Tag: Retail - Page 5

  • News Metroid Prime Trilogy Now Available At GameStop For $84.99

    Part of its "vintage" selection of titles

    Earlier this week GameStop made a brief statement regarding the pricing of used copies of Xenoblade Chronicles in its various retail outlets. The company said it had sourced new copies of the "vintage" title and claimed many more were on the way, including Metroid Prime Trilogy, which has become n

  • News Pokémon Rumble U Figurines and Special Edition Available From GAME in the UK

    Uh-oh, the figurines are blind packs

    Update: Having checked the product pages for these items once again, it seems that both the collector's edition and figurines outlined below are now showing as "out of stock". We'll post further updates as we have them. Original Article: Pokémon Rumble U arrives on the Wii U eShop in Europe today, but those...

  • News GameStop Defends Xenoblade Chronicles Pricing, Plans More "Vintage Titles" Like Metroid Prime Trilogy

    "As always, our pricing for these games is competitive"

    Earlier today we reported that questions had been raised about GameStop's increase in Xenoblade Chronicles stock; the title had been difficult to find for an extended period. Despite the title's rarity for a number of months, many GameStop stores now have multiple "used" copies available, as...

  • News GameStop Accused of Re-Printing Xenoblade Chronicles, Then Selling as "Used" For $90

    A product monopoly gone too far?

    Xenoblade Chronicles took its sweet time coming to the Wii in North America, with Nintendo eventually publishing as a limited release on the Nintendo Store and through GameStop. It had been long anticipated and clearly sold well for the available stock, as it reportedly became hard to find and rare after launch...

  • News Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Receives Pre-Order Box Set

    A special CD and design book will be included

    Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is set to emerge in North America in October and there will be a special pre-order pack for those who get in on the action early. The latest game in the Etrian Odyssey series will have a bonus box called Etrian Untold, Unseen, Unheard, which will feature a...

  • News Wii U Hardware Still Being Sold At A Loss

    Don't hold your breath for a price cut

    Nintendo usually likes to sell its hardware at a profit, right from day one — something which sets the company apart from the likes of Sony and Microsoft, who have traditionally taken massive hits on hardware in the hope that software sales will make up the deficit. However, a Nintendo representative...

  • News Nintendo Has Sold 268.97 Million Consoles And 385.15 Million Handhelds In 30 Years

    Along with 2.195 billion console games and 1.907 billion handheld games

    Nintendo's recent 2013 Annual Report — in which President Satoru Iwata states that he expects to see a return to bumper profits this financial year — features some illiumitating figures regarding the company's incredible sales record over the past three decades. Since the...

  • News Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate Gets a Price Drop in North America

    Hunt Dracula for less

    It seems like a safe comment to say that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate was a divisive entry in the series. It split critics — though we were fans in our review — and gamers in general seemed to be rather divided over its merits. It was a title where MercurySteam went its own way, even if not all franchise...

  • News Specialist Retailers Emphasize Their Support for the Wii U

    "Nintendo has proven time and again that they are experts in the market"

    This week has brought some tough news regarding the Wii U, to an extent causing some to forget the positive effort and game lineup that Nintendo has put together for the remainder of the year. The last few months were very poor for the system, but the plan has always been to...

  • News IGN Editor: If Wii U Doesn't Pick Up, Nintendo Should Look To New Hardware

    A fresh start rather than "flogging a dead horse"?

    Yesterday's first quarter financials revealed that the Wii U sold a paltry 160,000 units in three months, giving the new system a life-to-date total of just 3.61 million units — way below Nintendo's initial projections when it launched the system last year. The console's struggle at retail has a...

  • News Report Suggests You'll Soon Be Able To Purchase Nintendo Titles Via Your Phone Or PC

    Nintendo outlines its digital future

    Nintendo is taking the online side of its business very seriously — little wonder when you consider that it has just reported a 150% increase in download revenue compared to last year — and the next phase of its plan will allow users to purchase Wii U and 3DS content using platforms other than their consoles...

  • News Asda Stores No Longer Stocking New Wii U Systems or Games

    Limited stock via Asda Direct

    Update: Following the emergence of this story around various outlets, Asda has contacted MCV to state that Wii U consoles have only ever been available in around 100 stores, rather than all 555 around the UK. Wii U systems will apparently continue to play a part on Asda Direct — the online store — with limited...

