Topic: Nintendo Sales Panic: April 2015 US NPD Group Results Released

[Shaymin]

Software all right, hardware not so much.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/40259/nintendo-sales-panic-april-2015-us-npd-group-results-released

The NPD Group has released their US sales figures for April, and although a few surprising software numbers have been released, Nintendo hardware struggled with only one major release to buoy it.

In the combined software charts, Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS combined to be the 9th best selling set of games in April. The NPD also confirmed in the report that as far as individual games per system goes (a "single SKU basis") both Mario Party 10 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D would have been in the top 10.

Hardware sales did not fare as well, however. Nintendo issued a statement to VentureBeat indicating 3DS family sales were up 65% over the first four months of 2014 and Wii U sales were up 15% in the same time frame. This translates to 114,000 "members of the 3DS family" sold (2DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS XL) and just 43,000 Wii U sales.

Nintendo clearly is hoping that Splatoon (complete with Wii U bundle) and the Puzzle and Dragons Z/Super Mario pack juice system sales for May.

[broodwars]

It should be noted by comparison that (according to GAF) the Xbox One sold around 187,000 units and the PS4 sold around 175,000 units.

So yeah, Nintendo wasn't exactly putting up OUYA numbers, but it was a rough month all around. Hell, I wouldn't even praise the software sales that much if the rumored 75,000 sales number for Xenoblade 3DS is accurate.

[ShyGuy]

The industry needs an E3 stat!

[Shaymin]

75k for a game that taps out at a potential... what, 500k is a a pretty damn good attach rate for a 70-200hr JRPG.

[Compeau]

Yeah, I can't imagine there are that many NN3DSXL systems out in the wild in the US.  As you said, at most 500k.

[NWR_insanolord]

And I'd bet the kind of people who went out and bought a New 3DS are probably more likely than average to be people who buy their games digitally, and those purchases don't show up in the NPDs.

[Luigi Dude]

The 75k for Xenoblade's port is at least a good sign for X later this year in America.  If a downgraded handheld port exclusive to a new handheld revision could to that in its first month, then the full blown sequel on a larger userbase that has a lot more hype going for it should be able to do a lot better then that.

[fred13]

So if New 3DS sales are not doing very well why is it that I still can't find a N3DS on the shelves at Best Buy or Walmart? I expected everyone to say Wii U sales aren't great, but New 3DS is flying off the shelves. Heck it's easier to find an Amiibo than a New 3DS here where I live 2 Walmarts and 1 Best Buy nobody ever has 1 in stock.

[Ian Sane]

So if New 3DS sales are not doing very well why is it that I still can't find a N3DS on the shelves at Best Buy or Walmart? I expected everyone to say Wii U sales aren't great, but New 3DS is flying off the shelves. Heck it's easier to find an Amiibo than a New 3DS here where I live 2 Walmarts and 1 Best Buy nobody ever has 1 in stock.

Nintendo's new strategy appears to be to under-produce everything to create the illusion that everything is a runaway success.  Seriously though, I see New 3DS's all the time where I live so it probably just varies by area.

[fred13]

So if New 3DS sales are not doing very well why is it that I still can't find a N3DS on the shelves at Best Buy or Walmart? I expected everyone to say Wii U sales aren't great, but New 3DS is flying off the shelves. Heck it's easier to find an Amiibo than a New 3DS here where I live 2 Walmarts and 1 Best Buy nobody ever has 1 in stock.

Nintendo's new strategy appears to be to under-produce everything to create the illusion that everything is a runaway success.  Seriously though, I see New 3DS's all the time where I live so it probably just varies by area.

I'm glad to hear there aren't shortages everywhere. I guess either they're super popular here in Southern Utah or we just don't get many shipments then.

[Shaymin]

And I'd bet the kind of people who went out and bought a New 3DS are probably more likely than average to be people who buy their games digitally, and those purchases don't show up in the NPDs.

We represent about 5% of the people with enough memory card space to buy Xenoblade digitally.

[MasonStorm]

It's battling to reach 10 million. Wow. 


“When it came to the Wii U, this was really the first time in our console history that we took that focus away from the television even for a moment,” he said. “I have to say that the responsibility for that decision was mine.” - Shigeru Miyamoto (2012 Wired Chris Kohler)


Oh..

[Mop it up]

Yeah, if that Xenoblade 3D number is accurate then it is more than I expected, all things considered.

While the system numbers may be low, they're at least on the rise instead of decline.