Many believe that Nintendo is simply too far behind the competition to last much longer in this console generation. The Wii U just isn't powerful enough to compete with the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, and struggling console sales haven't helped one bit. That being said, it may not be as bad as everyone thought, especially going by Nintendo's recently-released sales figures.
Going by the numbers, it seems that Nintendo's fortune may be turning around. Between the Wii U's Mario Kart 8 and the 3DS' Pokemon, it seems that the company's latest endeavors are finally starting to catch on.
Mario Kart 8 was, for much of this year, the Wii U's flagship title. Hyrule Warriors simply doesn't carry the same brand recognition of Mario Kart, and fans are still waiting for Super Smash Bros., so it was up to the kart racer to really help Nintendo's numbers along. According to Nintendo's fiscal report, that's precisely what happened: in its first four months on store shelves, Nintendo has sold 3.49 million copies of Mario Kart 8. Those numbers are great, but the attach rate with the Wii U - or how many games were bought alongside the console itself - is even better. Nearly 50% of all Wii U console sales were purchased along with a copy of Mario Kart 8. In terms of overall sales, the Wii U is still behind, but that may not be the case if sales continue to grow like they have been.
For the 3DS, things are looking even better, and Pokemon continues to print money for Nintendo. A year after release, Pokemon X and Y have sold over 13 million copies, and nearly a third of all 3DS handhelds were bought with the title. The 3DS wasn't really hurting for a sales boost, but considering just how popular Pokemon is, it's not all that surprising that the numbers are so good.
In terms of overall numbers, the 3DS is still the reigning champion of Nintendo. It's still selling like crazy, even with the announcement of the 'New 3DS' hardware, and Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire should keep the handheld's momentum going. The Wii U, while still struggling behind its handheld counterpart, is starting to see a bit of a resurgence. For a long time, it seemed like there was nothing to play on the console, but that's beginning to change. Mario Kart 8 started the year off strong for Nintendo, and if anticipation for Super Smash Bros. is anything to go by, the company could have a fantastic holiday season.
Nintendo started off this generation of hardware with a bit of a misstep, but it's far from losing this console war. If the company can keep producing system-sellers like Mario Kart 8 and Pokemon, Nintendo just may close the gap on its next-generation competition.
Photo: Nintendo
