Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Continues to Thrash its Competition in Japan, Wii U Sales Drop Further

Don't worry Wiiu Smash bros will save you, i hope,but i'm not betting on it though.But maybe Watch dogs will save the Wiiu? Cause the port is so amazingly awful, it's going to sell millions i can see it now.

"What do you think Nintendo needs to do to rekindle the interest in the Wii U in its home country?"
Maybe I'm being negative but, nothing much really. Japan is all about mobility right now. They can't exactly change that trend on a whim. Even with big titles, it'll give a week or two boost but that's just a temporarily increase, nothing to be on the long run.

Wow they are crazy about MH4U, I have only played a demo of MH3U and I never understood the popularity. Just not for me I guess, great for nintendo though Just waiting for Wii U Smash now.

Wii U behind PS4? Guess what that implies for the latter over former.

Shoulda bought more copies of Bayonetta 2 and Fatal Frame ya bums!

I'm not sure Smash will make the difference needed, sales will rise for sure, but seeing how MK8 is the only game still making a significant impact for the Wii U in the top 20, what's to say Smash won't stick like most other Wii U titles?
Now I have no idea how console Smash Bros have sold in Japan before, so that is an uninformed educated guess.

I'm not sure Smash will make the difference needed, sales will rise for sure, but seeing how MK8 is the only game still making a significant impact for the Wii U in the top 20, what's to say Smash won't stick like most other Wii U titles?
Now I have no idea how console Smash Bros have sold in Japan before, so that is an uninformed educated guess.

@Punished_Boss_84 Not much? Or what did it mean when the Wii U was outselling the PS4?

@Knuckles How can it be both uninformed and educated?

Chances are Smash will be an evergreen title, just like Mario Kart. I'm expecting great sales for Wii U this holiday season (just go look how amazingly it sold last year during the same period - no sarcasm), but on the long run I don't see them overcoming this ups-and-downs trend. It's just the way it is regarding home consoles in Japan.

All we learn from this is consoles are a dying breed in Japan. Total opposite in the west!

@DilMan33 As if high end game specs and game design are mutually exclusive.

It would be smart for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to make the console systems currently out in Japan be the last ones. It's a handheld market, and they are wasting money trying to change that.

Seems like people prefer bigger, but crappier screens over nice face plates.

Probably hard to sell the Wii U with the New 3DS just out. If the sorts of people looking to invest in a Wii U felt compelled to upgrade their 3DS instead, I can't blame them for making that decision. The Wii U sales will pick up again when Smash releases, and the MK8 DLC might create a little extra hype too.

The PS4 is so incredibly Western and its selling more than the Wii U. WOW.

@DilMan33

Clearly you don't understand Japan, and don't know that the are very protective/xenophobic and only support products made by them, such as Sony and Nintendo. If Microsoft was a Japanese company, the console would be selling.

Of course the only way to read this is negatively, right? And Wii U is once again doomed (as the pendulum predictably swings)? The PS4 is the exciting new kid on the block, and it only manages to move under 3,000 more than the older Wii U... A system everyone keeps berating because of lack of support. PS4 is westernized? Someone forgot to tell Japanese SONY fans…

Of the top 7 slots in hardware sales, Nintendo owns 5, including 1,2 and 3. Of the systems outselling the Wii U, only one is a console and 4 are their own handhelds. Nintendo has half of the top 20 software sales. Yes, there is only one Wii U game, but again… the PS4 only has one on the list too. And it ranked lower than the Wii U entry.

May I also note that the PS4 also saw a greater drop in sales, week over week than the Wii U? Whatever will Nintendo do?!?!?!

I'm tired of these spun, doom and gloom stories that lack objectivity. The Japanese games market has changed. It's an industry in transition, and trying to find/redefine itself. There is a MAJOR shift in how they play. Consoles sales are waning across the board. Portable gaming is trending and Nintendo is all over that scene. Framed appropriately, the Wii U isn't a lost cause or in horrific trouble; it's along for the ride that all console gaming in Japan is taking. And allowing for the criticism that it has no support, that it is still moving enough systems to be within one major software release of overtaking PS4 sales is actually pretty damn good. Moving over 5,000 units with one game in the top 20 sales chart is also pretty damn good.

Taken as part of the larger picture, the Wii U's position is neither dire, nor unexpected. They see spikes and move systems with each major release. Mario Kart 8 created a spike that even the most optimistic pundit underestimated.

But go on everyone. Write the obituary, and sound the click-bait klaxons… again. And then flip the script for the next sales spike and highly acclaimed release.

