PAL Charts - Week 51, 2012

Germany doesn't care about the WiiU either. At least in Berlin most big outlets are still promoting the Wii on their TVs and the WiiU boxes are hidden underneath PS3 boxes.
 
Germany doesn't care about the WiiU either. At least in Berlin most big outlets are still promoting the Wii on their TVs and the WiiU boxes are hidden underneath PS3 boxes.

That's not surprising at all. PS1 was still strong when PS2 was released; GBA was still strong and advertised when DS was released. PS2 was still strong when PS3 was released and actually has been much popular than PS3 more than a couple of years.

Next year we will see a similar situation for 360 and PS3 successor, given the fact that both are now entering in the low-price market.
 
That's not surprising at all. PS1 was still strong when PS2 was released; GBA was still strong and advertised when DS was released. PS2 was still strong when PS3 was released and actually has been much popular than PS3 more than a couple of years.

Next year we will see a similar situation for 360 and PS3 successor, given the fact that both are now entering in the low-price market.

Wait what? The PS2 had a massive launch despite the PS1 popularity. The DS and PS3 both had low key launches because of different reasons, the DS launching with no big software and the PS3 launching with no big software at 599. Just because a previous system is still going, doesn't mean a launch has to be terrible. If the Wii U is failing, it is not a valid excuse to just blame history and a console from an entirely different company.

Edit: Wait were people seriously trying to claim there hasn't been a decline in the UK? It's not a valid excuse for the bad Wii U numbers, but the market has been terrible there all year long.
 
And while stating the Uk decline ( which, as I hope you see HermitArcader post, you understand it's real, not a bullshit just to "excuse" Nintendo in the territory), I'm one of those not only aware of Wii U failing hard in Germany...but actually scared. Germany is one of the biggest territory for Nintendo in Europe, and you can see it through the 3DS titles being higher than usual and even Wii titles rising...while Wii U falls hard, almost as if it wasn't anything special. This is seriously worring for Nintendo in Europe, and I'm the first to say this.

@metalslimer: It's just that people "accidentally" didn't notice them. You know, people have different priorities, and some of them can actually think first to flame other people instead of searching for datas / don't read other posts because they aren't their priorities. :P
 
And while stating the Uk decline ( which, as I hope you see HermitArcader post, you understand it's real, not a bullshit just to "excuse" Nintendo in the territory), I'm one of those not only aware of Wii U failing hard in Germany...but actually scared. Germany is one of the biggest territory for Nintendo in Europe, and you can see it through the 3DS titles being higher than usual and even Wii titles rising...while Wii U falls hard, almost as if it wasn't anything special. This is seriously worring for Nintendo in Europe, and I'm the first to say this.

I'm saying ,get rid of the basic model. Drop the deluxe model down to basic price or slightly cheaper. Maybe make a model that throws in NSMBU for slightly more along with Nintendoland. Also pack in a freaking Wiimote into the deluxe packages, and patch NSMBU to allow gamepad regular 2 person play. Also I'm interested in France numbers especially with NSMB2 being 5 there, and Nintendo usually beign strong there as well. They have to get their normally good territories in line before even thinking about the UK.
 
I'm saying ,get rid of the basic model. Drop the deluxe model down to basic price or slightly cheaper.

Having both the Basic and the Deluxe model at the same prices as now but BOTH with Nintendo Land included would have been much better. Or maybe, if you really wanted to tap the casual market better, you should have had three models: Basic with 8 GB at $249.99, Basic+ with 16GB + Nintendo Land at $299.99 and Premium at 32GB + Nintendo Land + Nintendo Premium Program at 349.99$. Several models that can satisfy in a good way several kind of customers. Having just the Premium with Nintendo Land included, your supposed "mass audience driver" is not a great idea.
 
