140°

Japan's 'most-wanted games' paints positive picture for Wii U's future

GameZone: Despite the Wii U's struggles, 2014 could be a turnaround year for Nintendo's console.

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gamezone.com
admiralvic3717d ago

I wouldn't read too much into that. Historically, I recall these polls being a poor indicator of the future, so just because something scores high (even then we're talking 500 votes...), doesn't mean the game will sell gangbusters. To give you an idea, Monster Hunter (which has amazing sales in Japan) is 11th and New Love Plus+ is beating out Yakuza, Freedom Wars, Dark Souls II, Miku and Soul Sacrifice Delta.

Beyond that and not to undercut the article too much, but gamers have (at least everyone I've ever talk to) considers Mario Kart 8 and SSB the make it or break it titles for the Wii U. If any game is going to "save" the console, it's going to be those 2 and those are two titles I think we can ALL agree on being a "system seller". So those two making the list is about as expected as Apple releasing a new iPhone this year. The final one, Hyrule Warriors, might seem random and out of place to some, but the musou series does very well in Japan. So much so that Samurai Warriors 4 is beating out MGS The Phantom Pain and KH III. Not to mention, Japan also gets more of the titles and several of them are multi platform titles (Pirate Warriors 2 and the latest DW Gundam were on the Vita).

wonderfulmonkeyman3716d ago (Edited 3716d ago )

I still have yet to be convinced that one or two games are enough to make or break any system.
It's never been the case before now, so I don't see why people are suddenly getting the idea that if one of those two games doesn't sell, suddenly nothing else could ever possibly be good enough to make it sell better ever again.
It's quite ridiculous a thought, really, when you think about it in the long term. Even the gamecube, Nintendo's worst-selling console, got some decent profits and some incredible games that most if not all of us remember quite fondly now that we look back on the console.
How many more games does this system have in development that we don't even know about?
How many more key titles that might be different than the norm of their series and all the more awesome because of it could release down the road?
Nintendo's already stated their intent to keep the Wii U around instead of ending its life early, so I think it's a safe bet to say that it's going to have some fantastic titles coming down the pipe over the course of the next two to three years.
They've got way too many possible games going for them to be doomed by just a couple of specific ones not selling, especially considering the heightening indie support, their new open mindedness to mergers&acquisitions[more exclusives via the latter of that, I would hope...here's hoping Nintendo someday acquires Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. It could use a good home, and it'd be a perfect Nintendo-ish answer to Ratchet&Clank.], and their willingness to let third parties use Nintendo's characters in spin-offs more often going forward.[Eventually one of them might hit a gold-mine idea for a spin-off direction with one of these characters...]

There's too much potential, too much wide-open possibility for success, to dismiss the console entirely over one or two games, that's all I'm saying...

Parapraxis3716d ago (Edited 3716d ago )

"It's never been the case before now, so I don't see why people are suddenly getting the idea that if one of those two games doesn't sell, suddenly nothing else could ever possibly be good enough to make it sell better ever again. "
You are equating software sales with system sales.

Hate to break it to ya kiddo, but if nobody owns a WiiU, the software sales will never be significant.
The WiiU is doing worse than gamecube level sales.
Keep forecasting those profits though, seriously. As a Nintendo fan for many years, it would sure be nice...but unlike you I live in the realm of reality.

admiralvic3716d ago

"I still have yet to be convinced that one or two games are enough to make or break any system."

I agree, though this is more complex than that (at least in my mind).

This isn't Mario Kart 8 and SSBU being the make it or break it games, it's a lot more like... if everything the Wii U already has (Pikmin 3, Mario / Luigi U, Super Mario 3D World, Wii Fit U, Sports Club, Wii Party U, Wind Waker HD, DK Tropical Freeze, Wonderful 101, etc) in addition to Mario Kart 8 (MK Wii sold 35+ million) and Super Smash Bros. U (Brawl sold 12+ million) doesn't turn the Wii U around, then it's hard to see it ever happening. This isn't me being a hater, fanboy or anything, it's the sad reality that the "people are waiting for big games to release" train pretty much ends at Super Smash Brothers U.

