Recent weeks have seen a couple of high-profile titles, published by Nintendo, arrive on the Wii U. In terms of the UK market, Pikmin 3 arrived in late July while The Wonderful 101 landed in late August. It seems those releases contributed, with some others, to bring an increase in Wii U software sales in the UK in the past two months, but the results have still been modest.
NeoGaf user jvm, who contributes to Gamasutra, has collated data from media reports to put together software sales and revenue, with neither doing the Wii U a great deal of credit. There is an increase in July and August, though it is modest, while the 3DS has dropped since an enormous June, which was no doubt primarily driven by Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The Wii U is keeping company near the PS Vita, lagging behind the Wii and DS which, despite their sizeable userbases, aren't being actively supported to any meaningful degree.
The trend is a positive, and none of the releases of July and August can necessarily be regarded as major hardware sellers in their own right. Nintendo will no doubt hope that the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and the official price reduction will boost numbers, while there's a substantial lineup of new content on the way towards the Holiday season. There are games lined up that are suitable for enticing almost everyone, so we'll have to wait and see how the numbers evolve later in the year; we suspect October could be a big month for the 3DS, too.
[source neogaf.com, via gonintendo.com]
Comments 33
it's good that the sales have gone up but there still VERY low! on the second chart for Wii U in January does that number mean £1,200?
Must be £1.2million?
34k units sold in January equals £1.2million, think that would be about right?
Retail is dying, except for disney infinity, skylanders and games purchased as presents.
Well, at least its improving, slightly.
It just shows how far behind the Wii U is, and why there's negative talk. People on here get angry, asking why the PS3 or 3DS never got the same negative talk, but they were never selling this bad. If Wii U software sales went up by ten times the current figure, they'd still be behind the PS3, and a long, long way behind 360. It's certainly not a lost cause, but you have to understand if publishers pull out of Wii U ports with figures like this.
I would like to see stats for the whole EU, instead of just the UK.
@Peach64 I fully agree, but its still just a shame. When I bought my wii u I didnt ever think this would happen. I dont regret my purchase though.
Considering the the size of the UK install base it's positive news.
Slow and steady wins the race... or something like that.
@Subie98 When I brought my Wii U at launch I thought that Nintendo had taken enough steps to avoid a situation like this, but clearly I was wrong (still love my Wii U).
@Jazzer94
Seconded.
Well, at least...
the sales will improve after wii sports mario 3d and donkey
It's pretty decent that they managed to shift a few extra games later on because the UK had a good summer which doesn't normally help game sales.
A few months ago I was quite bored of only using my Wii U for VC games but now I am too poor to afford every 1st party game I want between now and xmas. I haven't even considered which 3rd party games to go for and there is a surprisingly decent list. Need another job
My impression is that the Wii U console sales might be accelerating because a few of stores are sold out and waiting for a massive re-supply.
Nintendo need to look at what makes the 3DS so good and apply that to the Wii U.
@Peach64 I always thought people compared it to ps3s launch? Which is not only comparable in hardware sales but also better for Wii u in game terms as some people didn't even buy games for their ps3 at launch and just bought the system as a bluray player they might get a game for later. PS3 still got supported through this rough patch by third parties, hopefully Nintendo are doing enough (we don't know about yet) to back up the games they are soon releasing and gain some real momentum.
I do wonder if it's not too late for them to jump back on the Wii bandwagon.
It cleary has more appeal than the WiiU does, twice as much in fact going by those numbers.
@ICHIkatakuri You are comparing the PlayStation 3 to the Wii U in terms of sales?
The PS3 was $599/£429 at launch whereas the Wii U was almost half the price (on day one).
Incomparable statistics, me thinks!
@Metaknight_3Raw The thing that makes the 3DS so good and happy is the over-excessiveness of first party games. Nintendo IS applying it to the Wii U, as the long list of major games is starting to be released.
Looks like a slow transition of Wii sales to Wii U sales. Not sure that means anything. The next couple of months will be more revealing. The "second" launch is just beginning.
@Peek-a-boo. Hahaha! I don't think any analysis of a system takes into account the price as to whether or not it's a valid comparison. The WiiU has been compared to ps3 and 360 sales since it's release and they're a lot cheaper plus a lot older, I personally don't get your point.
