General Nintendo sales/business discussion topic (previously: The Wii U Thread)

[MegasonicZX]

Steel diver, xenoblade, Nintendo land, dillon, pushmo. I'm kinda getting tired of people saying Nintendo hasn't made any new IP's even though they have people are just looking past them*coughbrainscratchcough*

Yeah, but besides dillon the rest aren't really anything too great for me also I didn't know Steel diver and Pushmo were new IPs so excuse me for that.

[SuperLink]

For all it's acclaim, Xenoblade doesn't have mass appeal. It even had a very hard time being brought outside of Japan. It's very nice to see it of course, but it's still not a big new killer app like a brand new, top tier IP would be expected to be.

Neither does StarFox or F-Zero, people only know about those franchises because they have history and are referenced by Nintendo in various games, one day Xenoblade could be a game with history like that despite its lack of appeal. Look at Fire Emblem, fuck-all appeal originally for like 15 years but now its latest title was mega-successful and GOTY contender despite its niche-ness.

 

It's as quality as a new IP can be, it pushed the boundaries of its genre and its hardware. Just cause it doesn't feel Nintendo-y or doesn't have the mass appeal doesn't mean it's not a top quality new IP belonging to Nintendo. It got more acclaim than Pikmin, and honestly for a brand new RPG IP it honestly could not have had a stronger start in terms of sheer quality.

[Sean]

The problem with Xenoblade is that it got extremely limited release outside of Japan, so if there's one thing that makes it inaccessable to most people, it's that. I wish I could play the game but I am not going to think about bothering to hunt it down.

[Dejimon11]

Yeah, but besides dillon the rest aren't really anything too great for me also I didn't know Steel diver and Pushmo were new IPs so excuse me for that.

No it's not you it's just people in general. It's the little things ya know ?

[SuperLink]

The problem with Xenoblade is that it got extremely limited release outside of Japan, so if there's one thing that makes it inaccessable to most people, it's that. I wish I could play the game but I am not going to think about bothering to hunt it down.

This is true but this is also true of Fire Emblem, Mother, and Animal Crossing. Infact EarthBound is literally a perfect example of an amazing RPG that got an extremely limited non-JP release and turned out to be loved by thousands worldwide and completely inseparable from the Nintendo brand.

 

Like it's hella hella true of all of them. More than hella. They all had it way worse than Xenoblade and yet they're all widely recognised Nintendo franchises for one reason or another now. Every new IP has to start somewhere, and I think a lot of people forget that most RPGs have little to no popularity on just their first entry alone.

[Mr Loopone]

The problem with Dillion's Rolling Western and the Mo/Blox series are that while that they are new IPs, there are quite niche and something that the more knowledgeable Nintendo fan would know and play. Honestly they are probably good games, it is just that they are on the eShop and stuff on the eShop isn't as well noticed than stuff that is available to buy non-digitally, plus I don't think they were marketed well enough except maybe Nintendo direct and their website. I think HarmoKnight was handled the same since I've only heard about that on Nintendo direct. What if a non die-hard Nintendo fan or even a general game fan wants to know about the game who doesn't go on Nintendo's websites? How would they know about it? Another thing is that people are probably thinking of a larger new IP, something that is as big as Mario/Zelda/Pokemon (even though realistically it is hard for a new IP to get big), something that you can pick up at a store, something that has been advertised a bit.

 

For Nintendo, their last successful new IPs have been probably Wii Fit, Mario & Sonic (even though that is also Sega) and Brain Training even though that is a different demographic and the audience might not go back to these games. Well except the Mario and Sonic games who also benefitted from the fans of those series. I know the last Brain Training game didn't do well to the point of the EU release being postponed, the new Mario and Sonic flopped (didn't even see an advert for that) and not sure about Wii Fit U. For that one, it is a wait and see.

 

Thinking about it, it does seem Nintendo's most profitable series are Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Professor Layton (in a way) and Donkey Kong. Lately Animal Crossing is another considering the 3DS game and the advertising for it. Maybe they are thinking that a new Metroid, Star Fox and F-Zero might not be worth developing but Nintendo release new Kirby games that are a bit of a niche. Then again Kirby could be because of the Iwata connection since he was from HAL before becoming the boss.

