Smash Wii U Can Smash 4 save the Wii U?

[The Real Gamer]

For anyone who can't watch the video Max basically summarizes why the Wii U has most likely been doing such a terrible job in the market in terms of console sales. The system is selling so terribly it's doing even worse than the Gamecube, which was one of Nintendo's most unsuccessful systems (one again only in terms of profits and sales... I love my GC <3).

Max attributes most of the Wii U's failures thanks to the lack of quality first party content post launch. The system has been out for over a year and yet most of the highly anticipated next gen titles either:
a) haven't even been given a release date yet or aren't expected to be launched until later this year(Mario Kart 8, Smash 4, Bayonetta 2, etc.)
or
b) haven't even been announced yet (Zelda Wii U, Metroid Wii U, etc.)

You know things are bad when New Super Mario Bros U, the 2nd best selling game in the entire Wii U library, is struggling to barely sell 2 million units while New Super Mario Bros Wii is currently sitting pretty at nearly 28 million units sold. Of course the latter has been out for about 3-4 years longer but there's no way the former will even come close to those sales numbers at the rate the Wii U is selling at.

Will Smash 4 be able to keep the Wii U afloat? Or will the Wii U go down as one of the most unsuccessful Nintendo consoles ever?

I used to remain optimistic in terms of the Wii U's chances but I'm not so positive anymore. Although we all love Smash and will buy Wii U's just for the game we have to remember that we only make up a small minority... Most of the target audience buying this game are the casuals that will be looking for other quality titles to buy along with Smash 4, and right now the current library clearly isn't cutting it. I'm even more worried that the 3DS version will severely hinder the amount of sales that the Wii U version can achieve since the 3DS is currently looking like the cheaper and superior alternative since it actually has a quality library of 1st party titles unlike the Wii U as it currently stands.

 

[Hinata]

Well, it may help, but it's also probably not gonna save it, because there's a 3DS version with much more appeal. Portable, same characters, different stages. Really, there's no repercussions to buying the 3DS version only. If it was a Wii U exclusive, that would be another story. But it isn't, so I don't think it'll help substantially.

 

[Overtaken]

I'm buying a wii u for absolutely no reason other than smash 4. It may very well be the only game I ever own for the system, wouldnt care.

That said, it likely depends on how many other people have the same plans. But then again, the hardcore smash fans that would buy a system for one game might be relatively large, but enough to make a substantial impact? Hard to say....

 

[pitthekit]

Brawl was one of the most solded games on the wii yes?(I know wii sports dominated)

I hope smash 4 looks casual friendly so sakurai can bait for easy sales.

I want it to have a great and deep mechanics so I can enjoy top level players putting them to use.

I hope smash 4 helps the wii u

Hate me but I want smash to be an e sport.
Seeing what players can accomplish with great tools is really cool to see.

 

[The Real Gamer]

Well, it may help, but it's also probably not gonna save it, because there's a 3DS version with much more appeal. Portable, same characters, different stages. Really, there's no repercussions to buying the 3DS version only. If it was a Wii U exclusive, that would be another story. But it isn't, so I don't think it'll help substantially.

That's exactly what I just edited into my own thoughts in the OP. The 3DS is clearly looking like the superior version to get as far as casuals are concerned.

If the Wii U's flagship title can't even bring in large sales numbers then the future for the console is truly looking grim.

 

[Substitution]

That's exactly what I just edited into my own thoughts in the OP. The 3DS is clearly looking like the superior version to get as far as casuals are concerned.

...Hey!

 

[Deleted member]

Smash Bros. and Mario Kart will definitely help out Wii U sales. While they can help sell consoles, I think that the Wii U needs more muscle to push sales like better promotion and more 3rd party support. One game can save the system, but there are other factors that we have to think about.

 

[The Real Gamer]

...Hey!

I'm confused... Do you consider yourself a casual?

 

[Substitution]

I'm confused... Do you consider yourself a casual?

No, I'm planning on going competitive on the 3DS (don't have a Wii U, or a Television for that matter).

 

[The Real Gamer]

No, I'm planning on going competitive on the 3DS (don't have a Wii U, or a Television for that matter).

Oh... I personally don't see the competitive handheld scene flourishing much. Handheld competitive scenes are usually dwarfed by their console counterparts (Street Fighter IV being an example).

