Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has explained to investors why he believes Wii U sales have failed to meet expectations since the console launched in November.
Explaining how Nintendo intends to increase Wii U's market penetration, Iwata told investors that the company needs to better communicate the product's value to consumers and also release first party software more frequently.
"We have not been able to solidly communicate the product value of Wii U to our consumers yet, which has been a grand challenge for us," he said.
"Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii. We feel deeply responsible for not having tried hard enough to have consumers understand the product."
Wii U software sales stood at 13.42 million units at the end of March, short of the 16 million Nintendo forecast in January, and Iwata said the absence of strong first party games has negatively impacted hardware sales.
"Wii U might still have no such captivating game title as Wii Sports for Wii, with which people immediately comprehended its product value, but it surely has a lot of factors appreciated by users," he said. "We would like to take time to work thoroughly for its penetration, by making various efforts to have many people understand its product value as well as enriching the software lineup.
"Wii U has lost momentum due to the release pace of first-party titles which has not lived up to consumers' expectations. Starting with Pikmin 3 scheduled for release in the upcoming July, however, we will intensively launch our key titles to give sales momentum to the platform.
"As a decisive factor in buying a console is that you cannot play a much-anticipated title without the hardware, we will do our best to have you feel from this summer to the end of this year that there are plenty of great games for Wii U.
"We have many titles whose release dates are yet to be announced. At E3, we will disclose more specific information about the titles for the rest of this year and early next year."
Nintendo said in January that a new 3D Mario action game and Mario Kart title are in development for Wii U and will appear in playable form at this year's E3 in June.
Comments
54 comments so far...
RustySpoon80 on 25 Apr '13 said:
"Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii. We feel deeply responsible for not having tried hard enough to have consumers understand the product."
Should have called it Wii-2 then, or something completely different.
Stryker89 on 25 Apr '13 said:
People will change their tune quite soon, you'll see... Once Nintendo break out the heavy hitters (I'm assuming they'll have a Nintendo Direct event in conjunction with their small E3 events), such as 3D Mario, Smash Bros and whatever Retro Studios is working on, folks will start clamouring for a Wii U.
Drusus on 25 Apr '13 said:
Damnit if only there were somebody responsible for making sure that didn't happen.
So much trouble that could've been solved with a number 2. When your audience doesn't keep up with tech and you're trying to sell them tech, keep it simple!
runadumb on 25 Apr '13 said:
Exactly!
Calling the the thing Wii U was a huge mistake. Even when they first showed it off all people saw was the gamepad, they didn't even show the console. Which just breeds confusion.
Hell the media kept f**king it up too. I wasn't sure for over a day and I was following lots of different news feeds. How did they not see this!?
I know Sony did the same not showing a console but they have already made it VERY clear the PS4 is not a PS3 with a new controller. They added a number on the end, the clever chaps
Well at least Nintendo understand one of their major hurdles. Unfortunately for them it will be a very costly mistake in terms of the marketing they need to do to educate the masses.
Just calling it the Wii 2 would have saved so much hassle.
Still needs these great games they keep talking about mind. I don't have a single reason to even consider a Wii U yet.
360_Fan on 25 Apr '13 said:
I thought it was.
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
Well you thought wrong then.
tollyboy22 on 25 Apr '13 said:
"Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii."
http://www.netanimations.net/claw_hammer.GIF
Good to see a head honcho admitting what we've all been saying at last.
Next up Don Mattrick saying "We are probably focused too much on making the Kinect the next Wii, that we have lost touch of what got us where we are."
Or Kazuo Hirai saying "We were too naive and arrogant that the PS3 would rule the world after the PS2 success."
apalmer28 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Thinking about purchasing Nintendo's console?
Wii U, won't you?
haha
Matt D. on 25 Apr '13 said:
you know, when you play videogames, for a certain amount of years, understanding the use of a controller should not that hard. how often do you actually read the instruction book for games if you arent taking a dump? not very often. what do you do then? you put in the game, pick of the controller, figure out the buttons, and play it. so why would this be any different? what nintendo is NOT trying to do is dumb down gaming, or simplify it, they are innovating, and its working, its been working for over 30 years, and it will continue to work.
the problem is when you have people who just want to mash buttons, or run around holding the fire button, and not think about anything. iwata, and nintendo are trying to get people to use their brains, and the issue lies in americans, why do you think he is now CEO of NOA? because he has to teach americans how to play videogames.
photoboy on 25 Apr '13 said:
You would think the 3DS would have taught Nintendo a lesson in not naming your new console so similarly to the old one.
Willypiggy on 25 Apr '13 said:
I still like the name Revolution, that's what they should have called the Wii U. Then people know it's not an accessory like Wii Fit or Wii Motion +.
Mackins on 25 Apr '13 said:
I don't think any one is in confusion about what it is now, in my opinion, it's suffering due to not having any must have games, being too costly for a current gen console, coming too close to next gen and people not wanting to commit to another Nintendo console after owning a Wii.
