Nintendo Posts Positive Financials; Wii U Reaches 7.29 Million, 3DS 45.42 Mil; Good Start for New3DS

Nintendo Just posted its financial results for the fiscal half of year ended on September 30th, also updating lifetime sales for Wii U and 3DS

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Congrats Nintendo. Wish you all the best.

[Magicite]

Its overtracked on vgchartz, but fairly close (wiiu -7,4m; 3ds - 45,8m).

[Ashraf89]

Just to inform u, the vgchartz is track until 11 Oct while the latest report is only until 30 September.

Cheers. =)

[TheWatercooler]

Congrats Nintendo. Still the no. 2 console on the market. I hope to see Nintendo do well. I was always a big fan growing up.

Just waiting for a few big hitters (mario,zelda) then I will be picking up a wii U myself.

[marloc_x]

Great job Nintendo :)

[Shnazzyone]

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK!

[98xpresent]

Congratulations Nintendo. Get we get an earthbound game please

[bouzebbal]

nice, looking forward to getting my new 3DS cause to me Vita didn't deliver

[Kevlar009]

I'm waiting for the New 3DS to come to America. Hopefully by then a Metroid game will be on the radar

[Gemmol]

i would be surprised this article gets over 50 comments

[Benjaminkno]

It'll be over 70 by the time it's all said and done.

[Walker]

In terms of sales this generation gonna be like this

1. PS4
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2. WII U
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3. Xbone

[aviator189]

I dunno about that.
I imagine xbox one sales will pass up the wii u.

[Concertoine]

The wii u increased the gap minutely from may-september, but the xbone literally negated any progress in the past few months several times over. And that's without Halo or Gears. They've been riding on third party support like madden and destiny.

[frezhblunts]

lol aviator keep wishing. xbox one isnt bad it just won't pass wii u

[aviator189]

@frezhblunts

I'm not wishing.
I'm just making an observation based on current sell-rates.
A good number of people over on vgchartz have already pulled up numbers and have said that the gap between the two may be as low as ~300-400k. And if you kept up with numbers, you'd know that the xbox one has been outselling wii-u for some time now, so it's only a matter of time.

[jamstorr86]

urgh fanboys.

[ritsuka666]

Dude stop you fanatism, no one cares about console wars.

[Shnazzyone]

1.3DS
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2. PS4
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3. WII U
4. Xboxone
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5. Vita

Why nintendo will continue to post profits.

[Benjaminkno]

People forget that Nintendo was the only one out of the 3 to make a profit last gen.

Sure it's about the numbers, but it's more about the money.

The Xbox brand has yet to yield ANY profit for MS, wildly.

[Apex13]

I bet Michael Pachter feels like an idiot right now lmfao😂😂 and I hope EA and Ubisoft. Feel like idiots also.

I suppose Nintendo done a wrong play with the wii name, power and lack of features but this proves their theory of good material sells systems. Going out strong for the holidays.

[aviator189]

why? what did he say?

[clouds5]

Oh yeah I hope EA dies, they actually bet on the wrong horse this time around (xbone). I don't get why they stopped supporting the wii u. It's just a great system.

[GenericNameHere]

Not that great, but at least they made profit. The 3.6M forecast doesn't look achievable though. The Wii U certainly didn't sell a whole lot when MK8 dropped. And even with Smash U in late November, they're still fighting with XBone and PS4 for that console to get during the holidays.

[weekev15]

They are on track to exceed the 3.6 million. Remember Q3 historically sells more than the others combined.

[Benjaminkno]

Yeah, Nintendo is on track to have yet again a better holiday season with WiiU.

[jamstorr86]

Interest in the Wii U has been gaining momentum recently as the top notch exclusives from Nintendo begin to release. Anyone looking for a feature rich and fun console with a good library of exclusives, you can't go wrong with the Wii U right now. When Smash lands, I expect to see Wii u sales shoot up. Whether or not they will maintain this though is yet to be seen.

[Theyellowflash30]

Zelda, Star Fox, Splatoon, Devil's Third, Yoshi's Wolly World, and Mario Maker in 2015 will help

[jamstorr86]

it will. I just hope they keep up this momentum. If they do, Wii U owners will very much enjoy this console generation

[Mr_Writer85]

7.2 million in nearly 2 years is poor.

