Playstation 4 and Xbox One Will Finish Off Struggling Wii U

Nintendo is quickly finding itself in the same boat as hardware has-beens Sega and Atari.

The illustrious gaming company failed to turn customers of its successful Wii system into repeat customers for its third-party developers. It has failed to keep up with the hardware third-party developers need for true multiplatform releases. It has failed to develop a new console, the Wii U, which can compete in the next generation. And it has failed to follow up that console with a large-enough library of games.

Worse, almost all of the new anticipated releases of the Wii U in the near future are first-party continuations of the same old franchises. Third-party developers — even Ubisoft, the Wii U's biggest third-party supporter — have all but abandoned the console, due to poor sales.

[mii-gamer]

Nintendo is doomed blah blah blah
I heard this so many times. I wish i had a dollar for every time - i would be in retirement already. Not going to approve this story - the troll will obvious do it for me

[mcstorm]

I have to agree. The Wiiu is very under rated and the end of this year and the beginning of next year will see some of the big name games come out for it like Mario 3D, Zelda HD, DK and once of if not the biggest name in console gaming Mario Kart.

Also its looking like a price drop to £150 and £200 is on the cards too which will look good against the £350 and £420 of the other 2 consoles.

Im not saying one console is better than the other as I will own all 3 home consoles but as a WiiU owner now I have been very impressed with it and it is lacking some games at the moment but they are coming the backend of this year infact it starts next week with Pikmin 3.

[mii-gamer]

i can't wait. Nintendo and Nintendo Fans will have the last laugh.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Zelda HD I guarantee wont be out next year unless u mean windwaker. As for thr price drop Nintendo said they werent giving the wiiU a price drop anytime soon and they cant afford it. There will for sure be deals around the holidays.

[mcstorm]

@DEATHxTHExKIDx sorry I was talking about Windowaker HD remake.

[Bobby Kotex]

I can't wait for the damage control vids from grown men wearing Mario and Yoshi shirts on youtube.

[herbs]

When the PS4 Xbone release the Wii U will have a solid line up of games so it will stay competitive to think otherwise is just unwise.

[iamnsuperman]

I have said it before that they need to change strategy. I think they should go with the one I mentioned here http://n4g.com/user/blogpos...

(Too long to really summarise and get my point across at the same time but essentially make the Wii U the second console. The big problem is no third party developer wants to develop on the Wii U because of poor sales leading to poor sales of the Wii U. Vicious cycle. At the minute they are in direction competition with the PS4 and the One with the price but are missing big third party games. First party/exclusives is enough to sell a system by itself if the price is low. At this price it can't compete with the PS4 and the One because they also get the third party games )

[khowat]

I read your blog great read

but the problem is that just as the vita cannot simply price drop because of the quality of the hardware the wii u cannot simply price drop because of the cost of the gamepad. But with the vita what makes it attractive is the quality of its hardware and potential of console quality games. But with the wii u the gamepad isn't really attracting gamers as much as the wii mote did

[iamnsuperman]

Thank you

"but the problem is that just as the vita cannot simply price drop because of the quality of the hardware the wii u cannot simply price drop because of the cost of the gamepad"

I agree but I think they are in a certain situation where they have to. Take the loss build the instal base then they have more potential for third party ports and their own software will sell could sell better. I know it is more complex than that but I just think that is what they should do

[nukeitall]

Frankly I don't see how Ninendo will compete with PS4/Xbox One at all.

Feaurewise, it is way behind. Hadware wise, it s behind. Pricewise, right now it is close to a PS4 and a little bit further, the Xbox One.

Ninendo needs to drop that price, get some quality features and release some games.

[starfox79]

The real Zelda is out 2014 been in develoment for 3 years so far ??? was meant to come 2013 but they under estimated development....

Also you have

Mariokart 8
Bayonetta2
X
Smash bros

wow....

[R00bot]

They said themselves that Zelda development was going better than expected and they thought about showing it at E3 2013. Get your facts straight.

[starfox79]

Get my facts right look dude here's the article Zelda wiiu was originally planned for 2013 release please listen next time....

http://wiiudaily.com/2012/0...

