[Official] Wii U thread

[avelanch]

I thought one rumor was some new levels as well? Either way I'm grabbing it as I have nothing left to do in that game.

i'll DL it as soon as i get back to the US next week (everyone who DL's it and registers it on their club nintendo account (by taking the survey) gets entered into a contest to win one of 980 luigi pins... not really that big of a deal, but whatever).

all the levels have have been redone from what i've seen/heard to make them harder, and you only have 100 seconds to complete every level, so it's a mad dash. i can't wait to get it.

[avelanch]

Wii U Sales Boosted By Pikmin 3: Nintendo Console Triples Average Sales; Will North America Follow Suit?

By iDigitalTimes Staff Reporter on July 17, 2013 7:26 PM EDT

Wii U sales are on the rise, thanks almost entirely to Pikmin 3, which is out now in Japan. It's a much needed change for the far-from-thriving next-gen Nintendo console, and in all likelihood the beginning of the slow turnaround the console needs so badly. The recent uptick in sales is in marked contrast to the very low sales the console has suffered as recently as a few weeks ago. It just goes to show you: it's not that people don't like Wii U, it's just that there wasn't anything on Wii U to like. Now there is, and there will only ever be more.

Pikmin in the new Smash Bros. (Image: SmashBros.com)

Wii U sales effectively tripled with the Japanese release of Pikmin 3. That's according to the latest Japanese charts, which recorded 22,000 Wii U units sold last week. The Wii U bumped into second place on the sales charts, behind only its cousin, 3DS LL (XL outside of Japan). Compare that to just a few weeks ago, when Wii U sold barely 7,000 units in Japan -- and that was a good week, in fourth place behind the 3DS LL, PS Vita, 3DS and PS3, barely ahead of the PSP. Jumping to second place behind another Nintendo product is quite an accomplishment.

It's worth mentioning that 22,000 in Wii U sales is no great shakes either. Analyst Michael Pachter expects PS4 and Xbox One to sell about 300 to 400 thousand units a month by early 2014. Granted, those are worldwide numbers, and estimates. If these Wii U sales hold up in Japan, it will start doing around 100 thousand a month in that market alone, which isn't great, but it's workable.

Besides for Wii U sales, Pikmin 3 sales themselves have been strong. After all, some people do already have Wii U consoles, believe it or not. The title shifted a hearty 92,000 units, taking the number one spot on the weekly Japanese charts and doing nearly triple the business of the next console title. It also created a rare week with two Wii U titles on the top 20 list -- Super Luigi U did alright too, although nobody's buying Wii U consoles just for that.

The Pikmin 3 release date has substantially boosted Wii U sales in Japan. (Image: Nintendo of America)

The real question is whether Wii U sales will pick up in North America on thePikmin 3 release date as well. The game comes out in the U.S. on August 4, 2013, and Nintendo is marketing it out the wazoo. It's practically the sole focus of their Comic-Con booth. It's been nine years since Pikmin 2, but Wii U is in such a drought that even people who normally don't care may pick it up. Also, it looks very cool. It's probably not the game Wii U deserves, but it's the one it needs right now. So we'll buy it, even though we don't really want it. Because it's not our dream game. It's a sleeper hit. A slow gamechanger. A Pikmin game.

I believe in Pikmin 3.

[avelanch]

new wii u pokemon game teased at a nintendo event. they showed a video of the history of the franchise (including the trading cards), and then at the end, they briefly had a distorted video feed of 2 pokemon in a face off that faded in and out on screen. looks like a wii u game for sure, but whether its a new pokemon RPG, or a new pokemon Stadium game, or just a clip from the upcoming smash brothers, no one knows. Lucario was already in a SSB game before, and I don't play pokemon, so i don't know who the flaming bird dude is, but he looks well suited to be in SSB too.

Edit: a quick google search shows it's Blaziken

If this is a full blown pokemon RPG, or, even better, a Pokemon MMORPG, the system is going to FLY off the shelves.

[Monty]

...the system is going to FLY off the shelves.

Said no one, ever.

[avelanch]

Said no one, ever.

whatever you say.

anyway, wii u exclusives out now and coming soon:

[Monty]

whatever you say.

Less me and more industry professionals.

[avelanch]

[avelanch]

i want to buy a new wii u just for that gamepad.

[D-Money]

Which one is the "Deluxe Set"? Is that the one that is currently $349, that comes with that Nintendoland game?

My nephew's Wii broke. He was thinking of getting a PS3, but I told him to go Wii U. He loves Mario games, Super Smash Bros., etc. He's also autistic (highly functioning, but still), so he tends to prefer simple, straightforward games, and probably will continue to into adulthood.

But for me, or any other adult gamer I know personally, the Wii U has been not even remotely interesting. Even that video that Avalanche posted with the exclusives - the first few look good, but the most of the second half looks totally second-rate.

[D-Money]

CBC.ca ran a story on the biggest tech flops of the year. Excerpt:

"Also released in late 2012, Nintendo's newest video game console spent this year plumbing new depths of failure..."

Thing is, everybody saw this coming... except Nintendo, I guess.

[DollarAndADream]

Which one is the "Deluxe Set"? Is that the one that is currently $349, that comes with that Nintendoland game?

My nephew's Wii broke. He was thinking of getting a PS3, but I told him to go Wii U. He loves Mario games, Super Smash Bros., etc. He's also autistic (highly functioning, but still), so he tends to prefer simple, straightforward games, and probably will continue to into adulthood.

