Mario Kart 8 Drives Wii U Sales In The UK, Claims Second Place Behind Watch Dogs

That percentage, is it a sign of thigs to come?
I'm not suprised, MK8 seemed pretty anticipated but I wasn't expecting it to beat Watch Dogs.

Oh, I thought the UK hated Nintendo? Nope, great games will sell if marketed right. The big question is what it will really do to hardware sales. I hope this is a true turnaround, but it's impossible to tell with these percentage sales, especially as sales would probably at an all-time low last week due to the bundle's arrival this week. Don't forget that last year we had the headlines 'Wii U sales increase 900%' after Xbone announcement and 'Wii U sales increase 600%' after the Wind Waker bundle was released. Hopefully MCV throw out an article on hardware soon.

I think Watch Dogs monster success also shows how wrong it is to say new IP does not sell, and highlights what a travesty it was that Wonderful 101 was sent to die without any marketing. Games don't have to be part of an established franchise to sell. Could W101 have sold as well as WD? No, but it could have at least been in the top 5 selling Wii U titles.

I dont get why people dont buy a Wii U after the release of Pikmin , W101 , Zelda WW HD , Mario 3d World , Dk TF and now the best wii u game to date Mario Kart 8.

Wii U's Library is amazing.

I would love to know how many copies it sold. Great number 2 slot never really stood a chance getting to number 1 when going up against Watch Dogs and its multiplatform release.
I think a large part of the UK are closet Nintendo fans!, but don't want to admit it.

666? Intriguing.
Hadn't expected MK8 would beat the PS360 versions of Watch Dogs.

666? Nintendo is the devil! I KNEW IT!!!

To be fair though there isn't much else to buy on a PSBOX41... So it doesn't really surprise me that W_D is doing well on those systems

downloaded it and loving it, hopefully this game will have a big online following(and hopefully dlc) for years to come

@darthmawl Well, Mario Kart is arguably the best selling series out of all of those games you listed. Mario Kart has always been one of Nintendo's biggest sellers - it's usually the second or third best-selling game on every platform it's been released on.

But, this is amazing news! I wish there were some hard numbers. Can't wait to hear reports from the Japan launch (since those provide numbers) and the North American launch.

although it must be said that up 666% on barley nothing isnt neccessarily all that impressive but number 2 in the chart is i jjust hope it can keep good momentum in the coming weeks.

666 percent growth. Even Wii U's increasing sales spells doom.

Keep it up U.K.!

@darthmawl Agreed. Also, those great eshop titles!

And its in the top spot in the US Amazon.

666!

As Peach64 pointed out, the 666% increase in sales mean nothing until we see the hardware numbers.

@darthmawl

Because it has no third party support

In laymans terms the sales are 6 and a bit times better than they were before but as many have said that doesn't mean much until we get the last set of numbers.

WOO HOO! GO NINTENDO!! If they can release DLC with battle arenas and more characters ASAP, that should help sale heaps.

Seriously Watch Dogs is overrated IMHO but it is the most anticipated game of the year after all.

Hail Reggie.

@smikey 666 comes from the Book of Revelation

Revelation 13:18
"18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Where does the 555 come from?

I'm worried the hardware sales are fueled by the good pre-order bundles on the MK8 system (£200 for instance) and now that those deals have gone and Wii U hardware seems to have gone up by about £30 across the board (as people now want Wii U systems so you don't have to try and sell them as hard) that the sales boost will be short lived.

But looking at the big picture. Its crazy to think that about 2 weeks ago you could top the charts with like 10,000 copies sold of something.

So if Watchdogs had come out when originally planned last year, Mario Kart 8 would be number one

Did watchdogs sell 667% more than their last large multiplat game? Cause everyone knows they're the neighbour of the beast.

I'm going to assume the remaining 18% consists mostly of the NSMBU bundle since here in Sweden it sold out almost as fast as the MK8 bundle.

