Ouch: Wii outsells Wii U since its launch

Nintendo revealed its quarterly earnings this week, and it is becoming clear that the Wii U is a disaster for the company.

For the fiscal year ended March 31st, the company's revenue was just �635.422 (�4.2bn), 5 percent below their own forecast. Net income collapsed to �7,099m (�420.8m) for the most recent quarter, leading to a yearly loss of �60,863m (�403m), the company's second loss in as many years following a decade of strong profitability.

Nintendo specifically cited the yen and weaker than expected sales of the Wii U for their results.

The Wii U has only sold 3.45 million units since launch in November. The old and market saturated Wii sold 3.98 million units in the same time period. For the last quarter, only 300,000 Wii U were sold, a devastatingly low number.

Nintendo expects sales to pickup as a bevy of new games are set for release soon.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 25 Apr 2013 0:08

bobiroc

Disaster?? Really

Why do bloggers today all write in "The Sky is Falling" attitude. 6 months in and the console is dead?? Will you write the same if the PS4 and NextBox have a weak start seeing as they are alienating their customers who now have to maintain two systems if they want to play current system content when the new one comes out.

Nintendo has it's work cut out for them and maybe the Wii U will not be the shining success of the Wii but I think in the end it will be a successful console.

We will revisit this in the fall once some of the 1st party and announced 3rd party titles come out in the coming months. Maybe then you will see that disaster was the wrong word to use.

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25.4.2013 00:17 #1

Menion

I agree, this system is far from "Disaster" & very few people have spoken badly about the console aside from fan boys. I believe the problem was the release date was just way to early on N's part, same thing that happened with the 3DS when they all said it was a "Disaster" yet look at sales now!

Nintendo really relies on it's first party titles and being there is a very weak lineup on the console as of now the sales are low, same with 3DS; nintendo then spent their time kicking out awesome titles and sales went up with it. When they begin to get their gems out for the wii-u and a possible price drop its sales will soar just like the 3DS did, Developers are in line with the potential of the console as well so Im sure in the next 2 years the Wii-U will have an excellent line up but as of now I have yet to purchase because I don't see a game I want but I know Zelda, MArio ect titles are on their way and I will purchase when they are released!

25.4.2013 02:36 #2

Dragon3000

To me there are just two factors that make this a less successful console. 1. The price point, The original Wii was marked up a very affordable cost, whereas the Wii U is not. 2. The ridiculously large tablet style control. I saw it in a Game store near me and i just couldn't believe the size of it! They simply should have simply connected the 3DS to the new Wii to use that new style of gaming, or bring out a new 3DS HD etc..

I only own a Wii and I still think it's such a brilliant console. I don't have any reason to upgrade.

25.4.2013 03:04 #3

bobiroc

Originally posted by Dragon3000: To me there are just two factors that make this a less successful console. 1. The price point, The original Wii was marked up a very affordable cost, whereas the Wii U is not. 2. The ridiculously large tablet style control. I saw it in a Game store near me and i just couldn't believe the size of it! They simply should have simply connected the 3DS to the new Wii to use that new style of gaming, or bring out a new 3DS HD etc..

I only own a Wii and I still think it's such a brilliant console. I don't have any reason to upgrade. While the Wii U came in at a higher price point than the Wii it wasn't considerably higher and still a decent value for what you got. Maybe the basic set should have come in at $250 and the deluxe at $300 which would be the same starting point as the Wii.

Secondly while the tablet controller is large compared to other hand held controllers it is very light and comfortable and hardly ridiculous. The tablet offers a level of interactive gameplay unachievable on other consoles and you can even prop it up on a stand and use the pro controller for many games using the tablet as a secondary touch screen for other game features.

The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks

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25.4.2013 08:17 #4

megadunderhead

Actually you have a reason to upgrade.

If you play online starting in june the wii channels start going offline forever the only channel that will remain is the shop channel then nintendo is planing on moving several wii game servers to the new nintendo network for the wii u so pretty soon games like mario kart will only be online if you have a wii u.

And i do have to agree with all of your statements

1. dont go judging a console when there still releasing games for it

2. remember the ps3 and 360 had issues at launch

1. people where getting shot for the consoles

2. people where getting mugged for the console

3. in stores people where getting punched out for the console

3. the price point totally unexceptable it needs to be 200.00 or less nintendo is not microsoft or sony

25.4.2013 08:23 #5

Mysttic

Even Wii had issues selling its first year: when you don't have titles for it, people won't buy it. Nintendo HAS to get on the ball and start making first party titles for Wii-U to make consumers WANT to buy it, thus making the chain grow as 3rd party sees units rise in sales will then go back to supporting it. Until Nintendo makes clear they want to support Wii-U, they will not get the development support from 3rd party as they should, hence will not get the consumers interested either.

