Wii puts on the pressure: Nintendo outsells PS3 and xBox in UK
By Ema Kwiatkowski
Maybe its because its easier for consumers to understand. Maybe its because it seems to be easier to get non-gamers to pick up and play with a Wii. Whatever the reason, the Wii is poised to take the lead in the UK theatre of the console war. The Nintendo Wii is set to surpass 1 million sales in the UK in the coming 4 weeks according to Chart-Track.
UK sales show that the Wii is outselling the xBox 360 by over four to one, and the PS3 by more than six to one every week. If this upward trend continues, it should pass the GameCube’s lifetime UK sales figure of just over a million by the end of September.
Nintendo will have its work cut out to claim the number one UK spot quickly. With Halo 3 due out at the end of September and rumors of a possible price-cut to coincide with it, Microsoft will not be an easy giant to topple. Though Wii does have the advantage of being successful in reaching non-traditional gamers such as women and older players.
Similar upward trends in Wii sales are being reported all around the world, with Nintendo in the draft to pass Microsoft and become the console manufacturer with the biggest worldwide user base.
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Tips N4G
August 15th, 2007
“Nintendo will have its work cut out to claim the number one UK spot quickly. With Halo 3 due out at the end of September and rumors of a possible price-cut to coincide with it, Microsoft will not be an easy giant to topple”
^^^^ Yeah, in the UK Ninty might have trouble. Good thing that market is not that relevant on a larger scale. Considering that the Wii in less than ten months has blown away the 2 year advantage the Xbox 360 had mostly with the sales it enjoys in the US and Japan. The Wii is just about to take the lead in sales worldwide.
Now, let’s also consider that the Wii will also have it’s share of console sellers come this fall. You have Metroid Prime 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy. And also cool third party games like Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles and No More Heroes.
And let’s not rule out a price cut for the Wii. If there is any game console out there that can afford a price cut, it’s the Wii. The other companies lose millions with those price cuts. Nintendo could charge $120.00 for the Wii and still make a profit. However, I think that the Wii will have be priced at $199.99 this xmas season.
And let’s not forget about the PS3 for goodness sake. It still has a chance, right?
August 16th, 2007
Laura
“And let’s not rule out a price cut for the Wii.”
The Wii will have a price cut, but I think nintendo will have to get the console in stock to the point you can walk in any store and pick it up before they do that.
I don’t know how it is in the UK, but in the US you might find a wii sitting around in a few stores, but only 1, and only if you’re lucky, and last I heard its the same way in Japan.
Unless something is different in the UK, I wouldn’t expect a price cut, and if they do have a lot of Wiis over there, sitting around on shelves, a price cut from Nintendo is most likely in the card (but no where else), which moves those consoles and also gives the UK gamer some love they complain about not getting.
More important for the Wii than winning in the UK, though, is winning in America. Anyone who holds Japan and the US wins a war in the world of video games, but the US will be a tougher nut to crack than the UK.