Well the good news is, Mario Kart 8 lost to a title that has apparently done very great, the even better news is the is the second best opening for MK in U.K, this is great news, really.
I am disappointed that MK lost to both PS4 and XBOX one, I knew it won't be first but I was hoping it will beat the XBOX one version, in U.S pre orders apparently it's ahead of the XBOX one version so I'm hoping it will open second in NA. and well we can be sure it will open first in Japan, I've seen a lot of Japanese players in the multiplayer, I think it sold incredible over there.

why the percentages instead of numbers is what bothers me...... HOW IS ANYONE SUPPOSE TO FIND OUT THAT % IS AS GOOD AS NUMBERS?!?!?

But hey atleast MK8 is booming sales right now......

I honestly feel like delaying WD and then releasing it on the same week as MK8 as well as delaying only the Wii U version is just to spite Nintendo. I mean seriously, they had to know when MK8 was coming. >__>

@MAB There is Wolfenstein which is a much better game that works properly.

This bit from the Eurogamer article says more than the percentage, I think:

"Nintendo's racer earned the company its biggest Wii U game launch in the UK to date, and the second best launch for a Mario Kart title ever in the UK."

Not bad. I hope they can keep momentum.

Hmmm a 666 % increase probably means around 15-20k systems sold. Not that great a numbe but a step in the right direction. I think now (right now) would be a perfect time to readvertise the games already out for wiiu. Walking into your local game store to see a single shelf with mario kart 8, mario 3d world and loads of shovelware dosnt promote how many gems are now available on the struggling system.
Mario U, mario 3d world, pikmin 3, mario kart 8, zelda wind waker, game and wario, nintendoland, w101, ac 4, batman origins and city, lego city, monsterhunter 3, wii fit u, wii sports u. And im sure loads more. If all game shelfs are guna show is the mario games then the general public will ofcourse think thats all wiiu has to offer,which is not true. There are more truly classic games for wiiu now than there is for the ps4. Nintendo should advertise that fact

@Prof_Clayton I disagree, if Watch Dogs for Wii U came out same day as the other versions then its sales would be extremely bad as people could use the logic of "why buy Watch Dogs when I can get Mario Kart 8 and on top of that get Wind Waker HD or New Super Mario Bros. U free" (I doubt the other games will have been selected much).

@smikey I saw that qi.its actually 616 and not 666.

Hooray for Mario Kart!

Is anyone really that surprized? It's one beast of a game...

Now, turn your screen upside down to reveal the hidden message:

999

@Grumblevolcano I don't know about you but everybody I know is picking Pikmin 3! nUn
@Marshi E3 is next week so let's see what they got!

Way to go Europe hope you guys keep up the trends!

Well don't forget, it's MK8 AND a free game. A good offer while it lasts.

@unrandomsam Yeah, but it's a HD port of a PC game I played 20 years ago

Mario Kart has always been fairly big in the UK. I saw a family stop at a Mario Kart 8 poster and get really excited yesterday, made me smile.
If we see similar results in other territories, and Nintendo maintains strong marketing for this title then they will have the perfect stage for their E3 conference.

666% Oh dear.

666% we really are doomed.

@darthmawl
Pikmin 3 is a terrible game.
3D Wold was boring as hell with only one player. Multi-player was fun though.

@darthmawl "Wii U's library is amazing" I couldn't agree with you more.

So what's 666 in multiples - sextupled? I don't know any after quadrupled.

@NintendoMark 666 isn't a devil number. There is no such thing. It's a make believe thing! Don't believe everything you hear.

@Alucard83 Funny, I thought the devil himself was make believe.

HA and they said it wouldn't sell

HA and they said it wouldn't sell

HA and they said it wouldn't sell

So then the Wii U sold what, 666 systems? Considering how terribly the system is doing in PAL regions, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it only sold 1 system last sales term.
I'm only half joking.

Dat number of the beast.

And let's face it, next week those numbers will plummet. To the tune of a 500-600% drop-off. Nintendo might get better numbers in Japan / NTSC regions and they might even stick around for a few weeks, but 666% for a region that barely acknowledges the console even exists? Flash in the pan. Until Smash, Euro gamers are going to be pushing Wii U back under the rug. It's a graphics market where only football sims have the chance to break the FPS / GTA barrier.

@AJ_Lethal or man which is the same as the beast

@MAB S'what I was thinking.

Wasn't mk8 released later in the week? So these percentages are worthless watch_dogs had a full week to rake in sales while mk8 only had a partial week.

