Hey, a console launched last week! I know, right? A real, honest-to-god new console, something we haven't had since 2006. In console years, that was like a hundred years ago. Undoubtedly, you are all dying to know how well this new console, otherwise known as Nintendo's Wii U, did at retail its opening week. The answer is...
400,000! At least, that's the number Nintendo is touting in its hardware sales round-up for the last week. According to a statement released to CNET, that number has left the Wii U "essentially sold out of retail." That would seem to jive with personal accounts from various Internet users, who have often reported seeing one or two consoles at most available at stores.
That 400,000 number is down from the 600,000 sold by the original Wii in its launch week. As many may remember, the Wii was almost completely sold out of retail for long periods following its launch, and continued to sell out shipments for weeks afterward. Incidentally, Nintendo reports that it sold 300,000 original Wii units last week.
Between Wiis and handheld systems, Nintendo pulled out a total of 1.2 million hardware units sold last week, which is certainly a tidy number. While the Wii U's near sellout is a positive sign for the hardware maker, it'll be interesting to see how the console does as it becomes more readily available in stores. Would also be curious to see how software attach rates are sussing out.
For purely anecdotal research, a question: Did you grab a Wii U this past week? And if so, what games did you grab with it?
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