ShopTo’s purchasing director James Rowson has revealed in the latest edition of MCV magazine that the price cut they issued for the Wii U hasn’t driven sales enough. The company discounted the 8GB Wii U Basic console to test the market and see how it fared. ShopTo is selling the Basic package for £189.95, which is 24 per cent cheaper than the initial £249.99 asking price. ShopTo wasn’t alone as Amazon, GameStop and Asda also reduced the pricing. Another top buyer at one of the UK’s biggest games retailers says that Nintendo has to do something otherwise it’s the Gamecube all over again.
“[We’ve] taken the decision to reduce the price of the Basic Wii U to test the market and assess the impact of a price change for a short period of time.”
– ShopTo
“[We are] looking to reduce [Wii U space] slightly but must admit [Nintendo’s] silence on strategy is deafening at the moment.”
“They’ve got to do something otherwise it is GameCube all over again.”
– Anonymous UK retailer
Duh, there’s nothing to buy for it except lego city, things will get better once the big software starts rolling out, but for now things aren’t gonna change
Best part? Lego City isn’t there yet
”they’ve got to do something” Lego city and Monster Hunter launch very soon. That should help , along with Games like Pikmin 3 and game and wario.
I think the Wiiu will be fine , people are just doing their usual goofy panicking , just like they did with 3DS and every other console.
I won’t buy a WiiU for Lego and Monster hunter. I’m sure a lot of people think like that too. MonHun isn’t big in the west.
We want Nintendo games.
I think that wii u will become a success when the biggest titles like a 3d super mario game a zelda game, a pokemon game,a metroid game or super smash bros 4 (the game i am waiting for and the reason i bought my wii u) will be releases. these games will increase its sails dramatically
http://youtu.be/1g_FDCPTJVg
hes a retard
am fine with a gamecube. great mache and great games.
serious note: it NEEDS GAMES
Problem is…..Gamecube had a lot of droughts and very small 3rd party support.
Gamecube has loads of amazing games though , can’t deny that. I could probably list 50 awesome games , easily.
Back when games were more gameplay-centric.
Remember the Timesplitters games?
I agree that our leaders have to do something to appeal the European Zone, it’s dead silence over here…
I’m promoting the Wii U as much as I can but they must do things…
However it seems though as the UK territory rather buys the same experiences over and over or really bad ones like Aliens Colonial Marines instead than getting true quality…
I so will never live in that sorry excuse for a country…
I think “quality” is something that is very subjective. It really depends on the person. For example just because you jizz in your pants when the OVER 9000th Mario game gets announnced does not mean that everybody thinks the same way.
What about people the jizz their pants when the OVER 543879th CoD game or 23748574th Fifa games gets announced ? That is what he means. Most consumers are only interested in the same and same games.
No, art has its parameters.
You can’t decide what is quality about writing, about animation, about level construction, about character development.
A game can be good (Metroid Prime) or can be bad (Metroid Other M), there is no intermediate point and there’s not a game that can be considered both because they should be rated through a process of artistic appreciation that leaves no room for subjective interpretation.
Low price Nintendo wii u will have prejudice but still, what you need and more games
That’s only because no one knows about the curtain-option in te browser. That’s the feature I use the most lately!
Honestly, why buy a Wii U now when you know a price cut in the US will happen either this year or next, when the new Mario, Metroid, and SSB games come out. Might as well spend this time buying last gen games that are super cheap that you missed out on until then.
Wii went 3 years without a price cut, Reggie said before Wii U came out, people waiting for a price cut will be waiting quite a long time. Meaning 3-4 years again. The price is fair and it is still cheaper then what the PS4 and Xbox 720 will be.
Wii launched with a lower price in a much better economy, it didn’t require a price cut because it always sold well, the “price cuts” you talk about were the simple depreciation of an old system, the kind of thing that happens when things get old, out of fashion and obsolete.
Bring on da games! In others part of europe is doing fine.
The console had a rough start because Nintendo focused on filling a niche that had already being filled, a niche of third party games.
Like the GameCube and the Wii before it, Wii U will eventually find its footing exactly where it’s predecessors did, in the first party and exclusive market.
Assuming UK has a lot of good gamers
:facepalm:
there the same fools who buy aliens (a.k.a. ET of this gen) and guess what it sold a lot.
Retailers should not focus on getting an explosive start with the WiiU, as it is not possible with the software and with the consumers’ doubt whether the console gives value or not. They should focus and try to having regular and stable sales instead, which you don’t achieve with a price cut (unless you cut it every week). They should simply make sure that they support the console and make sure that the service of getting the WiiU is a pleasant and reliable (i.e. you can always go to a retailer and get the console without hazzle). If they do this without putting pressure on the sales, eventually the sales will rise.
There are those who don’t want the WiiU. They will never get it no matter what the price is. There are also a LOT more cautious consumers who want the WiiU than those who already have it. These cautious consumers have a reason to wait (it may be waiting for games, updates, info on/release of nextbox/ps4 [in order to read reviews], saving up money for it, etc, etc).
Price cut is not a solution! The “next-gen” has not come just yet, i.e. “current-gen” is still alive. When this generation dies and the next-gen awakes, where the WiiU is included in, all next-gen consoles will get A LOT more units sold, no matter the price. If Nintendo issues an official price-cut before the current generation of consoles dies out, then they will lose so much profit during next-gen. Price-cut could be an option of sales are suffering during the next generation (1~2 years from now).
