NPD Results Bring Solid 3DS Numbers as Wii U Struggles

Well it's not terrible. Since the U and 3ds haven't had much up to this point that actually not too bad. The next 2 months will hopefully tell a different story!

Sorry but those 3DS numbers aren't solid. They're awful.

After this dry spell of no Wii U games, I'm sure sales will pick up. I really hate seeing poor sales, as I love my Wii U and see a lot of potential in it. Things will definately pick up with MK8, and Smash later. Maybe even with some reveals at E3 :3

3DS down over 30% for YOY numbers... That's bad, very bad considering the 3DS missed is forecast last year. Nintendo have a lot of work cut out for themselves.

@S-Miyahon Yeah and PSP

The WiiU and 3DS both have solid numbers because there were like no gamez last month.

Vita numbers are horrible.

well that is bad. On the other hand, at least with New Yoshi's islands lack of sales, perhaps Nintendo will finally get the hint and ditch Artoon.

Anyway, actually played Second Son or Metal Gear or the stick of truth. How are those 3 games.

I'm strapping on my armor and heading over to IGN to defend the WiiU. I know it's unrealistic but I hope Nintendo would bump Mario Karts release date up a couple of weeks ahead of Watch Dogs. And confirm the Mario Kart bundle already! Create some hype NOW.

@S-Miyahon The Wii U doesn't play Gamecube games though and in terms of quantity of great games, Wii + GCN outweighs Wii U + Wii.

What is Nintendo doing man? This is really making me sad. The Wii U is such a beast system. So much potential. It's crazy. It shouldn't be like this with the money they have. We could've had rebooted franchises,3rd party exclusives,new HD remakes. I just don't understand Nintendo sometimes. They have all the pieces but it's like they can't put it together correctly.

People are still burying their head in the sand about those Wii U figures, refusing to admit just how bad they are. Remember that awful launch of the 3DS that people refer to? It was doing 200k a month. Right now Wii U needs a 300% increase in sales to reach those 'awful' figures. Mario Kart will bring a boost, but how much of a boost are people expecting?

Hopefully 3DS numbers will go back in in the next few months with Mario Golf and Smash, but the 3rd party support the DS had is just not there. Most games Nintendo puts out for it are great, but I think it shows that first party alone is not enough, the releases are too thin on the ground to sustain healthy numbers. I hope Nintendo sort this out at E3 with a few announcements of games that will come in the remainder of 2014. I expect we'll see Majora's Mask 3D announced for holiday, but he Localisation of Dragon Quest VII would really help bulk up the library, while for Europe they could also throw in Shin Megami Tensei IV.

@Grumblevolcano I don't think people are buying new Wiis to play their GameCube games.

@S-Miyahon if nintendo does not market it better it will not sell. The wii had a new way to play and so nice ads that hot the point out at what it was. The wii u to most still just seems like a wii with a new tablet like controller. And to people who game it is just a gen behind with less games. So nintendo is going to have to have something that gets people on the wii u. Hopefully it is at E3.

@Grumblevolcano
Wii doesn't have better games than Wii U or GCN, but as of now, Wii U is turning out to be a lot like GCN in terms of software, and probably sales to...

Oh, and let's all remember this next time the UK chart gets posted and people start going on about how the UK gamers must hate Nintendo. At least new releases usually hit the UK top 10, but it never happens in the NPD chart.

@XFsWorld

I don't get it.

@Falco and @Grumblevolcano
Wiis don't play GameCube games anymore... Launch Wiis could, but the newer ones lack that backwards compatibility.

I feel like nintendo has stopped marketing the wiiu impo i haven't seen much advertising none at all

Hopefullymk8 in combination with 3d world Wii boost up sales its the same strategy they had for the 3ds

@Peach64 I wouldn't expect Majoras Mask HD this year, maybe late into the Wii U's life span.

@S-Miyahon Yes, time is a big factor. Mario Kart 8 is likely to be my GotY however I hope Nintendo has tricks up their sleeves for E3.

@shigulicious Not everyone has huge amounts of space to have many home consoles setup at the same time so having a Wii enables the Gamecube to be "put away" if not enough space.

@K-Gamer What I was saying is that at current there are more better quality Gamecube games than Wii U.

@kyuubikid213 Wasn't it only the Wii Mini that didn't play GC games? The main Wii consoles can still be bought even today.

The wii mini does not play gamecube games, and no new model of the standard wii has in years. Nor do they even have ports for it. The nongamecube model became standard in 2011/2012.

@Grumblevolcano Or, you could get a U and get a 15 $ GC.

Oh, Wii U... Just for once, can people buy you? It would be so nice...

@Falco Actually the Wii has stopped playing GCN games a while ago.

@Grumblevolcano: All Wiis no longer have GCN support

Wii is bought by parents who don't want to spend 300$ on a console, not because of it's backward compatibility with Game Cube, Wii U is not bought because of lack of third party support and a simple fact that only 1/10th of the games coming to XBOX and PS4 will be coming to Wii U.

@3MonthBeef If you like the Wii library there are already plenty of awesome games for the Wii U that might not look amazing but are best-of-class games in a similar vein. Otherwise, get an 360 or PS3.