The WiiU is entering its third year, it should really be around the 10/12 million mark.

At this rate it will be lucky to reach that by the end of its third year.

Fanboys will talk exclusives, but it only has a small handful of them.

Do you really think MS Sony won't have as many by the end of next year? They will most likely have more. And with both getting full 3rd party support the amount of quality games will soon tower over what the WiiU has.

The WiiU is the Vita of the home consoles.

[Sm00thNinja]

Except the Wii U has several big awesome exclusives and Nintendo hasn't given up on it

[Mr_Writer85]

The Vita has some great exclusives only an stupid fanboy would ignore its exclusives.

And Nintendo are only not giving up on it as they are ignorant to its failings.

Exclusives can't keep a console a float.

Hence why both are doing awful.

Both have exclusives.

Both lack AAA 3rd party support.

Both are suffering, and will stuggle to hit million double figures.

[Concertoine]

@Mr Writer

Ignorant to its failings?! What like they just don't see that this is their worst selling console? They're supporting it because they don't know its failing... ok.

The vita does not have exclusives any more. Especially outside of Japan. Sony basically made it an indie/remote play machine. It might have 1 or 2 exclusives coming up but nothing compared to the wii u's line up.

[Sm00thNinja]

Mr_ Writer what games has the Vita gotten in the last 6 months and what games has the Wii U received also what's in the pipeline for the VITA in comparison to the Wii U for the rest of the year??? You're the most ignorant person in this thread if you think they're comparable.

[Monster_Tard]

@Mr_Writer85

"Nintendo are only not giving up on it as they are ignorant to its failings."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they are aware, which is why Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata took a pay cut awhile back due to it doing poorly at the time.

"Exclusives can't keep a console a float."

Really? because the 3DS pretty much is and doing it well, despite people saying other wise when it was struggling. You forget the Wii didn't have a lot of 3rd party support and yet it sold the most consoles it's generation. I'm not saying the Wii U will sell high numbers, but people can't predict how well a console will do at the end of it's time, might as well not even try.

[noid117]

@Mr_Writer85

What xbox is doing is not making any money. Nintendo is making money.. example here

"as a new user i cant post links but Google "Forbes xbox forth quarter hail marry"

But that's not the point. You are a nobody like me on a form so if you are going to project sales numbers,forecast how current markets are buying games, playing games, and how to be a successful a business on exclusive titles and what they should have sold by your calculations...maybe you should get off your couch and join the real world.

A person plays games for fun and not to be a stupid statistic of mindlessly buying something for the "prestige", "day one EX" and other "perks. A game is meant to bring joy like shovel knight, metal gear, the that new abomination from RARE, or anything else you like. So play on what you want if "your console" doesn't sell well you'll have to convert and sadly it probably won't be from a nintendo or sony console.

ps those companies have been around for awhile. Maybe it will be nintendo but if you hold your breath you might pass out and hit your head on your moms table and wake up and not give a shit about some one esles profits and worry about yours.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

the no law or rule or guideline where selling 7m consoles in 2 years is bad. In fact it hasn't been twp years. Nov. 18th isn't here yet.

What matters is profit. No matter how much you sell profit is what determine success. N64 and GC are prime examples and Wii U was profitable since May 2014.

[Mr_Writer85]

@Otaku
Learn to read I said NEARLY 2 years.

Which it is.

@MASBAUSTx

Wind walker isn't an exclusive its a remake
So is New Mario Bros U
Bayonetta 1 is on PS3 and 360 so how is that an exclusive?
NES remix ... Really? Over 2 decade old games with a twist as quality exclusives?
Wii U Fit is a quality exclusive?
And Wii U Party? Excuse me whilst I run out now and buy a WiiU for those games!

/end sarcasm

Mario and Sonic Olympics? Now you are just having a laugh.

Remakes, re-releases, re mixes and shovel ware. If you really think that MS and Sony wont produce more exclusives then you are dim, by the simple fact they own more studios for a start will mean they can pump out more exclusives.

