What about Nintendo's losses. They've been bleeding for quite some time. If somebody were to go handheld only it would probably be Nintendo.
@highlife below, no they are actually not all doing fine. MS game division and Sony game divisions are the only ones making profits right now, while Nintendo has been posting losses for some time now. However, with 3DS sales doing very well, they might start turning a profit from software sales, but they are still losing money on every 3DS sold.
Sony ending up like SEGA? you are just crazy man... SEGA was only depending on their console, that's were they made all the money from.
Sony hasn't only got consoles and games that makes game, their budget is higher from other electronics they produce and sell.. they can fund the playstation as much as they want, win or lose.
Sony's TV division is the one losing money not the Playstation division.
There is a reason they put the Playstation division with the rest of the consumer electronic division and that's to cover the loses of the other divisions with the revenue of the Playstation division.
So Sony going out like Sega, is only a haters wet dream. lol!
@Jobesy
I believe Ninty has stated they will return to profitability this year because the 3DS in itself is profitable now.
What I've learned this generation is never count out anyone from the Big 3.
Handheld will disappear in a couple of years, that would be the more stupid move ever! don't know about the other things you said :P
O-T
What everyone thinks MS will put a tablet-like-I-pad-controller in the next xbox? what's the add-on that is selling like crazy right now? it's a tablet for consoles?, no! it's kinect, so it's pretty much obvious that kinext2 will be delivered with every Xbox3 console!
Sega was highly dependant on their console yes, but not solely. They also create and produce the hardware to their arcade machines... one of which I still own :D - not enough to stop them having to give up though, sad times :(
@jobesy actually jobesy they are doing fine. Yes they are not making as much as they did in the past but with the money they made off the wii they are fine for awhile and now that the 3ds is picking up steam they are more then fine. I think everyone just likes the whole doom and gloom sh!t!
Hope all consoles do well. I enjoy games. How about you!
LOL look at you guys getting all sensitive over this issue like little wusses!!!!!!!!111ONE
Consoles are doomed, not handhelds. But Sony seems to be failing with even with PSVita... They just can't keep up with the kind of support 3DS is getting due to all their losses from the past few years.
N4G = Pure entertainment. Sony must be ashamed of u guys cuz ur such butthurt fanboys who don't have the balls to accept stone cold hard facts, like Sony's 3rd position overall.
Forgive me but your post history doesn't really give you any type of credibility for that to be believable and now we ended up with name calling after being proven wrong? My goodness...
Stop spinning the truth to what only benefits you please.
History has just shown us in the last generation that the top dog for two generations went to third. Please don't act as if Nintendo will keep that top spot because the Wii U will not sell numbers like the Wii and you can quote me on that. Keep being a shill though.
Nintendo was last with regards to the big three last generation...
Sony was first last generation...
Nintendo is first this generation...
Sony is last this generation...
If history repeat itself Sony would be first next gen and Nintendo will be last next gen. Make sense right?
No it doesn't. There is no telling what could happen next gen. Nobody expected Ninentdo to dominate this gen, but everyone expected Sony to dominate. Well what do we have here? People are expecting the Nintendo dominate next gen similarly how everyone expected Sony to dominate this gen. As HISTORY has shown, we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
What hasn't, other than like, that Nokia Taco phone or whatever?
Nintendo's history shows that they're quite capable of screwing up. Virtual boy, Gamecube, N64 had them fall behind the competition.... People must be incredibly short sighted if they think Nintendo can't make mistakes.
it doesn't have the online structure and community to even be remotely compared :P N played right with the wii and wii-mote, this gen exploded with online gaming, MS got it, even Sony got it, Nintendo, we don't know yet :D
of devs who have kits? PS4 and Xbox 3 are going to destroy Wii U in tech and don't forget that with the Wii U releasing at the price it's rumored to be ($350-400) Nintendo has to show consumers why they should start the next generation with them and the fiasco at E3 last year isn't doing them any favors.
I do not think Sony are ignorant enough to make the same mistake twice and release a $500-600 console - MS also learned from Sonys mistake and will not be releasing a beefed up console. It might be better than the WiiU but not by much and you can take that to the bank.
