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Will Smash 3DS Cause Poor Sales for Smash Wii U?

Emma

The Cassandra
Site Staff
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Location
Vegas
I don't see what speculation on this can accomplish. People have various reasons for getting or not getting the 3DS version. Maybe they decided to wait for the Wii U version, maybe they didn't have money right now, maybe they don't like that kind of game on a handheld, maybe they weren't interested. We cannot possibly gauge how well the Wii U version is going to do ahead of time. There's nothing we can do but wait and see how well it does.
 

Fig

The Altruist
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Location
Mishima Tower
This question is one that has been stated ever since it was announced that Super Smash Bros. will be arriving for both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. I always here that the 3DS version of Smash will "steal" away the sales for the Wii U variant, and honestly I don't think that will be the case. Now I understand that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will sell extremely well due to the fact that there is a larger install base and with over 45 million 3DS units sold, there's no doubt that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS will sell like hotcakes. I can personally and honestly say that the Wii U version will sell extremely well, maybe not as good as the Wii U version, but it will around proportionally similar to the 3DS version. And with the "Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-fact Extravaganza Nintendo Direct that just aired this past week, I do believe it has 1. Want people to buy a Wii U and 2. Has now made those that were going to buy the Wii U version anyways now be more excited for the game. And now with Mewtwo being a free playable character for those you buy both versions of Smash 4, I'm sure sells will skyrocket for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

>Its a fact by now that there are more 3DS owners then Wii U owners. For this reason i can understand why nintendo wanted it to release on 3DS as well. But at the cost off Wii U sales. So that pops the question: "make as many sales as possible or try to save Wii U platform?"
Sakurai and Nintendo are two different entities, keep this in mind when it comes to anything relating to Smash. While Sakurai does work indeed for Nintendo what he thinks what's good for Smash and what Nintendo thinks what's good for Smash are somewhat different. Sakurai will always have the final say when it comes to his projects and Smash is no different. Back in 2011 when Super Smash Bros. was revealed to be going to be on the 3DS and Wii U, it was Sakurai who made that decision, not Nintendo. Mr. Iwata confirms this by saying it was Sakurai who decided to have Smash be available for both systems here.

>The release dates of both versions are far apart from eachother. And the 3DS version was first. This is not encouraging people to buy at the Wii U version at all. This is like nintendo is saying "meh...we are slowly giving up to save the Wii U, the real moneymaker is 3DS".
Except that wasn't the case. Sakurai didn't release Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS first because he didn't want to focus on the Wii U version. That was never the case as both versions were developed at the same time. Sakurai does explain why the 3DS version was released first than the Wii U version in this article:
What was the reason to make the Nintendo 3DS [version of Smash Bros.] before the Wii U [version]?

Sakurai: Compared to the 3DS [version], the Wii U [version] is larger in scale and also has many modes so the production takes time. It is that simple.
It isn't hard to comprehend that a console version of any game will have a longer development period compared to a portable version of the game. It makes sense that Wii U owners will have to wait just a bit longer to get the game if you want this game to be perfect the way Sakurai intends it to be, that is of course unless you like unfinished or unpolished games.

>Another reason that its more focused towards 3DS is, the limitations of 3DS that affected the game for both versions.
Except that isn't the case at all. If the limitations of the 3DS version the main focus of the two games, there wouldn't have been a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-fact Extravaganza Direct, there would be no 8-player Smash, and everything that was available in Brawl such as Event Mode, Special Smash, and Masterpieces wouldn't be on the Wii U version simply because the 3DS wasn't able to process that amount of content in the first place. If anything the Wii U version show just how simple the 3DS version is since there were many key elements in Brawl that are not available or found in the 3DS version. So to say the limitations of the 3DS is the focus of Smash 4 is a naive mindset to have.

>Majority of consumers will not buy 2 versions (despite version differences), its just plain expensive. I mean i like nintendo and the SBB series. I also own both consoles. But im not buying both versions even though i can afford it.
I will agree with you that it could be considered expensive for the average person or family for that matter, but that doesn't stop fans who only have a 3DS alongside with their copy of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS to be excited for the Wii U version and wanting to play it for that matter. If you don't want to buy the Wii U version of Smash you are entitled to that decision, however you can't say that consumers won't buy both versions when at the very least they are interested in the Wii U version as well.
 