Having both the Basic and the Deluxe model at the same prices as now but BOTH with Nintendo Land included would have been much better. Or maybe, if you really wanted to tap the casual market better, you should have had three models: Basic with 8 GB at $249.99, Basic+ with 16GB + Nintendo Land at $299.99 and Premium at 32GB + Nintendo Land + Nintendo Premium Program at 349.99$. Several models that can satisfy in a good way several kind of customers. Having just the Premium with Nintendo Land included, your supposed "mass audience driver" is not a great idea.

Also having that mass audience game be 60 bucks is a recipe for disaster. At least pack a Wiimote or something into the package. I can't wait to read Iwata's Q3 investor report where he explains what they are going to try to do, and I hope it not something like we need to show more people the Wii U.
 
Wait what? The PS2 had a massive launch despite the PS1 popularity. The DS and PS3 both had low key launches because of different reasons, the DS launching with no big software and the PS3 launching with no big software at 599. Just because a previous system is still going, doesn't mean a launch has to be terrible. If the Wii U is failing, it is not a valid excuse to just blame history and a console from an entirely different company.

Edit: Wait were people seriously trying to claim there hasn't been a decline in the UK? It's not a valid excuse for the bad Wii U numbers, but the market has been terrible there all year long.

I'm not saying PS2 sold little because of PS1, or whatever. I just said that it's normal when you launch a new hardware that the previous one still sells something in the same period, if it had been successful; cheap, lot of games, well-known reputation... I mean, maybe people expect the first Call of Duty on PS4 / Xbox720 to sell 20 million units? It'll be funny to see next year charts.

I'm also aware about the Wii U debacle in UK: read my very first comment in this very thread.
 
@UK market, this is what I found in some of my excel-files:

uk_market.PNG


2011 "Other" section:
Online: 580.000.000 GBP
Mobile: 158.000.000 GBP


We should get 2012 data in January.
 
So was I right by saying that the UK market is declining? I mean, I didn't say that because Nintendo is bombing there, as many people accused me. It seems it's well supported by numbers.
 
So was I right by saying that the UK market is declining? I mean, I didn't say that because Nintendo is bombing there, as many people accused me. It seems it's well supported by numbers.
That's right, but a "normal" progression if you ask me:

picture_product_life_cycle.gif


PS360Wii are on the way out, NDS & PSP too.

Wii U just launched, Vita and 3DS are still fresh ("growth phase").
 
That's right, but a "normal" progression if you ask me:

picture_product_life_cycle.gif


PS360Wii are on the way out, NDS & PSP too.

Wii U just launched, Vita and 3DS are still fresh ("growth phase").

I agree.
It's natural, also the US market doesn't look so healthy. It's really a transition phase, maybe mixed with a not good economic situation overall.
 
You can skew any 'market' decline when you suddenly realise the audience that was going fucking mental for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, have now had their attention stolen elsewhere to Angry Birds and the app market. Not to mention the coughing and spluttering death of the plastic shit mania from earlier than that. They were never an extended market for videogames as we know them, just a fickle set of consumers eager to buy the next popular thing.

The normal console market though? Thats still there, and waiting for the successors to this HD generation. Market has just answered that simply isn't the WiiU. Grasping at randomised data while failing to take stock of the big picture is just praying for doom to explain loss of favour for your chosen court.
 
You can skew any 'market' decline when you suddenly realise the audience that was going fucking mental for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, have now had their attention stolen elsewhere to Angry Birds and the app market. Not to mention the coughing and spluttering death of the plastic shit mania from earlier than that. They were never an extended market for videogames as we know them, just a fickle set of consumers eager to buy the next popular thing.

The normal console market though? Thats still there, and waiting for the successors to this HD generation. Market has just answered that simply isn't the WiiU. Grasping at randomised data while failing to take stock of the big picture is just praying for doom to explain loss of favour for your chosen court.

Are you going to present some data to back any this up? Because if not you're also just going off your feelings. Also you sound a little bit angry over this. You might want to calm down a little. You kind of seem on the opposite end of the people you are attempting to call out.
 