By the looks of it too, Nintendo is focusing primarily on 3DS this year, which is great, it sells like mad: I own it and look forward to more titles for it. But I will not buy a Wii-U until I see titles worthy of owning, and hopefully not just old titles on PS3/360 remade for Wii-U tablet controller: I want new titles, never before seen, that are fun and exciting. So far the exclusive titles for Wii-U have been meh at best.

As for price point changes: it doesn't need to lower so much as Nintendo needs to show value in the Wii-U. The Wii was ridiculously priced high at launch and failed until they started getting titles out and showed off the value in it. *Wii-fit anyone?* although lame, people saw value in it.

25.4.2013 10:39 #6

Hrdrk20

Whenever I see it I say out loud "WeeU PeeU" :) lol

25.4.2013 11:46 #7

Dragon3000

Originally posted by bobiroc: Originally posted by Dragon3000: To me there are just two factors that make this a less successful console. 1. The price point, The original Wii was marked up a very affordable cost, whereas the Wii U is not. 2. The ridiculously large tablet style control. I saw it in a Game store near me and i just couldn't believe the size of it! They simply should have simply connected the 3DS to the new Wii to use that new style of gaming, or bring out a new 3DS HD etc..

I only own a Wii and I still think it's such a brilliant console. I don't have any reason to upgrade. While the Wii U came in at a higher price point than the Wii it wasn't considerably higher and still a decent value for what you got. Maybe the basic set should have come in at $250 and the deluxe at $300 which would be the same starting point as the Wii.

Secondly while the tablet controller is large compared to other hand held controllers it is very light and comfortable and hardly ridiculous. The tablet offers a level of interactive gameplay unachievable on other consoles and you can even prop it up on a stand and use the pro controller for many games using the tablet as a secondary touch screen for other game features.

The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks I take your points on, points I assume which are based on the fact that you own a Wii U? I appreciate how inovative you see the tablet controller, but when I saw it, it just looked outdated, 80's dare I say, and an unnecessary addition to a console that would have been better if it just said that it was going to release a HD version of the Wii. I can't bring myself to buy one of these yet unless Nintendo can spend a little more money on advertising how affective this new controller is, then maybe I will consider upgrading from my original Wii.

25.4.2013 12:08 #8

bobiroc

Originally posted by Dragon3000: Originally posted by bobiroc: Originally posted by Dragon3000: To me there are just two factors that make this a less successful console. 1. The price point, The original Wii was marked up a very affordable cost, whereas the Wii U is not. 2. The ridiculously large tablet style control. I saw it in a Game store near me and i just couldn't believe the size of it! They simply should have simply connected the 3DS to the new Wii to use that new style of gaming, or bring out a new 3DS HD etc..

I only own a Wii and I still think it's such a brilliant console. I don't have any reason to upgrade. While the Wii U came in at a higher price point than the Wii it wasn't considerably higher and still a decent value for what you got. Maybe the basic set should have come in at $250 and the deluxe at $300 which would be the same starting point as the Wii.

Secondly while the tablet controller is large compared to other hand held controllers it is very light and comfortable and hardly ridiculous. The tablet offers a level of interactive gameplay unachievable on other consoles and you can even prop it up on a stand and use the pro controller for many games using the tablet as a secondary touch screen for other game features.

The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks I take your points on, points I assume which are based on the fact that you own a Wii U? I appreciate how inovative you see the tablet controller, but when I saw it, it just looked outdated, 80's dare I say, and an unnecessary addition to a console that would have been better if it just said that it was going to release a HD version of the Wii. I can't bring myself to buy one of these yet unless Nintendo can spend a little more money on advertising how affective this new controller is, then maybe I will consider upgrading from my original Wii. Yes I do own one and unfortunately to see how effective the tablet controller is I think you need to play it. There are games and companies that will gimmick the controller and utilize it poorly just as they do with the WiiMote motion controls and Kinect but overall it is a nice addition into the gaming experience.

But I have learned that in the realm of gaming there are different tastes and some gamers will only game on a PC using nothing but a keyboard and a mouse because a controller is blasphemy in their eyes. Then there are some that will only play with the classic hand held controller and refuse to hear anything else about gaming. I am not saying you fall into these categories just trying to illustrate how gaming tastes and viewpoints differ.

What grinds my gears though is that I hear some bloggers and fans claiming to be a hardcore gamer and say they will only play games of the COD or GTA variety. I like to think that if you want to be a "hardcore" gamer you are open to all types of gaming on all types of platforms and play styles.

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25.4.2013 12:25 #9

Jemborg

Originally posted by bobiroc: The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks It's called "click-baiting" I believe.

Virtually all the consoles have underwhelmed when first released. And I think apart from short-memories people's expectations seem to have exploded. Still, the Ninty Gamecube was better than the PS2 but never did that well in comparison. And I think the Sega Saturn went under.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

25.4.2013 12:29 #10

bobiroc

Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by bobiroc: The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks It's called "click-baiting" I believe.

