Nintendo sold almost 438,000 Wii units to eager UK gamers in just five months, smashing targets set by the console manufacturer.
"We've sold close to 438,000 Wiis in the UK in five months. It's really hard to have targets - we have seen unprecedented demand," Nintendo UK Boss, David Yarnton, told MCV.
"Yes, we set targets originally and we have definitely exceeded those. They are continually being re-assessed all the time," he said.
Nintendo's motion-controlled console has remained to be sold out in much of the country as the huge demand continues to outstrip supply. Wii has currently sold 5.84 million units worldwide.
Meanwhile, DS continues its worldwide storm, souring past 3.1 million in UK alone, and clocking up a colossal 40 million sales worldwide.
Comments
35 comments so far...
andyaubs on 11 May '07 said:
Its a good time if you have shares in Nintendo then.
Dajmin on 11 May '07 said:
5.84 million, eh?
That's about the same number of mini-games released for the console too.
leefear1 on 11 May '07 said:
Lol
can't wait for the AAA games to come out though. I need some smash bros action!
Garfunkle20 on 11 May '07 said:
I'm one of those numbers! ^^
vulcanraven01 on 11 May '07 said:
Well done Nintendo. They have proved me wrong. I was one of the many people that thought Nintendo would crash and burn with Wii but they have proved those people wrong for the time being. My main concern is th lack of quality games. It seems its going to be the same as GC software-wise, with Nintendo being the only one releasing worthwhile games meaning you get at most 2-3 quality games per year.
I have to say though, if the new Super Smash turns out to be amazing, has the option to use a normal controller and has online play, then i may very well be tempted to pick up a Wii...
DeejUK on 11 May '07 said:
Surely this can't last, especially when the mainstream realises that motion controls just aren't that good?
I'm trying to think of one Wii game that doesn't frustrate me by mis-recognising my actions... Probably Super Monkey Ball, but that than that it's just not terribly reliable.
dead_head1 on 11 May '07 said:
Dammit this means that Nintendo can keep thinking that they can release a mediocre console with mediocre games. When will the world learn that the Wii is just a gimmick, one of which i sadly fell into. I have an 360 now, but if nintendo keep heading this way and p**sing off some of their oldest and hardcore fans then i say let them shoot themeselves in the foot, as after the mainstream have bought the console and got bored, what will be left, nothing but us hardcore gamers and Nintendo will have none by that time.
BlindFish on 11 May '07 said:
I'm getting to think that these articles are written by monkeys:
souring? Like milk perhaps?
As for the Wii detractors... If Nintendo manage to get enough Wiis into mainstream player's houses I suspect they won't give much of a toss what hardcore gamers think, as they'll have a big enough user base to make a tidy profit.
Why else do things like the Sims make the top of the charts on a regular basis? That's not sales to hardcore gamers surely? The mass market buy into 'gimmicks' in a big way and keep lapping them up (note: IMO the Wii is a fantastic console). Of course this is something of a double-edged sword as the mass-market are also less likely to demand sprawling epics like Zelda, and are more likely to want fast and simple games == mini-game hell
thelazyone on 11 May '07 said:
well, i bought my wii around 2 to 3 months ago and while ringing HMV on Oxford Street, the guy on the phone was like "nintendo seem to give us wii's when they feel like it".
I think they are doing the classic suply vs demand. I think they are keep the supply low because it maintains the high demand. As long as people still havnt played one, then they feel like their missin out and the demand stays high.
Very clever from Nintendo.
ste hicky on 11 May '07 said:
how many 'hardcore' gamers bought the n64 or the gamecube? nintendo NEED the mainstream.sony had the 'casuals' for two generations and they did fine,now all the casuals think they're hardcore!? oh well.
darren_mccoy on 11 May '07 said:
I remember when people thought that Pokemon was a gimmick and a fad. Look how wrong they are.
