Nintendo estimated that it sold more than 400,000 Wii U consoles in the United States during the system’s first seven days on sale in November 2012. The figure was a company estimate—not an exact audited count or a worldwide total.
How many Wii U consoles sold in the first week?
Nintendo reported more than 400,000 U.S. Wii U sales during the console’s first seven days on sale, according to the Associated Press’s contemporaneous report, republished by CBS News. Nintendo’s figure was based on its internal estimates.
The Wii U launched in the United States on November 18, 2012. The AP report described the sales window as running through the following Saturday, seven days after launch. Nintendo later listed November 18, 2012 as the North American launch date in its 2018 investor briefing.
How did the Wii U’s launch compare with the original Wii?
The AP reported that the original Wii sold 475,000 units in its first seven days in U.S. stores, citing NPD Group data. That is a higher reported figure than the Wii U’s more-than-400,000 estimate, but the sources and measurement methods differ: NPD data for the Wii, Nintendo’s internal estimate for the Wii U. It is a useful directional comparison, not a like-for-like audited ranking.
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| Console | First seven days in the United States | Figure source and basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wii U | More than 400,000 units | Nintendo internal estimate, reported by the Associated Press in 2012 |
| Wii | 475,000 units | NPD Group data, as cited by the Associated Press in 2012 |
What did Nintendo say about launch stock?
Reggie Fils-Aime, then president of Nintendo of America, described the system as essentially sold out at retail and said the company was working to replenish stock. GameSpot reproduced his statement in its November 30, 2012 report: “Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock.” This was Fils-Aime’s contemporaneous description, not an independently measured inventory total.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
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Rank #3
Rank #2
- The Wii U GamePad breaks down barriers between you and your entertainment with a 6.2" 16:9 LCD touch screen, motion control system, front-facing camera, microphone, stereo speakers, rumble feature
- Console works with most games from the original Wii console, as well as the Wii Remote, Wii Remote Plus, Nunchuk controllers, Balance Board and many other Wii accessories, so you can continue to enjoy your favorite Wii features
- Play using a Wii Remote controller, the Wii U GamePad controller or a Wii U Pro Controller.
- Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.
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