Onilink89

Nyanko Sensei
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Location
The Netherlands
Sakurai and Nintendo are two different entities, keep this in mind when it comes to anything relating to Smash. While Sakurai does work indeed for Nintendo what he thinks what's good for Smash and what Nintendo thinks what's good for Smash are somewhat different. Sakurai will always have the final say when it comes to his projects and Smash is no different. Back in 2011 when Super Smash Bros. was revealed to be going to be on the 3DS and Wii U, it was Sakurai who made that decision, not Nintendo. Mr. Iwata confirms this by saying it was Sakurai who decided to have Smash be available for both systems here.

Except that wasn't the case. Sakurai didn't release Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS first because he didn't want to focus on the Wii U version. That was never the case as both versions were developed at the same time. Sakurai does explain why the 3DS version was released first than the Wii U version in this article:

I don't care what sakurai stated, nor what the actual reason is why the release dates are far apart from eachother. This does not change the fact that its going to affect the sales for Wii U. I mean so far Sakurai is concerned is that his own game would sell well for both versions in general. But Sukurai and even other 3rd party developers know that their game would sell better on the 3DS platform.

Take MH4 for example, Capcom knows damn well that their game is going to sell better on 3DS only. Cause for an MH game, MH3U on Wii U became a flop. You could see this on the number of people on the server and the sales. In fact after the US and EU servers merged, the number of people was still low compared to MH3 on Wii. If MH3U on 3DS also supported online gameplay, then most people would not bothered with the Wii U version. But nintendo needed a console selling game during the release, and MH3U is a huge console selling game.

Smashbros could have been a console seller too, if it was for the Wii U only. And right now Wii U needs all the help it can get or this is gonna be SEGA dreamcast all over. Financial wise, Nintendo can handle the loss for now. But Wii U consumers will get the short end of the stick.

And what does nintendo do instead of trying to save the Wii U platform, suddenly make a new 3DS thats basicly a new platform.

So to say the limitations of the 3DS is the focus of Smash 4 is a naive mindset to have.
The only thing naive here is people like you desperatly trying to defend this whole subject in general and act as a delusional nintendo fanboy.

I will agree with you that it could be considered expensive for the average person or family for that matter, but that doesn't stop fans who only have a 3DS alongside with their copy of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS to be excited for the Wii U version and wanting to play it for that matter. If you don't want to buy the Wii U version of Smash you are entitled to that decision, however you can't say that consumers won't buy both versions when at the very least they are interested in the Wii U version as well.

This is just hopefull thinking, its like you assume that the majority of Wii U consumers are fans. Exactly how much % of the Wii U consumers are fans? And even amongst fan's, how much % will be willing to pay for both versions? But like i said before, we will see the facts once the Wii U version gets released. Then at least one of us can tell to another "see i told you so".
 

Fig

The Altruist
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Location
Mishima Tower
I don't care what sakurai stated, nor what the actual reason is why the release dates are far apart from eachother. This does not change the fact that its going to affect the sales for Wii U. I mean so far Sakurai is concerned is that his own game would sell well for both versions in general. But Sukurai and even other 3rd party developers know that their game would sell better on the 3DS platform.
First of all I advise you to not insult the creator and developer, Masahiro Sakurai, with an intentional misspelling. Considering you have perfectly spelled his name correctly twice and the fact that keyboards are quite universal in the sense that no matter what region you may live in, the layout and placement of the keys are the same, to call insult him by purposefully is quite the negative action to do. I would have left this alone to be honest but seeing how you know how to spell his name several, I think you should have known better.

We don't know if the 3DS version will entirely factor in for the Wii U version's sales, but I'm quite positive that it won't bring a negative impact on the sells for the Wii U and Smash Wii U. And what's so wrong for Sakurai to be concerned how well his games will sell? Is that the whole point of game design? To entice the player in a product and for them to enjoy it? If Nintendo was truly afraid that the 3DS version would have stolen sales from the Wii U, they would have stopped Sakurai back in 2011, however they thought this was an opportunity to bring on of their biggest franchises to both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, ensuring that they will earn sales in the long run. You also can't assume that the developers automatically will know that they have a better chance making titles for the 3DS. It isn't great to assume that just because one system has more sells than another that their product will for sure sell. That isn't always the case.