I got a Wii at launch and I think its a great machine. Sure it could do with a few more games, but it's only been out five months. Just give it a chance.
ted1138 on 11 May '07 said:
It'll not last though, eventually casual gamers will get bored with the same old tacked on motion controls and dump it, and the hardcore gamers will move on to the 360/PS3 and PC when they see games like GTA3 and Crysis.
I give it a year.
ted1138 on 11 May '07 said:
ste hicky on 11 May '07 said:
a year? i seem to remember hearing the same thing about the ds. that's also what people were giving nintendo before they went multiformat (seems mad now doesn't it?)around 3-4 years ago. as long as i get mario galaxy,metroid prime 3,f-zero,pilotwings,mario kart,FF;CC,etc... i'll be happy.add gta4,halo 3,dmc 4,etc and i think it's gonna be a cool gaming winter.
leefear1 on 11 May '07 said:
I think most hardcore gamers will already have a 360 and have a wii for a different type of gaming. I have my 360 for traditional(but slowly getting boring and unoriginal) games and I have a wii for the potential that it offers to creative developers. I love Excite truck and ssx blur as although they are not particularly groundbreaking, the controls give them a fresh feel. I agree that there will be tons of rubbish released on the wii but that is just a consequence of lazy developers jumping on a successfull platform (after all look at all the rubbish released for ps1 and ps2). I must say though that if just a small percentage of the huge amount of games that will inevitably get released on wii turn out great then I will be more than happy.
Whiteball on 11 May '07 said:
I don't think the Wii can be judged and put into either a hardcore or casual type camp.
The type of people that play games now and then or for five minutes here and there, not the hours of dedication that some do, enjoy and like different types of games and also look for different things. So types of game and quality don't really come into it for them like it may do for a 'hardcore' person.
Graphics, sound and control methods all get looked at in a different way and don't mean the same thing as they may to others, so it appeals or doesn't appeal for completely different reasons. You can't measure it against anything but the person in question who will judge it against there personal likes/dislikes.
This is why it is popular, we are all individuals and see different aspects of it, be they good or bad, in different and varied ways and the sales so far show it to be fairly popular, and there are not many adverts for second hand ones or ebay listings, so it would seems those that have bought them, like them.
Chris_Eals on 11 May '07 said:
I think this is a little negative isn't it? The Wii has still only been out for a few months and because its so different from previous conoles its not surprising that its taking time for developers to really get to grips with the motion controls. Bear in mind that the 360 has been out for over a year now and the only games that people really rave about on it are Oblivion and Gears of War (I know there's more but those are the big two).
I think its only a matter of time until we start seeing some really quality software on the Wii, probably about Christmas time to give it a big boost. Nintendo always pull out the goods with their main titles, even the 'worst' ones tend to be better than all of their rivals, point-in-fact, the biggest criticism I ever hear people make about Super Mario Sunshine was that it just wasn't as good as Super Mario 64.
But sadly I think we'll see shoddy conversions with tacked on motion controls for all of the consoles lifespan, its happeend with the DS and as long as there are people who will buy any crap that either has a license or has been marketed well it just won't go away as publishers make themselves some quick and easy money.
MisterBedo on 11 May '07 said:
Nintendo have been doing 'games' for a very long time and they know what they're doing. Why are people slagging them off for producing something genuinely innovative ? Particularly when that something appears to be doing very well...
All this stuff about how Nintendo will fail when people get fed up with the gimmicks like motion control is utter rubbish.
How many of you with 360s or PS3s will go out and buy 'Generic Beat 'Em Up 8' or 'Same Footy Game With Different Teams 07' ? I'll wager that it's quite a few of you. Look at the excitement that's already building over the new Tekken and VF......
So the Wii doesn't have a fantastic catalogue of games yet, but anyone with the slightest clue about video game history will know that Nintendo have always been like this. The shortage of decent N64 games just after release was a major bitching point back in the day.
So what if it's only appealing to the casual gamers at the mo ? More people playing games results in more money being put back into the industry, and this can only be a good thing for us gamers, surely ?
