Topic: Nintendo Hardware and Software Keep Selling in May NPD Data

[Kairon]

Nintendo sells the most hardware (again) and captures a majority of the software charts this month.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16186

 Common wisdom in the video game industry dictates that games sell systems. But despite blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV selling large amounts of units on the PS3 and Xbox 360, Sony and Microsoft's hardware sales were stagnant while an ascendant Nintendo continued to excel in both hardware and software sales.    

May 2008 U.S. Hardware Sales    

Wii ā€“ 675.1k  
Nintendo DS ā€“ 452.6k  
PlayStation 3 ā€“ 208.7k  
Xbox 360 ā€“ 186.6k  
PlayStation Portable ā€“ 182.3k  
PlayStation 2 ā€“ 132.7k    

Nintendo may keep setting new high-water marks for a long time if the Wii continues selling at the pace we've seen in the past couple of months. Wii sales came in at the top spot, selling 675,100 units according to NPD estimates. Nintendo also secured the number two spot, selling 452,600 DS units.    

If the Wii's sales over the past three months are representative of sustained increase in supply, then Nintendo will be dominating sales over the summer and entering the holiday season with impressive momentum. The Wii may continue to outsell, by a significant margin, the combined totals of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox360 in the US market over the summer.    

Meanwhile, it's amazing that PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 continue to hover around or below the 200,000 unit mark despite the launch over a month ago of blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV. Sony has potential to vastly increase sales in June due to the release of the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid IV, but the big question for both consoles is when they will drop their prices to better compete with Nintendo.    

2008 Year-to-Date U.S. Hardware Sales    

Wii ā€“ 2793.3k  
Nintendo DS ā€“ 2427.0k  
PlayStation 3 ā€“ 1202.6k  
PlayStation Portable ā€“ 1145.1k  
Xbox 360 ā€“ 1121.2k  
PlayStation 2 ā€“ 1088.9k    

Approximate Lifetime-to-Date U.S. Hardware Sales    

PlayStation 2 ā€“ 42.1 million  
Nintendo DS ā€“ 19.9 million  
PlayStation Portable ā€“ 11.6 million  
Xbox 360 ā€“ 10.3 million  
Wii ā€“ 10.2 million  
PlayStation 3 ā€“ 4.5 million    

Nintendo leads in year-to-date hardware sales by a huge margin, but they haven't claimed the top spots in lifetime-to-date data just yet. The DS will be in for the long haul if it hopes to reach numbers equivalent to the PlayStation 2 in the USA, while the Wii is on the cusp of overcoming the lifetime install base of the Xbox 360 this month. Even though America is the Xbox 360's strongest market, the Wii is expected to easily pass Microsoft's console in installed user base next month.    

May 2008 U.S. Top Twenty Software Sales    

Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) ā€“ 871.3k  
 Mario Kart Wii w/ Wheel (Wii) ā€“ 787.4k  
 Wii Fit w/ Balance Board (Wii) ā€“ 687.7k  
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) ā€“ 442.9k  
  Wii Play w/Remote (Wii) ā€“ 294.6k  
 Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) ā€“ 171.1k  
Iron Man (PS2) ā€“ 224k  
 Super Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) ā€“ 116.8k  
 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Darkness (DS) ā€“ 107k  
 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Time (DS) ā€“ 102k  
 
 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)  
Iron Man (PSP)  
 We Ski (Wii)  
 Mario Kart (DS)  
 New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)  
God of War II (PS2)  
 Game Party (Wii)  
 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2)  
 Haze (PS3)  
 Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)    

May 2008 Additional U.S. Software Sales Numbers    

Boom Blox (Wii) ā€“ 60k    

Nintendo may not have grabbed the number one software spot, but they may have grabbed just about everything else. Seven of the top ten spots were claimed by games from Nintendo consoles: five from the Wii and two from the DS. This increases to twelve games from Nintendo console in the top 20, and nineteen of the top 30.    

Some of this dominance was due to the successful launch of Wii Fit, which claimed the number three spot with 687,700 units sold, and the strong debut of Namco's budget-priced and balance board compatible We Ski, which came in at number 12. But what's also impressive is the staying power of games like Mario Kart Wii and the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon sequels.    

Even Guitar Hero III for the Wii has exhibited amazing staying power and is still in the top ten long after its release last October. In fact, Guitar Hero III has sold 2.5 million units across all platforms year-to-date. Its competitor, Rock Band, has sold 1.3 million units in 2008. The Wii version of Guitar Hero III has sold approximately 995,300 units in 2008, which would explain the disparity in sales between the two rhythm titles.    