Armchair analysis in these threads is amazing to read sometimes -- particularly from team doomsayer - the likes of Pie and Beans, SmokyDave, zomgwtfbbq and Clay..

Pie and Beans said:
Grasping at randomised data

like zomgwtfbbq trying to use overall UK retail market figures as a barometer for the UK games market? That was completely irrelevant, and 2012s figures, when viewed against collected HW/SW revenue totals from previous years (I'm assuming what Captain Smoker has just posted is collected Chart Track year-end data), it will almost certainly show a marked decline in the gaming market... if I'm wrong, I'll bake - and eat - a giant marzipan hat.

This is no excuse for the performance of 3DS, Vita and Wii U, but it IS the context. Call it the natural generational bell curve if you want, but have you considered that dimissing it in such a way might be what you call - failing to "take stock of the big picture"?

Everyone is keen to theorise on changed markets and tell us where various audiences are going now (angry birds apparently), and what they think, but we've been here before on GAF -- and as I recall, nobody here is actually any good at it. Anyone making robust claims about market rejection or future viability of the above new platforms at this stage is asking to be made a fool of.

I have not seen any of the posters I have mentioned address the proportionately low shipments compared to previous launches; instead, all we've seen are dismissive responses (ie. well if they shipped low and are still selling bad, then they're just even more DOOMED)

While Wii Us are certainly available, they are not bursting out of shops and warehouse doors, and despite there being no particular enthusiasm for the machine in the UK, the shipments ARE low. PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo DS, PSP, 360 and PS3 all had initial shipments 3 to 4 times larger than we appear to have had with the Wii U. I would frankly, like to see some of you dispute, explain or analyse that, so we have you on record for when we DO have Chart-Track/GfK data and Nintendo data about shipments and so forth.

Should Nintendo's performance in the UK chart be all that surprising? Even if they were selling everything they ship instantly, every week, with a nice tie ratio, they would have nowhere near the requisite hardware base to fight PS3/360 SW chart dominance at Christmas. I'm looking forward to the next IR Q&A, and getting more data, because these threads are just going to be merry go rounds of gleeful doomsaying and baiting until we know more about their shipments, expectations and actual sales. It was exactly the same last year for the two handhelds, and personally, I just find such (often agenda driven) narratives extremely short termist / near sighted. Yeah, it's not looking good, but it's early... and even if it continues, it remains to be seen what it means. I would think it would even worry the other manufacturers, especially Sony - who are already having a taste of this uncertainty.
 
Are you going to present some data to back any this up? Because if not you're also just going off your feelings. Also you sound a little bit angry over this. You might want to calm down a little. You kind of seem on the opposite end of the people you are attempting to call out.

I've always found chart GAF especially irritating. When you see half a page of people wondering where the dip in total money coming in post-Wii-mania, post-Plastic Shit death and post-affordable Tablet-age, its really no mystery. But instead we get nonsense knocking the UK market as a whole. Its all still there, just the most fickle part of it that no-one should have counted on to still be around 5 years on has unsurprisingly wandered off for the latest cultural must-have that isn't tallied on these specific charts. I know anecdotal is frowny bad times, but the amount of friends getting iPad minis, Nexus7's and Kindle Fire HD's is no joke. That was this Christmas' must-have. Maybe Nintendo should have actually skipped Chrimbo entirely rather than get lost in the radio static against it.

We'll get a better idea at exactly how far/if the UK market has lapsed/converted into Appstore only aficionados when the 720 rolls around. The handheld market has clearly been damaged, but I feel the millions of COD players and other bigtime franchises are still going to be queueing up for the next big powerful living room box go around.

Armchair analysis in these threads is amazing to read sometimes...

-- proportionately low shipments compared to previous launches...

Should Nintendo's performance in the UK chart be all that surprising? Even if they were selling everything they ship instantly, every week, with a nice tie ratio, they would have nowhere near the requisite hardware base to fight PS3/360 SW chart dominance at Christmas.

