Nintendo Wii and DS sales start to drop

Posted by Al Warmington on Thu 30 Jul 2009

Is Wii losing its shine or are these just signs a global gaming slowdown, asks Al Warmington

Nintendo has loosed a new set of financial results that show cracks beginning to appear in the seemingly unshakeable Wii for the first time. Sales of the motion sensing, family friendly console have dropped by 57% in the last quarter.

This has had a major impact on Ninty’s operating profit too, causing a 66% percent drop in the past quarter. Nintendo has blamed this on “slowing demand for its Wii console and a stronger yen.”

Although in terms of technology, the Wii is a long way behind its rivals, Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, it’s unique controller design opened its market up to areas of the market that were previously untouched by traditional console designs. This absurdly successful strategy has led to Nintendo’s meteoric rise to the top of the console pile by a margin of some 20m units.

So does this “slowing demand” mean that finally the shine’s come off? That consumers are bored of Ninty’s kid-friendly titles and unimpressed by the sub-HD graphics? Umm, no, probably not. With Sony posting a similar decline in PS3 shipments and Microsoft announcing its lowest sales of Xboxes in two years, we’re afraid to say this is most likely an effect of the credit crunch. And to think, some chump once called gaming ‘recession proof’.

The Wii isn’t the only product in Nintendo’s arsenal, and certainly not the only one to be feeling the pinch of slowing consumer spending. The handheld DS, only recently ascended to its new DSi form, has been dropping off too. Interestingly, Nintendo has acknowledged Apple as a direct contender in the DS’ market, blaming the slowing sales on “increased competition in the handheld business from Apple's iPhone.”

Link: Nintendo (via TechRadar)

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User Comments

By eeeeron

30|07|2009 21:39

Hopefully that'll mean a price drop for the Wii soon.

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By ilovemynips

30|07|2009 17:13

Surely almost everyone who wants a Wii has one by now?

I wouldn't think it's because of people being bored by the Wii to blame for lack of sales, games are still doing well.

Quite suprised they've acknowledged the iPhone/touch as a contender for the DS :S - I own both and there's really no competition. Even though I always carry my iPhone and tend to leave the DS at home I still play with my DS a hell of a lot more.

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