220°

Wii U hardware sales expected to slump 17% in the US during March

Wii U hardware sales in the US for the month of March will slump to only 55,000 units, analyst Wedbush has forecast in its March 2013 NPD Preview.

55,000 units is a 17 per cent decline over the 66,000 units moved in February. The console sold 57,000 units in January, following the November/December 2012 tally of 463,000 units.

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videogamer.com
bicfitness4029d ago

What happened with MHU and Lego Batman boosting HW sales? If you listened to the N4G Nintendo pundits, those titles moved boxes like gangbusters.

That's quite a dreadful number if its true too, as the March HW tracking is a 5 week period, I believe.

xXxSeTTriPxXx4029d ago

This is like the 3rd remake of MH3, dont see how they thought thst lol.

loulou4029d ago

i doubt that the success of the wii will be replicated. what is about lightning striking twice??

i have bad feeling that nintendo are going to get stomped this gen.

dedicatedtogamers4029d ago

The only game moving the WiiU in great numbers (and I called this one prior to the WiiU's launch) is sidescrolling Mario. But even that isn't as potent as Nintendo would like, now that the market is starting to get saturated with sidescrolling Mario games as well as other sidescrolling games.

Nintendo Land is not Wii Sports, not does it appeal to the Wii Sports crowd. Nintendo's efforts to court 3rd parties on the WiiU has fallen flat on its face, and I doubt that will change any time soon. So, Nintendo's current spearhead into the "expanded audience" is as sharp as a loaf of bread. Contrary to what WiiU defenders claim, games like Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, and Project X are not going to move the hardware in high or sustainable numbers. It will take a "new" Wii Sports title, more 2D Mario (this time a truly revolutionary sidescrolling Mario is needed), Mario Kart, and Smash Bros to get things moving. 3D Mario and 3D Zelda won't move the hardware in high or sustanable numbers, either, just like they didn't do so for the Wii or DS.

lilbroRx4029d ago (Edited 4029d ago )

I don't recall anyone saying Lego Batman would boost anything because its and old Wii game that most people already have. Also, it doesn't come out until next month I don't even see why that was released.

MHU did boost sales quite a bit so I don't know what you are getting at or this article.

The sales doubled in March. How did they come to the conclusion that they would slump?

Mr_Writer854029d ago

Maybe they doubled in Japan but this is on about the U.S.

And I think he meant Lego City. Which tbf a few deluded fanboys on here and other sites were claiming it was a system seller.

I think people need to stop thinking that everyone who bought a Wii is going to buy a WiiU. Once they accept that the WiiU won't be out selling the Nextbox and PS4 then things will calm down.

LOL_WUT4029d ago

Right about now would be a good time for Nintendo to drop the price. If not then I expect Wii U sales to plummet even more. ;)

Qrphe4029d ago

MHU was never going to boost sales significantly. It only sold 200,000 in Japan (the biggest market for such game). It sold 100,000 in NA and Europe combined.

Zhipp4029d ago

According to VGchartz, Wii U sales doubled(from 30k to around 64k WW) for a couple of weeks around the Lego city and MH3U launches, and the biggest sales increase was USA. I dunno how accurate they are, though...

Speaking of accuracy, the article says they got their estimates from Wedbush. Doesn't Pachter work for them? I hope they're more reliable than he is, heh.

TheDivine4029d ago

Moved about as many WiiU's as AC Liberation and COD moved Vita's.

Both systems need new games. Not ports, remasters, but new big games. WiiU has a killer lineup but most have no release dates. As soon as these games release the consoles will sell very well. Same thing happens with all consoles when there's few games early on. The 3ds started just as slow and now its on track to be the best selling handheld ever and it already has one of the best libraries ever. Hopefully Vita gets some big games announced at e3 also. Great system, no software.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4029d ago
jcnba284029d ago

People seem to foret that most of the world is in the middle of a recession, jobs are being lost everyday. Of course this is going to have an effect on sales.

jcnba284029d ago (Edited 4029d ago )

Excuse? Wow there really are a lot of pathetic people on this site.

pikey4029d ago Show
superterabyte4029d ago (Edited 4029d ago )

@jcnba28 yes it will take an effect you're right But that is not the reason the Wii u is failing I mean the last month or so vita has picked up sales especially in japan why you ask? because they have released games that are big in japan.

The Wii u is selling bad because it doesn't have games and if it does eventually get games (probably first party sequels) sales will pick up if it doesn't then it will fail.

p.s. also doesn't help that the hardware is not impressive at all

loulou4029d ago

bubbles + pikey.

but you forget to say unless that positive comment is about sony

Utalkin2me4029d ago

@loulou

Really? This coming from someone who only joined a couple of months ago. Should have been around when the PS3 first launched and the site was littered with 360 fanboys.

