Why is the Wii U not succeeding?

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Roxas1359

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Lightknight said:
Does anyone else know if the eShop account allows you to re-download titles if your previous WiiU was lost or stolen? I think if it is damaged and you send it in that it'll be fine for sure.
You have to show proof of purchase I believe to Nintendo and they'll send a voucher for you to rebuy the games. The eShop titles are locked to the console and the only thing that you can transfer is you purchases you made on the Wii to the Wii U when using the Wii Transfer channel on the Wii U. Other than that you're sorta sol I'm afraid.
You could transfer it from one Wii U to another I believe if you give Nintendo the Wii U you wish to transfer to, but it's still a really bad system on how they deal with online purchases.

I remember Nintendo long ago said that once the Miiverse went online they'd see if they could set it up to first be able to transfer accounts, you can't transfer you Nintendo online account to other systems as they are locked to one, and then after that try to have it so that purchases are linked to that account. The hard part is really the only effective way to prove that you've bought the games is really by buying new and then registering the product on Club Nintendo.
 

Lightknight

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Neronium said:
Lightknight said:
Does anyone else know if the eShop account allows you to re-download titles if your previous WiiU was lost or stolen? I think if it is damaged and you send it in that it'll be fine for sure.
You have to show proof of purchase I believe to Nintendo and they'll send a voucher for you to rebuy the games. The eShop titles are locked to the console and the only thing that you can transfer is you purchases you made on the Wii to the Wii U when using the Wii Transfer channel on the Wii U. Other than that you're sorta sol I'm afraid.
You could transfer it from one Wii U to another I believe if you give Nintendo the Wii U you wish to transfer to, but it's still a really bad system on how they deal with online purchases.

I remember Nintendo long ago said that once the Miiverse went online they'd see if they could set it up to first be able to transfer accounts, you can't transfer you Nintendo online account to other systems as they are locked to one, and then after that try to have it so that purchases are linked to that account. The hard part is really the only effective way to prove that you've bought the games is really by buying new and then registering the product on Club Nintendo.
That's shockingly bad considering the current standards in the market. I would have bet money against this being true. But the internet largely backs up this claim.
 

Roxas1359

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
It's not that much of an issue with retail though, surely. If you buy a game used or new, you have the disc, meaning you can play it on as many consoles as you want, regardless of whether yours bricks or not. And if you bought off the eShop, it automatically counts as buying new, meaning you can register it to Club Nintendo. Even without registering it, I believe Nintendo should have a record of any eShop purchase.

Also, to address your other point above, no-one's Wii U bricked because the internet cut out. If the internet cuts out, the update pauses, and resumes when a connection is re-established.

People's Wii U consoles were bricking because of power outages. And it doesn't matter what device you have, Nintendo or no, if you cut the power during a critical system update, you'll brick the thing.
While yes it's not a problem for buying things with retail, not everything is available on discs persay which is why this is mainly an issue. They've given us no details on the system they said they were thinking of doing for being able to transfer accounts, despite saying that they would start to work on it once the Miiverse went online. All I just want is an update on that status is all because I'd like to have a security measure in case something happens to my Wii U Deluxe since Nintendo doesn't make the consoles out of Nintendonium anymore, seriously old consoles could take a beating.
 

Casual Shinji

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Neronium said:
You have to show proof of purchase I believe to Nintendo and they'll send a voucher for you to rebuy the games. The eShop titles are locked to the console and the only thing that you can transfer is you purchases you made on the Wii to the Wii U when using the Wii Transfer channel on the Wii U. Other than that you're sorta sol I'm afraid.
You could transfer it from one Wii U to another I believe if you give Nintendo the Wii U you wish to transfer to, but it's still a really bad system on how they deal with online purchases.
Jesus Christ, Nintendo really needs to get their online shit together. I mean, either do online or don't, but this half assed nonsense is just ridiculous. It's 2013, for the love of God!
 