But then again a lot of the casuals on the 3DS version could be converted to the competitive side so who knows?

 

[Arcadenik]

Well, it may help, but it's also probably not gonna save it, because there's a 3DS version with much more appeal. Portable, same characters, different stages. Really, there's no repercussions to buying the 3DS version only. If it was a Wii U exclusive, that would be another story. But it isn't, so I don't think it'll help substantially.

Yeah... about the 3DS version... it doesn't have HD graphics... the Wii U version does.... and I think many people would like that.

 

[Substitution]

Oh... I personally don't see the competitive handheld scene flourishing much. Handheld competitive scenes are usually dwarfed by their console counterparts (Street Fighter IV being an example).

But then again a lot of the casuals on the 3DS version could be converted to the competitive side so who knows?

Then again, wasn't Street Fighter 3D released later?
(And to be fair, it's not compatible with the arcade stick, something that is crucial to play those kinds of games...)

 

[The Real Gamer]

Then again, wasn't Street Fighter 3D released later?
(And to be fair, it's not compatible with the arcade stick, something that is crucial to play those kinds of games...)

It was, but I'd say it's a fair comparison since Smash has already established itself primarily as a console fighter much like Street Fighter already has. When you compare the amount of discussion among any hardcore Smashbros forums the Wii U version always greatly trumps the portable version, which shows a good majority of the interest lies with the Wii U version.

But this isn't even relevant to the discussion at hand and are only my predictions/opinions so lets get back on topic.

 

[Morrigan]

Nintendo is falling behind on everything, the only reason the Wii sold like it did was its "revolutionary" controllers allowing new forms of gameplay, and it attracted maaaany many casual and new players. That was 8 years ago and it's not much of a shocking or surprising thing anymore. There is nothing yet about the Wii U that makes me want to buy it.

I am also buying a Wii U solely because of this game, it will sell millions but I don't think it'll be a turning point.

 

[Substitution]

It was, but I'd say it's a fair comparison since Smash has already established itself primarily as a console fighter much like Street Fighter already has. When you compare the amount of discussion among any hardcore Smashbros forums the Wii U version always greatly trumps the portable version, which shows a good majority of the interest lies with the Wii U version.

But this isn't even relevant to the discussion at hand and are only my predictions/opinions so lets get back on topic.

But, then again. We haven't seen a portable Smash before...
---

I'm not sure, will it be big? Probably, but I'm not sure if it'll save the Wii U. At least, not on it's own...

 

[TumblrFamous]

Smash and Zelda will be the big ones. I don't think it will be a huge turnaround, but it will definitely help.

 

[Forcerounds]

A lot of people will buy a Wii U just to play Super Smash Bros. 4. Anyone who does will be the envy of his or her friends and will all want to come over and play it. But will the first strain of Smash owners trigger a second strain of people who played the game at a friend's house and want a copy for themselves? We don't know. The existence of a 3DS version may be the more popular choice for those who aren't hardcore Smash fans, own a 3DS already, and want to save money. It's going to play more or less the same.

That said, I don't think enough people will buy into Smash 4 to save the Wii U. The belief that one game can change everything isn't working for Nintendo. They need to sell software at a consistent rate after Smash 4 launches in order for it to rise above Dreamcast-tier sales.

 

[DaDavid]

I'm honestly not of the opinion that the Wii U needs "saving." Every first party title has generate a good sales bump for the console, and yes, Smash is going to generate probably way more than we've seen. But between now and then we have DKC:TF, Mario Kart 8, and possibly X off the top of my head.

It'll be fine. Their biggest problem was with marketing, no amount of titles will help that.

 

[The Real Gamer]

I'm honestly not of the opinion that the Wii U needs "saving."

Posted on 1/29/2014
"Wii U Sales Are So Bad Nintendo Execs Gave Themselves A Pay Cut"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/wii-u-sales_n_4685143.html

 

[Mysteltainn]

Smash will be a pretty big contributor, but it isn't key, either. People who are only interested in Smash that own a 3DS will probably not bother, but the people who are interested in all of the big franchises that we may see releasing something this year, such ones being Zelda, DK:TF, Mario Kart 8, Metroid, etc, are going to be the ones that get it.

