Gaming Forums => Nintendo Gaming => Topic started by: Chozo Ghost on June 12, 2012, 02:17:58 PM
Title: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on June 12, 2012, 02:17:58 PM
This has been discussed to some extent in other threads, but I think this is serious enough that it warrants a thread of its own. I'm just going to go ahead and list off all the things that are going to confuse, frustrate, and anger consumers these holidays:
1) First off, we all know the name is extremely similar to that of the last console with the only difference of course being the "U", but Nintendo takes that even further than it needs to be by making the logo the same design and color and in addition tacking on the sky blue symbol thing which doesn't stand out very well on the white background. If consumers even notice that baby Blue thing they might not even know what the hell it is, and would probably just assume it refers to the tablet controller and not the Wii U being a brand new console.
2) The console looks almost exactly the same as the Wii! The same default white color and everything. Maybe the dimensions are a little different and the edges are a bit rounder, but the Wii U pretty much looks identical to the Wii U. There's no way it could possibly look this similar on accident. I can't think of any other console in the history of gaming which looks so blatantly identical to its predecessor. Did the PS2 look anything like the PS1? Did the Gamecube look like the N64? Did the Dreamcast look like the Saturn? You get my point. Until the Wii U no console maker has ever made a console so identical in appearance as the last.
3) Now we are slowly starting to get pictures of Wii U game cases, and guess what? They are the same white DVD cases that the Wii uses! As if the name, logo, and console all being so similar wasn't bad enough the game cases also have to look the same? WTF?!
4) All the old Wii accessories are forward compatible with the Wii U. This is going to add more fuel to the confusion. If a consumer sees a commercial showing off a new Wii U game and the commercial shows people using Wiimotes what are they going to think about that? Wiimotes are something everyone associates with the Wii. The fact the Wii U will also be using them is just going to mess with people's minds. The same goes for the Balance board and zapper and so on (albeit to a much lesser extent since fewer games support them).
So you take all of these factors (plus God knows what else) and combine them, and you have the recipe for a "perfect storm" of market confusion this holiday season. If the Wii U is anywhere near as popular as the Wii was it will be flying off the shelves and sold out and hard to find, but the old Wii consoles will still be on stores, so can you see how someone is going to confuse the two and grab a Wii even though what they really wanted was the Wii U? And what about the games? Some grandparent who doesn't know any better might see NSMB U or Pikmin 3 or whatever this holiday season in the white case with the "Wii" logo on it and think to themselves that this will be a great gift for Little Jimmy because they know Little Jimmy has one of those Wii things... but then Christmas comes and Little Billy can't play it.
Imagine the nightmare that retailers and Nintendo are going to have to deal with because of people returning Wii U games they thought were Wii games. Imagine the chaos Nintendo's tech support is going to have to deal with from frustrated and angered consumers over how they were deceived.
And yet, all of this could have easily been avoided if Nintendo had only made the name and appearance of the console more distinctive. Mark my words, there will be much market confusion going on this holiday season.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ThePerm on June 12, 2012, 02:38:15 PM
maybe they think people will confuse the wii u for a wii and buy it instead? It seems much more likely to be the other way around.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Caterkiller on June 12, 2012, 02:57:13 PM
As much as you hate the casual buyers you sure are concerned with how they are going to find a Wii U. Not everyone is a mindless drone, there may be some confusion at some point like the 3DS, but that was over quick.
In this age of super duper high tech gadgets, is there anything wrong with the new versions of the Iphone or Ipad looking darn near exactly the same? Was there every any out cry about people not being able to by a proper PS3 controller because it looked so similar to the PS1 and PS2 controller?
Sure Ipad, and Iphone add a number to the new iterations, but does 360 really indicate a sequal like 1 and 2 do? Again WiiU is another odd sounding set of words that just may spark interest again and you know maybe people might actually look it up and become a little more informed?
I'm as tech savy as tree, but when someone asks me do I have the Droid EX or the Droid SP(made up names), I instantly know there is a difference. Just look at everyone buried into their ipads and smart phones now a'days. I think the average joe mom knows more than you give her credit for, or at least the ability to be better informed is easier than ever now. Of course there will always be dumb nuts but what can you do? Eventually they will figure it out.
Let's not forget kids as well, more informed than we could have possibly imagined since we were kids. They will make sure mom and dad know It's Wii U not just Wii.
You are stressing about nothing.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 12, 2012, 03:02:55 PM
I expect the tablet to be a main focus on the box of the Wii U. Even so, I marvel at the expectations of human intelligence, though I know something like this will happen. But maybe people buying Wii U games by mistake and their kids complaining they need a new console to play it will be an incentive for them to purchase the new console. But, if the Wii U is a core gamer device then the core gamers will know, and the casual fans will have to actually pay attention, for once.
It saddens me to think that people are that stupid.
As much as you hate the casual buyers you sure are concerned with how they are going to find a Wii U. Not everyone is a mindless drone, there may be some confusion at some point like the 3DS, but that was over quick.
In this age of super duper high tech gadgets, is there anything wrong with the new versions of the Iphone or Ipad looking darn near exactly the same? Was there every any out cry about people not being able to by a proper PS3 controller because it looked so similar to the PS1 and PS2 controller?
Sure Ipad, and Iphone add a number to the new iterations, but does 360 really indicate a sequal like 1 and 2 do? Again WiiU is another odd sounding set of words that just may spark interest again and you know maybe people might actually look it up and become a little more informed?
I'm as tech savy as tree, but when someone asks me do I have the Droid EX or the Droid SP(made up names), I instantly know there is a difference. Just look at everyone buried into their ipads and smart phones now a'days. I think the average joe mom knows more than you give her credit for, or at least the ability to be better informed is easier than ever now. Of course there will always be dumb nuts but what can you do? Eventually they will figure it out.
Let's not forget kids as well, more informed than we could have possibly imagined since we were kids. They will make sure mom and dad know It's Wii U not just Wii.
You are stressing about nothing.
Wow, this. +1 to you, sir. It's the same thing with iPhones, iPads, and even the 3DS. If people don't pay attention to things like numerical changes or the like than they're... well, they're idiots. And it just shows that Nintendo's attempting to establish a form of hardware that has a recognizable name, and recognizable updates. The change from one syllable to two is actually pretty striking, from a base identification aspect... IMO.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: UncleBob on June 12, 2012, 03:15:48 PM
I think that in order to alleviate customer confusion, Nintendo should immediately launch with multiple SKUs of the Wii U in all kinds of configurations.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 12, 2012, 03:20:01 PM
Configurations like what...? Just curious.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: UncleBob on June 12, 2012, 03:24:21 PM
Oh, I'd go with a "Casual" pack that comes with the system, one Tablet Controller and Nintendo Land.
