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Nintendo Wii U is now officially discontinued (Jan 31st 2017)

Started by Dream of Omnimaga, March 23, 2016, 04:31:10 AM

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Dream of Omnimaga

I don't know how accurate Nikkei newspaper is, but Gamespot just relayed a rumor saying that Nintendo will cease producing the Wii U game console by the end of 2016, even though no details have been given about when the NX console is expected to launch. If this rumor ends up being a reality, then this will mean that the console will have survived just 4 years. Apparently it sold about 13 million units and 70+ million games, which is far lower than the Wii and even though the Gamecube also sold poorly, it still sold more than the Wii U so far.

I think what didn't help the Wii U is that Nintendo insisted to keep the console over $250 years after its release, when they previously discounted consoles heavily shortly after release before. They could have done like the GCN, N64 and Wii U and drop the price under $200 (unless it sells at a loss under that?) and I bet sales would have skyrocketed, especially with Super Smash Bros 4, Mario maker, Mario Kart 8 and stuff.

If it gets discontinued in 2016 then I bet this means the Wii U will never get a new Zelda game that is actually Zelda :(. In any case, I am happy I got that console, though, because I enjoyed all games I got for it and I don't regret my purchase. I wonder if the NX console will have backwards compatibility with Wii and Wii U titles? That's unless that console gets scrapped in favor of porting their Wii U titles to the Xbox One, PS4 or something.

Source: http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLZO98745680T20C16A3TI5000/?dg=1 via http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-to-end-wii-u-production-this-year-report-/1100-6435915/
  • Calculators owned: TI-82 Advanced Edition Python TI-84+ TI-84+CSE TI-84+CE TI-84+CEP TI-86 TI-89T cfx-9940GT fx-7400G+ fx 1.0+ fx-9750G+ fx-9860G fx-CG10 HP 49g+ HP 39g+ HP 39gs (bricked) HP 39gII HP Prime G1 HP Prime G2 Sharp EL-9600C
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

Yuki

Yeah, that's a rumor. I read, I don't remember where, that Nintendo will not discontinue the Wii U anytime soon. Of course, sales are not that great for them, and the new NX is apparently going to release soon, so they probably would once it's out. Anyway, the article didn't really said anything about a timeframe they would do so, and of course they will discontinue that console one day or another, but when? I'm not sure they would end production that soon, unless they overproduced and they have enough Wii U to sell for the next 5 years at the current rate.
  • Calculators owned: TI-83+ (dead?), Casio Prizm (also dead???)
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Read Zarmina!
YUKI-CHAAAANNNN
In the beginning there was walrii. In the end there will be walrii. All hail our supreme leader :walrii: --Snektron

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Dream of Omnimaga

Where did you read the info about Nintendo not discontinuing it anytime soon? The date is important. The rumor about its discontinuation is from today it seems, or at least yesterday.

In late 2014, Target showed their commitment to keep Canadian stores running and improving sales, only to change their mind a few months later and then they announced the closing of all 133 stores. I definitively hope that the rumor is false and that they're only considering it if sales are poor in 2016 (I would totally understand).
  • Calculators owned: TI-82 Advanced Edition Python TI-84+ TI-84+CSE TI-84+CE TI-84+CEP TI-86 TI-89T cfx-9940GT fx-7400G+ fx 1.0+ fx-9750G+ fx-9860G fx-CG10 HP 49g+ HP 39g+ HP 39gs (bricked) HP 39gII HP Prime G1 HP Prime G2 Sharp EL-9600C
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

Yuki

  • Calculators owned: TI-83+ (dead?), Casio Prizm (also dead???)
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: A lot
Read Zarmina!
YUKI-CHAAAANNNN
In the beginning there was walrii. In the end there will be walrii. All hail our supreme leader :walrii: --Snektron

if you wanna throw money at me and/or CodeWalrus monthly it's here

TIfanx1999

A lot of people had been predicting that the NX would be out this year, but that really doesn't seem to be the case. I'd just add this as another rumor in the huge pile that's growing. While I don't regret buying my Wii, I will say there haven't been as many titles released that really grabbed me. Honestly, with Zelda being pushed back I do kind of have to wonder if maybe it'll come out next year and will be on the new system instead. It really wouldn't bother me that much to be honest. They kind of ended up doing that with Twilight Princess, although in that case it got a dual release.

tr1p1ea

So will this be 2 of the last 3 consoles where a zelda game has rolled over to the next console instead of it's original platform?

