Wii wins console war, market watcher claims
Nintendo next-gen sales surpass Microsoft's
Nintendo's Wii is now the world's best-selling next-gen videogames console, having this week nosed past the Xbox 360. The Microsoft console has been available to buy for the best part of a year more than has the Wii.
So claims little-known online gaming sales tracker VG Chartz, which this week said that by its reckoning, as of 23 August 2007, buyers across the globe have purchased 10.57m Wiis to 10.51m Xbox 360s.
VG Chartz bases its figures on over-the-counter sales data from a small selection of retailers around the world. It doesn't say how many retailers it uses, or name them, but it claims its estimates are "very accurate projections of the latest console sell through figures worldwide". As we've noted before, we can't say how accurate its numbers are, but they certainly don't appear beyond the bounds of possibility.
The company believes some 4.32m PS3s have been bought around the world - 17 per cent of the total to the Wii's 41.6 per cent share of next-gen console sales and the Xbox 360's 41 per cent.
Microsoft and Xbox buffs may care to suggest that the two consoles are actually running neck and neck, but VG Chartz said the Wii is outselling the Xbox 360 by 2.3 units to one on a weekly basis, so the Nintendo machine is going to leave the Microsoft one behind very soon indeed.
And that puts Nintendo back on top for the first time since the advent of the PlayStation. Factor in PS2 and PSOne sales, of course, and Sony remains the market leader in games consoles, but Nintendo can take heart from its success in the next-gen segment.
COMMENTS
Its a Matter of Economics
People just aren't making the disposable cash they used to. Layoffs, outsourcing, new credit card laws, high gas pump prices are all taking their toll.
Maybe a small portion of the public is becoming super rich, but for most people out there its getting harder and harder to drop half a grand on every latest game unit with a little bit better graphics and sound. Just look at the disappointing sales of the 'iPhone'.
Nintendo knew what they were doing. Sell something with a new twist and make it much more affordable for us peasant folk. IMHO they deserve the success they're having right now.
Good Riddance!
Glad to see Microsoft who wasn't content with its self-money-shoveling stranglehold on the PC market, is losing a little ground in the gaming market.
Maybe someday we'll be able to choose to buy a PC at a local store with something besides the latest bug ridden reworked copy of Windows. Remember Captialism?
Choices? Competition???
Those were the days..............
"Wii is the best, etc etc."
I'm sick of everyone telling eachother what console's best!
For years people have like different consoles for different reasons. Get over it!
Personally, I really dont enjoy the Wii. My sister-in-law has one, and I enjoyed for the first 20mins, but the 'novelty' got old fast for me. But I can completely see why other people like it. It has the mass-appeal, easy & laid back approach & you don't need to be good at games to play it & enjoy it. But it's just not for me.
I'm borrowing my friend's PS3 at the moment while he's away, and I have to say, it's a beautiful bit of kit, but could understand why people don't want to spend the cash on it, Blu-Ray & Hi-Def content isn't important to a lot of people, but I love it, and am loving The Darkness, Go! Puzzle, and Motorstorm too! I'll def be getting a PS3 at some point, and no doubt a 360 some day too.
Different people want different things from their consoles. It's nothing new.
Next Gen
Of all of them, i'd call the Wii the only "Next Gen" console...
What have the others bought to the table? Better graphics, faster processors etc etc.. i.e. more of the same
What has the Wii bought? Innovation, a totally new way of playing games and interacting with them, mass appeal....
Wii is a toy (similar to twister)
The Wii is a novelty and therefore will not sustain gamers time.
It is going for the "mainstream" market so may get good sales volumes, but that doesnt make it good - yes I am being that arrogant as to dismiss other peoples interpretations of what makes games "fun" (...to play with friends, chr!st!!)
- my wife knows shit about gaming, but out of nowhere suggested we buy one!?!? - I rest my case!!
(might get it for my 7 year old son, but suspect he might think it a bit shit compared to Jak& dexter, ICO etc etc on PS2)
