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Nintendo's Q1 Numbers - Poor, Poor WiiU


On 07/31/2013 at 08:50 AM by gigantor21

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http://www.gamrreview.com/news/90328/nintendos-q1-report-highlights-struggling-wii-u-sales/

Jesus Christ.

Nintendo posted their financial results for April-June of this year. They aren't pretty. The WiiU only sold 160k globally across those three months. 90k in Japan, 60k in the States, and 10k in Europe. Yes, they only shipped about 800 units a week across all of Europe and Australia. Software sales were only around 1million units in those 3 months; the PS3 and 360 probably sell that amount of software on a WEEKLY basis.

Globally, this is far below the worst month the PS3 ever had. At 700k consoles and nearly 5 million games in it's worst period back in '07, the PS3 managed to sell more than 4x as much at it's absolute worst. This despite being $600, coming out a year after the 360 and in the Wii's shadow, and having a terrible software line-up early on.

I've been willing to give the WiiU the benefit of the doubt ever since it came out. I have been careful to reserve judgement until the big games like Smash and Mario Kart were out. But with these kinds of numbers in both hardware and software...I just don't see enough interest in the platform for even those games to make up the difference. There's zero interest in the console outside of the hardcore Nintendo fanbase.

Nintendo squandered their year's headstart miserably. I mean, the damn thing is still trailing behind the Gamecube, which didn't even get a global launch. How could they have screwed things up this badly when they had the next-gen market to themselves for a year?

And then you have people who, seeing these results, say they're actually excited because that will force Nintendo to become desperate. Really? This "desperate Nintendo" argument makes no sense to me. People always point to how the 3DS was able to turn things around...but it was included with a massive price-cut, never sold anywhere NEAR as bad as the WiiU did, and Nintendo has always had far less competition in the handheld space anyway. Nintendo's desperation did nothing to help, say, the Gamecube, which actually had a much better line-up of early titles.

With these numbers, there is no groundswell of people just waiting for the right time to jump in. This speaks to a very palpale lack of interest or even awareness of the console itself. That's going to be a much harder problem to fix, and I don't know if the leaders at Nintendo are capable of doing it.


 

Comments

Nick DiMola Director

07/31/2013 at 09:04 AM

No doubt, those are some terrible numbers, but they also speak to the fact that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING has hit the Wii U in recent months. I think this holiday Nintendo will pick up some lost ground. If they're smart, they're gearing up for a large marketing campaign and a potential price cut or bundle to start boosting the system.

There's a lot of good software on the horizon and stuff that should be capable of moving systems. Hopefully they start recruiting more of the Japanese development market and carve out a niche for themselves that Sony and Microsoft aren't really aiming for with their next gen machines. I'm not giving up hope on the system, I'm just crossing my fingers that the management there are seeing the lay of the land and grabbing up the market they can serve best.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:15 PM

I have zero faith in management at this point, given how they've handled the system's design and it's marketing before and after launch. I just don't get the sense that they have a clue what they're doing.

It feels like the WiiU will have to do well in spite of them. Especially after seeing these numbers.

Nick DiMola Director

07/31/2013 at 09:40 PM

Management has definitely screwed up on it, but I get the feeling that it has a lot to do with resting on their laurels after the smash success of both the DS and the Wii. I think they skated into the 3DS launch, got their asses handed to them and scrambled to get stuff in gear. In that scramble, the Wii U got left in the dust. Now that they've had time to get the 3DS on track and have had some breathing room, I'm hoping their next assault is on the flagging Wii U software library.

As far as first party goes, things look pretty strong going into the holidays and straight into 2014, but they need to get third parties on board if they expect to bank on that momentum. Regardless of what happens, I think that with enough strong first party software they'll be fine and eventually all of the hold outs will grab up a Wii U for the stuff they can't play elsewhere.

At least going into this holiday season, I'm most excited for Wii U software. We'll see what happens beyond that, but I think that they are well-positioned for the holidays, especially if they can throw down with a meaty price cut.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:51 PM

A price cut simply HAS to happen at this point. No way in hell will the WiiU look like a good value outside of the Nintendo fandom as long as the Premium model is just $50 less than the PS4. Not when that's by far the better selling version.

I'm hoping that their silence on a potential price cut is just being done to not play their hand too early.

transmet2033

07/31/2013 at 09:28 AM

I would have probably picked up a Wii U by now, but there is nothing that I really want to play on it except my Wii collection.  There are plenty of games that I would like to play coming up, but I have decided to get a PS4.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:16 PM

The main games I want for it are Bayonetta and Smash, and I'm not paying $300 just to play those. Not when nothing else in the exclusive line-up intrigues me.

transmet2033

08/01/2013 at 09:06 AM

If NIntendo decided to bring back some franchises like F-Zero, Star Fox, or Metroid I am sure that I would definitely go and get a Wii U.

Chunopo

07/31/2013 at 10:21 AM

Mario, smash bros and Zelda then boom! I just don't get it either, The Wii will do very well eventually when their key franchaises come back out, they will use the system well, it's their attitude I can't stand. It really does feel like a two fingers up to their fans, 'you know what guys.... we can't be bothered at the moment, well get round to it but...... you know' it's half assed and Lazy, say what you will about Microsoft (I certainly have) but at least they listen to their fan base, keep us informed and allow their consoles to do what they are supposed to..... play new games. I sold my wii because I only ever played smash bro's and Mario Kart, and they are available/ will be available on the 3DS. They don't have the excuse of not enough man power, even a trickle of games including Link or Mario would have sufficed to the Wii U but they just can't be bothered. Eventually arrogance can only hold so long, they are sitting on the Mario/ Zelda throne and ignoring their people. But they do make seriously good games. Bastards.