Don't expect to see WiiU games banging COD and AC3's heads on the table of course, but clutching at the very final rung of the Top 40 during Christmas Shopping week just seems to show the UK at large doesnt exactly want this box yet at all or deem it anywhere near worthy as a MUST have under the tree.

I imagine Sony are quite happy with straddling that expanded audience with a fair lot of Wonderbook going on and still maintaining their 'for the hardcore gamer' status with an entire gen of games available and people now playing at a cutthroat entry price and priming people for whats coming around next generation. The current UK PS3 advert is particularly amusing while the actual Nintendo is fumbling the pitch of the actual Wii sequel all over the field.
 
You can skew any 'market' decline when you suddenly realise the audience that was going fucking mental for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, have now had their attention stolen elsewhere to Angry Birds and the app market. Not to mention the coughing and spluttering death of the plastic shit mania from earlier than that. They were never an extended market for videogames as we know them, just a fickle set of consumers eager to buy the next popular thing.

The normal console market though? Thats still there, and waiting for the successors to this HD generation. Market has just answered that simply isn't the WiiU. Grasping at randomised data while failing to take stock of the big picture is just praying for doom to explain loss of favour for your chosen court.

It's so evident that women who were crazy about Wii Fit have know their attention caught by Angry Birds, so evident!
 
I've always found chart GAF especially irritating. When you see half a page of people wondering where the dip in total money in post-Wii-mania and post-affordable Tablet-age, its really no mystery. But instead we get nonsense knocking the UK market as a whole. Its all still there, just the most fickle part of it that no-one should have counted on to still be around 5 years on has unsurprisingly wandered off for the latest cultural must-have that isn't tallied on these specific charts.

[citation needed]
 
I've always found chart GAF especially irritating. When you see half a page of people wondering where the dip in total money in post-Wii-mania and post-affordable Tablet-age, its really no mystery. But instead we get nonsense knocking the UK market as a whole. Its all still there, just the most fickle part of it that no-one should have counted on to still be around 5 years on has unsurprisingly wandered off for the latest cultural must-have that isn't tallied on these specific charts.

We'll get a better idea at exactly how far/if the UK market has lapsed/converted into Appstore only aficionados when the 720 rolls around. The handheld market has clearly been damaged, but I feel the millions of COD players and other bigtime franchises are still going to be queueing up for the next big go around.

You do a lot of asuming as well, just so you know.
 
Well if this is the "real market" the UK sure was a shit market before the Wii then. So before you start calling people out on being fanboys and making assumptions, don't base your entire argument on "Well of course I'm right!!" because that's pretty much the mark of someone who is way too invested in this. Also chart Gaf? lol
 
Hey, I readily admit these are just my own viewpoints. I won't have people knocking the UK economy and market however with any run out of money nonsense when I can see spending is the same as it ever was and even a slice higher. But we'll see who the future vindicates. I remember saying to colleagues 5 years ago this extended audience would not be a going concern you could ever count on being around as a gaming audience. Here we are.
 
Hey, I readily admit these are just my own viewpoints. I won't have people knocking the UK economy and market however with any run out of money nonsense when I can see spending is the same as it ever was and even a slice higher. But we'll see who the future vindicates. I remember saying to colleagues 5 years ago this extended audience would not be a going concern you could ever count on being around as a gaming audience. Here we are.

Well ok then. But right now you have no data to back up anything you say and are just attacking people no reason.
 
Well ok then. But right now you have no data to back up anything you say and are just attacking people no reason.

Fair enough, I'd extend the same suggestion to people attacking the UK market over lacklustre WiiU sales. Too much grasping there, we'll see how it plays out. "Official" price cut Q2 2013 seems already pencilled in really.

On the flipside though, I think I would even say the 720 and PS4 would have had a hard time persuading people not to pickup tablets instead of them if they'd launched this Christmas. Next year seems to be the natural if extended (which market is thankful for I feel) end of the HD generation and the thirst for next gen whizzbang-wow will hit the public just as it has already the hardcore messageboard enthusiast.
 
