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Wii U January US sales hit 57,000 - Report

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

[UPDATE] Estimates place system sales for the month down 38 percent from original Wii during same point.

[UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, GameSpot sister site CNET heard from a source with knowledge of NPD data that the Wii U sold 57,000 units in the United States during January.

The original story follows below

A person with access to NPD data has told Gamasutra that Wii U sales for January 2013 in the United States were "well under" 100,000 units. And according to the site's own estimates, sales for the month were between 45,000 and 59,000 units.

The NPD Group does not provide specific sales figures for hardware, but a representative from the research group told the site that Wii U sales for its first three months are down 38 percent from the original Wii during the same point in time.

By comparison, the seven-year-old Xbox 360 sold 281,000 units during January in the US.

The research group also does not share exact software sales data. However, the NPD's top 10 software chart (below) shows that in the case where a title was released for Wii and Wii U (Just Dance 4, NBA 2K13, Madden NFL 13, Skylanders Giants, and FIFA Soccer 13) the Wii version sold better in every instance.

January 2013 Top 10 US Titles

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (X360, PS3, Wii U, PC) - Activision Blizzard
2. Far Cry 3 (X360, PS3, PC) - Ubisoft
3. Just Dance 4 (Wii, X360, PS3, Wii U) - Ubisoft
4. NBA 2K13 (X360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP, PC) - Take-Two Interactive
5. Madden NFL 13 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS Vita, Wii U) - Electronic Arts
6. DmC: Devil May Cry (PS3, X360) - Capcom
7. Halo 4 (X360) - Microsoft
8. Assassin's Creed III (X360, PS3, Wii U, PC) - Ubisoft
9. Skylanders Giants (Wii, X360, PS3, 3DS, Wii U) - Activision Blizzard
10. FIFA Soccer 13 (PS3, X360, PS Vita, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, PSP) - Electronic Arts

The Wii U has officially sold 3 million hardware units and 11 million pieces of software across the world since launch. Nintendo has cut its sales expectation for the system by 27 percent from 5.5 million to 4 million for its current financial year.

Activision CEO Robert Kotick said during an investor call last week that he was "somewhat disappointed" with the system's launch. Separately, GameStop Chief Financial Officer Rob Lloyd said this week that the Wii U has not lived up to expectation due to a lack of blockbuster first-party titles.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

673 comments
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rarson
rarson

I played the Rayman Legends demo on a kiosk. It was pretty awesome, in my opinion. I'd probably buy the console just on the strength of that game, but it's not out yet. I'm sure the other versions of the game will be good, but the Wii U version has some unique gameplay that I really like.

I'll probably buy one as soon as some more games come out for it. The graphics are fine, the only thing that really bugs me about the hardware is the paltry storage space. So far it seems that each next-gen console will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and I think the Wii U will have its place in my collection.

Metronoid
Metronoid

Pikimin and Lego City Undercover delayed, Nintendo is really caring about games or if the console will sell.

nuno999
nuno999

The console is kinda neat, but seriously, Most of the good games they offer already exist on xbox360 and PS3 and, with no graphic enhancement at all, why would some1 want to buy a WiiU now?? the other games , well....They just suk.  Ill probably just buy one for playing Zelda...

yienwae
yienwae

ZombiU alone makes it worth it.  Throw in what they will be releasing in the future and things will look up.  Zelda Windwaker HD along with Lego City Undercover and specially since Ubisoft is releasing Watchdogs on the Wii U.  Also, if Aliens: CM turns out to be the 'high powered' version that people viewed at E3 and not the 'thrown together' versions released for the PC, 360 and PS 3, that will only strengthen the Wii U's marketability.  Of course, I care not about sales right now.  4 months into it's release and it's sold roughly 3-4 million units world wide.  That's not bad.  Many US residents are poor from the Holidays and have yet to file their Income Tax returns.  I would think sales would pick up closer to E3 and if there is a price drop, I am fine with it even though I already got a Wii U.  This console doing well only makes the market of 'choices' better for everyone. 

Metronoid
Metronoid

@nuno999 NSMB U is great and has a replay value, Zombi U is what the recent Resident should have been.

yearssomuch
yearssomuch

Maybe come summertime we'll see some bigger sales numbers, but I mean.. why would you go buy a console that is, performance-wise, not much better than 4 year old hardware, with next-gen consoles releasing later in the year? Any interest I had in the Wii U was completely gone when it became official that next-gen consoles will be in 2013, to be honest.

alrepairs
alrepairs like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Those who are saying Nintendo will die....shame on U.