And before you say "quality over quantity" just remember you named WiiU Party (meta 65), NES remix (73 meta), Game and Wario (65) Rabbids Land (52)Wii Fit U (72)

Not exactly GOTY contenders are they?

And you people wonder why the Wii U is being left behind.

@Thewackyman

Soul Sacrifice
Uncharted
Gravity Rush
Little Big Planet vita
Tearaway
Lumines
Ys: Memories of Celceta
Muramasa Rebirth
MotorStorm RC
Killzone

All of them have a 75+ metacritic score, I didn't say it had more than, I said it had some, and since some is an unspecified you could half that list and I would still be right.

Hope this helps

[IonDestroy]

@MrWriter

WindWaker isn't an exclusive because it's a remake right? Did you know that Muramasa was released on the Wii first? Actually I think it's pretty funny how you write off the WiiU's library as being full of "Remakes, re-releases, re mixes" when your own list for the Vita is populated by titles as different to their predecessors as things like New Super Mario Bros U is to its predecessors.

I'm not doubting or hating on the Vita btw, but you can't just write off a great library of games and then praise another library of games that have similar "flaws" to the one that you just wrote off. No offense but it seems to me like you're attempting to be selectively ignorant.

[Chrischi1988]

Actually, the Wiis Wii Fit was a huge success and many bought the console, just for that. Just because you dont see any value in it, doesnt mean that others dont^^

And you mentioning only these games just shows, that you have no idea about nintendo exclusives, but you mention Killzone as one good game^^ Killzone is like one of the worst shooters out there, mediocre at best. Then you give us metacritic scores, even though metacritic is the most biased source for game review scores, as many fanboys just downvote a game, but upvote the same one on their beloved plattform, it is a fanboy score system, that doesnt say much. Better are professional scores, from real journalists, but whatever. Metacritic is just a site, ruled by fanboys.

[Dunban67]

7 million in 2 years is a record poor performance- their market share is dropping and they are not making an operating profit

This fiscal year and next should be the years Nintendo makes the most money based on the life cycles of both Wii u and 3Ds- they may make a small profit this year and next but not much more- ( it is still possible they lose money in their next fiscal year ), but Nintendo has a rough road ahead

Their revenue has also dropped consistently and by a large amount over the last several year -

Do you think if Nintendo sold 100 Wii u s next year and 1000 3ds s next year but made a gross profit on them that would be ok or even good? You did say profit is all that matters

[TheWackyMan]

The psvita has some great exclusives? Can you point them out because I'm having some trouble.

[MSBAUSTX]

Nintendo Land
Mario 3D World
New Mario Bros U
DK Tropical Freeze
Pikmin 3
Loz Wind Waker HD
Hyrule Warriors
Mario Kart 8
Bayo 1/2
NES Remix 1/2
Game and Wario
Wii U Sports Club
Rabbids Land
The Wonderful 101
Mario and sonic winter Olympics
Sonic Lost World
Wii Fit U
Wii Party U
Zombi U

My friend if you can hold all of those games in one hand then you have a massive hand. To the rest of us that is a lot more than just a handfull. Perhapse you should use your fingers to help you count the number of exclusive Wii U games out and how many more are set to launch in the near future. The Wii U will have more exclusives for it even by the end of next year. So dont jump so quick to say it only has a few.

[tinkypop]

you forgot lego undercover :(
funny as game.

[MSBAUSTX]

I almost included it but couldnt remember if it was released on any other systems. So i decided to exclude it so people didnt have something to rip me apart for because I was wrong lol.

[MsmackyM]

I don't know about PS4 exclusives, I don't think Sony can afford it. That's why Sony has focussed so heavily on multiplats and indies. I wouldn't be suprised If Sony ended needing a government bailout from Japan.

[Concertoine]

@Mr_Writer

You want to talk quality?

Of the next gen consoles the Wii U has by far the highest rated exclusives.

Wii U:

Bayonetta 2: 91
SM3DW: 94
DKCTF: 83
NSMBU: 84
Pikmin 3: 87
MK8: 88
TW101: 78
Smash Bros will probably be in the 90's too.