But for me, or any other adult gamer I know personally, the Wii U has been not even remotely interesting. Even that video that Avalanche posted with the exclusives - the first few look good, but the most of the second half looks totally second-rate.

Since the Nintendo Wii I've only ever played the big games. There just aren't any good ones anymore besides the big franchises.

Only Wii games I've played are Wii Sports, Mario Galaxy 1+2, Zelda Twilight Princess + Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime 3+Other M......and Super Smash Brawl.

[ChenWei91]

Nintendo Confirms Wii U Has Flopped, Slashes Sales Forecast By ~70%

Posted 7 hours agoby Natasha Lomas (@riptari)

Nintendo has confirmed what we knew already: its unhappy controller/console combo, the Wii U, is a flop. The company said hardware sales of the Wii U had failed to reach its target during the year-end, pushing it into a third consecutive annual loss, Reuters reports.

“We failed to reach our target for hardware sales during the year-end, when revenues are the highest,” said Nintendo’s president, Satoru Iwata, at a shareholder briefing on the sales figures.

With the Wii U failing to shift off shelves — and that despite a $50 price cut last September, to $299 — Nintendo has slashed its global sales forecast for the device for the year to March 31 by almost 70%. It said it’s expecting Wii U sales to number just 2.8 million units over that period. It also cut its sales forecast for its handheld 3DS console to 13.5 million units from 18 million.

Both Nintendo’s devices are facing fierce competition from non-specialist consumer hardware fuelled by thousands of often inexpensive games apps — aka the smartphones and tablets running on platforms such as Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS. Ownership of app-supporting mobile devices has exploded since the original Wii’s hey-day, of circa 2006, shifting the gaming goalposts from the living room to people’s pockets.

Meanwhile, the home console market has been increasingly dominated by Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation — leaving Nintendo to be squeezed out by those more powerful home consoles at the higher end, attracting pro gamers with huge franchise titles such as Grand Theft Auto, and driven out at the lower end by the consumerization of portable gaming via mainstream mobile devices. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

The other point to note is that the Wii U itself just isn’t very good. It’s neither fish nor fowl, so to speak. As TC columnist MG Siegler put it back in September, it’s ”a poor concept accentuated by poor hardware”. He also described Nintendo as being “in the beginning of a death spiral”. Today’s sales forecasts pour more fuel on those flames.

Nintendo said it is now expecting an operating loss of 35 billion yen ($335.76 million) this business year vs its initial forecast of a 100 billion yen profit. It also warned of a net loss of 25 billion yen for the year ending on March 31 — having previously projected a 55 billion yen profit. And expects revenues of 590 billion yen, down 36% from its prior forecast.

http://techcrunch.co...-u-not-selling/

[Monty]

http://techcrunch.co...-u-not-selling/

I knew it was bad, but actually looking at the numbers is just really sad. Such amazing times with the NES and SNES, and this is what has happened. Truly sad. Not sure if Nintendo will go back to the drawing board, or open up Mario, Metroid, and Zelda to Sony and Microsoft to significantly boost sales of those titles. Ever since Skyrim came out, I wanted to see Zelda get the game that I know it deserves.

[Dragonfruits]

not worried at all they fixed the 3ds turning into the number 1 handheld not saying they will pull off an amazing comeback outselling the ps4 and xbox one but they will turn this around

[Gerbera]

I honestly think Nintendo really needs to develop a console where the graphics and power can match the PS4 and Xbox One. I mean if they can develop a console like that, they should be able to retain some gamers with their classic games. Along with the yearly CoD games, they should be able to hold their ground a bit better than this WiiU mess.

[Guest]

I think they should just ride this out and do the best that they can with the Wii U and 3DS

Then next gen, they NEED to step it up. Drop the gimmicks, make a system that's equal in power to the others and get their online up to par.

If you could play all the major third party games on a Nintendo system, as well as have the Nintendo exclusives. I bet pretty much everyone would want one

[PlayStation]

I think they should just ride this out and do the best that they can with the Wii U and 3DS

Then next gen, they NEED to step it up. Drop the gimmicks, make a system that's equal in power to the others and get their online up to par.

If you could play all the major third party games on a Nintendo system, as well as have the Nintendo exclusives. I bet pretty much everyone would want one

It's not that simple, Nintendo would have to change the whole image of the company, wnd the exclusive? Dont really appeal to myself or many other gamers.

If they decide to compete with a console to rival the Xbox One or PS4, still I dont think it will be enough to break peoples loyalties and thoughts about what Nintendos all about. It would take another whole console generation after that to maybe start becoming #1 or maybe #2. But I just dont see them being able to market this to a lot of PS and Xbox users and actually be sucessful.

[Guest]

That's partly my point though.

They need to change their image. Family friendly fun isn't going to sell them systems anymore

[Dragonfruits]

system power doesn't equal a better console

100 million units with a non hd unit proves that and Nintendo proved that games that are fun and unique sell systems not the generic shooter or racer

call me a nintendo fanboy doesn't bother me one bit i play my Wii U more than my PS3 currently and with the Xbox One and PS4 i can't see myself buying either unless something comes out that is basically a must play that isn't on PC

[DollarAndADream]

I think the only reason for the bad sales numbers are because the average gamer only cares about the big Nintendo titles and nothing else. Pretty much my plan also.

I know they have a great Mario game out right now, but I don't see myself buying one at all until there's a Smash Bros., Zelda, Metroid, etc.

Zelda Windwaker HD doesn't count since I played and beat it multiple times back when it came out on the Gamecube. Sure it's a fantastic game, and without a doubt if I had a Wii U I would purchase it for sure but it's no console seller.