Wii-U thoughts so far

[RCBH928]

I don't understand why NGC sold so low given that the hardware is more capable than ps2 (afaik) and games were on par or superior to what was on the PS2 (quality not quantity). If the PS2 sold 100+m units, you would think the NGC would sell at least 50m but at around 20m its hard to know what went wrong.

Some one who followed that generation from the start maybe could shed a light on this issue

. I just wish it had dropped in price already, it's been out for 2 years

I don't see how this is possible. The PS3 has been out for like 7 years and its still selling for around the same price as the Wii U ($250-$300) . I really doubt Wii U prices are going down, especially with that tablet controller.

[Sload Soap]

I don't understand why NGC sold so low given that the hardware is more capable than ps2 (afaik) and games were on par or superior to what was on the PS2 (quality not quantity). If the PS2 sold 100+m units, you would think the NGC would sell at least 50m but at around 20m its hard to know what went wrong.

Some one who followed that generation from the start maybe could shed a light on this issue.

A big part of it would be that the PS2 and Xbox doubled as DVD players while the GC didn't. Then there is your really big and more adult franchises like GTA, Gran Turismo and Halo that obviously never made their way to the GC.

[Cronozilla]

Speaking of the GameCube, by the way, (and I know I'm kind of avoiding the current Nintendo bashing topic and I'd like to say there are many good points made, but it just isn't for me, sorry) but am I seriously alone in it actually being my favourite console from that generation (excluding the Dreamcast)? And I say that as someone who owns both a PS2 and a Gamecube and used to own a Xbox.

Yeah, I loved it at the time too.
I own a lot more games for PS2, but that's just the nature of the beast. I, overall, enjoyed the GameCube library more, I think I own 60+ games on it, something like that.

GameCube public image thoughts:

The main reason why the sales on GameCube were low was because of the library. At the time, people didn't appreciate the titles coming out on that system. I remember Mario Sunshine and Zelda WindWaker just being absolutely ridiculed by professional reviewers. It was rather appalling, really. And a lot of people in various communities, like usual, adopted the rhetoric. (The same BS happened last generation, just the same opinions regurgitated for social reasons as opposed to actual agreement. How can someone agree with something that they're completely ignorant of?)

I think a situation that played a big part also was that the GameCube didn't have GTA. GTA3 was insane in terms of popularity, so was Vice City and San Andreas. By the time San Andreas came along Xbox was in on the party. Xbox also snagged a lot of people form the Dreamcast fallout due to Sega aligning with the platform, and with it, it also garnered legitimacy and it was built on a message of Nintendo sucks and is for the kids.

Nintendo adoption rate problem thoughts:

If you look at the GameCube annual sales from the times, you can see that the system started out decently. It wasn't until about half way through the lifespan that people started giving up. They didn't like the games coming out and just jumped ship.

I see people doing the same thing with the Wii U to a degree, and frankly I've been seeing it happen with Nintendo hardware since the N64 on large scales.

There's like a group of people who jump in too early for their own good, and it just makes them hate the system. Where as, other platforms get a pass when it comes to the same criteria.

What I think all this means in relation to Wii U:

I think in this situation, the Wii U will probably sell more units than the GameCube did when it's all said and done and Wii U manufacturing is over (Even though right now it is lagging behind it, the GameCube lost annual numbers and Wii U is gaining). I think the platform is in a different position, because most owners weren't early adopters, the system is proving itself through the library to get new people, and that'll make for better retention and software attachment. If really great games keep coming out, it'll probably do fine.

Wii U really got a heavy dose of Dreamcasting at the beginning of this generation. A lot of people didn't even pay attention when it came out, because they were waiting on news from Sony and Microsoft. A lot of that was coattails of the previous generation's messaging train from Sony and Microsoft as well. All of 2013 was a hype train leading up to those console's releases. Right now, I think the PS4 is just a runaway, I think if the momentum hasn't died down yet, it probably won't, because the system is getting primary support from most developers. But, as things settle in the next year or two and as more titles come out for everything we'll get a more accurate image. I can see even so far people's image of the Wii U has changed since it came out and games like Mario Kart and Bayonetta 2 are the reason why. So, more of that, and I think it'll be fine.

On this episode of Console Warz:

In terms of whom is in what place, Sony is second and last, Nintendo is first and third, and Microsoft is fourth. And if Microsoft keeps playing the short timed exclusives game, they might see the Xbox platform having issues with PC.

PC has been growing for years and it's finally to the point where it's not casually ridiculed. Which is very different from just a couple years ago.

I think if things continue as they are, Xbox One might be the system that is in trouble. Because, they're not just trying to make something interesting or get by like Nintendo is with Wii U, they had the intention of being number 1. And Xbox probably has the largest competition. So far multiple XB1 exclusives have gone to PC, less than a year after launch. The way publishers are talking about upcoming exclusives sounds a lot like years past when a game had no chance of staying exclusive.