Super Step Contributing Writer

07/31/2013 at 01:34 PM

I'd go with dumbassery over arrogance, but y'know.

I'm curious how much more money they lost compared to that worst PS3 month.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:20 PM

I think that they're going to have to start purging management at the top, in all of the major regions.

The bosses are simply too sclerotic and creaky in their thinking to be trusted with the future of the brand anymore. The Wii's success only exacerbated the issue by convincing them they could keep relying on a crazy new hook to sell hardware. Instead, there are still people who don't know the WiiU is more than the Gamepad and think it's a Wii add-on.

leeradical42

07/31/2013 at 01:37 PM

I have to agree with Nick but although the numbers may pick up over the holidays i dont see it being enough to make a difference, to me the Wii U is doomed to failure mainly cause theres no software for it i mean im over here complaining for the lack of srpgs on the 360 when the Wii U can barely get anything, i do feel sorry fo the system, but you know Nintendo always has a way out and thats why they have been around since the NES days and maybe Nicks right maybe there gearing up for a massive holiday release who knows.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:22 PM

I would hope so. But this is far more ground they need to make up for than with, say, the 3DS, which never sold this badly and was clearly just held back by it's high price point. Even if sales shoot up in a big way they can still end up falling short. Especially when Nintendo still thinks they can have 12 million units sold by next March, which is just...wow.

leeradical42

07/31/2013 at 10:05 PM

Well maybe im being generous but in reality i dont see how the Wii U will be able to hold up against Microsoft and Sony i feel they have missed there window because why release all your big guns at the same time Sony and Microsoft launch there systems and software im sorry bu like i said Nintendo may have the handheld market but the Wii U is doomed to fail.

Jon Lewis Staff Writer

07/31/2013 at 09:26 PM

it really frustrates me how Nintendo is handling everything. I bought a Wii U on day 1 and I've been dying to use it more. I've probably used my Wii U to play old games (Super Metroid, Xenoblade, etc) than new ones. I got a good run out of Zombi U before I got scared, but I haven't purchaced a game for the system since I got it. I'm sure I'll enjoy Rayman, Zelda, W101 and Mario when they release, but the wait has been really unfair. 

I feel like Nintendo really messed up. I want the Wii U to do well, but with no 3rd party support, and lackluster sales i have a hard time seeing them rebounding in the same way 3DS did. 3DS has the luxary of not having similar competition (sorry Vita) but Wii U has to compete against both PS4 and Xbox One. I'm curious how they will do this holiday... and in all honesty i dont expect the best but who knows? Maybe they will pull it off.

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:46 PM

I know that feeling all too well. It was exactly the same for me with the PS3, which I basically used as a PS2 box with Blu-ray and an HDMI port until Devil May Cry 4 and Bioshock came out. Indeed, you hear a lot of the same excuses people made for it back then (they just need time to figure out the architecture! Wait until X game comes out! etc.). Granted it never just sold 10k outside the US and Japan over 3 months, but still.

One key advantage the PS3 did have, though, is that people knew it was a new console (for better or worse) and it was at least a clean enough break from the PS2 to feel next-gen from the start. I can only imagine how badly it would've sold if people though it was just a PS2 add-on or something.

That the Vita may well outstrip the WiiU in both Europe and Japan in the same time period is something I NEVER would've imagined. I have a Vita and think it's pretty much doomed to niche status at this point. It'll take a miracle to turn things around.

GrayHaired

07/31/2013 at 09:32 PM

Sadly, one of the problems for Nintendo is that a lot of Nintendo units are bought by non-gaming Parents and Grandparents who recgonize the Nintrendo brand. Nintendo naming it the WiiU has confused a lot non-gamer adult buyers who buy for kids. It wasnt name Wii-2 or something to show that it is a newer-another console than the Wii.  A lot of those buyers believe it is just another version of the Wii,  a new and inproved Wii of the one they already have.  Nothing is wrong with the Wii they have so. ...why buy it?

gigantor21

07/31/2013 at 09:48 PM

I really don't get why they gave it that name AND made the aesthetics so similar. If they had just called it "Wii 2" or something else entirely, that alone may have helped from a marketing standpoint at least.

leeradical42

07/31/2013 at 10:00 PM

I totally agree with you Grayhaired the main buyers of Nintendo are Dads and Moms and Grandparents buying for there youngsters and with a name like Wii U well hell when it first was anounced i didnt know what it was so i can totally see the confusion Nintendo either need to go back to there old marketing skills or at least make it clear to nongamers what there getting.

Alex-C25

07/31/2013 at 11:38 PM

Damm, that's depressing. Hopefully, they can make some sales on Christmas, but now i'm worried if the console will succed.

gigantor21

08/01/2013 at 11:07 AM

Can't really blame you at this point. I never thought I'd see sales this bad on a modern day console.

NSonic79

08/06/2013 at 11:17 PM

I blame myself. I intended to get the Wii U myself but couldn't convice teh wife and my "Little One" in getting one. No matter the singing game offered or the new mario game it wasn't enough to convice them.

and here we are with low numbers. Hopefully Xmas will change all of that, taht is if the PS4/Xbox One does not rain on Nintendo's parade :(

gigantor21

08/06/2013 at 11:33 PM

It's going to be hard for Nintendo to get a foothold this Christmastime with all that extra competition. 

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