LogFAQs > #937532925

Revelation34 posted...

The Wii's initial release proves your post wrong.

Quite the opposite: the Wii is the absolutely easiest example to disprove.

Nintendo had just come off of the Gamecube, which sold so poorly that they literally SHUT DOWN manufacturing of them for a time in order to clear stock. And it wasn't until they slashed the price to $100 and started selling the console at a loss (which they traditionally never do) to finally get sales back up again.

So not only could Nintendo not have known the Wii would sell like hotcakes, they were already understandably gun shy out of the gate due to their recent failures. But don't take Nintendo's own surprise- just look at literally every game publisher being astonished at the Wii sales, and promising to ramp up game development to accommodate (to the result of endless shovelware, mostly). Or, you know, how every gamer was equally surprised that the Wii was selling so well. Or the fact that Nintendo opened up an entirely new production line to meet demand once it became apparent the Wii was a hit.

Which, naturally, bit them with the Wii U, as they had to slow production on that once it became apparent that the console was a flop.

This isn't rocket science, but you people really are trying to make it out to be. I'm more curious how you think companies have crystal balls to see what will be hot and what will be not.

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PotD's resident Film Expert.