However, Nintendo cannot dilly-dally right now, and there's the daunting reality that, with the exception of DK:TF, NONE of the above games I've mentioned above even have as much as a tentative release date. People aren't going to wait around forever, and the PS4 and Xbox One are here...

 

[ZeldaMaster]

I'd say Mario Kart will be a bigger system seller than Smash (Mario Kart Wii outsold Smash Brawl by over 20 million), but if the Gamecube era is anything to consider, perhaps Smash will be the Wii U's best seller.

 

[GreenReaperGod]

What's a Wii U?

 

[kylexv]

Smash and Zelda will be the big ones. I don't think it will be a huge turnaround, but it will definitely help.

Mario Kart could be too. Mario Kart Wii sold more copies than Pokemon Red and Blue

 

[Z25]

I believe it can if they add a ridiculous character so outlandish that no one would expect so people will buy it right away(cough reggie cough sandbag cough). This has been proven to help in the past, plus if they do DLC and advertising just right it will help as well. Also there is still X, Mk8, Zelda, Pokémon X Teken and who knows what other surprises await us on the Wii U.

 

[DaDavid]

Posted on 1/29/2014
"Wii U Sales Are So Bad Nintendo Execs Gave Themselves A Pay Cut"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/wii-u-sales_n_4685143.html

I never said things were good either, but the idea that it needs saving is a bit extreme, though maybe I'm too focused on semantics. Like I said, the only real big-name title that's come out was SM3DW, maybe Pikmin 3 though that series has always been more niche. If the Wii U is struggling once the software is out, then we can start talking about saving.

 

[CatRaccoonBL]

Posted on 1/29/2014
"Wii U Sales Are So Bad Nintendo Execs Gave Themselves A Pay Cut"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/29/wii-u-sales_n_4685143.html

And? So they take pay cuts to make up for the lost. That doesn't mean they are going to go bankrupt, that means they are just trying to save their money as best they could.

The Console flopped. Nothing will change that. All Nintendo can do now is just continue to make amazing games and just watch people slowly get a hold of a wii u.

It's better now to just make games people will remember in a positive light then quick money grabbers.

This is why I'm against a spring release date for smash. Sure, it'll make money quicker, and maybe they won't have that much of an addition to the total money they make if they release it in winter, but at least people will remember it in a positive light.

Nintendo just needs to keep the trust between them and their fans. After that, and better advertising, down the line when there are more games, more and more people will probably start to want a wii u, and at the very least it'll be a decent console. It doesn't need to be saved.

 

[RODO]

The Wii U can fail 3 times over for all I care, I just want Smash.

 

[The Real Gamer]

And? So they take pay cuts to make up for the lost. That doesn't mean they are going to go bankrupt, that means they are just trying to save their money as best they could.

Who said anything about them going bankrupt? I was just highlighting a scenario that shows how much of a flop the Wii U has been.

It doesn't need to be saved.

Any Nintendo executive will disagree with you on this. When high profile company executives are taking massive pay cuts just to keep sales afloat they might as well be waving a giant white flag in terms of how terrible they're currently doing in the console war.

The Wii U flopping is going to massively and negatively effect the overall outlook and reputation of the company among us consumers, and as Nintendo gets weaker Microsoft and Sony will only grow stronger. Nintendo can't risk the Wii U to fall flat on its face without making some sort of push to improve sales before things get too bad.

 

[Superyoshiom]

To be honest, I dot really care. So long as I get to play a fun HD smash, then it's the non Wii U owners loss.

 

[Hong]

I feel ripped off, honestly.

I wish they had waited at least two more years before they released the system.

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

Glad to see some rational discussion here. I personally can't fathom SSB4 "saving" the Wii U. Smash Bros couldn't save the GameCube, which was doing better than the Wii U at this point in its life. I fail to see how it will save the Wii U, especially with sales surely split between the Wii U and 3DS. The Wii U version may be the more attractive to the average forum-goer, but I think there's a large silent group (mostly young children) to whom the multiplayer benefits offered by the console version will either be lost or ignored. It'll be the cheaper game for a system that most kids already have, so it'll be an easier purchase for parents or Junior with his birthday money.

