Topic: If you don't own a Wii U now, will Mario Kart 8 influence you to purchase one?

[Phil]

I guess this is one of those "would one game sell you on a system? thingies.

At the same time, I guess if you already do own a Wii U, would you get the system for Mario Kart 8 in an alternate reality where you didn't own one?

I notice this topic comes up a lot for every big Wii U release. That's not the deflating part. The deflating part is how every time a new big Wii U title comes out, it seems the same people always say "I'm not going to buy a Wii U for one game."

This was said for Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Wonderful 101, among others. It's rather disappointing.

There seems to be a group of people who don't just think the Wii U is a bad product that will be discontinued soon, but they come across as wishful thinkers. It's hard to tell nowadays who thinks the Wii U is a failure because it's a bad product because of well documented research and well founded opinions (then again, that's subjective) and who is just wishing for this to be true, wishing so they can continue to rationalize not purchasing the system.

Ooh. That had enough meat to base an editorial off of. I'm going to do that!

Anyway, I guess this discussion goes beyond the topic title. I apologize if it seems like I went off on a tangent. Oh, well. I got it off my chest along with some ingrown hairs.

[Manthony Chopkins]

Not to be that kind of poster. But you need to fix your thread title.

[Soren]

Keep in mind if you buy a Wii U with Mario Kart 8 you're essentially getting a Wii U with two games. This assuming you use Club Nintendo.

[UncleBob]

I was going to buy a Wii U for Mario Kart, but NWR's 7.5 score talked me out of it.

[Phil]

Not to be that kind of poster. But you need to fix your thread title.

No, no! Thanks for that! I don't know how I overlooked that!

[Dasmos]

Yeah, I will be. It's about time I bought one and NWR's horrible review aside Mario Kart seems to be the ****. Plus I have a household of people wanting to play it too, so I'm almost getting peer-pressured into it.

Personally I'm mainly getting a Wii U for Pikmin 3 and Super Mario 3D World, but this 2-for-1 Mario Kart thing is a pretty good incentive to buy one now.

[NWR_insanolord]

Hey man, you can't be spreading that kind of misinformation. We actually have two horrible reviews.

[Khushrenada]

Hey man, you can't be spreading that kind of misinformation. We actually have two horrible reviews.

Make it 3.

[NWR_insanolord]

Hey man, you can't be spreading that kind of misinformation. We actually have two horrible reviews.

Make it 3.

Two horrible reviews and one magnificent review.

[Enner]

In one word: No.

While I enjoyed my many dozens of hours Mario Kart 7 (mostly solo!) and I think Mario Kart 8 looks beautiful, Mario Kart isn't a series that I desperately need in my life. Adding to that, I essentially got Mario Kart 7 for free in a discounted 3DS XL bundle and I don't think I would've bought it normally at MSRP. I feel that I already know exactly what I'm playing with a Mario Kart game before I even play it, so I feel no rush to get it.

That bundle with the Club Nintendo freebie is tempting though....
Bah, I'll just stick with my original plan and wait for X.

[Nile Boogie Returns]

I am buying Mario kart 8 but I would not have purchased a wii u just for it. Smash 4, "Metroid whatever?"or  Zelda's Pokey Adventure? Hells Yeah! I'll put 200plus hours into MK8 over the next year but still not gonna buy a system for that.








SHENMUE 3 on the other hand...

[nickmitch]

I wouldn't buy a Wii U for Mario Kart.  Mostly because I'm too old.  I'm not actually up there in years, but I'm far enough removed from my college days that grabbing a bunch of people together to play Mario Kart is much easier said than done.  That being said, I will be buying the game mostly for me and online play.

Smash Bros is a series I like enough to buy a system for.  I think I can more easily invite someone over to play it, since it's such a more exciting series. 

For what it's worth, with the games that are out now, Mario Kart would be what put me over the edge for a Wii U.  ZombiU, Pikmin 3, and Mario 3D World would make for sufficient single player and be complimented by MK8 multiplayer.

