All the evidence points to a very successful first few months. It’s too early to say anything about the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch. If that’s any indication of things to come, it isn’t difficult to imagine that the supermarkets are going to continue their focus on current-gen consoles and software, and only carry the minimum amount of next-gen stuff. That’s the extent of the current next-gen advertising in a major supermarket chain. In tiny size 12 writing, the features for each were outlined and, at the bottom, in capitals, “PRE-ORDER TODAY!!!” On each was a piece of paper, printed out from an email as to avoid any early leaks, pinned to the board. On the day after the E3 conferences, the cutouts popped up next to the gaming section.
One for the PlayStation 4 and one for the Xbox One. It would be a mistake at this point to presume that the reason the Wii U got so little shelf space was because of lack of interest.Īt my local Tesco right now, there are two small cutouts.
It’s true that both the Wii U and the PlayStation Vita have had slow starts, both in terms of software and in terms of hardware, but is that because the general casual population doesn’t want these products, or because they don’t know that they want them? It would be a mistake at this point to presume that the reason the Wii U got so little shelf space was because of lack of interest. She wants to buy Super Mario Bros U and if it isn’t on the shelf for two months after launch, she isn’t going to buy it. Little Timmy’s mom doesn’t care about the gritty details. There are reasons for everything, and we’re not always privy to the gritty details. Obviously Nintendo didn’t feel the need to pay the stores for more space, or perhaps selling out in a single day isn’t really indicative of the numbers behind it all. I don’t believe that there’s smoke without fire.
Now their used stuff is in a full display, and I’m not sure they have anything but a few copies of their new games. My local GAME had the Wii U stuff mixed in with the Wii games for a while, then moved it to a small shelf behind the counter. Hit the internet for a few minutes and you’ll find countless stories of a complete lack of Wii U product across almost any store you care to mention. The lady told me it had never came out for the Wii, but that she could package it up for the 360 for me.įunnily enough, this isn’t an isolated anecdote. While Call of Duty: Black Ops II was obviously on display for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, I needed to go and ask at the counter about whether they had any for the Wii U. When they finally restocked, the Wii U games were hidden away next to the Wii games (of which there were hundreds, and ridiculously high prices as well). The stand was empty, and it would stay that way for the next two and a half months. They’d stocked so few games that they’d actually already sold out. The Wii U stand was empty, and it would stay that way for the next two and a half months.