210°

Wii U is like "a Dreamcast scenario revisited", claims analyst

Nintendo's problems with the Wii U are reminiscent of Sega's efforts with the Dreamcast, according to games analyst Peter Skerritt.

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sherimae24134001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

oh no...another one of this "dreamcast meme"
sometimes i do wonder if the dreamcast really is a dead/failure console...
because until now, its still has some publicity and always on the news lately

but this console has great games that cannot be played else where that some people still clamoring that one day be ported to their favored platforms
(shenmue and skies of arcadia to name a few) ^_^

again the wii u will be fine... what it needs is games and it will come its only 7 months.. my goodness but like the other systems before it (ps3, 3ds, and vita) it will have a very rough times ahead, from critics to fanboys to the bias media all of this must endure by wii u owners and nintendo fans alike ^_^
because as of now im also enduring it with my vita ^_^

MariaHelFutura4001d ago

The big difference is The Dreamcast had amazing software, The Wii U doesn't. Sega was having troubles previously, Nintendo wasn't. Plus, The Dreamcast was comparable to the the systems it was competing with, the Wii U isn't. Not the same at all really.

Neonridr4001d ago

I would disagree with you about the amazing software. While some of the games might be ports of existing titles, that doesn't mean that they aren't AAA software. I never played Arkham City before or ME3, but does that mean that just because they are late arriving to the console (because the console didn't exist at the time these games came out) that they aren't still great games?

Not to mention Nintendo has yet to put their AAA software into the library. Are you saying that once Mario, Mario Kart, Metroid, Zelda, Super Smash Brothers come along, that the system won't be more successful?

It's just way too premature to even consider this system another Dreamcast.

MariaHelFutura4001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

Arkham City and ME3 are nice, But they hold nothing against all the exclusive Dreamcast software. PowerStone, Skies Of Arcadia, Ecco, Shenmue, Phantasy Star, the first 2K sports games and so on. Those were some good times I tell you.

Baka-akaB4001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

"It's just way too premature to even consider this system another Dreamcast. "

No offense but the dreamcast analogy doesnt work precisely because it had amazing games at launch and through its life .

So far the Wii u has one of the weakest launch offering with the ps3 . None of its titles match any of the exclusive launch dreamcast titles , and it had better port at launch

camel_toad4001d ago

Wow I totally forgot about Skies of Arcadia. That game really was awesome. The airship was a part of my soul!

4001d ago
mochachino4000d ago

People still talk about Dreamcast because it was a once Top Gaming company's last console and signalled their final failure from which they never recovered from.

Shnazzyone4000d ago (Edited 4000d ago )

What, you don't remember when nintendo added 4 different add on dodads to the gamecube splintering the systems game selection, then released the wii and it sold terribly compared to the gamecube then 2 years later released the wii U?

Also everyone remembers how dreamcast failed and was discontinued after 6 months of everyone on the internet comparing it to the 3D0? right?

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4000d ago
a_bro4001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

people will disagree with me, but i will say it. The Wii U shouldnt have been underpowered, it should of been a suited up next gen console, as powerful as the ps4 and the impending next-gen xbox.

the fact that 3rd party companies are writing it off is just a sad ordeal. I think that if they had done that, they would still have been in a good, or better position than where they are right now.

LoveOfTheGame4001d ago

But that's the thing with Nintendo, they never about competing with specs. Sure it would be nice for them to have an equally powerful machine but that's not what their system is. Nintendo is primarily 1st party games that never compete graphically, but are almost untouched in level of pure fun. As long as they make their games enjoyable to play they will be fine; unless your Crytek graphics != good game.

Minato-Namikaze4001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

Snes, N64, and GC were all pretty powerful machines for their time. It wasn't until the wii that ninty started going the underpowered route. Dont make it seem as nintendo has always had this philosophy.

The wii was an accidental lightening in the bottle for them and before that they were on a downward slope (even if they still made money). With the wii-u they are trying to this time purposely catch lightening in a bottle and its gonna hurt them.

LoveOfTheGame4001d ago

I'm not saying that this was always their philosophy, more just that who they are. Back in the day no one cared how powerful a system was, they just cared if it was fun to play games on. I've been gaming for about 20 yrs and I had just as much fun playing Mario Party 9 in college as I did playing the first 3 in elementary school. Nintendo has always had fun games rather than ones with good or "realistic" graphics and it has always seem to work for them.

Baka-akaB4001d ago

I still feel you are rewriting history .

