Wii U - The end is nigh!

[Dos_Box]

Nintendo have announced that the next Zelda release, Breath of the Wild, will be the last Nintendo release on the platform, and given that no one else seems to be making games for it I think we can safely assume this will be it!

 

Nintendo signals end for Wii U - BBC News

 

On a more positive note, collectors will love it as it will be quite easy to make up a complete games library for it!

Edited January 22, 2017 by Dos_Box

[sted]

Nintendo have announced that the next Zelda release, Breath of the Wild will be the last Nintendo release on the platform, and given that no one else seems to be making games for it I think we can safely assume this will be it!

 

Nintendo signals end for Wii U - BBC News

 

On a more positive note, collectors will love it as it will be quite easy to make up a complete games library for it!

its a shame its a good console i get more use from that than my ps4 but the writing has been on the wall since not long after release and judging by the switch i dont think nintendo have learnt anything

[Dos_Box]

According to this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wii_U_software#Games there were only (to date) 53 titles released on disc to retail with a total 240 download only titles (inc. virtual console).

For the retail releases that works out at a measly 10.2 games per year to retail over its lifespan.

Given that a large chunk of these games were also launch titles, that is pretty shocking!

[sted]

According to this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wii_U_software#Games there were only (to date) 53 titles released on disc to retail with a total 240 download only titles (inc. virtual console).

For the retail releases that works out at a measly 10.2 games per year to retail over its lifespan.

Given that a large chunk of these games were also launch titles, that is pretty shocking!

but of those 10.2 there were probably 8 good ones unlike ps4/xbox where soo much of its library is utter carp (but yes its too low)

[CAM]

There are some very good titles on the Wii U and I don't regret buying this console. It's a shame its face didn't fit in the end with the wider gaming audience and you'll be missing out on a gem that was tarnished due to mismanagement and bad PR.

 

Splatoon, Mario Maker, MK8 and an upcoming Zelda title. They really did go for quality over quantity and every Christmas my brother wants to play MK8! He was asking where it was this year as it was my first festive period after moving and sadly I left the Wii U behind.

[Garacesh]

TThey really did go for quality over quantity and every Christmas my brother wants to play MK8!

Nothing quite beats the Luigi Death Stare. THERE IS NO MERCY ON THIS TRACK!

 

Overall the Wii U was a pretty good console, the reason I think it failed the capture the Wii's audience is because a lot of casual gamers* didn't want to buy a new casual console since Facebook games and Mobile games have become so widespread. Personally I can't stand free-to-wait games that try and nickel-and-dime their playerbase, but that's because I'm not a casual gamer - I like to constantly be engaged and doing something in a game I'm playing. The casual gamer is (mostly) perfectly happy to fire up a game** for 2 minutes, complete whatever actions need performing and then close it again for an hour or two.

 

* I don't mean that pejoratively, but that's who the Wii was aimed at mostly.

** Clash of Clans, Candy Crush, etcetera.

[CAM]

Nothing quite beats the Luigi Death Stare. THERE IS NO MERCY ON THIS TRACK!

 

Overall the Wii U was a pretty good console, the reason I think it failed the capture the Wii's audience is because a lot of casual gamers* didn't want to buy a new casual console since Facebook games and Mobile games have become so widespread. Personally I can't stand free-to-wait games that try and nickel-and-dime their playerbase, but that's because I'm not a casual gamer - I like to constantly be engaged and doing something in a game I'm playing. The casual gamer is (mostly) perfectly happy to fire up a game** for 2 minutes, complete whatever actions need performing and then close it again for an hour or two.

 

* I don't mean that pejoratively, but that's who the Wii was aimed at mostly.

** Clash of Clans, Candy Crush, etcetera.

 

"Game"

 

Those aren't games, they are cash generators (something that Simpsons Tapped Out was bizarrely self-aware of).

[sted]

the wii itself was lets be honest luck right machine right time it will never happen again and id suspect the vast majority of wii's out there have never been used for anything bar wii sports (and maybe wii sports resort and possible wii fit) for a lot of people it was less a console than a single game device

[Garacesh]

the wii itself was lets be honest luck right machine right time it will never happen again and id suspect the vast majority of wii's out there have never been used for anything bar wii sports (and maybe wii sports resort and possible wii fit) for a lot of people it was less a console than a single game device

 

Hey now, c'mon. Mario Galaxy and Paper Mario are fantastic. Epic Mickey was pretty good. Lego games are usually fun. Mario Party is a fantastic way to never speak to somebody ever again.

