Despite getting off to a swift start in 2012 Wii U sales have begun to taper off, according to the most recent data from the NPD Group. An insider with the access to January’s console sales data told Gamasutra that Nintendo sold “well under 100,000 units” in the month.
Comparatively, Microsoft sold over 200,000 Xbox 360 consoles in the same period. The website suggests that Nintendo sold somewhere between 45,000 and 59,000 consoles last month, which would indicate a significant drop when compared to previous generations for Nintendo.
Nintendo’s Wii is also outselling the Wii U in terms of software sales as well. A look at the top selling games in the month that had a Wii and Wii U version available, showed that the Wii came out on top each and every time.
Those who have already taken the plunge and purchased a Wii U have voiced their concern with the lack of new software for the console. Nintendo has been saying that new content is on the horizon, but with publishers like Ubisoft delaying highly anticipated titles like Rayman Legends until later in the year, this wait isn’t getting any easier to stomach.
Nintendo has already been out in front of these lagging sales figures with the company CEO telling fans that the they are fully committed to the new console. Those hoping for a price drop similar to that found in the early life of the Nintendo 3DS handheld, might have a long wait ahead of them. Though it did work for the Nintendo 3DS against Sony’s PlayStation Vita, and could be Nintendo’s last card to play against Sony when they release their highly anticipated PlayStation 4.