I think what everybody is forgetting to mention is that WD has been out for five days while MK8 has barely been out for two-that's a full three days of sales not accounted for as far as MK8 is concerned-I fully expect one of the best selling series of all time to outsell WD handily..also what's up with all the Ninty haters on this Nintendo site?

666% isn't going to be massive numbers but if the boost lasts for a couple of weeks it won't take long to double the install base in UK. I just hope they don't let the momentum completely disappear i.e. release some desirable games in the coming months and advertise them.

@Rumple88 @browngamer4 Game sales are heavily front loaded for day of release. Both Watch Dogs and MK probably sold more on day 1 than they will sell for the next month combined. WD has been phenomenal. The Xbone version accounted for 25% of its total sales, and that version outsold MK, so overall sales are at least 4 times what MK sales are. 3 extra days won't make THAT much if a difference.

That percentage? D: Does that mean Mario Kart 8 is evil?!

@MAB To be honest, same could be said for the Wii U.
That being said, I'm really happy for this sales spike, and I hope it sells even better in other regions.

Where we can get the figures for all areas. I never see game sales for the states? Is there a website for this info?

@Frapp

Amazing gif! I love that movie so much.

@Yasume while this is true these "numbers" only count for one day while watch dogs had a four day head start.

@Marshi Ummm...yeah let's wait to see what E3 has before we start suggesting the Wii U should advertise what "classics" they have over PS4. To be honest, that type of marketing isn't Nintendo anyway. They need to continue to focus on new IPs and such and advertise THAT! MK8 is the only game Nintendo has advertise severely outside of Tomodachi.

Great news. This, along with E3, will hopefully give them some much needed momentum.

@darthmawl For me, the Wii U is still not worth the money, especially since my PS3 still has alot of mileage left in it. Those are all impressive games, but I really don't care for Pikmin 3 or Wonderful 101, and I'm not a huge Mario Kart fan.

Smash may have compelled me to pic up a Wii U, but its coming to the 3DS. So, if I want to play Nintendo games, I can play them on my 3DS, especially since the 3DS has a much stronger library than the Wii U at this time.

So for me, the Wii U is still not worth the money even with its impressive games. I'm hoping for another price drop before I go pick one up.

I'm still catching up on PS3 classics, and Smash is coming to the 3DS first, so there is really no hurry to pick up a Wii U.

@Peach64 actually your wrong about that. Lots of family's buy mario kart. They tend to buy things on the weekend. You don't follow game sales much do you.

@Kaine_Morrison In what way do you think Pikmin 3 is a terrible game? Personally, I think Pikmin 3 is one of the best games I have ever played (using Nunchucks), and we have probabley soon spent more time in the 2-player modes than in any other local multiplayer game.

@Rafie Exactly my point mate. They need to start being more aggressive and start competing. They say they are not in competition with sony or m$ which may be the stance the company takes,but it only takes a quick glance at any videogame forum to realise thats not how the public sees it

@NodesforNoids are you trying to make this bad news even do it is very good news. so will watch dogs sell bad next week?

@smikey Hey Smikey. Great playing Mk with you last night man. When did you finally get the game?

@Caryslan

Aw that's a shame you don't like Pikmin 3. It's my favorite game on the Wii U so far. To each their own. I can fully understand waiting, consoles are expensive.

@somari Heh, like it or not. It called having a realistic perception of things.

2nd place in the UK is like 30k, don't get too excited.

The Media Create numbers will be far more telling.

@Kaine_Morrison

Oh my. That's a shame you didn't like Pikmin.

@zeldazero The North American sales come out once a month, typically the 2nd or 3rd Thursday of the month. UK charts are every Monday, and Japan every Wednesday. This game is going to dominate Japan.

@faint a There is no chance that more families bought this on Saturday than all those that pre-ordered online at Amazon, Tesco, Game, ShopTp etc over the last several months. Day 1 is always the biggest day.

@zeldazero The North American sales come out once a month, typically the 2nd or 3rd Thursday of the month. UK charts are every Monday, and Japan every Wednesday. This game is going to dominate Japan.

