delivers a 1-2 punch in the latest edition of the NPD sales report.
Nintendo Wii and DS were the top two selling game systems in March, according to the latest report from the NPD Group. Wii sales reached 560,000 consoles, and combined DS system sales reached over 700,000 handhelds, setting a new record for portable system sales. In a recent press release, Nintendo notes that sales of Nintendo systems amounted to 59% of all video game hardware sold in March.
Nintendo also benefited from strong sales of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver versions, which placed at #5 and #2 on the sales chart respectively, with the combined total at more than 1,780,000 units sold. March also saw New Super Mario Bros Wii at #7 in the top ten with 457,400 units sold, and Wii Fit Plus with the Balance Board at #9 with 429,600 units sold.
The full list is detailed below:
Hardware:
1. Nintendo DS: 700,800
2. Wii: 557,500
3. Xbox 360: 338,400
4. PlayStation 3: 313,900
5. PSP: 119,900
6. PlayStation 2: 118,300
Software:
1. God of War III (Sony Santa Monica/SCEA, PS3), 1.10 million
2. Pokemon SoulSilver (Game Freak/Nintendo, NDS), 1.02 million
3. Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix, PS3), 828,200
4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (DICE/Electronic Arts, Xbox 360), 825,500
5. Pokemon HeartGold (Game Freak/Nintendo, NDS), 761,200
6. Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix, Xbox 360), 493,900
7. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo, Wii), 457,400
8. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (DICE/Electronic Arts, PS3), 451,200
9. Wii Fit Plus w/ Balance Board (Nintendo, Wii), 429,600
10. MLB 10: The Show (Sony San Diego/SCEA, PS3), 349,200
NINTENDO DS AND WII SYSTEM SALES BACK TO TOP TWO POSITIONS IN MARCH
April 15, 2010
According to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States, the Nintendo DS™ family of hand-held systems – including the new Nintendo DSi XL™ – set an all-time record for portable system sales in the month of March, selling more than 700,000 units nationwide. Sales of Nintendo's Wii™ console reached nearly 560,000 in March as post-holiday inventory began to improve. Nintendo systems accounted for 59 percent of all video game hardware sold in March.
"Demand for Nintendo fun continues unabated," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We're glad so many people are able to get their hands on our systems as we prepare for the May launches of Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 for Wii and Picross 3D™ for our Nintendo DS systems."
Four of the top 10 best-selling games in March play only on Nintendo systems. These include Pokémon™ SoulSilver Version at No. 1 with more than 1.01 million units sold, Pokémon HeartGold Version at No. 5 with more than 761,000 units sold, New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii at No. 7 with more than 457,000 units sold, and Wii Fit Plus™ with Wii Balance Board™ accessory at No. 10 with more than 339,000 units sold.