If it doesn't turn around, then Nintendo fans won't have a defense anymore, because most of the heavy hitters on the Wii (games that sold 7+ million) will be represented on the Wii U.

1) Wii Sports = Wii Sports Club
2) Mario Kart Wii = Mario Kart 8
3) Wii Sports Resort = Wii Sports Club
4) Wii Play = Nintendo Land (more or less)
5) New Super Mario Bros. Wii = New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Luigi U
6/7) Wii Fit / Fit Plus = Wii Fit U
8) Super Mario Galaxy = Super Mario 3D World
9) Super Smash Bros. Brawl = Super Smash Bros. U
10) Wii Party = Wii Party U

Now, you can argue that Wii Sports doesn't count, Resort shouldn't count (as it's just a sequel like Fit Plus) and Nintendo Land =/= Wii Play, but I'm sure you get the general point.

In either case, it would take something absurdly large and popular to change peoples mind at that point and I don't see it happening. X, SMT X FE, Bayonetta 2 and the like might help things a little bit, but none of these games can compare to the scope, power and force that is Mario Kart 8.

Anyway, I don't think those 2 games alone (as there are good games coming out and already out) will save the console, but I do think that if all those games combined can't save it, the console is officially dead.

wonderfulmonkeyman3716d ago (Edited 3716d ago )

@ Praxis
Get back to me when the number of Wii U owners has somehow started decreasing instead of steadily increasing, because last time I checked, "Kiddo", 6M+ and growing daily, albeit slowly, doesn't equate to "Nobody" no matter how much you try to spin it.
Keep trying though, if that's what makes you feel like you've "Won the argument", or whatever helps you sleep at night.

@ Admiralvic
I would argue that the things that have come before this point pale in comparison to the things that are on the way, in terms of hype or controversy.[I'm pointing mostly towards Bay 2 and Hyrule Warriors with the "controversy" remark]
The big issue with them, currently, is a huge lack of proper advertisement focus.
The latest Nintendo Direct kind of hammered the point home that the people who manage marketing over in NoA and NoJ really don't have a damned clue as to how to market their system or games in exciting ways.
PS4 has proven that hype can help a system sell beyond its own value, and the Wii U is in desperate need of some hype right now.
But with Nintendo holding back all manner of release dates and project information, on top of not divulging more details on highly anticipated titles and not listening to their fans more when it comes to games they should be announcing that they're working on, it seems a far-away dream for them to get the kind of hype needed to make the games sell well no matter how awesome they are.

Marketing is Nintendo's biggest crippling weakness right now, and even though I still firmly believe that their upcoming games will trump their first year-and-a-half or two of offerings, it wont' avail them of anything if they don't step up their marketing efforts by a substantial degree.

About the only thing I can actually praise Nintendo for at this point, is not firing people over their lost profits, and for their continuing efforts to become the most indie-friendly platform of the big 3.

Dunban673716d ago

I hope like heck you are right - but so far Nintendo has not given any indication they will deliver - at the beginning of the Wii u s life span they over promised and under delivered - now they are barely even promising anything that was not mentioned a year+ back - they seemed primed now to under promise and still under deliver - They released a single vc game for the Wii u eshop yesterday which has been the trend - that is inexcusable for a console that is still starved for breadth nd depth in its under developed library

They had a chance to come out strong at thier last direct - even let the hype build as if they were going to deliver Then thy under delivered again

Trolling thier fan base w kranky kong and hollow Nintendo directs are not offering confidence to the market place

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3716d ago
IRapeLolis3716d ago

This comment section is tldr. O..o

Lon3wolf3716d ago

No mention of X (or whatever it will be finally known as) on that list is surprising.

OtakuDJK1NG-Rory3716d ago (Edited 3716d ago )

No date and no real info to fall back on.

Even though It one of the top most watched video for Nintendo JP Direct.

Lon3wolf3716d ago

FF XV is high on the list with the same amount of info on date etc. hence my surprise, looking forward to it's release personally.

