We hardly knew (Wii) U

You may have seen the Wii U trending on twitter, Number 2 in the world but for the wrong reasons as there is reports coming out of Japan that Wii U's production will cease this year and one of the reasons why there has been a shortage in Japan for instance.

This is a link the news on IGN.

There is also rumors that there will be a NX event before going into E3 2016.

At the time of typing this the Wii U is the 21st best-selling system of all-time just above the GameGear and below the VITA with 12.83m sold worldwide.

Around 75m games have been sold on Wii U with a tie of 5.8 games per system with 362 games released (that's all regions combined).

With the best-selling game is Mario Kart 8 with 6.73m sold.

Sad times guys but as someone who remembers SEGA pulling out and ceasing the production of the Dreamcast which is sort of similar part from Nintendo will continue on.

Are we writing the Wii U's obituary just three years after it came out? Ever since the E3 2011 reveal it's always seemed destined to struggle, but I'm still a bit surprised that they're winding it up so soon. Then again, sales have been sluggish at best, and I don't think anything could revive them at this stage.

Personally, I feel like I've been waiting for Nintendo's next console for years now.

I'm not surprised, necessarily. Like Cappa says, this was on the cards from before the U even launched; from the fall of the mighty NGamer, I suppose. It is a shame: I love my Wii U, and I've got a lot of fond memories of it. But I can see why Nintendo would want to wash their hands of it and start again with a clean slate, hopefully finding a way to build a better install base for their next machine and therefore pump out the games we crave.

Excellent work on the thread title.

Thanks Drunka

What is odd though is isn't the Wii still in production for instance but Wii U won't be but you maybe right they just want to wash there hands of the Wii U.

Also if these reports are true, confirms NX is this year also now what happens with Zelda. One other thing does the lack of NGamer and ONM handicap Nintendo to market there systems.

Yup that is a good title. But most of this is relatively unsurprising, as has been said above: the Wii U was stillborn, and has continued to shamble rather, kept on tenuous life support by a trickle of indies and the odd brief pulse from a big Nintendo release.

I'm ready to say farewell to my Wii U. You were a good console that was launched badly, supported badly, and underperformed despite that. With the 3DS having something of a revival this year (albeit one that might pass RPG sceptics by), it's almost inevitable now that the NX will replace the Wii U wholesale.

Still, I haven't unwrapped TPHD yet, XCX remains unfinished, I haven't sampled SSBU's latest couple of downloadable characters, and I've got SF0 to look forward to. I'm ready... but I'll keep that life support plugged in for a while longer.

Sad news, in a way, but if you're going to launch a console with a gimmick that you don't know how to use yourself, trouble will follow. There have been some good games but I personally have shrugged at most of them, even.

It'll be remembered for being Nintendo's first HD console, at least.

A real shame, but with the NX imminent, not surprising. I wonder if this suggests Zelda U is going to be a Twilight Princess situation as surely they'd still be making consoles with a system seller like Zelda on its way...

@Jay I think so with Zelda, not sure if it's a huge system seller and you just have to look at the numbers of the games but will certainly help shift NX's.

I saw this tweet last night

Jonathan Meyer ‏@ashodinventeal Twitter of Founder (and CEO) of Actos Games

#psyscrolr's expansion is still coming, albeit slowly. Having difficulties keeping interest with the #WiiU production shutdown news.

He goes on saying it will still come but he'd also like to work on a potential sequel/new game for NX if possible. With The sunset definitely coming for the Wii U, and fast.


What doe you guys think of that as if I were a dev I would be put off bringing a game to the Wii U now, will Heart Machine even bother to figure out how to get Hyper Light Drifter to run on the Wii U and will Bloodstained even come to the system in 2017 when it looks like it's going to have production stop this year and be replaced.

Why bother, when the hardcore install base of the Wii U us is ready move on and likes of Jay haven't even bothered with the Wii U, were going to be on are NX's wanting games to come out.

Balladeer wrote:

You were a good console that was launched badly, supported badly, and underperformed despite that.

This should go on the Wii U's tombstone. The way in launched was mental - was there any hype for it at all? I don't remember much - it didn't even have Ian Wright asking if Zelda was "that fighting game" or anything. It wasn't advertised anywhere, was it? I remember being told that I was the first one to buy it on launch day out of my local HMV at like 1130am. Nobody gave a toss. Was the eShop even ready? And then there was TVii - what a horse's arse they made of that.