Metronoid
Metronoid

@alrepairs People that compare the fate of Dreamcast from Sega and Nintendo is way retarded. Sega died not for the games , lacking or whatelse, its died from a defective hardware, same way Xbox did, but dint broke because MS has all the money in the world.

ico92
ico92

@Metronoid @alrepairs You're both wrong.

 The Dreamcast died because of several reason, easy piracy, released too early, lack of funding, huge gaming budgets that didn't ammount to anything(shenmue), eventually lack of dev interest because of the piracy, people were still left with a bad taste in their mouth because of the Saturn, lack of DVD, Sega Net launched to late to be effective and wasn't alive for very long, huge debt's, future Sony and Nintendo console hype, you can even attribute it's problems to the CD/32X Geneseis add on's

The Dreamcast was set to fail before it was even released, people make it sound like it was the Titanic sinking, a great Console undermined by one flaw. 

No it's simply not true, people always look at what the Dreamcast did right, but the reality is it had allot more going against it than it did going for it, really when you look at everything that went right for the Console compared to everything that went wrong the Dreamcast was a fluke.

So it blows my mind when people compare Nintendo to Sega, they clearly don't know anything about gaming history, Nintendo isn't in the same boat as Sega.

rarson
rarson like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Metronoid

No it didn't, Dreamcast hardware was fine (my launch DC still works great). Dreamcast died because Sega decided to kill it off and exit the hardware business. It was selling pretty well and had sold over 10 million when they killed it.

silvergol
silvergol


Wii U it´s new Final Fantasy 13.

DeViLzzz
DeViLzzz

I want to see what sales are like in the summer holidays when the kiddies get out.  Let me see those numbers and I will judge how well the console did.  I think parents will want to hand their kids something new to do to leave them alone at times and a price reduced Wii U will be the answer for some.

 Oh and for people thinking the PS4 and Xbox 720 are guaranteed hits in this economy dream on and when Sony is already shooting themselves in the foot with talk about streaming PS3 games LOLOLOLOL
 By the time these consoles are close to being out parents will want to run away from these consoles too.  No used games to play on them ?!?!?!  WTH ?

larkin-54
larkin-54

@DeViLzzz typically the summer months are by far the slowest in the industry sales figures prove you wrong. Also many of us arnt 14 and buy our own games and equipment in fact I doubt the majority of consoles are sold to those under 18 anymore gaming is growing up.

meagsoundwave
meagsoundwave

@larkin-54 Yea. It's growing up o'right. Consoles are getting old, as in out of style. People under the age 18  or even under the age 22 are rapidly abandoning consoles in favor of tablets/smart phones. Some are trading in video games all together in favor of social networking all day. Since Nintendo appeals to the youngest demographic, it's only right that they be the first ones to take the big hit.

Trickymaster
Trickymaster

I'm afraid Nintendo will make a Sega after this.maybe for the better? Focus on making good software. Zelda on Xbox AND PS4? Would sell like butter.

Strider8009
Strider8009

Does anybody remember the early days of the PS3? Of course you don't, we need to  NEGLECT certain facts that work in favor of the Wii U in order for Nintendo to fail.

Mr_Bodywave
Mr_Bodywave

I think it is time that Nintendo sees the writing on the wall and drops hardware and goes software only, like Sega.  Make their games for the xbox360, PS3, xbox720, and PS4 and make a ton of money and leave the hardware to the people who know how to do hardware.

wcwj26
wcwj26 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @Mr_Bodywave Yeah, cos Nintendo don't know how to make hardware right?

You want innovation and the great history of consoles and handhelds then go Nintendo, you want a powerful gaming machine then go PC. It would be better if Sony & M$ gave up the hardware and made games for PC and Nintendo instead.

Monopoman
Monopoman

@wcwj26  

 If Nintendo was the only company left making consoles it would suck bad dude.

 They would become the most tyrannical game company ever. We have seen how Nintendo last handled being wayy better then any competition with the NES and SNES days. They were one of the worst companies to develop games for if you were a 3rd party.

ico92
ico92 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

@wcwj26 wow, just wow to the both of you, how about no companies drop out ? it's a perfect equilibrium as it is.

 one less console, means one less competitor, meaning less of an effort for a company to improve, evolve, meaning uninspired, undetermined games and services, meaning less of an enjoyment for you the gamers, It's quite simple really.

wcwj26
wcwj26

 @ico92 @wcwj26 This is just a hypothetical argument. I agree with you whole heartedly that competition and diversity is what this industry needs to thrive and drive itself forward.

Alot of young people don't have the smarts to understand that!

mirage_so3
mirage_so3 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

You know, if you want to sell the console: MAKE SOME GOD DAMNED GAMES FOR IT.

