With PS4 Announced, Do You Think Wii U Is In Trouble?

[JuicieJ]

Then how do consoles sell thousands of units at launch with such a small library of games?

Because people want to have it for the future? lol

 

[DarkestLink]

The thing that many people seem to be utterly incapable of getting is that a more powerful console does not only just give you "slightly improved graphics". A more powerful console allows for more in-depth gaming;

Not really. I mean hell, OoT is still considered the best Zelda--and the best game for many.

larger, more explorable worlds;

Which isn't inherently a good thing. I.e. Wind Waker.

faster rendering for uninterrupted gaming experiences (which is a noticeable problem on a lot of older games), etc.

And yet I am constantly hearing complaints of downloading. I mean hell, I just watched a Portal 2 Let's Play. Took a whole damn minute to download. And heck, I've even see N64 games run with less interruptions than some Wii games.

Also, backwards compatibility does not count towards the console's library.

Doesn't matter. I come in the market with two choices.

A PS3 for $200 or a PS4 for $500-600. PS3 gives me the libraries of PS1, 2, and 3. PS4 gives me...better graphics. I think I'd choose the PS3.

 

[Ugea]

their was a theory on why the Ps3 was no longer backwards compatible to the PS2 according to the theory the Ps2 was still in production and was still selling verry well till the Ps3 was released and Ps2 sells Droped dramatically and Sony began to loose money. and soon they changed the Ps3 so in order to play Ps2 games you had to buy a PS2. this sounds the same for the Ps4, if the PS4 was physically ( using disks) backwards compatible to the Ps3 Sony would be loosing money so you Had to buy a PS3 to physically play Ps3 games. but that is just a theory, if my WII broke and i had a WII U, i wont have to go buy another wii, same thing with the gamecube, i dont have a game cube but now i have the opportunity to play the games i havent played for a console i never owned, i dont have to buy a game cube cause my WII plays game cube games same thing with my 3DS, i dint have a DS growing up so i dont have to buy the earlier version of the DS to play them because my 3DS can play DS games along with its own games. If my PS2 broke i have to go buy a PS2, ( even though their really cheep to get). I was going to buy a PS3 to retire my PS2 but that unable to play Ps2 games turned me off so i went with a WII (though i still want a PS3)

 

[zack125]

b)Backwards compatibility is only a recent desire; tell me, could the GameCube play N64 games? How about the N64 playing SNES games? SNES playing NES games? No, no, and no. I can tell you that I never once thought of selling my N64 to get a GC and play my 64 games on it. That was both an impossibility and a joke in and of itself; when I advanced to the next generation, I kept my previous consoles but also delved into the new games the next gen had to offer. Put simply: there was no need for backwards compatibility to exist because the games we'd get were as good as if not better than the last gen's.

You're acting as if backward compatibility is a recent feature. I'd like to point out older consoles that had the backward compatibility installed such as the Atari 7800, the Jaguar II, the Master System, the Atari XEGS. These are all the consoles I can think of that were released with backwards compatibility and were released in the '80s and '90s. So, don't act as if people never wanted it right from the start.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

In a way, yes, I do think the Wii U is in a bit of trouble. For one, Sony with the PS4 will most likely do a better job advertising their console to the general public than Nintendo with the Wii U, whose commercials did little to make me want to buy a Wii U (not to mention that AWFUL music). Also Sony, right off the bat has the 3rd party support, they showed that off in their conference, while 3rd party support for the Wii U just seems to be dwindling. Lastly, power, I know the power of a console isn't everything, but the specs of the PS4 absolutely blow those of the Wii U out of the water (it's something like 8x as powerful as the Wii U). Again, I know power isn't everything, but Sony raised a good point during their conference, and that was that power gives developers the creative freedom to do whatever they want in their games. Also, with this power, it promises that the PS4 will continue to get AAA support throughout the next console generation, while that support for the Wii U is questionable (it also doesn't help that developers would be pretty much forced to incorporate the Wii U gamepad some way or another into their games). I'm not saying that the Wii U is absolutely doomed per se, but if the console continues to get this non-existent 3rd party support and few-and-far-between first party releases, then the console could be in some serious trouble.

 

[Vaati101]

A library is the reason to buy a console, not its power. Therefore the games define a console.