Fair enough, I'd extend the same suggestion to people attacking the UK market over lacklustre WiiU sales. Too much grasping there, we'll see how it plays out. "Official" price cut Q2 2013 seems already pencilled in really.

On the flipside though, I think I would even say the 720 and PS4 would have had a hard time persuading people not to pickup tablets instead of them if they'd launched this Christmas. Next year seems to be the natural if extended (which market is thankful for I feel) end of the HD generation and the thirst for next gen whizzbang-wow will hit the public just as it has already the hardcore messageboard enthusiast.

1. no one has attacked the UK market over lackluster Wii U sales. No one.
2. good luck if you think a good fraction of those 20 million video gamers will immediately shift next year over new hardware to play Call of Duty.
 
It's on a platform that has a huge userbase which has been going on for seven years and Wonderbook is relatively cheap to buy

The Wii U has been out a month, its userbase is tiny in comparison and costs a great deal more

The fact that ones a console and the other is an accessory I don't know what logic you're trying to get at here

I was talking about Wonderbook as a platform it's self, it only has 1 game at the moment but there will be more games for Wonderbook & it's only been out a month also.
 
Fair enough, I'd extend the same suggestion to people attacking the UK market over lacklustre WiiU sales. Too much grasping there, we'll see how it plays out. "Official" price cut Q2 2013 seems already pencilled in really.

On the flipside though, I think I would even say the 720 and PS4 would have had a hard time persuading people not to pickup tablets instead of them if they'd launched this Christmas. Next year seems to be the natural if extended (which market is thankful for I feel) end of the HD generation and the thirst for next gen whizzbang-wow will hit the public just as it has already the hardcore messageboard enthusiast.

On the contrary though, the people in this thread at least people have just noted that their has been a decline in UK market. I don't think people have blamed the Wii U's bomb over it. I think it definitely has played at least somewhat of a factor, not that Wii U would be doing much better regardless.

Also, I think people are going to very surprised at how much strength tablets gain going into next year. I think that many people underestimate the amount of influence casual gamers play even on systems like the PS3/360. I'd also add kids to that the big contributors to gaming that people overlook. And I think tablets have taken a large chunk of them and maybe not convinced them that they don't want consoles, but I think blaming the drops all on the Wii won't be an option next year.

Even ignoring tablets, this is going off my own viewings, but people seem much less interested in paying full price for games these days which i believe is another factor that is hurting Wii U and could potentially hurt the other two.
 
France week 50:

1 - COD BLOPS 2 / PS3
2 - Assassin's Creed 3Bonus Edition / PS3
3 - COD BLOPS 2 / COD BLOPS 2 /
4 - FIFA 13 / COD BLOPS 2
5 - NSMB 2 / 3DS

No Wii U in this top 5, which doesn't tell us anything about its performances. My feeling is it's doing ok and the 3DS is doing good. But it's just my feeling based on anecdotals evidences.
 
I have not seen any of the posters I have mentioned address the proportionately low shipments compared to previous launches; instead, all we've seen are dismissive responses (ie. well if they shipped low and are still selling bad, then they're just even more DOOMED)

While Wii Us are certainly available, they are not bursting out of shops and warehouse doors, and despite there being no particular enthusiasm for the machine in the UK, the shipments ARE low. PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo DS, PSP, 360 and PS3 all had initial shipments 3 to 4 times larger than we appear to have had with the Wii U.
I want to see the receipts.

Nintendo intend to ship 5.5M of these; when and where exactly are they going to ship them?
I don't think people have blamed the Wii U's bomb over it.
There's certainly been implication. It seems that every contributory explanation should be entertained except for Occam's Razor; the product simply isn't that appealing/doesn't offer a compelling value proposition to the market.
I would say that a year after its launch, when it won't sell as expected. I mean, it has just launched. Don't jump to conclusions, because you could have said the same exact thing about the DS in its first year. And I'm not implying Wii U will be as successful as DS.
I'm not talking about a year from now, nor am I saying that it can't be made into a compelling product. I don't see how potential changes in the future should alter one's assessment of the present reality.
 
