First-year Wii U sales suggest grim lifetime sales

Matt Mathews says that by now, the historically weak sales for the Wii U are old news, but today I want to follow up on an idea I'd been considering for a while but just hadn't had time to flesh out. The basic question is this: How much of a console's five-year sales are typically made in the first year?

[Utalkin2me]

Sure it is starting off slow. I feel cause of a identity crisis and not having a solid couple of Nintendo games at launch. Just think if Super Mario 3d World would have been a launch title. I think things would have been a little different.

All in all, i really believe things are going to pick up well for Nintendo in 2014. And keep the momentum going in the next few years to come. Will it sell Wii numbers? probably not, but it doesn't need to.

[Amazingmrbrock]

I think the wii u is pretty much stuck with the path it was launched on. Nintendo tried to make it all the things and didn't push it to excel in any one area. They kinda made it family friendly like the wii, but didn't go as far in that direction as the wii. They kinda made it online like the other consoles but didn't go as far as the other consoles. In the end its kind of a middle of the read console.

Which is sad because it had tons of potential. Before it launched I was hoping it would herald in a new era of local multiplayer gaming. If it was able to support two or more of those screen controllers it would have owned that market. Instead it has one and some normal controllers. Its no better at local multiplayer than any other console of this generation or the last. There would have been so many options if it could have a couple tablet controllers. Semi digital board games, local mp strategy, party games that get all the players involved in some elaborate story or plot.

Even with how it is now they aren't using it right, I've yet to see or hear of a game that uses that controller for anything useful. The wii-u should have had pokemon snap 2 out in the first year. The tablet would make an excellent camera. They should have brought games like the professor Layton series to it, that controller is made for mystery puzzle games. Heck even having a zelda game where you only use the screen for the hook shot, magic mirror, maybe the bow, and the first person look mode would work great. Instead they put out games that would play better with a standard controller, and push the screen as a way to play games while someone watches tv. What a waste.

[wheresmymonkey]

Yeah it would be great if they brought out a zelda that did htat... wait they did. Wind Waker HD. It even uses the pad as the pictobox.

More over it does do stuff with local MP that the other consoels can't, I don't get my own screen on any other device in local mp. No other consoel does asymetric multiplayer where one guy does something with the pad and everyone else does something different.

It does plenty of useful stuff too. Just having an always open map might sound like not a lot but in games like Arkham city/origins and assassins creed its a bloody god send.

As is off tv play, which is a bloody godsend to anyone who lives in a house with only one main tv.

[GameSpawn]

I hate to tell you that aside from the off screen play, EVERYTHING is possible on the other consoles with "Second Screen".

The benefits of second screen over the WiiU controller is that you can use ANY iOS/Android/Surface(XB1) that you already own as a second screen device. Sure you might say, but now I have to spend $300 to get access to second screen -- BUT can your WiiU controller give you access to ALL the other benefits that a tablet gives you anyway?...No it can't. The WiiU controller has ONE purpose, whereas the competitions' second screen offerings add more use to an already useful device that most people at this point already own.

Now as far a second screen I will give you that card because the ONLY other system close to this is the PS4/Vita Remote Play. For people who already own a Vita they're set, but it's hard to justify dropping $200 on a Vita to gain remote play with the PS4 (PS+'s Instant Game Collection lessens the blow, but not much).

In the end what is killing Nintendo with the WiiU it pretty much what the original poster said:
1) Lackluster approach to games
2) Lackluster approach to online

Nintendo needs to remember that it is the first party's responsibility to set the tone for the console and let third parties follow. If the tone that is set is bad or confusing then third parties will be apprehensive about releasing any of their games on the console or taking extra time to actually incorporate useful features that take advantage of the console's and controller's unique offerings.

Whatever...Sony ate their humble pie already...Microsoft still has half of one left...Reggie hasn't touched his and it's getting cold.

[Blacklash93]

^ @GameSpawn

The thing with the tablets and smartphones is that they aren't integrated into the systems' fundamentals, so they will even more inevitably be underutilized. Plus tablet and smartphone devices lack physical buttons, only being peripheral to the standard controllers, so it would be clunky to juggle the extra functions the way the Gamepad's design can.

