Wii sales have dwiindled by 50% in the past five months
by Randy Nelson 
{ Sep 11th 2009 at 9:00PM } 
NPD figures show that, compared to the same five-month period last year, sales of the Wii in the US are down a full 50% -- prompting Michael Pachter, games industry analyst at Wedbush Morgan, to look away from his crystal ball long enough to ... analyze the situation. In a note reprinted by IndustryGamers, Pacht-Man -- having finally gotten the PS3 price cut he'd always wanted -- called on Nintendo to drop the cost of Wii, lest its sales slide further.
"With the core PS3 and Xbox 360 models priced only $50 higher than the Wii, we expect year-over-year sales of Wii hardware to continue their annual declines until the company either changes its bundle or lowers price," Pachter pronounced before concluding, "Wii unit sales are 50% below last year's level over the last five months, and we think that September sales will repeat the pattern."
So, Joystiq Biomass, let's say Nintendo doesn't cut the price of the Wii before the holidays. What games and/or hardware would you bundle the system with in order to boost sales -- and help save Ivan?
"With the core PS3 and Xbox 360 models priced only $50 higher than the Wii, we expect year-over-year sales of Wii hardware to continue their annual declines until the company either changes its bundle or lowers price," Pachter pronounced before concluding, "Wii unit sales are 50% below last year's level over the last five months, and we think that September sales will repeat the pattern."
So, Joystiq Biomass, let's say Nintendo doesn't cut the price of the Wii before the holidays. What games and/or hardware would you bundle the system with in order to boost sales -- and help save Ivan?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Omega2k3 @ Sep 11th 2009 9:04PM
That's WAY more than I would've ever imagined Wii sales to drop in such a short period of time.
Ridgecity @ Sep 11th 2009 9:53PM
actually that's compared to last year, it sold 280k units while the xbox360 215k and ps3 210k in August. Last year sales were double due to all the people buying those Wii Fit games.
A lower price would bring more sales, but also lowers the perception people have of a product. Maybe bundling Wii Fit inside would bring another extra 30 million units sold. Also, consider people have been able to buy an xbox360 for $50 less, which has raise the sales numbers for Microsoft, But the Wii is still selling #1.
BUT this is a good moment for Nintendo to start paying attention to the market again.
phinnvr6 @ Sep 12th 2009 3:05AM
Not me, the Wii is a terrible console other than for little kids. Lets face it the game library is just terrible now. There hasn't even been a Wii Zelda yet (then again there isnt a Final Fantasy still either) and it can't play DVDs, Blurays, stream movies, it doesn't have good online play with a friends list, etc. And now that the other 2 are $299 each (plus $40 a year for xbox if you wanna play games online) it's a no brainer to get one of them.
Omega2k3 @ Sep 12th 2009 4:06AM
Ok, while I don't like like the Wii, I don't act like that. Go away, troll.
Rodrigo @ Sep 13th 2009 12:27AM
There is no decent games coming to wii in the last six months...
sales droping is expected...
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 11th 2009 9:08PM
Well, I'm getting one regardless if anything new happens or not. But if they want to make my life easier, either drop the price on their now ancient (in game years) games like Galaxy, Zelda: TP, and Super Paper Mario or bundle them with the Wii for maybe $300....there's no excuse for those games to still be $40-$45 new at Gamestop. Or just drop the price on the Wii itself to $200, as I can get some decent games on Amazon with the extra $50.
Reuben @ Sep 11th 2009 11:11PM
I just got a Wii, and I was shocked at how high the prices are on Zelda and Mario. It's totally outrageous.
KaBob799 @ Sep 11th 2009 11:55PM
I think its up to the stores to drop the game prices, they still sell gba pokemon games used for $30.
jekoln @ Sep 12th 2009 12:01AM
nintendo has a shitty greatest hits program for its first party titles. most of the time they don't go to it or offer them at a lower price. i've seen plenty of flagship titles never ever drop in price. even one of the last gamecube games that they were carrying in stores, mario kart for gamecube, was never cheaper than forty.