Nintendo intend to ship 5.5M of these; when and where exactly are they going to ship them?There's certainly been implication. It seems that every contributory explanation should be entertained except for Occam's Razor; the product simply isn't that appealing/doesn't offer a compelling value proposition to the market.

I would say that a year after its launch, when it won't sell as expected. I mean, it has just launched. Don't jump to conclusions, because you could have said the same exact thing about the DS in its first year. And I'm not implying Wii U will be as successful as DS.
 
the product simply isn't that appealing/doesn't offer a compelling value proposition to the market.

Well obviously it isn't. That the reason any product in any industry doesn't sell. The question is why isn't it a compelling proposition to people. Obviously price is a big factor, but I'm not sure cutting the price will do a lot for the system in the same way it probably won't for Vita either.
 
I would say that a year after its launch, when it won't sell as expected. I mean, it has just launched. Don't jump to conclusions, because you could have said the same exact thing about the DS in its first year. And I'm not implying Wii U will be as successful as DS.
I don't think anyone here is saying 'lolz, Wii U will be the next Dreamcast, Nintendo is doomed'. Rather people are looking at ways to remedy the situation. Already different package options and price cuts were discussed (since they are the only thing they can discuss as we not really nothing about any games that might change its fortune that might be coming out
 
Well obviously it isn't. That the reason any product in any industry doesn't sell. The question is why isn't it a compelling proposition to people.
Well I'm told from these last few PAL Charts threads from certain quarters that the UK has lost its relevancy in the PAL markets so it's no longer a barometer, there's also insufficient stock across all of Europe and apparently Europe doesn't like Nintendo consoles.

It has nothing to do with releasing a console that doesn't offer any visible generational improvement at a significant price premium; a console with a USP that's pretty reactionary to market trends rather than being disruptive; a console whose predecessor system long ago lost mindshare; whose name and concept produce brand confusion with that diminished brand.
Or we could look at this thread where people are discussing what initiatives Nintendo needs to take to try and fix the situation instead of dwelling on people in threads from weeks ago.
Because this thread has been completely devoid of such arguments/explanations for the poor Wii U performance and has been full of discussion about potential initiatives. /Obvious sarcasm.
 
Well obviously it isn't. That the reason any product in any industry doesn't sell. The question is why isn't it a compelling proposition to people.

Because Nintendo launched this thing without proper software, nor anything on the horizon. Rayman and Bayonetta might please some niches whenever they come and Monster Hunter could give the console an irrelevant boost in Germany. That's it. Unlike the Wiimote, the pad doesn't bring any obvious value to outdated ports and it's clear that no one gives a shit about Nintendoland compared to the genius that was Wii Sports. At least loyalists would be there for the console in mainland EU if some proper, fullfledged HD production from Nintendo was ready at launch and more confirmed for the year instead of cheap cash-ins everywhere. Pikmin half a year later doesn't cut it, nor does NSMB have the same value as a Twilight Princess to people that would pay 350 right at launch.

Can't believe Nintendo really went into next gen this poorly after having time to prepare since E3 2011, nor could I comprehend people jumping on me for disrespecting this so called ,,best launch ever!!'' lol. I loved the Wii and always thought it got way too much shit, but really there isn't anything to defend about the WiiU. It's a redundant system at this point and I can only hope Nintendo now gets their shit together for the second half of the year and beyond, obviously they can't continue like this. Thankfully it now does bad sales which hopefully teaches Nintendo the real lesson this time...
 
Well I'm told from these last few PAL Charts threads from certain quarters that the UK has lost its relevancy in the PAL markets so it's no longer a barometer, there's also insufficient stock across all of Europe and apparently Europe doesn't like Nintendo consoles.

