Nintendo’s Wii U game console has been struggling for market share since its launch two years ago, and Nintendo has had to adjust to being the thiird-place seller after leading the industry with the Wii. The Wii U’s slow sales led notable third-party developers like Ubisoft and Activision to drop high-profile projects for the console in favor of the superiority of Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4; most of the major game publishers have abandoned Wii U support entirely. After 2014, however, there’s a different story at hand – the Wii U has notched higher sales than ever on the heels of some key software releases.
GamesIndustry International reported via a Nintendo press release that December 2014 has shown the best single month of sales for the Wii U console to date, powered by a number of critically acclaimed game releases, such as Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2. Specific sales figures weren’t provided with the report, but system sales were up 29 percent over the same period in 2013. Game sales also saw a big boost, a whopping 75 percent over the previous year.
The 3DS has also added to Nintendo’s success, with December 2014 showing as its biggest month to date for handheld software. Super Smash Bros. was noted as a big seller for the system, along with popular favorites like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. As for individual game sales, Mario Kart 8, which released over the summer, sold 1.7 million units, while Super Smash Bros. was close behind with 1.3 million units.
The overall dynamics of the market remain unchanged, though, with the Wii U still trailing the Xbox One and the PS4 in sales, and the lifetime sales of the Wii U will still have to do better to avoid being Nintendo’s worst-selling console in history. Third-party support is unlikely to materialize at this point no matter how much sales pick up, so the long term success of the Wii U will be up to Nintendo.
However, one factor that simply can’t be ignored is Nintendo’s line-up of Amiibo toys, which interact with the Super Smash Bros. game, among other titles. The company has sold over 2.6 million units of Amiibos to date, and that’s just with the first two waves release. Two more waves are planned for the New Year, including one next month that includes popular faces like Mega Man and Sonic. The fourth wave is planned for later in the spring.
Nintendo isn’t wasting any time gaining steam for 2015 either. It’s planning on releasing its new Nintendo 3DS system in the U.S. on February 13th, backed by a number of high-profile game releases; it’s bringing several Wii U games out this year, including The Legend of Zelda, StarFox and Splatoon; and it’s also launched a new digital initiative that’s bringing back several popular Wii titles to the Wii U system as low-priced digital re-releases, including Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is available this week for $9.99.
Could this be the turn-around that Nintendo needs Perhaps. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.