I HAVE PROOF I DONT MAKE THINGS UP KID.

It makes me laugh when uniformed fanboys try to say your talking rubbish when your not,even when Iwata says something people still don't listen it's weird i heard Nintendo clearly say they were going to E3 but without the big show reveal nonsense,then this site tells the world they said there not attending it's these things that will eventually close sites like this...

I know it was meant to be at E3 mate but it would of stole all the focus.....thats that fact,now hit the link they also originally were planning a 2013 release as well !!

[GasTankKiller]

Nintendo needs to regroup and figure out the needs and wants of the home gaming console again. Or they will end up just being a handle gaming company.

[badz149]

handle??

lol just joking, I know you meant handheld.

The Wii was a runaway winner of sale this gen from the get go but this last 3 years, it was performing quite bad sales wise and almost always behind the PS3 and 360 every month!

lots of people were predicting that the Wii will outsell the PS2 but oh can't they be even wronger. It was a 1 hit wonder and it's already clear that the Wii U is a far cry from what the Wii was. gamers are what keeping a gaming platform afloat, not the casuals which only buy 2-3 games and be done with it.

Nintendo need to rethink their own strategy as they are losing 3rd party support left and right. you can have the best 1st party games on the planet but without 3rd party support which are the majority of where games come from, you're destined to fail! harsh but that's reality and Nintendo sure need a few dose of it like right now!

[GasTankKiller]

Handheld gaming company. Sorry my bad.

[rustyspoon80]

Nintendo needed to release a massive game at launch a 3D Mario, Zelda or Metroid.
They have really squandered any lead they could have made.

I keep seeing that the price is now £199 for the premium but that just aren't any games worth buying it for.

I bought the N64 for Mario 64, Gamecube for RE4, the wii for Twilight Princess but there isn't anything (even announced) for Wii-U that I want. Was never bothered by Smash Bros.

[MasterCratosKong66]

So do they pay this guy to say the same thing about Nintendo that other people have been saying for a while? I sure hope not, because there are people with legitimate skills looking for jobs right now...

[solidworm]

The ps4 will, alas the XBONE couldnt finish its dinner never mind the tragic WiiU.

[Picture_Dancer]

WiiU is dead, deal with with already!

[PigPen]

Nintendo and Microsoft will finish of struggling Sony. They will use their money to their advantage and get more & more exclusives. Sony is quickly finding itself in the same boat as hardware has-beens Sega and Atari. Sony as a company has failed to turn customers for its merchandise. It has failed to turn only one profit in years. It failed to keep a steady workflow pace and make profits throughout all its divisions.

Worse, its been hit with layoffs after layoffs to maintain a stable work environment. Sony started fire selling assets to buildings to grap hold of large amounts of cash. Sony Playstation brand has taken on the burden ...

You see, my opinion piece is as good as yours. Lol

[NewZealander]

yep some stores here have totally dropped all nintendo products, and the ones that still do only have limited supplies and most games are in the bargain bin, people may say well thats just NZ, but its australian stores here that have stopped selling wii u here, so it wont be long till that spreads across the ditch.

sad to say but big N is in even bigger trouble when the new consoles release.

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

One day I'll be saying ”told you so.”

[EXVirtual]

Well... I think Nintendo can afford to lose at least 2 gens consecutively. Nintendo just needs to step their game up. BIG TIME.

[Apex13]

They could lose more but consumer confidence is something thats hard to replace.

[MilkMan]

HAhaha. No.

[Apex13]

Just as the PS3 and 360 did. lol

We are too quick to doom Nintendo just because we love their games yet dont want to buy their system.

Lets not forget they have the most profitable games/hardware division out of the 3.

[feraldrgn]

I don't think so.
The PS4 & the XbOne will duel it out next gen.

The WiiU will take the 360's place once new games get released for the WiiU, since we know the PS3 will be supported for some time.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

wiiU should be dueling it out with PS4 and X1 its a next gen console as well. replace the 360? MS already stated 360 is getting support for 5 more years. WiiU replacing 8 year old tech is ridiculous.