People couldnt shut up about the marvel and power of the superfx chip for the snes , and how , save the neo geo , it's cartridge system was the closest thing to arcade .

ANd the first thing people were raving about with the n64 were its powerful tech demo for mario and final fantasy , as far back as the Project Reality prototype codename .

People werent shy about the GC's power compared to competitors as well .

The only downfall for those consoles were always the size of media storage . And only with the Wii did we see a pattern of people suddenly claiming power is irrelevant and using the ps2's success as their go to excuse .

CEOSteveBallmer4001d ago

@minato, I agree. Lightning doesn't hit the same place at the same time. They thought they could replicate the success with Wii but I don't think it will happen again. Why?? Because the casuals that propelled them to success is now playing games on Smartphones and Tablets. Why would they pay an expensive amount on a console that they know isn't the most powerful around and with games priced at $60 dollars yet there are games on iOS and Android that are free and gives them satisfaction

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4001d ago
a_bro4001d ago

but that's the thing, even if they are never about competing with specs, its coming to bite them in the butt. and on top of that, how can you compete with the other 2 when they have pretty much the same functionality that the wii u has.

i think their only option here is a price cut really, thats probably the only thing that can keep them alive until the first party games come out. maybe that will convice some 3rd party companies to make games on it, cause that will mean more consumers opting in for a wii u.

MariaHelFutura4001d ago

You don't deserve disagrees, you deserve a bubble. +1 Well said.

AKR4001d ago

PS1 - Best selling console of the 5th gen
PS2 - Best selling console of the 6th gen & Best-selling home console of all time
DS - Best selling handheld console of the 7th gen and best selling game system of all time.
Wii - Best selling console of the 7th gen and 2nd best selling home console of all time, as well as 3rd best selling console in all.

- You know what these systems represent? The weakest consoles of their respective generations. But guess what? They all creamed their competition in the sales department. No generation has yet to show that power = Victory. The same can be said or this 8th gen.

The Wii U is the weakest, but nor is it weak. If we were salivating over the visuals of games on the 360 PS3, imagine the Wii U with it's added power? Games like Trine 2, Pikmin 3, Zelda HD Tech Demo, Project 'X', Rayman Legends and Need for Speed Most Wanted U already show just a early fraction of what devs can do with the Wii U's power. Comparisons between the three systems WON'T be as big as Wii vs PS3 & 360.

The graphics road is coming to an end, my friend. We're moving from a generation of HD to a generation of more HD. Not a generation of SD to a generation of HD. Realize that, if you will.

To add ~ The PS4 + Vita , for example, does have similar capabilities to the Wii U and the Gamepad. BUT ~ How much does the Vita cost? Nearly $300 dollars. How much do you think the PS4 will cost? Somewhere around $450 to $500 seems likely, right? That's a whole lot of cash to fork out, don't you agree? Added power is nice, but at least the Wii U's price point is relatively reasonable.

In Conclusion: The system is nothing like the DreamCast. Yes, the DC had some great titles released for it in it's short lifetime, but then it died. The Wii U hasn't gotten any MUST-HAVE games yet, but look what's CONFIRMED to be on the horizon:

- Bayonetta 2
- Assasin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Batman: Arkham Origins
- Deus EX: Human Revolution
- Pikmin 3
- The Wonderful 101
- Project CARS
- Project 'X'
- Super Smash Bros. 4
- Zelda Wind Waker HD
- New HD Zelda
- New HD Mario
- New HD Mario Kart
- Yarn Yoshi
- Watch_Dogs

. . . The Wii U is in it's infancy. Give it time. The PS3 and 360, didn't have any "MUST-HAVE" titles at the start either ~ NOW look at them? The 3DS launched and fell like a rock. NOW look at it? Even the Vita is starting to find it's voice.

- This isn't ANYTHING NEW people. All consoles go through these early days of pain. WHY must we act like this with EVERY new system that's launched? Are you that brainless? Are you that over-dramatic?

Grow up, shut up ~ Sit, wait and watch - Before screeching the same crap.

DragoonsScaleLegends4001d ago

Wow amazing comment. Completely true too.

mochachino4000d ago (Edited 4000d ago )

-Saturn was much weaker than PS1 and failed as a result. They only added 3d graphics after they realized the their 2D focus in hardware was a mistake.
-PS2, GC, and Xbox all had comparable power. Sure PS2 was slightly weaker but no one would argue that PS2 wasn't in the same league as GC and Xbox. Wii U is in the same league as 360/PS3, not PS4/Fusion (or whatever its called).
-I agree with Wii as the best selling console of the gen, problem is it appealed to the casual gamer, which we all know has fickle game tastes and predictably has moved onto mobile/tablet/facebook gaming, which I'm sure Nintendo is now painfully aware of.

