The 3DS has been doing well in Japan for a long time, and the most recent U.S. sales in June had the portable topping the hardware charts. After some good showings for various titles, including Mario & Luigi: Dream Team making its debut at number two in the UK all-format charts, Nintendo UK has told MCV that the 3DS is tracking ahead of the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the country.
Using data from GfK Chart-Track, the handheld is said to be trending ahead of the home consoles and is the only system to have sold more games to date this year compared to the equivalent period in 2012. Nintendo UK's head of consumer marketing, James Honeywell, has naturally attributed this success to the strong software lineup on the 3DS, and therefore expects the upcoming Wii U lineup to boost the home console's fortunes.
Software sells hardware.
You must have heard that from us a lot. And the same can be said for Wii U as we move into peak season. With such a strong line-up of titles that are so critically acclaimed, it is just a perfect storm. It has made it the format of the moment.
Sometimes 3DS, or handheld in general, suffers because people tend to focus on the home console market. But 3DS is really doing the numbers right now.
The 3DS is certainly hot stuff in various regions right now, showing that patience and top games — along with some other factors, admittedly — can do much to revive a platform. Next up, Wii U?
[source mcvuk.com]
Comments 33
Mmm... Maybe will be another 3DS version?
Comparing 3DS to home console thats on its way out isnt exactly a fair comparison.
@IxnayontheCK In the UK this is surprising, where sales have often been modest in recent times. Seeing recent 3DS titles doing well in the all-format software chart, for example, has been a bit of a revelation.
I feel bad for the 3DS that all it's well deserved good news articles keep getting tainted by WiiU creep.
But since you brought it up - I don't see anything on the WiiU THIS YEAR comparable to the 3DS line-up. AC:NL and X+Y are comparable to Smash and Kart, not Pikmin3 and W101. And while the WiiU gets the Windwaker HD "port" the 3DS gets a newly improved additional story line, so at best that's a tie (and I think that's being generous for the WiiU.)
The 3DS deserves it's props, but this isn't the year the WiiU has it's turnaround. Though the next 6 months will sell many more WiiU than the first 6, but the fall and holiday is always a better time for hardware sales.
That's actually makes me quite happy.
@rjejr Pikmin 3 is the number one selling game in all of Japan for the last week, even though it was only available for sale for the last two days of that week.
Nintendo handhelds are very popular in the UK, it's just their home consoles that struggle the worst in the UK.
Definitely loving my 3DS . Had to tear myself away from Fire Emblem again lol. Only thing is I wish in Europe they could put Netflix on it, and You Tube app (heard it is coming). With regards to Wii U a lot of people probably are waiting for TVii to come out in Europe too.
But more than happy with the 3DS games so far. Flipnote is coming too woohoo!
Go go 3ds!
@MadAdam81 - And hardware sales for the WiiU tripled, from 8,000 to 22,000, but the WiiU still sold less than the 3DS LL (28,000) that same week, which is the same as the 3DS sold the week before. (And probably many weeks before that, but I don't have those numbers in front of me.)
1 week of decent WiiU sales due to the release of a game everybody has wanted since before the system launched isn't the same as a long term trend. The week that Mario Kart 8 launches - in 2014 - the WiiU WILL sell more hardware units than the 3DS. Probably also when Smash releases even though it will be on both systems. When the WiiU starts selling more than the 3DS LL (if you add in the 3DS 13,000 per week it crushes the WiiU, which doesn't seem to separate out Basic and Deluxe) then I'll believe the WiiU is on it's way up. And I honestly don't believe that will happen until 2014 when the 2 big games come out.
@ThomasBW84 I still have to agree with him. Both systems are going to slow as people will begin to save for the next gen! Still its a good thing for nintendo and handheld gaming in general!
I'm so torn about upgrading to an XL. I've got a horrid feeling that the moment I do, Nintendo will announce a new revision.
@chiptoon the xl is so much better, I doubt the upgrade will come until late next year.
Michael Pachter saying 3DS is doomed article in 5....4.....3....2....1....