Then, I'd go with "Core" pack that comes with the system, a pro controller, a built-in 120 GB hard drive and NSMBU. No tablet controller, because core gamers don't care about it.
Finally, I'd have a "Hard Core" pack that comes with the system, two pro controllers, a 2 TB hard drive, a PS3 and a 360.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Luigi Dude on June 12, 2012, 03:27:18 PM
Oh, I'd go with a "Casual" pack that comes with the system, one Tablet Controller and Nintendo Land.
Then, I'd go with "Core" pack that comes with the system, a pro controller, a built-in 120 GB hard drive and NSMBU. No tablet controller, because core gamers don't care about it.
Finally, I'd have a "Hard Core" pack that comes with the system, two pro controllers, a 2 TB hard drive, a PS3 and a 360.
$599.99 U.S Dollars
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ian Sane on June 12, 2012, 03:29:56 PM
I think Nintendo's idea is clearly to piggy-back off the success of the Wii. It was insanely successful so I get why they want to "give the rub" to their new system by associating the two. But I think it's a little too similar. CNN thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory and Nintendo was demoing it to them. You're showing somebody your system and you can't make it obvious to them that it is in fact a new system? That's no good.
The Super NES and Game Boy Advance both obviously used the same naming convention of their predecessor to associate the new system with the strong old brand. But one important thing is that there was a clear visually difference in the packaging, the system design and the cartridge design. It was really obvious that those were something new.
It doesn't help that Nintendo Land gives no visual indication of new hardware. Usually a launch game is so much more visually stunning than the previous gen that only an idiot would think their old system could play it but Nintendo Land looks like a Wii game. The only difference is the use of the Game Pad, which CNN thought was an accessory. The usage of the new control is not enough for it to obviously be for a new system.
If they just changed the colour of the system or the packaging they would be fine.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 12, 2012, 04:01:02 PM
Oh, I'd go with a "Casual" pack that comes with the system, one Tablet Controller and Nintendo Land.
Then, I'd go with "Core" pack that comes with the system, a pro controller, a built-in 120 GB hard drive and NSMBU. No tablet controller, because core gamers don't care about it.
Finally, I'd have a "Hard Core" pack that comes with the system, two pro controllers, a 2 TB hard drive, a PS3 and a 360.
I would think that every Wii U console would be packed with a tablet controller, IMO...
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ceric on June 12, 2012, 04:16:33 PM
Personally my biggest worry myself is if the game cases look the same. Its already crowded enough and anything that will distinguish the cases from each other would be helpful for me.
I think the initial confusion will die down, but after the holiday season so, it could hurt the initial sales and good will towards Nintendo.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Pixelated Pixies on June 12, 2012, 04:34:32 PM
Caterkiller (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=610) raises a good point. Apple have built up such a cache of goodwill among consumers and fans that with the latest iPad they didn't even feel the need to number it. It is simply known as the new iPad.
There are important differences, however, between apple products and the Wii U. Consumers have been groomed to expect a new iphone or ipad each year, and while aesthetically the differences are minimal, Apple usually do a pretty good job of communicating why their new model is better. With consoles, however, casual gamers are not groomed to expect a new device in the same way as they are with mobile phones. With video games the general consumer probably does not concieve of console cycles or generations, they simply plonk money down for a new system when they see cool games that aren't available for their old one.
I would argue, that the Wii U console looking aesthetically like the Wii isn't the major problem. Neither is it such a big issue that they've continued to use the Wii branding, Wii logo and Wii remote (although all three of these things compound the confusion surrounding the Wii U). The big issue for me is that Nintendo have not made a convincing argument that the Wii U is a generational leap forward. The best way they could have done that would have been with exciting new titles. As much as I love Pikmin, Mario platformers, Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, and Nintendo-themed mini games collections (well, maybe not the last one), they don't exactly scream 'shiney new system' to consumers.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 12, 2012, 04:49:10 PM
Yeah, I think the issue that Nintendo has to continue to wrestle with here is the "marketing story" that they tell to people through their PR and advertising and marketing efforts. In that case, they're not like the Wii at all: the Wii had a very clear message that Nintendo was able to articulate in selling it to people. There are lots of individual features of the Wii U that Nintendo can talk about, but I haven't yet seen them tie those features together in a way that clearly articulates the story behind what makes the Wii U exciting to the average consumer.
We'll see if they can pull this narrative together by launch, or if they'll still be having trouble with it post-launch like they did with the 3DS.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ian Sane on June 12, 2012, 05:01:52 PM
Although I don't care if non-gamers buy this or not, they are a group that is new to this videogame stuff. We're really used to the idea of a new videogame system coming out every years or so. They're not. This is the first time this has ever come up for them. A big reason why CNN is so confused is because they don't really know much about videogames. I think for some casuals Nintendo has to make it clear that this is how things work. You buy a new system now if you want new games. If there was any time where this sort of confusion was going to be a problem this is it. This is the only time where the blue ocean market that first got into videogames with the Wii is facing a new console generation.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Adrock on June 12, 2012, 05:27:31 PM
Nintendo calls many Wii products "Wii-something." That's what makes the name fundamentally problematic. Name it something that forces people to realize it's something completely different. It doesn't even have to sound cool. That's why the name "Wii" worked to begin with. The name identified the product so easily; it couldn't be confused for anything else. That's why I think the name controversy is so ironic. It's the exact opposite problem Nintendo had with the Wii. I don't think any of the issues presented in this topic will persist far past than the 1st few months, but that does affect a lot of things. And why wouldn't you just avoid them altogether? These aforementioned self-imposed barriers are entirely unnecessary. Use Blu Ray cases. Make the console matte black and/or wider rather than long. If i'm about to mow my lawn, I don't throw rocks all over it first. Why would I do that? Why make my job harder without even a good reason attached to it?
