Since the Xbox One reveal, the WiiU has increased from rank 380 to 40th on the videogame sales ranking on Amazon UK due to an 875% sales increase... Nintendo has been having extra trouble in the UK (in fact they have since the Gamecube) so it has been no surprise that sales have been low here. But I why the huge increase after the Xbox Event. Who are the people that were looking at the Xbox event and going "clearly I should buy a WiiU now"? What expectations did they have for the Xbox One, and how is the WiiU fitting those needs?

--Edit-- Just thought I would say that I know that ranking changes and percentages are questionable when they start from a low amount - and so a smaller number of people can buy and seem like a large number - but I am more questionable about the idea behind it at all as to why someone would wait for the Xbox One reveal, then buy a WiiU... all before E3.

Whatever the starting point, an 875% increase is a pretty big jump.

What it doesnt mention is that apparently a day or two before the reveal Amazon also lowered the Wii U's price which is probably more likely the reason for the sale spike.

Maybe some people realized that new consoles are coming. Then they searched a bit around the internet and noticed: "Holy shit, there is a new Wii! I love my Wii!"

Or not, I don't know how British consumers think.

Sales of Earthbound for the Wii U are up 2,017%

Edit: You know what, it's GB so I'll clarify; The "sales rank" of Earthbound also took a huge jump on Amazon.co.uk, despite not being a product which exists or that they sell. It's almost as if sales rank isn't a measure of sales figures, huh.

While, yes, Nintendo haven't been as hot in the UK for a while but do you not recall the Wii? Like everywhere else in the world, that Wii sold like figurative hotcakes in Britian (the DS was pretty okay too). Granted, like elsewhere, it's died off since but Nintendo still have a huge foothold in the UK.

That has only been on the site for a day.

I looked at a price over-time site and it seems to have changed price three times in the past 4 days. Weird.

@icemo: I assume they think like this:

"Oi, there's a new Wii! I love my bloody Wii!"

That's probably accurate.

It's also a product that they have sold 0 units of.

Sales ranking. Not sales.

Blimey!

@rebgav: Is it even a real product? I think only some versions of Amazon even think it exists (with Nintendo not saying that it will be a retail release).

Good news for Nintendo, but the increase sales more likely have something to do with the fact Amazon just slashed the price. Not so much with the fact people are disappointed with the Xbox One.

@dixavd: No, I don't think it's an actual retail product.

Title and op are factually inaccurate. The "875%" represents to the changing of it's sales rank, not the increase in units or $$ sold. It's impossible to tell what kind of increase in sales would be required to move from 380th to 40th. Almost certainly some increase, but not necessarily a massive increase.

I can get a WiiU now for €215 now.. I expect the price to drop below 200 before the end of the year. So the sales increases will probably come.

I can get a WiiU now for €215 now.. I expect the price to drop below 200 before the end of the year. So the sales increases will probably come.

Moral of the story: Don't ever listen to any number anybody tries to tell you.

They were selling it at £150 a couple of weeks ago, like many places in the UK were.

Nintendo is doomed.