Topic: January NPD Sales Put Wii Hardware in First, DS in Fourth

[Kairon]

In software sales, five of the top ten games are on Nintendo platforms.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15352

 2008 starts off with a virtual dead heat for console hardware sales, with all charted platforms selling within 50,000 units of each other:    

January 2008 U.S. Hardware Sales
 Wii – 274k
 PlayStation 3 – 269k
 PlayStation 2 – 264k
 Nintendo DS – 251k
 PlayStation Portable – 230k
 Xbox 360 – 230k    

The Nintendo Wii barely eked out a first place finish according to NPD's sales data, and the real story is what came in second: Sony's PlayStation 3. Last year Sony released new hardware revisions and cut the price of the PS3, and it paid off in January by rocketing the PS3 to second place where December saw it in last. Almost as shocking is the Xbox 360's plummet to tie with the Sony Playstation Portable at the bottom of the list.    

Of course, January typically sees a sales slowdown after the hectic holiday shopping season, and low shipments of hardware may play into the dampened sales of traditional high-sellers. For example, the demand for the Wii still outstrips demand more than a year after the console's release.    

As for NPD's software sales data:    

January 2008 U.S. Top Ten Software Sales
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) – 330.9k
 Wii Play w/Remote (Wii) – 298.1k
 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) – 239.6k
 Rock Band Bundle (Xbox 360) – 183.8k
 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (XBox 360) – 182.7k
 Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) – 172k
 Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360) – 144.1k
 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3) – 140k
 Mario Party (DS) – 138.5k
 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS) – 133k    

Two new games break into the top ten in January – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the DS and Burnout Paradise for the Xbox 360 – but the rest is composed of returning blockbusters. Super Mario Galaxy has amassed over 2.7 million units in lifetime sales in the U.S. market so far, and despite its sound issues, Guitar Hero III for the Wii continues to sell strongly, with over 1.5 million units sold to date on the Wii console alone. And of course, Wii Play continues to chug along, its consistent sales month after month amassing to a lifetime to date total of more than 4.4 million in the U.S. alone. Maybe more games should come with a Wii remote included?

[MaryJane]

GH:III for the Wii is on the list twice... I'm assuming the second one is supposed to be for the 360, and obviously the forthcoming death of HD-DVD (also look at the lack of PS3 software sold) is going to be driving PS3 sales until bargain Blu-ray players also support the newest Blu-Ray features, which might be awhile.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Present us with the sales data for Dec/Jan this season, and the Dec/Jan last season, and we'll have something worth looking at.

[IceCold]

Uh oh.. the DS is waning in Japan and North America both..

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Troll harder, plz.

[KnowsNothing]

This is the final nail in the coffin for Nintendo.

[ShyGuy]

I think at a certain point, instead of releasing a greatest hits selection, Nintendo should just bundle a game with every piece of hardware they sell. Nunchuck? Prime 3! SD Card? Excite Truck! Replacement Wrist Strap? Super Mario Galaxy!

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

That is a winning combination.

[Kairon]

I think at a certain point, instead of releasing a greatest hits selection, Nintendo should just bundle a game with every piece of hardware they sell. Nunchuck? Prime 3! SD Card? Excite Truck! Replacement Wrist Strap? Super Mario Galaxy!

LOL.

...Hey... that might... hmm...

But what about third parties? I say they should bundle third party games with the accessories instead! ... darn it, whatever Nintendo does it hurts third-parties doesn't it?

[ShyGuy]

Kairon, that is actually a good idea. As the continued success of Wiiplay on the above chart has shown. Bundling software and hardware together increases the value proposition in the eyes of the consumer. If I was a Wii shovelware publisher, I would be making a deal with Nyko or Intec to bundle their games after they hit bargain bin status. (Target terror with a light gun shell for example)

Of course on the flip side, Link's Crossbow training with the zapper hasn't done as hot has it? (BTW, what are its numbers?)

[Kairon]

Link's Crossbow Training has shipped over a million units worldwide, I believe.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

999,990 still on store shelves I see.

all in Sacramento.

[DAaaMan64]

Link's Crossbow Training has shipped over a million units worldwide, I believe.

We should stop calling it shipped and start calling it Sony Sales. So Link's Crossbow Training has over a million units in Sony Sales worldwide.