back to article Nintendo Wii U set to out-sell predecessor at launch

Nintendo will shift more Wii Us in the first three months of release than it managed with the console's predecessor, analysts claim. But an estimated 53 million sales by the end of 2016 puts projected long-term success of the tablet-inspired console quite some way behind. Nintendo is said to have 5.5 million Wii U units in …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Gossip

    I was recently told, by an authoritative source that Nintendo won't be selling the classic Wii next year because it consumes more energy in standby than is allowed under the EC Regs. Don't think I've seen this reported anywhere yet.

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Gossip

      Surely they can very easily refresh the hardware to fix that... Sony do it every few months on PS3 it feels like.

      The Wii remains a brilliant little console in my view, regardless how it is so wimpy in terms of hardware.

    2. DrXym

      Re: Gossip

      The Wii had 3 modes - on, online standby and standby. It burns 10W to be in online standby since its basically on but not outputting any graphics. Nintendo stuck that mode in promising "surprises". About the only surprise people got is their electric bill went up.

      1. squilookle
        Facepalm

        Re: Gossip

        That and the disc drive flashing blue when there were updates. It didn't really work well though. The parents used to call me and ask why their Wii was flashing, then I had to talk them through it.

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: Gossip

          I never understood that, it was like in I Robot :)

  2. FartingHippo
    Mushroom

    £50 for 24Gb

    Did you see that, Apple? Did you? Huh, HUH?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I got lucky...

    ... and snagged the Deluxe Edition pre-order for £199 back in mid-September due to a pricing mistake on Amazon - a mistake that was fixed less than five minutes after I placed my order! :)

    I would not have bought the Wii-U at the normal price, but £199 seems pretty reasonable for the Deluxe Edition.

  4. Paul Webb
    WTF?

    What stock shortage?

    5.5m units in stock.

    3.5m sales up to Christmas.

    Why does anyone have to wait until 2013?

  5. squilookle
    Meh

    I don't know anyone that is even thinking about buying one of these.

    That said, it has the Wii name and logo that many people know from the previous Wii they bought. Even if the current Wii is gathering dust, they might see that, remember the fun they had with the last one and buy one hoping to experience that again, so maybe that does stand it in better stead than the original (which had to build the 'Wii' brand up from scratch.

    Personally, I don't want to see any console release fail, so I hope it does well, but I won't be buying one soon as I still haven't forgiven them for the control scheme of Skyward Sword (I'm missing a right hand and had difficulties with it), the lack of alternative controller options, or the poor response I got from their customer services dept when I asked them about it. If they release a *really* good Zelda game and the control scheme is sensible, I might cave in buy one further down the line.

  6. Greg J Preece
    Meh

    Still don't think I'm going to buy one. More than twice the price of the predecessor, yet still outdated the moment it lands. And I've played the same Zelda and Mario remakes enough times, thanks. There was a brief moment, when Namco announced Tank! Tank! Tank! for the U, that I considered it, but it passed quickly. Might get one next year when everyone's stopped caring about it, like I did last time.

    The Wii did eventually give itself reason to exist, but man did it take a while. It did have the first ever console ports of Ghost Squad, Gunblade and LA Machineguns, plus the best House of the Dead game ever made, but outside of the arcade stuff, I'm really struggling to think of a game on the Wii that I enjoyed. Sin and Punishment? Hell, that was an N64 virtual console download!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Outdated by what?

      how can *custom* hardware that's been designed with certain tasks in mind, at a low price point, be out of date, lol.

      There was a time when you were forced to spend 6 times the cost of a Wii, to emulate it, at non "outdated" resolutions. The Wii still can't be emulated by the un-efficient PC platform, for less than £250.

      I'm not so sure that if Nintendo used cutting edge technology that nobody else has access to, it would be any more successful, given it would at at least £200 to the price.

      1. Greg J Preece

        Re: Outdated by what?

        how can *custom* hardware that's been designed with certain tasks in mind, at a low price point, be out of date, lol.

        How is £300 a low price point? And stating that technology can't be outdated because technology advances? Ummm....you realise how stupid that is, right? There was a time when my PC could only display 2 colours, but I still expect my current (7 year old) machine to be able to run Crysis as a bare minimum.

        It's outdated because for far less than the money being asked you can buy something that does more, from the previous generation of consoles. It's also outdated because half the initial launch lineup is games that came out in that previous generation, games that are a year or two old.