Boom Blox, however, fell to the number 25 slot with 60,000 in sales. The third party Wii title may have debuted to unexceptional sales, but this may not be reason for concern. Games like MySims, Carnival Games, and Game Party have debuted to low numbers but reached impressive totals by selling steady numbers over a long period of time. The true test for success will be whether Boom Blox exhibits the same sales legs month after month.    

May 2008 Top Ten Wii Software Sales    

 Mario Kart  
 Wii Fit w/ Balance Board  
 Wii Play w/ Remote  
 Super Smash Bros. Brawl  
 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock  
 We Ski  
 Game Party  
 Super Mario Galaxy  
 Boom Blox  
 Carnival Games    

May 2008 Top Ten GBA Software Sales    

 Pokemon Emerald  
 Action/Adventure Bundle  
 Candyland/Chutes/Memory  
 Pokemon Fire Red w/ Adaptor  
 Pokemon Leaf Green w/ Adaptor  
 Sonic the Hedgehog  
 Yahtzee/Payday/Game of Life  
 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team  
 Puppy Luv: Spa & Resort  
 Madagascar    

May 2008 Top Ten DS Software Sales    

 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness  
 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time  
 Mario Kart  
 New Super Mario Bros.  
 Crossword DS  
 Mario Party  
 Imagine: Babyz  
 Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games  
 Speed Racer  
 Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day    

In addition to information obtained from the NeoGAF Official NPD thread, this report also contains information from the related Nintendo and Sony press releases, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/06/17/ea-on-boom-blox-sales/>MTV Multiplayer, and Next-Gen.    

Correction: The article originally attributed sales of 43,000 units and 60,000 units to Boom Blox. The correct data is 60,000 units, and the article has been corrected to be consistent with this.

[Enner]

I wonder how much Metal Gear Solid 4 will change the numbers around when the June data comes in. The game already seems to have made a splash in Japan.

[Kairon]

Yeah, and VGChartz estimates are claiming that the PS3 outsold the Wii worldwide last week... even in America! The PS3 could really be seeing itself in first place in June if MGS4 drives hardware sales throughout the month.

[Kairon]

In fact, Guitar Hero III has sold 2.5 million units across all platforms year-to-date. Its competitor, Rock Band, has sold 1.3 million units in 2008. The Wii version of Guitar Hero III has sold approximately 995,300 units in 2008, which would explain the disparity in sales between the two rhythm titles.

Proof that EA not bringing Rockband to the Wii was a grave error. They missed out on more than a million units in sales.

[Nick DiMola]

Yeah, and VGChartz estimates are claiming that the PS3 outsold the Wii worldwide last week... even in America! The PS3 could really be seeing itself in first place in June if MGS4 drives hardware sales throughout the month.

Well you can count me for one of those sales. I'll tell you what, I think Sony falling into last place is the best thing that ever happened to them. It is forcing them to innovate and create a meaningful product that appeals to a greater install base. At this point, I honestly feel that their offering with the PS3 is superior to Microsoft's with the 360.

[KDR_11k]

Did VGC base that on any data or was that just a blind guess from the fact that MGS4 was released? And what's the deal with the MGS games, anyway?

[Kairon]

Did VGC base that on any data or was that just a blind guess from the fact that MGS4 was released?

Where VGC gets their data is a topic of discussion and much heated debate. I count their data good for fanboi musings, but not reputable enough for much else. I do visit their site frequently though because... well... I'm a fanboi who loves to muse.

[Enner]

>And what's the deal with the MGS games, anyway?

Sony boys need a big game to rally to and MGS4 is the closest one coming.
That, and the series has a unique blend of zaniness, melodrama, and military action. The series seem to be very polarizing though.

[Arbok]

Just a head's up, but the article says that Bloom Blox sold both 43k and 60k.

Anyway, another good write up Kairon.

[NWR_insanolord]

Woo, Boom Blox sold 103,000!

[GoldenPhoenix]

Yeah, and VGChartz estimates are claiming that the PS3 outsold the Wii worldwide last week... even in America! The PS3 could really be seeing itself in first place in June if MGS4 drives hardware sales throughout the month.

Well you can count me for one of those sales. I'll tell you what, I think Sony falling into last place is the best thing that ever happened to them. It is forcing them to innovate and create a meaningful product that appeals to a greater install base. At this point, I honestly feel that their offering with the PS3 is superior to Microsoft's with the 360.

How do you figure this? Yes the PS3 hardware is superior but game wise 360 still massacres PS3 besides its once in a blue moon good game.

[Luigi Dude]

This pretty much sums everything up.

[Kairon]

Just a head's up, but the article says that Bloom Blox sold both 43k and 60k.

Anyway, another good write up Kairon.

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