiU when its clearly not the case.

[specialagent4532]

Well last I checked the gamepad work in conjunction with the console. Meaning the gamepad purpose was to play the games and maneuver the system menu. The wii u gamepad renders the circuit board useless. With the gamepad the gamer is able to play games, buy games, use tv services like Netflix or Amazon instant video, buy games send messages to wii u buddies, use the mii plaza, etc etc no tv an with console hook on it required. Is not that a tablet chained to a console

[delboy]

Everyone who bought the Wii for Mario, Zelda Mario Kart will buy the WiiU.
They all waiting for the games to be released.
WiiU will be more than OK after the big N games are released, end of story.
Mario Kart on Wii sold over 30 millions, let's see how many of them will buy the WiiU for the next installment.
I don't think that the soccer mom's who bought the Wii for Wii Fit also bought Mario Kart or Mario Galaxy.

[Eyeco]

Look at how Mario Kart was marketed, I remember in the UK they barely showed any gameplay, It was just a family sitting on a couch, getting overly exited, it appealed mainly to casuals.

The question is are those casuals gonna buy a Wii-U ?

[oof46]

@gaming101: Nintendo created their own market. True. They created a user base that bought a Wii, Wii Fit and maybe a Mario game or two...and that's it. While console sales are important, there's an even more important stat: attach rate.

[SheenuTheLegend]

Why He Already lost the thinking of "How To write a Article"

[Jaqen_Hghar]

Anyone who was around for WiiU announcement and hype train and is now paying attention to PS4's hype can see that people are infinitely more excited for PS4 than WiiU. A man plans on getting WiiU once it's $200 and has a good list of local MP games like Mario Kart and SSB along with his platforming masterpieces like Mario 3d and a new Zelda (gamepad could be used well here), but PS4 he will get at launch and get all the cross gen games on it for the improved framerate and draw distances and such. A man is planning on $500 so he can only be pleasantly surprised.

[avengers1978]

Both Xbox and playstation will out sell wii u. Even if they all sell less then last gen. Nintendo and there just wait crap is stupid. When most of your 3rd party support is ports of ps360 games that the wii couldn't handle, then you really don't have 3rd party support. And when Xbox and playstation come out with there new systems devs are going to be utilizing that tech and wii u will be left out just like wii was. The casual market is gone or moved on, it's the core gamers that all 3 companies must focus on to be successful.

[UnHoly_One]

"prior to launch, hardly anyone counted the WiiU out"

Myself and almost every gamer I know counted the Wii U out as soon as they announced it.

Right off they bat they lost me by announcing a console that was seven years behind the curve in terms of power, with a giant controller designed to take your eyes off the $1,000 HDTV you should be looking at while playing.

Everything about the Wii U is a joke. I don't know how anyone is supposed to take the Wii U seriously when there are new consoles coming out in 6-8 months that are actually an upgrade over what we've been playing for the last 7 years.

[nosferatuzodd]

dedicatedtogamers said
Saying "Don't count the WiiU out because everyone counted the Wii out and look what happened!" is a groundless argument.

Don't worry about this guy dedicated
He's just trolling
To count out the 3 best companies in gaming history is not just crazy,
Its Ludicrous you can never count Sony are Nintendo or Microsoft out no way

[Godz Kastro]

I do agree with you... But I still want to give it at least a full year under its belt and an E3 full of software as they have got their harware out.

I have it, well my nephew and I have it. I brought it for him but we share everything. I was excited for it and might have felt some of the "need to get it before sold out mentality". But We have had some good times on it but it hasnt been touched until late with Lego City.

Nintendo cant keep living the "dont count them out yet" lifestyle forever. With all the money they made on wii they couldve dumped into a monster system and online features. All of us craving for new tech and better graphics would've been all over it but they didn't they have a challenge ahead of them.

If I knew what I know now i "might" have not picked it up.

[aceitman]

What a joke the wii u is not the jump many gamers where looking for , while the ps4 and maybe the next Xbox will be. I say maybe on next Xbox cause we have not heard about it from ms. The ps4 seems to be getting a lot of hype right now looking to do what gamers want next gen , this will be like ps3 Xbox to wii all over again but the wii u will not have the strong casual audience it had with the wii.

[rodiabloalmeida]

"Why gaming journalism have already lost credibility for so much BS talking". Now thats a headline. I think I'll even submit an article with this title. Maybe it will get aproved.