Wii U is a great value with bundles now. The Wii no longer has Gamecube support and online going away (Mario Kart), it really is a poor choice since the Wii U can do all of it (and looks slightly nicer through HDMI as well).

That being said: I get why people buy it. It's in that impulse-buy zone where people don't even bother comparing values to other options they just throw it in the cart. Also, the games can be found for cheap now.

Though lowering prices to get people to buy the console was out of the question last year, hopes are now dashed and I think it's time for Nintendo to go nuclear. Sell the Wii U for $199 or even $150 at a huge loss and get everyone to just buy in, even if for just one or two games (Smash Bros. and/or Mario Kart). There just needs to be a platform to build on and a place for Nintendo in the market, and despite how awesome I think the Wii U is, most people just don't care. Pure marketing isn't going to cut it, it's time to make it "the other console" gamers will buy alongside the PS4/XB1 for family games and some of their nostalgic favorites. Won't happen at the current price levels even with Mario Kart and Smash Bros, which look fantastic but are simply too late.

Im guessing those Wii sales include the Mini, I havent seen the old Wii on shelves in awhile. Those bright red$99 boxes w/ MKwii are very tempting. I just paid $40 to buy my nephew MKWii. Ive been complaining since WiiMini launched in the US last year that it was a bad move by Nintendo. $99 bright red MK box vs $300 Wii U. Ive considered buying 1 but no internet for NF or Hulu is a deal breaker.

3DS XL also needs a price drop to $179, its been at $200 for 2 years now. And 2DS should have always been $99. 3DS to $139. Sell systems, sell games.

I bought mine last month, but since it was a Nintendo refurb I don't think it counts.

And this will bring the usual "NINTENDO IS DOOMED" comments from folks, and people saying Nintendo need to exit the console business. These same people will ignore the fact that the Vita hasn't even broken the three million units sold mark yet after over two years on the market.

The wii u is awesome. I might get a pc game when sid meyers beyond earth game is released.

@rjejr I'm waiting for a price drop on the XL before I upgrade...my 3DS (got it used) has problems with the card slot and I've been looking to upgrade. Plus the XL is a lot more comfortable, I don't like that I have to have a huge grip on mine.

That, or a new model to be introduced.

Why are people making such a big fuss over 28,000 Wii sales? It's highly unlikely any of those buyers would have bought a Wii U if they couldn't find a Wii, but let's just pretend every single one of them would have, that's still less than 100,000 sales for the month which is REALLY bad. I think Wii U has been selling poorly for so long, people's sense of context for these figures is all screwed up. The same thing happens in the Japanese Chart articles, where people say 10k a week is 'pretty solid'. It's not. Go back and look at console sales for the last 15 years. Nothing sells under 100k a month (unless it's been replaced by a successor), not the PS3, the Gamecube, the Xbox, not even the Dreamcast. Those Wii sales are not the reason the Wii U is struggling, they're completely irrelevant here. At least those are making money for Nintendo.

The Playstation and PS2 got a huge chunk of sales after their successors came out, and they made Sony a lot of money. The people buying 7-8 year old consoles now are not the sort that could even be remotely tempted into going out to buy an 8th gen machine instead.

@TheWhiteFalcon - I was expecting a new and improved 3DS Lite myself, but Nintendo gave us 2DS instead

A 3DU - doubles as a Wii U Gamepad controller w/ 2nd thumbpad - should be implemented though so Nintendo can make good on its promise of a 2nd Gamepad support. Ild rather pay $200 for a 3DU than $100 for a Gamepad. Plus a little Wii U promotion certainly wouldnt hurt.

Mario Kart 8 will change the game

@Peach64 70,000 is not bad considering there were no major releases in March. Vita is whats really worrying.

Wii U numbers aren't bad after Nintendo saying that this year they would be revising business and making it a focus of marketing and software releases, and then showing next to nothing all year so far..................sighs

Bumps will happen with Kart and Smash and Holiday'14 that's almost certain. Other than that Wii U just bumbling along and pleasing the fan base it's got. We'll see what Nintendo does to change minds at E3 to get even a few more sales that can't be predicted now with current release info.

Not surprised at all. Nintendo certainly isn't doing a good job of helping the Wii U.

And this is why 3DS Smash is being released in summer. 3DS has no big games coming out, and Nintendo needs to try and keep up the momentum.

I look at it from a different angle... Alot of people are missing out on a good console with great games exactly like what happened with the dreamcast

Of course the press will only focus on how terrible the Wii U is doing. I know it's doing ok in Japan, but seriously, those Vita sales are dismal.

Wii U has still sold more than the XB1 worldwide so that's a plus

@LUIGITORNADO

Perhaps I'm taking your comment too literally, but we are getting a double header with Mario Golf and Kirby in May.

I haven't played my Wii since I got the Wii U and I may be wrong but with all the Wii owners out there...why hasn't Nintendo sent out some kind of advertising on that system alone about the impending Wii U before it even came out and while its out now? I mean, they gotta know that everyone isn't gonna watch the Nintendo Directs, so why not just send out advertising in a small update about upgrading to a Wii U? I would think that's a cheap solution. You got the audience to a degree... So, why not exploit it? Oh well. Love my Wii U.