Peace
nb_nmare2 on 11 May '07 said:
9/10 people who slag off the Wiimote don't realise you can adjust the sensitivity via the system options.
Demoki on 11 May '07 said:
9 outta 10 people who dont like the wii motion controls dont realise i am a hermaphrodite
dandoc2 on 11 May '07 said:
5months in and all it shows is that ninty is the master of marketing the game has little to no decent games and promises of metroid and mario are luring ppl in
5.84 million that figure doesnt sound too gr8 5months on as the demand will die a bit now -- i think it may rival the 360 shipments but barely
ted1138 on 11 May '07 said:
I'm not trashing the Wii, I have one and enjoy playing Excite truck and SSX blur a lot, but I am starting to get tired of the Wii-mote, it has it's uses, just like the touch screen on the DS, but it's a bit of jack of all trades when it comes to controlling conventional games. And people will tire of poor graphics(when compared to PC/360/ps3).
blackholes on 11 May '07 said:
One of the major points you have to remember about Nintendo and the Wii is that they want to entice non-gamers thats one of the major points when they first marketed the Wii. By tapping into this market it may be possible for these people who play all these 'mini-games' games to purchase more 'hardcore' games eventually and become a gamer. (I do realise the divide is not as clear cut). Working at the shop I do I have noticed many people coming in asking for recommendations and I happily point them in the direction of Zelda (IMO:everyone should play this before they die) and Red Steel (not amazing but still) and when I explain the concept of the games they're intrigued and purchase it. Although they're seems to be a drought of key titles at the moment this is exactly what happened when the DS came out. Everyone assumed the DS would die because of no games over the first summer after the initial launch titles. People who complain about the Wii only need wait until the likes of Mario, Metroid, Smash Bros., Soul Calibur, Mario Kart, Guitar Hero 3, Super Paper Mario, Trauma Centre (amongst others) and it looks increasingly better.
Mr Vengeance on 11 May '07 said:
Well done Nintendo. Now all we need are some worthwhile games....
mrbones on 11 May '07 said:
Whatever anyone says the wii's new direction is a breath of fresh air for the industry!
Oh and the figures put up are one months old 'In the current year, Nintendo said it aimed to sell 14m Wii consoles, up from 5.84m units in the fiscal year ended in March' check http://www.ft.com/cms/s/03e16e94-f3c9-1 ... 10621.html
Current figures from the maybe not so reliable nexgen wars put it at close to 7 million.
Doesnt look like the gimmick is fading yet!
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ste hicky on 11 May '07 said:
nintendo,masters of marketing!? this is a joke,surely? up until the release of the ds and wii nintendo couldn't market an orgy in a whorehouse (bedtime kids,go on).
davelk on 11 May '07 said:
Your knocking the WII, yet you cant get one for dear life.
I play 3 mmos i have a ds,wii,360,pc and i love the Wii its different.
mrbones on 11 May '07 said:
Couldnt agree with davelk more the wii is just different. I do have a xbox 360 and i just find all the games are just too similar to what has happened before but with better graphics, i play my dreamcast more at the moment! Credit where its due, x box live is great but the games on the system have not pulled me back enough to say it is a good system yet. The wii may not have that many killer aps at the present moment but im hoping that it will provide more than the current overkill of shooters on the x box 360.
Karis on 12 May '07 said:
Remember, it's human nature: the more people are told they CAN'T have something, the more they want it.
It's worked SO well with the Wii
Personally, I think it's a gimmicky piece of crap - could have potential, if the graphics were an advancement, instead of falling back on the 'it's gameplay that matters'...
Yeah, whatever! Sounds like a cheap way to get rid of all those Gamecube parts, if you ask me!
I've got a Wii, and I went back to my PS2 to play all those great games of recent months.