In regards to the last point to further clarify before I get another sad act moderator on a power trip giving me a warning, I mean the Wii sold like hot cakes, but how great of a console actually was it? I think it was really poor, once the novelty factor wore off, they just ended up collecting dust, there was only a few games worth playing and in my experience, they only got brought out when you had friends or family round for a laugh on bowling. Real gamers stuck to PS3, Xbox and PC gaming.
disgustingtramp on 25 Apr '13 said:
Wow.... hahaha..So may problems with what you said here, I'm just going to let someone else (probably an american) deal with this one or let you figure it out yourself as to why its a silly opinion.
Penguin101 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Could it be because you named it the Wii U? Why not a name that doesn't associate itself with your previous gen console?
KK-Headcharge78 on 25 Apr '13 said:
"We have not been able to solidly communicate the product value of Wii U to our consumers yet, which has been a grand challenge for us,"
Which is problematic as that is your job
Unless you are a Ninty fanboy it is a f**king car crash so far, I would love to have a great Nintendo console to play but frankly it reeks of Wii 2.0+Gimmicks and very few good games. Iwata can talk all day long, Nintendo need ACTION!
only_777 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Are you on the correct thread here or did you not read the story?
Nintendo are finally admitting the thing we all said when the console was first revealed.
Alarm bells should of gone off when the hardcore games players didn't understand what we had just been shown.
Here is the CVG forum thread the day after the console was first shown:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=126349
So many of us were confused as to what Nintendo had just shown. That's us, hardcore gamers. To the average consumer, the Wii U could have been anything from an add-on to a new pad. And still is still true, many people still don't understand what the Wii U is about.
Nintendo messed up big time, and by the time most people figure out what it is, it'll be too late because Sony and MS will have new machines in the shops.
TheRexFactor on 25 Apr '13 said:
Good to see they actually understand the problem. But they haven't exactly done much to correct that view either. The mass market isn't going to know this stuff like an interested long term gamer would, not without advertisements and whatnot.
Are we going to start seeing "This is not Wii, this is WiiU" ads, I wonder? You'd think they'd have learned from the similar scenario 3DS faced intially
EvilWaterman on 25 Apr '13 said:
You win the internet.
Tailisjoy on 25 Apr '13 said:
I thought the 360 was an add on for the Dreamcast, it is defunct s**t afterall.
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
I agree with you one hundred percent that I'm pig-headed and arrogant, I know my faults. One thing I'm not is ignorant.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 25 Apr '13 said:
Well thanks for speaking for all of us. But as a REAL GAMER, I thought the Wii was excellent. As a machine it basically gave you the last 20 odd years of console gaming in one little white box.
Between the VC some, absolutely stonking first party games and unique and varied thrid party stuff. The wii had plenty to play and some of the best games of the last five years on it. As i've said millions of times. if your wii collected dust, its your stupid f**king fault for not playing on it. It certainly wasn't for a lack of games or support from Nintendo or third parties for that matter.
rick on 25 Apr '13 said:
Wilfully ignorant of forum etiquette I suggest.
Mackins on 25 Apr '13 said:
You kind of are ignorant, either that or just dumb, the Wii wasn't a great gaming console by any ones standards, 99% of the biggest games of this generation sold on the PS3 and 360, not the Wii, other than a handful of first party titles, what did the Wii have to offer?
Be honest, can any one tell me they played on their Wii full time from launch to software death? I don't think any one did as the vast majority of its games are stocking filler junk, although it did get some good JRPG's towards the end but it was too little, too late.
I have played on either my 360 and PS3 almost every day since launch, I felt they offered a far superior game experience for an adult gamer.
nb_nmare2 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Because having a name associated with the previous gen did so much harm to the SNES' sales.
/sarcasm
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
No, as I've said in my previous comment. "I don't care if I get a warning for this" I'm fully aware.
Unfortunately when I see something like that I can't help myself.
Apologies to you Mr. Goro and MR. KK? If I offended you in my previous post, that was not my intention. A mistake that I'll do my utmost best to avoid again. Not for my own sake but for both of you and anyone else offended by reading my post, except the original target of my post.
Upon re-reading this post I might come across as insincere but I'm being honest.
Mackins on 25 Apr '13 said:
You didn't come across as insincere, you came across as a blind fanboy, you reacted like I insulted your mother when all I merely did was offer up my opinion, instead of disagreeing and debating where you disagreed like some one with a brain would have done, you just went all out attack and made yourself look rather foolish in the process.
jaybie on 25 Apr '13 said:
I said to myself when they named it the Wii U that that was a huge mistake because a lot of people (i.e. parents) won't even realise it's a new console. Oh Nintendo...
KK-Headcharge78 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Fair enough
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
Clearly I'm not ignorant as I've previously stated I'm fully aware of what/who I am.
There is no "kind" of. You either are or not.
You said Real gamers play on PS3, Xbox, and PC, that's what annoyed me about your post. I don't care what your stance is on Nintendo, the Wii or your perception of it. Do you not understand how ignorant that sounds? Honest question.
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
Read my previous comment again and tell me where I was "offended" by your statement about Nintendo and the Wii.
StonecoldMC on 25 Apr '13 said:
OK people.
Debate is healthy, personal insults and abuse just end up in you getting banned.
We have about another 6 weeks of this mayhem to go, lets all try and get along . . . . as much as we can, eh?
