Dreamcast announced discontinuation: January 31st, 2001
(2 years, 2 months, 2 days after its first release in Japan)
(1 year, 4 months, 22 days after its release in North America)
Dreamcast hardware discontinuation: March 30th, 2001
(2 years, 4 months, 3 days after its first release in Japan)
(1 year, 6 months, 21 days after its release in North America)
Wii U current date: April 20th, 2014
(1 year, 5 months, 2 days after its first release in North America)
NPD (USA sales to consumers) comparison:
As of the 2nd March:
Dreamcast:
September 1999 (launch) - March 2001 (19 months):
3.16 million
Wii U:
November 2012 (launch) - March 2014 (17 months):
2.30 million
As of 17 months:
Dreamcast:
September 1999 (launch) - January 2001 (17 months):
2.86 million
Wii U:
November 2012 (launch) - March 2014 (17 months):
2.30 million
As of the launch period:
Dreamcast:
September 1999 - December 1999 (4 months, launch period)
1.48 million
Wii U:
November 2012 - December 2012 (2 months, launch period)
0.88 million
As of the second year:
Dreamcast:
January 2000 - December 2000 (12 months):
1.28 million
Wii U:
January 2013 - December 2013 (12 months):
1.21 million
As of the third year so far:
Dreamcast:
January 2001 - March 2001 (3 months):
0.40 million
Wii U:
January 2014 - March 2014 (3 months):
0.20 million
Final LTD:
Dreamcast:
September 1999 - 2002
4.01 million (3.16 million so far)
Wii U:
November 2012 - 2015
??? million (2.30 million so far)