Also the NX must, I repeat ***MUST*** be significantly more graphically capable than current options otherwise it WILL BE Nintendo's last home console.

Some people take gameplay over graphics.
Some people take graphics over gameplay.

But Nintendo have ALWAYS already had the gameplay so they need to have the graphics as well.

My fear however is that they will try to 'not compete by going their own direction' which will be there undoing ... it's too soon to pull another 'Wii' and even then after the MASSIVE lead the Wii had early on, the lack of mainstream games enabled both competitors to finish up within 85% of their sales anyway.

Nintendo are the greatest but they must adapt. The Wii U is a great console but everything from its specs to it's release window tell you that Nintendo don't want to compete with sony/ms and would rather be seen as a complete alternative. I do however believe that naming it the 'Wii U' is what ultimately caused it's commercial failure as even members of my own family thought the 'Wii U' was nothing more than a new controller for the Wii.

That being said, I am excited to see what the future holds!

Dream of Omnimaga

Yeah, one thing that didn't help the Wii U is that it was still behind in technical specs. The Wii got away with it because of the Wiimote gimmick that many people loved and the large amount of new game types that were generated as a result. But also, the Wii U suffered from a poor lineup of launch titles. Nintendo should have released a brand new Zelda or Mario Kart game much earlier.

The poor system capabilities compared to the Xbox One/PS4 also caused some third-party developers to stop bothering.

They really need to either revise down their Wii U console price to attract a new batch of customers. I mean, cut the price enough just to break even, then make a crapload of money off the third-party titles and accessories. Also, they should release more special editions of their games. Sure, the sales would still be sub-par compared to the PS4 and XBone, but they would at least rival the Nintendo 64. That's unless they are already selling the console under production costs level, which could be a problem. If that's the case, then they probably won't have much choice but to either switch to an higher end console with no special gimmicks (other than software-based ones and accessories) or simply release their games on other consoles.

Or perhaps they need to switch entirely to handheld consoles that can also be used as home console on a big TV?

And yeah the name might not have helped. I often heard people saying that they didn't know the Wii U was a new console. It looks similar and people thought it was just an updated version of the Wii.
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  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

123outerme

I agree that the Wii U needed a stronger launch lineup. I probably would've gotten one if Zelda U came out even around the time Smash Bros Wii U did, or even later. But the fact that these big releases are so spaced out kinda destroys confidence in the release of new games.
I also heard this same news on r/smashbros, and that it was denied by Nintendo officially.
  • Calculators owned: TI-84+CSE, TI-nspire Clickpad, TI-84+SE

gameblabla

#8
I kind of wish they (Nintendo) would discontinue the Wii U because it is horrible.

That CPU is just way too low clocked and it needs special attention to get even decent performence,
something most developers just can't do and they would rather just ignore this console than spending money
on development on a console that is only bought by Nintendo fanatics anyway.

One developer said that at meeting with Nintendo before the release, he complained about the CPU,
only to be quickly rejeted because they wanted the console to be silent...

The software is not really better either : for example, Nintendo blocks audio codecs in its browser
because they are really paranoid about browser games competing with them.
They also don't have a video player, because they say that it's a console so it's not suited for multimedia.

They don't get anything and Microsoft/Sony knew from the start that their consoles should handle multimedia as well.

I personally have used for a long time my Xbox 360 as a video player for our TV and if it wasn't for that,
i may have not used it all that much.

Thus the Wii U is doomed to be played solely for Nintendo's first (and second) party games.
I don't know anyone who bought a Wii U because they liked some non-nintendo games on it.

If it wasn't for their huge (religious) fans base, Wii U would have sold even less.
The Wii gimmick was even a concidence i dare to say and almost all of their home consoles were failures since the N64.

And honestly, 90% of the 80 millions people who bought the Wii are old people who wanted to play
Wii Sports on it.
  • Calculators owned: None (used to own an Nspire and TI-89)

Dream of Omnimaga

I think Nintendo went with lower hardware simply because the games they make don't require high-end specs. For example, Mario only requires lightning and shading for the most part, because it's a bit cartoon-ish. But the problem is that they severely limit the range of games that are possible on the console. Most early Wii U games were ports of older PS3/Xbox 360 titles.

