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[Skyzard]

Must have been inspired.

 

[cyberheater]

Still too early to say, Nintendo could still pull it back from the brink as they did with the 3DS.

3DS has a strong gimmick (don't like that world) which is the 3D. A genuinely innovative product. I can see the public appeal.

I don't see that for the WiiU. It's a low rez tablet connected to a joypad. The public simply does not get it. Added to the fact that the release schedule is so slow from Nintendo which is preventing any traction at all an finally it's still too expensive and the games are still more expensive on it then on PS360.
It's doomed.

 

[Aquamarine]

While not directly connected to this, I thought a reminder about the 2013 First FY13 Quarter Earnings Release could be appropriate. Happens on the 31st of July (Wednesday). http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/schedule/index.html

As for the news, I'm not very surprised. Sad news of course though. Nintendo needs to do something fast especially considering the press conferences Microsoft and Sony will have at gamescom where they will gain even more momentum. And of course, the holiday will probably be very rough on Nintendo. While I don't doubt the sales potential of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Super Mario 3D World, I think the Wii U shelves will see very little action overall.

It's going to be a fun day for Nintendo investors.

I'm both looking forward to and dreading July 31st.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

NOA will be thrilled and surprised to hear that.

 

[Slayven]

It's a fact the UK has had a unnaturally hot heatwave lately. And we know for a fact the Wii U does not sell on hot days. Come Winter, Nintendo will be back in the UK market with force.

 

[bomblord]

Is this a joke post or rose tinted Nintendo fanboy glasses? Wii U is screwed pretty much everywhere. It's at such a low that the only way from here is up, and even then, it's going to go up a little and fall off the side of a cliff.

Neither? Us sales are stable ( not on a downward trend like it has been since launch) stable doesnt mean good just its not still decreasing monthly numbers and pikmin 3 gave Japanese sales a nice bump.

 

[Bumhead]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

It's a value driven economy, and the Wii U is absolutely garbage value. It's a confused console with no real market share, a mixed marketing message, a muddled market strategy, it has no unique selling point, it's terrible value compared to the vastly more popular Xbox 360 and PS3, terrible value compared to the vastly more anticipated Xbox One and PS4, it doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from any competing platform and it - arguably - has no value attached to it to justify its existence beyond Nintendo first party.

Supermarkets have become increasingly important to UK games retail over the years and have been hugely influential in the industry. Nintendo have benefitted from that at least as much if not more than anyone. A chain like ASDA completley dropping the console like it doesn't exist is absolutely huge.

The system is dead here and talk of "well the games are coming" is pointless when the PS4 and Xbox One are arriving first. The Wii U needs to be £99. Maximum.

 

[Patryn]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

Starting to turn around? Did I miss some news?

 

[fabricated backlash]

Sales can't be that bad surely? Didn't it get a decent hardware bump with Pikmin 3?

Nope, the WiiU will be lucky to get GC numbers at this point.

 

[Law Abiding Stranger]

You're right of course, but I remain hopeful that Nintendo will pull it back from the brink and not allow it to become another Gamecube.

I really do wish they were a lot more aggressive instead of just sitting back while their home console slowly dies.

Currently WiiU is tracking to be in even worse situation than GameCube.
It's just that bad overall.

Nintendo dropped the ball with the one year advantage, either they got too confident on Wii craze or are okay with 3DS being the software seller.

 

[SmokyDave]

Dam SmokeyDave. When will you stop your relentless assault on poor Nintendo? Why!?

I have stopped!

The damage is done and now I can just sit back and watch. I'll be ready and waiting next time they launch their Fisher Price hardware, however.

 

[ThaiNoodles]

maybe if they release another sidescrolling mario game, that would help.

 

[BlackJace]

3DS has a strong gimmick (don't like that world) which is the 3D. A genuinely innovative product. I can see the public appeal.

I don't see that for the WiiU. It's a low rez tablet connected to a joypad. The public simply does not get it. Added to the fact that the release schedule is so slow from Nintendo which is preventing any traction at all an finally it's still too expensive and the games are still more expensive on it then on PS360.
It's doomed.

The 3D on the 3DS was not the selling factor for the 3DS lmao.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Neither? Us sales are stable ( not on a downward trend like it has been since launch)

So they're holding steady at abysmal?

 

[Pie and Beans]

Still too early to say, Nintendo could still pull it back from the brink as they did with the 3DS.

People still keeping this ridiculous hope alive. Console is done. 3DS never had the same problems and wall to climb that the WiiU has. When false equivalence is the only counter argument that also hinges on an honest to god miracle, that really paints the situation in dayglo clarity.