I agree with this. The whole point of a Video game console is to play games, it's not about how fast it plays a game. It's nice that the PlayStation 4 has all these hardware features, but in the long-term does hardware really sell a Games Console? No it does not and Sony's PlayStation 2 Sales proves that. During it's lifetime the PlayStation 2 has sold over 150 million consoles with where as the PlayStation 3 has only sold 77 Million consoles. The reason the PlayStation 2 was successful was because of it's vast game library and maybe it's general interest to both Hardcore and Casual gamers, not because of it's hardware.

In the long term, Hardware is not what sells a games console, Sony's PlayStation 3 sales proves that. As a result of this I'm not convinced that the PlayStation 4 will do any better. If Sony had focused on Software rather than Hardware then maybe the PlayStation 4 would of been a threat to the Nintendo Wii U, but Sony are taking the Hardware route again which won't help boost sales.

 

[Ventus]

You're acting as if backward compatibility is a recent feature. I'd like to point out older consoles that had the backward compatibility installed such as the Atari 7800, the Jaguar II, the Master System, the Atari XEGS. These are all the consoles I can think of that were released with backwards compatibility and were released in the '80s and '90s. So, don't act as if people never wanted it right from the start.

I apologize if my post gave you that message; what I wanted to convey was that backwards compatibility is only a true selling point in today's realm; most consumers did not consider "can I play my GB games on my GBC" when going out to purchase a Game Boy Color. It's only significant in today's world is what I'm trying to say.

 

[Deeds]

As of now, we cannot tell if it will be in trouble. I think there's a high chance it'll turn out like the relationship that the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 all had. With the Wii-U selling more units as they progress, to bring out unique and innovative selling points, but not as good hardware as its competitors. I hope that's how it turns out.

 

[JuicieJ]

Here's an interesting bit of info. Nintendo Shares Rise After PS4 Announcement

 

[A Link In Time]

Here's an interesting bit of info. Nintendo Shares Rise After PS4 Announcement

You have to remember that most game company stock holders know nothing about gaming. Check out this article for some ridiculously laughable reactions to the PS4 event.

Those people want a presentation on the hardware and specs of the console. They don't care about the slew of amazing games unveiled. They didn't see the PS4 box, now they're raging. I appreciate what Sony did with this presentation and Nintendo has been pursuing with its directs. These are conferences for the gamers not the stockholders like E3's become in recent years.

 

[Justac00lguy]

A PS3 for $200 or a PS4 for $500-600. PS3 gives me the libraries of PS1, 2, and 3. PS4 gives me...better graphics. I think I'd choose the PS3.

First off the PS3 isn't backwards compatible so I am afraid that playing PS2 and PS1 discs on the PS3 will not work. It's a shame that the PS4 isn't backwards compatible with the PS3 but is this seriously a key disadvantage to one not buying the console? No.

When buying an Xbox 360 and a Wii I didn't really even consider the fact of backwards compatibility, sure it may strengthen the range of games but I wouldn't say it adds to the library as the library is generally made up of the actual console games. Am sure anyone would take a more powerful console over a console that is severely underpowered but has backwards compatibility to an even weaker console. Saying that the PS4 will just have better graphics is a "major" understatement. Did you even watch the presentation? Some of the capabilities are really amazing and it could completely take out loading times, download times and the cloud gaming feature looks very prospecting. Games will be able to run faster, be able to have more storage, games will generally be bigger, physics will improve and am sure there are many other features that will greatly improve. Fact is that the PS4's power will not only make the game look better but it will improve the efficiency and experience when playing.

 

[Honorable Hero]

PS1 discs work on all versions of the PS3. Only PS2 backwards compatibility was removed.

 

[JuicieJ]

You have to remember that most game company stock holders know nothing about gaming. Check out this article for some ridiculously laughable reactions to the PS4 event.

Those people want a presentation on the hardware and specs of the console. They don't care about the slew of amazing games unveiled. They didn't see the PS4 box, now they're raging. I appreciate what Sony did with this presentation and Nintendo has been pursuing with its directs. These are conferences for the gamers not the stockholders like E3's become in recent years.

That's not even my point. My point is that people are pretty sporadic, and since the Wii U will inevitably start selling a lot more by the end of the year due to having games worth buying, at least for the time being, it's possible Nintendo will have the upper hand in the stock market.

Fact is that the PS4's power will not only make the game look better but it will improve the efficiency and experience when playing.

Not inherently. Gameplay is what makes the experience, not visuals and power. I don't care how much power your console has, if it doesn't make good games, it's not going to be of interest. The GameCube vs PS2 is the ultimate proof of this.