@S-Miyahon I'm totally there with you! WTF, mate!

@Falco The original Wii played GameCube games, but the ones currently available in stores do not play them anymore. So there's no way that's a factor.

WOW @ those Vita numbers. Absolutely terrible.
The Wii U number is actually higher than I thought it would be. Not that they're good or anything but it clear that the console is a disaster at this point.

@JudgeMethos

They actually did do exactly that, during the Holidays last year.

If think we all need to accept that the Wii U isn't doing to well in all regions.

@MoonKnight7

They aren't system sellers. Kirby is Kirby, it's more hackneyed than Mario, and the only people who are excited for Golf are the same loud individuals who made a big deal about Mario Tennis, which couldn't even break a million on a system with such a "huge install base."

Those numbers will continue to fall until Smash is released.

@Unca_Lz huh?! So if I pop in a gamecube game in my Wii, it won't play? Was this an update that I missed?

@Platypus101

Newer Wii models don't support the Gamecube at all, they've got no controller ports, nothing. It was when they made the change to the Wii that made the default orientation horizontal. The Mini is even worse since it doesn't support external storage nor have internet access capability (no store access).

PS4 and XBOX ONE both had a great exclusive on march, with 2 or 3 strong titles following them, Wii U hasn't had a decent retail title since Donkey Kong and yet still sold 70000, I think overall this isn't bad at all.

I find it sad that people on a Nintendo website are so uninformed about the different models of Wii, of all people. GCN compatible Wii consoles were discontinued back in 2011 in favour of the "Family Edition" model. Both this second model and the Wii Mini cannot play GCN games nor use it's peripherals.
So, I think the chance of finding a brand new Wii compatible with CCN pretty thin at this point in 2014. Which brings us to the next point, those 28,000 people would be better served with an Wii U and Nintendo should convey that message more efficiently.

What do people expect, we've had barely a decent game in three months. Actually surprised 70k were sold as i thought all true Nintendo fans had one by now

@LUIGITORNADO

Mario golf is hit and miss, but Kirby should hit solid numbers when it comes out. Of course though, it won't do near the business SS4 will do, so I'll give you that. I just don't agree with the comment that 3DS sales will get worse before SS4. I feel saying the 3DS numbers will fall is a bold assumption, given that there are plenty of reasons to own one, but we'll see soon enough.

@Samurai_Goroh Which is why it's a good idea to get a Wii U before they discontinue it in favour a dumbed-down model

@FullbringIchigo

I would hope so, it's been out an entire year longer.

I swear, this is the title every time for this type of article: "3DS knockin' the socks off everyone! Wii U doing poorly..." Not sure I wanna read anymore of these type of articles. Also, seems that a lot of Sony and MS players joined up specifically to bad mouth Nintendo's sales. Not really news at this point.

@Platypus101

" Not sure I wanna read anymore of these type of articles."

So then don't? And even more to the point, don't scroll the comments section as well. Are you a glutton for pain?

@Samurai_Goroh I don't need to keep up with every single model of a product I bought and intend to keep for at least five years. Tell me sir, what were the last three models of vacuum cleaners released AFTER the one you purchased? See how silly that sounds? You may be taking this hobby a little too seriously...

it's really too bad for Wii U.
Thing is, customers often have to make a choice, I myself made a choice between Wii U & PS4 a few months ago. I chose PS4, and i'm happy I did, though Wii U honestly probably has the same number of games on it that I want to play currently. But Wii U has been out for over a year now...and PS4 has a steady stream of games I want to play. More in 2014 than Wii U does.
I have to admit, MK8 & Super Smash lately have been making me question my decision, but until those are released and we have a solid idea on what the next Zelda game is going to be, I'm still holding off.
I have a feeling a lot of people are like me.
Right now, MK8, Smash and the impending Zelda game are the reasons that everyone should own a Wii U asap, and yet, they are also the reasons that I'm holding off on owning the system until those games are out. It's a catch 22.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed than Nintendo can blow us away at E3 this year (even thru a Nintendo Direct)

I wonder how the digital sales are doing. I heard a lot of people getting the VC GBA games but I don't know whether that's just an echo effect or not

No games available, or pending that make wii u a hot property are hurting it big, Wii U is in for another sucking year.
MarioKart and smash will not change anything.
They need a BIG E3 that outshines PS4 and have a roaring Xmas this year with some titles due late 2014 that are et to be announced or it's all too little too often and the wii U is gone by next year. Try should have upped the hardware spec to be on a par with PS4, added a wii remote plus in with it and secured major third party support throughout the first 18months. The Wii U has failed due to bad planning and management and is now in a position it can't recover from.
Which is a shame to say as it is a stunning piece of hardware that has more to offer than PS4. It's just if it can't make the same loud pictures and sounds, a huge chunk often market don't care.

More proof that if E3 isn't a 1 hit KO for nintendo, they're going to be in VERY big trouble.

