Wii Game Sales Weak?

There's no denying that Nintendo sits atop videogame system sales with the Wii, however an article in today's New York Times notes it's the Wii game (software) sales that are lacking. The article notes a sharp drop in Super Smash Bros. Brawl sales, with retailers such as Toys R Us bundling the game with the Wii system and a GameStop store reporting sales dropping from "a couple thousand" in the first week to "maybe 100" in the weeks following. No doubt, hardcore fans swooped it up in the first week, as March 2008 NPD numbers show. But are Wii owners supporting the system's library enough?

[PS360WII]

meh. Wii sales are much better than GC sales so far so not to weak.

[Bleucrunch]

I barely play the wii since I got brawl. Actually I bought my wii on the day that brawl released and I still dont play it much at all. During a 7 day week I might play it once if I am lucky enough to remember to do so. The wii has not games that appeal to me, I will not buy mario kart wii because at this point I can see that Nintendo is just remaking this games which is really annoying if you think about it.

[PS360WII]

I've been playing the Wii more than the others for the past month or so. There hasn't been anything out but on the Wii for me at least. I've been playing Opoona, Baroque, and Okami just resently along with Brawl still playing Dragon Quest Swords and Fire Emblem. PS3 I play GT5P but only in small bursts and 360 I'll pop in Lost Odyssey every once in a while. Yet for a good while it's been back and forth between Wii and DS. Lots of games for the DS I'm playing too :)

[ChickeyCantor]

one disagreed with you....LOGIC FAILURE * head explodes*

[Xiru]

This is normal. It has been stated many times by many different sources, the most recent being the Epic president that the Wii is selling because of curiosity. Once a person buys it, they usually find that it gets boring after a little while. I know that I haven't touched my Wii since Brawl came out. Most gamers will go to the 360/PS3 to get their gaming fix. Its the casual market who is buying the Wii, and they really aren't big game buyers.

[nirwanda]

http://www.vgchartz.com/ewe...
for Europe
http://www.vgchartz.com/jap...
for japan
http://www.vgchartz.com/awe...
for America

Looks to me like nintendo are doing just fine.

[Xiru]

Yep I study charts all the time. Casual and 1st party titles rule the charts. Typical of Nintendo sytems.

[nirwanda]

sorry xiru it wasn't meant as it may have sounded, I think the problem devs have with the wii they don't understand that the hardcore gamers do own wii's but also have a 360/PS3 it's like the DS they need to have better unique idea's then it will sell by the bucket load.

Why would a port of a next gen game sell

[BrotherNick]

From Nirwanda: "hardcore gamers do own wii's but also have a 360/PS3 it's like the DS they need to have better unique idea's" Don't you think Nintendo has created Wii Sports and Wii Fit? Those are quite unique ideas. It's the other developers who are having trouble making sales for the wii...their "backwards looking design teams" is the real problem...I think the wii was made to change perceptions of what a game is, or can be.

From Xiru: "Casual and 1st party titles rule the charts." Shouldn't games be for everyone? I don't think the industry should ostracize other groups of people to gaming. If they didn't make the market bigger there would be less reason for gaming overall, because if you seen the trends of how many were gaming from the snes up, you would see that less people were playing games, therefore less revenue, therefore less games. I put money that many casual gamers will start craving more hardcore type games...not many, but a good enough amount. You have to realize that most people aren't as obsessed as we are.

[BeaArthur]

I could have told you this. The Wii doesn't have very many good games and they don't really appeal to the hardcore gamer. As a result there target market consists of people who do not buy lots of games (recreational users) and little kids (who rely on their parents to buy the games). I like Metriod, Zelda, Mario Kart and Mario Galaxy, they are all great games but that equals 4 games in the year and a half the system has been out.

[KingJFS]

Super Smash Bros Brawl sold 2.7 million copies in March. No PS3 game has ever sold that many in America and only three Xbox 360 games have (Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Gears of War).

To say that Wii sales are "weak" after a game becomes the fourth best-selling game of this generation is moronic.

[BeaArthur]

Game sales is plural meaning not just one game. Super Smash Brothers may have trounced other game sales but go look at the statistics of Wii game sales as a whole.

