Nintendo has confirmed that its long-awaited Wii U console shipped 400,000 units its first week after selling out a few days post launch.
In comparison, the original Wii managed to sell 600,000 units 8 days after its November 2006 launch.
Meanwhile, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told CNET total national hardware sales reached more than 1.2 million units, including the Wii U, Wii, 3DS, and DS.
“Wii U is essentially sold out of retail and we are doing our best to continually replenish stock. Retailers are also doing their best to get the product to store shelves. But as soon as product hits retail, they’re selling out immediately,” Fils-Aime confirmed.
“[Remember, the first] Wii was a unique phenomenon. You couldn’t walk into a retailer and buy a Wii until spring of 2009. We’ve certainly learned many lessons from that and we are replenishing retailers more quickly this time around. We are looking to have as much product into retail as possible.”
In other Wii related news, Atari founder and games industry veteran Nolan Bushnell has expressed skepticism over Nintendo’s ability to sustain positive momentum for the next-gen console in the long run.
“I actually am baffled by [the Wii],” Bushnell told The New York Times. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big success. These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don’t think they’ll be of major import ever again.It feels like the end of an era to me.”