@shigulicious The new Wiis don't support GameCube games. The ones before 2011 hoilday support GC games

@Peach64 Regarding 3DS numbers, I'm surprised it's still doing so well. It's not doing as amazing as people make it seem (especially when compared to the DS). Nevertheless, it's doing well considering the market we have today, where many casuals who bought the DS, have moved to their Smartphones. For Wii U, many people say it'll reach at least Gamecube numbers, but as far as I remember , the Gamecube was doing better at this stage. However, I do hope that the Wii U pulls through in the coming months with games like MK8, because I do really enjoy the console.

The Wii U numbers are not as big a worry as the pessimists think, the damage to Wii U has already been done. Nintendo doesn't take the console seriously outside of the few games we've seen lots of and the only thing that will change their attitude towards Wii U is if MK8 explodes sales. Even if sales went crazy in June, there are clearly no major games to keep that momentum and the summer is never a good time to sell consoles.

The 3DS numbers are my worry, the console is losing momentum and has pretty much blown its load in terms of software once Smash is gone. If 3DS stutters again, Nintendo will put even more effort into the 3DS and even less into Wii U. It might be doing well in a difficult market but Nintendo have been hoping for better as shown by their late reduction in targets!

@Falco I thought new Wiis don't play Gamecube games and haven't for a few years. Could be wrong but I think I remember lots of crying fanboys when they removed the BC.

I think the Wii U needs Dragon Quest X.

all this will change with mk8...

YAY 3DS is awesome!!! When you're living a dream XD

Those WiiU and 3DS sales are magnificent considering there were no games released in March!

@S-Miyahon I am really tired of hearing that idiotic argument but here we go.

Customers will buy a console that has games they like. They buy the wii because it has games they like to play. Yes, the Wi U can play wii games and so what? are people going to spend 300 dollars to play old games? that's ridiculous. People is not buying the wii u because there's no compelling software in it. Journalists can give all the 10s they want to Pikmin but nobody will spend 300 dollars on it. Wii has a huge selection of games starting with wii sports (which like it or not it was a phenomenon last generation), mario kart, 2D Mario and more with an accesible price. And yes I know those games are also on Wii U. But what are those games doing that the older ones didn't? They may be good but are not good enough to make people spend 300 dlls on it. Only nerds and fanboys do but mainstream audiences will buy what gives them a good value in return.

I am amazed how gamers really truly hate the Wii. They cannot stand the fact that a little console was so succesful because it wasn't aimed at them. Too bad for them though. Gaming is for the masses not for an elitist bunch

@PMarsh DQX doesn't sell on the west. There's no reason to bring it.

Is funny how everyone expects MK8 to carry the weight of numerous third party games that won't be released on the Wii U in the coming years, just face it besides some hardcore Nintendo Fans and some who will eventually upgrade their Wii to Wii U, there is no room left in the market for WiiU, the sooner you realize this the better. I personally went ahead and bought a WiiU just recently, I was fully aware of the drought in terms of new games, but I considered MK8 to be enough of a reason to buy one, but that's just me.

I hope we get enough new 3DS games this year. Only time will tell.

I love both systems but I saw first hand the other day why the Wii U was failing so badly. Nintendo did a piss poor job of differentiating it from the original system. A mother was in Target with her little kids looking for a birthday present for another kid. She wanted to get them a "Wii game" so she starts browsing the blue Wii U games. After a while one of the kids goes "mom, those aren't Wii games, those are Wii U games!" The mom's response was "what's the difference?"

@Peach64

How could 3DS doing 200k a month be horrible and yet PS4/X1 selling 300k a month is phenomenal? No, that doesn't add up.

I think you're mistaking the NPD for worldwide sales. This is just one country, the United States. 160,000 sales in the U.S. alone isn't shabby for the 3DS. Especially considering it raked another 100,000+ from Japan alone. That's not factoring Canada, UK, EU, AU, and every other country/region in the world that buys Nintendo. And 70,000 for Wii U is MUCH better than I was expecting. Remember when Wii U only sold 160,000 WORLDWIDE in 3 months? Wii U is outselling those numbers in the U.S. alone now, and in just two months.

So yeah. 3DS is not doing great, but it's not doing horrible. Wii U is bad, but it's doing better than last year. Oh well, time marches on and the games keep coming regardless.

Satoru Iwata should get fired, because look at the numbers its gotten worse...What happened to Nintendo?

yes 3DS sales are very good, in fact it's currently second to PS4 in global sales, considering that Nintendo lost a big chunk of it's handheld market to IOS and Android, I think 3DS is doing very good, Just look at Vita.

There's an excuse for the abysmal Vita sales btw. Sony stopped producing the original model for over a month now so they are a lot more difficult to find. This is all because of the Vita slim model, which will come out in May bundled with Borderlands 2.

Even with this in mind, it still sold below expectations. I hope it picks up soon though, because it's a criminally underrated system and the lineup for 2014 looks amazing. They just confirmed a western release for Tales of Hearts R so I'm sure that will move some units.

And oh, right Nintendo..well they kind of dug their own grave didn't they? There are less than 5 quality games on the horizon, Wii U and 3DS combined.

It's funny how the 3DS with over 40.000 million units sold, much ahead of any of the other current consoles doesn't have a big line up of games, while Vita has a much better lineup with such a smaller number of sales.