 

Nintendo has got series that have been forgotten such as StarTropics, Wave Race, 1080 Snowboarding, Advance Wars, The Legendary Starfy, The Adventures of Lolo/Eggerland and even the Game & Watch series hasn't got attention lately (I actually would love to see a new Game & Watch Gallery on either the 3DS or the Wii U). A revisit of one of those and handled like a new IP could also work especially on the Wii U but the 3DS could also work.

[PSI Wind]

The problem with Dillion's Rolling Western and the Mo/Blox series are that while that they are new IPs, there are quite niche and something that the more knowledgeable Nintendo fan would know and play. Honestly they are probably good games, it is just that they are on the eShop and stuff on the eShop isn't as well noticed than stuff that is available to buy non-digitally, plus I don't think they were marketed well enough except maybe Nintendo direct and their website. I think HarmoKnight was handled the same since I've only heard about that on Nintendo direct. What if a non die-hard Nintendo fan or even a general game fan wants to know about the game who doesn't go on Nintendo's websites? How would they know about it? Another thing is that people are probably thinking of a larger new IP, something that is as big as Mario/Zelda/Pokemon (even though realistically it is hard for a new IP to get big), something that you can pick up at a store, something that has been advertised a bit.

 

For Nintendo, their last successful new IPs have been probably Wii Fit, Mario & Sonic (even though that is also Sega) and Brain Training even though that is a different demographic and the audience might not go back to these games. Well except the Mario and Sonic games who also benefitted from the fans of those series. I know the last Brain Training game didn't do well to the point of the EU release being postponed, the new Mario and Sonic flopped (didn't even see an advert for that) and not sure about Wii Fit U. For that one, it is a wait and see.

 

Thinking about it, it does seem Nintendo's most profitable series are Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Professor Layton (in a way) and Donkey Kong. Lately Animal Crossing is another considering the 3DS game and the advertising for it. Maybe they are thinking that a new Metroid, Star Fox and F-Zero might not be worth developing but Nintendo release new Kirby games that are a bit of a niche. Then again Kirby could be because of the Iwata connection since he was from HAL before becoming the boss.

 

Nintendo has got series that have been forgotten such as StarTropics, Wave Race, 1080 Snowboarding, Advance Wars, The Legendary Starfy, The Adventures of Lolo/Eggerland and even the Game & Watch series hasn't got attention lately (I actually would love to see a new Game & Watch Gallery on either the 3DS or the Wii U). A revisit of one of those and handled like a new IP could also work especially on the Wii U but the 3DS could also work.

But Push/Crashmo sold extremely well.

[Dejimon11]

I get what your saying I just people would be more specific. There's a difference between saying " you don't have anything new" and "you don't have anything new that interest me" if that makes sense

[Kaabiitorori]

Whether they are brand-new or current, IPs achieve different degrees of success. How these are perceived and received by the public is what ultimately measures their degree of success. And this does not apply solely to Nintendo. Coming up with a couple of examples...

 

Breaking that false "Nintendo does not come up with a new IP" statement, they did release things like Pullblox/Pushmo or Dillon's Rolling Western to name a few out of many brand-new IPs done in the past years. You may say these are not big scaled successes such as Mario or Zelda, but they have proven to be successful enough within their audience, even to the point of spawning sequels. Then you have got The Wonderful 101, a game victim of poor marketing and lack of sales, but most if not all of its audience proved it to be a very worthy title; the problem comes when lack of commercial success stand on their path. In the case of TW101, who knows whether Platinum will give it a second chance, although Kamiya is known for creating new franchises, so yeah...