[greenlantern2814]

I guess ms is hoping 3rd party devs keep supporting it, because they certainly are not.

[Locksus]

Ohoh, it really is 2011 all over again, isn't it?

[truechainz]

It won't finish it off. Sorry to tell you. A good indicator is actually n4g itself in the wii u tab. What was once pretty much a casserole of doom articles is now more of a salad consisting of articles addressing peoples excitement for new smash bros, pikmin, and other games with a dressing made up of more doom articles like this one. The fact of the matter is, games like smash and mariokart are going to sell whether you like it or not. It won't be wii numbers but only a fool would think that it has to be. It is funny because drama queen articles like this come out like there is not room for all three the coexist when there really is. I have seen a number of people at the very least list wii u as a complimentary console for the other two which equals sales. I know I will be getting all three. The sad thing to me is the number of flighty people who constantly feel the need to spell doom for great systems like the Wii U and PS Vita within a year or two of their life. I honestly wish I had enough money to give anyone any system they want because half of this fanboy bullcrap comes from people needing to feel secure about their purchase because they can't afford more.

[Campy da Camper]

Agreed. I'm 40 and I love my wiiu. Once mariokart and other big players hit wiiu sales are going to spike. I remember back when ps3 released it was doomed articles everywhere. Very few games, too high price tag, 360 dominating...now look at where we are Lol

Kids sell things. Once holiday rolls around and good games hit the race for supremecy is on.

[Thomper]

Never underestimate Nintendo

[Major_Glitch]

Agreed. I may prefer Sony now, but I grew up with Nintendo. The "Big N" outlasted Sega and Atari, and has been in the game longer then Sony and MS. I'd hate to see how the world of gaming would be like today if Nintendo never was.

[tracyllrkn]

Nintendo will sell 35 million units, and it's flagship titles will sell very well. They won't sell as many units as Sony or Microsoft, but the console will be proftiable.

[PigPen]

You have no way of knowing that. That was said about the Wii.

[tracyllrkn]

The Wii was so successful because it catered to the casual market, the Wii U isn't doing that.

[o-Sunny-o]

A lot attention towards 3DS and not enough for Wii U. I need some reason to turn on my Wii U.

[cheetorb]

PS4 will dominate, WiiU will start picking up and Xone will be one of the biggest flop and flounder

[PigPen]

So much faith in Sony. I will be a little concerned considering its situation.

[solidjun5]

Ahh..so someone finally realized you're just a spam account. lol

[_QQ_]

Finish off? is this MK now?

[LOL_WUT]

You mean to tell me that it's not struggling? Can't you at least admit that ;)

[Firan]

Oh look one of these articles. We'll see eventually how it turns out for Wii U. I believe Nintendo has enough power and money to turn things around. Comparing them to Atari and Sega is just retarded.

[gedden7]

Just in case you trolls didn't know, in Japan right now this month... With the release of Pikmin, Yes PIKMIN the Wii U sales "almost" tripled... TRIPLED! From 8,251 - 22,199.. and the Game sold almost 93k copies in half a week. Thats right HALF a week! Remember these are just facts from Media Create Japanese sales charts.. What do you think is gonna happen when they bring out the bigger/well known and beloved games? Like Smash Bro and ario Kart?? The PS4 will sale ok and not that much better than Wii U at the launch window and Xbone is JUST and American console. Have you seen the numbers in Japan? A complete joke in that region and it will only get worse for MS there..

Nintendo's strategy may not be perfect or media/internet friendly but the way they sale their consoles (always have a profit on purchase) and the way they make their first party games (great games that ANYONE can play and not cost as much to produce such these AAA titles that have to sale 4-5+ million copies to break even is which is genius and deserves respect)... Nintendo will NEVER be Doomed because they know what they are doing.

Sony and MS gaming departments are only afloat because of their other business ventures. Their strategy is to create costly hardware then take a lost on EVERY purchase then find some crazy way to make it up the protif to lost margins.. That doesn't always work especially when you have the red rings of death fiasco and barely a single original IP that ALL GAMERS know and flock to..

Again just facts..