 

[Justac00lguy]

That's not even my point. My point is that people are pretty sporadic, and since the Wii U will inevitably start selling a lot more by the end of the year due to having games worth buying, at least for the time being, it's possible Nintendo will have the upper hand in the stock market.



Not inherently. Gameplay is what makes the experience, not visuals and power. I don't care how much power your console has, if it doesn't make good games, it's not going to be of interest. The GameCube vs PS2 is the ultimate proof of this.

I think it's inevitable that the Wii U will have the upper hand....It has a 1 year advantage on the PS4 however I am afraid that when the PS4 and Nextbox are released it's only a matter of time before they start outselling the Wii U. Of course we don't know the price yet but if the price is around the same price that was rumored I just don't see how the Wii U can compete.

It's technical capabilities seem up to the standard of the current gen and as shown in the PS4 conference the technical capabilities out shine the Wii U by miles. Of course power isn't everything and Nintendo are focusing on innovation as they did with the Wii, not just with Motion controls but the market they targeted. I do not think the Wii U is nearly as groundbreaking as the motion controls when the Wii was released and it seems that Sony and Microsoft are already taking a leap out of Nintendo's book, this could easily lessen the effect of the Wii U's USP. As for games wise the current library is weak and of course it can only get stronger but just look how many titles and new IP's there are for the PS4 already. Thses could all be possible console sellers and the current library on the Wii U imo does not have one games that will sell the console.

 

[Cfrock]

First off the PS3 isn't backwards compatible so I am afraid that playing PS2 and PS1 discs on the PS3 will not work

Depends on which model of PS3 you own. The early ones did have backwards compatibility and later models gradually phased it out. Buying a brand new PS3 won't allow you to play your old discs but buying one of the earlier models second-hand will.

When buying an Xbox 360 and a Wii I didn't really even consider the fact of backwards compatibility, sure it may strengthen the range of games but I wouldn't say it adds to the library

When the Xbox 360 first came out, the most popular game played on it was Halo 2. That remained more or less the same until 2007. No console has ever launched with a large selection of games that were worth playing until the Wii U. Say what you will, but the Wii U genuinely has one of the most robust launch line-ups ever, in regard to the number of games available for it. The fact that the Xbox 360 was backwards compatible gave a huge number of people a genuine reason to buy one at launch. Not everyone will have the same mentality but a huge number of people will think (and did think) "There might not be any games for the 360 that I want, but I can play Halo and Morrowind on it so I'll get one now and play those until 360 games comes out... like Halo 3 and Oblivion!"

Backwards compatibility means a console will launch with the previous console's entire library (or a limited selection of it in the case of Sony and Microsoft). Sure, those games may not have been developed specifically for the new console but they are still available for it. I know people who have bought original Xbox games for 360, people who have bought Gamecube games for Wii. The mere fact that these older games can be played on the newer console means they are part of that console's library and they do play an important role in a lot of people's decisions on whether or not to buy a new console. Emulators make backwards compatibility redundant? Not everyone has computers that can run them smoothly (like my situation with Dolphin, for example) or even know such things exist. Heck, some people know they exist but avoid them because they prefer not to pirate games. These days, many people will trade, say, a Wii in to get money off the price of a Wii U. The Wii U being backwards compatible means that decision is an easy one to make as those people will still be able to play whatever games they had for the Wii. They don't lose anything and end up saving some money, an important factor in the current economic climate. The PS4 not being backwards compatible means gamers will have to hang onto their PS3s if they wish to play any games for it. That means having to leave it hooked up if they play PS3 games regularly (a likely scenario in the PS4's early days). That means more space used up around the TV and more electrical sockets used up. Those who choose to 'swap' their consoels around, only having one hooked up at a time, will find it to be a hassle. These may seem like minor things but they are the realities of using home consoles. Backwards compatability is not just a great way to bolster a new console's library, it can help save people money, space and eliminate unnecessary burdens and annoyances.

Overall, the PS4's lack of backwards compatibility is a negative point, whichever way you want to look at it. While it won't hold the thing back in any serious way, it is an oversight. The first thing I, and probably many other people, would do to improve the appeal of the console is make it compatible with PS3 software. That would allow people to trade in PS3's to save money on buying a PS4, it would eliminate excess space being taken up by a PS3 that would become more obsolete with each passing month and it would provide the PS4 with a large library of games to bolster whatever it has available at launch. A console being backwards compatible is nothing but positive and it is a feature I would expect of any new console launch, now and in the future.