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NPD dishes out the 5 top-selling Wii games of this year
When we think of what games could possibly be the top 5 for the Wii, it doesn't seem like there's much room for mystery. Those that follow the monthly NPD numbers will likely be able to recite the top 5, in order, off the top of their heads. So, let's get to it!The top 5 games of 2008 so far according to the NPD are: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Mario Kart Wii (with wheel) Wii Play Wii Fit (with Balance Board) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (with guitar) We're amazed at how well GH3 still continues to do on the Wii. Obviously, Wii Play is no surprise, as it's a constant fixture in the top software titles month after month. And we have a feeling that Wii Fit would be higher on the list if only more people could actually find it.
So the Xbox 360 didn't outsell Wii in Japan?
It looks like those strong sales in Japan for the Xbox 360 that Enterbrain reported this week might be bogus. The numbers coming from Media Create are telling a very different story, one where the Wii in fact won, instead of Microsoft's console. By a mere 1,500 units, Media Create says the Wii won with a total of 29,686 consoles sold. The figure for Xbox 360, which Enterbrain reported was 28,188 units, is apparently correct. We kind of doubted the story, but with a Square Enix RPG releasing, along with a price cut, we can understand how the Japanese public might snatch up a bunch of Xbox 360s. [Via X3F]
Pokemon Platinum nears a million sales in two days
Ever since its release in Japan earlier this week, Pokémon Platinum has sold like ... well, like a Pokémon game. Nintendo's latest in the long-running series has sold close to a million copies (967,675, if you're looking for a specific number) in just two days of being on store shelves. Ridiculous? To say the least!We know a lot of you outside of Japan are crazy about those pocket monsters, so who's waiting to catch 'em all?%Gallery-25539%
First sign of the apocalypse? Xbox 360 tops Wii in Japan
The end of the world must be nigh, for we never thought we'd see the day where the Wii was outsold by the Xbox 360 in Japan. Sure enough, with Microsoft cutting the price of the console, sales have seen a boost over there. The week ending September 14th saw the Xbox 360 selling 28,681 units, while the Wii only moved 27,057 units. Close, but this isn't horse shoes or hand grenades, kiddies.Aside from Microsoft cutting the price of their console, a number of other factors helped contribute to the Xbox 360 selling so well. For one, a new Square Enix RPG released there this week, by the name of Infinite Undiscovery, and Microsoft also came out with a new Xbox 360 SKU. We're not holding a grudge, though. Microsoft can enjoy their short time in the spotlight. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go sabotage the jump jets on Bill Gates' diamond-encrusted jetpack. [Via Edge]
Nintendo has more profitable employees than Google, Goldman Sachs
Nintendo is at the top of their game. They've been raking in the cash ever since the DS and Wii hit the scene. According to the Financial Times, Nintendo as a company is so good that each of its employees makes more money for the company than those that work at Google and Goldman Sachs, two of the most profitable companies in the world.So how much does each employee generate in business for the house that Mario built? Well, it's around $1.6 million this year. That figure blows your mind, just as it does ours, we're sure, but Nintendo estimates each employee is worth even more than that, as the company accounts for some salaries as R & D spending.We've all been waiting for Nintendo to hit the ceiling, but it appears there's none in sight. The company keeps growing and profits keep soaring, so we doubt if we'll see the company slow down anytime soon.
August NPD: Madden sacks the competition
Wow, talk about dominating the list, Madden NFL 09 has crushed the competition in August, even though it released in the middle of the month. That hasn't stopped it from selling well over 2 million copies, across all platforms. As for hardware, well, it's basically the same story:- DS: 518.3K 89.7K (-14.75%)- Wii: 453K 102K (-18.37%)- PSP: 253K 31.3K (12.49%) - Xbox 360: 195.2K 9.6K (-4.68%)- PS3: 185.4K 39.5K (-17.56%) - PS2: 144.1K 11.4K (-7.33%)Head past the break for the software figures.
Wii Fit sales bring profits in Q2 for Toys R Us
Wii Fit is helping all kinds of retailers make money. In fact, the fitness bundle from Nintendo is still hard to find. Now, we hear that the package helped drive profits up for retailer Toys R Us. During Q2 of last year, the retailer had a loss of $42 million. This year, the company turned profits of $13 million.%Gallery-24459%
Pachter talks Wii supply, forecasts August earnings
We all know Michael Pachter has no problem tossing his two pennies around, and his estimations for the month of August might surprise some of you. When it comes to sales, the Wedbush Morgan analyst sees Nintendo making around $100 million on software. As for hardware, it's a different story, as a decline is expected."Because the U.S. has received only around 1/3 of total Wii production to-date, instead of a more normal 40 percent, there has been a severe shortage of Wii supply here that has yet to let up," says Pachter. He thinks that the supposed production increase won't take effect in North America until September.See also: GameStop CEO sees no 'end in sight' for Wii shortages
Gamestop CEO: Wii shortages have no 'end in sight'
GameDaily recently sat down with GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo to discuss, well, things that a CEO of a huge company would discuss. What is of note to us Wii enthusiasts, however, is his grim outlook for the future. He doesn't see store shelves stocked full of Wii consoles anytime soon, unfortunately. "I don't see a near-term end in sight for Wii shortages, not unless they really ramp up supply," DeMatteo said. "I think they've ramped it up 20 percent or so, but Nintendo is fairly cautious by nature. They ramped it up 20 and it's still evaporating."This is only one man's opinion, but based on how much money he probably makes each year, we're sure his estimate is better than ours. So, for you holiday shoppers that have someone on your list asking for Wii, better get to hunting one down now. In little over a month, we're sure they're going to be a lot harder to track down.