[buzzjman]

I think a more appropriate article title to write about is "BS people say to try to make themselves sound funny in comment sections."

[DragonKnight]

An even better article would be "Butthurt authors responding like a child to criticism."

[Blank]

How unprofessional of you. It matches the quality of your no name site you got debubbled for immature. Keep in mind this "article" is piss poor expect some flack with WTF on quality and NO on liking your website.

[socks]

Go back to school to learn how to write, infant. My brain hurts.

[joel_c17]

One of the stupidest things ive read all day. Please stop approving this type of BS.

[MuhammadJA]

And then when your article gets approved and you become well known, you'll become full of yourself and start writing like the other journalists.

[lex-1020]

I'd approve it.

[Max-Zorin]

The gamers that respect other gamers opinions and preferences already won the war. The people that do the opposite already lost.

[Thatguy-310]

If that was the case it will be boring coming to these type of sites. I Come here to get entertained and see FIGHTS lol that being said though Nintendo is screwed and the more ppl deny it the harder it will smack them in the face when it comes true. Just want e3 to come to see what excuses they make after.

[Majin-vegeta]

Sorry what's that??I can't hear you over all the games Sony is releasing.

[Jaqen_Hghar]

A man pictures Vegeta screaming this comment lol

[grimmweisse]

Somebody just needs more clicks for their site, nothing to see here!

Claiming the MS have already lost without even announcing a damn thing. Currently just rumours flying around. I am usually quick to shoot down MS, but only when I see the facts. This author is pulling things out his ass and making assumptions.

As for the PS4, it's more developer friendly, and Sony forging better relationships with devs as well, also pretty good specs, which I see developers doing wonders with it. I think they're on the right track.

I look forward to tomorrows, "why MS and Sony have already lost next-gen gaming" article!

[buzzjman]

If its just looking for more site clicks, then it's working. The article was trying to point out that MS and Sony simply are upgrading graphics and tech, they aren't going to far to try to wow us.

Also, the article isn't meant to sound like Nintendo is amazing, the Wii U is better than anything else or anything. If that's how it got took then my apologizes.

[Thatguy-310]

What more do you want if they're already upgrading graphics and specs? That's the reason Nintendo is failing right now because they think that way. Next gen isn't about who creates the best gimmick.

[brave27heart]

PS4 has introduced mew features on its gamepad, a light bar which can be used for motion control but can also be used on other ways. Glowing orange when you're firing a weapon to simulate muzzle flash? Pulsing red in time with rumble to simulate s heartbeat when your health is low? Also the touch pad opens up new possibilities. The share button is a cool feature too.

We havent seen what MS has got so we cant speculate (we could, but we shouldnt).

Wii U has been out for a while and consumers arent on board with it yet. It hasnt taken off like the wii did, it doesnt have that buzz, gamers arent looking at it never mind none gamers. The wii's motion controls were fresh and new, the Wii U is a tablet controller, and a lot of people have tablets, it isnt fresh or exciting and the software support isnt there.

Wii U is another gamecube. It'll sell, but im guessing only half the lifetimes sales of the Wii.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@dboyc310 and @Brave27heart- agreed! Why on earth should it be upon Sony or MS to tell developers how they might want to develop games? Its best to make beast hardware and let those developers make those type of games. Last I checked BOTH have motion, last I check MS is the only one of the 3 that even has a stable of teams JUST to make Kinect games.

Where is Nintendo's ace teams that are devoted to making JUST casual games?

Also, what trust as a gamer do I have that Nintendo will even support there own damn system's features? The only Wii game that EVEN NEEDED those controls that was published by Nintendo was Skyward Sword and I got to say that not only did that game suck, it didn't even need the Wii's original controls....it needed Wii Motion plus. So we waited about 6 years for just 1 game that at the end of the day actually needed a different controller then the one the whole damn system was made for?

Whos to say we won't end up waiting that long again, to get just a single game that uses those screens by Nintendo JUST to say "did you get our new gamepad plus to play that one game thats coming out in 6 years?"

I know, I know...the possiblies. If no one is giving a hoot about using all those features Nintendo seems so damn egar to be telling everyone about....why on earth isn't NINTENOD THEMSELVES just making those IP's? Never mind the whole "if some developer" or "it would be cool if" or my favorite "it could be use well with game A" type crap. Would, could should doesn't get games sold or made buddy. Can does. Its nice the Wii U has a screen....so does the damn Ipad, so does everyone's smartphones "cough" Smartglass "cough". I'm sorry but if its such a damn cool feature let Nintendo as a publisher use it to its fullest.