The hardware is perfect for games like Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Windwaker HD and even Super Smash Bros, but it's sub-par for games like Assassin's Creed, Mortal Kombat, sports games and first persoon shooters.

Also, the gamepad is too big. It should be at least twice smaller or at least the same size as a 3DS XL. That way we can keep our hands on both sides while still being able to reach the touchscreen. That would be interesting for first person shooters and the like.


Also I kinda agree that consoles since the Nintendo 64 did not succeed as much as the older ones. I think what is to blame is how Nintendo stuck with cartridges then switched to a proprietary mini-CD format. They lost a lot of third-party support with that move, and they never got it back. The last Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean and Tales games that came out on a Nintendo home console that weren't spinoffs nor remakes were back in the mid 90's. They never got all their third-party support back. Imagine what could have been if they did not pull off those dumb moves back in the days. Plus N64 games had troubles selling compared to PS1 ones because they were usually $20 more expensive.


That said, I still like playing on their newer consoles because of the games. Their games are amazing, even if they don't always add anything new. The question now is should Nintendo just release their games on the Xbox One? I bet they would sell considerably, especially now that Microsoft bought Rare, and the Xbox One would sell like crazy. I'm thinking three consoles is too much now. Back then it was fine because they were cheaper as years went by, but now they remain over $200 years after launch.

I think Nintendo should continue making handhelds for now, though. Not everyone likes to use a touchscreen-based virtual d-pad to play Mario. Sony should probably ditch portable consoles, though, because the Vita is selling even less than the Wii U.
  • Calculators owned: TI-82 Advanced Edition Python TI-84+ TI-84+CSE TI-84+CE TI-84+CEP TI-86 TI-89T cfx-9940GT fx-7400G+ fx 1.0+ fx-9750G+ fx-9860G fx-CG10 HP 49g+ HP 39g+ HP 39gs (bricked) HP 39gII HP Prime G1 HP Prime G2 Sharp EL-9600C
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

Dream of Omnimaga

http://kotaku.com/nintendo-new-nx-console-will-be-out-march-2017-1773312629

So it looks like the NX will come out in March 2017. Rumors says it will features industry-leading chips and compete with the Xbox One and PS4 and that Zelda will come out on both the Wii U and NX simultabeously, just like Twilight Princess with the Gamecube and Wii.
  • Calculators owned: TI-82 Advanced Edition Python TI-84+ TI-84+CSE TI-84+CE TI-84+CEP TI-86 TI-89T cfx-9940GT fx-7400G+ fx 1.0+ fx-9750G+ fx-9860G fx-CG10 HP 49g+ HP 39g+ HP 39gs (bricked) HP 39gII HP Prime G1 HP Prime G2 Sharp EL-9600C
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

GalacticPirate

I hope that with the NX, Nintendo will be focusing more on design, ergonomy and so on than on brute power like the PS4 & the XBOX One. The fact is that nobody needs that, especially with Mario and Zelda games. The 4K argument is also pretty dumb, since even on PS4/XB1 it is only present in the home menu  9_9 while games run in Full-HD. Wii U's power is like completely enough for the games it runs, and if you're not convinced, just look at GCN Baby Park and GBA Ribbon Road in MK8 DLCs. Including more power is a nonsense : it's like putting a Core i7 in a calculator !
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  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Nintendo Wii U (NSMBU+NSLU premium pack, 5.5.1E), New Nintendo 3DS XL (Monster Hunter Generations, Sys 11.5.0-38E)

gameblabla

#12
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on April 27, 2016, 03:31:30 PM
http://kotaku.com/nintendo-new-nx-console-will-be-out-march-2017-1773312629
So it looks like the NX will come out in March 2017.
LOL, and they were deying the rumors the Wii U was to be discontinued in 2016.
They will probably discontinue in 2017 or 2018 though, if we look at the Wii.

QuoteRumors says it will features industry-leading chips and compete with the Xbox One and PS4 and that Zelda will come out on both the Wii U and NX simultabeously, just like Twilight Princess with the Gamecube and Wii.
compete ? Not surpassing them ? Imma disappoint.

And even if it is as much powerful as the PS4, they need to be more open too and stop dropping the balls.
For example, the Wii U is not using Blu-rays but a disc similar to blu-rays.
They need to handle Multimedia properly on their console or else they will fail.
Miiverse is a disaster : they censor a lot of discussions, to the point it has become a political gestapo.
Why do they feel the need to create their own crappy proprietary solutions ?