        They're launching a console with last generation's hardware (which they last did at the £130 mark), but they're also launching it with last generation's games. You don't think that's outdated?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Outdated by what?

          "It's outdated because for far less than the money being asked you can buy something that does more, from the previous generation of consoles. It's also outdated because half the initial launch lineup is games that came out in that previous generation, games that are a year or two old."

          "They're launching a console with last generation's hardware (which they last did at the £130 mark), but they're also launching it with last generation's games. You don't think that's outdated?"

          __________________

          New gamers arriving on the scene, as they hit the right age to ask for a console for Xmas, aren't going to care so much. There aren't many games that are not rehashes anyway or don't pull their ideas from the Golden era in the 1980s.

          Ironically, the the most powerful tech we have, is used to play the same old games over and over on the PC, just at a higher resolution, seemingly more lifelike graphics and higher frame rate.

          You talk about the Xbox 360 offering more. I wonder how many kids simply just put a Disc in and play in the traditional way? Using controllers that have their DNA at Nintendo. Not to mention the old school gamers who only want to do just that.

          Nintendo SNES and the first Playstation on their releases, were out of date according to your logic, but they both out shined the PC for platformers, 2d, 3d fighters, and driving games. The bulk of where the money was.

          To not be out of date, Nintendo would have to use a i7 3960X and GTX690. What would the power requirements be and how would such a system look under a TV? Most importantly, what control system would be used to play the games?

          What has changed in the Japanese company's culture and style of gaming, to now require using the the most powerful processors to out do Sony and Microsoft?

          ___

          "How is £300 a low price point?"

          ___

          300 $US

          The NES and SNES were both 200$US (roughly $500 in today's money)

          It's not far off half the price of an iphone. Cheaper than an ipad. Cheaper than a Surface PC. Cheaper than an average TV set. All things kids will be getting for Christmas and birthday presents.

          Nintendo can't build and ship this hardware cheaper and neither could we. You also realise Microsoft's Xbox division has barely made any money from it's hardware?

          I doubt very much that Sony and Microsoft are rubbing their hands at the money making potential of the latest processing power for gaming.

          1. Greg J Preece

            Re: Outdated by what?

            New gamers arriving on the scene, as they hit the right age to ask for a console for Xmas, aren't going to care so much. There aren't many games that are not rehashes anyway or don't pull their ideas from the Golden era in the 1980s.

            Aaaah, so we shouldn't try? We should buy the Wii U because all games are shit anyway? As a gamer, get lost. As for the "new gamers" argument, gaming is the largest entertainment industry on Earth. I am willing to bet that there are way more existing gamers than new ones.

            Ironically, the the most powerful tech we have, is used to play the same old games over and over on the PC, just at a higher resolution, seemingly more lifelike graphics and higher frame rate.

            So utterly stupid I barely know how to respond to it. Are you honestly trying to tell me that Doom and FEAR are the same, because they're both in the same genre? How about Condemned? Exactly the same, just different graphics? Did they all pull their ideas from the golden age (which for PC games was in the late 90s - the 80s golden era refers to arcades)? It's increasingly obvious you don't know the first thing about games.

            You talk about the Xbox 360 offering more

            I never mentioned it.

            I wonder how many kids simply just put a Disc in and play in the traditional way? Using controllers that have their DNA at Nintendo. Not to mention the old school gamers who only want to do just that.

            Are you planning on approaching a point? Or should I get comfortable?

            Nintendo SNES and the first Playstation on their releases, were out of date according to your logic

            Are you drunk, or just trolling? The SNES entered a 16-bit generation as a 16-bit console with new games. The Playstation came into the fifth generation with equivalent specs and a great library. How exactly do these compare to what I said before? The equivalent would have been a company releasing several incrementally upgraded consoles with poor game suppo- oh, wait...Sega. Yeah, and how did that generation end for Sega again?

            To not be out of date, Nintendo would have to use a i7 3960X and GTX690.

            Putting aside the fact that your specs are drivel, if it's so impossible, how come their competitors are designing said machines?

            Most importantly, what control system would be used to play the games?

            The control input for a game should be competent, and increase immersion. Beyond that, who cares? The control input is the least important part of why a game is fun. The gimmicks put out by Ninty in recent years fail on both points. Constantly removing your hands from the controls to piss around, or flailing around with a Wiimote that doesn't work properly increases the gap between thought and action, reducing immersion. Read that last sentence a few times so it sinks in.