iPhone 3Gs now outnumber originals
Blogger Michael Arrington at TechCrunch pointed out an amazing, yet somewhat obvious, thing yesterday -- at some point next week, the number of iPhone 3Gs in use around the world will exceed the number of first-generation iPhones. The statistics are astounding: 6 million original iPhones were sold in about one year It took 74 days for the first million first-generation iPhones to sell A million iPhone 3Gs were sold the first weekend they were on sale Sources estimate anywhere from 750,000 - 800,000 iPhones are being made each week Apple is on track to sell more than 40 million iPhones in the next year This is all happening despite concerns about iPhone 3G network connectivity and battery life. If you're not an iPhone App developer now, you might want to consider signing up to join the gold rush![Via MacDailyNews]
Bionic Commando Rearmed scores super first-week sales
Ben Judd, Capcom's Bionic Commando, er ... commander, reports in his latest blog entry that the PSN/XBLA/PC release, Bionic Commando Rearmed, saw combined first-week sales of 130,000 copies across the three platforms. The news prompted Judd to exclaim, "Holy fiddlesticks!" Judd qualified his excitement, saying, "That may not seem impressive compared to package titles that sell in the millions but compared to other digital titles that is a friggin juggernaut!" Seemingly very pleased with not only the reviews (which are averaging above 80%) and sales of his first game as producer, he made a point to let gamers know how they've impacted Capcom's digital strategy going forward. "Basically, we have set a standard in digital gaming," he said, adding, "The bar has been raised and you have let developers around the world know that if they invest the time, money, and heart into making (and remaking) some great games, you will support that initiative." We have a pretty good feeling that, following the success of BC:R, Judd's going to have a much easier time getting Capcom brass behind whatever project he chooses to tackle next.
July NPD: Hardware sales take a dip, Nintendo still wins
July was a good month for Nintendo. Not only did the Wii do well, but the DS also managed to sell a lot. In fact, the Wii took up 49% of console shares in July, with the DS snagging 73% of handheld sales for that month, despite hardware sales taking a dip for all. If you're looking for more exact sales data, head past the break.
More App Store sales figures
Last week, iPhone app shop tap tap tap released preliminary sales data for its iPhone applications. The figures were interesting (and impressive), but at the time, only seven days of data was available. As Steve Jobs told the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the App Store's first month generated about $30 million US in sales, and I was interested in how that would translate on a micro level. Yesterday, tap tap tap's John Casasanta posted its full July sales totals (save a few territories, which will likely have little effect on the final tally), allowing us to do just that.As with the data released last week, the numbers are extremely impressive. Apple's reporting process calculated sales from June 29, 2008 through August 2, 2008. However, as John notes, because the App Store didn't launch until July 10, 2008, the sales data is actually for 24 days.For tap tap tap's two applications, this is the breakdown:Where to Go (App Store link) sold 24,094 copies at $2.99 a copy in 24 days.Tipulator (App Store link) sold 3,168 copies at $.99 a copy in 24 days.After Apple's 30% cut, tap tap tap's net revenue was $52,815 US for 24 days. Wow. That averages to just about $2200 US a day. Read on for more analysis.
Former Sony boss predicts Sony and Nintendo tie at end of current gen
If one was to make an estimation as to the end of the console race today, it would appear Nintendo has things on lock. But, the future isn't always certain, so some folks don't mind coming up with their own guesses as to where we're headed in the years to come. The latest person to toss their 2 pennies into the fountain is former SCEE president Chris Deering. He thinks that come 2011, the Wii and the PS3 will be in a dead tie.How can this be, with the monthly NPD numbers and weekly Japanese sales figures showing Nintendo selling truckloads of its hardware? Well, for Sony, Deering predicts that combined sales of its PS3, PS2 and PSP devices will be around 240 million units, which he also predicts for Nintendo, but they'll have done it with only the DS and Wii. For the Xbox 360, Deering predicts it will have a base of 40 million units.240 million units, though? That's just lunacy, in our eyes. But, hey, if anyone can reach that figure, it's Nintendo. As for Sony doing it, well, there are a lot of PS2 consoles out there ...We guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Microsoft: Wii third-party sales 'not a pretty story'
Despite NoA's VP, Denise Kaigler, showing us all a graph with some lines on it, group manager of corporate PR at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, David Dennis, wants us all to know that the information presented in Kaigler's little chart is wrong. To help set the record straight (and also point out how awesome is company is, we guess), Dennis offered up the following tidbits of info: Total third party sales for the Xbox 360 since launch is currently 67,929,999 units, followed by the Wii at 33,394,311 units and the PlayStation 3 at 19,976,325 units. Third party sales for the Xbox 360 since the launch of the Wii and PS3 is 54,065,728 units, still almost double the Wii's 33,394,311 units. If you take the total number of units sold and divide that by the number of titles released since November 2006, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are selling more units per title on average than the Wii. This puts the Xbox 360 at 217,252 units per title, the PS3 at 156,065 units and the Wii at 132,517 units. We have a feeling that any company can spin sales figures the right way, in their favor, but no matter how you slice it, the Wii is still on top overall. So take that, competition![Thanks, jimb!]