Take MH4 for example, Capcom knows damn well that their game is going to sell better on 3DS only. Cause for an MH game, MH3U on Wii U became a flop. You could see this on the number of people on the server and the sales. In fact after the US and EU servers merged, the number of people was still low compared to MH3 on Wii. If MH3U on 3DS also supported online gameplay, then most people would not bothered with the Wii U version. But nintendo needed a console selling game during the release, and MH3U is a huge console selling game.
Perhaps Capcom might know that their games will sell better on the 3DS, but that doesn't stop Monster Hunter fans to enjoy their games on the Wii U version. I just don't think it is right to just assume that anything on the 3DS will always sell better than on the Wii U. There's a lot of factors when it comes to sales but you can never assume anything. Take for example one of my best friends. She loves Monster Hunter and has both a 3DS and Wii U. While she was a bit skeptical with MH3U, she played the demo and now thoroughly loves the game to this day. While this may not be the case for everyone with both systems, she's proof that just because she had a 3DS didn't mean she shouldn't buy a Wii U version of the same game. And yes, she is excited for Smash Wii U even though she has the 3DS version.

Smashbros could have been a console seller too, if it was for the Wii U only. And right now Wii U needs all the help it can get or this is gonna be SEGA dreamcast all over. Financial wise, Nintendo can handle the loss for now. But Wii U consumers will get the short end of the stick.
And Smash Bros. will always be a console seller even with the 3DS version available. Smash has always been a console seller in the past and will continue to grow based on how successful the previous installments so I don't think how it won't be a console seller simply because there is a 3DS version available right now. You make it sound that just because the 3DS version exists, the Wii U will suffer and won't be a console seller. Slippery slope.

And what does nintendo do instead of trying to save the Wii U platform, suddenly make a new 3DS thats basicly a new platform.
Seems like you didn't watched the video I posted in my last response so I will repost it here again. If you watched the video, you see that Mr. Iwata said that when he was speaking with Mr. Sakurai, it was Sakurai who suggested making Super Smash Bros. for both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in the first place. It wasn't Nintendo's choice to make Smash available to both systems, but rather Sakurai's.

The only thing naive here is people like you desperatly trying to defend this whole subject in general and act as a delusional nintendo fanboy.
If I was truly a Nintendrone, then I would be saying things that everything Nintendo does is perfect and Microsoft and Sony are terrible companies. Fact of the matter is I always acknowledge whenever Nintendo is in a terrible spot, but if there is something I can put my two cents in to help clarify the situation then I will. Calling me a delusional Nintendo fanboy when I never was in the first place doesn't help your argument. Ad hominem.

This is just hopefull thinking, its like you assume that the majority of Wii U consumers are fans. Exactly how much % of the Wii U consumers are fans? And even amongst fan's, how much % will be willing to pay for both versions? But like i said before, we will see the facts once the Wii U version gets released. Then at least one of us can tell to another "see i told you so".
It's not that I assume that the majority of Wii U owners are fans of Super Smash Bros., I know that most Wii U owners are Super Smash Bros. fans. Like you said in your previous post, you are a Smash fan but have no interest in buying the Wii U version. That doesn't make you any less of a fan know does it? If you play Smash Bros. and you enjoy the quality of the game then congratulations, you are a Smash fan. Just because you won't buy the Wii U version doesn't make you any less of Smash fan. I don't know the numbers or percentage of who will buy both versions of Smash but judging from the many websites, forums such as Smash Boards, and social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr I see about Smash on a daily basis, generally people who have the 3DS version are excited for the Wii U version. With that said, that would mean they have no problem to buy the Wii U version since it shows they are excited for the Wii U version despite already owning the 3DS version. This is probably why a lot of people have so much faith on Smash Wii U since everyone and their mother are excited for the biggest installment in Nintendo's fighting crossover franchise.