For all it lacks in quantity, it makes up for it in quality. Focusing on party games only makes you look bitter.

[Benjaminkno]

Everybody already knows PC is the way to go for 3rd party devs... but N4G is all about the GAMERS!!

I don't understand the "lack of 3rd party games" argument for WiiU anyway. Some of the Indie games are spectacular.

[Loadedklip]

Wii U has over ten great exclusives. It is just missing what the other two systems have a ton of ... and that's full third party support.

Take away the third party support from PS4 ... what do u have left? Not much.

[deafdani]

True, but to be fair, it's probably only a matter of time until the PS4 gets a lot of high quality exclusive games, just like the PS3, PS2 and PS1 before it.

On the other hand, it's very unlikely that the Wii U will get better third party support eventually. Nintendo are on their own there.

I love my Wii U, and I think it's an awesome machine to have right now due to its exclusive games. However, to dismiss the PS4 is being a tad short sighted on its long term potential. I will definitely buy one eventually, once its game library becomes richer on the exclusive side. :)

[marloc_x]

One cannot be grossly profitable on 3rd party alone. Nintendo is in a very good position..

[InTheLab]

A ton of disagrees for the truth. Let's face it people....the WiiU is a companion console at best thanks to the lack of 3rd party support.

Games like Arkham Knight and the Witcher 3 may as well be exclusives for the PS4/XB1 because the WiiU does not have them.

7.2m in 2 years IS terrible. The only bright side to any of this is Nintendo's willingness to pump out the game that people want...with the exception of delaying Smash for Holiday sales.

[Concertoine]

Lol let me see your proof that it was delayed. I think it was launched earlier than it should have been.

My proof is that a lot of features wont even be available at launch.

Im not denying that the system has sold poorly. But spreading your misinformation is not benefitting anyone.

[Chrischi1988]

Companion console^^ Do you have any idea, how stupid it is, to count third parties as exclusives? As I remember, Xbox1 and PS4 are not in the same boat, they compete against each other, even more than the Wii U does with them. Then you fail miserably, because all of these turd party games, are also coming to PC. So out of 4 plattforms, a game releases on 3 of them and you have the nerve to call them exclusives, lol!!!

You know, doesnt matter which console you own, the Wii U will always be worth it, but if you have a PS4 and you want to play Halo, have fun paying for the console, just for Halo, as they share most of the library. Wii U will always remain its worth, it has the most exclusives and will have the most of them. It misses a lot of 3rd parties, then get another console, you at least dont have to worry about having bought a console, for just 1 game.

[Theyellowflash30]

Wii U and 3DS are my main consoles. Not everyone loves shooters and western games.

The Wii U has far more quality games than PS4 and Xbox One.

Sony's first party exclusives are kind of trash:

DriveClub, Knack, Killzone.... ehhhh

The only decent one is Infamous Second Son. The Wii U and 3DS have more games with free online play.

PLUS PS4 and Xbox One do not have a lot of Japanese style games, and this years GOTY is on the Wii U: Bayonetta 2.

You can call if a companion console, but Its my main home console due to Smash Bros, Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, and free online play.

[WPX]

@Theyellowflash30

So do I. Wii U (Bayo 2 fo' life!) and 3DS are my Gen-8 main systems, with the XBONE as my companion console (Sunset Overdrive is really good too).

The only bad thing is financials. If they keep dropping great games at this rate, I can only forecast bad things to my wallet.

[stragomccloud]

Do you have fun in your little bubble there? I know it's scary, but reality is a pretty nice place too!

[Big_Game_Hunters]

More like all the exclusives lol... PS4 and Xbox one don't even have 85+ rated third parties and exclusives let alone 90+

[truechainz]

I think you missed the point of the release. No duh the wii u isn't selling well. The point now is to reach profitability. You need to be able think short and long term to see the significance of this, so just pointing out poor their sales shows that they are miles ahead of you in thought about this.

[ARESWARLORD]

Looking foward to playing smash with my son. I got your back Nintendo.

[lameguy]

Awesome news! The big 3 all doing fairly well. And Zynga hurting more and more with every passing day.