Also, the reason for Sony to haste out the PS4 is exactly this. They want to be the last who jumps on the next-gen race, because if they are last, Microsoft will “steal” their release sales as the two consoles will probably be the same thing (with different brands/markets). The WiiU, however, is unique, meaning that it suffers far less from the business competition than the “Xbox vs Playstation”-dilema.
Being first up in the next-gen console race is neutral, so is being 2nd, like Sony is. However, being the last one up could be terrible if the console does not bring anything beyond what already-out consoles does.
Agreed.
The latest news post on this site also agrees! Damn my analysis is top-notch!
People are doing the same and just not being patient, They put the sale down and a terrible time and lack of games makes it worse. They should of waited maybe after Lego City and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and done it like a spring sale and maybe people would of done it.
Taking anonymous claims as news?
But well, no shit, no games no sales.
There’s not enough games for it yet.
anyone price cutting wiiu is a derp… wait for the console sellers mk smash mario zelda ect ect.. price wont matter then.
Just about any anonymous dipshit can make any claim they want.
I just happened to get from a very reliable source, that next xbox will use edible discs.
Not that surprising since it has no new games.
This week should have boosted it quite a bit
There are no games. That’s the reason. Sales will go up when the first party cavalry comes to the rescue again.
Shocker. The UK seems to dislike Nintendo, I’m not surprised by this at all. Plus Nintendo needs to get more advertising for the Wii U. Here in Canada I have hardly seen any.
True, I have seen Lego City Undercover commercials but thats about it here in Canada.
Naybe because its got nothing to do with the price, like everyones been saying -.-
Will wait a damn minute! Lego Undercover just debuted 2 days ago! Damn!
When Aliens: Colonial Marines outsells Crisis 3 and Metal Gear Solid Revengence its really hard to take the UK market seriously, not that it was serious market before though.
^ this.
People are pretty thick as shit over here.
What have you learned from all of this retailer bitching, Nintendo? Don’t be the nice guys by making sure your console is readily available in large numbers. Because then you’ll have every asshole in the world pitching a shit fit that you’re not “selling enough”. Instead, be an asshole, just like them, and make sure your supplies are low. That way impressionable idiots will be able to convince themselves that your console is “popular”.
Wii U: sells roughly the same as PS3 at launch, better than XBox360. Assholes: It needs to sell better.
Wii U: sells roughly the same as PS3 at launch, better than XBox360, IN A WAY WORSE ECONOMY.
Assholes: It needs to sell better. We won’t be happy until there are at least three to four Wii U’s in every living room.
The general public don’t read reviews. And even if they did they’d still want to play the latest ‘AAA’ Aliens-themed shooter. We’ve even had customers at the store I work at *willingly* buy the Aliens CM Season Pass AFTER they played the game. So some people are enjoying it. Personally, I can’t wait for Lego City Undercover next Thursday!
Well, those people are idiotic.
I don’t care for the reviews, but the game is bad, you cannot deny that.
How damm stupid are they??? Its not becouse of the price, its becouse the WiiU need more good Games!!! And the good Games will come, just like it was with the 3DS!!!
If it’s to be GameCube all over again, I at least want Eternal Darkness 2. ED1 and a few oter titles made my gamecube purchase well worth it. :]
Shopto didn’t exist in the Gamecube era, so they clearly don’t know what that era was like…
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when the ps4 and lessbox comes out the sales of the wii U will go crazy :P
Wii U is gonna have more games than the ps4 launch.
most realize if u lower it once you’ll lower it again
I am a Nintendo gamer, and to my dismay, I agree, the abysmal library of games coming to Wii U is a huge disappointment and why Wii U is failing, unless Nintendo comes out with the best games they ever made and better than anyone else, the Wii U will be a failure. Nintendo needs to make games better than anyone else, they have to be better than Halo, better than Call of Duty, better than Grand Theft Auto.
NINTENDO is going DOWNHILL HAHAHA PS4 > ALL!
Downhill? Wii U sales may be bad, but look at 3DS! A lot of cool games coming!
3DS? That gay shit? Prepare yourself GAYTENDO, PSVITA IS SELLING MORE, AND PS4 WIILL TOO! IDIOTS, COD > Mario!
COD? That shooter shit? Prepare yourself CLONY, 3DS did sell more than PSVITA the WHOLE LATE YEAR and you FAGS have stayed with the mouths closed. Lol.
Stop feeding the troll you idiot.
sales are normal (read low) again
Yet the Gamecube was alot of Nintendo fans special system. Had great games, those tiny discs lol, good controller, it was just underated. UK doesnt get it. Its not Nintendos secritiveness thats the issue, its the UK itself they DONT LIKE NINTENDO MUCH, LIKE WANT COD AND FIFA. Nothing else. Smash Bros, Metroid, and Zelda HD could come out next week ONLY IN THE UK, and guess what? sales wont change.
I think that Nintendo is not advertising enough the Wii U’s capabilities. Like the internet browser or video chat on you TV.
Patience.
Nintendo learnt nothing from the GameCube launch & they learnt nothing from the 3DS launch either the WiiU is disappointing, with the announcement of the PS4 & at E3 the X720 will be announced, anything that Nintendo/WiiU has to offer will just get swamped by the PS4/X720 announcements, the media will be pouring over the info & games coming out for the PS4/X720.
The WiiU was dead on arrival.
Definitely don’t care about this.
all the news about price cuts is only from the uk.
since when is the uk so important the whole internet has to be filled with their price cut crap