I would also like to state and stress that the whole point of an argument is to not say "See I told you so" at the very end when Result A or B does happen. That's not the point of the argument and anyone who believes in that mindset should not be involved with arguments in the first place. It's about stating points to prove one perspective while also allowing to hear what others that don't share the same mindset have to say. Even if I supposedly win an argument (which is rare since I don't like arguing in the first place), I just let it slid and not pay attention because winning an argument means nothing. Anyone who thinks winning is everything when it comes to arguments or debates deserve a reality-check in their lives.
 

Onilink89

Nyanko Sensei
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Location
The Netherlands
First of all I advise you to not insult the creator and developer, Masahiro Sakurai, with an intentional misspelling. Considering you have perfectly spelled his name correctly twice and the fact that keyboards are quite universal in the sense that no matter what region you may live in, the layout and placement of the keys are the same, to call insult him by purposefully is quite the negative action to do. I would have left this alone to be honest but seeing how you know how to spell his name several, I think you should have known better.

This just blew my mind...shocked...mindboggled, like i dunno how to properly respond to this?

Should i start that it actualy was unintentional? Or that forgetting a capital letter is actualy counted as mispelling? Or that mispelling is suddenly insulting?
Or you treating him like a subject to be worshipped and insulting him on the internet is a some sort of big sin?

"OMG how dare we spell Sakurai's name in roman letters? Its even more insulting to use gaijin letters, outrageous! From now on we all should call him 桜井 政博!"

Calling me a delusional Nintendo fanboy when I never was in the first place doesn't help your argument. Ad hominem.
No it doesnt help my argument at all, and it was not my intention either. Self proclaiming that you are not a nintendo fanboy is one thing. But your actions really tell the contrary.

I mean starting a discussion with long posts over a simple topic, becoming overly serious about it to the point of you linking fallacies, sources and vids what sakurai...i mean 桜井 政博 said. Or even giving me "advice" to not insult the almighty developer by mispelling his name. How can i not have the impression of you being a fanboy and delusional for that matter huh? Or is it that...you are the new Axle The Beast v3.0 that just like making discussions more complex then they should be in a psuedo-formal fashion to come over smart and dignified?

Well to be honest, i don't give a damn to actualy respond to each one your quotes and dragging the discussion even longer, cuz i know we both are just gonna repeat ourselfs over and over. The only way i see this is you looking this from the perspective of nintendo or as a fan. While im looking it from the perspective of marketing. Believe it or not, i know way more then you how marketing works.
 

Justac00lguy

BooBoo
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Gender
Shewhale
First of all I advise you to not insult the creator and developer, Masahiro Sakurai, with an intentional misspelling. Considering you have perfectly spelled his name correctly twice and the fact that keyboards are quite universal in the sense that no matter what region you may live in, the layout and placement of the keys are the same, to call insult him by purposefully is quite the negative action to do. I would have left this alone to be honest but seeing how you know how to spell his name several, I think you should have known better.
Don't see how this has got anything to do with disrespect or to do with the discussion; a misspelling is misspelling.

Fig said:
We don't know if the 3DS version will entirely factor in for the Wii U version's sales, but I'm quite positive that it won't bring a negative impact on the sells for the Wii U and Smash Wii U. And what's so wrong for Sakurai to be concerned how well his games will sell? Is that the whole point of game design? To entice the player in a product and for them to enjoy it?
We can sit around and speculate, but it doesn't take a genius to tell that releasing both will result in some sort of financial loss for one console's game sales. Unless you can guarantee that every 3DS Smash purchase will result in a Wii U purchase, then it's affecting sales to some degree. It's either going to directly result individual game sales or potential buys for the Wii U. The question is thought, whether the negatives outweigh the positives. Collectively, Smash will sell huge due to it being a multi-platform game - will that outweigh the cost opportunity though?

In business there's always a cost opportunity - what would have happened if you don't purchased that product or made that decision for example. Would a sole Wii U release be more beneficial than a 3DS release a few months prior? It's hard to tell, but that's the bigger picture here because it's a given that it will affect sales.

Fig said:
And what's so wrong for Sakurai to be concerned how well his games will sell? Is that the whole point of game design? To entice the player in a product and for them to enjoy it?
The biggest incentive for a business is revenue which leads to profit. Sure Sakurai may enjoy making a game and receiving great feedback, but if his design fails, he's fired, simple as that. That's business, you need your product to sell. Making a great game that others enjoy is a good place to start, but sales is the biggest factor.