It won't take a $500-600 dollar console to be more powerful than Wii U. If Sony or MS would release a console with similar power they would still be cheaper than Wii U. Why? Because blu-ray drives don't cost that much anymore, neither does CELL (if Sony decides to keep it for the PS4). On the other hand, Wii U has a pretty expensive controller. So unless the PS4 and Nextbox are much, much more powerful than Wii U, they probably won't be that much more expensive.
this is just a tad rich in my opinion. perhaps it's better left unsaid because once said it will inevitably catch the eye of a passing 360 owner or PS3 owner, such as myself. i hope the WiiU does well, i really do, but 'falling behind?' when you are referring to a tech that has not been released yet and is already 5 years late to this gen, how else are we supposed to respond?
come on now, enjoy the prospect of finally getting HD content on a Nintendo machine, but please don't go fishing like this
It's not a question of whether MS and Sony's tech is behind. This article is about giving a company like Nintendo over a year head start before even mentioning your console!
if the WiiU is to be successful then it will be because of it's unique controller as it was before. if the article read: 'could Nintendos fresh approach to gaming leave PS3 and 360 behind' then i wouldn't take such a dim view. the title and the assumption that they have released the first next gen console is misleading because their machine isn't next gen, it's current gen with a new kind of controller.
'No other competing consoles were revealed at 2011 E3, so it looked like the Wii U would have a nice head start releasing late 2012. With Nintendo grinning about the lack of another next-gen console being announced'
get out of here. 5 years late to this gen and claiming you are the first!? come on now
No...it will succeed because they have the best selling first party software...everyone wants a little Mario and Zelda. Especially if they bring back old forgotton favorites along with Smash brothers...all Nintendo does is print money.
Here's the thing, people need to realise that the gaming business is a business like any other. The main goal is maximum profit with minimum expense. Xbox 360 has recently (2011) recouped ALL its launch and RROD losses and has become a profitable venture for Microsoft. It only makes business sense that microsoft would want to keep the 360 going for as long as they can and not launch another console just as the 360 is becoming a major source of profit. SONY on the other hand have not YET recouped the 4 billion they lost launching the ps3 and are still far from it, why would they want more expenses by launching a new console now?
Giving Nintendo one year alone on the market with a next generation console is a massive mistake by rival console makers. Which completely allows Nintendo to stretch its legs out with install base and rest its feet on the table with unrivaled next gen exclusives. Giving the Nintendo supporters and anxious gamers worldwide a chance to grow accustom to the new style of gaming Nintendo is bringing to the frontline.
If the Nintendo Wii U is as powerful as EPIC games staff members are making it out to be, rival console makers may pay dearly for allowing Nintendo to get a one year head start. Especially if the online setup is anywhere close to the industry standards or above xbox live. Being alone on the market with next gen tech, superior online, and an arsenal of Nintendo exclusives is very dangerous. A winning formula for Nintendo.
E3 2012 will paint a very clear picture if Nintendo will have an early shot of complete dominance this year. If the rumors are true of rivals not showing any next gen tech this year, Nintendo has a wide open oppertunity to take next generation by storm. Just as the Nintendo 3DS did with launching and living a full year with no competition.
After getting a glimpse of what the innovative new Nintendo Wii U controller is capable of. It is absolutely necessary that rivals come out with a similar controller of their own as standard. Or face chances of missed oppertunity and or tradgic loss.
From the looks of it all so far, 2012 will be an outstanding year to be a Nintendo gamer. With the Nintendo Wii U launch, and the Nintendo 3DS hitting its stride. It looks like Nintendo may be headed toward a repeat supreme victory.
That's absurd. There's no evidence of graphical prowess over ps3 or xbox and even less evidence of a competent online component. Nintendo will never topple xbox live, never. Hell I like psn but even I don't deny that Live is better. Until we see "better" versions of multiplat games on WiiU, I would suggest calming down
Nintendo's gamble with the WiiU is depending on it having the same specs as whatever system Sony and Nintendo come out with next. If doesn't matter that the WiiU may be more powerful than the PS3 or 360 if it doesn't have developer support from the beginning. Devs want to make games that can be easily ported for all platforms, something Sony learned this gen. No one wants to spend the time and resources making a game that will take advantage of a particular system's advantages unless they are making an exclusive. Multiplatform games will be made to conform to today's specs meaning WiiU games will mostly be made to look and perform exactly like PS3 and 360 games.