Roxas1359

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Casual Shinji said:
Neronium said:
You have to show proof of purchase I believe to Nintendo and they'll send a voucher for you to rebuy the games. The eShop titles are locked to the console and the only thing that you can transfer is you purchases you made on the Wii to the Wii U when using the Wii Transfer channel on the Wii U. Other than that you're sorta sol I'm afraid.
You could transfer it from one Wii U to another I believe if you give Nintendo the Wii U you wish to transfer to, but it's still a really bad system on how they deal with online purchases.
Jesus Christ, Nintendo really needs to get their online shit together. I mean, either do online or don't, but this half assed nonsense is just ridiculous. It's 2013, for the love of God!
I'm still trying to understand the logic of not adding in an ethernet port onto the back of their console. I mean I could understand the Wii because the online components weren't really added in until later, but the Wii U has had online capabilities since the beginning and still no ethernet port. What does Nintendo have against people who like having a wired connection! XD
 

Lightknight

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
Neronium said:
While yes it's not a problem for buying things with retail, not everything is available on discs persay which is why this is mainly an issue. They've given us no details on the system they said they were thinking of doing for being able to transfer accounts, despite saying that they would start to work on it once the Miiverse went online. All I just want is an update on that status is all because I'd like to have a security measure in case something happens to my Wii U Deluxe since Nintendo doesn't make the consoles out of Nintendonium anymore, seriously old consoles could take a beating.
I think you mean Nintendium. And don't worry, Nintendo still has plenty of Nintendium in supply.

The Wii U Gamepad seems to have the same rugged toughness of the Wiimote, if slightly less TV screen smashing potential.
The Gamepad =/= the Wii U. That's a controller and if something happens to it you just pay Nintendo $150 to replace it. Every step forward technologically takes us further away from the simplistic but durable consoles of the past. The Wii is likely the last console to boast less than 5% failure rates.

Speaking of gamepads, did you know that the ps4 has an app that turns any idevice or android device into a gamepad for the ps4? This means the phone in my pocket can be used and I did not have to spend an additional $140 (the $150 listed above includes shipping) to buy a device I can't use for anything else.
 

MetalDooley

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InfinityCubed said:
Because it had two launch games.

and no games worth buying have come out yet.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Skylanders Giants
Transformers Prime
Wipeout 3
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
FIFA Soccer 13
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
New Super Mario Bros. U
Ninja Gaiden: Razor?s Edge
Nintendo Land
Sing Party
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Warrios Orochi 3 Hyper
Darksiders II
Assassin?s Creed III
ESPN Sports Connection
Just Dance 4
Rabbids Land
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

That's a lot more than 2 games.If you're referring simply to Nintendo developed titles then 2 first party games at launch,Wii Sports and Twilight Princess,didn't exactly hurt the Wii did it
 

InfinityCubed

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MetalDooley said:
InfinityCubed said:
Because it had two launch games.

and no games worth buying have come out yet.
-snip-

That's a lot more than 2 games.If you're referring simply to Nintendo developed titles then 2 first party games at launch,Wii Sports and Twilight Princess,didn't exactly hurt the Wii did it
I actually own a WiiU so i feel pretty stupid now.

nevertheless, it doesn't have very many exclusives that have been released yet. I think there will be a sales boost when there E3-announced games come out, and again whenever they get around to Metroid.
 

InfinityCubed

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
InfinityCubed said:
I actually own a WiiU so i feel pretty stupid now.

nevertheless, it doesn't have very many exclusives that have been released yet. I think there will be a sales boost when there E3-announced games come out, and again whenever they get around to Metroid.
People keep mentioning Metroid as some sort of system seller. The sad fact is, and I say this as a fan of the Prime series, Metroid has never been that big a seller. I think the first Prime just about managed to sell 2 million copies. The games after that sold much less. The entire Metroid Prime trilogy sold less collectively than Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro's other Wii game.

Hardcore gamers love Metroid, but it is not a system seller by any measure. I sure hope Nintendo brings us a new Metroid, but I'm not expecting it to be a big Wii U seller.
I wasn't saying it would be a big one. Most Hardcore gamers have no real reason to buy a WiiU, so the ones who didn't find something they like yet might pick it up then.
 

Lightknight

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I walked into a gamestop yesterday. I was quite surprised to see an actual Nintendo rep there, pitching the WiiU and the new disney infinity bit. I guess they really are in trouble if they need to hire reps like that in addition to all the advertising all through the store. I played the game on a gamepad. It's certainly kid friendly.
j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
The Wii U console is a stationary object. It sits under your TV and, unless you like to take your consoles out to play or something, that's where it will stay.
First off, you were talking about the gamepad, I was talking about the system. So the distinction is valid. Secondly, The 360 also sat on a shelf as a stationary object and yet I'm not entirely sure even the wiimotes had such a high failure rate.