 

Then we have got the current IPs. Obviously, Mario, Zelda and Pokémon are big franchises proven to sell millions like it ain't no thing. But then you have got stuff like Donkey Kong or Fire Emblem for example. Outside spin-offs, Jungle Beat was their last mainline platformer before DKC Returns; Retro Studios had the pleasure to put the series back to the beloved SNES roots while giving 'em a tremendous gain in popularity. Fire Emblem is known for being a niche franchise with very limited success outside of Japan; Awakening was gonna be their last game of the series according to Intelligent Systems, but the game surpassed all expectations and ended up being a commercial success never seen before in the franchise. These two examples prove that you don't need to be the next Mario, Zelda or Pokémon: as long as you have got a certain degree of success within your audience, it'll be well enough to carry on.

 

 

The problem with Xenoblade is that it got extremely limited release outside of Japan, so if there's one thing that makes it inaccessable to most people, it's that. I wish I could play the game but I am not going to think about bothering to hunt it down.

 

From what I have read, while Xenoblade Chronicles had got an extremely limited release outside of Japan, Nintendo managed to achieve a profit on every single copy of the game. Due to its limited release, the printing, distribution and marketing costs were minimal aside from being shipped to GameStop in North America, yet the game practically sold every copy produced in North America and Europe. According to VGChartz numbers (I'd not take them as 100% accurate, but it can give us an idea of its market performance), Xenoblade Chronicles sold more than 800k worldwide. While it wasn't a one-million seller, these sales proved enough for Monolith Soft not only to expand themselves by hiring more staff and moving to a bigger facility, but also to come up with a brand-new title such as X.

 

I have a feeling Monolith's X will have the same impact than Xenoblade Chronicles if Nintendo does the same limited release move. But if Nintendo actually markets and distributes the game everywhere, it could turn out to be not only an even greater success than Xenoblade but also an important big hitter on the Wii U.

 

Only time will tell though, but boy I cannot wait for that game to finally come out. =)

[Sami]

Nintendo would have to be criminally stupid to give X as limited a release as Xenoblade. There's no way.

I think an HD Wii U rerelease of Xenoblade during one of the droughts before X's release would go a long way. I'd certainly buy it.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Nintendo would have to be criminally stupid to give X as limited a release as Xenoblade. There's no way.

I think an HD Wii U rerelease of Xenoblade during one of the droughts before X's release would go a long way. I'd certainly buy it.

If I had the budget at the time I definately would

[Kaabiitorori]

Nintendo would have to be criminally stupid to give X as limited a release as Xenoblade. There's no way.

I think an HD Wii U rerelease of Xenoblade during one of the droughts before X's release would go a long way. I'd certainly buy it.

 

The thing is with Xenoblade I kinda understand the reasons for having a limited release, let alone the fact the game came out in the western markets almost at the end of the Wii's life cycle. But still, after its aforementioned success within its limited release, this has proved to Nintendo and Monolith Soft that they do have an audience for their games.

 

Hence why I am saying X must have a full release in order to ensure a better success than Xenoblade. The situations for making this possible are different from Xenoblade's as well, since it'll be released on the Wii U near its mid life-cycle, the game has been shown on worldwide editions of Nintendo Direct twice, and hopefully a very good amount of people who enjoyed Xenoblade will probably end up picking up a copy of this game, aside from the fact that the game looks very promising and ambitious enough to attract even more people.

 

Speaking of Nintendo Direct, X desperately needs a good mention on their next broadcast. It's been half a year since we've seen their latest trailer and barely any info has been said since then.

[Gabz Girl]

Pretty sure X is not going to be a limited release like Xenoblade. Because as Discoid said that would be a very stupid move. Remember also that Xenoblade came out near the end of the Wii's lifespan, so that could be one reason why limited copies were releases too.

From the trailers X looks massive and graphically spectacular compared to Xenoblade (yes I know the latter was too but this is HD and stuff!), so it's sure to be a big JRPG release for the Wii U. I really want to know more about this game in the next Direct, whenever that may be!

[PSI Wind]

Unlike Xenoblade which was mentioned at one E3 and never talked about in the US again until 2012, X was mentioned in numerous NA Directs including the E3 one.