The only thing Chozo mentioned that I'm on the fence on is peripheral forwards compatibility. There are pros and cons. If it were my decision, I wouldn't have made anything compatible. Then again, I also don't mind buying new controllers. I understand the logic behind it. Forward compatibility significantly reduces the price of entry which is inviting even though it's not really expected. When you buy a new car, you don't take the wheels off of your old one. You're paying for new wheels.
It saddens me to think that people are that stupid.
It saddens me that some people are that stupid. Years ago, I was in Best Buy around Christmas time and a confused mother holding a Gameboy Pocket and a Gameboy Color asked me what the difference was. Not everyone is like that, but some are. Outside of gameplay, Nintendo should just presume everyone is an idiot who can't be trusted to figure even the simplest of things out.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ceric on June 12, 2012, 05:42:48 PM
Caterkiller (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=610) raises a good point. Apple have built up such a cache of goodwill among consumers and fans that with the latest iPad they didn't even feel the need to number it. It is simply known as the new iPad. ...
Not to mention there Zealot following.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Phil on June 12, 2012, 05:46:50 PM
Important to note about the CNN article is that the original writer didn't confuse the Wii U with the Wii. His editor added in how the Wii U was just a new controller for the Wii without his knowing.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ceric on June 12, 2012, 05:56:11 PM
Important to note about the CNN article is that the original writer didn't confuse the Wii U with the Wii. His editor added in how the Wii U was just a new controller for the Wii without his knowing.
My manager does this all the time. Butt in when even though he doesn't know the facts. Though this is a good example of the confusion.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ShyGuy on June 13, 2012, 01:32:48 AM
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on June 13, 2012, 01:39:01 AM
Having the Wii U being so closely associated with the Wii would have made more sense a few years ago when the Wii was still very popular. I think we all know sales and consumer interest in the Wii has declined over the last few years. Its not 2007 anymore. The Wii fad is over.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: MagicCow64 on June 13, 2012, 01:56:13 AM
That just highlights to me that a truly astounding amount of people bought Wiis as novelty gadgets and never used them again after they got tired of Wii Sports/Fit. I think there's a genuine cognitive dissonance problem inside of Nintendo, where they look at that number and believe that they've won, but can't/won't internalize why they're a borderline laughing stock among the Western gaming world. I'm frankly kind of surprised that the WiiU is getting even the tepid level of 3rd party support they showed at E3. Most of the western studios and gaming press seem like they'd be pleased if Nintendo just gave up the ghost and stopped causing them headaches/obligatory port development costs. I have a sinking feeling that if the first round of these games don't sell well, which they probably won't, most publishers will give well-we-tried shrugs and trot away, even faster than they did with the Wii, which was even faster than they did with the Gamecube.
The main hope with that might be digital distribution. If companies don't have to bother printing, packaging, and retailing games, the (supposedly easy) porting process might make it worth it even if sales are comparatively negligible.
As for Wiimote compatibility, I was really hoping they'd make it a Motion+ minimum, despite the additional confusion that would likely cause. They could have even put together a voucher program where WiiU owners could send off for Motion+ dongles to get up to speed! Many problems with the Wii I believe are traceable to the underwhelming fidelity offered by the basic Wiimotes, and they should have retired them as a first gen effort, much like Microsoft will likely do when they launch KinectXP.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Phil on June 13, 2012, 02:00:57 AM
I'm just going to say this: If people just bought a Wii and nothing else, the attach ratio wouldn't have been near PS3 levels for the longest time. The revisionist history (now hardware sales don't determine first place in konsole warz?) and anger from the typical message board hardcore (who is increasingly more obnoxious with every year with their annoying entitlement and hatred of other people entering their hobby) for the Wii and now Wii U is just sad to me. I sort of hope the Wii U does extremely well, just to see the whining and excuses being made by the Western press and gamers. It will be a sight to behold just like it was this past generation with the Wii's success. Because between gamers and Nintendo, I have to choose the lesser of two evils, and that's unfortunately Nintendo.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 13, 2012, 02:05:15 AM
That just highlights to me that a truly astounding amount of people bought Wiis as novelty gadgets and never used them again after they got tired of Wii Sports/Fit.
I really am unconvinced with this myth. The Wii has a tie ratio above 7 last I checked. That tells me that people are buying games beyond just Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 13, 2012, 03:02:29 AM
I just doubt that people aren't going to see this as a new console experience. It clearly is. The price point will only reinforce that. If people think they're going to pay 300-upwards for a new peripheral, they're idiots.
The Wii U is a next generation console. It is the FIRST next-generation console. If people haven't realized the trend that's been going on since, I don't know, the eighties, they'll see that Nintendo's offering a new experience, just like they do every five or so years.. The peripheral is a huge draw, IMO. The draw of having Dual screens, with a touchscreen, was a huge draw in terms of the DS because it brought an inexpensive touchscreen into the home environment. The Wii U is offering a tablet, that can stream and interact with the TV, that's going to be a draw for people who don't want to pay for that more expensive tablet- for casuals and a younger audience, it introduces their kids to the tablet concept, which is where everybody seems to want things to go nowadays. The Wii popularized motion control and it doesn't seem like Nintendo will be abandoning that anytime soon- they're just introducing a new concept to people. And personally, I think people are going to bite. It's a social device/tablet peripheral. I think that's a very smart incentive to present customers. Certainly, it's a better draw than the next PS-something or xBox-something promising the ability to- what, play prettier games and play DVDs/blu-ray discs? People at least acknowledge that Nintendo is attempting to introduce them to something new, interesting, and engaging. I think a lot of you guys, and gamers in general, underestimate that because they're so entrenched in the idea of these consoles providing GAMING and nothing else. The Wii U appears to be an entertainment system, and its controller, online play and digital distribution, and social possibility are much more appealing than anything else people are selling right now, especially from a casual standpoint. And yeah, Nintendo actually knows how to play that casual market, and I think this one is going to pay off for them- not as much as the Wii craze, but I think its sales will be very stable.
