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Which Console Won the Black Friday War?

Which Console Won the Black Friday War?

A funny thing happened this holiday shopping season. Target issued an update on some of its sales during Black Friday. Despite the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 having great price drops, the Wii U was the top selling item on the Target website. Yes, Nintendo’s console managed to “win” at one retailer.

It’s not difficult to see why this was the best bundle this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The pieces of the puzzle have to come together. A Wii U is usually $299.99, the same price as the discounted PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this holiday season. However, Target and quite a few other stores were selling it for $249.99. That price drop was pretty substantial, and people seeing a console for $50 less than the other two might have been swayed by the opportunity.

The contents of holiday bundle for the year were likely even more influential. This year, the best option was the Smash Splat Wii U. It included Super Smash Bros and Splatoon , two of the Wii U’s biggest and best games. Each one has received frequent updates throughout 2015, and getting both in the bundle was quite a boon. After all, Splatoon recently received an update filled with winter clothing and gets new weapons and maps weekly. Plus Super Smash Bros recently had Cloud, from Final Fantasy VII , announced as its next DLC character.

The price helps too. As I mentioned earlier, a typical Wii U bundle is $299.99. It gets a person a copy of Nintendo Land and one major release, like Mario Kart 8 , Super Mario 3D World , or Splatoon . That’s all well and good, and Nintendo Land has its moments, but Splatoon and Super Smash Bros are each $59.99 games. They’re two titles people would buy a Wii U to play. Getting $120 worth of games made the Smash Splat Wii U bundle even more appealing.

Which Console Won the Black Friday War?

Think about it. Someone could consider the Smash Splat Wii U bundle as offering the console for about $130. After all, those two games are the real draw. If this is your line of reasoning, then the Wii U itself could be considered cheaper than a New 3DS XL or a PlayStation Vita, the two handhelds currently on the market. At that point of entry, the console is incredibly appealing.

The Wii U was this Black Friday and Cyber Monday’s dark horse. It may not have been the most popular system at every retailer, but it did well enough at Target for the store to make note of the sale. It’s a perfect example of a good bundle helping to sell a system. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are fantastic, but with the right incentives, Nintendo’s console can still surprise people.

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