[Campy da Camper]

Could not agree more. MarioKart is going to be huuuuge. That game alone in a bundle will sell a buttload of systems. Nintendo has been around the block. They know what the are doing. I know for me my Wii u was a great purchase. I'm getting ps4 launch day for my harcore living room gaming and the Wii u is in bedroom for 1st party games. Hell I can't put down Mario bros U. Nintendo makes awesome, addictive games.

[Ol_G]

euhm i read the data was coming from 2 days

[marloc_x]

Those units with one game each are approaching 8 BILLION in sales to divide up! Wii U doomed? I think not..

[jameson12345]

I understand this is an opinion, but I feel you are being overly dismissive of Nintendo's first party franchises. Most of these games coming out first party for the Wii U this holiday season are from long time high selling & high profit series for Nintendo. Plus, the the Wii U is getting a couple good third party titles too. The PS4, (I'm a little unsure about what the Xbox will do) will definitely sell very well, but if Nintendo properly advertises these games the Wii U can still stay in the game long enough for the really big blockbusters like Mario Kart and Smash Bros to come next year. As history has told us again and again, never underestimate Nintendo.

[mydyingparadiselost]

This article says that the WiiU is in the same boat as Sega and Atari but fails to demonstrate how that is. Atari bombed because of insane amounts of crap games and Sega because they released numerous hardware devices (the 32x, Sega CD) along a poorly marketed and stupid difficult console to develop for (Saturn). The Dreamcast was a great console but nothing short of a Jesus sent miracle could have stopped the hemorrage of money caused by the aforementioned blunders. Nintendo is not in this same state, they still have tons of money and continue to bring in revenue with the 3ds and their first party titles.
The issue with the N is getting more of those 3rd party titles and getting people to recognise its viability for those titles while offering something different from the competition. Also, pushing the idea of value (BC with Wii games, free online, etc.) from the system wouldn't hurt either. Nin is not in the same boat as the other console makers that have come and gone over the last 3 decades, they just need more games from 3rd parties that aren't year old ports. If anything it's the industry as a whole that should be worried about since the money isn't there for 3rd parties to make those original games in the first place.

[thomasmiller]

Another moron troll prints another nintendo is doomed, article, wait what's the number one selling game in japan right now that caused a huge spike in sales for wii u? pikmin 3!! and with smash bros., mario, zelda, donkey kong, mario kart, bayonetta 2, monolith's X game, sorry not gonna happen!!! what does the x box one have??? killer instinct? WHAT A JOKE!! what else?? come on what else do they have coming out, that's not going to be on the ps4 as well?? and how are many of the fans reacting to the x box one?? SORRY TROLL HATERS BUT X BOX ONE IS THE NEW JAGUAR, AND DREAM CAST!! GET OVER IT!! BUT WHAT EVER HELPS YOU LOSERES SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT!! I know nintendo WILL BE AROUND, they may not be number one, but if nintendo can survive the virtual boy, then can and have survived any thing!!! nintendo will last, that's not up to the troll fanboys to decide.. sorry you lose!

[Theyellowflash30]

LOL, The PS4 and $499 Xbox One will finish off Wii U? Just like the PS Vita, smartphones, and Tablets will finish off the 3DS?

- Author needs to get a grip, Nintendo has exclusive franchises that will sell the console. Pikmin 3 is off to a nice start and more to come each month.

- And I hope he's not talking about Japan? Because the Xbox One is already dead in that country.

[Gamer666]

Wii U is already finished. MS and Sony do not have to do anything to make that happen.

Under powered, no blu-ray, nominal storage, dwindling 3rd party support, and a platform that just doesn't have decent sales figures = finished.

Wii U has sold just over 3.25 million to date. PS3 was a slow start with a $599 price tag for a product people wanted but couldn't afford and it sold 4 million in the same period of the first year. Wii U is almost half the price and it can't sell as good.

[Theyellowflash30]

Incorrect statements littered on your statement buddy.

- Wii U is over 3.5 million units, they announced this back in March.

- PS3 had two sku's a $499, and $599 model. And you need to check your sales data again because you are off in the numbers in comparison to Wii U.

