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British PM loves Wii, fails at Wii Sports
It sounds as though the Wii has friends in high places, at least in the UK. Queen Elizabeth II recently talked about getting her Wii on, and now British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed he's also a fan of Nintendo's console and that he and Liz get together for a spot of Wii Sports boxing every other Sunday.Brown hasn't shied from criticizing video games in the past, but admitted in a BBC interview that the Wii was a hit at 10 Downing Street, and also that his four-year-old son could run rings around him at Wii Sports tennis: "I have played a game of tennis. It didn't leave me out of puff, but that was because I was beaten pretty early on by my son, and he's only four." Not your greatest moment, Gordon.boomp3.com[Via Go Nintendo]
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/28-2/3
As we informed you yesterday (and predicted last week), Super Smash Bros. Brawl ripped up the Japanese sales charts. Selling an incredible 820,000 copies in a mere four days, that's not a game to be messed with.Some other Nintendo titles didn't fare as well, however. Super Mario Galaxy nearly fell out of the top thirty this week. Brawl, it seems, is starting to cannibalize Galaxy's sales. Wii Fit's streak as the number one game also ended with Brawl's success. Not only that, but Wii Fit was pushed to number five by the plethora of new games released last week. Most of the other Wii games got knocked down, too, like Wii Sports, Wii Play, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, and Mario Party.Family Ski represented the top third-party Wii game this week, ending up at number twelve. That's not too shabby, especially considering that the game was rumored to have poor first-day sales. Oh, and did we mention that the Wii was the top seller in hardware, for the second week in a row? We wonder how long Brawl will be able to keep it at the top.The full hardware and software numbers are listed after the break, as usual.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/21-1/27
Let's face it: the Japanese sales numbers for the week of 1/21 are just foreplay. What we really want to know is how Super Smash Bros. Brawl did, although rumors are coming in that the game sold a whopping 500,000 copies in its first day. All this hype even catapulted the Wii above the DS in hardware sales last week, according to the numbers released by Famitsu. We think the Wii will hold the top spot in Japan for at least another few weeks, while it basks in Brawl's glory. The Wii may have made a stir in the hardware charts, but all's boring on the software front. Wii Fit shows us its well-toned legs by remaining at the number one spot, and Super Mario Galaxy has fallen out of the top ten once again. Wii Play also slipped a bit, losing some of its former dominance. To see the Japanese hardware and software figures for last week, look no further than after the break.
Wii Warm Up: Worth $50?
We didn't think much of Michael Pachter's suggestion about selling the Wii without Wii Sports at a fifty dollar discount, and from the comments, you didn't either. There just doesn't seem to be much reason to change anything when the consoles don't sit on shelves long enough to get comfortable. But what we really wanted to consider this morning is a slightly different question: is Wii Sports worth $50? Sure, for a lot of us, it gets just as much play as our more hardcore games, especially when there are extra people in the house. The same friends who used to set up extra televisions and drag over their 360s for a few in-room sessions of Halo team play now just move the table and do a little bowling instead. It's fun and engaging, and even our nongaming friends don't usually mind joining in for a few rounds. Even we Wii Fanboys here are sometimes surprised by how successful the Wii has been with the people we know, and Wii Sports is a big part of that. But even with all of that taken into consideration, do you think Wii Sports is worth the price of a new, non-budget title?
Campaigner calls Wii exercise in schools 'another gimmick'
It seems the school is still the eminent source of name calling, as the Wii, which has managed to shrug off all the "little fad" comments thus far, has been subjected to yet another "another gimmick" label. This time, however, it's in relation to the UK Department of Health's endorsement of an in-school "active" games scheme designed by the Droitwich and Worcester City School Sport Partnership. Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, was unconvinced by the program's weight-loss merits, saying, "Pupils would be far better doing serious competitive sports and games than this sort of thing." Channel 4 reports that this sort of thing has already been implemented in five schools in Worcestershire as "virtual PE," with the hopes that active gaming would lure children to participate in other physical exercise. Seaton, however, believes it "looks like another gimmick," one that's "pandering to the views of the physically idle." The Department of Health argued that the Wii makes for a good "first step" towards other forms of exercise, though failed to mention the benefits of the many, many steps required to excel in the physical strenuous Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party. Mind you, the embarrassing view of the physical idol in school would likely result in even more nasty name calling.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/14-1/20
We already know that the Wii is doing well in Japan. How has the hardware and software been shaping up against other consoles and games, though? Let's take a look at last week's sales to find out.The Wii continues to flip-flop positions with the PSP, this time ending up on the more favorable side of the coin. Regaining the second place spot with 76,000 units sold, the Wii only dropped 6,000 units from last week's numbers.Wii software continues to do well, too -- at least concerning "Wii" and "Mario" games. Wii Fit sales in Japan were even greater than DS handheld sales. Super Mario Galaxy also ended up back in the top ten, in part because of consistent sales, and in part because a few DS games lost steam. Some other Wii games didn't make the top of the charts, like Trauma Center: New Blood (which sold 3,100 copies last week in its debut). Check out the actual sales numbers and rankings for hardware and software after the break.
