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Nintendo Wii U Sold More Than 400,000 Units in Its First U.S. Week

Nintendo estimated that the Wii U sold more than 400,000 units in the United States during its first seven days on sale in November 2012.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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Nintendo said the Wii U sold more than 400,000 units in the United States during its first seven days on sale in November 2012. The figure was Nintendo’s internal estimate—not a worldwide total or an audited count. The console launched in the U.S. on November 18, 2012.

How many Wii U consoles sold in the first week?

Nintendo reported more than 400,000 U.S. Wii U sales in the system’s first seven days on sale. The Associated Press reported the figure on November 27, 2012, attributing it to Nintendo and describing it as an internal estimate. The report’s window ran through Saturday, seven days after the November 18 U.S. launch. The Associated Press report republished by CBS News is the source for the specific sales estimate.

What the first-week figure does—and does not—mean

  • It is a U.S. figure. It should not be read as worldwide sales.
  • It is an estimate. Nintendo’s internal estimate was reported as “more than 400,000,” not an exact audited count.
  • The time period is seven days. Nintendo’s U.S. launch was November 18, 2012; the AP account describes the estimate through the following Saturday.

Nintendo’s later investor presentation also lists November 18, 2012, as the Wii U’s North American launch date. That confirms the launch timing but is not the source of the seven-day sales number. Nintendo’s February 1, 2018 investor briefing includes the launch date and first-year hardware sell-through context.

How did the Wii U compare with the original Wii?

The Associated Press also reported that the original Wii sold 475,000 units in its first seven days in U.S. stores, citing NPD Group data. The Wii U’s reported first-week figure was lower, but the comparison is directional rather than a like-for-like audited ranking: the Wii U figure came from Nintendo’s internal estimate, while the Wii figure was attributed to NPD Group. The AP account gives both figures and identifies their different sources.

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Console First seven U.S. days Measurement source reported
Wii U More than 400,000 units; Nintendo internal estimate, reported in 2012 Nintendo, as reported by the Associated Press
Original Wii 475,000 units; reported for its first seven days in U.S. stores NPD Group, as cited by the Associated Press
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What Nintendo said about launch stock

Reggie Fils-Aime, then president of Nintendo of America, told CNET that retail stock was essentially sold out and that Nintendo was trying to replenish it. GameSpot reproduced his contemporaneous statement on November 30, 2012: “Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock.” This was Fils-Aime’s description of availability, not an independently measured inventory statistic. GameSpot’s report records the statement.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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