The writing was on the wall when FIFA 13 and ZombiU didn't sell eight hundred billion copies as expected. EA just went 'nut' after that, and Ubisoft responded by delaying Rayman Legends so it could launch on other, non-baws systems like the Vita and the Wonderswan (probably). Wii U owners fed off of scraps for the years after that, with some seriously dodgy ports and the sacred bi-monthly first-party release of a game that nobody ever really wanted, like Game & Wario, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival and Sing Party. I definitely thought about trading my Wii U in a few times (unthinkable with the N64, GameCube and Wii), but I persevered, hoping it would get better like the 3DS did. But really, did things ever improve? Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are modern classics, and Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, Super Mario Maker and Bayonetta 2 are all very, very good. But after that, is there much going on? There's little of note. The Wii has absolutely loads of stuff that's well worth a look, but does the Wii U? I don't really think it does.

Good console, launched badly, supported badly, and underperformed despite that.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Balladeer wrote:

You were a good console that was launched badly, supported badly, and underperformed despite that.

This should go on the Wii U's tombstone. The way in launched was mental - was there any hype for it at all? I don't remember much - it didn't even have Ian Wright asking if Zelda was "that fighting game" or anything. It wasn't advertised anywhere, was it? I remember being told that I was the first one to buy it on launch day out of my local HMV at like 1130am. Nobody gave a toss.

I remember going to a midnight launch which they only did because of me and this one other guy, as there was no real interest. When I went there was me and a few others but maybe 5 at the most with some just there with there mate.

Where the New 3DS which is just a upgrade, Mr Castle tweeting he was number 68 in queue at launch for a upgrade not a new system.

And take now with PSVR the hype around that where the UK & USA have sold-out of day one stock, and when I preordered mine in store a midnight launch is already being planned.

Ohh and the WonderSwan is awesome, also Rayman Legends on the Wii U is the second best-selling version with 660,000 not sure if it would of done any better if it stayed a exclusive. FIFA 13 has done 440,000 which is better then I thought but it about 300,000 less then the Wii version.

Double Post

We have word from Nintendo

According to Nintendo themselves, this is from Nintendo Enthusiasts

The Big N went full Speedy Gonzalez and has recently debunked the rumor. The Big N has stated that they plan to continue with shipments. The console has been supply shortages due to the high sales of titles like Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. On April 27th, Nintendo plans to announce their yearly sales estimates, which includes all of their systems.  The Wii U is apparently a part of the company’s fiscal year earnings.

Considering that the rumor got so much attention across a wide array of other news sites including ours, one can hope that this new development will also take form quickly.

On Nlife as I can't read Japanese the translation is "The report didn't come for us" Nintendo.

---

Nintendo haven's actually said No though, as there saying the system is still being shipped well if production stopped tomorrow they would still have some in a warehouse some where to ship like with the Wii which is still in fiscal year earnings.

Yet after some research production stopped in 2013 of the Wii yet they still ship and appear in fiscal reports still.

mas wrote:

What doe you guys think of that as if I were a dev I would be put off bringing a game to the Wii U now, will Heart Machine even bother to figure out how to get Hyper Light Drifter to run on the Wii U and will Bloodstained even come to the system in 2017 when it looks like it's going to have production stop this year and be replaced.

Why bother, when the hardcore install base of the Wii U us is ready move on and likes of Jay haven't even bothered with the Wii U, were going to be on are NX's wanting games to come out.

Digital games have faired a lot better on wii U, haven't they? So I'm sure they wouldn't want to just pack it in as smaller developers won't really want to take any losses if it can be helped, with that said though I wouldn't be surprised if some games didn't appear.

Even though production of the system may have stopped the user base would still be a decent enough size for these developers to label there games a success.

But if the user base that buys these games are now on the NX or else where, then the install base of selling a game even digital drops.

Take Shovel Knight 20% of it's sales have been on Wii U, that's a big number of I don't know how many downloads but let's say something big like 5 million that's 1 million downloaded on Wii U.

How many of those 1 million will buy a NX, you'd think type of person buying SK is likely a core gamer that there likely going to get a NX.

I bring this up as I've backed likes of Yooka-Laylee which I think will come to the Wii U as it's one of the most popular platforms and October is likely going to still before the the NX is out.

But Bloodstained which I did put down as wanting on Wii U, I just can't see that happening a new Wii U game in 2017.

Aye, games that don't have a more solid release date might not appear on wii U at all but folk don't always move across to a new system right away either.

mas wrote:

How many of those 1 million will buy a NX, you'd think type of person buying SK is likely a core gamer that there likely going to get a NX.

A good chunk of them but most will still own a wii U as well & that's my point, sure it'll be different from developer to developer but I just don't see lot's of them ceasing production of a game because the system itself is no longer being made.

It'll be a gradual decline not a screeching halt plus there's every chance of some games being moved across to NX.

I'd imagine if a developer has already started production on a Wii U game, they'll keep it up rather than call it a sunk cost. Also, knowing Nintendo, they'll be making the process of moving from Wii U to NX quite easy for developers. They've been praised for that a lot on the last couple of machines.