It has nothing to do with releasing a console that doesn't offer any visible generational improvement at a significant price premium; a console with a USP that's pretty reactionary to market trends rather than being disruptive; a console whose predecessor system long ago lost mindshare; whose name and concept produce brand confusion with that diminished brand.

Or we could look at this thread where people are discussing what initiatives Nintendo needs to take to try and fix the situation instead of dwelling on people in threads from weeks ago.
 
Because Nintendo launched this thing without proper software, nor anything on the horizon. Rayman and Bayonetta might please some niches whenever they come and Monster Hunter could give the console an irrelevant boost in Germany. That's it. Unlike the Wiimote, the pad doesn't bring any obvious value to outdated ports and it's clear that no one gives a shit about Nintendoland compared to the genius that was Wii Sports. At least loyalists would be there for the console in mainland EU if some proper, fullfledged HD production from Nintendo was ready at launch and more confirmed for the year instead of cheap cash-ins everywhere. Pikmin half a year later doesn't cut it, nor does NSMB have the same value as a Twilight Princess to people that would pay 350 right at launch.

Can't believe Nintendo really went into next gen this poorly after having time to prepare since E3 2011, nor could I comprehend people jumping on me for disrespecting this so called ,,best launch ever!!'' lol. I loved the Wii and always thought it got way too much shit, but really there isn't anything to defend about the WiiU. It's a redundant system at this point and I can only hope Nintendo now gets their shit together for the second half of the year and beyond, obviously they can't continue like this. Thankfully it now does bad sales which hopefully teaches Nintendo the real lesson this time...

Remember that 6 years ago people were calling Wii Sports an imprecise, unappealing and rushed demo. People also believed that DS touch screen was useless and not appropriate for gaming. I mean, let's wait to say that the GamePad has no values on the gaming side; the fact that you can play games only that tablet is already something that can appeal many, if widely known.
 
Well obviously it isn't. That the reason any product in any industry doesn't sell. The question is why isn't it a compelling proposition to people. Obviously price is a big factor, but I'm not sure cutting the price will do a lot for the system in the same way it probably won't for Vita either.

I feel their main strength is also their main problem.

Nintendo rarely follows trends. On the one hand, this causes their games to tend to be different from their competition, giving them a unique selling point. On the other hand, they also tend to sit out trends that exist because consumers actually want these features and consider them important to their experience.

Back at the beginning of this generation, games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and FIFA were selling relatively low amounts (2-4 million) compared to what they do now, but over the course of the generation, they pushed huge focuses on online connectivity, online multiplayer, social features (often accessible from anywhere), robust choice and customization, and robust post launch support in the form of balance patches, DLC, and/or new modes and features. These days, the franchises sell in the 18-20+ million bracket.

Even if we go over to the casual arena on iOS and look at what's selling the most units, we see games like Angry Birds, Cut The Rope, and Where's My Water, which all have had robust free and paid post launch content along with leaderboards and social integration. Do they have all the features of CoD/FIFA/Battlefield? No, but they also cost 1/60th the price.

Now we have Nintendo coming out with a full price game like NSMBU that has no online multiplayer, no heavily marketed robust post-launch support or buy in season pass, no robust level editor even on the scale of forge (yes, I know the coin thing exists), no system wide achievements, no small file size replay tool, no promise of new modes after launch, and no tie-in mobile/browser apps to see your leaderboards, share your maps, or even just access the Miiverse while not on the Wii U.

Sure, it still offers that 2D Mario experience, but when people are spending full price on a game on top of buying an entirely new console, they will likely have very high expectations of what they should get, and it's Nintendo's job to meet them. And, quite rightfully, consumers probably expect a notable amount of feature heavy exclusives of this caliber before they're going to take the plunge, since otherwise they can just buy another game (or many given how big the low price catalog offerings are these days) instead.
 
