April isn't often the most thrilling of months in the world of video game retail, and so it has proven in the most recent NPD results from the US. Covering physical retail sales the results bring few thrills, but Nintendo has nevertheless reported solid sales momentum in comparison to 2014.
To start off with software, only one entry in the top 10 is available on Nintendo hardware, with Super Smash Bros. securing 9th place, selling better on the 3DS.
- Mortal Kombat X (PS4, Xbox One)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, PC, 360, PS3)
- Battlefield: Hardline (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- MLB 15: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- Minecraft (360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4)
- NBA 2K15 (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- Super Smash Bros. (3DS, Wii U)
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4, Xbox One)
Though the software charts were light on new releases, Nintendo did release Xenoblade Chronicles 3D on the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It missed the all-format top 10 above, but in a chart that only accounts for single platform sales it secures fifth place, which is a respectable showing considering its exclusivity on the young portable. Mario Party 10 also features in a single SKU top 10.
In terms of hardware sales for the US, Wii U is described as one of three platforms with "solid" sales, likewise with PS4 and Xbox One. It was a good month for portable sales, with a 36% overall rise.
For its part Nintendo has highlighted that sales for January to the end of April are up on the equivalent 2014 figures. Wii U system sales are up 15%, while the 3DS family (no doubt helped a great deal by New Nintendo 3DS XL) is up 65%.
A fairly uneventful month all told, with some positive momentum for Nintendo. May's results will bring launch weekend sales for Splatoon, of course, which will be interesting to see.
[source venturebeat.com]
Comments 37
Securing fifth place in the single platform chart is indeed pretty good for Xenoblade with the still small userbase of early adaptors for the New 3DS.
Glad to see Wii U sales doing better. I'm not a Xenoblade fan but it's not good when a Nintendo title misses the mark... At least it secured fifth place in another chart.
Where's the single platform list? I don't care for the same multi-platform games month after month.
Who described the Wii U sales as solid? It sold less this April (43,000) than last April (47,000).
43,000 units sold compared to 174,000 PS4s and 187,000 Xbones. It's about as far away from solid as you can get. Sorry for repeating this so much, but 43,000 is an awful, awful number. The Gamecube didn't sell that badly until it was replaced. The Dreamcast never had a month that bad until it was discontinued.
@Peach64 Maybe you should ask yourself why you need to focus on the negativity so much? We all know that the Wii U sales are very disappointing and most likely won't turn around, but I guess unlike you I was able to move on from it, rather than correct any report or post that has a hint of optimism.
Yeah, it's pretty bad. 43k is nothing to feel good about for anybody working for Nintendo right now. Even 3DS numbers are bad.
Software is up though, on the bright side.
@NoEasyBuckets Because I'm fed up of hearing people post about conspiracies and campaigns against Nintendo when 3rd party games skip it. Just look at the Igavania kickstarter this week. 43k sold tells you exactly why they're not bothering. People ignore just how bad the sales are, comfort themselves with the knowledge it's just a slight disappointment and then can't understand the lack of support and make stupid comments like how Sony must have paid someone off to drop Wii U support.
@Peach64 I've personally never once heard those particular claims, either here or anywhere else, but your negativity is pretty relentless... just saying
I hope the positive single platform numbers for Xenoblade encourage more good support for the New 3ds. I'm excited for what's to come from Nintendo.
@MJKOP I've seen a few people make claims like that, although it is hard to tell if sarcasm was involved. But it is a minor number. I think most people who post here regularly know of the Wii U's sales struggles and most just try to look for the positive in them. Unfortunately, it comes off as being blind to reality to some people because everyone isn't all gloom and doom all the time.
Realistically, the Wii U numbers are extremely discouraging, but that is to be expected with a major drought of console selling games. Kirby and Mario Party 10 are not system sellers like the runup to Mario Kart 8 was last year at this time. On some level, moving a paltry 43,000 in a month is pretty good without huge titles to move systems. Splatoon will be popular among Nintendo fans, but I also doubt it will move the needle much - and certainly not on the level that MK8 did, so we'll be seeing numbers that are lower year-to-year for awhile.
I think Splatoon will be great, but its the only big game we have coming really for most of the summer, and its only big because its the only thing to talk about.
@Peach64 I for one appreciate your levelheadedness. Wish Nintendo could find a way out of this 3rd-party feedback loop, though.