The pendulum swings… Rinse and repeat. Yawn.

@Tsusasi

"But go on everyone. Write the obituary, and sound the click-bait klaxons… again. And then flip the script for the next sales spike and highly acclaimed release.

The pendulum swings… Rinse and repeat. Yawn."

Handheld is not really the way to go in Japan either. The handheld sales this gen are way down compared to the DS and PSP. Japan are in love with mobile gaming even more than Europe and North America.

Japan is such a huge disappointment. I really dislike Japanese gamers. Bad.

@Peach64

The DS was a cultural phenomenon, standing as a rebirth in portable gaming. It was pre-cell phone gaming. Now that cell phones are just as, if not more powerful than Nintendo consoles, I think that assessment is a bit unfair. The 3DS was never going to do numbers like its predecessor.

Handheld is the way to go, it's just Nintendo needs to re-think what "handheld" means.

I'm sincerely torn between "Wii U is doomed" and "greatness awaits" (thanks Sony) due to the upcoming Wii U line-up for 2015 w/ Kirby, Yoshi, Splatoon, Starfox, Mario Maker (my kids most wanted game), XCX and Zelda (though I still think 2016 for Zelda or they could risk killing XCX sales), which all follow on the heals of CT:TT and SSBU. If the Japanese don't want home consoles though then the games don't really matter though, do they?.

It is possible the Japanese gamers are holding out for the MK8 bundles announced last week that come out Nov 13, same day as CT:TT, and SSB U isn't out until Dec 6, so maybe they are waiting? Guess we'll see.

Either way, doom or no doom, I feel confident Wii U owners have at least another 2 years worth of good games coming out, which would make 4 years total, so I'm ok with that.

If only NIntendo invested in a Wii U version of Monter Hunter 4 U...

Concerning the Wii U... It's just very poor scheduling of its games simply because of the lack there of. October and November are barren in Japan. Captain Toad comes out there on Nov 13 and Smash on Dec 6... that's it. The Wii U needs at least some quirky Japanese games, but sadly even those games aren't being developed anymore.

But yes, 2015 will be better... Too bad it took so long, the console got released in freaking 2012!!! Stil love my Wii U though

@MikeLove If only there were an overused, worn-out, tired meme to respond to an an overused, worn-out tired meme...
Because certainly posting gifs is preferable to a well thought-out response.
Yawn.

@MoonKnight7 I agree that expecting It to match 3DS sales is unfair but it's going to be Nintendo's lowest selling handheld by quite a margin. The GBA did 80 million and has been replaced after 3 years. The 3DS is almost at 4 years old now and 2013 was probably it's peak in terms of sales. The library is fantastic, so it suggests that a huge part of the handheld market has moved to mobile.

@Wouwter That during droughts a certain platform is somehow sutaining higher than another platform.

Mind you, they're both abysmal either way.

Nintendo needs to release more bundles for the Wii U asap... A bundle with Smash is a must! And a promotion with getting 1 game free if you register Smash, like they did with Mario Kart 8. All this followed by a price cut in the Spring of 2015.

I NEED SOME AGGRESSIVE PROMOTION RIGHT NOW!

@Tsusasi: That post should have been the article above. I should stop looking at these stupid articles. Games are meant to be played, nothing else.

@Tsusasi

I will personally nominate you for a 2015 Pulitzer Prize for your in-depth comment posting skills. They are certainly a welcome breathe of fresh air compared to the rest of the succinct and non-pretentious comments here.

Wii U games are just not picking up enough interest, a monster hunter/yokai watch + pokemon game(in any shape or form) would really bring much needed sales and interest to the Wii U. clearly they need a new soccer and baseball game as well

Fantasy RPG's will help. fire emblem will boost sales but is miles away. They should and convince certain third party companies for certain games. Final fantasy, destiny warriors,all capcom games would help increase japaneese sales

Well WII U needs a very good true RPG game as well! Maybe something for Nintendo to work on. Exclusive Nintendo characters just like they did with Super Mario RPG. Nuff said

@rjejr

So in Japan Captain Toad appears before SSBU? Interesting.

@Tsusasi This man speaks the truth. It seems people can't seem to get it through their heads that consoles are practically irrelevant in Japan

@Peach64

It's exactly because of mobile that I think the 3DS is doing adequately given the circumstances. Mobile is a brand new beast. Nintendo has had heavy competition in the past, but certainly not to the magnitude of mobile. I think it deserves applause if it caps out at 60 million at the end of its run. We also have to consider how much software these 60 million units will buy. Sometimes they can make up the difference with software sales, but as far as I know, it's too early to know those ratios. Time will tell.