Vita's Remote Play is a far cry away from the off-TV play of the Gamepad. Vita is limited to 30FPS and has lag and synchronizing issues, whereas the Gamepad can run at 60FPS and syncs with the Wii U system almost, if not perfectly.

Really, all that's left is actually utilizing the damn thing for its unique functionalities. Even Nintendo has been mostly quite bad at that. We need a Warioware and a new Pikmin that actually uses the Gamepad well. We need more things like DE:HR's well-developed uses of the controller and Rayman's co-op features with the touchscreen.

[skyrimer]

If super Mario 3d world had launched with the system, this would be a completely different story

[hellvaguy]

Im not so sure of that. I thought Mario WiiU was great and made alot better use of the gamepad than Mario 3d does.

[Utalkin2me]

Mario WiiU was a good game, but Mario 3d World is a much better game and experience. Doesn't matter how it incorporates the game pad.

[hellvaguy]

The gamepad is almost 50% of the cost of the console. Plus its part of making the wiiu unique. U really couldnt be more wrong to say the gamepad doesnt matter.

[Utalkin2me]

I didn't say the gamepad doesn't matter. I was making a point that the gamepad doesn't have to be fully incorporated into the game to make it great.

[Stringerbell]

Hell if any of the Nintendo heavy hitters were present at launch it would be a different story. Imagine a Star Fox launch title? Or Metroid? Reminds me of the awesome launch that the 64 had.

[Neonridr]

Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64. Mario carried the N64 launch, lol.

[NeoTribe]

RIP ninty...

[LOL_WUT]

Agreed how many more years do we got to give the Wii U to realize it's been a total disappointment? ;)

[admiralvic]

Well, predictions are going to fall in line with the current situation, but that doesn't mean Nintendo is doomed. Before the Vita came out, the 3DS was long since assumed to be doomed. Nintendo saved it by dropping the price, releasing some awesome games and some more things. In the end, things change and nothing is set in set in stone until it actually happens.

[CBaoth]

3DS to WiiU is an apples to oranges comparison though. Nintendo tried to gouge its loyal customers by overcharging for the 3DS. It always had the software, and more importantly, 3rd party support. The price was the only impediment to success.

Nintendo doesn't enjoy the same level of support on consoles. It doesn't have the built-in advantages the 3DS has enjoyed from being the undisputed king of handhelds for the last 20 years. There are already 3 cheaper consoles on the market (Wii, 360, and PS3) so they've already lost that angle. I can assure you parents and grandparents scoff at the $300 price tag. Yet they still market the damn thing to children on Nickelodeon. Honestly, when was the last time you saw a Nintendo commercial during a sporting match or poular adult series? It's no longer the most powerful as well. By their own admission Nintendo underestimated HD development, leading to huge droughts of 1st party software. WiiU has woeful 3rd party support too. What little there is, consistently gets gimped by publishers who remove content from said WiiU version. Nintendo's online structure eerily reminds me of the PS3 circa 2007. So while it's certainly possible to turn things around, it's far from the easy road 3DS took.

I'll probably get mass disagreed with and be labeled a hater but the fact is I own both 3DS and WiiU & have since their respective launches. I'm just severely disappointed with the WiiU (it has the potential and is 20x better than the Wii) and Nintendo's complacency to not make the necessary changes to compete.

[admiralvic]

"It always had the software"

What console were you playing? The best launch title was Super Street Fighter IV and sadly, even as an opinion, many won't disagree because the launch was that bad. By the time the price dropped, the only "good" title was Legend of Zelda OoT 3D and even then that year wasn't too magical. They had Starfox 64, Pokemon Rumble, Super Mario 3D Land and thats about it. However, the following year is when we started getting good games and the system started to turn around.

"So while it's certainly possible to turn things around, it's far from the easy road 3DS took. "

Again, you assume the 3DS was always awesome, which is just untrue. Look at the interview with Reggie way back when...

"first party games, like Ocarina of Time or Star Fox, should maybe have been made available more quickly after launch. That might have been a missed opportunity. "

Here they're saying that they should have launched those games sooner and doing so probably would have kept sales up.

"We hoped that third party titles at launch would drive that base, and that didn’t happen to the degree that we needed.”