And gamers are falling for it !

At least, i heard they made some efforts toward indie developers but it still is not as easy as
let's say, publishing an app on Google Play.
  • Calculators owned: None (used to own an Nspire and TI-89)

Dream of Omnimaga

@STV the problem is that by not focusing on power, many developers stopped developing games for the Nintendo consoles, because the hardware was simply not powerful enough to run their games. So the Wii U audience is pretty much just people who wants Mario and Zelda games, not Call of Duty, Need for Speed and sports games (as questionable quality/originality those games might be, they sell a lot of copies, which could have been extra sales Nintendo could have enjoyed). So Nintendo has two options there:

-Increase sales by keeping the console price down, at the cost of performance, and focus on selling titles.
OR
-Increase sales by expanding their software library by increasing the console performance, at the cost of having a much higher console launch price and potentially turning away people who have less money.

IMHO 4K is not that useful. Many people I know still have 720p TVs, such as myself, and I don't know anybody who got a 4K TV. However, perhaps the NX could use more power so that it's easier for third-party developers to port games for it.

@gameblabla what would be funny is if the Wii U was discontinued before the Wii. AFAIK the Wii Mini is still in production and they are still releasing budget games for the console. They even re-released older titles as Nintendo Selects in North America. But I remember the Atari 5200 got discontinued several years before the 2600. However, I think it will depend of sales. If people still buys enough copies of Zelda 2017 for the Wii U then the console will probably still be produced for a while then when sales will have gone down enough, they'll end production and sell what's left of their inventory. Or who knows? Maybe they'll update the Wii U software to not require the big game pad then release a new Wii U bundle with a classic gamepad or wiimote for cheaper.

But yeah I wouldn't be surprised if the new console performance was the same as the Xbox One/PS4, minus 4K support. They can get away with it if it takes 3-4 years before the Xbox Two/720/whatever and PS5 comes out, but if Sony and MS have planned to release a new console very soon then the NX will be doomed from the start.


And yeah they should really switch to something more standard. It will be cheaper for them, people will still buy games and it will be easier to develop third-party stuff for it.
  • Calculators owned: TI-82 Advanced Edition Python TI-84+ TI-84+CSE TI-84+CE TI-84+CEP TI-86 TI-89T cfx-9940GT fx-7400G+ fx 1.0+ fx-9750G+ fx-9860G fx-CG10 HP 49g+ HP 39g+ HP 39gs (bricked) HP 39gII HP Prime G1 HP Prime G2 Sharp EL-9600C
  • Consoles, mobile devices and vintage computers owned: Huawei P30 Lite, Moto G 5G, Nintendo 64 (broken), Playstation, Wii U

gameblabla

Quote from: STV on April 27, 2016, 04:05:08 PMWii U's power is like completely enough for the games it runs, and if you're not convinced, just look at GCN Baby Park and GBA Ribbon Road in MK8 DLCs. Including more power is a nonsense : it's like putting a Core i7 in a calculator !
I have to agree with dj here, Wii U needed more power to handle modern frameworks.
So yeah, you can make a game specific to the Wii U that would run "decently" but what about those who use big "middleware" ?
Some developers even explained this, saying that Rebirth may not come out on Wii U (which it eventually did) due to the weak CPU slowing down the game.
(Yeah, his game isn't very impressive graphically but i imagine he's using a game engine with lots of overhead that the Wii U struggles to handle)

And some others (like Avalache Studios), do not even bother to release titles for the Wii U, even though they bought the devkit.
In the case of Avalache Studios, already in 2012, they said that their devkit was getting dust...

QuoteI hope that with the NX, Nintendo will be focusing more on design, ergonomy and so on than on brute power like the PS4 & the XBOX One.
I don't think they can come up with something new, especially for its home consoles.
Design and Ergonomy ? Of course, that's important but its not something they can't do.

Honestly, Nintendo should just become a software developer and stop making video game consoles.
I'm sorry but nobody is buying their consoles because their hardware is actually good.
People buy their games solely because they know how to make games.

Unfortunely, they will never understand, you only need to see how much lawsuits they filed against
their fans to understand what i mean.
  • Calculators owned: None (used to own an Nspire and TI-89)

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