Wii U has been available in North America for a little over a week now, and according to Nintendo, the console has sold approximately 400,000 units in that time span.
Speaking to CNET, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime stated that demand for the new console has caused it to effectively sell out of stores across the continent:
“Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock. Retailers are also doing their best to get the product to store shelves. But as soon as product hits retail, they’re selling out immediately.”
It’s predecessor also had a pretty good week, selling 300,000 units during the same time frame. 3DS, meanwhile, sold roughly 250,000 consoles. Interestingly enough– and perhaps more than a little worrying for Nintendo– the original DS actually outsold its successor last week, moving 275,000 units in all of its various incarnations. Reggie attributes this sales surge to the deep discounts that most retailers promoted during Black Friday, but it’s nonetheless troubling to see the old handheld surpassing the newer one at this stage of its life. (It also lends more than a little credence to the rumor that 3DS will be seeing another price drop soon.) Still, Reggie assures that 3DS continues to outpace the original on a year-by-year basis.
It’ll be interesting to see how other regions react to Wii U once it launches. The console goes on sale across Europe this Friday, with a Japanese release following on December 8.
Source: Eurogamer