@JaxonH Go back at look at the NPDs for 2011. 3DS sold 200k in April, 100k in May, 150k in June, and then 120K in July, and that forced Nintendo into one of the biggest price cuts ever seen.

Nobody is calling Xbone's 300k phenomenal. Like I said above, that's considered to be struggling, but look how many comments here saying how 70k for Wii U is not bad, or that it's higher than they expected. It doesn't matter if you released no games for months, 70k is a terrible number. Go and look at the Xbox 360 and PS3 figures during their lifetimes. They never get close to this low, and they also had many months without a big release. Wii U just had Donkey Kong released at the end of February, so it's not like March is even one of it's worst drought periods. It did 67k last March, but things are way better now? Nothing has changed. In the US it's done pretty much the same as last March, and in Japan it's doing quite a bit worse, selling 5,500 units this week compared to 10,000 for the same week last year.

People on here don't seem to have any context for what are good or bad figures. The NPD numbers are there for everyone to look back on. You can see the monthly sales for every console and handheld. If you don't care about sales, that's cool, but nobody can say these are numbers are even close to good.

The Wii has a much better virtual console library than the Wii U

@Spoony_Tech Your'e right, they're HORRENDOUS!

Nintendo better start working on a competitor to the next-next gen consoles stat if they want home console relevance!

Guys, if you at least could lower your expectations a bit. We don't know if MK8 and Smash will help the Wii U for sure.

@Yasume The Vita has no notable western games coming soon, just quirky niche Japanese titles.

@JaxonH The problem is that it is horrible compared to even the Xbox One..

@minotaurgamer It dropped out much earlier than PS3 and Xbox 360 because it was vastly inferior to those machines. Even the GameCube got better third party support that the Wii....

@drumsandperc92 No one buys a £250/$300 system just for three games, the reason why PS4 is succeeding.

@shigulicious I wish Watch Dogs was on Wii U on May 27th

@Grumblevolcano The Wii does NOT play GC disc games.

Incredible (in a bad way) that Wii continues selling. I'm sure that from those 28,000 new Wii customers, like, 20,000 of them were confusing Wii with Wii U and they decided to go for Wii because it was "cheaper". Nintendo needs to kill Wii completely. It's just hurting them rather than help them. As much as I love my Wii U, I honestly expect lower numbers for the console considering it didn't have any notable game releases like PS4 with inFAMOUS or Xbone with Titanfail. 3DS has a pretty sweet summer line-up already thanks to Smash and Wii U thanks to Mario Kart 8... let's just FREAKING HOPE we don't have to wait another 4 months till the next big release after MK8 >

@RedRocBoy At the same time, Nintendo is making games for the Wii U. They can only stretch out their teams so much before they are overworked

@minotaurgamer Dragon Quest X would help the Wii U get sales from those who really like online gameplay because, face it, hardly any of the current Wii U games have astounding online play.

@budkin And this right here is Nintendo's biggest problem. Kids and families are their biggest market, and many are getting confused over the difference between the two consoles. Now, Sony and Microsoft avoid this issue by targeting the "hardcore gamer" market and in Sony's case, using a logical numbering system that clearly shows that the Playstation 4 is a successor to the Playstation 3, and is the fourth console in the Playstation Line.

The problem with the term Wii U, is that for parents who don't visit gaming websites and watch Nintendo directs, they can't tell the difference between the two consoles outside of one having a screen.

Look at the DS family as an example. You had DS, DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL.

If a parent has already seen Nintendo's pattern with the DS family, they might assume a Wii U is just another Wii Model with a controller that has a new screen.

Let me put it this way, Wii to Wii U lacks the clarity that PS3 to PS4 has to the consumer. With the Playstation, even an uninformed consumer(like a parent) can likely assume the PS4 is a newer console compared to the PS3. With the Wii U, what screams "this is a new system?"

Not every consumer is going to watch Nintendo Directs and browse the internet. There are tons of parents who buy these systems for their kids, see the Wii U, and assume its a minor upgrade like the DSi was to the DS Lite. Add in the fact that Nintendo is now marketing Wiimotes as Wii U accessories, and you likely have alot of confused consumers who assume the Wii U is the same as the Wii, and either buy the older model that is cheaper or simply hold off buying a Wii U if they already have a Wii.

I understand Nintendo likely wanted to keep selling Wii games, but I honestly think simply naming the console the Wii 2, or something else altogether might have helped with some of these problems that Nintendo is facing now.

I'm not saying this is the Wii U's entire problem, but confused consumers are not helping things either.

Honestly, I'm so sick of hearing about how the U and 3DS aren't selling. You know what's no selling? The PSP and Vita.

I'm not trying to big friends with the popular kid on the block. I want to play games. The U has plenty of good ones so far, and more are on the way. No amount of sales figures are going to change that.

Nintendo isn't anywhere near dying at this point. Even if the current underwhelming sales were to suddenly implode and die, that would still be the case. If the U doesn't turn around, that's fine. Nintendo can always wait until the next generation to turn it around.

Either way, I'm just sick of hearing about it.

The Dreamcast had sold more copies then the Wii U at this point in its comparative lifespan, ugh. Nintendo should make the Wii U a 4 year console, like the Saturn and Xbox, the U has failed the catch the consumer bases attention to any significant degree.

