GameStop: "Definitely don't count the Wii U out"

The Wii U has gotten off to a slow start, but retailer GameStop isn't betting against the system anytime soon.

"Definitely don't count the Wii U out," GameStop president Tony Bartel told GameSpot in a new interview.

GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd said in February that the Wii U needs blockbuster titles to spark sales, and Bartel believes those titles are on the way.

Nintendo's E3 showing last week included major first-party titles like Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and Super Mario 3D World. These games will help drive consumer interest, Bartel said.

"They are also launching several games later this year, so we expect to see a lot of interest from consumers as we head into the holidays," Bartel said.

Bartel isn't the only industry figure to believe Nintendo can turn it around with the Wii U. Deus Ex and Epic Mickey designer Warren Spector said last month: "I think you underestimate Nintendo at your peril."

Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg expressed a similar sentiment before the platform launched. "You bet against Nintendo at your peril," Hirshberg said in 2011.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the sluggish Wii U sales recently, saying poor console adoption was a result of marketing "relaxation."

"We are to blame. We relaxed our [marketing] efforts, so the consumers today still cannot understand what's so good and unique about the Wii U," Iwata said.

GameSpot's full interview with Bartel will be published later today.