With a number of major titles coming to the Wii U in the remainder of 2013, it's natural to wonder which will do the most for the system's hardware sales and overall prospects. There are new titles coming that cover different bases, with exclusive Sonic joining the potential bankers such as Wii Fit U and Super Mario 3D World. A major release that prompted plenty of excitement when announced in January, however, is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, the terrific remake of the GameCube title and, let's not forget, a game that to some is essentially a new Zelda experience; that's certainly how Nintendo has been approaching its release.
Although early download access was available in North America from 20th September, it only arrived on 4th October in stores in Europe and North America. Its start in Japan was modest at best, so the question is whether there's greater appetite for the re-release in the West. The early results in today's UK charts are reasonable, if not mind-blowing, but do demonstrate that there's been some decent interest in the title in the face of multi-platform behemoths FIFA 14 and Grand Theft Auto V — the cel-shaded epic has made its UK all-format chart debut in fourth place, behind the aforementioned big hitters and multi-platform newcomer F1 2013. For its part Animal Crossing: New Leaf is still flying the 3DS flag, securing 18th place.
While not an exceptional start for The Wind Waker HD, it is nevertheless a Wii U exclusive that's forced its way into the upper reaches of the UK charts. As is often the case, momentum will be important; can it defy its small userbase — and maybe grow it further — and show some New Leaf-style resilience? We'll find out in the coming weeks.
[source ukie.info]
Comments 43
That's good for a Wii U title considering the other games ahead of it. Now I want to know if it can keep these sales weekly and if it helped move any hardware over here.
Lovely game, got it today, hopefully I can blast through it before pokemon gets here. Gona be super busy! hehe~
i got it today cant wait to get home from work and play it. they couldnt have picked a better game to remake for me since ive only played it though once when it first came out and its all just a hazy memory
Im gonna point out that a lot of this titles sales are going to be coming from downloads which this list does not account for,mostly due to the terrific zelda wii u bundle,which i expect to be selling rather well.
New Leaf flying the 3ds flag in 18th?! That's rather sad, considering Mario & Luigi Dream Team Bros. has been released since New Leaf, that game is amazing and should be doing better than it is.
Only makes me wonder how the system itself performed with the price cut and the new bundle.
Yeah, they really need to start incorporating download figures into these charts because that is all I have been doing and I'm sure I ain't alone
@MadAussieBloke Trust me, your not.
I really, really don't think Wii U fit is going to be the success you guys are anticipating. Mario will though. I think a lot of people have been interested in Pikmin 3 and Wonderful 101, but just didn't feel they were worth buying a console for. Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3 and Wonderful 101 together however and I think a lot of people will take the plunge.
@Peach64 - I agree. I can't see Wii U Fit doing half as well as the Wii versions. In fact I can pretty much seeing it bomb. I'd like to be proven wrong though!
Also really sad to see Inazuma Eleven 3 utterly bomb. They say you only need to sell a couple of thousand to get on this top 40. That means the only 3DS game selling over about 2000 is Animal Crossing. Should be easy top get top 5 on the 3DS chart then? But it debued at no 9 last week and has now disappeared. That sound like it sold a few hundred copies Why don't Nintendo push it more? Layton is huge here, and so is football.
That's actually a really good showing, considering how massive the first two games are over here, it was F1 2013's debut, and the fact that they're all multiplatform. Granted, there aren't many heavy hitting games below it, but it still looks like a positive for a country that has largely ignored the console.
that sounds good.. but what is the number compared to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place?
Chart position means nothing.
Numbers are everything.
@datamonkey 'half as well' would boil down to some 11 million copies worldwide. In other words: that would effectively more than double the Wii U console sales so far. not too bad for a non-game!
I'm super happy with WWHD
Does this top 40 include sales in Ireland? Cause a friend in work bought the WWHD bundle and is in love with it, she held off all year waiting for something like this bundle and it is her first Zelda game and loves it, she is a Mario nut.
So it's the highest-placed system exclusive on the list? Not bad for a remake on a struggling console.
Should get mine on the mail this week - which incidentally is the week my vacations start. Hooray.
@Mk_II - lol, yes you're right. I should have chosen my words more wisely!