IslandLife @ Sep 12th 2009 12:14AM
WII GAME PRICES ARE OUTTA CONTROL!!!
I wanted to order a couple of games online for my niece and nephew, since my sister is going to buy them a Wii, but those prices are really disturbing, especially when you consider the amount of awesome games for the PS3 and 360 that are much less than most of those games. On Amazon, Bioshock for PS3 is $19.00 compared to $28.00 for Carnival Games. Something's seriously wrong with that.
samfish [is sad there is no Gene in Tats v Cap =( ] @ Sep 12th 2009 12:20AM
Actually, Nintendo has yet to introduce their Player's Choice line this generation, Jekoln. Sucks, but I have a feeling that it kind of does go against that 'blue ocean' philosophy.
It's be nice if they did, though. There are still quite a few games I'd like to pick up at that $20 dollar price point.
xxhonkeyxx @ Sep 12th 2009 12:37AM
lower game prices would help, but it would also help to release some GOOD NEW games and stop focusing on peripherals... i swear this fall i wouldn't be surprised to see the Football Controller ( http://digg.com/nintendo/Patent_Reveals_Nintendo_Developing_a_Wii_Football_Controller ) complete with extra Wii Goalposts (connects into wiimote port), Wii stadium (an extra large sensor bar), and Wii SportsFans (stuffed avatar dolls)
ChromeAlchemist @ Sep 12th 2009 1:32AM
tmac being thumbed up? I'll be having a dinner party with terrorists next.
ChromeAlchemist @ Sep 12th 2009 1:33AM
Agreed though, the bundle would be a good choice, along with a new colour. Never understand how the hell those push more units...
chibi_wings @ Sep 12th 2009 4:16PM
I feel the same way, I wish some of the first party nintendo games, not just on the Wii, but also on the DS would drop (NSMB and SM64DS are still 40ish canadian and they are ancient!) I also wish Nintendo would reprint some of it's earlier games, mario and luigi: partners in time and tetris are very difficult to find. :/
laser beams @ Sep 12th 2009 5:40PM
i think you've got a good idea. Nintendo has been getting some good games on the system for the past year or so- but they have not been marketing them well. now that the competition has come within stabbing distance (price-wise) Nintendo needs to start playing up to their long-term fans if they hope to keep up any momentum.
a great way to do that would be to lower the price of the Wii by at least $50 and maybe including a better pack-in game than Wii-sports. they are far overdue for a new Wii line of "Player's Choice" games and there is no reason why newcomers shouldn't be able to buy games like Zelda, Mario Galaxy, and Smash Bros. Brawl new for $20-$30.
[ArchiGamer] @ Sep 11th 2009 9:08PM
COLORS!!!!!!! I WANT COLORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derick @ Sep 12th 2009 1:36AM
This! If they'd release a black wii, I think it'd boost sales plenty. A price drop would be great too of course, but I want to buy a black wii. I want to buy the console that I really gravitated towards so many years ago.
WEEEGEEE! @ Sep 12th 2009 1:45PM
BLACK WII! beige and white reminds me a lot about the 1990's where every computer, was a beige box, come on nintendo give us those crazy colors just like the n64!
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Sep 11th 2009 9:10PM
Quick! Release a shitty accessory to the masses Nintendo!
Bubbameister33 @ Sep 11th 2009 9:21PM
Wii taebo!!!
[ArchiGamer] @ Sep 11th 2009 9:23PM
Well that Wii Football seems like a safe bet to increase sales.
Or just make us Wii owners angry and sadden.
CyberKnight @ Sep 11th 2009 9:24PM
Vitality Sensor, away!
The Baron @ Sep 11th 2009 9:32PM
Wii Home Security System? Protect your home wirelessly, with full waggle functionality!