...I don't mean to sound preachy with what I think, so I apologize if I come off that way.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: house3136 on June 13, 2012, 04:57:41 AM
I can understand people not wanting the console to look the same, but are people really going to just see the white box separate from the GamePad and assume it’s the same as Wii? “Hmm… I don’t seem to remember my current Wii having a controller with a six-inch screen in it, better Google this. Oh, it’s a new console.” I think a lot of confusion will subside once we see advertisements. Nintendo needs to plaster the word New everywhere. “This is a completely new console with a new controller, and new games, with new types of gameplay. Did we mention it’s new?” They also need to push word like “Next-generation”, “future”, “never been done before”, etc. Nintendo needs to do this even before the console even launces; showing the release date reiterates that it’s so new it’s not even available yet. Also, the price alone will clearly differentiate it from Wii. As well, time has not stood still for the past 6 years, lots of kids have grown up on Wii, who aren’t kids anymore; and there is always a new generation moving into gaming. I’m assuming most of us here started playing games as kids, and have continued that into adulthood, and are now introducing Nintendo’s beloved franchises to their own kids. Nintendo is offering an awesome gaming console, and I remember back to when 3DS was “doomed”, and it’s now outpacing DS sales. Let’s not underestimate Nintendo months before we can actually play/use Wii U.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Adrock on June 13, 2012, 07:58:02 AM
Most of the western studios and gaming press seem like they'd be pleased if Nintendo just gave up the ghost and stopped causing them headaches/obligatory port development costs.
What is "obligatory" modifying in that sentence, ports or development costs? Neither of them are obligatory because porting is done on their own volition and costs are only obligatory after they choose to port. I'm not just trying to be a grammar Nazi. I just don't know what you mean. If Western studios want Nintendo to just give up or they don't want to support Nintendo, they can just continue to not support Nintendo. If they do choose to support Nintendo, they expect to get something out of it. They wouldn't support Nintendo out of the goodness of their heart.
I just doubt that people aren't going to see this as a new console experience. It clearly is. The price point will only reinforce that. If people think they're going to pay 300-upwards for a new peripheral, they're idiots.
Again, some people are idiots. That's why we're having this discussion.
Let Me Google That For You exists because people don't google things. Googling is one of the easiest things you can do on the Internet and yet people are still willing to ask someone to explain it to them AND wait for the answer rather than look for the answer themselves and get it instantly. So, no, I don't trust people to google things they're not knowledgeable about. It would benefit Nintendo to just assume everyone is too stupid to figure things out. The people who aren't stupid don't care one way or another; they'll know either way. The people who are stupid have everything dumbed down to the point where they're way more likely to get it. If they don't get it at that point, they're just never going to. It's an extra precaution that would be worth the effort.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: UncleBob on June 13, 2012, 12:52:14 PM
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 13, 2012, 01:13:38 PM
^What is this I don't even...
Anyway, I think a heavy part of pulling the sales off is going to be advertising. So we should also wait until some marketing has appeared on TV and the internet before even getting into this subject.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on June 13, 2012, 01:17:50 PM
Lol, that video was a good find. I really did laugh at that part when the guy was driving the car in the game.
I wonder what sort of news reports the Wii U is going to get this holiday season. Hopefully there will be some we can look back on years from now and laugh at, just like that one.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: MagicCow64 on June 13, 2012, 06:16:38 PM
That just highlights to me that a truly astounding amount of people bought Wiis as novelty gadgets and never used them again after they got tired of Wii Sports/Fit.
I really am unconvinced with this myth. The Wii has a tie ratio above 7 last I checked. That tells me that people are buying games beyond just Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Anecdotally speaking, I've seen quite a lot of that (toss in Wii Fit and Rock Band, maybe), but admittedly that doesn't equal data. A quick check here http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Software_tie_ratio has the Wii at 6, Xbox 360 at 7.5, and PS3 at 4.5 (youch). On the face of it, the Wii doesn't look like it's doing much worse than the 360, and significantly better than the PS3, but I think the problem here is time scale/customer density. I suspect the reality is that some large amount of people received Wiis as Christmas gifts (for instance) with a few games and never did much beyond that after a year or two, while there was a natural 20-30 million Nintendo fan base (Gamecube audience) that had a much higher tie-rate across time, heavily skewed toward Nintendo IPs. I'd be curious to see charts plotting console sales and total game sales over time for all three consoles. Otherwise it's difficult to explain the Wii software story compared to the 360/PS3, unless all those "casual" users were picking up a scattering of Chicken Shoot type games at random in such a way that individual titles never dented the charts but added up to a lot in aggregate.
Like, if 50 million users buy 3 games between 2006 and 2008, and then stop, while the remaining 40 million buy 15 games between 2006 and 2012, you could get closer to an overall 6 tie-in, while having a pretty anemic new game market after 2008. (Obviously this would have to be scaled over time to account for the total pool of Wiis starting at 0 and getting to 92 million in the present.)
Although it's also surprising that the 360 only has a 7.5. I assumed it would be over 10.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Oblivion on June 13, 2012, 06:18:44 PM
That data you linked is 4 and a half years old. The ration is probably completely different now.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ShyGuy on June 13, 2012, 07:50:26 PM
You know why the attach rate for the 360 is so low? It's because the amount of owners who have purchased more than 360 console because the last one red ringed is probably one in three, possibly higher. This brings down the games purchased per system average down.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on June 14, 2012, 12:16:36 AM
You know why the attach rate for the 360 is so low? It's because the amount of owners who have purchased more than 360 console because the last one red ringed is probably one in three, possibly higher. This brings down the games purchased per system average down.
The PS3 has a similar failure rate on its old PHAT model with its YLOD.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: MagicCow64 on June 14, 2012, 10:57:16 AM
That data you linked is 4 and a half years old. The ration is probably completely different now.
Roops, it is indeed old data. Oddly, a more thorough search has not come up with anything fresher than 2009, though it did unsurprisingly verify that Nintendo published titles make up an outsized portion of total Wii game sales.
I can't find the quote, but didn't Nintendo admit that they had a problem?
Anyway, to connect this a bit more with the point of the thread, Wii game shelf space has steadily shrunk in the retailers I've been to in NYC over the last three years, and having the same white cases for WiiU probably isn't going to help the consumer psychology.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 14, 2012, 02:51:48 PM
I definitely think in the last couple years the share of Nintendo in terms of software has dropped. This is also partly tied into the amount of new Wii hardware that Nintendo is moving. I think this is simply a matter of two very simple, straightforward things as opposed to any grand sweeping shift in consumer behavior:
1. The Wii is at the end of its console life cycle. Nintendo seems to be more in line with a traditional 5-year cycle with their system versus the longer tails and higher future-proofing of the XBox 360 and PS3 hardware. As a result I'm not too surprised to see Wii software and hardware slowing down.
2. The Wii doesn't have the third-party support that would traditionally hide/make-up-for the shift of first-party resources into new console development. As a result, this makes the petering-off effect even more apparent.