Can't wait for the next Nintendo system, I hear Oculus Rift is doing wonders. (calling it) But if true, why want the gimped one when we can get the PS4 or 720 ones along with the next gen, next gen ones. LOL

[DragonKnight]

The Wii U changed nothing. It's a repackaged Wii. You think that a gamepad is the game changer that ensures that MS and Sony have already lost? Let me hit you with some basic facts.

The Wii's strongest market was the casual audience. These people don't know anything other than fads. The Wii's success is owed primarily to 2 things. The first is it's incredibly low starting cost. $250 in a bad economy is just begging for people to buy it up. The second is the celebrity endorsement that feeds the sheep mentality of the casual buyer. Frickin' Oprah gave Wii's away. When Oprah endorses something, it generally succeeds, and she wasn't the only one. To prove that the Wii owes its success to these things, simply look at the 3rd party support and which games were most successful on the platform.

This same audience are the kinds of people that have an interest only in what's the biggest, newest thing. And they have to feel that it's completely different. The Wii U is NOT different from the Wii. It's a repackaged Wii with a DS gimmick and to the casual audience it's not different enough to justify paying more than they paid for their Wii when their Wii still works. That's the mentality of the casual market and why they are so fickle. Nintendo would have had to come out of the gate hard to show the casual audience that the Wii U is something totally different, and it's not. The casuals aren't buying it because they feel no need or desire to, the core aren't buying it because they know better. All that's left are the Nintendo die hards and even they haven't flocked to it in droves yet because of the continued absence of the core 1st party titles that should have already been out.

Nintendo weren't prepared this time. They've asked their fanbase to be content with remakes and begged them to wait for more and no one sees anything worthwhile coming up at least until E3. To say that Sony and MS have already lost to Nintendo in the shape Nintendo is in right now is quite foolish. Especially when you consider that MS haven't even acknowledged that they even have a new console coming out.

[_QQ_]

1 remake compared to sony's 10 or so.You say Nintendo wasn't prepared? They have an entire year where they are competing with any new consoles, They are saving almost all their big first party to release around the same time the new consoles release, if Mario 3D and Mariokart was a launch game how would they compete with ps4/720 during holiday 2013. by then nintendo will already be up a few million, i say they know what they are doing. don't doubt nintendo's software game.

[brave27heart]

Surely the better strategy is to have solid games coming out every couple of months during that first year lead so that you get more consumers buying your console not saving up for the next offering from your competitors?

Saying "We could release these games but we're going to wait and hope another Mario game can distract people from a new Playstation or Xbox when they launch" is risky and badly thought out.

Nintendo pushed for this early release knowing a years headstart can make a real didference (look at 360) but they failed to get the software on board. Wheres Mario Kart? Pikmin 3? Zelda?

[DragonKnight]

"1 remake compared to sony's 10 or so."

What does that have to do anything? Insecurity? Anyway, with Sony's remakes people actually wanted and/or asked for them. No one wanted Nintendo's and Nintendo simply did it because they have nothing else to offer at the moment.

"They have an entire year where they are competing with any new consoles."

And look at what they're doing with it. Nothing. They can make so much money during this time and they weren't ready to do so.

"They are saving almost all their big first party to release around the same time the new consoles release, if Mario 3D and Mariokart was a launch game how would they compete with ps4/720 during holiday 2013."

Which would be the stupidest thing they could ever do. Gee, I wonder what people would want more. Anticipated new consoles, or Nintendo's next rehashes? The smartest thing Nintendo can do is release their heavy hitters when people are starving for Wii U games, not when their attention is on the next Xbox or the PS4.

[supremacy]

So...Nintendo is going to wait for Sony and MS to introduce new machines and also drop the price on their current ones with games like GTAV,GT6 and so forth coming out for those machines?

Then you got a new article about drop support for nintendo's platform like every two weeks. Rayman legens was supposed to be an exclusive and look at how thats turned out.

Nintendo cant look to compete with the next gen stuff when it barely has half of the games thats come out this year thus far.

where is bioshock infinite,crysis3, mgs rising, tomb raider and so forth. The last of us, beyond two souls, do those sound like remakes to you? in fact when was the last time Nintendo invested in a new ip? Sony alone has put out gravity rush, soul sacrifice,tearaway, puppeteer, and ps4 is even launching with knack, drive club and only god knows what else.