NintendoJunkie @ Sep 11th 2009 9:44PM
A home security system that you can use to beat up intruders as they try to enter your home. It'll be Home Alone Wii Edition. Use waggle to hit intruders in the head w/ paint cans...place unused Christmas ornaments underneath the window sill.
Arrowned @ Sep 11th 2009 9:56PM
...I would totally play Wii Home Security System all the freakin time if that's what it was like.
stevenrafaelmercadoguillermo @ Sep 11th 2009 11:42PM
Here comes Wii Motion Plus +.
Longhorn Slim @ Sep 11th 2009 9:10PM
Im going to skip Nintendo this generation, but the Wii HD will be mine
SoshiKitai @ Sep 11th 2009 9:10PM
No it won't.
Longhorn Slim @ Sep 11th 2009 9:11PM
yes it will
Cheesus(Crust) @ Sep 11th 2009 9:20PM
What Soshi is trying to say is, that once you have it he will track you down and steal it, thus you wont have it.
PSN ID: J-Berg @ Sep 11th 2009 9:49PM
THE COLORS DUKE...THE COLORS!
PSN ID: J-Berg @ Sep 11th 2009 9:51PM
Sorry, meant to post on the comment above this. But I hope the reference is not lost all the same.
CheeziePotato @ Sep 12th 2009 5:18AM
@Longorn and Cheesus. What SoshiKitai meant was the Wii HD is not real, nor will it ever be. It's just one of Michael Patcher's stupid predictions. Seriously why the hell does he even get paid?
ColorblindMonk @ Sep 11th 2009 9:12PM
A 4 player Mario Bros. ought to save the day. Or that pulse detecting Wii Fit thing.
CaramelZappa @ Sep 11th 2009 9:13PM
The wii just isn't price competitive anymore. When it launched it was fine because it was less than half the price of the ps3 and almost half the price of the 360. The wii has much less features than the other two and is pretty much behind the times.
I had a wii for a while, but after playing the handful of AAA titles for it, as amazing as they were, the thing just sat there collecting dust. Thankfully Super Mario Galaxy 2 and No More Heroes 2 are gonna help the wii out a lot, but if I had no consoles and was looking to buy one the wii would seem like a rip off.
Hydrophobicfish (PSN: HydrophobicFish) @ Sep 11th 2009 9:24PM
Ding ding ding, he's got it! That's exactly why the Wii sales are dwindling...
Well, that and the fact that everyone already has one.
Mr Khan @ Sep 11th 2009 9:32PM
Price competitiveness doesn't matter, though. Sales "lost" to PS3 or 360 are going to be only a small percentage of the sales Wii has lost overall
Nintendo's out there on their own, which is the point of the Blue Ocean strategy. Their lost sales are due to them losing ground in the fight against consumer apathy.
SpaceFox @ Sep 11th 2009 9:33PM
Exact same thing with me. I had a Wii, I enjoyed a lot of games on it and still do when I play at my cousin's house. Super Mario Galaxy, Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper Mario, Resident Evil 4, Zelda, all great games. But there was a long period of times without any good games coming out on the Wii, and it started to collect dust. So I got a PS3.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the PS3 a lot more, and ended up selling my Wii cause there was nothing on it I wanted, and tons on PS3 I did and no money. Sold my Wii, the accessories and most of the games for a bit over $400. Don't miss it tbqh...
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 11th 2009 9:42PM
You need to explore with the Wii, and keep your expectations in check. You're not gonna get epic experiences like Bioshock, Mass Effect, or Fallout 3 but you can find enjoyable games nontheless.
Like I plan to get games like Rune Factory Frontier and Little Kings Story when I get a Wii. Not exactly AAA super high-funded epic experiences, but they look enjoyable for what they are.
SpaceFox @ Sep 11th 2009 9:46PM
Yeah, I didn't really feel like spending money on exploring the Wii. I know there were good, enjoyable titles, but nothing I was especially looking forward to and nothing incredibly interesting.