Now on to your opinions.

Blu Ray doesn't mean anything, most people stream movies now.

3rd party support will increase when the sales of the system increase due to Nintendo's big first party titles.

Last point I want to make, people buy a Nintendo system for Nintendo games. Not 3rd party games. Sony and MS need 3rd party support more than Nintendo.

Get off that Michael Pachter way of thinking, because that's exactly what he said, and we know his ass is wrong about everything.

And the last point is.....remember 2011 with the Nintendo 3DS? Smartphones, tablets, and the Vita were supposed to "finish off the Nintendo 3DS"

Yeah....times have changed. Same will happen to Wii U.

[Gamer666]

- 3.5 million is still less than 4 million by a significant margin.

- Yes, Sony had two skus for PS3.

- Blu-ray means a lot to some people not so much for others, but Blu-ray has a much higher data capacity than Wii U's custom player so games can bigger and require more space

- 3rd party support will not increase until sales of the Wii U increase

- Yes, Nintendo is heavy first party, but, this is eroding.

- I don't read anything Patcher writes.

- I have and support 3DS and never thought it was going to have problems. In fact, I love Nintendo franchises and games and my favorite franchises are almost all Nintendo. But, I am a realist and Wii U sales are pathetic, and most people don't even know what exclusives are coming out for Wii U because they aren't paying attention anymore.

- The Wii U has no excitement around it except for the deepest of Nintendo die hards. Its not like sales have dramatically jumped since the announcement of Nintendo titles for the holiday season. Their sales remains flat. There is no way to sell the Wii U other than to call it a failure.

[Theyellowflash30]

3.5 million is still less than 4 million by a significant margin.

-That was 3.5 million back in March, were almost in August now.

Blu-ray means a lot to some people not so much for others, but Blu-ray has a much higher data capacity than Wii U's custom player so games can bigger and require more space

- Once again false, Nintendo's disk are basically Blu Ray discs, they carry the same capacity 25 GB single layer.

3rd party support will not increase until sales of the Wii U increase

- False, all systems get more support when the sales increase. Look at the 3DS

Yes, Nintendo is heavy first party, but, this is eroding.

- That's bullshit, Nintendo's IP are as strong as ever.

The Wii U has plenty to offer to the non-die hard Nintendo fans.

What if you like Sonic? Or Hideki Kamiya games? How about Bayonetta 2?

Please, your arguments are weak and even supported by clumsy inaccurate statements. You didn't even know the size capacity of the Wii U disks.

We'll see how things are in December after Nintendo has gotten all there IP out.

Get ready to damage control like the rest of the Wii U haters will.

[Gamer666]

I am not a Wii U hater. The fact is that sales are brutal.

Do I think it is going to turn around? NO...

Do I think Nintendo has a bright future? YES...

Do I think that the future for Nintendo is in making living room consoles? I DON'T KNOW.

Has the Wii U bombed? ABSOLUTELY.

The PS3 started off slow but continually improved in sales, thanks to new solid IPs, price drops, and the industry abandonment of HD DVD. The Wii U has none of that going for it. The price is already decently low, they are not running out with new IPs like Unchartered, Resistance, Heavy Rain, etc. and there is no "other" factor like Blu-ray that will drive sales.

Wii U is dead even if my facts are skewed.

[Theyellowflash30]

Gamer666

How am I supposed to take what you say seriously when you even said this:

"Wii U is dead even if my facts are skewed."

LOL, if your facts are skewed, that leads to a skewed judgement. Which you clearly have on Wii U. Like I said, get the damage control ready by December cause things will be different by then.

Just like the 3DS.

[Locksus]

Except it's already showing signs of recovery, at least in Japan that is. Wii U's sales got a boost when Pikmin 3 launched and after 2 days, the game had already sold approximately 100k copies and Wii U was 2nd place in hardware sales, just behind the 3DS LL.

You really underestimate the number of Nintendo fans. When the games they desire (Usually SSB, 3D Mario, Zelda etc) are released, they'll buy it, which in turn results in 3rd party support rising.
Many publishers have stated that once its userbase gets bigger, they'll start supporting the console also.

