The price cut on Wii U hardware has failed to boost sales to the level expected, retailer ShopTo has suggested.

Speaking in the latest issue of MCV, ShopTo's purchasing director James Rowson told the magazine that the retailer had "taken the decision to reduce the price of the Basic Wii U to test the market and assess the impact of a price change for a short period of time."

ShopTo is currently selling the Basic console for £189.95, 24 per cent cheaper than the unit's initial £249.99 price. Other retailers, including Amazon, GameStop and Asda, also made similar reductions.

However, despite the lower price, the reduction "has resulted in a smaller than desired increase in sales at this stage".

Other retailers also told MCV of their Wii U woes, with a 'top buyer at one of the UK's biggest games retailers' telling the magazine that it is "looking to reduce [Wii U space] slightly but must admit [Nintendo's] silence on strategy is deafening at the moment.

"They've got to do something otherwise it is GameCube all over again."

Wii U has struggled to maintain momentum following its launch last November, with hardware unit sales in the US rumoured to be around one-fifth of the Xbox 360's.

Rather than setting an RRP itself, Nintendo lets retailers settle on a price point based on cost.

"We'll be speaking to our retailers directly over the next few weeks to take them through our plans for building Wii U momentum over the course of 2013," a Nintendo spokesperson told MCV in response.

"We have a strong and broad line-up of software launching this year and we look forward to updating - and exciting - our partners over the coming weeks."

Source: MCV | Issue 730

http://www.videogamer.com/news/wii_u_price_cut_hasnt_improved_sales_enough_says_retailer.html

Well DUH.

It has no gamez.

Tha's why there is no official price cut from Nintendo Side! They know that the lack of games is the real and only issue here!

It needs both. The timing is also poor, as this is the weakest period of the year for game sales. Launch games, reduce price and promote in the second half of they year. Everyone needs to settle down.

I'm not surprised. I saw some in the shops the other day and the dust covering them was insane. That alone will put people buying off something which is meant to be brand new and costs over £150.

I continue to believe it has something to do with the controller. That thing is just so uninviting.

Wii U comes with a zero consumption dust-attracting power state. Take that, Durango!

is it?  I thought that was June-August?

The lack of momentum in any new console is mainly because of (system seller) games.
I hope that Nintendo`s plan involves at least one 1st party game from March onward. Which is something we will see in the next ND.

Well as of now it has New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Scribblenauts U, Zombi U, Assassin's Creed III, Black Ops 2, Need For Speed Most Wanted U, Just Dance IV, Ninja Gaiden 3: RE, LEGO City Stories, Monster Hunter Tri G ... so I'm not sure the "it haz no games at all!" thing really holds for much longer.

It has games. It just doesn't have games people really want that badly or can't play elsewhere and the controller is not selling the system the way the Wiimote did. 

Pikmin 3 is not gonna change much I don't think.