Any chance of single format numbers seeing as the 3 above are all multi plat
@Morph
1. FIFA 14 360
2. GTA V 360
3. FIFA 14 PS3
4. GTA V PS3
5. Wind Waker HD Wii U
6. F1 2013 360
7. F1 2013 PS3
8. Minecraft 360
9. Just Dance 2014 Wii
10. The Last of Us PS3
http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/latest/index_test.jsp&ct=110032
Chart Track don't give specific numbers but do note there's a large gap between GTA/FIFA and everything else. Considering GTA made up 98% of all top 40 sales a couple of weeks ago, I imagine GTA and FIFA on their own are outselling numbers 3-40 on their own still.
That's still pretty good for a Wii U game.
Does this include the special edition bundle sales too?
don't forget that wind waker only came out on friday
@datamonkey of course i'm not claiming Wii Fit U will actually shift that many units - i don't think the Wii phenomenon will be repeated this generation - but the basically free software update for existing Balance Board owners should lure in some new console sales. Whether this will add thousands or millions to the install base remains to be seen.
@datamonkey, @Mk_II
Personally, I think the combination of Wii U Sports Club and Wii Fit U is going to be very positive for Nintendo. Wii Fit U's virtually free with a $20 purchase of the Wii Fit Meter (+purchase of the system for non-Wii U owners) and I have full confidence that those titles alone are going to move some hardware and raise interest in the Wii U.
Then with Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. coming in the following year, system selling momentum should be stabilized.
"As is often the case, momentum will be important; can it defy its small userbase — and maybe grow it further — and show some New Leaf-style resilience?"
No. It will plummet like a rock to sea once the subset of old fans that wanted the port have re-bought their copy.
Some of the GAME stores I went into have been really pushing this, there have been entire stands and cutouts devoted to the game. I hope it can hold this high position for a few weeks.
does this include sales from the hardware bundle?
This will surely prompt some hardware sales!
I think is is a great result bearing in mind Nintendo have spent all of zero pounds promoting or advertising the game. Sticking it in a Nintendo Direct announcement is hardly imaginative nor going to non-WiiU/3DS audiences.
I've not even had an email from Nintendo UK announcing the game has been launched (quelle surprise!)
So this is from three days of sales?
Here in Mexico is selling a lot as well. The price-drop is helping tremendously, even though here is not so cheap as in USA but still, so glad because this country is literally a Xbox territory (unfortunately : / )
Very good. Now SM3DW and SLW coming soon, sales should skyrocket. Very good, I say again!
@ThumperUK You're obviously not paying much attention then because they have an ad campaign on TV that's played a number of times, I personally think other Wii U games could do with the exposure WWHD has recieved but hey that's just me.
Very good for a HD remake of a 10 year old game, on a poor selling console, at a time when some very big hitters are being released.
Lets hope Link stays high in the chart.
It's selling more than japan!
I would like to see how it's doing in North America.
Does this chart count Download sales? ...because I'm sure plenty of WWHD sales will come off the Wii U bundle sales, especially come Christmas.
I am just going to say that Wind Waker HD got the "realistic" TOP spot, considering how the only games that placed higher were Grand Theft Auto and FIFA.
Well, even though a lot of you don't believe in Wii Fit U, I'm really looking forward to get that game. I think it's going to be on top on my christmas wish list.
FIFA 14 a behemoth over Zelda .... good lord, im feeling dizzy.
@Wolf_Link
I know, it's crazy to think this is what most gamers of today want.
@jord91 Thats what i got
@NintendoPro64
lol! no.
sigh The fact that you disagree with me is ironically proof that you didn't even understand my comment. First of all, I didn't even say it got the TOP spot. I am aware that it placed 4th. Now as for the meaning of the comment, what I meant was that it got the best spot that would have been POSSIBLE. The only games that were higher were GTA and FIFA, games that in the UK, and it (and any other new game available at the time) had NO CHANCE of placing higher. By saying it got the REALISTIC top spot, I am saying it got the best spot that was even possible for its launch week. The fact that it was only beaten by those games is a testament to how well it did. Next time, try taking more time understand people's comments.
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