@PokeTune
Not is not. The average in revenue for these eight months for the WiiU is 1.0million per month. If you consider the first three months (jan-march), the average in those 3 months is: (1.2+0.8+1.6)/3 = 1.2million, so, in fact, is slowing.
I don't remember any big games for January nor for March, to explain this trend, though.
Hoping that WiiU Sports, WiiU Fit and a couple of others along with WindWaker give the console a boost to end the year on a high note (perhaps 1.5million/month on revenue, meaning a total revenue of 8.0million for the next 3 months?). One can only hope...
How come Wii U are sold even less than the last generation consoles (Xbox, PS3, and Wii)?
Don't worry, there are many games coming this year that have always sold really really well. I'm sure they will boost the system like a rocket.
Which games, you may ask? Not few! Zelda, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, Sonic, Mario & Sonic, Wii Party, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit. 8 games! 8 games that have always sold like hot cakes are all coming out this year. And not in a long time from now, Mario Kart will be released, one of the best system-sellers ever. I'm sure WiiU will be fine...
I'm really surprised there has been any growth, bearing in mind Nintendo UK has not advertised nor promoted the WiiU for months. Luigi, Pikmin and 101 are all brilliant games, we had a small run of ads for Pikmin, but nothing for either Luigi or 101. Then Nintendo are surprised that sales are pitiful and people don't know what the WiiU is. The name is not the problem, a marketing company that needs sacking, plus a real ad budget are the problems. No-one was confused when Xbox became the Xbox 360 or PS2-3-4. All it needs is some ad company to do a simply ad saying what the WiiU is and why gamers should buy it. This aint rocket science! As much as I love Nintendo, I do wonder how they have managed to foul-up advertising for the last 2 decades.
Bring back the Zelda 64 slogan, 'Whilst thou get the girl, or play like one" !!
@Peek-a-boo Now let me tell you why your wrong.. even early in it's life the PS3 was being sold as a Blu Ray player more then a game system.. as thus.. to compare it side by side.. (Considering BR tech was still new) is wrong.. because all Wii U does is play games and does not have that advantage of pushing something that is relatively new.. even if it had a BR player at this point..in addition a lot of PS3 "sales" came from the fact that they were given away with surround sound systems for the most part.. (As thus they really didn't sale on their own accord) something else the Wii U does not have.. and last but certainly not least... the economy as a whole is worse.. and the Wii U love it or hate it.. was the most expensive system.. (Even though the most powerful) with the smallest library... right now.. as it was at launch.. as thus if your a console buyer now.. just now getting the money to afford one you may not have had before.. which do you go with?? The systems that have been out for years.. and not only have a great library..but are still getting the hits.. or a Wii U?? No I think most of the people that can afford to move to next gen will get a Wii U.. by this holiday season.. or by the middle of next year.. do to price point .. plus it finally having games.. compared to the PS4 and One.. the people that can just now afford a new system will mainly stick with last gen systems.. which will be plenty.. or just go portable.. one of the two.. either way once you get past the initial rush.. I think PS4 and One.. are going to have some hard months.. if not year too..
I believe in Wii U. The games make the console, and so far there hasn't been enough games. The sales should get higher as The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, Sonic Lost World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Wii Party U, Wii Fit U and Super Mario 3D World becomes available before the end of the year. 2014 will bring Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.
What Nintendo needs to do is let people out there know! There isn't a new Wii controller! Tell them Nintendo!
I want to be able to say add me on Miiverse and not Facebook.
I think the thing that made Wii U so much more appealing to me is that it signaled the return of games for the Hardcore Nintendo audience. That was something that urked me during the Wii generation, I hated that damn Wii remote. I'm not saying that I hated the Wii, but I liked playing games without motion control, and with a controller with buttons. What makes the Wii U so perfect is that it offers something unique that PS and Xbox can't give you, but it doesn't give me something gimmicky.
@maceng Hey, I'm trying to be a bit more positive. Normally I'd be a LOT more negative about this kind of thing.
Up is better than down I guess
@ThumperUK
Oh god please tell me your joking XD
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