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Wii outsells Wii U in December

Wii outsells Wii U in December

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Gallery Photo: Nintendo Wii U hands-on pictures
Gallery Photo: Nintendo Wii U hands-on pictures

US sales figures for the Wii U's first full month are in, and the news is mixed for Nintendo. While the new console has brought in more money than the original Wii did in its launch period, only 460,000 units were sold compared to 475,000 original Wii systems. In total, Nintendo has sold 890,000 Wii U consoles so far, a 19 percent drop on the Wii's figure at the equivalent point in its lifecycle.

It's also worth noting that the Wii suffered from considerable supply constraints upon its release in 2006, whereas the Wii U doesn't seem to be as difficult to find. That said, the Wii U's higher price has led to Nintendo making over $300 million since the launch, whereas the original Wii made $270 million. It's still far too early to cast aspersions on the system's future based on limited sales data, but many will be wondering if Nintendo can make lightning strike twice.