Fig said:
If Nintendo was truly afraid that the 3DS version would have stolen sales from the Wii U, they would have stopped Sakurai back in 2011, however they thought this was an opportunity to bring on of their biggest franchises to both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, ensuring that they will earn sales in the long run. You also can't assume that the developers automatically will know that they have a better chance making titles for the 3DS. It isn't great to assume that just because one system has more sells than another that their product will for sure sell. That isn't always the case.
Nintendo can't predict things like this. As I said, it's a case of cost opportunity. They're looking at it through the perspective of: "the Wii U isn't selling well, that may effect Smash sales, so we'll release it on the 3DS (a much more successful platform) to guarantee sales". The console isn't doing well, so a failed marketing campaign, or general lack of interest by the Wii U market, could have left the franchise damaged with a record low of sales. With the addition of it being available on the 3DS, it gives it a parachute to put it metaphorically. However, in the bigger picture, that could come up favouring the 3DS more so than the Wii U, which is where Nintendo are struggling currently.

Fig said:
Perhaps Capcom might know that their games will sell better on the 3DS, but that doesn't stop Monster Hunter fans to enjoy their games on the Wii U version. I just don't think it is right to just assume that anything on the 3DS will always sell better than on the Wii U. There's a lot of factors when it comes to sales but you can never assume anything. Take for example one of my best friends. She loves Monster Hunter and has both a 3DS and Wii U. While she was a bit skeptical with MH3U, she played the demo and now thoroughly loves the game to this day. While this may not be the case for everyone with both systems, she's proof that just because she had a 3DS didn't mean she shouldn't buy a Wii U version of the same game. And yes, she is excited for Smash Wii U even though she has the 3DS version.
I think you're making the bigger assumption here. It's easier to say that a specific percentage won't buy both than actually guaranteeing everyone will. You're using one sample - your friend - to predict a good million or so people.

Fig said:
And Smash Bros. will always be a console seller even with the 3DS version available. Smash has always been a console seller in the past and will continue to grow based on how successful the previous installments so I don't think how it won't be a console seller simply because there is a 3DS version available right now. You make it sound that just because the 3DS version exists, the Wii U will suffer and won't be a console seller. Slippery slope.
See its past tense: Smash Bros. /was/ a console seller. But Nintendo haven't really had its main console get off to such a poor start for a while. The franchise, of course, is a huge hit to Nintendo fans, but the Wii U's problem is that it isn't attracting enough buyers. "Console Seller", by its definition, is a game that will sell the actual console. It might convince a good amount of people, but let's say a good chuck have already played the version on the 3DS and don't feel like spending an extra £200-250 to get the "upgraded" version. I'm in this situation currently and I have no intention of buying a Wii U, so I can probably wager that there are multiple people in a similar situation to I.

Fig said:
It's not that I assume that the majority of Wii U owners are fans of Super Smash Bros., I know that most Wii U owners are Super Smash Bros. fans.
This is a hugggggge assumption. You don't know. Unless you've personally took a survey of every Wii U owner, you can't make statements like this. I would probably except a large majority of owners being "fans" but that determines what you mean by fan. Someone who used to be a player series? Someone who just likes the series? Someone who's heard of it and it maybe interested? The fanboy type?

Fig said:
Like you said in your previous post, you are a Smash fan but have no interest in buying the Wii U version. That doesn't make you any less of a fan know does it? If you play Smash Bros. and you enjoy the quality of the game then congratulations, you are a Smash fan. Just because you won't buy the Wii U version doesn't make you any less of Smash fan. I don't know the numbers or percentage of who will buy both versions of Smash but judging from the many websites, forums such as Smash Boards, and social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr I see about Smash on a daily basis, generally people who have the 3DS version are excited for the Wii U version. With that said, that would mean they have no problem to buy the Wii U version since it shows they are excited for the Wii U version despite already owning the 3DS version. This is probably why a lot of people have so much faith on Smash Wii U since everyone and their mother are excited for the biggest installment in Nintendo's fighting crossover franchise.
This is another assumption. Posts on Facebook and Tumblr don't represent everyone. You're taking a microscopic sample and applying it to millions.
 

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