@faint a There is no chance that more families bought this on Saturday than all those that pre-ordered online at Amazon, Tesco, Game, ShopTp etc over the last several months. Day 1 is always the biggest day.

LOL that number is trippy. Hopefully it sells more and that number will be over 9000% just watch.

@FilmerNgameR

Hopefully it sells more and that number will be over 9000%

I just had to!!

It's important to remember that watch dogs has a three day head start, not saying MK would have won but that is essintilly three days of MK numbers

666%?

Saaaacrifice! Is going on tonight!

Scream for me Nintendo Life!!!

@darthmawl I completely agree, the Wii U is a fantastic system and has an amazing wealth of games, I just don't know why people aren't buying it. I love it so much I have two in my household, so I don't have to fight the kids for game time.

mayhem and destruction... finally. lets hope it is not a one day hysteria

@Technosphile The sales for each week are not static by any means. A few weeks ago number 1 was 10k sales so you can't say 2nd place is 30k. Its turns out actually, from the Watch Dogs platform splits, its total (estimated from the LA Noire comparison in the PR) and using the individual formats charts MK8 sold anywhere between 50k and 104k. Maybe using the 2nd biggest MK launch info gives a better constraint on that.

I played MK8 all weekend! this is a great game and i hope it keeps up the sales momentum because the WiiU needs its.

@Peach64 Nintendo had a Wonderful 101 Direct remember? I agree that more commercials wouldve been nice but the funny thing is alot of people that dont have a WiiU yet (like urself) have stated that they wanted to get W101 just from the positive response from the people who actually played the game. Which in my opinion trumps the bad reviews it got from the media kinda like the word of mouth of gamers is worth so much more than quickly rushed game reviews. Ur were negative about this game in the beginning too and look how ur views have changed. W101 isnt perfect but its still a game that takes so many creative risks in gameplay and controls that most devs are scared to do. but it does demand u to pay attention and learn because once u get ur first Pure Platinum rank there's no going back. Its hard to understand until u play it and thats just a fact

@Peach64 If the Wii U can maintain solid sales numbers for this year MK8 will very likely be an evergreen seller, much like MKWii was. It will likely not reach 35 million, but long after Watch Dog's sales flatline and Ubisoft announces Watch Dogs 2, MK8 will probably still be selling 100K a month.

@MoonKnight7 I played Pikmin on both the Gamecube and the Wii and I never really got into it. Glad to see its back for people who do enjoy the IP, but for my own tastes, I want to see a new Star Fox or F-Zero.

I don't buy home consoles until they are usually two years old at the earliest. This gives the system time to build up their game library, drop in price, and see if there are any hardware revisions.

The biggest thing for me is that consoles are pretty expensive right now. I got my PS3 back in 2012, so I have not even scratched the surface of classics that I need to play on that console. And since the PS3 is going to be supported for another couple of years, I see no rush to upgrade.

For right now, my 2DS and PS3 are the perfect combo to play most of the games that are coming out. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire remakes, and Smash Bros are coming to the 2DS, while stuff like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Mortal Kombat X are coming to the PS3.

Heck, I still have to catch up on some PS3 games that came out earlier this year such as Castlevania: Lord of Shadow 2.

I like the Wii U. I think its a great system that gets bashed unfairly, and I intend to get one when the time is right. But for right now, my 2DS and PS3 are more than enough.

@Peach64 However, Nintendo games (especially the ones from the really popular series) have longer legs than most other titles. It's quite possible that those extra days would make a difference in the sales numbers. Their titles are notorious for having a different sales trend (unless they are poorly reviewed).

That's a big jump for Wii U but it's only going to count if it lasts for more than a couple of weeks...

well, i'm going to grab a wiiu on this weekend. 666 is a large jump, but can it keep it's momentum

I sold my soul to Reggie for those numbers! It worked!

@Caryslan

Hey I don't blame you, the PS3 has some fantastic games. I highly recommend The Last of Us, if you like those kinds of games. The story is simply fantastic.

P.S.
I have a tingling feeling that we'll get a proper Star Fox title reveal at E3, but please be advised that I have nothing to base this on, haha.