[Voiceofreason]

I have and they are just fine over all. Even the shovel ware is managing some decent sales. Wii is constantly in the top spot when it comes to the amoun of software sold. Whats really sad is 5 minutes at looking at NPD data is all it took to see this guy was full of it. ALso to the person above. They specifically mentioned SSBB. Sales for that game are fine compared to many other games that arent being called failures. Someone even tried to say SMG was a failure and it has arounf 4-5 million sold now.

[KingJFS]

OK fine.

In 29 months, 36 titles have sold more than a million copies worldwide on the Xbox 360. (monthly average = 1.2)

In 17 months, 25 titles have sold more than a million copies worldwide on the Wii. (monthly average = 1.5)

In 17 months, 12 titles have sold more than a million copies worldwide on the PS3. (monthly average = 0.7)

While none of the consoles are doing bad, the numbers clearly show the *PS3* software sales underperforming, not the Wii.

[BeaArthur]

Voiceofreason...decent sales aren't going to cut it. By comparison the 360 and the PS3 sell more games overall. I own all 3 and by far more games for the PS3 and 360.

[BeaArthur]

KingJFS...maybe but the author is not strictly talking about games that sell over a million. You seem reasonably intelligent so you probably know as I do that numbers can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say. I'm not calling the Wii a bad console I'm just saying as a whole their game library lacks in appeal.

[KingJFS]

"I'm not calling the Wii a bad console I'm just saying as a whole their game library lacks in appeal."

And I'm saying that sales numbers do not bore out that opinion. You're right, numbers can be manipulated, and that has happened often in this console war. But that is not what's happening here.

Look at the VGChartz listings for US sales between the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360.

For the Wii...
Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is at number 50 with 196K
Four more pages of Wii games follow.

For the PS3...
Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is at number 50 with 174K
Two more pages of PS3 games follow.

For the Xbox 360...
The Simpsons Game is at number 50 with 454K
Four more pages of Xbox 360 games follow.

I don't say this to bash the PS3, but worldwide and American sales clearly label it as "weak" saleswise, not the Wii.

[BeaArthur]

KingJFS...Again he is referring to overall sales for the console not isolated games. We'll jsut have to disagree on this one. I'm talking about the crappy games no one buys, not the Zelda's and Mario's.

[Voiceofreason]

Lot of incorrect stuff in that article, or just outright spin. Just pulled up VGchatz and noticed that SSBB was number 1...yeah being the number 1 selling game is really something to be worried about.Also the last official thing I read had GH3 on Wii outselling all other versions of the game and thats will a recall. I guess he missed the part where they lost 6 weeks of sales for shipping with mono sound.Hell just looking at th NPD for game sales shows he is completely wrong "Over the first three months of the year, only three other Wii titles broke the list of top 10 best-selling games compiled by the NPD Group, a market research firm: Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero III and Wii Play," I think he needs to actually read the NPD data. Jan has 5 Wii games in the top 10. Feb has 4 and MArch as 5 again.. When you consider the 360,PS3,DS, and PSP are all trying to have games there getting 5 of them isnt a bad thing at all.

[PS360WII]

not to meantion last NPD results shows 1 Wii game selling more then all PS3 software for the month... just sayin

[Xiru]

Think about the install base though, Wii has almost 24 million consoles in homes. 360 is 18 million and still gives the Wii a run for its money in software. The best selling Wii games are also casual games, aside from the 1st party games. Taken in context, the 360 sells a broader range of games than the Wii, and the Wii has a bigger install base.

[Voiceofreason]

Let me give it to you another way...... Number of 360's in US 11,498,994:Number of Wii's in the US 10,350,259:
Yearly software sales for 360=16,431,522: Yearly sales for Wii software
16,052,740. Even with a million console lead the 360 is only outselling the Wii in software by 430k. You can pull a certain number off just to make the 360 look better like pulling the top 20 only and making it look bad but do the whole top 50 and Wii comes out on top every time. Also notice from your own list that GH3 for Wii is higher on that list than GH3 for 360.. Of 22 games on Wii that all sold over 1 million 9 of them are 3rd party. So again dude you are wrong.You seriously need to look into this stuff more before you speak. If 9 3rd party games have all sold over 1 million on WIi then it isnt just the first party stuff thats selling.

