Nintendo Wii U - review

[wakka]

I can't see that at all. A prime example was the other day. Kat got a new PS3 and I told him to get GTI Club. He couldn't find it on the ps store anywhere and it turns out it's been removed. Similar to some of the older titles on xbox live too.

Okay, that's true. Not every game will always be available - but we're getting closer. If I go into a GAME store today, I know what I'll find - the last few weeks' releases plus a load of random dross (and maybe the odd gem) in preowned.

At the moment there isn't even an attempt to make a library of content available to people in the way that it is for other mediums. Once we switch to DD matching retail sales 100% (like the Vita) - which I think will happen with PS4 and Xbox Next - we will be progressing towards this. There is no way that games will disappear from DD stores as rapidly as they do from real life ones. There's simply no need.

Even if you don't want to think that it is advantageous for gamers, it's certainly advantageous for devs. Shelf space is a key issue in selling games - after the first couple of weeks stores might not even be bothering to stock new copies of your title any more. But with DD, your game can pick up steam (ho ho ho!) over time and build sales through word over mouth over weeks, months or years.

If you look at the actual numbers of games that have disappeared from XBLA and PSN compared to the number of games that have disappeared from real life stores, I imagine it's a fraction.

[noobish hat]

So your answer is to tear down the entire structure and replace it with digital only? Rather than, say, stop supporting the ****ing GAME group so we can have some physical shops that don't suck balls?

[wakka]

More games retail. That's the answer. Because what definitely works in 2012? Selling stuff in bricks and mortar shops.

I don't think many people do support the GAME group, that's why they're going bust.

[Brad]

The supermarkets are killing Game's new game sales. Their alternative is the used market where they knock ?2 off the new price. You'd have to be a complete prat to buy from them second hand to save 2 quid off a 40 quid game. Hence doom.

[noobish hat]

Retail doesn't work here in the UK. Because of what the consumers have allowed to happen and supported, i.e. a monopoly. You think everywhere is as farcically messed up as it is here? It isn't. In Japan there are plenty of bricks and mortar shops, and they aren't all going under, so it's not a case of 'well that's just how it is, so just go with it'.

[MisterBubbles]

Don't you mean a 50 quid WiiU game?

[Neon Ignition]

It's a mish mash, buying physical copies online seems the winning option for me. You keep the resell option whilst usually paying less initially. Digital will probably match physical by next gens end but I think those expecting physicals demise are in for a sore disappointment.

[vanpeebles]

You can't buy a physical copy of GTI Club or OutRun Online Arcade.

Exactly!

[wakka]

I'm not a rabid supporter of digital distribution only, not in the slightest. I would love games to continue to be sold in boxes - in fact I find it annoying that they're all in identikit DVD cases these days. I buy all of my games in physical copies when I can. I'm just trying to be a realist about where the industry's going and open some debate.

There's no point clinging to Nintendo being some kind of special company who exist only to fulfil the desires of men who grew up as boys with Super Nintendo. Nor is there much point showing how Japan has lots of game stores and we have few. They also have a lot of hostess bars and izayaka and we don't have any. It's a totally different culture.

Unfortunately any discussion on this topic seems to get loaded with emotion. So far I've been told by Noobish that I'm a fool and that I should stop 'supporting the f*cking GAME group'. Er, okay? Wouldn't it be more interesting to have a realistic discussion without the emotional ranting?

Personally I don't think there's any kind of bricks and mortar retail that could help games long-term at this point. And when most customers are buying their games from Amazon or Shopto, you can see why publishers would think that they should just cut out the middleman.

Anyway this is all wildly off topic! Maybe a mod should move some of these posts out to another more relevant thread so people can actually talk about the Wii U lol.

[teddymeow]

More games retail. That's the answer. Because what definitely works in 2012? Selling stuff in bricks and mortar shops.

I don't think many people do support the GAME group, that's why they're going bust.

A're we back in March? Game Group doesn't exist anymore and Game Retail are actually proving to be quite successful so I suggest you have a full view of the facts before posting comments such as "no wonder they're going bust".

Apologies if that sounds a little blunt and confrontational but I had enough of this rubbish from customers without having it thrown about on a forum I considered to be a little more informed.

[wakka]

Lol ok mate, I know you work there. But the games retail sector is hardly a growth area right now. I'm not suggesting there isn't a niche but it's certainly not the future. If it makes you feel any better I think exactly the same about Waterstones. I've got absolutely no vendetta against GAME like some people on here.

[noobish hat]

The discussion will be more interesting if we remove all emotion? What, like robots? Ok.

[wakka]

Lol oh please

This place used to be good for a vibrant debate.

[charlesr]

Until today. Dah daaah daaaaaah. etc.

[PaTaito]

It's a mish mash, buying physical copies online seems the winning option for me. You keep the resell option whilst usually paying less initially. Digital will probably match physical by next gens end but I think those expecting physicals demise are in for a sore disappointment.

I think you are dreaming...