Celebrations all around!

[R00bot]

But what if I like FarmVille?

jks nobody likes FarmVille.

[Sincere0121]

Well Done Nintendo.
Ps4 has more sales because thats where the causuals live now, casuals follow hype and trend, It was the Wii last Gen, Now they have moved on to the Ps4 and unfortunately the casuals always out number real gamers.

Wii U has better Games for real gamers.

Ps4 has better sales due to hype and uneducated casuals.

[DanZeeMan]

Absolute waffle, don't tar everyone with the same brush, I'm no PS fan boy as I own a xbox one, saying the majority of ps4 owners are casual is just ignorant, where is your data to back up such a biased view? And what represents a "casual"? Someone who doesn't use your choice of console? Uneducated comment with no logic behind it, the Wii U isn't a failure its just not everyone's cup of tea, sales mean nothing so stop your butt hurt

[tinkypop]

PlayStation executive Andrew House has all ready said,

"Our big opportunity is to welcome back an audience much earlier in the lifecycle that possibly bought into the Wii previously," House said. "Whether it's based on this is a really good all-round entertainment device for a family in addition to having great games, our consumer data suggests some of those people are already coming in now and that's what's contributing to the really great sales we've had."

Sony said previously that almost 50 percent of current PS4 owners never purchased a PS3. To accommodate those owners who are new to the PlayStation ecosystem, House said Sony is interested in remastering back-catalog games for the PS4. One such title is Naughty Dog's acclaimed action game The Last of Us, which a huge proportion of PS4 owners have never played.

Read into that any anyway you like.
:)

[GordonKnight]

Sony has great sales because of the media coverage. All the sheepish gamers jumped on the bandwagon. Don't get me wrong I love my PS4, but Nintendo is overcoming all the bad press it has received towards the Wii U. The way I see it the PS4 & X1 are for the mainstream gamers.

I have all three console and October is a great month to be a gamer.

Sunset Overdrive-X1
Shadow of Mordor-PS4
Bayonetta 1/2- Wii U

Next month is great too.

Halo Collection-X1
Far Cry 4-PS4
Super Smash Bros-Wii U

The power of three consoles.

[Kevlar009]

Personally I can't do much to influence WiiU sales, but I can say my WiiU collection will only grow with time, I'll easily meet my average number of game purchases for a console by the end of the generation (around 15 per console).

There was no denying despite being the "casual console" with low power the Wii still had a mighty arsenal of exclusives, which will continue with the WiiU. It still needs Smash, still needs Zelda and a Mario game to define the generation, and I can't wait for Xenoblade X, which if it follows the right path could be THE current gen RPG to play.

My faith in Nintendo was shaken at the start of the generation, but after buying the MK8 bundle, and seeing the quality put in not only one game but the entire line-up and even DLC getting the proper treatment fills me with joy once again. Every 1st-2nd party release only reconfirms the Nintendo Quality that so few others can match. If you can't see the love put into every Nintendo game, as exemplified by Smash Bros, then I have nothing else to say.

It keeps getting better and better. There is no more waiting, greatness is here and I am proud to say it.

[aviator189]

I absolutely intend to buy a wii-u when the next zelda drops.

[tinkypop]

Im all ready over 25+games in on my wii u collection:)
The backlog is getting silly now and still need to buy DK/ hyrule.
Smash next, then may give the bank account few weeks off till New year.

[shaw98]

Nice numbers. Not losing money, making profit. Keeping the money in the bank.

[Emme]

The elephant in the room asks: is this a sign that the kind of games the Wii U offers isnt in demand anymore ? Does Nintendo lack the instinct to develop games for people who love GTA5', Destiny or Skylanders ? Are the Nintendo characters not appealing enough anymore ? Its interesting, Neither Ms nor Sony have such a broad palette of character focused games, basically every Nintendo game is about a character like Mario or Zelda. Ms has mature heroes like Halo and Gears of War, Sony has Nathan Drake, Kratos. Maybe the time of chubby plumbers is almost over.

[benji101]

Wait, you read nintendo is making money, right?
What happened in your brain after you read that... Was it like mass denial?