            300 $US

            First result on Amazon is £300. Nice try. Sure, that's the premium pack, but try using all their oh-so-amazing new features (read: a half-competent online service) for any length of time with only 8GB on board. Download one decent game and you're done. I downloaded 10GB on my PS3 today alone. And the non-premium pack? £250. The 500GB PS3 costs less and does more.

            It's not far off half the price of an iphone. Cheaper than an ipad. Cheaper than a Surface PC. Cheaper than an average TV set. All things kids will be getting for Christmas and birthday presents.

            And all things that aren't consoles. Just because it's cheaper than something Apple makes doesn't mean it's cheap. See above.

            You also realise Microsoft's Xbox division has barely made any money from it's hardware?

            You realise that's intentional? (And ignores a teeny tiny $1bn manufacturing fault.) No, of course you don't. Because you clearly don't know the first thing about the gaming market.

      2. DrXym

        Re: Outdated by what?

        It's just a multi core PowerPC processor with paired an AMD GPU of some kind. Little different than the 360 really. It might be clocked a bit higher, and a bit more performant. But it's quite obviously not a radical design. I expect when Nintendo put it out to tender their specs slightly exceeded the other consoles but not by a huge amount.

        It certainly doesn't justify the launch price unless you count the controller. But then again you can buy a wifi enabled tablet for $50. I doubt their controller costs more than $30 tops to manufacture.

  7. DrXym

    5 years too late

    The Wii U catches up with and slightly exceeds the specs of the 360 and PS3. For that you pay a hefty premium. It most likely means at last that 3rd party titles will enjoy platform parity at last, but I doubt it will mean the experience is much better than the other consoles or sufficiently distinct to justify buying this console if you own one of the others already.

  8. MJI Silver badge

    No must buys here

    I don't think we will get one.

    Wiii rarely turned on PS2 gets more use. The Wiii online was quite painfull compared to other consoles.

    Got 2 DS not getting 3DS

    Our children are getting older.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No must buys here

      Luckily then that a new generation of gamer is formed every year. It's rather selfish to assume Nintendo is aiming this purely at a previous generation of gamer.

      New gamers are more likely to be heavily exposed to touch gaming on mobile and tablet devices. This seems rather cunning of Nintendo to combine a tablet and a controller.

      My kids and their friends are into CastleMiner. Being young and not having fragile egos, they look straight throughout the blocky graphics. Having the inventory built into the controller would be a major development for a type of game who's roots are 30 years old.

      Can't believe we've had to wait so long for this type of advance. Watch the other 2 big players copy Nintendo once again, but cater for gamers with egos.

      1. Greg J Preece

        Re: No must buys here

        Can't believe we've had to wait so long for this type of advance. Watch the other 2 big players copy Nintendo once again, but cater for gamers with egos.

        I love how your entire argument comes down to ego. Oh most humble one, am I allowed to criticise the Wii if I also own a PS3? Because I do, and I'll tell you straight up which one gathers dust. You know why I didn't like the Wii? The games were crap. I can't even list 20 that I thought were fun, let alone original.

        The game I enjoyed playing most on the Wii was Eternal Darkness, a GameCube game ( so a Wii game, basically). The graphics look like hell these days, but I don't care. It is not a game that would have been improved in any way by adding a touchscreen

        I couldn't give a rat's ass about graphics, but touchscreen controls are shite 99% of the time. No, really, they are. I know you think they're amazing and futuristic in some fashion, but they really suck. Watch this week's Jimquisition first for a summary of why. That's not the kind of "innovation" I want.

        1. JDX Gold badge

          Re: No must buys here

          Motion controllers were a silly gimmick once too. Then Wii made them mainstream.

          Maybe the same will happen with touch, there's no fundamental reason it can't be a decent input device.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: No must buys here

            The Wiimote was also a pointing device, like a mouse. It was also used to navigate the OS, which was far superior to navigating the ever more complex Xbox 360 UI, with a mini joystick.

            FPS games were more challenging and more involving using the Wiimote coupled with a separate joystick, than a bloody keyboard and mouse.

            1. Greg J Preece

              Re: No must buys here

              The Wiimote was also a pointing device, like a mouse.

              Except that it was shit, or are we forgetting the Motion + (that then never got used in-game because developers would be excluding customers)?