Remember that 6 years ago people were calling Wii Sports an imprecise, unappealing and rushed demo. People also believed that DS touch screen was useless and not appropriate for gaming. I mean, let's wait to say that the GamePad has no values on the gaming side; the fact that you can play games only that tablet is already something that can appeal many, if widely known.

That's why I've said that there aren't any obvious advantages. It's much harder to sell than motion controls and Wii Sports, which had lots of buzz and even though it had less content etc than Nintendoland, even I was excited for it because I also had a new Zelda etc coming alongside it and it benefited from general hype. For Nintendoland they need shitty, 5 minute long infomercials to get the point across and the rest of the system isn't exactly exciting with an almost non existing lineup. (Compared to Wii that had a first year with Zelda, 3D Mario, Metroid, Excite Truck, Fire Emblem, etc)

Even if they couldn't get the soccer moms again, at least loyalists would be at launch if there were big Nintendo productions finally in HD. But there are none and NSMB isn't doing that job, they actually had to demonstrate the differences from the Wii iteration by positioning two TVs with each game side by side in their Direct show :lol You don't buy a console for that.
 
Are people really saying that the UK market isn't down from 2007/8/9 to now because Nintendo are down?

Fuck it, I'll put in a request for GfK gaming data in January, full PAL dataset. My hunch is that PS3 and 360 are holding steady and doing pretty well, NDS is down but 3DS is up, PSP is down slightly, Vita is in the toilet with the Wii and Wii U.

Seriously, I don't get the logic that a console which sold 8m over 4 years and is now selling next to nothing hasn't contributed in the shrinking of the UK market. How a console that sold an average of 3 Wiimotes per system in the UK and 0.4 balance boards per system that it is no longer selling hasn't contributed to the shrinking of the UK market. The Wii has gone from hero to zero since end 2010 in the UK, and it has coincided with the shrinking of the market.

I find it unlikely that this is just a coincidence, and once I have the GfK data I will be sure of it as I can calculate the revenue totals per system and manufacturer.
 
I imagine even if unit sales of 360 and PS3 hardware aren't down, hardware revenue will be down on those systems considering the price decreases.
 
If you want to know how HD gaming is in the UK just look at how it is in the US. The markets are in the same situation, except in the UK 3DS is irrelevant.
 
UK Software Unit Sales (Millions);

Code:
        	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	Total
GBY     	4.30	3.90	0.95	0.12	0.05								9.30
PS1     	16.10	15.50	7.90	5.31	2.22	0.34							47.40
N64     	NA 	0.60	0.10										NA
DC      	NA 	1.60	0.40										NA
PS2     	0.40	7.30	16.10	21.52	26.96	26.50	22.10	14.20	5.70	1.90	0.30		142.98
GBA     	-	1.60	2.70	3.60	4.09	3.42	2.30	0.90					18.60
Xbox    	-	-	2.09	4.66	7.14	6.57	3.40	0.60					24.50
GC      	-	-	1.70	2.72	2.42	1.22	0.40	0.10					8.60
NDS     	-	-	-	-	-	1.85	6.40	14.90	19.10	15.20	9.90		67.35
PSP     	-	-	-	-	-	2.92	6.10	5.60	4.10	2.90	1.60		23.22
X360    	-	-	-	-	-	0.44	5.20	9.80	14.90	16.90	18.20		65.44
Wii     	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.50	7.90	20.10	18.90	13.60		61.00
PS3     	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.20	10.40	12.30	13.80		40.70
Console 	24.20	30.50	32.00	38.00	42.90	43.30	46.40	58.20	74.30	68.10	57.40		515.30
PC Games 	13.10	12.00	12.20	13.00	12.90	12.50	13.00	12.20	8.50	6.40	5.50		121.30
Total   	37.30	42.50	44.20	51.00	55.80	55.80	59.40	70.40	82.80	74.60	62.90	55.40	636.70

We never did get full 2011 figures.



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