Wii U sales have reportedly risen by 125 per cent in the UK thanks to a new batch of game releases and an unofficial console price drop.
According to retail sources speaking to MCV, sales of the Wii U have suddenly surged with the release of the Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate game. In fact, almost half of the revenue generated by Wii U software during that week was attributed to Capcom’s shooter.
The week previous to the Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate release, the Wii U was treated to the launch of LEGO City Undercover, but despite the game’s popularity it failed to boost hardware sales.
However, as predicted, Nintendo’s latest console has been boosted by the introduction of a few new titles to revitalise its fairly limited game library. Last month, Managing Director of Ubisoft France studios, Xavier Poix said that the Wii U sales would rise with AAA game additions, or some that fully utilize the Nintendo Wii U’s dual-screen functionality.
In addition to the new crop of games, Wii U sales have been bolstered by an unofficial price drop from a variety of British retailers. Amazon UK was the latest to cut the price of the Wii U, offering the Nintendo Wii U Premium pack and Basic bundle for £50 less than the RRP.
Asda and ShopTo were also seen to drop the price to the same figures as Amazon a month earlier, with ShopTo even offering the Nintendo Wii U Basic package to £190 rather than the £249.99 official price tag.
Wii U sales have struggled since the console was launched in November last year, forcing Nintendo cut its annual sales forecast to 4 million units from 5.5 million. Demand for the innovative console has waned too, with estimates suggesting January sales in the US for the console stood somewhere in the region of 45,000 to 59,000 units.
With the boost in sales in the UK, the Nintendo Wii U could be looking at a slightly brighter future, especially as the console will soon be getting Resident Evil Revolutions, Wii Fit U, and Pikmin 3 to add to its game collection.
Despite the sales boost, the Wii U still trails a long way behind the successful Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, and may not be able to stand up to competition when the PS4 and Xbox 720 hit stores.