Also keep in mind that if Sony/MS do go with that whole subsidize plan, then you could see them launching their system at very competitive prices.

This article seems to sugest Sony/MS are only offering graphical upgrades, yet we sit here and dont know all the details.

But based on what i saw at the Sony conference in feb, all i will say is the ps4 is an entirely different platform to that of the ps3. The network features alone is good enough reason why to invest in it. The convinience of downloding something in the background while you played it at the same time is something only possible through better specs.

To your credit, i can see Nintendo dropping the price on the wiiu with the introduction of two must have games like they did with the 3ds. But thats just it, this isnt the handheld market where a company like MS has no stake in or spend marketing dollars in.

MS alone will make the media forget the wiiu even exist, just wait and see the crazy marketing blitz lol its going to be crazy.

[contradictory]

well said

[lex-1020]

It's so sad Buzzjman used his last bubble already. I would love to see his reply to this.

[humb_lumi]

Terrible article.

[glennco]

You are completely crazy and have no idea what you are talking about.

I was hoping for an actual insightful article.

[MarkusMcNugen]

You and me both friend.

[culpepper516]

The Wii U will never sell. people liked the original Wii controller because you could swing it and a cartoon would swing a golf club on your television. it appealed to older people and young kids, which is why it sold so well. both of those demographics would have a difficult time playing a game with a screen on the controller. If the rumors on the 720 are true, I think they'll have a difficult time selling as well. Most people I know purchase video game consoles to play games, not to have it interfere with regular television programming. Microsoft would have to strike dozens of deals and innovate out the @$$ to even make it somewhat enjoyable

[kirbyu]

Oh really, it'll never sell. You don't think SSB4, Zelda, and Mario Kart, and all the other exclusives won't make people want one?

[brave27heart]

Some people, but not enough. You think casuals care about SSB or Zelda? And what other exclusives exactly? How long before those 3rd party exclusives become multiplatform like Rayman?

Wii U isnt at the price point the Wii was either. Its still too expensive to be a viable "second console". Down the line it may pick up sales but for the next 12 months or so its going to be a struggle.

[kirbyu]

I wasn't thinking about the casuals actually. I feel stupid.

[millzy102]

Mario kart Wii sold 30 million now if only half of them buy a Wii u for Mario kart u (which is plausible) that's 15 million units and you can't count out Mario kart that game was responsible for a massive increasevin 3ds sales people want it, with smash bros and 3d Mario and zelda, them 3 could easily make up 10 million units so were on about 25, and these are games that are coming out in the next 2 years. plus other sales on top, I havn't even got to metroid or star fox as they have not been announced but if they get released that will add sales. when the games come it will sell. the 3ds had exactly the same problem, the name too simalar to its predecessor. no note worthy launch titles and high price point, look at it now nintendo turned it around so they can do the same with Wii u.

[Sevir]

Stating which new console won or lost an imaginary war!... How many times are we gonna say it. All these New Gen consoles will coexist... These so called journalist who write these pieces should simply relax and stop being sales analysts and just play games...

[Williamson]

Articles like this give me a nice laugh, also the authors comments here sound really unprofessional and just plain childish.

[danitanzo]

There is no losing or winning... can't we all just play the games on the consoles of our choice? I like my wii u, but I still appreciate what the ps4 will bring to gaming. I don't know about the next xbox though...

[contradictory]

the "radical design choices"
is what always made me shy away from Nintendo after the gamecube

i know wii won in the sales department
but that's because it was targetïng the casual audience
nintendo basically just told it's hardcore audience
to gtfo

they fixed that with the Wii U
and at the same time said gtfo to casual gamers..
all in all nintendo just said gtfo to everyone

so who is wii u aimed at?
the hell if i know...
but i'll eventually get one so ask me later.

[Bathyj]

Sorry, not to sound like a jerk, but if I was a Wii supporter, I wouldnt be accusing other console makers of incremental upgrades, not when the WiiU is only a slightly better Wii with a tablet, which itself was only a slightly better Gamecube with a Nunchuck.

Wii's success was because of price, and because at that point no one had tried motion gaming and decided they wanted to.

At this point in time, everyone has tried motion gaming, and decided it sucks. Sorry, I shouldnt say everyone, I just meant gamers.