Wii sales surpass 5 million in Japan
Japanese publication Famitsu (via MCV) is reporting that the Nintendo Wii has surpassed the 5 million mark for hardware sales. As of January 20, Nintendo sold 5,019,337 units in just less than 14 months since the console's launch. Total sales for the Wii in the United States were 7.38 million as of the end of 2007, according to NPD data released last week.The top five best-selling games in Japan are, perhaps unsurprisingly, all from Nintendo -- two Mario games and three titles geared towards the casual market. If the list is accurate, then the Wii only has four platinum-selling titles and Mario Galaxy hasn't yet passed the 900,000 threshold. Check out the list after the break.[Via GameDaily]
Wii Warm Up: Not sold separately
We've noticed a lot of cases on eBay lately. Oh, not cases for holding your system, or replacement cases for modding your Wii, but game cases for Wii Sports and Link's Crossbow Training. We were thinking about asking who might have made one for themselves, but then we noticed something else, something even more interesting:People are making a killing on eBay with Wii Sports. Just the DIY cases alone sell for a decent few bucks, but actual copies of Wii Sports, with or without a shiny plastic case, are going for crazy amounts of money, so we just had to ask: do you know anyone who's needed one? Who broke a copy, or picked up a used Wii, or lost it, or needed to replace Wii Sports for any reason?
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/7-1/13
Sales for all systems predictably tumbled last week as Japan's holiday shopping season came to an end. That's not all that dropped, though; the Wii also slipped to third place, while the PSP claimed the second spot. Although the hardware sales reflect Japan's portable-mania, the software sales once again scream Nintendo.Since we already knew about Wii Fit's million accomplishment, there wasn't much surprise in the software charts. Super Mario Galaxy, however, finally fell out of the top ten as it makes it way toward the million mark.Hardware: DS: 103,000 PSP: 84,000 Wii: 82,000 PS3: 34,000 PS2: 15,000 Xbox 360: 5,500 The software sales are listed after the break.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6
The Wii got a huge boost in hardware sales thanks to the New Years holiday, which is known to be big for consumerism in Japan. All system sales increased, in fact, but the gap between the Wii and PSP widened as the Wii sold almost 80,000 more units than it did the previous week. The bump in hardware sales also affected software sales, helping Nintendo regain its domination in the charts. The top twelve games were for Nintendo systems, with a lot of those games either having the words "Wii" or "Mario" in their titles. Wii Sports and Wii Play continue to bully newer titles out of the top ten, while Wii Fit nears the million mark (and according to some trackers, already reached it as of today). Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles also shows some legs by barely making the top thirty, selling 21,000 copies last week for a total of 234,000.It will be interesting to see whether Super Mario Galaxy can hang in the top ten, but regardless, it seems that the game will hit one million sales relatively soon. Also, expect a huge drop in sales all around next week, as holiday spending in Japan finally comes to an end.The hardware and software numbers are listed after the break, for your viewing pleasure.
Queen Elizabeth II on Wii: One approves
We always suspected that the Wii, much like the toilet, could be a great social leveller. After all, no matter how blue your blood, anybody is going to look like a bit of a plum playing Wii Sports. Obviously, that doesn't remotely faze us (we're not very cool people anyway), it shouldn't faze you, and it certainly doesn't faze Queen Elizabeth II.Yeah, you heard us: according to British red-top The People, Her Maj is the latest fan of Nintendo's console, and something of a pro at Wii bowling. The monarch discovered the Wii after her grandson, the prematurely balding Prince William, received one of the rare consoles as a Christmas gift from his girlfriend. We actually really love the mental image this story conjures up: the 81-year-old Queen swinging blissfully away while being watched by Wills, Harry, Phillip, several corgis, and various Royal Family underlings, and then getting roundly applauded for knocking down a single pin.Seriously though, ma'am, it's good to know you're having fun with our taxes your new console. Welcome aboard![Via NeoGAF]
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/24-12/31
Normally we bring you Japanese sales charts on Wednesday, but since Japan was on vacation this week, that didn't exactly work out. It's back to work for Japan, however, which means that the sales numbers for games and hardware for the week of 12/24 were finally released.So, how did Nintendo fare? While software sales were good, the company certainly lost its dominance in the charts. The week of 12/17 had Nintendo in nine out of ten of the top spots, while the week of 12/24 had the company in only seven. (Note: When "only seven" is a bad week, that's a good thing.)To see what this means for the Wii (and to view the actual Famitsu sales numbers), check after the break.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/17-12/23
The Wii did well last week in Japan, finally managing to outsell the PlayStation 3 again by five to one. Wii Fit, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario and Sonic continued to find success in the software sales charts, while Wii Sports and Wii Play extend their quests toward spectacularly high numbers.We're glad to see that Super Mario Galaxy is doing well (the game is great, in case you haven't noticed), and are still awed by the phenomenon that is Wii Sports. Only one game in the top ten (and top fifteen, for that matter) was for a non-Nintendo system, which exemplifies the company's current dominance in Japan. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon is mysteriously missing from the charts, however, leading some to speculate that the game sold less than FIFA 360 (which took the last place with 2,400 copies sold).Check after the break to see the sales numbers for Japan's hardware and software.