              FPS games were more challenging...using the Wiimote

              A control input makes a game harder to play, and that's a good thing to you?

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: No must buys here

              "FPS games were more challenging and more involving using the Wiimote coupled with a separate joystick, than a bloody keyboard and mouse."

              In my day we had light guns for this exact purpose, it's hardly a new idea. They were fun for about half an hour until your arms got tired.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Says who

    As I know of nobody that cares for PS3 just about catchup tech.

    I know plenty of people interested in the PS3 wonderbook tech thou...

  10. Metal Marv
    Meh

    Consoles are losing their lustre for me

    I don't think I'll be getting one of these either anytime soon. I think my interest in consoles is coming to an end with the current generation. Time to go back to my PC.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

      Back to the PC for archaic and un-involving Keyboard/Mouse gaming, or for touch screen gaming with Windows 8?

      1. Greg J Preece

        Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

        Back to the PC for archaic and un-involving Keyboard/Mouse gaming

        You mean back to the PC for cheaper games, better consumer rights, no online passes, easier distribution, better sales, etc, etc, etc? Man, how archaic.

        And yes, I'll bite. K/M combo > thumbsticks.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

          And yes, I'll bite. K/M combo > thumbsticks.

          ___________

          Keyboard and mouse is much easier to use for FPS games and much more accurate, yes. A gamepad is also superior in that same sense to a steering wheel and pedals.

          It's 2012. Video gaming is well over 30 years old. Shooting games should have their own equivalent of wheel and pedals. The nearest we have is the pointing device supplied with the Wii. It was more involving and more challenging. It will also still be used on the Wii U.

          ________

          "You mean back to the PC for cheaper games, better consumer rights, no online passes, easier distribution, better sales, etc, etc, etc? Man, how archaic."

          ___________

          Yeah, the day when we have steam on Linux.

          A savvy console gamer follows hotukdeals for physical game media (or you're countries equivalent) and sells games on for a bigger percentage than you'll get for a PC game resale (usually given to the local charity shop)

          1. Greg J Preece

            Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

            Keyboard and mouse is much easier to use for FPS games and much more accurate, yes. A gamepad is also superior in that same sense to a steering wheel and pedals.

            I have a 360 pad and a steering wheel for my PC. :-p

            My argument wasn't that KB/M is better for all games, but that calling it archaic is really dumb, when a KB/M player can run rings around anyone on anything else.

            It's 2012. Video gaming is well over 30 years old. Shooting games should have their own equivalent of wheel and pedals. The nearest we have is the pointing device supplied with the Wii. It was more involving and more challenging. It will also still be used on the Wii U.

            As a high-level light-gun gamer (I would call myself hardcore but I'd sound about 13) I can't tell you the number of times it's been previously done, or how shockingly bad the Wiimote is at it compared to just about anything else. If there's one thing I can do, it's aim, and playing gun games on the Wii makes me feel like I have Parkinsons.

            Yeah, the day when we have steam on Linux.

            Eh? Sorry, didn't follow that. Anyway, I play across console and PC, and I get treated better on PC. Your savvy console gamer needs to follow feeds to find games cheap. Your average PC gamer gets the game ten quid cheaper in the first place, and if they wait as little as a month or two, gets it for a huge discount online. (I bought Max Payne 3 back in the summer for a tenner new, and got the new Spec Ops for five quid.)

            And then you get your console game home, and find that it needs online validation, and a local installation (which on a 5400rpm laptop drive takes around 6 weeks), and then it needs a mandatory patch or six, and you start to think: isn't this how PC games used to be before we improved things?

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

            "Shooting games should have their own equivalent of wheel and pedals. The nearest we have is the pointing device supplied with the Wii. It was more involving and more challenging. It will also still be used on the Wii U."

            They've had them for years, they're called light guns. Everybody still uses a keyboard and mouse because they're more accurate and don't make your arms ache, which overall makes for a more enjoyable experience.

            "A savvy console gamer follows hotukdeals for physical game media (or you're countries equivalent) and sells games on for a bigger percentage than you'll get for a PC game resale (usually given to the local charity shop)"

            This must be some new definition of 'savvy' that I was previously unaware of. Games on PC are generally about £10 cheaper since there is no cut to pay to Sony or Microsoft. Only an idiot resells a game. If you had any sense you'd pay the non-trade-in price for your new game and still have the old game should you want to replay it. If that's too confusing for you assume both games cost you £40 each and the trade-in value is £10. Would you rather have one game for £70 or two for £80?