[VO.SUPER]

I think Nintendo's big bugger is getting general audiences to know the existence of their smaller new IP like Harmoknight and Pushmo. I think what Nintendo could do is something ala Smash Bros, minus the meticulous balancing is cancel all further Mario Party's and just make one Nintendo Party game starring as many characters as they can fit on that roster, both obscure and notable.

Those of you who want to say Nintendoland, keep in mind, that was a tech demo that borrowed gameplay elements from the respective games being represented. I am suggesting a party game with a roster of characters who have no differentiation in skill mostly for the sake of casuals knowing them.

Have the prizes in a game like this be trophies like in Smash that advertise who these characters are.

Give people at The Disney Company credit, if it wasn't for things like Disneyland or a show like House of Mouse, who here would know what Song of the South is? Nintendo cannot just have a huge marketing scheme for ever new IP they put out. Not every game warrants something like that.

[Solkia]

Wasn't Xenoblade one of the most pirated Wii games of the generation?

[Autosaver]

Wasn't Xenoblade one of the most pirated Wii games of the generation?

1 million copies pirated.

[Blue Wisp]

I have to ask. Exactly how many units has the Wii U sold these Christmas times? I seem to have fallen behind and I haven't seen the exact number.

[Scar]

Wasn't Xenoblade one of the most pirated Wii games of the generation?

 

Wasn't that a result of it not being localised in one of the largest gaming markets in the world?

 

 

I have to ask. Exactly how many units has the Wii U sold these Christmas times? I seem to have fallen behind and I haven't seen the exact number.

 

No concrete numbers for the Wii U yet.

Got some LTD numbers for the Bone and the PS4 for the UK; 530,000 PS4s and 364,000 Xbones.

 

Last I checked there were like 150,000 Wii U's LTD in the UK. 

 

Nothing Worldwide for any console yet I don't think

[SuperLink]

All we really know for certain is that the Wii U did bloody terribly in UK over Christmas, none of its games were anywhere near the top half of the chart meaning bundles were not that successful.

 

I think it did well in US and it did well in Japan but it's hard to know how well it did in US, all we know is that it sold out in some places.

[Solkia]

Wasn't that a result of it not being localised in one of the largest gaming markets in the world?

 

That's my point: There was clearly a demand for it, but no way to obtain it legally until much later.

[VO.SUPER]

Meh, it's the UK. You guys have never really been too big on Nintendo, even during the NES days; it may as well be a given that Nintendo will either be mediocre or average over there. From what I hear, NoE isn't the best when it comes to marketing or offering decent service either way.

[Detective Shadzter]

Meh, it's the UK. You guys have never really been too big on Nintendo, even during the NES days; it may as well be a given that Nintendo will either be mediocre or average over there. From what I hear, NoE isn't the best when it comes to marketing or offering decent service either way.

You're kidding, right? Nintendo's always done well over here. Wii and DS sold like crazy here, just like everywhere else. You couldn't go anywhere that sold their games and systems without seeing older women fawning over Wii Fit or Brain Training. Oh, and just like the DS days, I see lots of kids out with their 3DS playing Mario Kart.

[SuperLink]

You're kidding, right? Nintendo's always done well over here. Wii and DS sold like crazy here, just like everywhere else. You couldn't go anywhere that sold their games and systems without seeing older women fawning over Wii Fit or Brain Training. Oh, and just like the DS days, I see lots of kids out with their 3DS playing Mario Kart.

Not really, the Wii and DS were exceptions because they were hella popular everywhere, there's always a bit of relativity with media, if something is selling kajillions around the world it's not suddenly gonna have only sold 100 units in one place, there's a good reason for its popularity that is a worldwide thing.

 

It just happens that, typically, Nintendo products do way worse in UK, relatively, than they do in most of the world. GC did worse in UK than anywhere else, as did N64, and in UK the Master System outsold the NES iirc, so yeah.

 

Similarly, Xbox does better in UK than it does most places, they love Xbox here.

[Solkia]

Hell, the UK prefered the Master System at the height of the NES's popularity from what I've heard.