Also, as regards tie-ratios, I know it's not official, but Gamasutra has a decent enough rep that I feel relatively safe using their informed speculation as regards to tie-ratios: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6350/npd_behind_the_numbers_march_2011.php?page=3 (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6350/npd_behind_the_numbers_march_2011.php?page=3)
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Louieturkey on June 14, 2012, 03:29:08 PM
You know why the attach rate for the 360 is so low? It's because the amount of owners who have purchased more than 360 console because the last one red ringed is probably one in three, possibly higher. This brings down the games purchased per system average down.
The PS3 has a similar failure rate on its old PHAT model with its YLOD.
No it does not. Small accounts on internet forums do not make up the failure rate of the 360.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on June 14, 2012, 04:31:25 PM
You know why the attach rate for the 360 is so low? It's because the amount of owners who have purchased more than 360 console because the last one red ringed is probably one in three, possibly higher. This brings down the games purchased per system average down.
The PS3 has a similar failure rate on its old PHAT model with its YLOD.
No it does not. Small accounts on internet forums do not make up the failure rate of the 360.
Well, according to Brandogg the failure rates are about the same, and since he fixes consoles for a living I have faith that he knows what he's talking about.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: MagicCow64 on June 14, 2012, 07:40:09 PM
I definitely think in the last couple years the share of Nintendo in terms of software has dropped. This is also partly tied into the amount of new Wii hardware that Nintendo is moving. I think this is simply a matter of two very simple, straightforward things as opposed to any grand sweeping shift in consumer behavior:
1. The Wii is at the end of its console life cycle. Nintendo seems to be more in line with a traditional 5-year cycle with their system versus the longer tails and higher future-proofing of the XBox 360 and PS3 hardware. As a result I'm not too surprised to see Wii software and hardware slowing down.
2. The Wii doesn't have the third-party support that would traditionally hide/make-up-for the shift of first-party resources into new console development. As a result, this makes the petering-off effect even more apparent.
Also, as regards tie-ratios, I know it's not official, but Gamasutra has a decent enough rep that I feel relatively safe using their informed speculation as regards to tie-ratios: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6350/npd_behind_the_numbers_march_2011.php?page=3 (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6350/npd_behind_the_numbers_march_2011.php?page=3)
Good link, I think it seems perfectly trustable. Salient bit, per my previous hypothesizing:
"In the 15 months prior to that period (i.e. from October 2008 through December 2009), we estimate that the breakdown was 48 percent for the Wii, 32 percent for the Xbox 360, and 20 percent for the PlayStation 3. The key dynamic at play here is that Wii software unit sales dropped by over 25 percent from the first 15-month period to the second while PlayStation 3 software grew by 18 percent. Software unit sales for the Xbox 360 were basically flat between the two 15-month periods. This is a point we've made before, and one that's worth making here again: Wii hardware and software sales are still at healthy levels, for the moment."
It's been nearly 15 months since this report, so I think you could posit another big percentage shift away from the Wii, despite it having the highest install base, while new software hits are still coming out regularly for PS360. This makes it a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem to me; did third-parties stop supporting the Wii because software sales were dropping precipitously, or did software sales drop precipitously because third-parties stopped supporting the Wii?
The article also possibly backs up my previous theory, that while console sales and software share dropped off, a sturdy core of Nintendo supporters was able to push the tie-ratio up over time, though helped by occasional cultural break-outs like the Just Dance games.
I guess I'm just not confidant that there's enough different about the WiiU's appearance and tonal presentation to lure enough third parties back to the table to give it another go-round for traditional titles.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: EasyCure on June 14, 2012, 10:44:41 PM
I'm just going to say this: If people just bought a Wii and nothing else, the attach ratio wouldn't have been near PS3 levels for the longest time. The revisionist history (now hardware sales don't determine first place in konsole warz?) and anger from the typical message board hardcore (who is increasingly more obnoxious with every year with their annoying entitlement and hatred of other people entering their hobby) for the Wii and now Wii U is just sad to me. I sort of hope the Wii U does extremely well, just to see the whining and excuses being made by the Western press and gamers. It will be a sight to behold just like it was this past generation with the Wii's success. Because between gamers and Nintendo, I have to choose the lesser of two evils, and that's unfortunately Nintendo.
That just highlights to me that a truly astounding amount of people bought Wiis as novelty gadgets and never used them again after they got tired of Wii Sports/Fit.
I really am unconvinced with this myth. The Wii has a tie ratio above 7 last I checked. That tells me that people are buying games beyond just Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Remember, people who complain about these sort of things on the internet don't count Zumba Fitness and Just Dance as real games, so to them they might as well be Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
The Wii U appears to be an entertainment system, and its controller, online play and digital distribution, and social possibility are much more appealing than anything else people are selling right now, especially from a casual standpoint.
...I don't mean to sound preachy with what I think, so I apologize if I come off that way.
Another smarty, I'm digging these new users.. And you're not preachy, don't worry. Even if you were, it's better than being a condescending prick who hates on the internet as their only form of social interaction outside of hating people on an online-multiplayer game ;)
My take on the matter? It will boil down to advertising. Say what you will, but Nintendo really does try to get the word out there. First of all, they have the Nintendo World Store in NYC right in Rockefeller Plaza, a few blocks from Times Square - ie tourist overload. Now I haven't been there recently, but the giant displays they have on the corner glass-windows and the bright blue lights sure to catch your eye if you're in the area. Hell, I'm shocked how hard NBC goes to hide NWS from their shots in the Plaza during the Today show and anything else they film down there.
Besides that, they do those mall tours and music festivals. I haven't heard about any such music festival this summer but I'm pretty sure the mall tour is guaranteed. People like us probably don't care about it, unless we're desperate to try out the new hardware, but this too draws a crowd and helps spread the word.
Now you have to take into account, if Nintendo is serious about making the Wii U a more social console platform, they'd likely try a bigger on-line marketing blitz thatn they've ever done in the past. - since I'm not really into the social networking thing (I literally just made a facebook account like a week ago..) I don't know how that would work, but they'll try to get the word out how not only you'll get to experience new games on a new console with a new controller, but oh look it can act like a tablet web browser and has tweet-like features for it's game! In fact, any word on if they'll let you do any type of facebook integration with your Wii U friend-code/acct? If not, I'm surprised considering everything is tied to that site these days.
