Nintendo Hits A High for Wii U Sales

Published: January 17, 2015 2:45 PM /

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Nintendo had a very strong holiday season, seeing record setting sales figures for their Wii U system in North America.

According to Nintendo, sales for the Wii U system in North America are up 29% from last year's December hardware sales. What's more, software sales are also high, with a 75% increase from 2013 as well, making December 2014 the best selling month of the console to date.

Taking this information into account with sales figures from last year, it can be roughly estimated that the Nintendo Wii U has now sold around 8 million units in total by the end of 2014.  The numbers from chief competitors, Sony and Microsoft, however, still eclipse this easily, but the Wii U console is finally picking up in sales for the company after a rocky start.

Sales for software were lead by Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, hitting over 1.3 million in the U.S alone.  Mario Kart 8 also continues to impress, with 1.7 million units sold since it's release. All told, both games contributed nearly 3 million sales for Nintendo.

Perhaps the most surprising hit, however, is not software at all. The Nintendo Amiibo line has also been an instant success for the company, nearly hitting twice as many sales as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. That would mean Amiibo sales are close to 2.6 million as well.

While not relevant to the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS sales continue to be highly successful in North America. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire lead the way in software sales, hitting 2 million and 2.6 million units sold, respectively.

“Wii U had its strongest year yet thanks to the highly anticipated software lineup and the introduction of the amiibo platform,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Fans can anticipate another strong year for 2015, especially with more highly anticipated games like Splatoon and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, as well as New Nintendo 3DS XL, arriving in the first half of 2015.”

What do you think of Nintendo's rising sales? Do you think the Wii U will continue his 2014 highs? Tell us in the comments below!

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| Staff Writer

A longtime player of games, creator of worlds, and teacher of minds. Robert has worked many positions over the years, from college professor to education… More about Robert