Virtually all the consoles have underwhelmed when first released. And I think apart from short-memories people's expectations seem to have exploded. Still, the Ninty Gamecube was better than the PS2 but never did that well in comparison. And I think the Sega Saturn went under. And I think the XBOX360 and PS3 will outsell their successors for quite a while aside from maybe the initial launch holiday season.

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25.4.2013 14:47 #11

xtago

Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by bobiroc: The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks It's called "click-baiting" I believe.

Virtually all the consoles have underwhelmed when first released. And I think apart from short-memories people's expectations seem to have exploded. Still, the Ninty Gamecube was better than the PS2 but never did that well in comparison. And I think the Sega Saturn went under. Some people still think it's 2004 when people had lots of spare cash and could go around shelling out heaps of money on crap they don't really need, so they keep thinking consoles or anything will just sell tons more than anything before it.

Those days are long gone it'll come back at some point but not for 5, 10 or 15 years yet, when the next big thing comes along that makes tons of cash.

25.4.2013 19:35 #12

DarkJello

PS2 outsold PS3 for at least the first 3 years after relase

25.4.2013 20:28 #13

DVDBack23

Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by bobiroc: The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks It's called "click-baiting" I believe.

Virtually all the consoles have underwhelmed when first released. And I think apart from short-memories people's expectations seem to have exploded. Still, the Ninty Gamecube was better than the PS2 but never did that well in comparison. And I think the Sega Saturn went under. The PS3 did not miss every internal expectation, and the PS2 is the best selling console of all-time. Hardly click-baiting. Nintendo has reduced their expectations for the Wii U TWICE (large forecast drops) in its first 6 months of launch and specifically cited the console when asked about why they had their second annual loss in two decades.

Yes, a disaster.

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26.4.2013 00:18 #14

Jemborg

Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by bobiroc: The only thing I would like to add to the author of this blog/article is did he call the PS3 a disaster when it was outsold by the PS2 many times even years after the PS3 was out? I would guess no because like most bloggers of today they forget history and like to put "The world is ending" type headlines to get page clicks It's called "click-baiting" I believe.

Virtually all the consoles have underwhelmed when first released. And I think apart from short-memories people's expectations seem to have exploded. Still, the Ninty Gamecube was better than the PS2 but never did that well in comparison. And I think the Sega Saturn went under. The PS3 did not miss every internal expectation, and the PS2 is the best selling console of all-time. Hardly click-baiting. Nintendo has reduced their expectations for the Wii U TWICE (large forecast drops) in its first 6 months of launch and specifically cited the console when asked about why they had their second annual loss in two decades.

Yes, a disaster. It all come down to the games. If not for the brilliant SSX the PS2 would have sucked initially even after it's delayed release in Oz and the unique high it came in on... Ridge Racer was meh. It still took awhile for the programming to get more sophisticated and the library to expand for it's "best seller" potential to be realised. The PS3 was even worse, it did not even have HD games on release! Sony had to hang in there and deal with big losses initially too.

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26.4.2013 01:12 #15

ZeusAV

This thing is in severe need of a price drop or else it's fodder once the new Sony and MS systems release. Looks like Nintendo will have to survive off its handhelds this gen.

26.4.2013 08:25 #16

bobiroc

Originally posted by ZeusAV: This thing is in severe need of a price drop or else it's fodder once the new Sony and MS systems release. Looks like Nintendo will have to survive off its handhelds this gen. Seeing as the new XBOX is going to be $500 and the PS4 most likely too then it is already coming in at 40% less.

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26.4.2013 08:29 #17

ivymike

Sounds like Nintendo should call themselves "Ninten D'oh!"

26.4.2013 21:55 #18

kutulu1

I was at BestBuy last week trying to decide what to buy with a gift card. I spent 2 hours there and I noticed no one touched the Wii U demo station. Lets face it, Nintendo has not grown with the hardcore gamers. All of the people who grew up with Mario now want to play games like Skyrim, Witcher2, COD, Halo, Mass Effect...list goes on. When the little ones watch you play Mass Effect, they want to play mass effect...lol.

28.4.2013 17:15 #19

Jemborg

Originally posted by kutulu1: I was at BestBuy last week trying to decide what to buy with a gift card. I spent 2 hours there... What do you do for two hours in BestBuy?

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

29.4.2013 03:59 #20

kutulu1

Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by kutulu1: I was at BestBuy last week trying to decide what to buy with a gift card. I spent 2 hours there... What do you do for two hours in BestBuy?

Play :)

30.4.2013 23:08 #21

Jemborg

Originally posted by kutulu1: Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by kutulu1: I was at BestBuy last week trying to decide what to buy with a gift card. I spent 2 hours there... What do you do for two hours in BestBuy?

Play :)

I had to ask heh.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

30.4.2013 23:20 #22

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