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Nintendo Hardware and Software Keep Selling in May NPD Data

by Carmine Red - June 20, 2008, 9:50 am EDT
Total comments: 12 Source: NeoGAF Official NPD

Nintendo sells the most hardware (again) and captures a majority of the software charts this month.

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 – 675.1k


Nintendo DS – 452.6k


PlayStation 3 – 208.7k


Xbox 360 – 186.6k


PlayStation Portable – 182.3k


PlayStation 2 – 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 – 2793.3k


Nintendo DS – 2427.0k


PlayStation 3 – 1202.6k


PlayStation Portable – 1145.1k


Xbox 360 – 1121.2k


PlayStation 2 – 1088.9k

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

PlayStation 2 – 42.1 million


Nintendo DS – 19.9 million


PlayStation Portable – 11.6 million


Xbox 360 – 10.3 million


Wii – 10.2 million


PlayStation 3 – 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) – 871.3k


Mario Kart Wii w/ Wheel (Wii) – 787.4k


Wii Fit w/ Balance Board (Wii) – 687.7k


Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) – 442.9k


Wii Play w/Remote (Wii) – 294.6k


Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) – 171.1k


Iron Man (PS2) – 224k


Super Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) – 116.8k


Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS) – 107k


Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS) – 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) – 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, 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.

Talkback

EnnerJune 20, 2008

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.

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.

Quote:

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 DiMolaNick DiMola, Staff AlumnusJune 20, 2008

Quote from: 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.

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_11kJune 20, 2008

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?

Quote from: KDR_11k

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.

EnnerJune 20, 2008

>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.

ArbokJune 21, 2008

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

Anyway, another good write up Kairon.

Woo, Boom Blox sold 103,000!

GoldenPhoenixJune 21, 2008

Quote from: Mr.

Quote from: 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.

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 DudeJune 21, 2008

This pretty much sums everything up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/luigidude/iwamoney.gif

Quote from: Arbok

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

Anyway, another good write up Kairon.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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