RandyAU93
RandyAU93 like.author.displayName 1 Like

This whole story is a lot of talking but not much really being said. Looking at the overall sales pictures from NPD, everything tanked; console sales dropped 17% and software dropped 19%. Such a decline would be most felt by the Wii U since it has no earlier sales criteria upon which to be based, so all they're doing is basing it on a console that went on sale 6 years ago during different economic times and at a lower price.

The real bottom line ... people are scared about the economy again. Gas prices are going up and their take-home pay is going down. Something's gotta give, and it's gonna be discretionary income, which is what one uses to buy a gaming console.

ekalbtwin
ekalbtwin

@RandyAU93   Glade I am not the only one who hasn't forgot that the entire video game sector is in the tubes.  I do find 50k of sales to be a bit low, but the console is still brand new.  Give it a year or so to get its footing.  It took both the PS3 and 360 that long to really get going.  Really, it took the PS3 longer.

Kiyosuyo
Kiyosuyo like.author.displayName 1 Like

Nobody wants to play this crap. The games are all awful; you'd think these companies would've learned by now. You can't release nothing but ports and kiddy titles. The Wii-U and Vita have both failed miserably in this category.

wcwj26
wcwj26

 @Kiyosuyo So what are you saying? That PS4720 are going to have a great launch titles?

Because if you do, then it would be a first from both companies!

RandyAU93
RandyAU93

I guess nobody counted on $3.50-$4.00 per gallon gas and a 30%-plus increase in Social Security taxes taking a huge chunk out of peoples' paychecks, either.

That said, sounds like we'll probably hear about a price drop and Wii U Ambassador program at E3 this summer. If it worked for 3DS ...

Kiyosuyo
Kiyosuyo

@RandyAU93 30%? I think you mean 2% O.o

RandyAU93
RandyAU93

@Kiyosuyo I should have checked my math a bit better, but I'm still correct in principle. An increase from 4.2% to 6.2% is indeed 2 percentage points. However, the actual increase is 2/4.2 = 47.6% increase.

MasterOfSprites
MasterOfSprites like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

This is disappointing news, but it is far too early to say the Wii U is a failure.

wyan_
wyan_

I like them all. Christ... you're special kind of stupid aren't you?

GSJones1994
GSJones1994

@wyan_ Ok then, you like them all.  It's that your previous post would be taken by a lot of people (including me) very negatively.  I ain't stupid man.  I also like them all and I just hate hearing from stupid sony fanboys like queuing_for_ps4.  Sorry, i'm very pi$$ed off.

wyan_
wyan_ like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@GSJones1994 @wyan_ Yes. It's negative, but it's just one opinion. What's significant is how poorly the Wii U is doing by losing 10's of thousands of sales each month to 7 year old consoles. I want to see Nintendo succeed, but we will have to wait until years from now.

wyan_
wyan_

@wcwj26 Okay.  Rock, paper scissors, best out of three should do it.

wcwj26
wcwj26

 @wyan_ @wcwj26 You'll have to get it off my mom and dad first :-)

wyan_
wyan_ like.author.displayName 1 Like

@wcwj26 STFU son. I'm taking your 3DS away. :)

wcwj26
wcwj26

 @wyan_ @RandyAU93 @GSJones1994 The fact you think only children are playing 3DS only shows how elitist and ignorant you really are!

wyan_
wyan_

@RandyAU93 @wyan_ @GSJones1994 Well I think the moms and dads buying the 3DS for their kids aren't buying into the 3D either. They're just buying because their kids want Nintendo's latest handheld.

RandyAU93
RandyAU93

@wyan_ @GSJones1994 For what it's worth, 3D is not all that. There was a smart phone with a 3D screen using the same tech as 3DS ... discontinued and no replacement for it. 3D fatigue has set in, at which point the 3DS has to rely on the quality of the software instead of the gee-whiz factor of the screen, something that is working in its favor (New Super Mario Bros. 2, Fire Emblem) over Vita.

wyan_
wyan_

@GSJones1994 @wyan_ The 3DS got pulled out of the toilet, but there are no other 3D handhelds on the market. The Vita is also barely a competitor.


The Wii U has to deal with the current strength of 360 and PS3 as well as their successors this year. The 3DS doesn't have to deal with a scenario like that. The writing is on the wall. Nintendo will have to rely on the 3DS to pull the weight of the Wii U and sock away funds for the drawing board.

GSJones1994
GSJones1994 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@wyan_ @GSJones1994 The 3DS started off poorly, and since the price dropped and the games started to come out for it, it went on a roll, now it's sold 15 times as many units as the Vita.  You never know.  The Wii U may just bounce back like the 3DS did.

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