NoA VP spins some software sales for us all
Nintendo of America's VP of Marketing, Denise Kaigler, wants to let us all know software sales on the Wii are better than any other console on the market. How does she know this? Why, the fancy chart above, we assume. It's not like she tracked all of this information down herself. In short, this story can be summed up as so: Nintendo rocks, everyone else not so much.Joystiq posed a good question though: what happens when Wii Play and first-party games are taken out? We bet the chart would look pretty different, to be honest.
Sony: We don't want the senior citizen gamers
Sony's Scott Steinberg is not impressed by Nintendo's current success. In fact, he thinks his own company shouldn't adopt a similar strategy and try to obtain some share of the mass market. When asked about the Wii, and it's controller, in a recent interview, he commented that the "notion of that controller is a non-trivial point that you've brought up, that control and that familiarity is like comfort food - from my perspective, we lead, we don't follow." Steinberg further went on to say that "as a brand, Nintendo's got their thing, and we're not trying to get the senior citizen group to get into gaming, we're looking to convert the PS2 owners and the tens of millions of installed base that were playing DVDs and playing games on their PS2, to now play Blu-ray movies and Blu-ray games with their PS3." Wait, was that a Sony representative saying they don't want more money? We thought the whole point of being a company was to earn money, so we're not sure why Sony would turn down a certain segment of the market, one Nintendo has proven are receptive to gaming and financially lucrative.
Rumor: Microsoft gets more competitive next month
Let's face it: each console does something pretty well. The Xbox 360 has Xbox Live, which is a pretty good online service. The PS3 has a very comfortable controller and can do some sweet media stuff. The Wii has an innovative control scheme and No More Heroes. Each console is great in their own way and this current generation's console war has been fun to watch. Now that consoles are getting older, prices are falling and we're anxious to see how the rest of this struggle for market dominance will play out. If this rumor turns out to be true, the Xbox 360 will be the cheapest console on the market, besting the Wii by $50.Both the Xbox 360 "Arcade" bundle and the "Pro" bundle are supposedly getting their prices slashed. The "Arcade" is apparently dropping from $279 down to $199, while the "Pro" will drop from $349 down to $299. This might come as good news to the Xbox camp, but, should this happen, we wonder how this could affect the sales moving forward.Could this drive Nintendo to cut the price of the Wii? We doubt it. With the console doing so well, we don't think Nintendo is looking to their competition to determine when they should slash their own console's price. But, if this price drop does spur a big increase in Xbox 360 sales and people start buying less Wiis, we wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo announced a price drop on our around the holidays later this year. What do you all think?[Via GamePro]
In Japan, PS3 bested by Wii 3-1 during July
For all of you keeping track of how many months the Wii has crushed the PS3, maybe it's time you got yourself a new notebook. That thing must be full. But, in all seriousness, Japan saw the Wii selling quite a bit more when compared to the PS3 last month. How much more? Well, the Wii sold 171,851 units in the four weeks leading up to July 27th (so, really, it could've sold a lot more last month), while the PS3 only sold 54,823 units. And, as one might expect, both totally crushed the Xbox 360, which only sold 14,439 units. We expect that the NPD data in the next few months will reflect something similar, as all of us in North America are still waiting on Wario Land: Shake It! and Mario Super Sluggers. Both of those, as well as Fatal Frame IV, have already released over there, but they pretty much don't count here as Wario and Fatal Frame released only yesterday. Sluggers released way back in June.
June NPD: Snake can't break Nintendo hegemony
Solid Snake, schmolid shnake. Try as the PlayStation 3 might, even the North American debut of Konami's most famous son and a drop in Wii sales couldn't prevent a Nintendo one-two for the fifth month running. DS: 783K 368.2K (+88.7%) Wii: 666.7K 47.5K (-6.6%) PS3: 405.5K 218.4K (+116.7%) PSP: 337.4K 144.7K (+75%) 360: 219.8K 31.8K (+16.9%) PS2: 188.8K 64.4K (+51.7%) Peer down your sight to scope out June's software sales past the break.