[Ian Sane]

Even if I had a Wii U I probably wouldn't get Mario Kart 8 and it actually isn't specifically because of anything wrong with that game specifically.  I'm bored of Mario Kart.  You can only do so much with a racing game and the formula is just played out.  I have a Wii and 3DS but don't own those Mario Karts either.  I also realize that after Brawl I'm SSB'ed out.  I don't see myself really being that interested in the new games.  Multiplayer franchises get boring quicker.  nickmitch makes a great point about age.  I don't have friends over all the time so single player games are more up my alley.

Pikmin 3 is the Wii U game I'm most interested in.  Pikmin is not overplayed or stale since we're only on the third game.  It isn't over 20 years old like a lot of Nintendo's franchises.  I played it at a friend's house and it's real good.  I want it.  No other currently released Wii U interests me.  I'm not so desperate for Pikmin 3 that I'll buy a whole system for one game.  Especially not when it seems like a price cut is always right around the corner.

But there is another factor here.  I don't like Nintendo's direction with the Wii U.  I don't want to endorse the "outdated hardware with no third party support" approach to consoles that Nintendo seems cool with.   So not only does any killer app have to be so good that I would buy a console for it alone (or I guess it and Pikmin 3) it has to be good enough that I'm willing to deal with the possibility of Nintendo continuing with this direction into the future.

I was annoyed enough with the Wii that I decided I wasn't going to buy another Nintendo console unless it was the type of product I want to own.  Well the Wii U isn't that product and frankly, due to it's outdated hardware, it probably never can.  The only chance it had was the market rejecting the PS4 and that didn't happen.  I cannot imagine the Wii U third party support ever being anything half-decent.  If I was to go with a console with only Nintendo's support they're going to have to have a prolific release schedule than what they have now and the games have to be more ambitious than what they have now.  I'm sure as hell not going to put up with half-baked retro-themed cookie cutter sequels if that's ALL I get.  On the N64 almost every Nintendo game was like the best game ever made.  Wii U games don't even ATTEMPT to reach such ambitious goals.  I'm not saying the PS4 and XB1 do have those ambitious games but I don't own either of those consoles either.

The Wii U looks to have no future.  That puts way more pressure on each big game than normal.  Are you willing to take the risk of buying a console with no future where that which is wrong with it will likely never improve?  That's a lot to ask and it has to be a REALLY impressive game to get someone to do that.

[Nile Boogie Returns]

Well thought out post.

I'm curious Ian. I understand not liking rehashed themes and games based more on nostalgia rather than gameplay. Have you attempted to play Wounderful 101? Reviews notwithstanding, it really is Platinum at the top of their game.


( albeit not for everybody kinda title )


 

[Ian Sane]

Well thought out post.

I'm curious Ian. I understand not liking rehashed themes and games based more on nostalgia rather than gameplay. Have you attempted to play Wounderful 101? Reviews notwithstanding, it really is Platinum at the top of their game.

( albeit not for everybody kinda title ) 

No I haven't.  I only have one friend with a Wii U and he doesn't have it and there really is no other way to try it for myself.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

It isn't Mario Kart that has me thinking of getting one soon, it is the bundle that goes with it. The game that might sell me on a Wii U is Hyrule Warriors, which comes out latter this year also. If I miss out on the Mario Kart bundle now but they offer a similar deal when Hyrule Warriors launches I will be okay. If I miss out on the deal now and when Hyrule Warriors launches there is nothing else then I might wait a while. I am kinda sorta with Ian on if it has to be Nintendo only they had better get their **** together and bring out more than they have. My biggest gripe is it being over priced for what it is, if it was priced on par with previous consoles I might have one by now but I am sorta in a way protesting the over priced outdated tech but not on principal like Ian just more in reality because it's still fifty bucks higher than all other consoles LAUNCHED at and that keeps me away, just like 3DS which I am amazed how okay everyone is with that also way over priced. BUT I am tempted with the bundle just to get it before Hyrule Warriors launches because if I worked it out right it makes the machine right at the price I would jump in at.

