[QUOTE="Timstuff"]
The Wii U is in the same position the Dreamcast was in, except worse in some ways (albiet, Nintendo is not in financial trouble like Sega was, but they are still facing vastly diminished profits due to their recent blunders). The Dreamcast actually had a compelling software lineup at the time it died, but no-one cared because the PS2 was about to come out. The Wii U doesn't even have a decent software library to its name right now, so what is going to save it from the next-gen beasts that are clawing at the door?
Lucianu
That's not true, the Dreamcast broke sale and pre-order records wen it launched, aswell as having the best launch line up ever. The reason why it failed is because SEGA couldn't keep it afloat because of their financial trouble. They were literally bleeding money by the time they released the Dreamcast.
Nintendo just got off the succesful Wii train, the DS is the highest selling gaming system on Earth, and the 3DS is ridiculously succesful selling trough the roof each month and continuously securing quality games. They can sure as f*ck sustain the Wii U up until the next major Zelda, Mario, Smash Bros., come rolling in. Wen these system sellers come rolling in, then we'll see what to make of the WiiU.Â
3DS is hardly selling "ridiculously well" as you claim. It is selling well enough to bring in a decent profit, but it is a far cry from the original DS, and let's not forget that before the price drop it was selling like a turd wrapped in foil. Nintendo was expecting a repeat success of the 3DS, and at best they are might be able to get is something more along the lines of the Gameboy Advance (sold at a much lower profit margin, mind you, since Nintendo was not expecting to have to cut the price so early), but that is being generous. The handheld market is not what it used to be, because the adults who bought the DS don't care about it now that they have smartphones, and even the kids are starting to migrate over to tablets.Nintendo did make a lot of money last gen, but a company that big cannot operate indefinitely without making lots of profits. You would be surprised at how quickly Nintendo's war chest can run dry when they have to pay every employee a salary that can pay for decent housing, their children's education needs, healthcare, corporate taxes, etc., and when investors see the war chest being drained instead of getting their share of a healthy profit that year, they get angry. You invest in a company because you expect to get a share of the profit, after all, and when a company is spending more money than it earns (or is on the edge), that is not something an investor wants to see.
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