The interview ( http://nintendoeverything.c... ) is filled with several references that Nintendo was aware they should have launched with better games. I could keep getting into a long winded debate, but the long / short of it is, the 3DS took a while to be awesome. Save the Nintendo games, I strongly believe the Vita had a better launch than the 3DS had at the time.

What mainly changed was Nintendo dropping the price, Sony charging a ton for memory (a Vita was $270 minimum versus $169 or whatever the 3DS was), Monster Hunter was announced for Japan (keeping it off the Vita also helped), the Vita launched in Feb 2012 (leaving Xmas 2011 to the 3DS), the XL being announced and still cheaper than the Vita and the stealer line up Nintendo had in late 2012 and this year.

When push comes to shove though, the Wii U and 3DS are very similar.

[miyamoto]

Never ever try to reason out with these Nintendo fanatics nor try to make a sensible conversation with them. It won't work. Never.

[CBaoth]

Whoever said the launch software was awesome though? Where did I even say this? Taking the launch into CONTEXT it WAS a decent launch lineup, followed by announcements that re-affirmed people's hope in future software. Just like people do/did with Sony 's home consoles. No need to harp on the lack of 1st party titles because I ALREADY mentioned it. They were completely unprepared for developing HD content and it showed. Nintendo had a knee jerk reaction to the 3DS floundering initially and pulled all resources over to the handheld. The difference is Nintendo has 3rd party devs lining up to support the 3DS and not the WiiU. They aren't alike at all. And the way Nintendo supports each platform is obviously not the same.

"They always had the software." Pokemon, DQ, SMT, Fire Emblem pretty much illustrate what I'm referring to; not actually what was available at the time. People knew the great games were coming so I stand behind my comment. Have a good Xmas amigo, nice to discuss something on here for once!

[admiralvic]

People know/knew great software is coming to the Wii U... Pikmin 3, Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong, SSB, Mario Kart 8, Bayoneta 2, X, FE X SMT, hence my long winded point. They've VERY similar and you have to be blind not to see it.

[CBaoth]

The difference is nobody is buying them. And said listed software isn't helping the situation. It NEVER helped the N64, the Gamecube, and it certainly isn't helping the WiiU. Most of the 1st party software is clearly aimed at the wrong demographic on HD consoles. Where is the serious Zelda like the tech demo we watched a year ago? Where is a new Starfox? Where is Metroid? Oh I forgot DK sold 6 million on the Wii so Nintendo is keen on milking the IP with a 3DS port and another one in March. There's a reason platformers are the property of indie devs in this HD universe we now live in. Now couple that with a hefty pricetag that casuals have absconded from and we get what we got here. ZombieU should have been a portend of things to come. Instead it's a shining testament of Mr. Iwata's gross naivety.

They are nothing alike and I guess where the WiiU ends up saleswise will prove which of us is right. Sadly, I like my chances.

[Neonridr]

So I guess we should say the Vita is done then too, since its first 2 years of sales have been abysmal. Oh wait, we can't do that, that wouldn't make any sense..

see how the road should go both ways but doesn't?

[CAB1802]

The Wii U for a fact actually hit 4.7 million units
the next week or 2 or 3, i'll guarantee, it'll hit 5 million units
their Q3 report is gonna say the Wii U sold 1 million units in 3 months
i calculated the sales after the Q2 and it its most likely that the Wii U will hit 5 million by January
so it went from
160K
300K
1 million
yeah, Wii U sales are not improving (sarcasm)

[Daldrakar]

Its sold almost identical to the ps3's first year. This article is trash.

[Blacklash93]

3DS had an awful first year, yet is easily the one of the most profitable consoles out on the market right now. And with the price drop and 2014 looking like a solid year for releases so far, it's stupid to write the Wii U off just yet.

Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros. 4, Hyrule Warrios, X, Yoshi's Yarn, Mario Kart 8, and SMTXFE are all slated to come out next year. On top of multi-plats like Child of Light, Mighty No. 9, and several other Kickstarter projects backing in 2014 and beyond. Not to mention the existing library of Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World.

That's considerable, if not very reminiscent of the 3DS's rise to success with its software. It only helps that the Wii U now has a clear marketing message with a decent degree of advertising now. We'll see how it all turns out.