CaramelZappa @ Sep 11th 2009 9:52PM
"Enjoyable for what they are"
Yea, I'm sure they are. But there are so many fantastic exclusives for the 360 and PS3 that have better online play and in some cases more replay value than those games. Plus, both of those consoles have more features than the wii. The wii is the only console that can't play DVDs. It can't stream netflix of play blu-ray. It has no voip.
So if I can't get fantastic experiences like Bioshock or Mass Effect on the wii, why wouldn't I spend a mere $50 more and get a console where I can? At $250 the wii just isn't a good value anymore. Even at $200, it seems like a lot for a console with no "next gen" features and only a handful of must-buy titles.
Explore the wii? I owned one for quite a long time. Keep my expectations in check?
The new price points of the 360 and the PS3, the software catalogs of both those consoles, and the features and capabilities of both those consoles has left me to expect more for my money than nintendo has to offer. Sorry. I've always been a huge nintendo fanboy, but the wii just doesn't make sense anymore, at least not until a price drop and some new software titles.
CaramelZappa @ Sep 11th 2009 10:38PM
Oh, and even if the wii does hit $199, that's the same price point as the 360 arcade, which again, has a lot more going for it than the wii.
Mr Khan @ Sep 11th 2009 10:43PM
Yes, but consider that the $200 Arcade hasn't really had any negative impact on the Wii so far. I mean, Wii sales have gone down since then, but those were for other reasons. Wii had its best holiday season immediately after the Arcade dropped.
CaramelZappa @ Sep 11th 2009 10:52PM
Fair enough.
daytripper @ Sep 11th 2009 11:29PM
there's the price drop thing or maybe the fad is over?
also that us a funny ass caption. Good job joystiq
Matias @ Sep 12th 2009 12:51AM
Rune Factory Frontier and Little King's Story are way better than lots of Ps3 and 360's games out there, they alone are worth a wii. And Muramasa is looking good too. That plus NMH 1&2, Madworld, Nintendo titles, etc are more than enough to get a wii. So I don't think the software will affect the sales.
I think that everyone who wanted a wii already has one, so obviously is selling less now, if they cut the price maybe more people will get interested.
CaramelZappa @ Sep 12th 2009 1:12AM
Yea, those games look good, but what I'm saying is that if you look at the value and the price points of each console the wii just doesn't compare. NMH is fantastic but once you've played through the campaign in a few hours that's pretty much it.
I sold my wii a couple months after brawl came out. The next game I would actually buy is NMH2, which puts nearly 2 years inbetween must-buy games. And then after a week of having NMH2, it would collect dust again until Galaxy 2, after that, god knows when. The wii has some great games, but not enough of them, and not with enough replay value. Plus as others had stated all of the AAA games from 3 years ago are still $50, when you can pick up some of the best games for the 360 and PS3 for $30.
bm @ Sep 12th 2009 5:23AM
"Rune Factory Frontier and Little King's Story are way better than lots of Ps3 and 360's games out there, they alone are worth a wii."
No waaayyyyy man, they don't have normal mapping and realistic looking sweaty burly men, and lots of explosions and shooty guns and some kinda epic bullshit storyline written by a 15 year old. They can't possibly be any better than all those teh next gen experiances~!1
CheeziePotato @ Sep 12th 2009 5:36AM
I like my Wii, but I love my PS3 and 360 much more. I had a great time playing games like Mario Galaxy, Brawl, Zelda, Prime 3, Super Paper Mario, Resident Evil 4, No More Heroes and more. But, after you play them and beat them there's no reason to go back to playing them. On PS3 and Xbox there's online multiplayer, the trophies and achievements system, but on the Wii there's none of that. Nintendo and 3rd party developers really need to make more GOOD games instead of crappy games and stupid peripherals. The Wii at $250 is not worth it anymore maybe at $150, but not $250. The only reason I haven't sold my Wii because I use it to play Virtual Console. Nothing beats playing NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 games again after 10-15 years. God do I feel old