@Peach64 igavania could still be profitable on wii u though shovel knight seems to have done pretty well on the eshop.affordable space adventures which costs more has been in the eu eshop chart top 20 since it was released I'm sure a game from the maker of a franchise that most fans (on this site at least) enjoy could surpass those games.hardware numbers aren't great but there's certainly enough of an install base for a 3rd party developer to be profitable
@DarthNocturnal - I'm 45 hours into XC on my Wii (U) and I'd say 20 of that is main story and 25 is sidequests. There is SO MUCH TO DO! That game is just made so great is makes it so easy to do everything and almost everything is rewarding. You are going to be hooked and playing for a long time.
@Peach64 I don't think that's why its skipping. This is a big budget indie not a 40 million dollars aaa title. It's skipping becuse it won't be done till late 2017 and the wiiu will be replaced or close to it by then. We may see an nx port depending on what the nx is tho
@Peach64 43k doesn't tell us why the Wii U isn't getting Bloodstained. It's an indie game, which a) don't sell systems and therefore rely on installed base and b) eShop users have been decently receptive to. There's 10 million Wii U owners, many of which would gladly support the game if they could. I'll even go as far as to say that it would sell better on Wii U than it will on Xbox One.
It's all an issue with the engine used to develop the game. If UE4 supported Wii U, then of course Wii U would be getting the game too. And at the rate that Bloodstained is smashing through stretch goals, it's only a matter of time before a port is in the works anyway.
Don't let your uncontainable excitement for taking a dump all over Nintendo's financial straits cloud your judgement.
@Peach64 - "Who described the Wii U sales as solid?"
Not sure where you got the word "solid" from, but the linked to article does report Wii U sales for the first 4 months of the year - you only looked at April - being up from last year:
"For the Wii U, it is up 15 percent in the first four months of 2015 compared to that period in 2014."
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/14/april-2015-npd/
Maybe that's where the "solid" came from, 4 months, not 1?
For the record I usually agree w/ everything you say, and find your tone more matter of fact than negative, I'm just answering your question. Whether you agree w/ the use of the word "solid" for 15% growth is up to you.
@DarthNocturnal I usually hold-off on the quests not related to the story, until I get stuck somewhere on the story.
Why do so many of us debate WiiU sales figures? I understand that a greater user base would mean more support on the software side of things. However, whether the system sells 40k or 400k in a month does not sway my opinion on the system in the slightest. I love the WiiU and Nintendo seems committed to supporting the console with more great games. So, in the infamous words of Aaron Rodgers, "relax".
Any improvement is healthy, all of the negativity negatively affects sales too
Good to see that Wii U sales are picking up finally. I guess some of those, "i'll buy a Wii U when X happens" people have finally gotten their arbitrary X resolved.
Personally, I think the stats get skewed by not breaking it apart by console. It is extremely difficult for a title released on a single platform to compete with one released on 4-7 platforms. I would instead be interested to see what the top 5 per platform are. That would at least give a better picture for what each console audience is preferring (jRPGs vs FPS vs Sports).
@rjejr It's the first line about hardware in the article (the NLife one, not linked stories)
"In terms of hardware sales for the US, Wii U is described as one of three platforms with "solid" sales, likewise with PS4 and Xbox One".
There's been no leaks of 3DS figures, but I'd be utterly stunned if they weren't ahead of the Wii U figures.
Not just being negative for the sake of it. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D doing 75k as a 3DS exclusive is surely far better than Nintendo would have hoped and bodes well for the upcoming Wii U release. I'd also love nothing more than if Splatoon is up there among Project Cars and Witcher 3 as top sellers for May.
@Peach64 it will be. Surprisingly japan is taking n Intrest in it
@Peach64 - "Splatoon is up there among Project Cars and Witcher 3 as top sellers for May."
Witcher 3 is on PS4 (20m) Xbox (10mil) and PC(no idea). Spaltoon is on Wii U (9.4mil). Witcher 3 also has 3 weeks to Spaltoon's 3 days.
I agree w/ you that being 3rd would be nice, it's just funny seeing Witcher 3 and Splatoon in the same sentence.
@Peach64 - let's take a look at some of these things being said in perspective:
1) You throw your weekly fit over people not being doom and gloom over the numbers. You say 43 thousand in April is "terrible"...
We're talking about a console that many people wrote off, and the gaming media and have been actively betting on it's downfall since shortly after it's launch.
If we're being honest, we should be saying...under the circumstances, and at this point in it's life with everything going against it, that it's endured...43,000 is....Okay. Just Okay.
2) I have heard a lot of conspiracies about third parties, but none of the ones you describe
@Action51 And you're illustrating my point perfectly. Too many people are convincing themselves the sales are not great but not bad either. It's the Wii U's 3rd April. In the Xbox 360s 3rd April it sold 188,000. In the PS3s 3rd April it sold 188,000. In general, unless a consoles successor has been released they never sell under 100k in any month. Selling worse than the Dreamcast surely counts as being terrible, no? I don't enjoy pointing out the doom and gloom, but come on, people are calling these figures solid or not bad and that's just wrong.