  • News Pikmin 3 Causes Wii U Sales Growth In Japan

    Launch sales comparable to those of New Super Mario Bros. U

    Pikmin 3 launched this week in Japan, and appears to have had the desired effect on the Wii U's retail health. According to Japanese store Tsutaya, the sequel is selling very well indeed and has triggered "greater sales" of its host console. Here's Taketo Matsuo, Tsutaya’s Director of...

  • News Pikmin 3 is Playable Next Weekend At GameStop or EB Games

    Pre-order a digital copy to get it a day early

    During E3 Nintendo gave people in the US the opportunity to head down to a participating Best Buy store to play some of the games that were shown off during the special Nintendo Direct. The company is now running a similar scheme dedicated to the upcoming title Pikmin 3. Reggie Fils-Aime, President of...

  • News Investment Expert Feels Nintendo Earnings Miss Will Trigger Multi-Platform Approach

    Investors should buy now and reap the benefits later

    Global investment firm Jefferies & Co's Atul Goyal has recommended that investors pick up Nintendo shares in the expectation of big profits should the Japanese company fail to meet its proposed operating profit of 100 billion Yen. Goyal's opinion is that Nintendo's failure to meet its targets...

  • News UK Store GAME Now Selling Original Wii Consoles For Just £35

    Even less reason to consider picking up a Wii Mini, then

    As part of its summer hardware and software sale, UK video game retailer GAME is now selling Wii consoles for just £35 (around $50 / €40). That's a considerable saving on the recently-released Wii Mini, which lacks internet connectivity, doesn't have an SD card slot and won't run on...

  • News Japanese Wii U eShop Promotion Undercuts Retail Prices

    Pikmin 3 is first up

    One of many headline sales strategies from Nintendo right now is to encourage us to 'go digital' and download our retail titles. It's an idea that is producing some dividends on the 3DS, particularly as the convenience of readily accessible games is so useful with a portable device. It seems that the drive to encourage us onto...

  • Talking Point New Super Luigi U Opens The Door For Quick Expansions in Other Franchises

    DLC and boxed copies can satisfy everyone

    After a bit of a wait and a release lineup that, apart from the odd exception, has been drier than the Sahara desert in recent weeks, Luigi jumps to the rescue with New Super Luigi U. It's arrived in this week's Nintendo Download update as DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U, but will have a life of its own as a...

  • News Waiting For Wii U To Drop In Price? Not Going To Happen, Says Nintendo

    NoA's Scott Mofitt believes console offers "great value"

    We won't bore you with a summary of why the Wii U needs a price cut — after all, we've been over that many, many times. With the PS4 and Xbox One looming on the horizon and Wii U sales in the toilet, it's the most logical way of reigniting consumer interest and making sure there's a large...

  • Rumour Best Buy Beginning Return of Wii U Basic Models Before E3

    Time to say goodbye to the 8GB system?

    Earlier this week we reported on a rumour that GameStop will be returning Wii U Basic systems as part of a product recall by Nintendo. It's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility as the SKU has seemed to struggle, while a 32GB White Wii U is coming to Japan; if we were to don our guessing hats we'd...

  • Rumour Nintendo Is Recalling Wii U Basic Bundle

    Could we see a new bundle appear after E3?

    A company-wide email is apparently being distributed by GameStop which indicates that the retailer is withdrawing the Wii U Basic bundle from sale. The email — which has since made its way into the hands of Kotaku — states: Nintendo Wii U Basic Recall – Two Week Preparation On Tuesday, 6/18, all...

  • News eBay Germany Takes a Swipe At Xbox One, Suggests Wii U As Viable Substitute

    "No used games blocking, no mandatory online, no fuss"

    Microsoft's Xbox One hasn't had the greatest of starts - the announcement has been clouded by news relating to blocked second-hand sales, "always online" requirements and a complete absence of backwards compatibility. With second-hand software sales potentially at risk, many retailers will lose...

  • News First Party 3DS Software Sales Up 52 Percent In 2013

    "It prints money", etc

    Nintendo of America has reported that first party 3DS software sales have risen by 52 percent in the past year. In the first four months of the 2013, more than 2.1 million first party 3DS games were sold in the U.S. alone. Back in 2012, it took 30 weeks for first party 3DS game sales to reach 2 million units. This year, that...

  • News UK Retailer Asda Slashes Basic Wii U Bundle Price To £149

    Premium bundle now £199

    UK supermarket Asda has reduced the prices of its Wii U bundles for the second time this year. The Basic Wii U pack now costs £149 and the Premium

  • Talking Point The Arrival of eShop Download Codes in Stores is a Smart Move

    Another step forward

    This week it was announced that Nintendo of Europe had established an agreement with retailer GAME, for it to exclusively sell select download codes from the high street and its website; it's the first serious move to match up to similar download cards already available in Japan. The GAME retail group has stores across Europe as...