They were able to get a lot of non gamers to buy it and that worked for them, but the point is, I dont think they can hit lightning in a bottle twice.

Nintendo are just relegating themselves to poor 3rd party support, again. If you're happy to just play Nintendo games, then this is the machine for you, obviously. If you want more than just Nintendo games, it could still be a fine secondary machine, I but I dont see why anyone would have it as their first.

[_QQ_]

The wiiu is a huge upgrade to the wii...

[sherimae2413]

and a slight upgrade to ps360......
and i think that is the problem and also software drought in these past few months......

nintendo should be aggressive in this time since they are ahead of competition! guess what do they think that 3rd party will fill the gap for no 1st party games, well they are wrong since all the good 3rd party games are skipping the wii u.....

[rick1woller]

You have said enough!. New 360 and PS3 games are all the same, another shooter in a different skin, snooze fest. At least nintendo games do useful things like making you use your brain and have fun.

[MarkusMcNugen]

Right... because I dont use my brain or have fun playing non Nintendo games...

Sadly you are just plain wrong. New games are not just reskinned shooters. Plenty of new games have a different style of play. Your ignorance is just astounding.

Here I got one for you. Nintendo games are all the same, another rehash of an old game in a different skin, snooze fest.

Give me something original and I might consider Nintendos consoles. So far all I can see are Nintendo rehashing the same franchises it has since the NES/SNES days. Dont get me wrong, they are great games, but the same thing over and over becomes stale after so long.

[zeeman]

What's a Wii U?! Sounds like an an ambulance siren.

[rick1woller]

toilet. dont listen to this bloke!

[zeeman]

I think the toilet heard u

[DivineAssault]

OMG, do people not understand that nintendo got LUCKY with the wii.. It was nothing more than luck that people never seen gameplay like that & it became a fad.. My own mother bought one.. Those casual gamers who bought the wii have moved on to tablets.. Sorry but most people who have a tablet, see no point what so ever in wii u.. Wii also launched with a much anticipated gamecube game LOZ Twilight princess which made the core crowds buy a wii just to play it with the new controls.. Smart play but was luck how wii sports caught on so much.. I know many people who didnt even buy a single game for the thing.. They ONLY played wii sports..

So yeah, i DO count out the wii u.. I dont think it will catch on at all & might not sell beyond the gamecube.. Not enough modern features for todays world.. It doesnt even play DVDs or Blue rays, has a complicated chat feature, doesnt have accomplishments, & most importantly, DOESNT HAVE GAMES! It will get 1st party games in due time but 3rd party is moving on to nx gen which wont be possible on wii u unless dumbed down just like wii ports were from current gen systems

[kirbyu]

I still don't see why accomplishments are an absolute necessity. I understand why people like them, but why is it the end of the world if one console doesn't have them? Just play a console that does. And all this applies to DVD/Blu-Ray playing too. And...ok, so it won't get 3rd party games. If it has 1st party ones, what's the problem?

I seriously feel like I'm the only person on this site who at all likes Nintendo.

[Zer0bros]

Why are you Nintendo fanboys so deep in the sand with your heads? It's obvious that those so called "un-needed" features are what make up the beef of a modern gaming console

[babis1974]

yes they lost and in the 21/12/2012 was the end of the world!!!!ooops! i'm still here and alive!

[specialagent4532]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! What the gamepad which is a rip off the ios air play feature. Selling old games at $60.00 I. e deux ex human revolution, need for Speed most wanted. More Mario Zelda metroid and pokemon. I don't know more and more third party game developers are pulling out from working with the wii u. This generation Nintendo really needs a new ip along with new franchises that are original or improvement to current ideas Sorry but if new super Mario brothers u proved was that people are getting tired of Mario. Every single Mario game and some of its spin offs were retail successes. Nintendo is trying to hard to be Sony relying on brand and starting this generation with a barebones online service along with a barren store. System updates frequently meaning a person buys a wii u needs to install a 5gb update first, then the spring update along with an upcoming summer update. Plus slow servers like the PS3 during launch. Copying Microsoft yes Microsoft by relying on third party game developers which is not working. Besides the Mario game no Nintendo develop title to speak off. Selling the wii u in pieces having to buy an external hard drive along with a broadband adapter, sd cards, etc. Also the whole premium and core system. Where is the innovation were are the games that break the status quo. Nowhere and Nintendo fans can't answer a tablet wannabe that's the innovation. Might as well buy a real tablet no.