Lastly, good ol' fashion TV marketing. Those Wii Will Play ads were all over the place back in the day. Expect something similar, geared toward showing off the Game Pad yes, but likely getting the point across that this is a new console. Even if it doesn't, it would drive up enough interest to get people out to the stores and check it out, and with the economy still being pretty bad, I'd expect even the dumbest consumers to be either a little more informed from the get go, but at least more willing to ask questions - no matter how stupid.
In the end why does this all matter to us anyway? Mom goes out and buys a wii instead of a Wii U, she'll return it and get the new one instead, if she complains and thinks Nintendo somehow deceived her, so what? It won't be the end of Nintendo and as long as the sales keep coming, retailers will just see it as an opportunity to unload old Wii game stock as long as they make sure to take the initiative and inform the consumer the system is backwards compatible. This would only help during the holiday season when all the titles we call shovelware are discounted more so than they already are, a smart retailer will be able to sell a Wii U with old Wii games and finally unload all those games while giving the customer a bargain.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ymeegod on June 14, 2012, 11:00:44 PM
? Your tie ratio's are a bit off, right now all three systems are avg around 10-10.5 to 1 in the states and roughly 9.5/8.5/8.25 globally. In fact the tie ratio for US an Europe is very similar but it was the japanese market that made the biggest difference. MS has the fewest units sold there but the attach ratio was nearly 7 to 1 vs PS3 and WII's 5 to 1 ratio.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Oblivion on June 15, 2012, 01:23:42 AM
Source? You know better than to throw stats around like that, especially after claiming that he was wrong.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: MagicCow64 on June 15, 2012, 04:54:55 AM
I'm just going to say this: If people just bought a Wii and nothing else, the attach ratio wouldn't have been near PS3 levels for the longest time. The revisionist history (now hardware sales don't determine first place in konsole warz?) and anger from the typical message board hardcore (who is increasingly more obnoxious with every year with their annoying entitlement and hatred of other people entering their hobby) for the Wii and now Wii U is just sad to me. I sort of hope the Wii U does extremely well, just to see the whining and excuses being made by the Western press and gamers. It will be a sight to behold just like it was this past generation with the Wii's success. Because between gamers and Nintendo, I have to choose the lesser of two evils, and that's unfortunately Nintendo.
That just highlights to me that a truly astounding amount of people bought Wiis as novelty gadgets and never used them again after they got tired of Wii Sports/Fit.
I really am unconvinced with this myth. The Wii has a tie ratio above 7 last I checked. That tells me that people are buying games beyond just Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Remember, people who complain about these sort of things on the internet don't count Zumba Fitness and Just Dance as real games, so to them they might as well be Wii Sports and Wii Fit.
Dear sweet Dingus, that wasn't the point.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ymeegod on June 15, 2012, 06:37:17 AM
Vgchartz (http://www.vgchartz.com/analysis/platform_totals/Tie-Ratio/Global/), also since some people question those numbers you can just find nintendo, microsoft, or sony annual stock reports and add up all the software totals from 2006-2012 and divide that by lifetime totals of units and you'll get the same result.
Most of the chartz other people are stating is either out of date or just monthly which doesn't mean jack since one AAA game could case an high-spike for any said console.
As this generation ends, less hardware is being sold monthly but software continues to sell so if anything the ratio's should be increasing with software being discounted at retailers.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Ymeegod on June 15, 2012, 07:51:00 AM
Nintendo's official numbers from their annual report 2012:Total sales of Nintendo 3DS during FY2012 were 13.53 million, with software at 36 million. LTD, 3DS sales are now at 17.13 million with software at 45.4 million units. Sales of the system had exceeded 5 million units LTD in Japan.
The vanilla DS line – DS, DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL – sold 5.1 million hardware units and 60.82 million software units in the FY. In its lifespan, the line has sold 151.52 million hardware units combined and 900.31 million units in software.
For Wii, Nintendo reported hardware sales of 9.84 million units in the FY with software at 102.37 million. Lifetime to date, Wii’s now sold 95.85 million units and 818.46 million software units.
---------------------------
You might say the numbers don't match what Vgchartz has but VGchartz counted bundled games in their ratios meaning Sports (100million) and Play (40+) were added.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ThePerm on June 15, 2012, 02:23:21 PM
not counting costs of disc manufacturing 818,46 million x $50 = 40,923,000,000
**** it ill do the math, i think the usual estimate for disc prices is 3 cents 818.46 - 3% =793906200 * 50 = $39,695,310,000. 39.6 billion /6 = ....
6.6 billion a year off wii software sales.
The next set of math would figure out how much Nintendo makes alone per year on wii software sales. But i'm pressed for time. Heck, we could figure out how much the wii costs to manufacture if we found all the numbers. Oh algebra, why didn't i like you in high school? You're so handy. Oh, that's right you were presented in unacceptably vague terms with no real world consideration.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: TJ Spyke on June 15, 2012, 10:07:15 PM
You know why the attach rate for the 360 is so low? It's because the amount of owners who have purchased more than 360 console because the last one red ringed is probably one in three, possibly higher. This brings down the games purchased per system average down.
The PS3 has a similar failure rate on its old PHAT model with its YLOD.
No it does not. Small accounts on internet forums do not make up the failure rate of the 360.
Well, according to Brandogg the failure rates are about the same, and since he fixes consoles for a living I have faith that he knows what he's talking about.
Yes, one man says it so it's obviously true. Despite the fact that he fixes a lot of them, that doesn't change the fact that the 360s made from 2005 thru 2008 were a lot more prone to failure than PS3s made from 2006 thru 2009. I never said they didn't fail, but every study during that time showed the 360 well above 10% failure and ps3 right around 10%. This one (http://www.gamespot.com/news/xbox-360-failure-rate-237-ps3-10-wii-27-study-6216691) done by Squaretrade in 2009 shows this. There are others as well.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Adrock on June 16, 2012, 09:43:09 PM
So, this (http://kotaku.com/5918946/jimmy-fallon-thought-the-wii-u-was-a-wii-peripheral) happened then, later on the show, this (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/watch-reggie-fils-aime-zombify-jimmy-fallon-with-the-wii-u/) happened. For those who don't want to click the links, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon seemed to have some trouble describing Wii U. He says, "This is the new thing. This is going to be- This is- this is the new system. You, uh, you add it to your Wii or you don't even need to use the Wii. Do you need to use the Wii?" Then, later in the show, Reggie demos the Wii U and makes it a point that say it's a new console. Yikes. I guess it's a good thing Jimmy Fallon is on so late.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 16, 2012, 10:14:18 PM
So, this (http://kotaku.com/5918946/jimmy-fallon-thought-the-wii-u-was-a-wii-peripheral) happened then, later on the show, this (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/16/watch-reggie-fils-aime-zombify-jimmy-fallon-with-the-wii-u/) happened. For those who don't want to click the links, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon seemed to have some trouble describing Wii U. He says, "This is the new thing. This is going to be- This is- this is the new system. You, uh, you add it to your Wii or you don't even need to use the Wii. Do you need to use the Wii?" Then, later in the show, Reggie demos the Wii U and makes it a point that say it's a new console. Yikes. I guess it's a good thing Jimmy Fallon is on so late.