As for the profit point, I'm not even sure they are. All that money they made off 3DS, off amiibo and free to play games, the huge sales of Smash Bros and Pokemon, and they scrape through with a tiny operating profit? Something is losing them money.
@Peach64 are you really that thick???? The wii u sells 43,000 plus worldwide every WEEK and regularly sells 200,000 units and more every month!
@NoEasyBuckets @Peach64 are you really that thick???? The wii u sells 43,000 plus worldwide every WEEK and regularly sells 200,000 units and more every month! The guys a jerk
Because he's a jerk! The wii u sells over 200,000 a month world wide, not 43, 000 per month !! Two weeks ago the wii u sold 23,000 units in Japan alone so before they post articles like this bullcrap I suggest they get their facts right!
Play nice.
-TW
I have to side with @Peach64 here. These Wii U sales numbers are dreadful.
@DarthNocturnal Most NPCs have schedules; they're only out at certain times. After talking to a named NPC, you can check the affinity chart to see what time they're out. You can aso change the time at any time. You might know this stuff, but whatever... Anything you need help with?
@TreesenHauser @Peach64
I agree with both of you. Good to see that not everybody here is living in a bubble.
Someone please break Peach64's computer!
Nintendo should sell Wii U with a Wii Remote Plus and nunchuck in addition to the game pad, while retaining the same price of $299. Stock bundles of 3 games, Mario world+Nintendo land and Wii sports club, or Zelda wind waker hd+ Nintendo land and Wii sports club, whether splatoon or Mario kart bundle the console with Nintendo land + Wii sports club. This strategy will make Wii u a compelling buy. Plus since Wii u will sell with Wii remote plus and nunchuck as well in addition to game pad will inspire 3rd parties to target these controllers rather than the game pad. Optionally bundle the console with donkey kong and hyrule warriors or bayonetta 2 this will strike the cord with teens. Bring back metroid and Wii sports resort, persuade EA for a fresh grand slam, badminton, squash and table tennis racquet games. For mature audience bundle zombie U, bayonetta 2 this will destroy the PS4, Xbox sales bubble. Splatoon console bundles sell with their amibiios. If Call Of Duty III is out tie up with activision sell a console bundle with COD and Tengami and Wii remote plus and nunchuck should be default free controllers with game pad. Once the sales picks up 3rd parties will consider Wii U space. Tie up with MS or Google get us GTalk or Skype Please! Need Hulu and Amazon apps to make it compelling online gadget. Get sonic games as bundles they can also sell well in bundles. Stop your NX next gen discussions for next 2 years. And when you really do a NX make it 4K 2hdmi in 1out media centre. Have Dolby DTS on 7.1 channel compliant media box. Make wifi 802AC compliant, put the ac adapter a little bit smaller. We also want hard disk that's 2TB. Disc either remove it or have blue ray and DVD 3d playable and region unlocked. But it should support existing game discs of Wii and Wii u. Nintendo remain true to your original entertainment system concept, put the camera on your sensors as additional sensors. The camera put it to use on the game pad and sensor bar as a video chat accessory, and give GTalk, y messenger, Skype than your own chat alone! Continue the backward compatibility legacy which we love! Add mobile or computer stream to console options. You can get tied up with plex, roku or Amazon, Google to get hold of the media center territory. NX for a target price of $400 with media center daisy chain option will kill competition easily! Onkyo or JVC can help the media center collaboration. Side with Disney or Marvel make more games outside of Mario and Zelda legacy. We love the Mario and Zelda games but push for more. Mario kart can have race through space ships, submarine challenges, dark mode tunnel rides in car. Can get infinity and skylander franchises to use amibiio platform. Just give it a try!!!
I love our Wii U I think it's a very very underrated console and if it had Sony instead of Nintendo on it , it would have been a much much bigger success story it's a sad thing how trends are people are missing out on a great console and some spectacular games with that said Nintendo really and I mean REALLY NEEDS to give the Wii U a price reduction at this point it's like they want it to have weak sales at this point I mean look at the turn around for the 3DS jusy saying .
Some of you definitely live in cloud cuckoo land.
The only positive I find pleasing about the Wii U sales is that there were many "intelligent" analyst who predicted that the Wii U would have been pulled from the market last year.
As for those that gloat about Nintendo making a profit, haha. These profits are peanuts and lucky because of the yen. If you are someone that gains financially from Nintendos success (shareholder) you wouldn't be happy.
Tap here to load 37 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...