Nintendo originally predicted the Wii U would sell 100 million units
Prior to its launch, Nintendo thought the Wii U would reach sales of over 100 million units, hoping it would stay in line with the sales of its massively successful predecessor, the Wii.President of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima, revealed the information this week at a recent shareholder's meeting.
Prior to its launch, Nintendo thought the Wii U would reach sales of over 100 million units, hoping it would stay in line with the sales of its massively successful predecessor, the Wii.
President of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima, revealed the information this week at a recent shareholder’s meeting.
“In an internal sales representative meeting, someone projected that we would sell close to 100 million Wii U systems worldwide,” Kimishima said. “The thinking was that because Wii sold well, [it] would follow suit.”
It was previously reported that personally, Kimishima had foreseen Nintendo’s Wii-sucessor as a failure before it was even launched, after he was asked regarding the report that he had “voiced concern before the launch of the Wii U.”
“I was responsible for selling the Wii U, and I knew what was good about it, so I talked with those in charge of sales about the importance of conveying the attractiveness of [it] to consumers,” Kimishima said. “I am guessing that some of this communication may have come across in a negative tone.”
The Wii U currently stands at lifetime sales of 12 million units since its launch in November 2012. Comparably, the Nintendo Wii managed to pass more than 101 million units sold while it was on the market.