Comments on: Nintendo half-year revenue drops 35%, profit down 59%

By: Psychotext

Psychotext — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:28:04 +0000

Repeating myself… but it still outsells every other home console.

By: Uncontested

Uncontested — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:26:31 +0000

Everyones figured out that the Wii is a gimmick and everyone who bought it for Wii Sports already has it.

By: pracer

pracer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:06:17 +0000

But I think there is a very different market between the two systems. Plus a family only needs one Wii. A family with three kids could own three DS systems. Just saying.

By: Blerk

Blerk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:01:09 +0000

The DS doesn’t appear to have reached full market potential yet and that’s sold twice as many units.

By: pracer

pracer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:58:39 +0000

I also have to wonder how many people are out there that are interested in buying a Wii? I mean at some point don’t you reach full market potential? Or at least begin to slow down as you get closer to that magical glass roof?

By: Madlink

Madlink — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:20:41 +0000

@ Blerk

This is true…

By: Psychotext

Psychotext — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:16:38 +0000

That all said…

$1.15bn profit. Meaty.

By: Blerk

Blerk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:15:23 +0000

I agree – the public has gotten so bored of the Wii that it’s now just easily outselling the competition rather than ridiculously outselling the competition.

By: justiceblob

justiceblob — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:58:24 +0000

Sounds like the Nintendo bubble is beginning to burst, and I cant see much helping it now. Before I say this I just want to clarify I am not a hater, nor a fanboy (I had a Wii but traded it in), but the public has got bored of the Wii, and I cant see Wii HD helping that…..

By: Madlink

Madlink — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:59 +0000

@ Gekidami
I think we need a price cut of significant value though. In the UK, all they’ve really done since launch is add Wii Sports Resort to the bundle.

The price increased for a while over here to £200, then dropped to the £180 it cost at launch.

If they can get it down to £129.99 (and they can, god knows it can’t cost much to make and ship a Wii now) they would see another big wave of consumers.

As for the novelty wearing off, I sort of agree with you…sort of. There has been a serious lack in quality games for the Wii so far and this will indeed have to led to many users simply ignoring their Wii.
However, I don’t think the central concept of using the Wii remote in various ways has worn off yet. I personally still see some life in the controls.

And as for trade in figures, I have no idea. I currently work for a games retailer and (now this is obviously by no means me trying to say this is the norm) we probably get more Xbox 360 consoles traded in than Wii consoles.

But even then I’d wager half of the people who traded in their 360s, then upgraded to a better version of the 360.

By: JonFE

JonFE — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:37:06 +0000

No wonder Nintendo announced the bigger screen DSi and the black Wii; expect news for a Wii HD soon (E3?)

By: Patrick Garratt

Patrick Garratt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:30:51 +0000

Updated it with more on the projection cuts.

By: Gekidami

Gekidami — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:17:10 +0000

There already was a Wii price cut Madlink and it dosnt look like its helped much.
I think the Wii’s novelty is wearing off now, people are probably starting to look at the games rather then the Wiimote. What i’d really like to see is some trade in figures for the Wii, i’m betting they’re pretty high.

By: Blerk

Blerk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:14:05 +0000

Ouch, that’s quite a drop!

Still, over a billion dollars in profit will probably keep them ticking over. Might have to fill one of the money pits back up with water, but there you go. Times are hard.

By: Madlink

Madlink — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:13:19 +0000

Come on Nintendo, sounds like price cut time to me!