Ah, been a while since I checked sales. At this point I don't really care, I'm going to get a Wii U anyway once I get the chance and I am unlikely to get a PS4 or Xbox One. Nothing much to see here.

@Dreamz To be fair, the PSP is an old system that is likely on its way out the door by the end of this year anyway. Barely any stores stock the system or its games now, and the few that happen to sell anything PSP related might sell a few systems and a handful of games. The PSP is a pretty poor example to use. It has not had a major release in awhile, and the system is pretty much on life support. To be very honest, I'm shocked Sony even managed to sell 5.000 PSPs last month. Gamestop has pretty much stopped selling used PSP games. That should say something.

As for the Vita, you're halfway right. Its not selling in the West, but it has been selling pretty well in Japan. In fact, it just beat the 3DS this week on the Japanese charts, and tends to be the second best selling system in Japan after the 3DS family. So, the Vita is not doing insane numbers, and its pretty much not selling in the US, but it is a potent seller in Japan.

And I agree with you, the Wii U has tons of good games. I played a Sega Saturn back int he day, so I can understand where you're coming from.

But the Wii U sales are not great, and Nintendo has pretty much gone from having the best selling console of last generation(after the DS family) to being a distant fourth with its only lead being over the Vita(Although in Japan, the Vita outsells the Wii U)

I do think people overplay numbers, but here's the thing. The Wii U is still being sold at a loss, and as it keeps struggling, the more likely Nintendo is to lose money. Do I think they will be driven from the market like Sega? No, but this is not a good thing either. Nintendo's heavy hitters have failed to make an impact, and many consumers are either sticking with their current systems, or going to the Xbox One or PS4.

I think Nintendo can turn it around, but horrible sales like this can't keep up. The Wii U is in Saturn Territory right now.

Now, I do like the Wii U. I intend to get one this year if I can. But I think sales matter. They are not the life or death thing some people make them out to be, but 70,000 units is a horrible number and something that does need to be turned around.

@K-Gamer in the USA anyway the wii u isn't even close to the 3rd party support the GameCube had...which was almost shy of 500 titles in its library! Unless something drastically changes wii u won't come close at all. I personally have 440 cube games! Wii u not gonna get there and it's a damn shame!

@Grumblevolcano Not really...

@Caryslan The Vita has much in common with the Saturn. (Doing quite well in Japan - importing is not an issue). The Wii U is not doing well anywhere as of yet. (Hence even making the games and just paying for the translations to the areas it is doing less well is not going to do it). Lots of the Japanese only Vita and PSP games still include English. Importing is never going to be an option with the Wii U.

@sub12 To be fair, the Dreamcast was coming off money pits like the 32X, Sega CD, and Saturn. NIntendo has enough cash reserves from the Wii to withstand a bad generation.

@Peach64 who are you talking about? I see no one denying the numbers are bad. lol

This shouldn't be surprising at all considering the lack of games released this year. Honestly, Nintendo needs to announce a ton of games for both console this year if they want to get sales up, and in the Wii U's case, they need to show more games that aren't "generic Mario sequel" or "generic DK sequel". Hopefully they're serious about showing off the usefulness of the Gamepad.

I can't say I'm very optimistic for either console's future, though, at the pace that they're developing games right now, I think the game library will continue to be sparse for the rest of the generation.

These numbers suck. I have a feeling we have a year or less in support for the Wii U. Sega killed off the Dreamcast with more sales over less time. This makes me mad...I love the Wii U, but alas, I'm in the clear minority. God, I want to be wrong!!

Wii U is objectively a bad console, I mean, sales prove it!

@Agent721 lol Nintendo will be fine, we would of heard about layoffs and assets being sold by now if it was even close to being true... I'm waiting to see how the Wii U does by the end of the year... they are releasing more games then sony or microsoft this year & the big ones are coming so ill hold judgement.

@Platypus101 It wasn't an "update" per say, but the newer models no longer play them. Old Wiis still play them. This argument was used against another response that claimed that Wiis still play GC games.

Thanks for all your responses, I knew the Wii Mini didn't have GC support but didn't realise about the standard Wii being changed for 2012. This strategy could have worked perfectly for Nintendo if it wasn't for the lack of Wii U games and promotion.

@S-Miyahon

I know! I was in store buying a Vita a few months back (for Spelunky of course!), and some guy came in and asked the sales assistant I was speaking to where he could find the Wii's on display. The sales assistant said, "you're after a wii u, right?", and the guy replied, "no. A wii".. I was just standing there trying not to laugh. Apparently, this sort of thing happens regularly.

@Agent721

Sega killed off the Dreamcast because they ran out of money. Nintendo doesn't have that problem. I wouldn't worry about them abandoning the console any time soon. Expect solid 1st party support for 2015/16...

@sub12

@Yasume They confirmed a Western Release for Tales of Hearts R? Awesome. Another game I will be picking up for my Vita.

OMG OMG OMG BAD SALEZ NINTENDOOOOOM!!!!

Quick everyone throw your Wii U out the window and set it on fire, abandon hope all ye who enter, the end is nigh! EVERYONE PANIC!!!!!!

These numbers should make the Nintendoom club a bit more tight in the pants.

