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Nintendo Blames Falling Wii Sales On Lack Of Big Titles
Speaking to investors after Nintendo reported a 60.6 per cent decline in quarterly operating profit, company president Satoru Iwata cited a lack of major new games as the primary reason for a recent decline in Wii sales.
During the first quarter ended June 30, Wii hardware sales totaled 2.23 million units, down from 5.17 million during the same period last year, while software sales declined by almost ten million units to 31.07 million.
Asked whether this had led the platform holder to consider dropping the price of the Wii for the first time since the system launched in late 2006, Iwata said: "It's not the case of the quality of hardware moved, the feeling of missing strong competitive power, lacking its lustre or poor sales. Consistently, big time titles will be released in the marketplace for this hardware. When that stops, to reinvigorate the console, or to put it another way, I think the current decline in hardware sales is due to the fact that there aren't many big titles (at the moment)."
Iwata also noted that hardware price cuts aren’t currently on the company’s agenda, according to Kotaku. "Right now, there aren't a lot of discussions going on about what exactly to do about hardware pricing," he said.
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What about Monster Hunter, that's a pretty bad-ass game for Nintendo's casual core. Surely the Hunting parties will pony up with the cash for Monster Hunter Wii fun, and possibly even create a market for other hardcore titles on Wii.
I would love a reason to buy a Wii again. It just doesn't feel right not owning a Nintendo console. The kid in me insists that I have one like I have always had one. The adult in me tells me it's a waste of money and for the kids (and mums). The adult in me is right. It is for kids. The NES, SNES and N64 were there for me while I was growing up. The Gamecube was a bit of a let down. Considering Nintendo's history of innovation all they could muster for the Gamecube was a big A button and a flaming handle on the console. Like I was ever gonna skip down the road with my Gamecube in hand! Plus, I was in my 20's then and I had grown up, nay, matured and wanted more than cute, colourful games that Nintendo did so well. So I got my gaming satisfaction by killing stuff on the PS2 and Xbox.
Moving into our current generation, I am older and even less compelled to play Nintendo style games. It's not that they are not good, it's just that I am past playing those sort of games. I liken it to the Star Wars movies. I dare say most of us were kids when we saw the original trilogy, and loved them. We watched the new trilogy as adults and hated them, but kids loved them! Tastes change. So I am gonna stop hating on Nintendo cause they haven't really changed, we have. Sure, they have gone a little bit more casual but it's still the same old Nintendo. I think we should just leave Nintendo to the kids and mums and remember the good years when we were kids. Fortunately for Nintendo they found this new Mum market because they would have gone the way of Sega since no "core" gamers really wants to play Nintendo games any more, hence the Gamecube losing out to the Xbox last generation. No amount of "core" games on Wii will entice the "core" gamers away from their Playstations and Xboxs. And, if they fill the Wii catalogue with "core" games then what's then point? I struggle to buy games for my PS3 as I can get everything on my 360, why would I want 3 machines that play the same games?
The games definitely have changed. Just compare Twilight Princess to Majora's Mask.
How have they changed, really? Majora's Mask is incomparable to any other Zelda. If you are talking difficulty, perhaps again. You have just grown into a smarter gamer. The water temple is probably a cinch nowadays.
Nah, the games aren't getting easier -- OOT is easy from beginning to end. But, since MM is such a radical change from the Zelda formula, compare Twilight Princess to that one, Ocarina. It's not even close.
I'm sure Sega will appreciate the comment.
Yes there is a distinct lack of big tities on the wii... oh sorry, titles, titles
Well, let's see now: there are a few high profile (some under-hyped) quality Wii releases that aren't first-party Nintendo titles coming up:
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Dead Space; Extraction
Sin & Punishment 2
Cursed Mountain
Valhalla Knights; Eldar Saga
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Ju-on: the Grudge
Cave Story
Arc Rise Fantasia
Rabbids Go Home!
among others.
So let's see if Mr. Iwata's theory holds up. If good games like these don't sell, it's not the lack of big titles more than the lack of interest by the millions of casual Wii owners who only want certain games and are unwilling to step outside of the exercise zone.
"If good games like these don't sell..."
Madworld and The Conduit say hello.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Dead Space; Extraction
Sin & Punishment 2
Cursed Mountain
Valhalla Knights; Eldar Saga
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
Ju-on: the Grudge
Cave Story
Arc Rise Fantasia
Rabbids Go Home!
He means titles like: Bioshock, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Burnout Paradise, MGS 4, Uncharted, Oblivion, Killzone 2, GTA IV, etc.
Are you saying that it would be better if the only games released are the "big hitters"?
Isn't there a place in the wide world for people who want to play a 2-D platformer/slash-a-thon like Murmasa? Or a classic (hopefully) Treasure developed shooter like sin and punishment 2? Or even a family who do just want to wave their arms like idiots and have fun together playing Rabbids go home?
Why can't "hardcore gamers" get off their high horse every once in a while and realise not everyone wants the same thing and just agree to disagree?
...and that was my point exactly.
Some of the wags here fit that mold perfectly. Although, as I've posted elsewhere, it's Nintendo's own fault for sweeping out their net so wide this generation. On the other hand,- if you simply study Nintendo's history, they're only trying to recreate what has come before.
The company has ALWAYS targeted as wide an audience as possible with their game consoles since the Famicom (well, except for the Virtual Boy). How the hell do you think they've held onto the handheld market for 20 years straight? Even though there were a bunch of superior portable systems, all of them died out because they couldn't compete at retail.
Granted, that says more about people being total sheep when it comes to branding and name recognition, but the "hardcore" headcases who only want to play the same FPS and action games with shiny new coats of paint every year, then bitch and moan about games lacking originality are just as sheep-like (if not more so).
I think he means titles like these:
- Let's make Toast!
- Xtreme Etch-a-Sketch
- Fun with a Microwave
- Mario Blows Bubbles
- Hoveround Racers
- Family Fun: Swing your Wiimote for No Reason
- Crap Made with Adobe Flash: A Compilation
Lmao, classic. Probably more right than barla though.
"He means titles like: Bioshock, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Burnout Paradise, MGS 4, Uncharted, Oblivion, Killzone 2, GTA IV, etc."
Are you being sarcastic? If he wants titles like those, he'll be waiting a long time.
If he wants titles like those, he'll be waiting a long time.
No shit, lol.