There’s no denying that the recent press conference where Microsoft officially revealed the upcoming Xbox One had a mixed reception among consumers and analysts alike. What makes it even more interesting is that the response to the system may be affecting other, non-Microsoft consoles.
Case in point: The Wii U. The system has already built a reputation for selling well below Nintendo’s early predictions, and a common consensus was the idea that most hardcore gamers were waiting for the Xbox One and/or PlayStation 4 to invest in instead. But after the early response to Xbox One, the Wii U is finding itself getting a sizable boost in sales, at least in the United Kingdom. It was found that Amazon.co.uk ranked the premium Wii U bundle at 50th place in the site’s “Movers and Shakers” list some time after the May 21 Microsoft conference. What makes this notable? Mainly the fact that before, the Wii U was sitting at 243rd place. That’s a 386-percent increase in sales. Additional Wii U accessories such as sensor bars, charging docks, and Wii Remotes are also enjoying an increase in sales.
Considering that there hasn’t been a major exclusive release for the Wii in recent months, it’s doubtful that this sales increase is due to the actions of Nintendo themselves. The biggest possibility is that consumers who were originally curious about the Xbox One lost interest after the initial burst of news regarding the upcoming Microsoft console and its features, and may have decided to jump ship for now to Nintendo’s side of the camp.
While Nintendo might be patting themselves on the back right now due to this recent success story, it should be kept in mind that even with this growth, the Wii U’s overall install base is considerably small than other systems, and it will need to continue increasing if the company hopes to make any profit off the system. Given that Nintendo has confirmed another Nintendo Direct online stream that will introduce major Wii U titles like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart, if the company’s lucky, they may be able to start gaining steam with the Wii U and turn their fortunes around, similar to how the 3DS managed to recover from its lackluster launch window. As always, only time will tell.
What do you think of this news? Are you more interested in the Wii U after the announcement of Xbox One, or are you more interested in purchasing a PS4 or simply sticking with the current generation of consoles? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. As always, we will keep you updated on more Wii U news as it’s announced.