Wii U price cuts failing to shift units retailers claim
Unofficial Nintendo Wii U price cuts have not had the desired effect with retailers suggesting sales of the recently released console are still low.
Calling on Nintendo to respond to struggling sales and help reinvigorate interest in the revolutionary console which plays host to a tablet-esque controller, a selection of high street and online retailers have suggested that a recent move to lower the console’s price had not helped improve sales significantly.
With the likes of Amazon, Asda, GameStop and ShopTo all having introduced a £50 Nintendo Wii U price cut in recent weeks, latest reports have suggested retailers will reduce shelf space dedicated to the device if sale do not improve in the near future.
“Currently Nintendo has not lost space, but their mix of sales is down,” an unnamed buyer from a leading UK games retailer reportedly told MCV. “We are looking to reduce slightly but must admit their silence on strategy is deafening at the moment.”
They added: “They’ve got to do something otherwise it is GameCube all over again.”
Although Nintendo has yet to offer any official Wii U price cuts, the Japanese gaming giant has suggested that it is currently looking at how to increase interest in the PS4 rival, a plan that will be passed on to retailers in due course.
“We’ll be speaking to our retailers directly over the next few weeks to take them through our plans for building Wii U momentum over the course of 2013,” and official Nintendo UK spokesperson said. “We have a strong and broad line-up of software launching this year and we look forward to updating – and exciting – our retail partners over the coming weeks.”
With Nintendo having lowered its Wii U sales forecasts early this year from 5.5 million units to 4 million, retailer ShopTo has claimed the recent Wii U price cuts have “resulted in a smaller than desired increase in sales at this stage.”