GAME will never straight up turn their back on the console after the near-death experience they had, but the store space afforded to the system these days says it all.

Fingers crossed for my £150 premium with Bayonetta 2 bundle when the time comes for total 'other than Game' retail abandonment.

 

[Alchemist]

Still too early to say, Nintendo could still pull it back from the brink as they did with the 3DS.

I doubt it. At least over here in the UK. I haven't seen an advertisement for the console since a week before its launch.

Definitely going to keep my eye out for a cheap Premium around the supermarkets from now on.

 

[Majmun]

Neither? Us sales are stable ( not on a downward trend like it has been since launch) stable doesnt mean good just its not still decreasing monthly numbers and pikmin 3 gave Japanese sales a nice bump.

X360 sales have also been stable in Japan for quite some time now.

 

[JoeM86]

Sorry but I have been to numerous Asda since December and none of them had any Wii U stuff whatsoever.

I wouldn't say they're no longer stocking it. I question when they did in the first place.

 

[Aquamarine]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

For the Wii U in the USA:

Average weekly sales for April were ~9,250 units
Average weekly sales for May were ~8,250 units
Average weekly sales for June were ~8,400 units

The Wii U hasn't turned around at all.

 

[bomblord]

So they're holding steady at abysmal?

Yes.

 

[metalslimer]

Well at least this thread confirms that no one knows how bad wiiu is selling

 

[Steroyd]

This is a very good point. I guess I'm just hoping that Nintendo don't let it flounder and eventually die. Would be a damn shame to see them drop out of the home console market in favour of focusing on the handheld market, even though, as you rightly say, it's where they are at their strongest.

I'm with you on that, born and raised on Nintendo and it'd be really said not to see HD Mario, Zelda etc. Especially given how sexy Pikman 3 looked in a thread I saw.

But at the same time I'm not buying a Wii U because I think it's too much for what the console ultimately is, so I'm part of the problem, but it's also why Nintendo has problems. I'm so conflicted.

 

[The Cowboy]

That's a pretty major hit to the Wii-U.

WOW.

 

[Bucket Mouse]

You guys buy your video games when you go grocery shopping?

It's really not unlike the set up you guys have with Walmart and Target- supermarkets stock a wide range of products these days.

 

[Nirolak]

Just online, from what I've seen in the article. In stores, they're selling it. Still, it's a bit strange since it's been the best selling console in UK for many weeks.

I suspect on the 3DS front they just want to make sure they have enough stock in stores given their website even stocks the circle pad.

 

[Slayven]

I have stopped!

The damage is done and now I can just sit back and watch. I'll be ready and waiting next time they launch their Fisher Price hardware, however.

Like a British Batman aka Union Jack.

 

[DragonSworne]

With less and less orders being made and stores stocking the system, it's only a matter of time before Nintendo is forced to stop production of the Wii U.


Nintendo had to stop production Gamecube systems for a while after 2-3 years on the market. Wii U seems like it will reach production halt even sooner.

 

[metalslimer]

X360 sales have also been stable in Japan for quite some time now.

But it has nice spikes

 

[Atolm]

Wii U is approaching 3DO and Atari Jaguar levels of failure. Even worse than Saturn and Dreamcast at this point. The only thing that will keep the console alive 2 or 3 years more is Nintendo's cash. Expect massive clearance sales soon; shops need to make room for the two big boys releasing this November, and 360 and PS3 aren't going away soon.

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

Oh lol. The WiiU is not doing well anywhere.

 

[Enco]

You can only rely on Zelda and Mario for so long.

 

[Riky]

Last time I went into ASDA they didn't have any Wii U games or consoles anyway, this gives a bad impression though and is similar to the situation when I think Currys/Dixons started selling off the Gamecube.

I've really enjoyed Lego City, ZombiU and now Pikmin 3 but Nintendo should have had a Zelda or a 3D Mario at launch plus Mario Kart missing Christmas is terrible for them.

 

[Somnid]

Not good.

Still, the futile price slashing in the UK was going to hit a wall. The problem wasn't the price, it was the games and Nintendo will have to work hard to fill it in.

I really think things like this should make Nintendo consider opening it's own online store to distribute products like most tech companies. We often don't think about it but with their tiffs with Amazon in the US and this it's pretty clear that they they can not only offset retail stock burdens but also help control their price and get bigger cuts. I think people would really like to buy directly as well.

 

[kiryani]

The whole situation is surreal.

