[WiiU] Nintendo Is Beating Microsoft In Video Game Hardware Sales

[MrBill]

Good article from Forbes on Nintendo's financial situation and why calls for them to pull out of the console business are premature.

Nintendo Is Beating Microsoft In Video Game Hardware Sales

Nintendo has been in the news a lot lately, largely thanks to the lackluster sales of the company’s Wii U console.

Many have urged Nintendo to either abandon their hardware business outright and make their IP cross-platform, or to get into mobile gaming as soon as possible. Mario on mobile would be a sure hit, the argument goes.

I’ve voiced my doubts about both these ideas in the past, noting that Nintendo has no debt and is sitting on around $8.6 billion in cash and equivalents.

Beyond this, it’s odd to me that while many have urged Nintendo to drop out of the hardware race, the company continues to sell more hardware units than rival Microsoft.

The latest global sales chart from VGChartz shows the Wii U just 12,266 units short of the Xbox One for the week ending February 22nd:

But if you tally up sales for the 3DS, Wii U, and Wii you get a total 178,415 units sold globally.

Compare that to the 85,551 units combined in Xbox One and Xbox 360 sales and there’s a difference of 92,864 units in Nintendo’s favor.

Sony still leads the pack, with 449,705 PS4 units and a surprising 59,041 PS3 units sold worldwide. This number is bolstered by the launch of the PS4 in Japan.

Now, as is always the case with VGChartz, the standard disclaimer applies: The website offers estimates only. Harder data comes with NPD numbers. For February 2014, those numbers will be released on March 13th.

It’s also important to point out that the Xbox One is not available in Japan, though Microsoft has never been able to make a splash in that region and I’m doubtful that will change with the Xbox One.

Even though VGChartz only offers estimates, the fact remains that the 3DS has been a huge seller for Nintendo, and was the top-selling video game system of 2013.

Between the 3DS, the Wii U, and the Wii Nintendo is maintaining reasonably decent sales, though without the 3DS we’d have a very different, and far more bleak, story on our hands.

Sony is the clear winner at the moment, with continued breakaway success for the PS4 and strong sales of the PS3 (though the PS Vita continues to struggle.)

Nintendo is in much less trouble than many suggest thanks to the 3DS.

And Microsoft is facing a very real uphill battle, with sales of its Xbox One barely outpacing the Wii U and falling behind the PS3. Maybe Titanfall will help.

(The top-selling games for the same week from VGChartz places Sony’s PS4 exclusive Knack on top, with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze in second place.)

 

[SethMode]

Nintendo beating them isn't a surprise to me, considering it's solely because of the 3DS. I think that a bigger deal is that the PS3 is outselling the Juan. It really goes to show how much damage MS did to their image during that PR shitshow.

 

[Pitty]

Wow, it's almost like there's a market where the XBONE isn't sold and WiiU is...oh, wait.

 

[MrBill]

Nintendo beating them isn't a surprise to me, considering it's solely because of the 3DS. I think that a bigger deal is that the PS3 is outselling the Juan. It really goes to show how much damage MS did to their image during that PR shitshow.

I think it is scary for MS that the WiiU was within 12,000 units of the Xbox One. Nintendo is also sitting on almost $9B in debt free assets right now. That is just an insane amount of cash for a corporation to have with zero liabilities on the books.

 

[SethMode]

Wow, it's almost like there's a market where the XBONE isn't sold and WiiU is...oh, wait.

It's not like when MS tried for Japan, things went well. There's a reason why they aren't even bothering there anymore. I have a hard time imagining that if Juan was sold in Japan that the numbers would be all that different.

 

[Atlas]

Isn't the xbone only sold in like 13 countries right now?

 

[MrBill]

Wow, it's almost like there's a market where the XBONE isn't sold and WiiU is...oh, wait.

Missing the point, Microsoft has never been a player in Japan. Think that is going to magically change with the Xbox One? :lol2:

 

[SethMode]

I think it is scary for MS that the WiiU was within 12,000 units of the Xbox One. Nintendo is also sitting on almost $9B in debt free assets right now. That is just an insane amount of cash for a corporation to have with zero liabilities on the books.

Oh definitely, I just think that the thread title is a bit misleading, because I don't think anyone would be shocked to find that the 3DS had Nintendo in a position where they were beating MS in hardware sales.

 

[Pitty]

Missing the point, Microsoft has never been a player in Japan. Think that is going to magically change with the Xbox One? :lol2:

I think you're missing the point, why are you using numbers that include Japanese sales markets when the XBONE isn't even available there.

 

[MrBill]

I think you're missing the point, why are you using numbers that include Japanese sales markets when the XBONE isn't even available there.

 

[Pitty]

irony?

Considering they outsold the WiiU 2:1 in the US, the only place that matters for Microsoft, this thread is pretty stupid.

:holyshit:

 

[SethMode]

I think you're missing the point, why are you using numbers that include Japanese sales markets when the XBONE isn't even available there.

I understand this in concept, but again, do you really think if it was available in Japan the numbers would be different? What did the 360 sell in Japan after a massive ad campaign on MS' part? Hasn't the WiiU beaten the 360's lifetime sales already?

 

[jms493]

Make your console $100 more expensive then your direct competitor for no real good reason and your sales will suffer...no matter how popular you are.

 

[SethMode]

irony?

Considering they outsold the WiiU 2:1 in the US, the only place that matters for Microsoft, this thread is pretty stupid.

:holyshit:

I think sales across the board definitely matter. Just because MS couldn't get a foothold in Japan doesn't mean they don't wish they could. The US is the only place that matters to MS right now because it's the only place they can get a foothold at all.

 

[Pitty]

I understand this in concept, but again, do you really think if it was available in Japan the numbers would be different? What did the 360 sell in Japan after a massive ad campaign on MS' part? Hasn't the WiiU beaten the 360's lifetime sales already?

No, it wouldn't but at the same token, Japan is irrelevant to Microsoft. I guarantee not a single person sitting in the marketing and management rooms of Microsoft give two shits about the 9,000 units the WiiU moved in Japan. They look at NA, see a 2:1 ratio, pat each other on the backs, and leave the room.

It's a sensationalist title and poor writing.

 

[jms493]

Maybe if M$ had a handheld???

 

[SethMode]

Maybe if M$ had a handheld???

Don't you ever do the "$" thing again, jms! EVER!

And no moar handhelds!

 

[jms493]

Don't you ever do the "$" thing again, jms! EVER!

And no moar handhelds!

lawl...i see it so much now that it is almost automatic.

 

[buckeye]

Step away from the consoles fanboys. Eliminate the Japan portion and please realize that MS is getting obliterated... maybe not by Nintendo bit that fact that its right there says something. There are X1's for sale everywhere and not many people are buying.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

[Maynard]

I think you're missing the point, why are you using numbers that include Japanese sales markets when the XBONE isn't even available there.

not to mention the comparison of hand helds to consoles.