And that isn't the only reason why Nintendo is at a disadvantage with the WiiU:
* Price point would have to be on par with 360 and PS3 to be competitive now. That's no more than $300 for a system with a tablet controller. Unless Nintendo plans to sell it at a huge loss. Plus, I'll bet Microsoft and Sony drop price just before the WiiU launch.
* Tech is only relevant until Sony and Microsoft release new systems and blow it out of the water. Can we expect a more powerful WiiU2 in three years?
* Nintendo's online infrastructure is untested and is going up against Xbox Live and PSN that have been robust for years.
* Third party support (which Nintendo neglected this gen) is something they now need. Much of the new games that are coming out now are sequels to current gen franchises that weren't on Wii. Will those properties do well on WiiU?
I don't think it will be a disaster for Nintendo but they have a long road ahead of them.
That was a very nice response. I guess all we can do now is let time reveal all. Hopefully we will have more answers to all of our questions and speculation come this E3 2012. Have a nice day good sir and +bubbles.
maybe sony and MS waiting to see the out come of nintendo tablet controller, also. they might have tablet controllers also with ps4, 720 who knows for sure (you know they got to copy nintendo) but i'll bet thats why neither console (sony,ms) will not launch til financial reports come in from wii-U sales.
Sony and MS aren't falling behind.We can't expect them to stop focus on the current PS3/360 and rush out new hardware just because of the Wii-U.Nintendo needed this upgrade since the Wii was just very outdated and couldn't have real 3rd party support.
Yea, very good point. Technically there ARE falling behind because the Wii U will launch first but they really have no choice but to behind in this regard. It's completely understandable for them.
Nintendo is the money maker. They planned everything out right. They don't have to wait to release a console because they never lost their ass when the wii was released. Microsoft screwed up with rrd, and Sony screwed up with the launch price and giving 3rd party publishers shitty tools to help develop there games.
Nintendo made the lion's share this gen but at the expense of 3rd party support. They had huge hardware numbers but their software (that wasn't bundled with the system or wasn't made by Nintendo) sales were lacking, leaving people wondering if 3rd parties will flock to the WiiU with open arms.
Meanwhile, Sony's launch price "screw up" has put them 3 million units away from their nearest competitor who launched a year earlier at $200 cheaper.
In the end, it will be close but: #1 Nintendo #2 Sony #3 Microsoft
i dont see this console doing nearly as well. with the wii they targeted the casual market and were wildly successful. most people picked it up becuase the lack of a traditional controller. most non gamers are very put off by a traditional controller becuase....wait for it...it has too many buttons. that said this is more of a traditional controller, just with a screen. so its not going to have the same appeal to non gamers/casuals.
that said, most of the core gamers would be their primary target this time around however the wii soured most of them on that.
also with the casual market, most consumers picked up a wii, realized it wasn't that great and they still weren't interested in games so they are unlikely to be fooled again. the wii was a fad just like boybands and beanie babies so they can count that market out as well.
i do think this system will do decent but i would bet it does around ps3's early numbers but unlike the ps3, the wii u doesnt pick up after a while. overall sales will like be 1.5 that of gamecubes, im calling it now.
I have to agree with you, i would also like to add my newphew is a great case in point also loved his wii has grown up some & now has no interest in anything nintendo. I have viewed nintendo for years as the kiddy version of consoles but the age range of Kiddie keeps getting smaller. Ps3/xbox360 starts to become the cool system around ge 8-10. People can disagree with me all they want but serisouly talk to a boy around 8-10 & ask them what system they have/like i would say its easily 85% or more xbox/ps & no longer nintendo. I dont think a new system is going to change that!
Yes, they are falling behind. Nintendo HD will steal many of the HD-only guys , as well as keep their casuals. Look at the 3DS, people thought "next generation, new battle" ..nope. Ds and 3DS dominate in sells once again. Just like Wii U will dominate in sells. Obviously the HD will not be as pretty as PS4/xbox 3 but sells wise.
I believe the people that agree are more focused on the intent of the post rather than obsessing over the price drop amount being off by at least $20. Mistakes happen.