Great news what with a bunch of fails on ps4 & xboxone for games over hyped now people can see how good the wii u really is.
If only if only the wii u had trophy system like other console for in game challenges.

a staggering 666 percent?
666% of what?
The previous weeks sales?

Although the percentage does look awesome, but I'm holding my breath for the actual numeric numbers.....

Percentage doesn't really mean anything if the previous sales numbers were horribly low anyway. If the sales stay consistently good after this point, then that'll be time to celebrate.

I think it's clear now why Ubisoft pushed back Watch Dogs for Wii U.

@billychaos It all makes sense now...

@Peach64 But is it really new IP? I mean, GTA + hacking traffic lights, cameras and pipelines = Watch_Dogs..
People just get overhyped about open world games.

@Peach64

I don't think anyone is under the impression new IPs don't sell. It's new IPs on NINTENDO platforms that struggle. Watch Dogs sold because it's on PS and Xbox. Now, if what you're saying is true- if all it really takes is some solid marketing to propel a new IP into the top 5 for Wii U, then that means Watch Dogs should do exactly that when it releases on Wii U. Yet somehow, I get the feeling that it won't. DESPITE all the mega-marketing the game has seen. In fact, Watch Dogs was hyped about as much as a game can get. So if THAT doesn't even hit the top 5 during it's release, then we know marketing has nothing to do with it on Nintendo platforms, agreed?

And I'm not under the illusion that marketing doesn't help sell games. I just think that you see WAY less bang for your buck when it comes to marketing new IPs on Nintendo consoles as opposed to PS and Xbox. Look at the millions of dollars they've spent marketing Watch Dogs. Then watch it release on Wii U and only see an extra 100k in sales for it. I do think Wonderful 101 actually DESERVED to sell as well as any other Nintendo game on Wii U. It was fantastic. Unfortunately, Nintendo fans can be very fickle and many just stick to what they know.

Yep I was in fact one of the people who decided to get a Wii U Mario Kart bundle. Went into Walmart at midnight on thursday and though I only got 3 hours of sleep before I had to go to work it was totally worth it!

@JaxonH True that. I am unfortunately one of those people who buy Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games primarily, though I do have ZombiU and Splinter Cell Blacklist coming my way. It is a shame though that we are unlikely to see very many third party ports due mostly in part to how poorly they sell. Not blaming the publishers because it is simply business sense, still stinks sometimes though.

@Raylax exactly what i was going to say. saying 666% means nothing if the total was only like 100 or something like that. how significant is the number

@Dpishere

Welcome to the Wii U club! It's a great system- I think you're gonna really enjoy it. Ya, I'm mainly a Nintendo kind of guy myself, but I do like 3rd party AAA games too from time to time as well- which is why I bought the other 2 consoles for on the side.

As far as Wii U goes, allow me to make some personal recommendations to go alongside Mario Kart 8, ZombiU and Splinter Cell Blacklist (all of which are very good btw).

Pikmin 3- Easily the most charming game on the system, and different than anything you've ever played. HIGHLY recommended.

DKC Tropical Freeze- Imo, one of the greatest platformers of all time, if not THE greatest. Challenging, vibrant, expertly designed levels with pinpoint mechanics make for great time trial runs, which can be uploaded and viewed in-game. HIGHLY recommended.

Wonderful 101- One of the best games of 2013. New, fresh, and packed to the brim with action and fun. You won't be disappointed in this one.

Wii Sports Club Golf- Hands down the most ingenious golfing game I've ever played. Use the gamepad to see the ball on the grass with your club and power meter, and use the Wiimote as your club, knocking the ball from the gamepad into the TV. It never gets old, is very skill-based and gamer-oriented, and some of the best multiplayer fun I've had in a long time.

New Super Mario Bros U- A fine addition to the 2D Mario line of games, and by far the best of the New series. Excellent, colorful levels and vibrant colors makes for some fine 2D platforming. A solid game through and through.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate- My favorite game of all time. Period. People talk about Dark Souls and hardcore gameplay? MONSTER HUNTER is where it's at. One of the deepest and robust games ever developed, with hundreds of quests and monsters to hunt, excellent skill-based gameplay with RPG elements. 4-player co-op online is still alive and well. A true must-own.