  • News Fresh Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Stock Arrives In The UK

    The hunt is back on

    Getting hold of a copy of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in the UK has been easier said than done since the game launched in March; the popularity of Capcom's beast-slaying epic has resulted in a situation where demand has far outstripped supply. Thankfully, Nintendo UK has gotten in touch with us this morning to confirm that the...

  • News South African Retailer Slices Wii U Price in Half

    Toyzone offering a Wii U for as little as R1,500

    In order to help boost Wii U sales, many UK retailers decided to cut the price of the system. Back in March Asda and Amazon sliced £50 off the price tag, while HMV knocked a staggering £140 off a Premium console and ZombiU bundle. It seems heavy price drops aren't exclusive to the UK though, as it...

  • News HMV Buyout Saves High Street Retailer

    The dog's been thrown a bone

    In recent weeks we've reported on the worrying fate of the HMV brand in the UK; rather like GAME last year, it went into administration and 81 stores were closed down as the administrators worked to salvage the business. As one of only a few retailers that stocks a relatively substantial range of video games on the UK...

  • News Amazon Promoting Rival Consoles On Nintendo Product Pages

    You know there's also this "Vita" thing...?

    Kotaku’s Jason Schreier has long been intrigued by Amazon.com’s lack of direct supply when it comes to Nintendo consoles. Now he has reported on another unusual habit: the advertising of other brand names on Nintendo consoles’ product pages. Looking up Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles on Amazon shows...

  • News Monster Hunter And Price Cut Trigger Wii U Sales Spike In UK

    125 percent increase compared to previous week

    MCV has reported that Wii U hardware sales rose by 125 percent in the UK last week. The staggering leap is thought to have been caused by the UK launch of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, as well as HMV's price reduction on the Premium bundle - a deal which represents a saving of £140. Were you one of the...

  • News GameStop: Wii U Marketing Strategy Has "Not Broken Through" To Consumers

    More first party titles will enable system to "take off"

    Earlier in the month, GameStop President Tony Bartel said Wii U sales had been slower than the company had anticipated and that the system would need some great first party titles in order to compete. The games retailer recently had its post-earnings financial call, which has been reported on...

  • News Aussie Retailers Express Their Views on Wii U

    Nintendo 'needs to build awareness'

    Wii U has had a difficult few months in practically every country since the New Year. Many have attributed it to a distinct lack of new releases - something that is beginning to improve with the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. One nation where Wii U owners have had a more difficult time than others is...

  • News Wii U UK Price Reaches New Low As HMV Slashes Premium Bundle Cost

    £199.99 bundle represents a £140 saving

    Embattled UK high street retailer HMV has reduced the price of the Wii U Premium bundle to just £199.99. The store is also throwing in a copy of Ubisoft's ZombiU for that price, which means buyers are making a saving of £140. This marks a new low for the Wii U's UK price, with retailers in the region...

  • News Nintendo UK Promises to Meet Retailers, Share Wii U Strategy and Boost the System

    "We look forward to updating – and exciting – our partners"

    It's common knowledge that Wii U sales have lost momentum, worldwide, in the early months of 2013. After a promising set of launch figures, NPD results for North America in January and February have been low, Japanese sales are currently only beating Wii and Xbox 360 (which sells poorly...

  • News LEGO City Goes A Little Too Undercover At North American Retail

    Copies hard to find, retailers expecting stock later this week

    LEGO City: Undercover launched in North America this week, but reports are coming in that finding the game isn't as easy as it possibly should be. Just as happened with Fire Emblem: Awakening a while back, it would seem that there's been some kind of shipping problem, as US stores are...

  • News GameStop: Wii U Will Need Great First Party Titles To Compete

    Sales have been "slower than expected"

    It's no secret that Wii U sales have been a bit on the sluggish side in 2013, but many retailers are hopeful they'll soon pick up once a few more games start being released. One games retailer that has been disappointed with the number of Wii U units flying off the shelves is GameStop. In an interview with...

  • News UK Price War Rages As Asda And Amazon Slice £50 Off Wii U Cost

    Basic and Premium bundles down to £199 and £249 respectively

    The cries for a Wii U price cut seem to have caused a reaction, as both Amazon.co.uk and UK superstore Asda have knocked £50 off the price of both Wii U bundles. Asda — which is owned by US store Walmart — was the first to move, cutting the price of the Basic and Premium bundles...