"Software sells hardware". Damn right. It's good that they've remembered this because at the start of the console's life they very much (wrongly) believed that "3D sells hardware". Just as they currently believe with their home console that "controllers sell hardware".
@rmeyer Thanks!
I love my 3DS so much, but it gives me the hand cramps. Thinking the XL will help a lot
@ThomasBW84 Yup, LM2 still showing strong legs, in fact last week it jumped 5 places from 19th. M&L and ACNL holding 2nd & 3rd. MK7 crept into 40th place and DKCR3D was standing at 33. It's been doing quite well.
@IxnayontheCK I'm also wondering why the 3DS is being lumped in with Home Consoles. The Wii-U sure isn't outselling or even out performing the other consoles right now. Is the fact that the 3DS is outselling home consoles supposed to make us feel better?
Well with the Wii U 32b at £200 and the 8GB at £150 on Amazon UK. Who knows.
@Haywired Not always many DS's and DS Lites were sold just because of one piece of hardware. (The original R4).
I would have a PAL wii U by now if it was not for the region lock. (As it stands I will probably get an NTSCU one when I reasonably can not bothered about paying a premium but not double. Still not enough games I want as well. Although I probably would have bought some if I knew as soon as there was something I wanted in any region I could just buy it).
So far for my pal 3DS there is only Kokuga and just now Shantae I am bothered about. Most of the rest are imported DS games that look fuzzy. (Contra 4 / Metal Slug 7 / Nanostray 2 / Ketsui Death Label).
I have never seen a console, let alone a handheld, with as many games I want as the 3DS. It reminds me of the GBA days when the GC was Nintendo's struggling but awesome console.
I don't want to let my imagination run wild but if 2014/15 is to the Wii U what 2012/13 was to the 3DS then the Wii U will be the greatest console ever made.....
Well that is great and all, but isn't that apples and oranges? After all, PS3 and 360 sales would be going down because of the next generation versions of those consoles. Not to mention that they're pretty old news, and the UK has sold many of both systems already. Then of course it is a handheld device and it should be practically bound to sell more.
@BestBuck123 Easy? They're fighting against tablets. This could be Nintendo's greatest competition in the handheld market ever. Tablets can go very cheap, even cheaper than the 3DS. And its not like they aren't relevant to 6 year olds. Heck, the iPad was the most demanded electronic from children last Christmas season.
Of course it is cause the 3DS rocks! Nintendo rocks!
@Kyloctopus An Android tablet is cheap, but an iPad is way more expensive than 3DS.
Even if the 3DS sells a billion units so.e people will still think that people just prefer phone gaming. Surely though the success will be translated financially and Nintendo will triumph.
Just goes to show there's no bias against Nintendo. The 3DS finally gets some great games in 2013 and it starts selling. No surprise. Some people just can't accept the fact that people are not buying the Wii U is because it has no games, and would prefer to pretend there's bias or even conspiracies.
@IxnayontheCK So, is there any reason the 3DS is outselling the VITA?
the 3DS is outselling PS3 and Xbox 360, hmm, looks like graphics aren't everything than Also, the system is AWESOME! goes back to playing his
@IxnayontheCK yay ur right, the 3DS still has tons of life left and has only been out for 2 years, so that makes PS3 and 360 even more pathetic Heck, lets compare it to Vita...ohh wait, lets not, that would be sad as all hell.
Sorry, but when Nintendo fans get a chance to rub it in Sony and Microsoft fans faces, WE SHOULD TAKE IT! God knows you guys always do to us ¬¬
The 3DS is shaping up to be better than the DS, and that's one of the best systems ever. Now all we need is TWEWY2. What's that other thing they sell, starts with a v...it was more powerful than the 3DS. Never hear about that thing...
The 3DS is shaping up to be better than the DS, and that's one of the best systems ever. Now all we need is TWEWY2. What's that other thing they sell, starts with a v...it was more powerful than the 3DS. Never hear about that thing...
Pokémon X and Y.
3DS is just goin' 'n' goin... I remember when I was told that the 3DS isn't selling, but now? Go 3DS!
I'm waiting for Wii U's turn, should be in the coming months.
Yup 3DS XL is in the works for me this fall.
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