[MNGamer-N]

The title makes it sound like they are sucking Nintendo off. Just saying...

[stragomccloud]

And then come the end of this year, we'll all be laughing about these articles.

[awesomeabe1998]

I am tired of this statement coming from Nintendo haters, that most likely have never played a Wii U. Now, Nintendo does have a great first party line up. Whenever this is said, everyone replies that that is not Nintendo's problem. Well, that line up will boost sales and then cause 3rd party titles to release games on Wii U.

Wii U does not need a price drop or anything. All it needs is publicity. Its an amazing console.

Many first parties like Mario 3d World, Dk, Zelda: WWHD, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, X, W101, etc... But you nintendo fans are missing an important addition. Think hard...Miyamoto's New IP. It will most likely be a FPS since Miyamoto has shown interest in this. Maybe not, correct me if I am wrong.

Reply if any comments on my post.

Check out my gameplay commentary videos on YouTube: WUPSgames

Nintendo ID: awesomeabe1998
PSN: awesomeabe1998

[awesomeabe1998]

I also forgot to mention the small amount of key third parties that will be announced soon that Iwata mentioned.

[inStereo]

Yes, because a company that has been making games since 1889 will definitely go bankrupt in the devastating wake of a few new FPS's.

[Gemmol]

I disagree, I think all 3 companies will find a niche, and they will be happy with the fewer sales. I think XBOX ONE and Wii U will be fine, only because they bring something new or recent, meaning the Kinect, and the Wii U touchscreen, and Wii Motion controls........The ps4 even though it have new graphics theres not much change, yes it got some new features but it still a system who just stayed the same with the same controller and upped graphics, do not get me wrong it will still sell to it core crowd and people who do not want to spend 500, but other then that, people will use it similar to what they used the ps3 for which is a bluray player or to stream netflix, before yall get on me, Sony 1st party do not sell as much as Nintendo or Xbox first party games....I had a ps3 last generation, and I got tired with same ole, I even stop playing call of duty world at war was my last one on my ps3, I played the others on someone else ps3 but it didnt get my attention to go buy it so I can play online with my friends, but once I got a Wii U since I missed out on the Wii, I played black ops 2 and I fell in love with the new Wii U Gamepad controller, I personally cannot go back to playing on a regular controller, so I am debating should I end my playstation run or join Xbox One since I never used a Kinect before, If I do get xbox one the kinect will be a new experience, while if I get a ps4 I will be with same old and new graphics, before you say I will miss out on sony exclusives if I leave, well I do not care for them that much just like I do not care for Xbox one exclusives, I play whatever look good to me, I have no loyalty to a system just a gamer who plays anything that keeps me interested, I will be honest I do like Nintendo Exclusives more, but that is a personal preference

[ibroman]

The console will sell when they release their games up till christmas, Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Windwaker HD, Dkc Tropical freeze, and Supermario 3d world, Sonic lostworld. These will sell wii u's i mean the wii u is soaring in japan after Pikmin 3 got released.

[Jagsrock]

This is just an easy article to write at the moment however doesn't mean it will be accurate. People were writing off the 3DS as a massive failure and the end of nintendo and yet there is still a nintendo. The Wii U hasn't even turned 1 and people want to kill it off. It will have an extremely solid library by the end of the year.
1.Pikmin 3
2.wonderful 101
3.ww HD
4.Bayonetta 2
5.Watch dogs
6. Assassins creed 4
7.Batman arkham origins
8.scribblenauts unmasked
9.rayman legends
10.Dk tropical freeze
11.Super mario 3d world( a gam people are seriously underestimating )
12.wii party U
13.Wii fit
14.disney infinity
15.skylanders

Then looking forward to next year there is already mario kart 8 and Smash bros. never mind the other franchise like metroid and starfox which are bound to make an appearance on the console next year. There is Miyamoto's new IP and Zelda wii u as well. Third parties will come around to some degree once it starts selling and honestly if nintendo starts supplying the games that will be enough for the wii u to stay completely relevant. It may very well be another gamecube but it will not be a failure that is the end of nintendo like some on this website are hoping for.