Nintendo should remember that casuals have no loyalty. So when the wii u launches they can't count on wii owners to upgrade automatically.
Sony could drop the ps3 price to $199 and casuals looking to upgrade will choose that. Also MS could do the same thing, just drop the price even more.
If a casual gamer walks into a store and sees a $400 dollar wii u then sees a $199 ps3 with move and some games or a 360 with kinect for $199, they'll probably go with the cheaper options.
Nintendo will get the die-hard fans at launch no question, it's the casuals that'll be a tough sell.
Like you said, Nintendo's of course going to sell to their hardcore fanbase, but I could actually see somebody choosing a Wii U over a PS3 or 360 JUST because of the tablet controller. You gotta understand that we're in an age where tablets are THE devices to have. Have an iPad 2 and you're the cool kid on campus. I think some casuals will be willing to pay $100-$150 more for a tablet controller.
They won't announce anything now, they'll only downplay next-gen. Why? they don't want to spoil potential sales for the spring and also it would ruin the surprise and they will need a big surprise to throw off Nintendo's Wii U at E3.
Its not over until the fat lady sings. Something I learnt from Will Smith in Independence Day. The fat lady will sing after E3. Remember MS didn't show Halo 4 until the very end of their terrible conference (minus ME3).
we are gonna see gaming come back to its roots this generation now motion is out of the way, nintendo never entered the graphics race last gen because there targets were more ambitious and it payed off grabbing the casual market grannys included.
Now this time around graphics wont leap so far so it wont be the buzz u had when going from a PS2 lets say to the PS3
twice the power of this gen with new interesting gameplay from the tablet controller has developers interested again and out of there 6+ year rut ways of working giving them more power and a tablet control to work some of there new tricks on, we already heard news from devs that the wiiU was a real treat to code and develop on.
wiiU will make ps3/360 dinosaurs why would anyone want to buy one when the wiiU is out, it wont cost much more but it destroys both with its power and controller.
The point of the article is that Nintendo is ahead of MS & Sony for the upcoming next gen. They are releasing first and will have at least a 1 year advantage, maybe even more depending on when the other two decide to launch. If they just show their consoles like Nintendo did at E3 2013 they may not be ready until E3 2014. That would possibly give Nintendo 2 years without any next gen competition.
As for all the fanboys saying Wii-U is only slightly better than current gen..... get over it, its not true. First it is next gen because Wii -U will be the first system ever to run HD 1080p Natively, not upscaling. PS3 and 360 do have some 1080p games but they are upscaled. So technically this is the first system launching with true HD.
Next it is a next gen system because its using a new control method. Next gen doesn't just mean better graphics. It also means new ways to play games. The Tablet controller opens up so many new and interesting ways to play. A second view of the action, a menu, a videophone, minigames, a messenger service, and near field communication (NFC).
As for those talking about history repeating itself and how Sony was on top with PS2 and then dropped this gen, you seem to forget Sony was on top with PS1 as well. But if you go further back in time the NES was on top and so was the SNES. So if we are going by history, the leader leads for two generations.
Nintendo has always gone with a 5 year lifespan with all its home consoles. They never have tried to make their systems last 10 years. That was Sony who started the 10 year plan with PS1 and still going with PS2. Nintendo knows technology constantly changes and also drops in price a few years later. They know if they wait a few years they can make something 10 times better and cheaper by being patient for a few years instead of putting the top of the line everything as soon as they come out. Why do you think they have made a profit every year of their existence except this last year(many factors contributed to this, Yen being worth more than foreign currency, Tsunami in Japan, Wii sales declining,3DS price drop, Research and Development for Wii-U). The company is over 100 years old, I think they know a little about how to make profits.
Next Nintendo is starting to change with the times. Their online structures were horrible on Gamecube and Sub-par with Wii and DS. Well now they have a new structure called Nintendo Network, which gives everyone their own individual accounts. They started testing it already on certain 3DS games and it will be in full swing on Wii-U. They are trying to compete with MS Live and Sony Entertainment Network. Will it be on par/better/worse......no one knows but they are trying.