If any one game is going to save the Wii U, it'll be Mario Kart. But I personally think it'll take a multitude of games to engender the change Nintendo wants to see, if it happens at all. Relying on Smash would be reflective of Nintendo's current problem (aside from their awful marketing): relying on cheap money-grabbers with the occasional "big" game always dangling in our faces for a future release of indefinite date. A steady stream of titles of at least modest quality would demonstrate that they're as committed to the console's success as they keep saying they are.

 

[dimensionsword64]

It will boost sales, but it won't save it. (Not saying it will fail; just saying it won't be Smash that saves it)

 

[Networker1]

Glad to see some rational discussion here. I personally can't fathom SSB4 "saving" the Wii U. Smash Bros couldn't save the GameCube, which was doing better than the Wii U at this point in its life. I fail to see how it will save the Wii U, especially with sales surely split between the Wii U and 3DS. The Wii U version may be the more attractive to the average forum-goer, but I think there's a large silent group (mostly young children) to whom the multiplayer benefits offered by the console version will either be lost or ignored. It'll be the cheaper game for a system that most kids already have, so it'll be an easier purchase for parents or Junior with his birthday money.

If any one game is going to save the Wii U, it'll be Mario Kart. But I personally think it'll take a multitude of games to engender the change Nintendo wants to see, if it happens at all. Relying on Smash would be reflective of Nintendo's current problem (aside from their awful marketing): relying on cheap money-grabbers with the occasional "big" game always dangling in our faces for a future release of indefinite date. A steady stream of titles of at least modest quality would demonstrate that they're as committed to the console's success as they keep saying they are.

What exactly do you mean by "cheap money grabbers?" Can you give an example?

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

What exactly do you mean by "cheap money grabbers?" Can you give an example?

Essentially what RaccoonBL meant by the term, if I understood him correctly. Rushing out games early in order to buffer the Wii U's floundering reputation. This can mean anything from releasing a half-finished Smash 4 much earlier than it should be released, to cheap titles with low market appeal that are put out simply to make it look like the Wii U is still seeing support. I suppose something like NES Remix would fit into the latter category, though I'm not sure how successful it's been.

 

[nessokman]

PS4 has already destroyed the Wii U so thoroughly, there is nothing to save. Nothing remains. I'll be going smash 3ds

 

[Violenceman]

A lot of people seem to forget that Nintendo is not a console-based company like Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo is a game company that just happens to develop its own console to play games on. If the Playstation 4 was at WiiU levels, that would be an emergency because that is their whole ship. But with Nintendo, the "success" of the console is not nearly as important as the success of the games, because those will drive the console sales. And Nintendo has not really released that many high-profile 1st party games yet. That is totally Nintendo's blunder, and one that will hopefully teach them to have a proper launch line-up next time. But once there is a new Zelda, a Smash, Mario Kart, etc, I expect to see the WiiU's sales to increase and with it, the sales of all WiiU games, new and old. I don't think it will be anywhere near as successful as the Wii, but I think Nintendo will come out of this at least breaking even. And they have enough Wii money to let this one play out for a while.

 

[SuperMii3D]

No

This is not fair. Why am I forced to post a message with at least 10 characters?

 

[Eternal phoenix Fire]

No

This is not fair. Why am I forced to post a message with at least 10 characters?

Welcome to smashboards.

 

[Johnknight1]

Nintendo isn't in trouble, and doesn't need saving.

They've got more cash on hand than Coca-Cola for Christ's sake (I checked the financial reports) and that's after they spent over 10 billion in cash on investments, which includes the 3DS XL (huge success), the 2DS (huge success), and the Wii U. The Wii U will move at least 10 million units this 2015 financial cycle for Nintendo, or for those not in the know, April 2014 to March 2015.

As for the "expectations cut", it's to protect the stock. I can't recall the company but a company recently was 2% under expected gains ("You can't go broke making more than you spend" as the old saying goes), and yet, the stock dropped 40%. Nintendo is protecting itself from that happening to their stock.

Honestly, if y'all wanna invest in a company, wait until after the end of March when Nintendo's financial statements go public. The wildebeests (or as I call them, stock brokers) will sell on Nintendo really low, and the people with brains will buy it, get Nintendo's nice dividends, and, oh yeah, watch the stock rise wayyyyyy up.

The Wii U is making a profit, Nintendo's making a profit, and unlike the Xbox brand (which has a net loss of around 3-5 billion dollars), Nintendo knows how to turn a profit because they have their crap down.