I remember when some people jumped all over me for mentioning the Wii U seems to have turned a corner on it's image somewhat, and in a month with no big releases, it's done 4.5% better then last year. Quick! Someone find a reason to crap all over that little ray of hope! Numberz numberz numberz!!!!

BTW, I heard that number of Dreamcasts thing, but it was also mentioned that the Dreamcast was in blowout mode and selling at like $50-$100 by this time.

Retailers were just trying to recoup losses at that point. Unless I'm mistaken.

I'm willing to argue that comparing the Wii U to the Dreamcast is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both fruits, but they are still different.

Sega was hurting financially very much. They had to get the Dreamcast selling, else their console manufacturing days are over. The Saturn flopped majorly and Sega had poor management and Sony stepped in with the PS2, which killed the Dreamcast and nearly killed Sega in the process.

Also, I would anyone would shed some light on the Dreamcast's final days, because I recall them being sold next to nothing. Despite the number (supposed 10.6 million in 18 months), Sega nearly went bankrupt. So either this number meant nothing at all or Sega had some really bad mismanagement (or both).

Wii U on the other hand is nowhere near this situation. Nintendo had a very successful generation with the Wii and DS, and the 3DS is still somewhat successful. Despite posting losses, they are not hurting financially.

The Dreamcast also had plenty of games and 3rd party support in its short life

In the PSP's case, the Vita doesn't have a UMD drive, so theres actually games it can't play. Not all PSN versions are supported either. Wouldn't be surprised if most of those sales are replacement consoles.

For those apparently confused why people buying a Wii wouldn't 'upgrade' to a Wii U, theres a $150-$200 difference between the two depending on the model. If people weren't interested in 3D World or what have you then, why would they spend that much to 'upgrade' now? Spending that kind of money to upgrade is an enthusiast move.

I know people who bought old consoles just for their grand-children or that sort of thing. Its funny how people like to talk about how great the Wii's library is, but when people buy it over the Wii U people are baffled.

They need to port MH4U to the wiiu with cross play and zelda needs to get a wiiu version done they cannot wait any longer time to pull out all the stops so they can sell more consoles mario cart and smash isn't enough!

@Unca_Lz There are more Saturn games than Dreamcast games. (And more Dreamcast games than N64 games).

@Action51

"the Wii U seems to have turned a corner on it's image somewhat, and in a month with no big releases, it's done 4.5% better then last year. Quick! Someone find a reason to crap all over that little ray of hope!"

You are celebrating a negligible one digit increase in sales percentages for the month compared to the previous year? Really?? And consider said negligible increase as a sign that the Wii-U has 'turned a corner'??

With the amount of quality titles on the system now compared to this time last year, a meager 4.5% increase in sales couldn't be considered anything less than a total disaster.

@Peach64 The 3DS had that free Pokemon X/Y promotion last month too. The fact that it sold pre-price cut numbers despite a promotion to get freaking Pokemon for free is extremely worrying.

@Iceclimbers
X&Y came out back in October of last year, so most people who want it probably already bought it by then. They had them in several 3DS/2DS bundles already too.

@Zombie_Barioth While true, a free Pokemon game should have kept sales up at a decent level, not pre-price cut numbers.

@KennyPowers - Wow, your gif really makes your point! I'm so mad at your gif

Have I been trolled? Should I be mad...bro?

Seems like the only thing that really gets some people riled up is people who remain positive because they like a console and realize that despite low sales numbers, Nintendo is going to be just fine so long as they can get their act together by the end of this "gen". You've really put a lot of weight on the numbers themselves, why does that small increase make you so mad that you have to post gifs and get all personal about it?

Wii U so mad?

Just enjoy playing games and stop being so upset that everyone who owns a Nintendo console isn't crying over the negative sales data that brings you joy.

You could also look at it like this: In a traditionally slow month with few major software releases in the USA, Nintendo managed to move over a quarter of a million pieces of hardware that have been available for over a year or a lot longer. There are no major holidays in March (except St Patty's Day) and few announcements as game companies start holding all their big announcements for E3. Menawhile the big two console competitors are still only a few months old, and Microsoft in particular went against the grain and launched their big "killer app" called Titanfall accompanied by several bundles and price drop incentives.

Hey, just a thought: Both you and "John Redcorn" picked a name and avatar of a promiscuous character from a TV show, both get angry and push negativity towards the Wii U very hard, and both post troll-ish Gifs when attacking others.

@Unca_Lz - I remember one friend of mine had a Dreamcast, but at that time I was all PC and hadn't bought a console since PS1 and Game Boy Advance.

He urged me to get one because they were like "50 bucks and you can get like 3 games for 25 bucks at Gamestop or Electronics Boutique" (at the time before Gamestop bought all those up around here).

I haven't seen that guy since about 2000-2001, so it was pretty soon after the release. I remember playing Crazy Taxi and some Capcom fighters on his Dreamcast. It was a pretty cool system for it's time, but I was all into Diablo 2 and Neverwinter Nights and Divine Divinity and all those awesome PC RPGs of the era.

@IceClimbers
It wasn't exactly "free" either though since you still had to buy a select game and the console. If you didn't want a 3DS or those games in the first place why would you buy one just because of the promotion?