Science community tackles Wii weight loss claims
Studies into how effective the Wii is for shedding pounds are not new. Earlier this year, one gamer committed himself to a six-week regime of playing Wii Sports for thirty minutes a day, and came out nine pounds lighter. Not only that, but you should spend a day here at the Wii Fanboy offices -- it's all well-oiled, rippling biceps, bulging pectorals, and washboard stomachs. Sort of.Anyway, the scientific community has finally followed suit, with two UK-based researchers testing exactly how much of a workout Wii users are getting, compared to Xbox 360 gamers. Using teenagers as their subjects, the pair discovered that playing on the Wii burnt off an extra 60 calories per hour than gaming on the Xbox 360. Their conclusion? That while the Wii certainly helps with weight loss, it probably isn't an ideal substitute for regular exercise, cruelly scuppering our plans to work off post-holiday season pounds with some lengthy Wii Tennis sessions. Their findings were published in the British Medical Journal, no less. Admittedly, these results tell us little that we didn't already know, thanks to the experiment we mentioned in the first paragraph. But now that the same process has been carried out by the white coats, rather than Some Dude on the internet, some may claim it has an extra layer of credibility.[Via BBC]
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/10-12/16
It's that time of the week again when we find out how the Wii and its games sold in Japan. While we really have no need to be worried about the hardware, certain unconfirmed numbers earlier this week did raise concerns about third-party software sales. So, how did the fair Wii fare in the land of the rising sun this week? Regarding hardware sales, the Wii just barely eked out in front of the PSP to take second place with 168,000 units sold, jumping up over 50,000 units from last week. As for the software, there's some good and bad news. Check after the break to see the numbers.
Japanese release of Wii Fit met by loooong queues
We may still lack solid numerical data when it comes to Japanese sales of Wii Fit, but all the early signs have been pointing to Nintendo scoring another major non-game hit.The scene to the right, for example, shows a queue of soon-to-be Wii Fit owners, patiently lining up in Akihibara. As the pictures after the jump and at the link below illustrate, this is far from a one-off; Wii Fit is shaping up to be big, in a way that poor old Super Mario Galaxy wasn't.Barring shortages of the Balance Board, or another miraculous performance from Dragon Quest IV (not that that should be completely ruled out), expect Wii Fit to be hogging top spot in Japan next week.
Up your Wii Sports immersion factor
Want to get the most out of your Wii Sports experience? Well, if you don't have a handy movie theater at your disposal, you can always try the same solution our own Mike Sylvester favors: hooking your Wii up to a projector. From the photos at Flickr of Wii Sports on an Epson MovieMate 72, we can't help but think that would make for some nice games of golf or bowling. If only there were more photos! Click through to see this one in all its full-sized glory, and check out the others here. The colors are just maddeningly rich. Now we're kinda feeling like throwing down on a game or two ....
What we're thankful for: Wii edition
Aside from stuffing our faces with 7,000 calories worth of food on Thanksgiving, we Americans are supposed to reflect on what we're most thankful for. While things like LOLcatz and coffee definitely make the list (oh right, and our families and friends, we guess), we wanted to show a little appreciation for the Wii as well. The Nintendo Wii Fanboy staff was thus asked what about the Wii we are most thankful for. The following is what happens when you have a staff with the collective maturity level of 37% (calculated by science).
Wii Warm Up: Has the Wii improved your social life?
The Wii may be the most socially-focused console ever made. Everything about it, from the personal avatars to the physical aspect of play to (especially) the pack-in game seems designed to get people partying. Certainly we've all heard about the rise of the "Wii Party" (not a political organization). Even Evite has gotten in on the Wii phenomenon, offering Wii-focused party invitations.In the past year, have you found yourself hosting and attending more parties? Has the Wii influenced your social life? Has your formerly lonely nerd cave become a hub for Wii Sports parties? Or were you waiting for the Party Station to liven up your party room?
Cheating wife caught out ... by her lover's Mii
Here's one you probably won't find on My Wii Story. A young soldier goes to war in Iraq, taking his DS and (eventually) Wii with him. While he's away, playing Wii Sports with his army buddies, his wife begins to conduct an affair with a ten-pin bowling champion. A little over a year later, the soldier returns to wagging tongues, tips from friends about his wife's indiscretions, and e-mails that reveal plans for his wife and her lover to run away together.Heartbroken, he turns on his Wii to reminisce about the friends he made in Iraq, and comes face to face with the final piece of incriminating evidence: the Mii of his wife's lover, and a list of the times and dates the pair played Wii Bowling together, forever secreted in his Wii's Calendar mode.This, if you were wondering, is the rather poignant tale of "Tony," who courageously sent his story to Go Nintendo. You can read his email in full at the link below.
