14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like Mario Kart 8 was just what Nintendo needed in order to recoup from the bad position it had on the console market – or at least part of it – as the Japanese corporation has revealed some impressive sales figures for both the game and its Wii U console.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has told Polygon that the popular racing game managed to quadruple the sales of the Wii U, in the week after its release.
Fils-Aime has revealed that an astounding 18 percent of all Wii U owners purchased a copy of the game during the first weekend Mario Kart 8 was available, topping 1 million units sold and becoming the fastest-selling Wii U game to date.
The figure likely includes the sales of the games that could be found in the Wii U bundle offered upon release, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. The company has revealed that between two and seven percent of platform owners purchased the previous installments in the racing series during their weekend releases, making the 18 percent of the Wii U look even better.
The truth may not be as rosy as that number indicates, as the Nintendo Wii U had a rocky start, having only sold around six million units in total, since its release in November 2012.
Mario Kart 8 is nonetheless a system seller and a solid Wii U title to boot, because of the incredible popularity of the funky racing mechanics and the lovable characters taking part in the competition.
The Mario Kart franchise has so far sold over 100 million copies in total, and Fils-Aime has mentioned that the impact of the racing title on the console's sales will likely be felt through the year.
"It's one of the things I have to do with certain media, remind them, look, for us, the drive toward the holiday began a couple of weeks ago with Mario Kart 8. And that's off to a fantastic start. For us, on a global basis, and certainly here in the United States, it's driving hardware, which is great to see," he states.
The best-selling title in the series by far is Mario Kart Wii, with over 30 million copies moved, but the Wii console sold like hot cakes, as opposed to the Wii U.
Anyway, Nintendo seems to be on the right track, delivering more attractive games for its often overlooked console, with The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Bayonetta 2, Super Smash Bros. and the recently revealed Splatoon all making their way to the Wii U over the course of this year and the next.