Nintendo has announced that its Wii U console has managed to sell off 9.5 million units since its release in 2012. But what’s more important is that the company has for the first time in four years reported a profit, having earned 41 billion Yen (approx. 350 million USD) during the fiscal year that ended on March 31. Even with Wii U having breached the 9.5 million mark in sales, it’s still extremely far behind the PS4 which is the market leader right now with more than 2.5 million consoles already moved. Moreover, this Sony system was launched a year after the Wii U.
Nintendo has been lagging behind in terms of revenue due to its inability to compete with other players in the market. Additionally, third-party developers have continually been ignoring the console for various reasons. It’s hence that the sales that the Wii U could get owing to the fact that a GTA or a Battlefield being available to play on it were all going to the PlayStations and the Xboxes. But Nintendo has stuck to its guns, and has returned profits by using the same strategy of releasing strong first-party titles.
Also Read: 10 Best Wii U Games
Its most popular game, Mario Kart 8 has had lifetime sales of 5.11 million, whereas New Super Mario Bros. U has traded off 4.81 million units. The 3DS handheld console too has helped the company improve its position in the market. Sales of all versions of the device combined have reached 8.73 million, while its main first-party offerings, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS having sold 9.94 million units and 6.8 million units, respectively.
A successor to the Nintendo Wii U console is currently in the works, and more news about it will be shared sometime next year.