            "Yeah, the day when we have steam on Linux."

            http://steamcommunity.com/linux

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

              "Shooting games should have their own equivalent of wheel and pedals. The nearest we have is the pointing device supplied with the Wii."

              http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Sharp-Shooter-Move-Compatible/dp/B004IK8460

              1. MJI Silver badge

                Re: Shooting game gun

                You beat me to it.

                I want to try one, a friend with one is no. 421 in the world

                1. Greg J Preece

                  Re: Shooting game gun

                  I want to try one

                  Credit where it's due, it's a very well put together piece of kit. Relatively comfortable, ambidextrous, lots of buttons. Downsides are that it's pretty costly, the buttons can't be dynamically reassigned and with both controllers in it can be a little front-heavy on the balance. I still use it though. It's great for games like House of the Dead.

                  The downside is the Move itself, which in some games behaves itself and in some games is an absolute shit (Do not buy Dead Space Extraction on Move. Get the Wii version if you want to play it. Shaky aim, but no drift.)

                  a friend with one is no. 421 in the world

                  On Time Crisis 4, I was number 7 at one point. ;-) Think I might still have the fastest international time.

                  1. MJI Silver badge

                    Re: Shooting game gun

                    Found that there are top 100s using it as well, I am about 2000 but just use Move

              2. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

                Ironic then that both Sony and MS copied to an extent, Nintendo's "gimmick"

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

                  Easy there tiger. Sony demonstated the Move 4 years before Nintendo launched the Wii.

                  I think you got it the wrong way around, and Nintendo are the copycats. I guessed they figured they could release something that vaugely worked, and then sell everyone WiiMotion+ dongles when they got it working a bit better.

                  I mean Microsoft got away with it.. Sell everyone broken Xbox360's and let them buy better ones later on....

                  1. MJI Silver badge

                    Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

                    Who cares who came first

                    Good motion controls work well, bad ones do not.

                    Just happens for FPS Sony are best, dancing MS, Wii seems to be good for general ones, but Move is better for sports as well.

                    We have Wiii and PS3 Move is DEFINATELY better

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

              >Everybody still uses a keyboard and mouse because they're more accurate and don't make your arms ache, >which overall makes for a more enjoyable experience

              >This must be some new definition of 'savvy' that I was previously unaware of.

              You sound far from Savvy. Apart from sounding like you live up inside your own gastrointestinal tract, you appear to be convinced you could do things better were you to start your own game console company.

              Good luck in persuading the mass consumer (the majority who will have a life outside of sitting at a desk connected to a personal computer) that a KB/mouse connected to the living room TV, will be an "enjoyable experience".

              Your opinions of Nintendo's new and previous hardware are purely from a selfish viewpoint. The sales figures, the new demograph Nintendo brought into the hobby, with not only the Wii, but the Nintendo DS with touch gaming 8 years ago, place egg all over your face. Your agonising put downs still fail to grasp who Nintendo really are and what their targets are.

              I know of several people who primarily purchased Nintendo Wii's to set up on family gatherings, mostly Christmas holidays. I know from their reactions and ongoing conversation they feel it was £129 well spent.

              I imagine the well used term "collecting dust" often used by video gamers (as used by yourself) in a derogatory manor, or as a measurement of success, would baffle them.

              It seems to some people, a video game console becomes part of their metabolism, hence the fuss these people make when they're not supplied with continual nutrition.

              It's very difficult to criticise, when you see that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all look at the market differently anyway.

              The emphasis is on the end user having fun. There is no evidence at this stage that users of the Wii U console won't be having fun this christmas. Some respected reviewers on youtube already say the console/control method is fun and has good potential.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

                "You sound far from Savvy. Apart from sounding like you live up inside your own gastrointestinal tract, you appear to be convinced you could do things better were you to start your own game console company."

                You do realise that just because we're all labelled as Anonymous Coward does not mean we're all the same person right?

                22:57 is my only post in this thread, I haven't commented once about Nintendo. I also noticed you didn't actually refute anything I said.

      2. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Consoles are losing their lustre for me

        >>Back to the PC for archaic and un-involving Keyboard/Mouse gaming, or for touch screen gaming with Windows 8?

        Or buy a gamepad/joystick/steering wheel. With W8, having a PC in the living room used for playing games might finally become less silly.

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