The fact is, as the software and hardware get more complex,the console failure rate inches up. Currently, a 10% failure rate is a market standard and considered to be quite good. Depending on the actual guts of the WiiU, it appears to be a significant jump over the Wii. More powerful/complex than the 360. The thing is though, it's only somewhat better than the 360 and 6-7 years after the 360 was released. So the tech is well established. So I don't know about where the failure rate would be and the 360 was clearly flawed beyond the norm of things RROD. The ps3 did hit right there in the sweet spot.

Nintendo have already gone on record about the lengths they've gone to in order to make sure the Wii U console itself will be a durable piece of kit. They deliberately kept power consumption low in order to minimise heat production, and therefore the overheating issues that plagued the 360. They claimed to have done thousands of heat tests on the Wii U's MCM board, and to have demanded certain standards of components when buying from other electronics companies. Until we hear about a spate of Wii U spontaneously consoles going up in flames, I really don't think there's any call for assuming that the console itself will be markedly less reliable. The general consensus thus far is that the console itself is a rugged bit of kit, and there doesn't seem to have been any great problem with reliability.
Reliable does not mean it's going to have a lower-than 5% failure rate again. Again, it just needs to hit the 10% mark to be considered a perfectly reliable system. I'm unsure why you're debating this. The other consoles should be much less reliable comparatively and the WiiU is old enough tech that it should still be under 10% by a few points. In any event, failure rates are only ever calculated regarding the first two years after purchase. If we're talking about five years, there's going to be a non-trivial number of people who have lost their game library to this. Even at 3% failure rates like the Wii, you're talking about 105,000 people who own a WiiU losing a library because of this nonsense.

Does your phone have buttons? No. Does it have analogue sticks? No. Does it have triggers and bumpers? No. Then it will never be an adequate replacement for a gamepad. Seriously, if you think you can play something like Uncharted with touchscreen-only controls... well, good luck to you. Seriously. You'll need luck without any tactile feedback.
You've really got to get with the times (joking, this kind of tech is easy to miss).

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/20/4001278/best-controllers-for-your-smartphone-android-or-ios

You can plug a ps3 controller into your phone with a $15 device and your already purchased phone or you can plug in the controller from a distance. Android and iOS devices both allow this. I've played with the gamepad, I much prefer Nintendo's ergonomic controllers to this tablet crap. Frankly, I get frustrated when developers shoehorn in the use of peripherals just because they exist. If the XBO requires me to wave my hand in the air to throw a grenade or something I'll rage quit immediately.

Being able to play on the tablet with the actual console controller is a perfect one for one. But there's all kinds of desings, controllers that wrap around tablets/androids and everything. None of which cost the $140 that an unnecessary gamepad adds to the WiiU's price because these are items you're likely to already have purchased. If that weren't enough, touchpads can make buttons. How do you think we play games that require buttons right now? The developer just gives them a stable location on the screen and you press that area. What's more, for $60 more dollars you can get a PS Vita that is not only able to play from anywhere in the world that you have a wifi connection but is itself a gaming system capable of storing and playing other forms of media as well. All of this was made optional by Sony on the consumer. However, Sony has mandated that all developers make their games compatible with remote play. Every game. Nintendo just made everyone swallow the cost whether the wanted to or not and most games will unnecessarily throw a few gimmicks its way but at the yend of the day a controller will just be easier to use.

I'm sorry but the gamepad just wasn't necessary. They wanted to have a gimmick for this console generation and it not only wasn't necessary, but it confused customers and nearly doubled to the cost of the console. I'm sorry if you think this was a good idea on their end. I simply disagree.

EDIT: Sony just had a price drop, the 3G one is now $200 new, I don't know what the wifi one will go to. We could be looking at quite a disparity.
 

McMarbles

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Lightknight said:
I walked into a gamestop yesterday. I was quite surprised to see an actual Nintendo rep there, pitching the WiiU and the new disney infinity bit. I guess they really are in trouble if they need to hire reps like that in addition to all the advertising all through the store. I played the game on a gamepad. It's certainly kid friendly.
This is the whole "Nintendo: Damned if they do, damned if they don't" meme in a nutshell.

No rep? They must not even be trying. They know they can't get anyone interested.

They send a rep? They must be in trouble! Why else would they be making an effort?
 