[kagamer79]

I always thought ppl were too hard on nintendo. Seems out of all the consoles its the one ppl love to hate. Id like to think think ppl arent blindly hating nintendo but are tired of them not delivering certain expectations. I say theres two sides to every story. The ppl who love nintendo usually love them because they grew up playing their console and when they had kids introduced them as well to nintendo. The ppl who hate nintendo have their own reasons why. Maybe its because nintendo kinda fell behind when playstation first hit the scene. They had a console with good games and you could even watch dvd movies or play cd's on it. Then there came blu ray with ps3 and microsoft really opened up online features and gameplay. Last gen u had systems with blu ray-great graphics- online gameplay-movie rental etc. Then there was nintendo with weak graphics and no dvd or cd playability or online features to match the other. Im not bashing nintendo I'm just saying maybe the ppl who hate nintendo now didn't always hate them. Maybe they felt like nintendo let em down by not not offering any of the competitions premiere features. Change isn't always good id rather use a controller to game than motion controlls anyday. That's just me I'm an old school gamer. My point is maybe ppl dont hate nintendo blindly they just feel like nintendos let them down too many times. My personal opinion is if nintendo would have said forget the 150 dollar tablet and put all the money they spent on the tablet in the hardware they could of had a real contender with very capable graphics. So id like to think that nintendo haters dnt hate because its nintendo. There just like alot of other gamers who dnt care about new ways to play‘ they care about a great new system with new experiences new tech and most importantly new bigger and better games. Because at the end of the day wether you fly sonys flag' nintendos' or xbox's we're all pretty much the same. Because we're all here discussing games because we all love them. No matter which console you choose that's something we all have in common.

[kupomogli]

The Wii U is a consolized DS without the games. The gamepad is nothing more than a second screen that in 99.9% of games is going to show a map, menu, or maybe just a picture depending on the game. Then there are the few games like Feel the Magic, Contra 4, etc that do it well. The very few 0.1% of games released to the DS.

I like the DS and 3DS, but it's only because of the games on them. I'll eventually like the Wii U, but people can't argue that the Wii U is a revolutionary piece of hardware, because it's not. We've already been there, done that with the DS and as revolutionary as it's supposed to be, it's only revolutionary on a few games, most of which were released close to launch, like Feel the Magic, but there are others like Contra 4, etc.

[Shnazzyone]

I'm not angry about anything written in this article... but the writer needs a proof reader.

[mii-gamer]

Im a huge nintendo fan, even i think this article is stupid.
If history tells us anything, is that the gaming industry is unpredictable. The Wii U, PS4 and 720 all have a good chance to be the winner. Declaring the Wii U winner without knowing what microsoft is offering or how much the ps4 will cost is mind boggling. Furthermore, i think the author could have changed the title.

[DonFreezer]

Why do I think that if the article stated only Microsoft everyone would agree to their deaths and bash Microsoft.

[Dfooster]

I don't even need to read beyond the headline to state that this article is talking total and utter tripe. Anyone who thinks otherwise isn't a gamer or living in the real world.

[g-nome]

The Wii U was named wrong , timed wrong and specced wrong.

[khowat]

Then who is going to win, I assume you don't mean the wii u.

[Pxljunk]

LMFAO, how old this kid!?
Call me ignorant but I doubt the wii U will make the same thing the wii did plus adult expend more than kids this days for video games, well at least that's my point of view.

[THEMIGHTYDOOVDE]

Nintendo will sell well because the majority of gamers enjoy their IP's.

Sony is in for a hard time because other than the diehards most people already have Netflix and Blu Ray. Not that many will be willing to pay £400+ for an updated PS3.

As for Durango, until MS release some info, there's no way of knowing what it's future holds!

[RuleofOne343]

@Gaming101 love how you berate MS/SONY for stealing or how you bash American companies for doing so let quote you here :

Msoft is fighting Sony for the same pie, because that's what American companies do, they steal from other companies.

But yet after stating that part their you go on to say

rather than innovating and creating a new untapped market like Nintendo and Apple are always doing.

MS/Sony are bad for doing what they do but yet you defend Apple who personally would steal the collar off a priest & tell us they created it . How is it those two are bad but Apple a innovator.

[Monkeysmarts]

SMH... Nintendo fanboys are delusional.