Seriously though, why would a casual ever pay $50 a game when they can pay 99 cents. They get the same enjoyment from each.

The same casuals that bought and loved Wii think that Wii U is just a Wii with a different controller, or never heard of it. I know a lot of girls and kids with Wii, none of them really know what Wii U is. They're Too busy playing free/99 cent MP social games games on their phones with their friends.

I always said betting on casuals was a short term game but a long term loss. They're are more core console gamers than casual, PS3/PC/360 sales combined destroy Wii. Core play gen after gen, casuals don't.

Despite hating each other for playing on different "inferior" devices, we core do all love games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4000d ago
ZainabSaccal4001d ago

The Dreamcast was one of the best consoles ever, personally I thought it was better than the PlayStation 2.

badz1494001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

and with the amount of support the PS2 had, DC really had no chance and the PS2 shines in the games department thus why it's the most successful console ever made!

the main problem with the Wii U now is GAMES and although it's an undeniable fact that it can achieve more than the 360 and PS3 seeing as its more powerful than those 2 but the fact that it's competing with those 2 is the problem to begin with! Ninty needs to step up their games and release more exclusive games for the Wii U as people are not going to buy the Wii U for multiplats they can play on their existing 360 or PS3!

ape0074001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

they said the same thing about the 3DS and look what happened, wiiu need games + price cut and it will SOAR like crazy

and i loved the DreamCast btw, one of a kind console :)

MontyQ4001d ago

wiiU at $199 and games $30 tops that's where Nintendo should be and they would still make millions as there is no way the wiiU costs more then 100 bux to make as its like a 7 year old pc

Starbucks_Fan4001d ago

A $199 Wii U would put them in the red

badz1494001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

I call BS! the hardware in the Wii U is ancient compared to latest pc tech and seeing as its just a bit more powerful than both the 360 and PS3, there's no way it cost THAT much! it's just that Nintendo is already selling the Wii U at a profit as they always did with their past products and selling it for less that it's now is not going to drag them into the red, the lack of software/sales is!

mydyingparadiselost4001d ago

Nintendo has already stated they make no money off of the console but from software and stated the wii u almost didn't happen because of how much it cost to make. And if their games are $30 shouldn't PS3 and Xbox games be even cheaper?

AJBACK2FRAG4001d ago

They're actually losing money on every Wii U sold Brainiac. That's why there hasn't been a far reaching price cut.

Show all comments (50)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref2d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde2d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19722d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville1d 23h ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 15h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 14h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 14h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref2d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan2d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0071d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref2d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde2d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19722d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref1d 23h ago (Edited 1d 23h ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier1d 21h ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto1d 23h ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 15h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 13h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 13h ago
Hofstaderman2d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts1d 23h ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts1d 1h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 9h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
90°

Nintendo's War Against Player-Made Content Will Hurt The Company In The End

Danish from eXputer: "Nintendo has historically gone against player-made content and emulation of its games. This has done much to harm the company's image."

XiNatsuDragnel9d ago

I agree nintendo hire some these folks to help in your games it'll help imo.

banger888d ago

They need to stop announcing these mods and fan remakes until they're finished. Finish it, upload it, and then if Nintendo dmca's it tough shit. Once it's online, people can share it around, even if the original download gets taken down.

Jingsing8d ago

True, but most modders need constant admiration during the process to motivate them.

PRIMORDUS7d ago

Yup, once it's a torrent nothing can be done Nintendo is helpless at that point. But it would be wise if they just had a site on the dark web, it's also easy to use with Tor and no one will bother you.

mastershredder7d ago

This is all coming from the mouth of short-sighted fandom and grifting madness.
No.... it wont. There is a clear defined reason why they don't. This is nothing new. Make your own shi7 from your own original ideas especially if you are trying to capitalize of it it. Duh.

Yeah, hire people that have zero respect or understanding for an established process. Wow. Yep. Totally makes sense.

shinoff21837d ago

Those guys that made that sonic game got a gig from sega or something along those lines and that game was dope as hell. One of the best sonics as of late.

80°

The Nintendo Partner Spotlight Sale Is The Perfect Excuse To Get These 6 Gems

Huzaifa from eXputer: "The Nintendo Partner Spotlight sale event has discounted a number of worthy titles on the Switch. Here are 6 of them you should check out."