  • News UK Supermarket Chain Asda Preparing a Bid for HMV

    Around 120 stores could remain

    Earlier in the year we reported that the UK and Ireland retail firm HMV had gone into administration, the latest embattled high-street chain to do so. Although best known in the past for selling music, its stock has diversified to other areas such as video games, making it one of the most prominent high street sellers...

  • News GameStop Lists Watch Dogs Wii U For Preorder

    Wishful thinking or inside knowledge?

    Last week, we reported on the rumour that Ubisoft's Watch Dogs was Wii U-bound. The story was the result of a leak of promotional materials which stated that the game was coming to "All home consoles". That rumour has been given a little more weight by the fact that GameStop has posted a preorder listing for...

  • News Xbox 360 On Track To Surpass The Wii's UK Sales Record

    Nintendo's console set to lose its UK crown

    Microsoft's Xbox 360 console has topped 8 million consoles sold in the UK to date, and is now on track to surpass Nintendo Wii's sales record in the region. This would secure the system's position as the UK's number 1 selling console. But that incoming PlayStation announcement on February 20th could...

  • News UK Retailers Call For Wii U Price Cut And Fresh Approach From Nintendo

    “Wii U has not caught the public’s imagination yet”

    UK games trade publication MCV has spoken to a wide range of retailers and the general feeling seems to be that the system needs a price cut — as well as new games and better marketing — to turn its fortunes around. January marked the console's second month on sale in the UK, and it...

  • News Amazon Lists The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD For $59.99

    Nintendo taking the full-price route?

    The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is an updated version of the GameCube classic, which may lead you to assume that Nintendo will follow the example set by HD remakes on other consoles and give the game a lower-than-usual retail price. Of course, that isn't how Nintendo works - recent 3DS remakes for The...

  • News So, How Is The Wii U Doing In The UK?

    Could do better?

    Although those who have purchased the Wii U - us included - are perfectly happy with the system, experts and analysts want cold, hard numbers to prove how well a new piece of hardware is doing. And sadly, in the case of the Wii U, those figure are a little on the depressing side. Eurogamer has conduced its own investigation into...

  • News GAME Doubles Up On Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

    Get both the 3DS and Wii U versions for a slightly reduced price in the UK

    As you probably know, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is launching on two Nintendo systems this year - the 3DS and the Wii U. While the Wii U version offers online play, the 3DS edition has that all-important portable factor - something we can imagine is causing many potential...

  • News Nintendo Comes Out On Top In Consumer Experience Poll

    Beating Apple, Sony and Microsoft

    A recent poll has seen Nintendo top the list for best customer service, outranking Apple, Sony, Samsung and Microsoft - among others. The findings were charted by Forrester, an independent market research firm that specialises in the tech sector. 7,500 US participants in the survey were asked: “How well did they...

  • Talking Point The Future Role of High Street Games Retailers

    Tough times ahead?

    The past twelve months have shown just how volatile the current market is for retailers. With the global recession taking its toll, several high street businesses are finding it difficult to compete. This week alone saw both HMV and Blockbuster slip into administration in the UK, putting thousands of jobs at risk. Video game...

  • News Blockbuster UK Joins HMV In Administration

    UK games retail suffers its second blow in the space of a week

    This week, HMV - the UK's last major high street entertainment retailer - slid into administration after suppliers declined to help the ailing chain, putting around 4,350 jobs at risk. The bad news for UK retail doesn't end there, however - Blockbuster UK has also announced its...

  • News UK Retailer HMV Set To Go Into Administration

    4,350 jobs at risk

    HMV is the latest high street casualty in the UK. The music, DVD and video game retailer is to appoint an administrator, putting around 4,350 jobs at risk. The company has been in a financial mess for more than a year now; in December share prices plummeted after it warned it could breach bank loan agreements. The retailer...

  • News UK Video Games Market Fell By 17.4% in 2012

    Big challenges for the industry

    The Entertainment Retailers Association has reported that in 2012 the UK video games market fell by 17.4%, including both physical and digital sales. In 2011 the whole video games market in the UK was worth £1.934 billion, in comparison to £1.598 billion in 2012. While digital sales did increase by 7.7% in 2012,...

  • News False Alarm! Wii U GamePads Not Going Solo Just Yet

    UK retailer blames listing error

    A few outlets were reporting earlier this morning that UK catalogue store Very.co.uk had become the first retailer in the world to begin selling the Wii U GamePad as a standalone item - which was surprising news given that there's nothing to use two GamePads for right now, unless you like really expensive bookends...