[bobacdigital]

Nintendo has been a step behind on all their consoles minus the GameCube and they have managed to be just fine.. their 1st party title slate is what carries them not their hardware... Also people forget their hardware is going to become cheaper at a faster rate than anything cutting edge microsoft and sony use out the gate...

Nintendo makes money on accessories, merch, and games.... Mario Kart Wii Sold 30m copies lol ... not 1 single ps3 or xbox game is even remotely close... in the top 200 games of all time Nintendo is 70% of that list.. they make QUALITY games.. Yes the Wii U has inferior hardware.. but their games are always top notch and carry them.

People are quick to say NINTENDO cant win because of all the muscle behind ps4 and the xbox... Lets wait until Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, Mario Galaxy (or another 3d mario), Zelda, and whatever RETRO is making comes out to determine if they are going to fail... This gen all the consoles are truly HD.. graphics arent going to DRIVE this gen.. it will be games and unique OS features..

People are so quick to jump on Nintendo and say oh they cant succeed... Lets wait till after E3 to see what happens.

[isarai]

Horribly biased article, and just a horribly written article in general. PS4 is just a PS3 with some technical upgrades, and that's why Wii U is going to win? seriously? i'm not one of those people that don't count Wii U as current gen just cause it's not modern tech, in fact i like the Wii U and plan on getting one after i get my PS4, but that logic is flawed as fuck. The same could be said about any console that uses a controller, you could day the gamecube is just an NES with some technical upgrades. And the Wii U can be as revolutionary as it wants, but if it doesn't support itself with a steady flow of great games that utilize it's features well than it's going to bomb compared to PS4 (would say 720 as well but seeing as how nothing is confirmed out it, i can't really say anything)

It's not so much how you play the game as it is how many great games there are for you to play. Sure it could sell greatly, but if you as a consumer count a consoles success by it's sales numbers, then you're doing it wrong, in the consumers eyes it should be who offers the best experience, and if the Wii is anything to go buy, you'll get some great games, but very few and far in between.

[Monkeysmarts]

Agree 100% with this. I'll be getting a Wii U eventually, but nothing about it makes me have to have it anytime soon.

[solidworm]

The WiiU is a massive mistake and will cost Ninty dearly.

[bobacdigital]

That massive mistake by Nintendo has sold 5m units since December with 0 games and marketing. They are taking the same road they took with the 3DS.. no one really understood it until they actually played it.... Also 3ds didnt have many titles at launch.. once they launched the titles and gave it a price reduction it sold like hot cakes... the VITA is leaps above the 3ds in terms of tech yet it isnt selling at all compared to the 3ds.... So lets not act like TECH alone will sell console if that was the case the VITA would be crushing the 3DS.

Nintendo basically did a SOFT launch with an average title base... they even LOST and pushed all their titles to the fall... Once Sony and MSFT release their new consoles Nintendo will push the marketing harder on the Wii U and after E3 they will have a roadmap of all the games they are releasing.. Nintendo basically is refining the system software and miiverse right now while they have a head start.. ... Once it hits Holiday 2013 they will have a more refined system with a large games library... If people dont know it exists now they will know come Holiday 2013.. it will be like a relaunch with a more refined console with a huge eshop and games library.. it will do better you just have to wait.

People are quick to say Nintendo is dead EVERY gen yet they always pull something out from no where.

[arbitor365]

april fools day was a while ago, dude

[iR_phantasm]

Why people post just about anything to get hits on their site.

[FreshRevenge]

I stopped reading after I read that you were convince by a couple of Gamestop employees. Gamestop is a corporated evil and really they don't know nothing about gaming. All they know is how to sell preorders and extra DLC. When a Gamestop employee is asking me if I want God of War on the Xbox 360, than we really have problems. I had my local Gamestop manager not even know that there was no MP in Bioshock Infinite and she tried to sell my friend who had preorder his game from Gamestop, to buy dlc that was intended for SP. Sony has been in the gaming business for a long time. I am positive that they have more to reveal about the PS4 than what they showed in Feb. Microsoft will have their console and Sony will have theirs. It basically preference and exclusives that determine the strength of a console. Sony has more variety. It purely isn't just shooters that they rely on.

Saying that they lost is kinda of presumptious at this point! Yet if it adds .10 cents to your wallet for every click, what do you care, right?

[Monkeysmarts]

Before the PS4 announcement I asked a clerk at GameStop if they had been given any info on when preorders might start.......... the guy told me its not coming out until 2015.

