Nintendo Believed Wii U Would Outsell The Wii
The Wii U, no matter what happens in the final amount of time it is out on the market, is widely going to be considered a failure. While its had many best selling titles, and a library most Nintendo fans are proud of, its hardware sales were fledgling from launch to now. This was odd to many, as the previous Nintendo console, the Wii, was not only a major seller, but it’s one of the highest selling consoles of all time.
During a shareholders meeting, current Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that at first, the company projected the Wii U could match or surpass the Wii.
“In an internal sales representative meeting, someone projected that we would sell close to 100 million Wii U systems worldwide,” Kimishima said during the meeting. “The thinking was that because Wii sold well, Wii U would follow suit.”
Kimishima also took blame for why the sales not only fell flat, but also why the marketing wasn’t as good as it could be. Leaving many confused as to whether the Wii U was an expansion of the Wii, or a truly new console.
“I was responsible for selling the Wii U, and I knew what was good about it, so I talked with those in charge of sales about the importance of conveying the attractiveness of Wii U to consumers,” Kimishima explained. “I am guessing that some of this communication may have come across in a negative tone.”
The NX is aiming to be a truly special Nintendo console. We’ll have to see how well it does.