I don't know anybody that owns a Wii-U, I have friends that have a Wii, often used for Wii sports if I'm honest and I asked them if they were thinking of getting a Wii-U.

Their response was

Spoiler

"WTF is a Wii-U''

It's crazy

 

[Screenboy]

ouch, very ouch.

Spoiler

not that you'd ever see anything to do with Wii U in there anyway.

 

[kswiston]

Starting to turn around? Did I miss some news?

Using NPD figures

9.25k units a week in April
8.75k units a week in May
8.4k units a week in June

Turning around!

Perhaps he was unaware that June was a 5 week month for NPD.

EDIT: Beaten

 

[Pie and Beans]

Well at least this thread confirms that no one knows how bad wiiu is selling

All those ridiculous "WiiU surges!!!" articles off the back of Pikmin 3's launch week in Japan have really fed a certain delusion.

With less and less orders being made and stores stocking the system, it's only a matter of time before Nintendo is forced to stop production of the Wii U.


Nintendo had to stop production Gamecube systems for a while after 2-3 years on the market. Wii U seems like it will reach production halt even sooner.

Just a couple days til we find out if theyve even sold through Launch stock.

 

[StoopKid]

Sorry but I have been to numerous Asda since December and none of them had any Wii U stuff whatsoever.

I wouldn't say they're no longer stocking it. I question when they did in the first place.

Maybe during the recent heat wave.

Spoiler

Lol

 

[Patryn]

Wii U is approaching 3DO and Atari Jaguar levels of failure. Even worse than Saturn and Dreamcast at this point. The only thing that will keep the console alive 2 or 3 years more is Nintendo's cash. Expect massive clearance sales soon; shops need to make room for the two big boys releasing this November, and 360 and PS3 aren't going away soon.

Yeah, if the PS4 and the XB1 are even moderately successful this holiday season while Wii U continues to "hold steady", it'll be an easy decision for stores to take shelf space away from it to give to the newer consoles.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Not sure how you could have missed it? Are the smaller stores not Walmart branded then?

Ive never seen a Walmart branded asda in the ten or so years they have owned them. That must be one of those massive stores in retail parks at the edge of cites.

 

[Omikaru]

Anyone know the extent of UK retailers abandoning the Wii U?

My local Tesco has a bigger Vita display than Wii U (which was so small it was invisible!), unless I missed the Wii U display when I was there this morning (saw 360, PS3, 3DS, and Vita). Let's just leave it at that...

I also was in GAME last week. Wii U no longer has wall shelf space, but occupies one of those little shelves that go down the middle of the store. As far as I know, those shelves are for pre-owned console games and budget PC titles (buy any 3 for £20 -- selection of Command & Conquer games, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Deus Ex Invisible War, and such). Again, Vita and 3DS enjoy better shelf placement than Wii U.

As far as I can tell, the thing is fucked over here. I can't speak for other countries, but I haven't seen a system get such dismal shelf space in GAME in about 10 or 11 years. All of this is anecdotal, of course. Different stores in different parts of the country will arrange their displays according to what's selling well locally.

 

[Crisco]

I'd feel bad for Nintendo but they stole $250 from me for that paper weight called the Wii that I'll never get back. Fuck um'.

 

[Usobuko]

Wii U game-pad was such a wrong gamble.

 

[airmangataosenai]

They're not stocking the 3DS (online) either (while continuing to stock the Vita)?

wat

Nintendo probably threatened to limit their shipments of 3DS if they pulled Wii U and they called their bluff. 3DS sells well but not enough to leverage those kinds of threats. PS4 meanwhile is probably going to be a major centerpiece of game retailers holiday season so Sony has room to use it to force Vita stock down their throats.

 

[Ty4on]

To those mentioning the Vita it is actually selling better in Europe than the WiiU and I think software sales are higher.

 

[Marvel]

Not surprising, most are there (Including myself) to buy food to put in their face. Not games/consoles.

 

[Zemm]

If this was Tesco it would be a problem, but Asda? nah


Nobody cares about Asda

nice try!

 

[cyberheater]

Why do the British hate the wiiU so much? Its picking up in Japan and starting to turn around in the US.

You're delusional.

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

Damn, I knew I should have picked one up for £150 from Asda when I had the chance. Hopefully the RRP will bomba down to that on its own accord.

 

[JoeM86]

Maybe the recent heat wave.

Only if the heat wave was also at Christmas.

They haven't stocked the Wii U at all. At most it has been on their online store. However, even at launch they didn't have it. Same with Sainsburys and Tesco. They didn't want to support Nintendo before or during launch for whatever reason.

This should come as no big shock to anyone