Wii, DS Top Sales in November, NSMB Wii Hits 2 Million

by Andy Goergen - December 11, 2009, 8:33 am EST
Total comments: 19 Source: Gamasutra

November's NPD numbers show strong sales for Nintendo consoles and software, and Mario is actually doing better than advertised.

Despite a downturn in video game console sales from November 2008, the Wii and DS sold well in November 2009, sitting atop the hardware sales chart. New Super Mario Bros. Wii also hit a sales milestone.

According to the NPD Group, the Nintendo DS sold 1,700,000 units and the Wii sold 1,260,000 units, leading the industry by a large margin. The Xbox 360 came in at 819,500 units and the Playstation 3 sold 710,400 units, coming in third and fourth place, respectively.

Nintendo also had great success in software sales, accounting for four of the top ten best-selling titles of November. New Super Mario Bros. Wii placed third selling 1.39 million for the month, and Nintendo has since told the NPD Group that current sales numbers for the latest Mario title have surpassed the 2 million mark , Wii Sports Resort (sixth at 720,200), Wii Fit Plus (seventh at 697,000), and Mario Kart Wii (tenth at 315,000) also placed in the top ten for software sales in November. Topping the chart was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, which combined for over 6 million copies sold for the month.

Overall, sales were down from November 2008. The top 50 game sales sold 5% less than the top 50 from 2008. Hardware sales took more of a hit, falling 13.4 percent from last year. NPD's Anita Frazier noted that although sales were down from 2008, they were up from 2007. "I think we all have to realize the incredible year that was 2008."

Talkback

RABicleDecember 12, 2009

Now Reggie made a bet that NSMBW would outsell, by January NDP, any one single version of Modern Warfare 2.
It's already thrashed the PC one. By now it will have already passed the PS3 one. I reckon by April it'll overtake the 360 one.

BlackNMild2k1December 12, 2009

I checked the language used in the video of that interview.
(I'm pretty sure)Reggie said the 360 version... by January (i believe)

Good luck with that. But if/when it doesn't happen, I expect a grand ceremony for the taking of his own name, put on a plaque stating "MW2 made me do it"

ShyGuyDecember 12, 2009

Including the month of January? I could see that.

Did he specify world wide or North America only?

BlackNMild2k1December 12, 2009

NPD only using January's NPD (I think, which would post in February)

1up posted an article on it.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177277

edit: Original quote

Quote:

"Absolutely. I say that unequivocally," Reggie proclaimed. He did issuethe caveat that they'll only compare sales of Modern Warfare 2 on the360 and not the 360, PS3, and PC combined for this unofficialchallenge, but it's a rather bold claim nevertheless. "Let's take itall the way through the January NPD data -- yes. I'll put that stake inthe ground."

NinGurl69 *hugglesDecember 12, 2009

Buh? What kind of quote is that? It's now "what 1up said that Reggie said."

BlackNMild2k1December 12, 2009

there is also a video, but I can't be bothered to find that too.

GT pushed for a comment on the 360 version Reggie agreed
http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/gametrailers-tv/77?ch=1&sd=1

start around the 4:20 mark
Reggie wasn't trying to commit to a particular platform but Geoff pushed him to make the bet against the 360 version.

NWR_LindyJon Lindemann, Associate EditorDecember 12, 2009

Of course it'll outsell Modern Warfare 2 in the long run. There's hardly any existing or upcoming Wii games that will cannibalize its sales. On the 360, Modern Warfare 2 will be eclipsed by something next year, much like MW2 supplanted Halo 3 as "This Year's Big First-Person Shooter".

Most people buy Nintendo's consoles for Nintendo games and nothing else. That's why virtually any Nintendo-published title will sell and sell and sell (even if it's Wii Music), because it's pretty much accepted that if you buy a Nintendo system you're golden if you stick with Nintendo's own games. They're always the safe bet. Third-party titles get zero exposure and are usually pretty iffy in quality anyways, so I don't blame consumers for not picking them up.

NWR_DrewMGAndy Goergen, Semi-Retired AlmunusDecember 12, 2009

Well, at least until NewEgg starts selling them for $12.

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorDecember 12, 2009

Will Nintendo even print enough copies of NSMBWii to outdo MW2(360) by the end of January?

I have no doubt that NSMBWii will eventually pass MW2 on the 360 in the long run though. I even think it'd be upsetting for the franchise's sales trackers if NSMBWii didn't outsell all the MW2 versions combined eventually. But still... only a TWO month period during which they need to outperforml MW2 by 2.8 million units in the US?!?!? Crazy talk. Good luck with that one Reggie.

Quote from: NWR_Lindy

Most people buy Nintendo's consoles for Nintendo games and nothing else. That's why virtually any Nintendo-published title will sell and sell and sell (even if it's Wii Music), because it's pretty much accepted that if you buy a Nintendo system you're golden if you stick with Nintendo's own games. They're always the safe bet. Third-party titles get zero exposure and are usually pretty iffy in quality anyways, so I don't blame consumers for not picking them up.

I'm not arguing the general truth of this, but it makes me sad. As a Nintendo gamer, I have always treasured the variety and quality that other developers can offer on Nintendo systems, on the NES, SNES, N64, GC, and especially the Wii.

Mop it upDecember 12, 2009

Quote from: Kairon

It makes me sad too not only because Nintendo doesn't (and of course can't) offer something in all genres but because I hear people say that a lot but I can't really refute it. There are only a few third-party exclusives I could point to.

mac<censored>December 12, 2009

Quote from: NWR_Lindy

Maybe (I dunno) that's true for the Wii / in the U.S., but it's certainly not true for the DS...

NWR_LindyJon Lindemann, Associate EditorDecember 13, 2009

I agree, the DS is another case entirely. Even though Nintendo doesn't pump out the games for it like they used to, they're still releasing top-notch stuff across a wide range of genres (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, for example), and the third-party support is nothing short of phenonmenal.

Honestly, when you take everything into consideration, you could make a case for the Nintendo DS being the best game system ever released.

NWR_insanolordJ.P. Corbran, Community ManagerDecember 13, 2009

Quote from: NWR_Lindy

The only reason the DS isn't widely acknowledged as the best system ever is that it's a handheld. If a console had the sales and the software lineup the DS has a lot of people would consider it the greatest ever.