Rayman Legends- If you're a 2D platforming fan, look no further than Rayman Legends, although I still think DKC takes the crown. With gamepad integration this is the best version to own- the touch screen Murphy levels are a blast, and every day/week new challenges are added with leaderboards, all in addition to the main game.

Super Mario 3D World- If you own a Wii U, there is no reason to not own this game. 12 worlds, 8 in the main game and 4 after, the latter 4 can get very challenging, especially if you're star/stamp hunting. I can't recommend this game enough.

Child of Light- Surprisingly, one of the funnest battle systems I've ever played in an RPG. The game is just really fun, Idk what else to say. There's a reason it's still at the top of the eShop charts.

Also- Darksiders 2, Batman Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, Injustice, and Assassin's Creed 4 are all worth owning if you haven't played them before.

@JQuest lol nice!

I guess this is what happens when Nintendo make good advertising campaign s

@JaxonH Actually I got Pikmin 3 with the Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle and am very much looking forward to playing that seeing as I loved playing and fully completing Pikmin 2 with my bro, and the fact that this game has a co-op mission mode is icing on the cake!. I also already own Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the 3DS and agree that it is definitely one of my favorite games released on the system. Seeing as I absolutely loved Donkey Kong Country Returns so much so that I have beaten it three times with one of the playthroughs being a complete 100% run so I am sure I will love Tropical Freeze. Honestly most of those games are already on my to-get list but I have to take it slow since I have only had the system since Friday, but those are great suggestions and plan on adding most of them to my Wii U library as time goes on.

@Dpishere

Right on man. I would suggest that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is worth buying again for Wii U. For one, you can get it as low as $20-25 now at various retailers if you shop around, so it's cheap. But for two, it has full online and HD graphics (and natural twin analogues- no CPP needed). It's definitely a game meant for playing online, and the great thing is, you can transfer your 3DS save to Wii U and not even skip a beat.

If you ever want someone to hunt with, just let me know. I'm always down for a little MH

@JaxonH If I do ever decide to get Monster Hunter Ultimate for Wii U I will be sure to join ya for a hunt, though I will certainly end up getting Monster Hunter 4 instead seeing as I pretty much completed every single hunt, story quest, and crafted all the armors I wanted in Ultimate. Had a blast playing local with my brother.

@Peach64 Familys don't pre order. Core gamers preorder. Family's go to wall-mart or where ever. Games like watch dogs do well due to preorders and then they die off or become gta. Mario Kart is an evergreen. I promise you will see mario kart in the charts around Christmas but not watch dogs.

@faint
Its not just about the pre-orders, launch day is prime time for game sales. Its where the bulk of the sales are made, and the following week or two are the most crucial after that.

Evergreen games like this keep selling consistently despite their age, it doesn't mean they sell a lot, just that they don't fall into obscurity or into barain bins after the 1st month or so like most games. Watch Dogs could be Ubisoft's GTA, the next Assassin's Creed, or a one hit wonder, who knows.

What exactly do you mean "become GTA", your aware GTA is an evergreen series too, right?

@darthmawl

It's the upcoming library that's putting off people. They'd rather have an X1 or PS4 because there's more in the pipeline than on the Wii U.

@faint
True, but @Peach64 's comment wasn't about evergreen/family sales putting MK over WD until Christmas and beyond, it was about not being enough to make a difference for their first couple of days on sale, which was the original point he was responding to (I think).

@Zombie_Barioth i said die off or become gta. meaning a mega it. it apears watch dogs has done this but i dont see it selling to well by summers end while mario kart still will

@Haywired i know what she was talking about. she was comparing first week watchdog sales (5days) to mariokarts (2 days) she believes that most of the people who picked up these games preordered. i digree a feel mariokart will surge next week as well.

@faint
Ok, gotcha, yea the hype for it will die down by then at least. Its the first game so it won't enjoy the kind of continued success GTA has through out the year.

Most people who picked it up the past couple days probably did pre-order, thats just the typical thing to do for any major release since they get priority.

That doesn't mean only those who pre-ordered are interested, especially for Nintendo games. Most are likely waiting sales, their next paycheck, their next trip into town, something along those lines.