I laughed and just left without even saying another word. After I get The Last of Us from there (have had it paid in full for a while already) I'm not contributing another dime to them unless I can't find a game anywhere else.

[AKR]

Yeah - I know I'm going to be rolled-over for this; but I have to agree with this guy, in some areas.

It's far to early to say who will win this generation, but if it's one thing he's right about - Nintendo has taken a more creative approach, like before. With the Wii U, they developed a cheap(er) console, with more innovation, instead of more powerful tech. But even so; the Wii U may not have a ceiling limit that's close to the PS4 (or 720), but it still has a higher limit than what we saw with the 360 and PS3. Those consoles had some beautiful games grace them, so I could only imagine how great Wii U games will look at least 2 years from now.

Like the author also mentioned - The transition is much, much smaller this time. The tech is closer between the 3 consoles. We're moving from HD-to-HD, here. Photorealistic graphics can't improve a substantial amount, like what we saw when moving from the PS2, XBOX and GC, to 360 & PS3. Yes, the graphics will look better than the 7th-gen, but no where near as big as a difference as the 6th-gen to 7th-gen.

Development costs are rising, making devs - even the big studios - reconsider their plans to create these massively expensive AAA games, with a still sucky economy. They're going to have to innovate, and create something more than a "Realistic-looking game".

As I mentioned, there is no clear-cut winner. The PS4 may be getting some hype right now - but wait until we all hear that price. Yeah, forgot you're going to have to pay real - really, expensive - money to get that, huh? Let's not even add the PS-Vita required functions, games, or controllers. The XBOX 720 may be leaving a bitter taste, but Microsoft could turn the tables. The Wii U is in hibernation mode right now, but E3 may be it's callback to great activity.

Only time will tell . . .

[whamlollypop7]

Why articles like this are a waste of time.

[violents]

" Nintendo was right, the Wii sold (and is still selling) close to 100 million consoles. The closest competitor? Xbox 360 with 75 million consoles sold."

Um excuse me? Didn't the ps3 just pass the xbox in worldwide sales? And besides the fact, sale don't make it a better console by any means. I guarantee ford sold more focus's last year than lamborgini sold Diablo's but which one is the better car?

"All Sony and Microsoft did was take a PS2, in Sony’s case, or an Xbox, in Microsoft’s case, improve the graphics, the technical abilities, and then sell it to us like it was something completely and totally different"

Isnt that every console every generation really? The way this guy talks about it is like he expects his "next gen" console to suck him off or something.

"What separates the PS3 from the Ps4? Is it radically redesigned? Not really, we’ve yet to see the console and what they have announced isn’t exactly a major change. Does it offer a new way to play games? Nope, it’s the same basic thing as a PS3. Is it a major leap forward in console gaming? No. It’s just a PS3 with a couple technical upgrades. Nothing else."

Do I even need to say whats wrong with this statement?

"Do I think Nintendo will win this new generation of consoles? No I do not but at least Nintendo is trying something new with consoles, again."

So doing what sony was already trying to do with the psp and vita is something new?

This is a lousy article and should never have been approved, opinion or not, get your facts straight before bashing every console on the market and then tell me that the new Nintendo nobody wanted is going to have the highest potential. IF that were the case than it would be so shunned by the third parties. I think if they had called it something other than WiiU it would have done better. Sounds to me like they were trying to coattail off of the wii's success and all those wii buyers would want the latest and greatest version, whereas in real life everyone like the motion control at first but it soon became stale and the gimmick ran its course, now people see the name and remember that dusty little white box in the corner and don't want to waste a few hundred dollars on all that crud again.

The ps4 and Nextbox are appealing to the core gamers with improved performance, and really just refining what this gen lacked. Give the people what they want and leave the gimmicks out.

[_LarZen_]

So since Nintendo is selling so good it has to be the best console? That is like saying Justin Biber is the best artist in 2013 becaus he sells a bunch of records...

[Upbeat]

I cant see why people care about who wins to be honest, the only people that should care should be the company that owns the product.

All that should really matter to the consumer is that it does what they want it to and has a good amount of games from all genres to suit their needs...

[all_clear]

How did you know ?!

[dragonious]

I stopped reading after he forgot that the power glove came before SEGA's motion control device.

[Max-Zorin]

E3 need to hurry up so the rumors and speculation can fade.