Mario Kart 8 boosts UK Wii U hardware sales 666%


Recommended Posts

Mario Kart 8 boosts UK Wii U hardware sales 666%

Game enjoys biggest week one for any Wii U title and the second best in series history

 

By Tom Ivan on Monday 2nd Jun 2014 at 10:18 AM BST

 

The UK release of Mario Kart 8 helped boost weekly Wii U sales by 666 per cent.

 

Retail monitor Chart-Track said the game recorded the highest week one sales for any Wii U title since the console's November 2012 release and the second best launch in the series' history. Mario Kart 8 hardware bundles accounted for 82 per cent of weekly Wii U sales.

 

image_320895_460.jpg

 

Nintendo will be hoping the release of Mario Kart 8 can kickstart a turnaround for the console globally following disappointing Wii U sales in the year ended March 2014.

 

Those who purchase Mario Kart 8 then register their copy on the Club Nintendo website before July 31 will receive a code to download a free Wii U game.

 

Mario Kart 8 debuted at No.2 on the UK all formats all prices chart behind Watch Dogs, which set a new IP sales record and also enjoyed the 17th highest week one sales of any game in the UK.

 

"This is Nintendo serving up unprecedented helpings of joy as only it can," we said in our Mario Kart 8 review. "Each and every track is a delight to experience," it reads, and "the master of karting is a real looker to boot."

 

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/465552/mario-kart-8-boosts-uk-wii-u-hardware-sales-666/

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not surprised, it's just uphill from here for Nintendo now that the heavy hitters are going to start finally coming out.  Wait until the new Super Smash comes out as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New Zelda should also be a big boon.

 

For fans of JRPG's, Monolith's X game should be a spike (not as big as AAA Nintendo title mind you). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I said all along, this is the game that the Wii U should have launched with.

If this had launched at it's launch price with this instead of a copy of Nintendoland, they'd have flown off the shelves IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup I bought the Wii U (the first console I've bought since my n64) and Mario Kart 8 bundle over the weekend. Probably the most fun I've had gaming in a long time. Decided to get Super Mario Bros and that was quite a blast too.

Sure the Wii U isn't the most powerful gaming console but the IPs that Nintendo owns are truly fantastic. Oh and I love the gamepad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, and 60fps.

720p actually...

It looks very nice though. I bought the MK8 Deluxe Wii U pack and I'm not disappointed thus far. There's so many games I just want to buy for it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must admit I was genuinely tempted to get a Wii U just for that game after I saw the reviews.

 

But then reason took over.  :(

Oh stop I been having more fun playing the wii u over my xbox one. Id say its way better  than the wii and worth it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must admit I was genuinely tempted to get a Wii U just for that game after I saw the reviews.

 

But then reason took over.  :(

 

Same here, it looks amazing and i'm desperate to pay so i am considering buying a Wii U... but as u say: reason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must admit I was genuinely tempted to get a Wii U just for that game after I saw the reviews.

 

But then reason took over.  :(

 

Me too. I was actually scouring eBay to see if i could find something cheap but i've got more important things to pay for this month. Maybe later though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

me and my friend both bought wii u consoles recently, and i notice looking on Facebook a lot of friends have as well

 

Nintendo need to fire their marketing dept and go with someone else.....the wii u has been terribly marketed, it's a good console, just a shame no many people know it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The devil is working behind closed doors in order to boost Wii u sales  :shifty:

 

The Devils number is in fact 616. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

me and my friend both bought wii u consoles recently, and i notice looking on Facebook a lot of friends have as well

 

Nintendo need to fire their marketing dept and go with someone else.....the wii u has been terribly marketed, it's a good console, just a shame no many people know it!

I agree, and I think the other problem is the they don't fully explain all the benefits of the Gamepad because, to be honest, it just looked like a silly useless gimmick before I actually bought a Wii U and played around with it...and now I love it.

And then you have all the other promotions like Digital Deluxe (which gives you "cash back" everytime you buy a game, usually $5), and Club Nintendo. I found out about the latter through the Mario Kart 8 promotion, and the former once I filled out the survey on Club Nintendo.

Nintendo needs to be more aggressive with their marketing, right now all they seem to do is apologize. Sure apologies are great when they're needed but it doesn't make people buy your consoles.

---

The other thing they need to do is start aggressively developing their IPs. Things like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros should have been released last year or as launch day exclusives instead of things like Nintendo Land. I mean look at what 1 game did to Wii U sales, and with Super Smash Bros coming out later this year the sales will keep going up. Then you have the new Zelda, Hyrule Warriors etc. If this was done in 2012 and 2013 they would have had excellent yearly results. That said, though, I don't want them to rush things because their game quality has, for the most part, been truly fantastic and I don't want them to lose that.

There is a rumor, though, that Nintendo has been in talks with Rare to buy their IPs (Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong etc)...and if that happens and goes through Wii U sales will go even higher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SNIP

Agreed, love the digital promotion, already picked up a few virtual console games for free.  

Finished my first cup on MarioKart and it just felt right, love being able to play on the gamepad while the wife or kids watch tv.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a rumor, though, that Nintendo has been in talks with Rare to buy their IPs (Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong etc)...and if that happens and goes through Wii U sales will go even higher.

 

They should just try to reacquire Rare. Microsoft wasn't interested in having them do anything other than motion control shovelware and with Kinect Sports Rivals being a flop they might be looking to get rid of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They should just try to reacquire Rare. Microsoft wasn't interested in having them do anything other than motion control shovelware and with Kinect Sports Rivals being a flop they might be looking to get rid of them.

I would love for that to happen. Diddy Kong and Banjo Kazooie? Hell yeh!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

didn't i hear that the original Rare devs had split away and where working on a true new Banjo Kazooie game? or did that never leave the realm of rumor?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

didn't i hear that the original Rare devs had split away and where working on a true new Banjo Kazooie game? or did that never leave the realm of rumor?

Hm not sure that would work since Rare owns the IPs for Banjo Kazooie. The employees wouldn't just be able to leave and use those IPs without permission.

Now they may have approached Nintendo and expressed an interested in working on a new BK game and Nintendo might be trying to get the rights to that since it's rumored that they are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.