I understand what you're saying, that numbers are numbers, but this market is way too crowded to give it proper breathing room to preform remarkably well. We are simply disagreeing on business philosophy at this point. It's worth debating and I respect that.

@Peach64 I'm pretty sure the GBA's 80 million wasn't done in 3 years, and that plenty of it came after DS was announced and released. DS sales didn't skyrocket until DS Lite came out and all focus was on the "Touch Generation" games and Pokemon.

@TheJebou That demo didn't do the game justice at all. Players need to pour on many hours to reap the benefits of a Monster Hunter title. A demo is quite pointless for that franchise.

@Tsusasi well stated.

Let's be honest here, Smash Bros Wii U will flop in Japan too. Then the sales numbers come out, and all the Wii U fanboys will hate on Nintendo for releasing a 3DS version, or rather for releasing the 3DS at all, and then it will be followed by a Blackbond video.

I'll sit here on the sidelines with some popcorn, laughing.

@IceClimbers it's so true it's sad really. As long as I get Nintendo quality games, I don't really care. Can't wait for bayonetta and X....

Smash Bros. will fix the problem in Japan. But it's a band-aid solution, really. Home consoles are simply not popular. People (in Japan) seem to be satisfied enough with what they have in the last gen, because PS4 software isn't moving either, and xbox one is D.O.A.

did anyone look at xbox one sales yikes

@Tsusasi This is why being a raving fanboy is bad for your health!

@DilMan33 Well, that's just the way it is in Japan

@rjejr well put.

@Ichiban Yeah... not a raving fanboy. I didn't say anything that wasn't true/factual. I prefer that an article like this provides context and explores the entire scenario instead of posting numbers and then saying essentially 'Nintendo haz a sad. How we make Nintendo no haz a sad?' Because that's kind of lame. Or you know what? Just post the numbers without editorializing.

So, yeah. Not a fanboy, because truth. Nice try though.

@MikeLove Sigh... apparently it's time to put out my 'Please don't feed the trolls' sign. Have a lovely... whatever it is that trolls do.

You can't beat Monster Hunter, not even if you're Pokemon or Smash.
...Well, maybe Pokemon, I dunno. lol

We go through this every so often when a console is hurting and due to them not having all there most popular AAA titles out to boot within the year active. Kart came out its doing great (dlc coming) , smash bros came out on the 3ds and its doing great, Hyrule Warriors idk if thats doing well ? Now we have Bayonetta 2 and Smash U coming around the holidays! I think its a safe bet that tunes are about to change here shortly.

Its Monster Hunter G
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is going to be realised in the west early next year. Just thought id let you know

Capcom is fortunate to have Monster hunter as a huge success in Japan. Japan loves their handheld gaming that's for sure!

@Hero-of-WiiU - Thanks.

MH4U could sell 2 million copies by November.
SSB might not sellf 2 million copies this year.
Sure there's holiday spikes, but is it going to stay consistent until then or drop off?
From what I've seen with the 3DS version, the Wii U edition of SSB will not sell a million copies before the end of the calendar year.
In this one instance, I don't mean Japan.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U will NOT sell one million copies this year.

Combined, Hyrule Warriors, MK8 and Smash MIGHT sell 3 million Wii U games. But I think that's pushing it.

If I were Nintendo, I'd KILL myself to make the Wii U work for the next six months to a year. If it's still scraping the barrel, drop it.
It's not worth bleeding themselves into bankruptcy.
This is their latest Virtual Boy.
The gimmick sounded fun, but the only joke now is this system's chances.

Though, for reference sake, the Wii U numbers dropped by a sixth (16.5%).
The PS4 numbers dropped by closer to 28%.
Because they started higher last week, the PS4 (with Driveclube, Destiny and FIFA 15) sold less than twice what the Wii U sold last week, a system that has been available for over a year longer and debuted no new games.
This week, they evened off a bit.
Competing with the Vita or 3DS in Japan is rather foolhardy.
The Wii U dropped, but their competition didn't fare any better.

Nintendo actually made a smart decision to delay SSB for Wii U just a bit this year in Japan.

Pokemon OR/AS risks killing SSB U sales.

Still hoping for the Wii U to hang on, though.

Think of it this way, Japanese gamers are spending their money on the new shiny 3DS models.. I mean, those numbers for Wii U sales aren't necessarily BAD since Nintendo is making so much money on the 3DS systems.

@TheWPCTraveler Persona Q is the only thing preventing me from jumping right on Pokemon... Gonna get Pokemon for Christmas.