OtakuDJK1NG-Rory3716d ago

FFXV has more info as in characters revealed, cutscene, gameplay, world and battle system.

X didn't have much til recently.

DC7773716d ago

Mario Kart is the monster of gaming. Put it in a bundle and the rest is history.

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80°

Looking Ahead: The Lingering Questions About the Next Mario Kart

VGChartz's Mark Nielsen: "10 years. It’s been almost 10 years since the last mainline release in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8 came out for the Wii U in 2014 and became the best-selling game for the system by a sizeable margin, and later pulled the same magic trick on the Nintendo Switch under the stage name Deluxe. All in all, it's sold nearly 70 million copies over the last decade and is still selling like hot cakes to this day, so it’s no wonder Nintendo has been in no rush to replace it. However, with rumors of a new system being just around the corner, and reports a few years back that a new Mario Kart is indeed under way, it seems the era of 8 might very well be drawing to a close. It’s an exciting prospect to be sure, but after two Nintendo systems with Mario Kart 8 at their heart, a lot of questions remain about how Nintendo will choose to follow it up."

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vgchartz.com
Yi-Long14d ago

I hope they just keep building on Mario Kart 8; Add a track-creation tool, and probably open it up to more Nintendo IPs with new tracks and characters, so Metroid, Punch Out, Starfox, Animal Crossing, etc etc.

gold_drake14d ago

there wont be a new one until the switch 2 comes out.

nintendo needs their bangers early on

80°

Wii U Versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon's Online Play is Back

Nintendo has recently restored Wii U Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon online after five months of being offline.

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sirusgaming.com
100°

The Next Mario Kart Desperately Needs A Good Gimmick

Mario Kart 8 has been out for nine years now if you include the Wii U version. Despite the Switch port continuing to sell insane numbers since it came out in 2017, many people believed that a new installment was way past due. When the Booster Course Pass was announced instead, it was a bit controversial, with one side of people stating that it was time for a new game, and the other side believing that this was the best course of action and that there's nothing else Nintendo can do to innovate the franchise.

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dualshockers.com
Number1TailzFan312d ago

There's nothing wrong with the games, but after most of them being very samey, I got a bit bored. I liked MKDS because it added a mission mode, yeah it didn't have maybe as many as I'd like but it was decent for variety.

I really prefer the new Mario Party for the different types of games in it.

Mario Kart doesn't really feel fresh because you know what to expect for every new game pretty much. The single player mode of DKR was far more in depth a game vs Mario Kart IMO, MK is probably better for multiplayer though.

-Foxtrot312d ago

It needs a campaign mode like Crash Team Racing with open hubs, driving around the Mushroom Kingdom, selecting your races and the like. Have a system like the CTR tokens within the races that then unlock secret racing cups later on or the time relics to unlock other things.

There's nothing wrong with the games but when you've had the same set up for so many games it just gets a bit samey after a while.

They could even have something like a track creator like Modnation Racers or something.

Neonridr312d ago

I always enjoyed the single player aspect of Diddy Kong Racing myself.

Knushwood Butt312d ago

After starting with the first game on SNES, I think the last one I bought was on the DS.

Phlacky311d ago (Edited 311d ago )

I think the next gimmick should be interactive tracks with obstacles and traps such as maybe throwing a shell ahead to make something fall on another player Also have water and mud parts that effect handling more also fire parts that can cause you to over heat if you stay in it to long etc...

Yi-Long311d ago (Edited 311d ago )

I don’t think it needs ‘a gimmick’ so much, because gameplay is pretty much perfect right now, but I would like the next Mario Kart to do either a ‘track-builder’ thing, so you just get access to the tools and make your own tracks (think Modnation Racers or LBP Karting), and/or expand upon ‘Mario’ Kart and open it up to the rest of Nintendo IPs, and just do a ‘Nintendo Kart’, so we’d see more of Zelda, but also Starfox, Kirby, Metroid, Valkyria Chronicles*, etc.

* I know, technically not ‘Nintendo’.

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