Lightknight

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McMarbles said:
Lightknight said:
I walked into a gamestop yesterday. I was quite surprised to see an actual Nintendo rep there, pitching the WiiU and the new disney infinity bit. I guess they really are in trouble if they need to hire reps like that in addition to all the advertising all through the store. I played the game on a gamepad. It's certainly kid friendly.
This is the whole "Nintendo: Damned if they do, damned if they don't" meme in a nutshell.

No rep? They must not even be trying. They know they can't get anyone interested.

They send a rep? They must be in trouble! Why else would they be making an effort?
Huh? Why would anyone think that Nintendo not having reps in-person in gaming stores is a sign of trouble? That is the norm. If there was no rep, I wouldn't have even thought about it. I've never in my life seen a rep from Nintendo or any other console company in Gamestop or EB games before it. This is my first time seeing an in-person rep which is why it stood out. That man got paid to stand there for 8 hours that day. Who knows how many other people were sent out on the same mission? This is them remarketing and informing clients as best they can. Them having feet on the ground almost a year after the console launch means they're genuinely concerned or that this is necessary to get where they want to be. Either way, it means they're not where they expected to be and we already know this from their own mouths.

So, sorry but damned if they do/don't doesn't apply here. This is something unusual/special/out of the ordinary. It'd be convenient to be able to dismiss this claim as one of those "whatever they do they're screwed" but that's just something we'd like to think.
 

Hairless Mammoth

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The last few Nintendo systems for me basically are Metroid, Zelda, and Pikmin players. I'll eventually get a Wii-on-U to play Pikmin like I got a Wii to play Metroid Prime 3. All other games I tried were kinda bland, even Madworld. Skyward Sword controls were way too laggy and broke the immersion, but it was decent. If Ninty announced a new Metroid or Zelda with no stupid motion/touch gimmicks that ruin the game I'd get it immediately for Pikmin and wait with anticipation for the others.
j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
InfinityCubed said:
I actually own a WiiU so i feel pretty stupid now.

nevertheless, it doesn't have very many exclusives that have been released yet. I think there will be a sales boost when there E3-announced games come out, and again whenever they get around to Metroid.
People keep mentioning Metroid as some sort of system seller. The sad fact is, and I say this as a fan of the Prime series, Metroid has never been that big a seller. I think the first Prime just about managed to sell 2 million copies. The games after that sold much less. The entire Metroid Prime trilogy sold less collectively than Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro's other Wii game.

Hardcore gamers love Metroid, but it is not a system seller by any measure. I sure hope Nintendo brings us a new Metroid, but I'm not expecting it to be a big Wii U seller.
That's the problem with most non-Mario first party games on Nintendo's systems. Most AAA 3rd party support jumped ship back in the N64 era when there was a alternative to a Nintendo console that was popular enough to make more games for than on a Nintendo system. Now, without that support, the player base that would play the more hardcore first party Ninty games are buying xboxes, playstations, and pcs with their money and not even looking at the Nintendo exclusives. Their motion control gimmicks worked for all of 1 generation to only get non-gamers to buy a Wii and a few shovelware games. Their profit boon was gone when that market went for the next gimmick while saying "Wii U? I got one of those in the closet. Haven't touched it since 2009." The hardcore crowd laughed at wii-motes flying at tvs for a minute then went back to Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, etc. Nintendo has made half-assed attempts at winning back the hardcore crowd, when they really need the 3rd party libraries to do so.

With more and more publishers pulling the rug out on the promised of Wii U games coming from them, Nintendo is looking more like it should pull out of the console race all together, publish for other consoles/pc, and make funny wii-mote, wii-pad controllers for their games if they want them to be different. This might let them make money off of series like Metroid, Sin and Punishment, F-Zero and maybe even Paper Mario or Zelda, since they now have a substantially larger player base that they wouldn't get with the Wii U. They can keep the 3DS in its dominate place since it still prints money and may never loose that market as long as they hold off the mobile menace. Nintendo may have swallow their pride and do this by the next generation, because that mobile market could topple the 3DS off its pillar they worked had to build over the last 2 years. Short of a killer app miracle or a series of decent 3rd party exclusives, Nintendo will go the way of Sega by next gen whether they want to or not. Best do it on your own terms, Ninty, instead of out of desperation to keep at least some revenue flowing.