When did Wii U come out?
The Wii U video game console from Nintendo first arrived on store shelves on November 18, 2012 in North America, November 30th in Europe and Australia, and December 8th in Japan. After years of anticipation since it was unveiled in 2011, the successor to Nintendo‘s smash-hit Wii console was finally unleashed…well, sort of.
As an avid gamer and early adopter of new consoles, I eagerly scooped up my Wii U bundle on launch day here in the US. After enjoying 100+ million sales on the back of captivating casual experiences like Wii Sports, Nintendo looked to recapture both mainstream and hardcore audiences with the Wii U‘s fancy new GamePad tablet.
However, over 4 short years, this once-promising console floundered badly enough to be given last rites by January 2017. How could the innovative creators of legendary consoles like the NES and Nintendo 64 have gotten things so terribly wrong?
Sales and Adoption Out of the Gates
Despite the initial rush among Nintendo loyalists to snag the new hardware with its unique second-screen functionality, the Wii U stumbled right off the starting line.
| Time Period | Total Wii U Sales |
|---|---|
| Launch month | 3 million units |
| First 6 months | 3.45 million units |
| End of 1st year | Less than 6 million units |
Comparing early adoption to the breakneck pace of the original Wii demonstrates the diverging fortunes:
| Console | First 6 Month Sales | First Year Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Wii U | 3.45 million | < 6 million |
| Wii | ~9 million | > 16 million |
I had assumed given Nintendo‘s sterling track record for innovative consoles that they surely would have another hit. While fans ogled impressive tech demos with visions of Mario and Zelda dancing in their heads, it seems wider audiences just didn‘t understand or connect with the Wii U concept based on these adoption rates falling well short of expectations.
Why did interest wane so rapidly?
As shocked as I was to see Wii U sales stagnate over that first year, reflecting back now I should have recognized the worrying signs even from its awkward unveiling at E3 2011. Murmurs of "wait, so can I play Super Mario Bros on my controller on the bus ride home?" underscored what would become a constant struggle – conveying what made the Wii U different than its record-smashing predecessor.
Beyond marketing misfires, analysts and developers soon took the capabilities themselves to task as well:
Processing Power
| Spec | Wii U | Xbox One | PS4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | IBM PowerPC 750-based tri-core @ 1.24 GHz | AMD 8-core @ 1.75 GHz | AMD 8-core @ 1.6 GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 550 MHz | AMD @ 853 MHz | AMD @ 800 MHz |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR3 | 8 GB DDR3 | 8 GB GDDR5 |
While certainly an upgrade over the standard Wii,industry experts correctly predicted the Wii U would struggle to impress gamers already accustomed to contemporary offerings from Sony and Microsoft‘s latest consoles, not to mention PC gaming.
Game Library
Compound technical deficiencies with a lackluster starting software lineup, and the Wii U unsurprisingly floundered both with casual gamers content to stick with Wii sports titles and hardcore players who had moved on to greener, prettier pastures.
Once the initial batch of first-party fare like New Super Mario Bros U and NintendoLand failed to stick, third parties largely abandoned the platform given poor return on investment for down-ported software. Within 18 months of my purchase, I dusty Wii U had already transition into a dedicated indie game player rather than anything resembling a current-gen experience.
Wii U Gets Discontinued: Sales vs Other Nintendo Consoles
After what felt like a decade but ultimately totaled only around 4 years of milking releases big and small, Nintendo issued last rites for the Wii U as 2016 drew to a close.
| Console | Total Sales | Time on Market |
|---|---|---|
| Wii | 101+ million | 2006 – 2013 |
| Nintendo 64 | 33 million | 1996 – 2003 |
| Super Nintendo | 49+ million | 1990 – 1999 |
| Wii U | 13.6 million | 2012 – 2017 |
As these comparative numbers show, the lackluster Wii U sits near the bottom among Nintendo console sales, besting only the mini Virtual Boy experiment while a far cry from exceeding other iconic hardware.
I held out hope until Breath of the Wild launched simultaneously on Wii U and Switch that Nintendo might keep pushing it a bit longer. But with Switch breaking records out of the gate, they smartly decided to focus attention on supporting their hot new hybrid console/handheld.
Wii U eShop Shutters Amid Backlash
While the Wii U feels like a distant memory now, its legacy resurfaced when Nintendo announced intentions to shutter the eShop digital storefront after over 10 years in operation. With the plug officially pulled on March 27, 2023, passionate gamers lashed out at the loss of access to exclusive digital-only indie darlings.
However, players can still:
- Redownload previously purchased software
- Play existing game discs
- Access online play (for now)
So I‘ve backed up my small library of eShop exclusives to an external hard drive, even if I‘m unlikely to dig out the GamePad for some puzzle platforming again soon. Here‘s hoping Nintendo includes some hidden gems in upcoming Switch online libraries!
Lessons Learned
As Nintendo itself openly admits, they clearly misjudged demand for a hastily prepared Successor to the Wii without the same novelty factor or player-friendly innovation. In contrast, the Switch instantly conveyed portable play opportunities for immersive Mario, Zelda, and Smash Bros adventures across any setting.
Having now eclipsed over 122 million sales and counting after nearly 6 years, the Switch restored Nintendo‘s winning trajectory in the console market by learning from the Wii U‘s foibles. As their beloved mascot Mario would surely agree, every stumble and defeat inevitably sets up future victories!
So while the Wii U will go down as one of Nintendo‘s rare major hardware disappointments, its creative DNA lives on through the vibrant Switch software library continuing to capture player hearts and minds as a hybrid home/handheld phenom.