Pokemon itself is a system seller, but the holidays would have been the time to buy a 3DS for it, especially with the 2DS bundles.

The 3DS has no worthwhile games anyway... All it has is baby games like Animal Crossing, Pokemans & chibi RPG clones

There is no new games for Wii U, and I am still playing Wii games on my Wii U.

@Action51 You are not mistaken, I was there.

@GreatPlayer There are lots if games for Wii U, maybe not suited to your taste. If that's true, don't buy Nintendo console. The other option is, you play videogames too much. If that's the case, find something else to do. Like trolling Nintendo boards, lol. Seems to be one of internet best pastimes.

@KennyPowers You proved his point, and quite well, thanks.

The reasons for these numbers are that there is no must have game now. Thankfully Mario kart 8 is coming which would be a huge help for the Wii U and would be the must have game this year. Along with the 3ds getting games from may to june like mario golf and others. April is just a sleppy month for Nintendo which is not good but when May comes expect things to change around over the games i said.

I really hope Nintendo don't throw the towel in with the Wii U, if this console only lasts until next Christmas then I'm afraid I'm going to call it a day on Buying Nintendo products after 25 years. Sounds like Nintendo are looking to move into new markets anyways with this Quality of Life platform.

@electrolite77
Cause hes looking at it from an enthusiast's standpoint. "Why buy that one when the 'better' model is only 'x' more" kinda sums it up. The thing is by the time those people want a Wii U the cost will about even out. Not everyone buys a console first then hopes games they'll like will follow.

@Wolfgabe Those are PS2 sales.....10 years after it launched!

@somari Why are PS4 sales so high then? It's because people want cutting edge and value for money, not just one must have game.

@Action51 Less sales=less support=less/more niche games to enjoy.....

@memoryman3 lol @ value for money. I love my ps3, but seriously, man, no bc, paywall for online... and I buy consoles for games, thank you.

@Action51

You are rustled. Your lengthy and emotional reply proves it.

A 4.5% increase in sales at this point is nothing to celebrate, and is basically meaningless. You can bet your bacon that nobody in the Nintendo corporate offices are pleased with that number either, so enjoy your solitary optimism!

April is a very uneventful month, but I'm hoping that ''April showers bring May flowers.''

@KennyPowers - No one is "celebrating" anything....relax.

I said the Nintendoom squad would find a way to jump on the small ray of positivity, and you did not disappoint. If anything, you are being overly emotional in demanding everyone manage their expectations downward to suit your negativity parade.

Remember when you...John Redcorn...er...whoever jumped all over me because of the numbers last time, gloating because that one week from last year sales in Japan were down?

Now the numbers are up slightly for one month in the USA, but we can't mention that...got it!

Again, no one is "celebrating" anything and you did this same thing last time accusing me of being emotional/butthurt/rustled or whatever. Just relax, let's keep this about the topic, not about personal attacks.

@MAB But what about A Link Between Worlds, Kid Icarus, Resident Evil, Smash Bros., Shin Megami Tensei 4, and more!!! There's something for everyone on 3ds!

Guys, I think MAB was being sarcastic, lookit the

@Peach64 said "...Nothing has changed. In the US it's done pretty much the same as last March, and in Japan it's doing quite a bit worse, selling 5,500 units this week compared to 10,000 for the same week last year.

People on here don't seem to have any context for what are good or bad figures..."

Now, I am not saying any of these numbers are good, but you just stated that sales in Japan this week are down a huge amount from last year, then go on to bring up "context"...Well "context" is important.

• Didn't we just have a whole big deal where ALL hardware sales are down across Japan because of a bump in sales tax?

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/04/vita_overtakes_3ds_in_tough_week_for_japanese_charts

• Here is the article from the previous Japanese sales report where the Wii U sold over 13,000 units. (and roughly 10,000 the week before that)

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/04/3ds_enjoys_a_major_hardware_boost_in_japan_as_wii_u_sales_also_increase

Again, not to be accused of "celebrating" any of these numbers, but you brought up context and then proceeded to compare numbers without the important context of the bump and drop caused by the sales tax increase.

Got myself a Playstation 4 a couple a months ago and I love it. Sadly I lost all patients on the Wii U and Nintendo. I waited as much as I could, so I traded in my Wii U for a Xbox One. still got my 3DS though need a good handheld system.

@Smash420 - Wow, how much did you get for your old Wii U?

@Smash420 "Sadly I lost all patients..."
Poor patients, I hope they haven't suffered much!

Sorry, couldn't resist. To everyone: SMILE!, it's gaming!

I dont have a Wii U currently, and was weighing up whether to get a U or an xbox one. Ive decided on the Xbox. Nintendo aint getting my money until they at least announce some games I actually wanna see.

There may be a drought in games released on Nintendo consoles right now but between my 3ds and Wii u ill never play all the games that I want to in their respective lifetimes. My backlog is pretty big right now.

@RedRocBoy I agree. Its quite frustrating. We'll see how well Iwata fairs in the coming months. He may be on thin ice.

@TonLoco
I agree with that statement! I'm still working on several games... including Tropical Freeze, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Bravely Default...