Stewgeary999 on 12 May '07 said:
I don't agree with all these people who are saying "we only want it because we can't have it". It's not like it's some major quest to get one, you put your money down and you get one when it arrives in the shop. I can't imagine people walking onto the high street, seeing the 360 and the PS3 sitting there on the shelf and thinking "oh dear, I don't want these that I could actually pick up now and walk out of here with, I'd much prefer to wait a few weeks".
On the subject of graphics, I think it's more about the style of game that is being portrayed, rather than hardware. Look at that latest Bomberman on the 360, as an example, they upped the graphics just because they could and took away all the charm. When the PSP came out, many people were of the opinion that you may as well bin your DS right there because of it's lack of graphical oomph.
Look how that turned out. There's still some gems that keep turning up in the midst of all those crappy Brain Traing and Sudoku rip-offs.
I like having access to more than one console, so that I can play whatever quality games come out, regardless of graphics. A crap game with great graphics is a crap game, while a good game with great graphics is made all the better for it. And a bird in the hand is worth... Hold on, my brain's freezing up.
These developers who say that they can't do anything on the Wii, because of a lack of hardware just mean they can't be arsed to try. Their days are spent only trying to push their graphics forward, while not changing their actual game very much (see Unreal). Or you have others, who just port over PS2 or Gamecube games, tack on some poor motion controls and get the Wii a bad name in the process.
Anyway, that is the end of my rant.
P.S. I love Unreal by the way, it was just an example.
Demoki on 12 May '07 said:
April sales figures in Japan for all consoles
DS Lite: 702,844
DS: 2, 211
PSP: 158,291
GBA SP: 3,749
GB Micro: 3,626
PS2: 67,673
Wii: 287,722
PS3: 71,247
Xbox 360: 17,094
GameCube: 258
Well done on PS3 outselling PS2 by nearly 4k
aj101 on 13 May '07 said:
^Those sales figures are pretty incredible.
You obviously don't know that the architecture is sufficiently different to dispel that myth. And the graphics shouldn't be as bad as most games have portrayed. Of course they are not going to compare to the 360 or the PS3, but each and every game released on the Wii should look as good if not better than the top games on the last generation of consoles.
Your comment on playing your PS2 also doesn't apply just to Nintendo's console. The 360 is only starting to get a decent catalogue of games while the Wii and PS3 are probably still months away from being worthwhile purchases.
If you wanted to play games you should also pick up all of the old GC gems that you haven't played and use some of the Wii's backwards compatibility.
DaRockwilder1 on 13 May '07 said:
I wonder how many of that figure still play the thing; I haven’t touched mine for two months.
The worrying thing about the Wii is that Nintendo aren’t releasing enough games themselves.
xbox.360 on 14 May '07 said:
Nintendo Wii is superb. Wii Sports is great fun, Wii Play etc. But how can you say a console is rubbish. It has my fave games coming to it. I have already pre-ordered
Resident Evil
Nights: Journey of Dreams (sequel to my Sega Saturn classic Nights into dreams and Christmas Nights, which i still own on my saturn)
Trauma Centre
all 3 released this year, can't wait for Nights though, probably my most looked forward to game of the year...11 years after the release of the original on the sega saturn. Thanks Sega. All you need to do now is bring out Shenmue 3 for all consoles and PC.. I hope that happens soon.
Also, I got so bored of XBox360 waiting for games I wanted to play, and quite honestly I am so bored sitting there with an control pad playing on XBox Live which is full of idiots from around the world who don't talk on the headset, don't play fair and are just boring, hardcore games who spoil the fun of the service.
I got rid of my 360 for the Wii, because, like Sega consoles, it concentrates on fun, and not the hardcore boring gamers who have nothing better to do with their time than play games...the original XBox and XBox Live was far better, at least players spoke to you and were varied in skill and it was fun to play.
XBox Live is just full of boring games from America and Mexico now..yawn yawn...
MisterBedo on 14 May '07 said:
Yeah, who needs gameplay when you've got decent graphics , eh?
Remember all those games full of FMV clips when PCs first started to use CDs ? Weren't those games great ?