[NWR_insanolord]

How do you figure 3DS is overpriced? At launch, sure, but they corrected that.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

The DS launched at $129, is the 3DS that cheap yet, no it is still over priced.

[MagicCow64]

I already own a WiiU, so I'm not the target here, but I also never owned Mario Kart Wii or Double Dash (though I think a college roommate had it so I ended up playing a decent amount). I've always found the series too bare boned for my liking, especially after Diddy Kong Racing. That first flashy-ass trailer for MK8 had me considering actually getting it after having no interest, because it looked so damned pretty, and I might pick it up someday for that. But with the consensus being that the single player is as perfunctory as ever, I'm passing on getting it new. I'm not into online multiplayer, and hardly any friends in meat space would bite (though I'm sure I can still round up some Smash folks when the time comes). Perhaps ironically MK8 will probably have the most robust online multiplayer yet for the franchise, at a time when WiiU owners are scarce and when the general video game consumer thinks Nintendo blows at online. So in summary, I kind of doubt MK8 is going to move too many systems. Probably something analogous to Titanfall, a few blip months for a game without a compelling single-player campaign.

[NWR_insanolord]

The DS launched at $129, is the 3DS that cheap yet, no it is still over priced.

Because there aren't any other factors involved.


EDIT: Also, DS launched at $150. They dropped it to $130 fairly early, and I'll bet Reggie wishes he had that one back after how the thing took off.

[BranDonk Kong]

The GameCube launched at $199, the Wii was $250, and the Wii U $299/$350, therefore the Wii/Wii U were overpriced (and the Wii U still is). The NES launched for $199, Wii U still costs more, so Wii U is overpriced. Solid logic.

Everything that costs more than other things is overpriced.

[NWR_insanolord]

Inflation? What's that? I've never heard of such a concept.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

The GameCube launched at $199, the Wii was $250, and the Wii U $299/$350, therefore the Wii/Wii U were overpriced (and the Wii U still is). The NES launched for $199, Wii U still costs more, so Wii U is overpriced. Solid logic.

Everything that costs more than other things is overpriced.

You can disagree but that is how I feel period, 3DS still hasn't dropped to where it's previous consoles launched at, it isn't even in the fucking ballpark. The Wii came with a game packed in at launch GC did not so they were effectively the same price. DS was over priced, that is why they dropped it too soon, all other hand helds from them launched at $99 people were bitching hard core over the DS and then 3DS comes along and owh fifty bucks over priced isn't enought it's now $150 over and people are just oh well it's ok.


PS launched it was $300, PS2 same PS3 double, look what happened there. Hey guess what Wii U is bombing you still don't think price MIGHT be a factor.


Here let me spell it out to those who don't live in the real world. Right now you can walk into any store and grab a PS3 or a 360 today for under $200, with a massive library of games and NEW games on the way. Wii U is tech wise just about on par with those. For most people who are upgrading from a Wii, remember those millions upon millions they sold, are going to see a PS3 or a 360 as an upgrade already to those consumers those machines are next gen, so they see Wii U is priced a hundred + bucks more than comparable tech with very limited library and then they look the other way.



As for me, I can not see paying that much for a console at launch, here it is over a year after launch and it hasn't even gotten down to where it should have launched. In consumer electronics there are different price points that different consumers jump in, early adopters pay a premium for premium tech but Wii U is not premium tech now is it? By the way the Wii when it launched was over half what it's next gen counterparts cost, Wii U is right up there just barely a hundred beneath and that is before the others get their first price drops.



Anyways **** it.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

Inflation? What's that? I've never heard of such a concept.

It;'s not though do some homework before you speak. Inflation does not work that way it never has not with consumer electornics, prices FALL over time which is why televisions and blu ray players are affordable now when they launched only the rich could afford them.

[NWR_insanolord]

A standard 3DS right now is $160. I haven't done the calculations, but I'm fairly certain if you were to account for inflation that's actually less money than the DS launch price of $150.