Speaking of Wii U's bad launch: wasn't there a lot of chat that planned games missed the launch because Nintendo underestimated how much longer HD games would take to develop?

Yes, Drunka, I'm sure I read that somewhere too (with all the credence the phrase "I read it somewhere" lends anything, which is only one step up from "A bloke in the pub told me"). As for early advertising, I saw a fairly long ad on UK TV the first Christmas of the Wii U's lifespan, but I was lucky: the ad had to be pulled because it failed the Trade Descriptions Act (we were told all games could be played purely on the GamePad, which was not true). There never seemed to be any really big UK ad campaigns after that.

They should have pumped some serious cash into advertising Bayonetta 2, at least.

Instead it was all channelled into paying Rufus Hound billions.

I remember there being loads of adverts when Mario Kart, Smash Bros and Splatoon all launched. LOADS. The problem was, they were on Nick Jr., a children's channel on Sky. A channel aimed at 2 to 6 year olds. They are still running Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. adverts every 15 minutes at the moment and I imagine Yokai Watch will get similar treatment. The thing is, that market is getting smaller thanks to tablets. Having taken my four old girl to swimming lessons today, all the kids were playing on tablets/iPads in the waiting area, not 3DSes.

I bought a Wii-U off of a friend who didn't want it, in early 2014. I sold it in mid-2015, when I found I'd spent most of my time playing Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Advance Wars, two games I could have played on systems I already own. Pikmin 3 was probably the one big game that grabbed me, as Mario Kart 8 was only really used for online multiplayer. I mostly play 1-player games, and stuff like Mario Kart and Smash Bros used to be games to play AS WELL AS the meaty Zeldas, Metroids, Paper Marios etc. The Wii-U has suffered on that front.

I really enjoyed FIFA 13 on Wii-U, despite it really being FIFA 12. The ability to play it on the Gamepad is excellent, and I'm surprised Konami didn't bring PES over to capitalise on the lack of football titles, particularly as PES is now the preferred football game amongst footy purists. It's also a shame to see huge titles like MGSV and Rise of the Tomb Raider ignoring the Wii-U, despite seeing releases on last-gen.

It's the end of an era for Nintendo. Their magazine coverage has all but vanished, as has their store space in places like GAME. Hell, Tesco have stacks of 3DS games (and consoles) in their stock rooms but they aren't on the shop floor, and that's their successful format this gen! The general public only see Xbox and PS4. The reason why I am most disappointed with the Wii-U is that Nintendo struggled to support their system. When you compare it to the Gamecube, their other under-appreciated home console aimed at serious gamers, it's severely lacking in software. Where were the 1080s, Wave Races, F-Zeros et al? You know things are bad when you get just the one Mario Party. It makes sense that Nintendo supposedly under-estimated the time it takes to make HD games, as many of them were glorified handheld titles (Captain Toad, Mario Tennis).

gjones wrote:

They are still running Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. adverts every 15 minutes at the moment and I imagine Yokai Watch will get similar treatment.

How many 2 to 6 year olds are desperate for Paper Jam Bros.?! For shame, Nintendo.

It's a good/great game, to be fair.

My 6-year-old nephew struggles with the first level of NSMB Wii - I daren't think how he'd handle the freedom of the top-down view and the timing required to excel at Paper Jam Bros.

Now we know when the NX is coming and that the Wii U has barely any games left to come out for it and E3 to be focused on Zelda and Nintendo only planning to sale 800k Wii U's this financial year.

The OG post might be correct that production has either stopped or slowing right down as 800k isn't that many for a whole year.

Seems a good time to bring this thread back and I ask the question how will the Wii U be remembered?

Personally it's sort of going to be Nintendo's SEGA Saturn, some great titles and did well in it's native land but a short life with not many SKUs sold and ultimately seemingly going to be replaced by a system a while off, with little in between them.

It isn't as rubbish as the Saturn (which was mostly rubbish, let's be fair).

I'll remember it as, hopefully, a one-off: "a good console that was launched badly, supported badly, and underperformed despite that". I'll look back on stuff like Smash, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Miiverse with a lot of fondness, but, aye, let's not do the Wii U again.

Saturn wasn't that bad and I can just see a lot of similarities between the two systems as both launched badly, supported badly well Saturn did get 3rd party support but from SEGA it wasn't the best and both underperformed and both having short lifespans.

But we will remember likes of Nights and Splatoon from both systems.

masofdas wrote:

Personally it's sort of going to be Nintendo's SEGA Saturn, some great titles and did well in it's native land but a short life with not many SKUs sold and ultimately seemingly going to be replaced by a system a while off, with little in between them.

I was thinking that yesterday. I remember how the Saturn had just Burning Rangers and Panzer Dragoon Saga in 1998, and then 9 months of 1999 was empty. The Dreamcast had great software coming out of its ears when it launched though