While the Wii U hasn't sold particularly well, with Nintendo moving just 160,000 units across three months in Q1 2013, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is holding strong that the system's price isn't the problem - the price discrepancy between the two Wii U models is. "If the price is actually an issue [with Wii U], then there is some contradiction between the current sales balance between the Basic and Premium versions of the Wii U," Iwata told CVG.

"The basic version should have sold a lot, but the fact of the matter is that people are buying more of the premium version. So the issue is not there," he said.

Iwata cited the disparity in sales between the Deluxe and Basic Wii U models in January when noting that the system was selling "steadily," and stated plans in June to regain the system's momentum through the end of the year before establishing "successful third-party Wii U software titles." Iwata has been there before, after all; He took a 50 percent pay cut in July 2011 due to poor 3DS sales around the time the system's price dropped, later selling the 3DS XL at a profit.

Of course, whatever version of the Wii U you choose to pick up, there's still the matter of what the heck you're going to play on it. "I understand that the real issue is the lack of software, and the only solution is to provide the mass-market with a number of quality software titles," said Iwata. Great idea!

Posted: Aug 12, 2013 12:45 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/12/iwata-wii-u-price-isnt-the-issue-deluxe-continues-to-outsell/