[jayzablade]

Sorry....what game can i find Nathan Drake and Kratos in....enlighten me!!

[CaptainN]

So did you just decide to ignore Bayonetta 1&2 being released(pretty much top rated game of the year)....as well as next years exclusive Devils Third since your so focused on "MATURE CONTENT"? Oh and please do go on how the gaming world is over Mario considering Mario Kart 8 is doing very well and Smash Bros will sell like crazy in a few weeks!!

[truechainz]

Well the demand overall for those characters seems to be there since their 3DS game sales compete with any of the characters you listed for Sony and MS. It seems the trend is that games with well known recurring characters for all consoles don't move units like the games you mentioned (GTA Skylanders). It seems more of a question of desiring the platforms rather than desiring the characters. I personally think there will always be a place for all of them.

[Bubbamilk]

It's funny what people think makes a mature game. Blood, cussing, and a cheesy and predictable story. I always get the feeling that 12 year olds are bringing up maturity in games.

A quick example. The last of us. It was a great game but every plot twist I saw coming. The only thing that truly surprised me was the last 2 minutes, and that was a holy crap it's over? Really? Surprise.

And don't get me started on infamous ss. That game was so cheesy. It was made for twelve year olds and they tossed in cussing to make the kids feel cool. The only thing I dint expect was delsin being a Native American.

With that said there hasn't been a Nintendo exclusive that hasn't filled me with joy and wonder. I am surprised consistently throughout the game. Each level brings more unique gameplay over and over. Even Mario 3d world which wasn't as good as a real 3d Mario, was still just one amazing surprise after the next. When these kids grow up I really hope they have Nintendo. Because when u get mid 20s to 30s a lot of the time u feel like u have seen it all. The only one left with surprises for me is Nintendo.

Imagination should be the beginning of every game and at Nintendo it is the primary focus.

[CAB1802]

Well, kudos to you Nintendo, keep up making better games than Sony

[Moonman]

Love Wii U and so much more is yet to come. Go Ninty!!!!

[ritsuka666]

What a sad situation. At least they made profit. Hang in there Nintendo. Hopefully you gonna full force next generation.

[CrazedFiend]

@Benjaminkno

Congrats. I just made u a profit ;)

[Benjaminkno]

Ummm.... what?

[N4g_null]

Sweet and unity3d is coming! New 3ds is out! I can see indies supporting this console for 5 more years. I think nintendo is about to make the wiiu the ultimate collectors console. The r and d has been combined. Gpgpu computing is making some strides. The tools are maturing at a good rate. Lots of projects where put on hold to make sure the growing pains of nintendo where not systemic. Now we all see a return to profit hopefully nintendo can become more aggressive about the lineage of its console and start offering software that can be played on any of Nintendo next gen systems. Then scaling to new hardware and enhancements would just be a matter of hardware with no need for remastered games.

We will all see what happens.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

People will still try to say Nintendo is doomed. Just visit NeoGAF and see for yourself.

Congratulations Nintendo! Proving haters wrong since 1889.

[Moonman]

You can say that again. :)

[AWBrawler]

I really didn't have to comment on the hate, because somebody was always there to point out the flaws in the crap the haters were saying. anyway, congrats Nintendo. I can't wait for SPLATOON next year.... oh and Xenoblade, zelda, kirby, yoshi, devil's third, mario maker, star fox, and other unannounced stuffs

[Emme]

Folks, what I was talking about wasnt the momentary decrease in Nintendo's race to the bottom, but the fact that Mario Kart and Mario 3D World sold badly on Wii U compared to their respective predecessors makes me worry. I mean despite these awesome games we have now on the U, it sells just a fourth of what the Xbone with its comparatively thin line up. The U sells less than the Cube ! And I dont think its the price tag ! But I also cant believe those 14 million PS4s went to graphic enthousiasts either, so You excuse it with the hardware gap. I fear that this gen, Mario&Co just arent cool enough to attract customers. So while MK 8 sold more on the U than Destiny or Titanfall on Xbox One, customers generally favour the Xbox One when they buy a console. Its confusing. I wonder if the majority of Wii customers think the U is just an addon.