===

Before anyone tries to say "NO YOU'RE WRONG!!!" I'm studying to become an accountant, and I've read their financial statements for the past 5 years. Trust me, they're in fantastic shape. They got virtually no debt, tons of assets, loads of great short and long-term investment, and just under 9 billion in cash, despite only 28 billion or so in assets.

In other words, I'm not grabbing things from word press (who still uses that=???) "journalists" and calling their stuff "facts".

PS4 has already destroyed the Wii U so thoroughly, there is nothing to save. Nothing remains. I'll be going smash 3ds

...how=??? I mean, sales-wise yes the PS4 started off great, but it literally has no quality games. GT6 pretty much ensures that Gran Turismo is no longer a blockbuster franchise. Kill Zone is Kill Zone, which means it sucks. The PS4 has no other exclusive games out. And if we start talking about inFamous Second Son, don't make me laugh. (Uncharted 4 will be boss though)

On top of that, anything could happen with Sony at this point. Their corporation may split up into multiple entities, and they've got a lot of issues. Oh, and the Vita is still a huge disappointment, and is losing them billions probably.

I feel ripped off, honestly.

I wish they had waited at least two more years before they released the system.

You could apply this to any of the consoles released this generation, sans the 3DS (which could have used about a year). The Wii U, PS4, X1, and especially the Vita had awful launch period libraries. Heck, I can't decide which was better: the X1 launch library or the wii U launch library. That's how bad it was!

Any Nintendo executive will disagree with you on this. When high profile company executives are taking massive pay cuts just to keep sales afloat they might as well be waving a giant white flag in terms of how terrible they're currently doing in the console war.

Nintendo executives did this when the 3DS had issues. Look how that turned out.

This was an act to make the stockholders not vote for a CEO or push the CEO to fire employees by overreacting. Nintendo was posting profits, so honestly, doing such a thing would most likely be bad for business anyways.

Mario Kart could be too. Mario Kart Wii sold more copies than Pokemon Red and Blue

Mario Kart Wii sold more copies than life.

No really, if Mario Kart 8 moves 1/4th as many copies, it will have been a resounding success (about 9 million copies). I don't find it coincidental that Mario Kart Wii's release period and Mario Kart 7's release period were like the biggest period of unit sold growth for both the Wii and 3DS. I expect the same of Mario Kart 8, although I do think Smash could likely top that.

Welcome to smashboards.

LOL.

 

[D-idara]

For anyone who can't watch the video Max basically summarizes why the Wii U has most likely been doing such a terrible job in the market in terms of console sales. The system is selling so terribly it's doing even worse than the Gamecube, which was one of Nintendo's most unsuccessful systems (one again only in terms of profits and sales... I love my GC <3).

Max attributes most of the Wii U's failures thanks to the lack of quality first party content post launch. The system has been out for over a year and yet most of the highly anticipated next gen titles either:
a) haven't even been given a release date yet or aren't expected to be launched until later this year(Mario Kart 8, Smash 4, Bayonetta 2, etc.)
or
b) haven't even been announced yet (Zelda Wii U, Metroid Wii U, etc.)

You know things are bad when New Super Mario Bros U, the 2nd best selling game in the entire Wii U library, is struggling to barely sell 2 million units while New Super Mario Bros Wii is currently sitting pretty at nearly 28 million units sold. Of course the latter has been out for about 3-4 years longer but there's no way the former will even come close to those sales numbers at the rate the Wii U is selling at.

Will Smash 4 be able to keep the Wii U afloat? Or will the Wii U go down as one of the most unsuccessful Nintendo consoles ever?

I used to remain optimistic in terms of the Wii U's chances but I'm not so positive anymore. Although we all love Smash and will buy Wii U's just for the game we have to remember that we only make up a small minority... Most of the target audience buying this game are the casuals that will be looking for other quality titles to buy along with Smash 4, and right now the current library clearly isn't cutting it. I'm even more worried that the 3DS version will severely hinder the amount of sales that the Wii U version can achieve since the 3DS is currently looking like the cheaper and superior alternative since it actually has a quality library of 1st party titles unlike the Wii U as it currently stands.

The Nintendo cycle will happen, remember the 3DS? Nintendo's ALWAYS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS until they shut everyone up with flurries of amazing games.