The Wii did have a lot of fantastic games, but unfortunately they felt swamped out by anything you could make a tie-in franchise for (or anything dancy or singy)

[sted]

Hey now, c'mon. Mario Galaxy and Paper Mario are fantastic. Epic Mickey was pretty good. Lego games are usually fun. Mario Party is a fantastic way to never speak to somebody ever again.

The Wii did have a lot of fantastic games, but unfortunately they felt swamped out by anything you could make a tie-in franchise for (or anything dancy or singy)

the console did BUT most consoles probably never saw them i bet a significant percentage of every wii made never had any disk but wii sports put in it. Its demographic wasnt gamers and now those non gamers use phones they have no need for a console which is why it wont be repeated unless you count the iphone as the wii's spiritual sucessor

[Garacesh]

the console did BUT most consoles probably never saw them i bet a significant percentage of every wii made never had any disk but wii sports put in it. Its demographic wasnt gamers and now those non gamers use phones they have no need for a console which is why it wont be repeated unless you count the iphone as the wii's spiritual sucessor

 

I dunno, I'd put a fair wager on the majority of Wii's having some flavour of Mario Kart in them, too

[sted]

I dunno, I'd put a fair wager on the majority of Wii's having some flavour of Mario Kart in them, too

 

by googlefu and a quick approximate bit of maths about 1/3 of wiis had mario kart sold 37 million 101 million wiis were sold

[Dos_Box]

I just can't shake the feeling that with the Switch, Nintendo have engaged in a huge amount of internal group-think and convinced themselves that this is a 'good thing' and the way ahead.

And if it wasn't so expensive it may have worked.

Time will tell, but I'm not convinced they have made the right format choice with the Switch.

[sted]

I just can't shake the feeling that with the Switch, Nintendo have engaged in a huge amount of internal group-think and convinced themselves that this is a 'good thing' and the way ahead.

And if it wasn't so expensive it may have worked.

Time will tell, but I'm not convinced they have made the right format choice with the Switch.

i think it will do well in japan but i wonder about elsewhere. Mobile gaming is more of a thing over there so replacing the wiiu and aging 3ds makes sense because of the way im led to believe Japanese gamers play games (remember the vita over there is a viable format and is possibly what the switch is mainly aimed at). in europe/usa it makes less sense which is possibly why its region free as an aid to Japanese developers who can relatively easily just add English (and possibly other) language subtitles to games and reach a bigger audience without much cost/effort

[CAM]

This is why there are so many visual novel games on the PSP. Japan was the last market left and as you said, you can just add subtitles to a slideshow of manga-style images. Western gaming is more about a console in a fixed place on the TV with your choice of online FIFA/COD/BF and a controller in your hand. I highly doubt the Switch will see much use as a portable console (especially since you won't want it stolen or damaged, look at how every other iPhone you see has a shattered screen!).

 

Mobile gaming still has a long way to go in Western markets so I don't consider it gaming and more a means to waste time on the train.

 

Thinking of it, consoles are more than just a gaming system in the west and are also a full blown media system. Blu-Ray, VOD, Twitch and cable TV. My most used app is NowTV for Sky Sports!

Edited January 23, 2017 by CAM

[sted]

This is why there are so many visual novel games on the PSP. Japan was the last market left and as you said, you can just add subtitles to a slideshow of manga-style images. Western gaming is more about a console in a fixed place on the TV with your choice of online FIFA/COD/BF and a controller in your hand. I highly doubt the Switch will see much use as a portable console (especially since you won't want it stolen or damaged, look at how every other iPhone you see has a shattered screen!).

 

Mobile gaming still has a long way to go in Western markets so I don't consider it gaming and more a means to waste time on the train.

 

Thinking of it, consoles are more than just a gaming system in the west and are also a full blown media system. Blu-Ray, VOD, Twitch and cable TV. My most used app is NowTV for Sky Sports!

and you arnt doing that on a switch netflix etc are not going to be on there presumably for portable mode reasons

 

and mobile gaming is probably due to less people in the west using public transport its hard to game if youre driving rather than sat on a train/bus

Edited January 23, 2017 by sted

[CAM]

I'd say there are enough people commuting to work by train to keep the industry ticking. Also take into account lunch breaks and other moments of downtime for people to get hooked. Possibly the biggest barrier is our poor Internet coverage, given most trains run through rural area with a poor signal or through tunnels and cuttings inside cities.