Ck1x4029d ago Show
Kiddcarter4029d ago

Not a bad argument, but come on now, the 360 and ps3 are doing very well in middle of the same recession, maybe people just don't want to buy Wii U's right now. As a Wii u owner i understand why its not doing well right now, there's nothing to play,i think once there's games, that even in this recession sales will pick up, but sales will never be like the Wii, and Nintendo fan boys and Nintendo themselves need to accept that, the Wii was a fluke system and it wont happen again

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4029d ago
bicfitness4029d ago

Tablet and iPad sales are through the roof, and those don't come with retailer/ telecommunication markdowns and contracts. We're talking $250-500 pieces of tech with arguable usefulness. If a device is compelling, people buy it. Period. The Wii U isn't compelling, a more attractive price won't do anything without software either, so Nintendo is in a bit of a pickle till they sort that out.

DragonKnight4029d ago

That recession has been going on for years and hasn't prevented people from buying more expensive products like iPhones, iPads and other consoles. The Wii U interests no one. It's not the recession, it's the console. The casuals see no difference in it from the Wii and thus won't buy into it, the core remember how Nintendo abandoned them in favor of the casuals, and the diehard Nintendo fans are still waiting for LoZ and Metroid. That's just the facts. Stop looking for other reasons to explain the Wii U's poor showing so far and just accept that Nintendo didn't do enough this time around... yet.

mcstorm4029d ago

The problem with the WiiU at the moment is that Nintendo have let the 3rd party bring out there games before Nintendo have had any big hitters them selfs and because of this people will not buy a WiiU yet.

For example the biggest game of last year in terms of sales was BO2 but people already have a PS3 or 360 so they wont go out and spend £300 on a new console to buy the WiiU version.

This is the same problem Microsoft and Sony will have with there next consoles if games like COD are out on the 360 and PS3 as well as the 2 new consoles because people will not want to shell out £400 or more to play the same game on there current console.

Once Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo bring out there big names like GT, Halo and Mario Kart and the 3rd party stop supporting the current gen consoles then people will start to move to the new gen consoles.

People are forgetting that we are in a recession at the moment and people are finding ways to save money and this is part of the reason why the PSV is not selling to well at the moment.

The WiiU, Next Xbox and PS4 will all sell well in the next 2 years and I also expect sales will be closer between the best selling console and the lest selling console I don't think next gen will have an out right winner this time round.

famoussasjohn4029d ago

Definitely can't be for being overpriced.

dedicatedtogamers4029d ago

@ bicfitness and DragonKnight

"it's not the economy, it's the console".

Bravo. Bravo x10,000. People should be saying this over and over again, screaming it in Nintendo's face until they run out of breath. Nintendo made the same blunder with the 3DS, assuming people would go ga-ga over the glasses-free 3D. It wasn't until they stepped in with a course correction, a price drop, and a scramble to add more software support that the 3DS began to take off. WiiU is in need of the same emergency surgery, and the only people denying it are Nintendo themselves and their shrinking, blindly-loyal fanbse.

kenshiro1004029d ago

Are you serious? People rush and buy the new iPhones each day. This has nothing to do with a recession. Nintendo isn't delivering, plain and simple.

Mr_Writer854029d ago

Yet the PS3 manages nearly 1million a month.

The WiiU's market has shrunk. That's all nothing more nothing less. The people who bought the Wii are not gamers, they simply found a new fad, they then got bored and moved on.

I wonder if you compared the rise of tablet sales (you the know those things that cost almost 3 times the price off WiiU) from around the 2010 (the decline of the Wii) you will be able to see why the WiiU is struggling.

loulou4029d ago

indeed. but will we see this almost 1m per month now that the ps4 has been announced??

if i didn't already have a ps3, i certainly wouldn't buy one now knowing that the ps4 is coming..

Mr_Writer854029d ago

I doubt you will see that, but the matter of fact is there is a market for it still. There will be people who haven't bought one who maybe tempted once a price cut comes.

I mean knowing the PS4 won't play PS3 games might catch the eye of say some 360 gamers, or even PC gamers once the price hits sub £/$120.

And just like the PS2 many South American country's are yet to see a PS3.

Again small markets but a market none the less. The WiiU does have a market, but it's not the same as the Wii, and it doesn't appeal to the full Wii market.

miyamoto4029d ago (Edited 4029d ago )

"effect on sales"

Yeah the recession of 2008 really affected unit sales of video games hardware in favor of the Wii & DS because they are the cheapest in the market compared to other devices.

