Nintendo estimates $33 million earned from Virtual Console

Fielding questions at a Tokyo press conference held by Nintendo and NTT regarding an internet service collaboration, Nintendo executive Shinji Hatano provided some rather vague commentary on the success of Wii's Virtual Console. According to IGN's Anoop Gantayat, the executive noted a previously mentioned figure of 7.8 million downloads across the service, with purchases generating 3.5 billion yen -- or approximately $32.33 million.

Perhaps there was a hint of sarcasm then, when Hatano followed up with, "We're currently unsure if this is a lot or low. They're not bad figures." Really? Earning over thirty million dollars from games you approved years ago seems like it's a reasonable payoff for minimal effort, doubly so when said (overpriced) games include Double Dribble.