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
So... is that an acceptance of my apology?
Mackins on 25 Apr '13 said:
Well said Stonecold, I've said what I wanted to say and that is all I will say, I won't get dragged in to it further.
nuggit3000 on 25 Apr '13 said:
I still dont understand who would buy a Wii U.
I think its too complex for most casuals, with so many controller options, and not that many good casual games. Definately nothing that makes me think a second screen is worth while.
It does seem to have quite good third party support for the core gamers, yet a second screen is not enough to make people ditch their PS3 or Xbox for the same games.
Nintendo spent so much time trying to convince us that the future was about more natural input than a standard controller, it feels like they have made a massive U-turn (pun intended
), contradicting everything they have said before
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
It won't happen again.
My word is my bond.
roland82 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Theres a big difference between Nintendo and Super Nintendo, the 'super' definitely implies new or better.
Wii U doesn't really say anything especially when you have released products such as wii fit which were just an add on. We have to remember the people that made the Wii the run away success it was probably don't read gaming websites or even class themselves as gamers.
StonecoldMC on 25 Apr '13 said:
See, bet everyone feels better now as well!
http://www.blubrry.com/bdata/coverart/supergamingbestfriends.png
Zaphod_B on 25 Apr '13 said:
99% of the biggest games? But Wii games are the same size, are you mixing it up with GameCube there
That'sa meanless comment. No games you liked outside of first party were on Wii (though I struggle to believe you played 99 amazing PS3/360 games for each big Ninty realease), and many third parties didn't back it. BUT: it sold well and some of us had a great time on it.
You're right in a way, I couldn't have gone with just a Wii for my gaming. Personally however, I couldn't have gone with just a 360 or Ps3. If I'd only had a 360 and no Wii, I'd have given up on gaming altogether, the variety of experiences keep me going through years and years of twin-sticked cover-based shooters.
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
FishyGinger on 25 Apr '13 said:
I've enjoyed quite a few games on the wii but then I'm a horrible person and deserve all your hatred. Lay it on me mutha pluckas.
KK-Headcharge78 on 25 Apr '13 said:
Yup
alan666 on 25 Apr '13 said:
everyone said this would happen when Nintendo revealed the name.
DiamondDogs on 25 Apr '13 said:
Yup
And all is well in the world of CVG
stealth on 25 Apr '13 said:
nice to see some love^
me4pd on 25 Apr '13 said:
Nintendo and Proud.
BlueScorpion91 on 25 Apr '13 said:
I've not met anyone that is confused of what the Wii-U is, but I do hear people say they just don't want one. And it can be as simple as that. If they have a PS3/X360 then they don't see the point in a second console that shadows the first, yet if they haven't got a console then they're not interested in paying a lot of money for a console with no where near as many games or an established online service as the other two consoles. It's not the consumers job to invest in the future, it's the companies job to convince us to invest in the now.
starsail on 25 Apr '13 said:
Here's some welcome customer advice Ninty, next time you make a state of the art video games console, don't call it something that sounds like Wee Pad, sounds like a frigging incontinence pad or something, and you wonder about sales.
vectra on 25 Apr '13 said:
The name was too close to the previous machine but in the past that hasn't really harmed things. Nintendo just need to make it absolutely clear that the Wii U is a new machine and most important of all drop some software hints.
Come on show some of what you're working on, tease us with some screenshots or something just let us know something is coming and watch those machines fly off the shelves.
Regardless of what is said about lack of power, people waiting for the PS4 and Durango the fact of the matter is on the Wii U I'm currently seeing potential. I don't want to see just potential anymore I want to see a realised vision with direction.
Come on Nintendo show me something good! Nobody shows what a Nintendo machine can do like Nintendo themselves (except Rare in the SNES days and Sega in the Gamecube days).
fyckfaco on 25 Apr '13 said:
AAAh why dont they just rebrand it Nintendo U and be done with it. Now it has nothing to do with the Wii... Geez
KippDynamite on 26 Apr '13 said:
I played New Super Mario Bros. U for hours over the weekend. From that experience it seemed a lot like a Wii with a Gamepad controller. The gameplay and design was exactly the same.
billysastard on 26 Apr '13 said:
you would have thought so wouldn't you, but someone somewhere is a bit of a cock.
Balladeer on 26 Apr '13 said:
He's finally twigged! Next step: do something about it.
ricflair on 26 Apr '13 said:
That's not exactly the best example though! You could say that about most 2D side scrollers - Mark of the Ninja, Shadow Complex etc, the best ones this gen could have been done on older platforms.
I've not met anyone who thinks it's a Wii peripheral; most people just weren't even aware of it. But then most of my friends aren't into games, and aren't aware of the PS4, new xbox either.
scamps26 on 27 Apr '13 said:
I agree naming it the wii u was a bad idea. my 25 yr old nephew who has been gaming for years had a wii and still owns a ps3. I asked him if he was interested in getting a wii u. He said why its just a wii with a better joypad. It just proved to me that the name was a bad idea and Nintendo hasn't done enough to make everyone aware that its not the same as a wii. Hopefully they will do more to change this and bring more first party games out to enforce this.