Yeah were are still in that same recession since that time but the Wii U strategy is very unlike the Wii strategy of old.

Its the most expensive HD console today and the games are not that easy to make as admitted by Nintendo themselves( http://seanmalstrom.wordpre... unlike the Gamecube/Wii SD games of old.

Nintendo is not ready to make HD games- games or lack thereof makes or breaks a platform. What Nintendo needs to do is Speed Up their HD game making process double time before PS4 games hit the market this holiday season.

edit:
Videogamer is a flame bait site like Kotaku

kneon4029d ago

The economy has little to do with it, otherwise you wouldn't see PS3 and 360 sales still doing so well. The Wii U basic is the same price as the PS3 bundles so price isn't the issue there, people just don't seem to want a Wii U.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 4029d ago
lovegames7184029d ago

No hating but ever since the Wiiu came out fans have been saying every new release would sell units lol Not too long ago it was Monster Hunter and although it sold better then most games on Wiiu in Japan it didnt sell Monster Hunter numbers. I keep saying those games wont sell units the way Pikmin wont and Bayonetta 2 wont they are games that didnt even sell that much to begin with. Both games dont go past 1 million no matter what system its on.

Recession we already know is a dumb excuse especially since ps3 and xbox are still selling well above Wiiu and arent that much cheaper in price (at least ps4 isnt), not to mention Apple products keep selling through the roof.

200 price point with Mario Kart and Zelda releasing should do it for Nintendo and make sales wise otherwise its going to be a hard, bumpy ride.

apollo064029d ago

Not sure why.... Monster Hunter 3, LEGO City Undercover and Need for Speed Most Wanted U are all very good games and should've given the Wii U a bit of a sales boost... I guess people are just waiting for Nintendo to release their big guns.

Keep in mind the eShop has some AMAZING games as well.

PopRocks3594029d ago

Games of that nature haven't really moved the media or the public in any way. The Wii U needs some games that really grabs peoples' attention. For those who have adopted early, your point makes sense since there's some content to access on it, even if not a whole lot. As for people still waiting for a reason, it's understandable why someone may not dive in right now.

Theyellowflash304029d ago

This is surprising if true. I thought for sure sales of the Wii U would be higher with Monster Hunter and Lego City.

lilbroRx4029d ago

It was already confirmed higher by actual retailers. There was a 125% increase. I don't know where this article got its info from.

Theyellowflash304029d ago

This is American NPD, the 125% was Euro sales.

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280°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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theverge.com
darthv721d 5h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle16h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic188113h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio13h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning778h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga15h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

darthv722h ago

to you it may seem like the minority... but your bubble is shrinking because more and more are following suit. convenience is a hell of a drug and its also why physical sales only amount to 30% of overall game sales. times are changing, you either get with them or you get left behind.

shinoff218315h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga14h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan9h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit2h ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus238h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv728h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

TheEroica2h ago(Edited 2h ago)

Perfectly reasonable post down voted by insecure corporation friendly folk.... But not gamers. Real gamer want accessibility and ease of acquisition for all.... Company shills are the only ones still telling us that hardware locking people from games is good for us.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2h ago
purple10118h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos18h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-7h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac17h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad17h ago(Edited 17h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10116h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic15h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead8h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

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140°

Why Monopolies In Gaming Must Not Be Allowed

As of right now, there are no monopolies in the games industry, and for the sake of the medium as a whole, they never should either.

thorstein1d 4h ago

Shouldn't be allowed in any field.

Inverno1d ago

And yet the biggest tech companies in America are essentially that. They buy up all the small comps only to kill them off and steal what they have, and if they can't buy em they bleed them to death.

jwillj2k423h ago

Eventually they’ll realize the value is with the employee not the company. Buying an IP means nothing if the people who contributed are let go. They’ll get it one day.

MrCrimson22h ago

tech is different because they buy threats and then kill them. Twitter bought Vine and did nothing with it. Despite people seemingly liking it. Could've had tiktok a decade before bytedance. go figure.

Zenzuu23h ago

Monopolies shouldn't be allowed regardless. Not just for gaming.

MrCrimson22h ago

They buy IPs not talent. That's why these buyouts never work and the IPs die. Right now it's too expensive to develop games - but I expect that to shift maybe as AI tools can make it easier. The best games have been indie games for awhile as big developers fuck their ips to death with "games as a service" -

70°

The INDIE Live Expo 2024 event is to feature over 100 game titles

INDIE Live Expo, Japan’s premiere online digital showcase series , will debut never-before-seen games & content updates across more than 100 titles on May 25th.