And at the same time, it's got the same games as the much more popular PS4, and it's weaker from a technical side with a similar price point. Now they've docked the Kinect-less model for the holiday season to $350, that'll move units, but I don't know.

Microsoft lost the edge of being the defacto box out of the gate this generation. They don't have the exclusive properties on display, only future promises which are more than a year out (Which we still haven't seen Gameplay for, just trailers). And, they're facing a downward trend with customer retention from Xbox 360.

[Reprise]

Some good thoughts and points raised. I have to say that all the systems had their strengths and flaws and I do like all of them (Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube and Xbox). But Dreamcast and Gamecube were my favourites.

[Jmustang1968]

I stayed away from GC at first due to my regret and dislike over getting an N64. PS2 was riding the success of the PS1. Then, many of the GC games did feel like they were aimed more at kids and such, and many of my favorite developers werent making games for it.

The Gamecube was basically a SSB player for me.

[Reprise]

Can I ask a serious question...? I never understood why the GameCube got labelled with a "kiddy" image and people say third party support was lacking. I mean, it had plenty of "adult" games and plenty of third party support. Third party support did start to deteriorate towards the end of the console's life, but overall, the GameCube was arguably a far more inclusive and well rounded console than the N64.

[Jmustang1968]

Can I ask a serious question...? I never understood why the GameCube got labelled with a "kiddy" image and people say third party support was lacking. I mean, it had plenty of "adult" games and plenty of third party support. Third party support did start to deteriorate towards the end of the console's life, but overall, the GameCube was arguably a far more inclusive and well rounded console than the N64.

It probably was more well rounded than the N64, but the N64 soured people like me on it when it came time to purchase a console for the next gen. 3rd party support was still relatively weak. I am also not a big Nintendo developed game fan. There are a few series I enjoy but many.

I would say it is worth owning now, but at the time when I was only able to get 1 console, I chose the PS2, and am glad I did.

[ZeroAX]

Can I ask a serious question...? I never understood why the GameCube got labelled with a "kiddy" image and people say third party support was lacking. I mean, it had plenty of "adult" games and plenty of third party support. Third party support did start to deteriorate towards the end of the console's life, but overall, the GameCube was arguably a far more inclusive and well rounded console than the N64.

1 word: purple


But in all seriousness it's just an industry urban myth . Like that the Wii didn't have good games (no I'm sorry average PS3/360 player, it didn't have the kind of games YOU like, just like the PC didn't have the kind of games YOU like, that doesn't mean it wasn't a powerhouse in other genres (platformers, arcade games, local multiplayer titles ect).

And about the uneven coverage of Nintendo/PC/mobile compared to the "god machines":

I've said this before, the gaming media have pushed the PS4 and Xbone like crazy cause they DEPEND on them to survive. Simply put sites likes IGN, gametrailers, gamespot weren't built to cover the Wii (mass market appeal), the mobile space (bunch of small games, takes a lot of effort to discover the good ones), PC ("PC gaming is dieing, I mean boxed sales are falling duuuuh") and all the true future trends of gaming.

No they were built to cover "hardcore" games for "hardcore fans". If the PS4/Xbone had failed (though the jury is still out for the xbone, I know it's pretty much dead in Europe and that price cut being US exclusive justs proves it) then they'd be left without an active userbase. It's another disgusting example of the symbiotic corruption between gaming companies and gaming press.

Don't believe me? Go on gametrailers and watch all their pre-release xbone/ps4 videos....seriously most of them are really stupid and WITHOUT purpose....only to create a marketing buzz behind the consoles.

[Flake]

The PS2 definitely had a more 'relevant' software line up at the time - but a lot of that console's titles have either aged horribly, been made obsolete by sequels, or are now on a newer console in HD form.

The Gamecube and Dreamcast have this weird quality to them that even though they weren't my jam (to use the parlance of our times) when I was younger, now I can get enough of them. They both have a small but strong selection of unique and great titles that make collecting for the console a joy and relatively affordable. In terms of build quality, both are built like tanks and they just keep on running. The PS2 is ubiquitous enough that it's easy to overlook how fast those things wear out, especially the slim models.

And then the original Xbox...I don't really know how to quantify the thing. It's almost like the forgotten console of that generation. It was PS2, Gamecube, Dreamcast and...oh, that Microsoft thingy.

[ZeroAX]

And then the original Xbox...I don't really know how to quantify the thing. It's almost like the forgotten console of that generation. It was PS2, Gamecube, Dreamcast and...oh, that Microsoft thingy.

For me it will always be the cancer that was the reason 2 sequels to my favorite games of all time (Deus Ex and The Longest Journey) SUCKED