I'd like to think that such a thing happening right in front of Reggie gets NOA to realize that they have to evolve their messaging here.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: TJ Spyke on June 16, 2012, 11:44:00 PM
Fallon is just a moron anyways, I have legit never found him funny.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 16, 2012, 11:51:22 PM
We had 5 YLoD PS3s come in today alone.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ThePerm on June 17, 2012, 12:09:32 AM
idk, i didnt like Fallon as a host at first, but he still has his SNL roots and has done some hilarious stuff. He isn't perfect as a host, but he'd getting better.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: TJ Spyke on June 17, 2012, 12:19:40 AM
I wasn't a fan of him on SNL either. Sometimes he does stuff I find funny, usually not. It's like Seth Rogen, I don't understand why people like him since he is so unfunny.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 17, 2012, 01:04:36 AM
I don't watch Late night that often, but I think Jimmy Fall on actually does a pretty great job with the show.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 17, 2012, 01:23:44 AM
He sucked early on, but so did Conan back in the day. I'm not saying Fallon will be as good as Conan, but I'm sure it takes time to adjust to the demands of doing a show like that. I said when they hired him that he seemed well-suited to being a late night talk show host, and he seems to be settling in.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 17, 2012, 01:28:55 AM
The first couple weeks were pretty dreadful, and the whole Jay Leno fiasco hurt things as well, but what he does is very different from what Conan did (does), but it's still miles better than The Tonight Show.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 17, 2012, 01:31:05 AM
That's not really a high bar. It's like calling a new Zelda game amazing compared to the CD-i games.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ThePerm on June 17, 2012, 01:31:30 AM
i know i laughed my ass off, mostly because of Ewen McGregor, but still that this skit ends up on the show is meaningful
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: TJ Spyke on June 17, 2012, 01:32:43 AM
LOL, no. Better than Leno? Leno is not bad. And I thought Fallon was a bad choice when they announced him. Meh, I guess some like him (though I find him to be the 2nd worse late night host, only ahead of Letterman).
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: NWR_insanolord on June 17, 2012, 01:35:46 AM
It's pretty dumb, but the show justified its existence for me when Jimmy did a Bob Dylan impression to sing the Charles in Charge theme song. I just found that hilarious for whatever reason. Neil Young's Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme was pretty good too.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on June 17, 2012, 09:00:04 AM
Jay Leno is the Jay Leno of late night television.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Uncle_Optimus on June 17, 2012, 12:43:05 PM
I can understand why they chose to ride with the name Wii U, they worked hard to establish the "Wii" brand and were very successful at it. The success of the product is the key...this is why we don't see "super" versions of Saturn or the Pinto, for example. "Wii", though a couple years out of its hey-day, commands instant recognition and (Nintendo is banking) elicits positive feelings within target consumers. It is their play at the expanded audience that they hope to recapture, the customers they MUST convince as they already know their relatively small core audience will purchase regardless of the branding and they know the non-faithful core will not be their lifeline with two firmly entrenched competitors soaking up that market segment.
Additionally, the derivation is logical along the lines that the Super NES followed its 8-bit brother. The Wii U especially, while being a separate console, exists very much in the same vein as its predecessor, right down to compatibility with all of the original Wii's games and peripherals. This is another strong selling point and another good reason to tie the new console's branding closely.
As to why the console itself looks so damn alike...ugh, ya got me there. Oh man, Right down to the same colour and practically the same shape and size... maybe their market research concluded that small, white and boring is what Apple would do? I dunno. (I advocate black, myself, especially if they really want it to "blend into" the rest of the living room rig.)
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ShyGuy on June 17, 2012, 01:24:13 PM
Fallon's musical spoofs are his redeeming factor. Best one is the Doors doing Reading Rainbow
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: ThePerm on June 17, 2012, 02:18:08 PM
LOL, thanks to google I just watched that. That was the other thing i was going to say his musical stuff is always good. He obviously has a good sense of music, who the else would pick the Roots as his house band. Also, as far as Leno is concerned if I ever get famous and I'm doing my media tour...he's the only late night host i wont go on. Which, is a reversal because he used to be my favorite. The last time he was funny was like 1998ish.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Adrock on June 17, 2012, 02:19:20 PM
I get wanting to keep the Wii name, even if Nintendo made it more difficult by branding several products Wii-something. Even with keeping the Wii name, I think it could have been clearer that the console is brand new and not for the Wii. Wii 2 is probably the best choice. WiiHD kind of downplays how important the GamePad is by focusing more on the HD aspect. NextWii maybe?
As to why the console itself looks so damn alike...ugh, ya got me there. Oh man, Right down to the same colour and practically the same shape and size... maybe their market research concluded that small, white and boring is what Apple would do? I dunno. (I advocate black, myself, especially if they really want it to "blend into" the rest of the living room rig.
This is the one I cannot figure out for the life of me. Why? Why do this to themselves? Even if the GamePad is the "face" of the console, just design the actual console in a way that's inconspicuous, that simply gets out of the way. Nintendo just needs a box that's not distracting (purple lunchbox though the box itself was excellent) and doesn't look like their previous console. That could be anything.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: SixthAngel on June 17, 2012, 05:14:02 PM
You can only make a white box so many different ways. Unless they change the color, which I don't think they will or should, the box will look similar unless unnecessary ridges and stuff are added to it.