As for 8-10 year old moving on from Wii and going to MS & Sony, if thats truly happening its temporary. Once any new videogame system comes out all kids want it regardless,they just want to be the first kid in their class to say they have something.....welcome to childhood. And the casuals who supposedly don't play Wii anymore and will supposedly not buy a Wii-U, again it goes with what the general market accepts as the new (IT TOY) for the year.Nintendo intentionally didn't call the Wii, Nintendo Wii because they knew how people in the industry say Nintendo is for kids. It was called Wii, to hide the fact it was a Nintendo. People bought Wii's not even knowing Nintendo made them. And now they have changed the image of Nintendo is just for kids, because now its just for casuals, or just for fanboys or just for families. Don't you see what they did? Nintendo is for everyone now. The Wii missed one group called Core gamers.......and Wii-U is coming for you next gen!!
The 360 had a 8million unit head start. Yet the Wii overtook it and the PS3 is 3million behind. A head start doesn't mean shit. If Nintendo get and keep a lead it's because of the software.
Well sony isn't losing the battle, actually PS3 is till fighting over global market share, and I will not be surprised if this year ps3 will surpass x360 in overall sales, take note x360 is only 2million ahead than ps3.
The XBOX 360 came out in 2005. The Wii came out in 2006. The Wii destroyed the 360 in sales. Maybe the year head start the Wii U has will not amount to much?
Who knows?
I doubt the WiiU will appeal tot he casuals the same way the Wii did. The gimmick is gone. Motion sensing was a nice gimmick, the tablet is not really that much of a gimmick,just an evolution of core game pads...
I expect M$ is cut the cost of a 360 dramatically this christmas. Imagine:
£250 WiiU £99 360
Which do you think the casual and gift givers will buy?
From a game site called "zeldainformer.com" ? Yeah.
Nintendo planned it right, and it'll definitely benefit them launching the Wii U a year earlier than the competition.
this is just a tad rich in my opinion. perhaps it's better left unsaid because once said it will inevitably catch the eye of a passing 360 owner or PS3 owner, such as myself. i hope the WiiU does well, i really do, but 'falling behind?' when you are referring to a tech that has not been released yet and is already 5 years late to this gen, how else are we supposed to respond?
come on now, enjoy the prospect of finally getting HD content on a Nintendo machine, but please don't go fishing like this
Here's the thing, people need to realise that the gaming business is a business like any other. The main goal is maximum profit with minimum expense. Xbox 360 has recently (2011) recouped ALL its launch and RROD losses and has become a profitable venture for Microsoft.
It only makes business sense that microsoft would want to keep the 360 going for as long as they can and not launch another console just as the 360 is becoming a major source of profit.
SONY on the other hand have not YET recouped the 4 billion they lost launching the ps3 and are still far from it, why would they want more expenses by launching a new console now?
Giving Nintendo one year alone on the market with a next generation console is a massive mistake by rival console makers. Which completely allows Nintendo to stretch its legs out with install base and rest its feet on the table with unrivaled next gen exclusives. Giving the Nintendo supporters and anxious gamers worldwide a chance to grow accustom to the new style of gaming Nintendo is bringing to the frontline.
If the Nintendo Wii U is as powerful as EPIC games staff members are making it out to be, rival console makers may pay dearly for allowing Nintendo to get a one year head start. Especially if the online setup is anywhere close to the industry standards or above xbox live. Being alone on the market with next gen tech, superior online, and an arsenal of Nintendo exclusives is very dangerous. A winning formula for Nintendo.
E3 2012 will paint a very clear picture if Nintendo will have an early shot of complete dominance this year. If the rumors are true of rivals not showing any next gen tech this year, Nintendo has a wide open oppertunity to take next generation by storm. Just as the Nintendo 3DS did with launching and living a full year with no competition.
After getting a glimpse of what the innovative new Nintendo Wii U controller is capable of. It is absolutely necessary that rivals come out with a similar controller of their own as standard. Or face chances of missed oppertunity and or tradgic loss.
From the looks of it all so far, 2012 will be an outstanding year to be a Nintendo gamer. With the Nintendo Wii U launch, and the Nintendo 3DS hitting its stride. It looks like Nintendo may be headed toward a repeat supreme victory.
Rated E For Everyone