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Super Smash Bros. Could Ignite Wii U Sales, Ubisoft Says

EU boss Alain Corre says upcoming mascot brawler "will be a trigger to increase the momentum of the Wii U at Christmas."

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The upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for Wii U could ignite sales of the platform, helping drive momentum during the critical holiday season. That's according to Ubisoft EU boss Alain Corre, who tells GamesIndustry International that Super Smash Bros. and Just Dance 2015 could be big-sellers for Wii U.

"To be honest, we always want more consoles," Corre said. "Just Dance 2015 is resonating very well. We think it will please a lot of [existing] Wii U owners and push more families to buy extra Wii Us. But we also believe that Super Smash Bros. will be a trigger to increase the momentum of the Wii U at Christmas. As a gamer, I was playing [Super Smash Bros.] over ten years ago, and it has some of the best moments that Nintendo has shared. I think that franchise could be magical [for the Wii U]."

Predecessor Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) for the Wii has sold more than 12 million copies.

Corre said Nintendo has "some of the best franchises in the world," and has proven it knows how to make great games. He said Nintendo proved this with Mario Kart 8 and will "prove that again with Super Smash."

Mario Kart 8 received high review scores across the board and sold nearly three million copies in its first month.

Corre's comments come after Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said earlier this week that the French publisher does not plan to release any more "mature" games on the Wii U.

The Wii U launched in November 2012 and did not get off to the hottest start. As of June 30, Nintendo had sold 6.7 million systems and 36.7 million games for the console. The company has a number of marquee games and products in the pipeline, including Super Smash Bros., Hyrule Warriors, and Bayonetta 2 this fall, alongside its new toys life, amiibo. Looking ahead to next year, Nintendo plans to release an open-world Legend of Zelda game for Wii U.

Just yesterday, GameStop president Tony Bartel said though the Wii U didn't surge out of the gate like the PlayStation 4 did, you should not bet against the console. Super Smash Bros. for Wii launches this holiday, while the 3DS version--currently in the throes of bug-testing--will be released on October 3.

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