This is way blown out of proportion and I don't see it having much brand confusion at all when it comes out. Jimmy Falon makes a stupid mistake and a cnn editor changes a correct article. This is exactly like when someone buys a ps3 game and wonders why it won't work on ps2 (which did in fact happen). I see more people saying others will confuse it than people actually confusing. There isn't even an official release date for the thing yet.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Caterkiller on June 17, 2012, 08:21:22 PM
You can only make a white box so many different ways. Unless they change the color, which I don't think they will or should, the box will look similar unless unnecessary ridges and stuff are added to it.
This is way blown out of proportion and I don't see it having much brand confusion at all when it comes out. Jimmy Falon makes a stupid mistake and a cnn editor changes a correct article. This is exactly like when someone buys a ps3 game and wonders why it won't work on ps2 (which did in fact happen). I see more people saying others will confuse it than people actually confusing. There isn't even an official release date for the thing yet.
You know I remember the same thing happening at the start of this generation with the 360. A friend of mine had an X-Box, saw a boxing game for the 360 and asked me if he could play it on his X-Box. Things like that happen all the time, but in the end it will ultimately mean zilch for Nintendo's console or anyone else's.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Adrock on June 17, 2012, 08:54:36 PM
After a few months, any confusion will probably be ironed out as the console establishes itself. Going into the holiday season, it could hurt Nintendo. I think concern is that these are hurdles Nintendo is putting in front of themselves to jump over. Who does that benefit? The expanded audience that Nintendo worked so hard to win over has never gone through a generation transition before. They're the wild card. These are the same people Nintendo didn't trust to press buttons or remember a product that was more than 1 syllable. Nintendo handled this in a way 6 years ago that many disagreed with, but in a way that ultimately worked. It's weird that Nintendo would now do the opposite of that.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: vinniebrock on June 17, 2012, 09:20:07 PM
i think they wanted the Wii U to look boring on purpose, they're obviously going to push the GamePad in your face until our noses bleed. I think they should have made the console look more interesting, at least something that makes it stand out as its own thing, but I sort of understand the thinking.
Also, Jimmy Fallon's impressions are the only thing funny about him, and the only thing he doesn't ruin by breaking out in laughter... which is odd.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Luigi Dude on June 17, 2012, 10:05:36 PM
People have to remember there's a reason why Nintendo is launching the system with NSMB U, Wii Fit U and Nintendo Land. These are all sequels or spiritual sequels to some of the Wii's most popular games that sold over 20 million each. Most of the people who who bought the Wii is guaranteed to be interested in at least one of these games. Well when they go to buy one of these this holiday they'll find out the Wii U is a new system.
Or they'll get home and wonder why their Wii isn't playing NSMB U and Wii Fit U, call the Nintendo hotline and hear Iwata laugh at them.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 17, 2012, 10:30:12 PM
People have to remember there's a reason why Nintendo is launching the system with NSMB U, Wii Fit U and Nintendo Land. These are all sequels or spiritual sequels to some of the Wii's most popular games that sold over 20 million each.
Yikes, those are some big guns and potentially really evergreen sellers if Nintendo can hit their mark. What other titles of that sales-scale are left? Mario Kart?
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Mop it up on June 17, 2012, 10:45:36 PM
What other titles of that sales-scale are left? Mario Kart?
Yeah, Mario Kart Wii and DS both sold over 20 million, as did Wii Sports Resort and Wii Play. If you count all versions of Nintendogs as one game, that also sold over 20 million. The first Brain Age game came close to 20 at 18 million.
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 17, 2012, 10:54:01 PM
What other titles of that sales-scale are left? Mario Kart?
Yeah, Mario Kart Wii and DS both sold over 20 million, as did Wii Sports Resort and Wii Play. If you count all versions of Nintendogs as one game, that also sold over 20 million. The first Brain Age game came close to 20 at 18 million.
Yeah, it sounds like Nintendo's leading with their biggest evergreen titles, which makes sense if they want to sell them continually throughout the entire Wii U lifetime. I personally imagine Mario Kart in 2012, and MAYBE a sports collection?
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Evan_B on June 18, 2012, 02:06:14 AM
People have to remember there's a reason why Nintendo is launching the system with NSMB U, Wii Fit U and Nintendo Land. These are all sequels or spiritual sequels to some of the Wii's most popular games that sold over 20 million each. Most of the people who who bought the Wii is guaranteed to be interested in at least one of these games. Well when they go to buy one of these this holiday they'll find out the Wii U is a new system.
Or they'll get home and wonder why their Wii isn't playing NSMB U and Wii Fit U, call the Nintendo hotline and hear Iwata laugh at them.
Very astute. And they have Pikmin 3 to satiate the people who don't like these titles. Even though each of them is looking pretty nice, even from a "casual" standpoint. I really think Nintendo's trying to make every game have a little bit more "gamey". Wii Fit U, Nintendoland...
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Uncle_Optimus on June 18, 2012, 08:16:35 AM
People have to remember there's a reason why Nintendo is launching the system with NSMB U, Wii Fit U and Nintendo Land. These are all sequels or spiritual sequels to some of the Wii's most popular games that sold over 20 million each.
Nitpicking, but I suggest they release Wii Fit U a little later...say after the New Year when plenty of people will be seeking ways to meet their latest set of resolutions. Boom, trumpet the heck out of the new and svelte-ifying Wii Fit. Promise Hot bods => Hotter profits :p
Yikes, those are some big guns and potentially really evergreen sellers if Nintendo can hit their mark. What other titles of that sales-scale are left? Mario Kart?
Title: Re: Why did Nintendo make the Wii[U] a carbon copy of the Wii?
Post by: Kairon on June 18, 2012, 05:10:18 PM
People have to remember there's a reason why Nintendo is launching the system with NSMB U, Wii Fit U and Nintendo Land. These are all sequels or spiritual sequels to some of the Wii's most popular games that sold over 20 million each.
Yikes, those are some big guns and potentially really evergreen sellers if Nintendo can hit their mark. What other titles of that sales-scale are left? Mario Kart?
Nitpicking, but I suggest they release Wii Fit U a little later...say after the New Year when plenty of people will be seeking ways to meet their latest set of resolutions. Boom, trumpet the heck out of the new and svelte-ifying Wii Fit. Promise Hot bods => Hotter profits :p
Well, I could see an argument being made for December release, but don't sales just absolutely collapse in January and February? Sure, encourage people to buy it after New Year's resolutions, but you just gotta get it out before the big Black Friday and Christmas shopping rushes!