[Xiru]

K, just to prove to you that 360 is selling more per week, here is the list of last weeks top 20 games. The 360 has 7 games in the top 20, Wii has 6. Of the 6 Wii games, 5 are 1st party. Care to tell me that 360 isn't selling more 3rd party games again?

Top 20 for this week:
1)Smash - Wii
2)Wii Sports - Wii
3)Cod4 - 360
4)Wii Play - Wii
5)Vegas 2 - 360
6)Crisis Core - PSP
7)Army of Two - 360
8)More Brain Training - DS
9)Galaxy - Wii
10)GH3 - Wii
11)New Super Mario - DS
12)Rock Band - 360
13)Dark Sector - 360
14)Cod4 - PS3
15)Mario Party - DS
16)Pokemon - DS
17)GH3 - 360
18)GoW - PSP
19)MLB 2k8 - 360
20)Links Crossbow training - Wii

Also, total software sales were:

360: 837,860
Wii: 766,150

Oh and on the topic of 1 million more 360's in the US than Wii, how do we know that 1 million people aren't waiting for their 360 to come back from having RRoD? :) 30% of 10 mil = 3 million.

[PS360WII]

so Xiru are you saying 1st party doesn't count? Close numbers considering that the 360 has more units in US.

[Xiru]

I'm just saying, that MS is selling more software all around. Nintendo is only selling 1st party. Which is typical of ANY Nintendo system. And I believe it will stay this way.

[Drekken]

I dont get it... Who wouldnt want to simulate taking pies out of the oven with magical Wii wands and serving their customers??

I would get a Wii for the flagship titles... Mario kart, SSB, Zelda. But I played a wii at my cousins house and it was a turn off seeing a current gen system with genesis grafix. True games dont play just a Wii... no way, I am not buying that.

[Xiru]

Exactly what i'm saying. 1st party games sell great as with any Nintendo system, but 3rd party games are lacking in relation to PS3 and 360 and will most likely always be like that.

[Drekken]

It is that way because its a gimmick. They cannot get their ideas to play out on screen. I am sure in theory the wands are a great idea, but in reality it is quirky and never smooth. I noticed a delay in everything I did when playing Wii.

[Voiceofreason]

Why dont you haters go somewhere more private and leave this place flame free.Wii offers more than just a cooking game and you have to be seriously challenged to still be trying the "gimmick" card.

[Drekken]

I gave one example... granted a LAME example. Lets talk about boxing or SC where you can just flail your arms like a spaztic child without medication and still win the match.

The "IDEA" of it has potential... WII has laid down good stepping stones, but it will get better.

Don't even come to me like this is the end all to perfect gaming. WII and its OLD grafix are dated already. Until a game comes out that proves me wrong... arent the best games for the wii being used with DC controllers?? Voiceofreason... you should talk some reason to yourself before coming over here!

[BeaArthur]

They need some more exclusives.

[Milf Hunter]

Would be to bring GTA4,a certified Playstation 3 hit,to the Wii console.

[princejb134]

in my opinion wii doesnt have all its money worth to sell that many games on it
i currently have a wii and im very dissapointed
i dont know if im a hardcored gamer or not but to me wii gets more boring every day i believe it is a overhyped system
the only thing i thought that was going for me was super smash brothers and even brawl was a let down
i find melee to be better than brawl not graphic wised but gameplay wise

[Voiceofreason]

Wii software=5,734,418
360 software=4,916,584 for march. Clearly th Wii is in big trouble when its selling half a million more units of software with 1 million consoles less than MS.

[BrianC6234]

No surprise here folks. Nothing more to see. Or play. The Wii sure is a fad. I'm amazed so many people are willing to throw good money away on a lousy system. I guess if you only like Nintendo games and can only afford two or three games a year then the Wii is for you. If you're a real gamer though stay far away. The Wii is just getting a bunch of retreaded Gamecube and N64 games with new controls. Big deal.

[ItsDubC]

"Real" gamers play games regardless of platform, which begs the question as to what that makes you.

[BrianC6234]

I play real games, not make believe games on a last gen console. I have plenty of good games, I don't need to waste my time on boring Nintendo kiddy games.

[KeiZka]

You sir, failed immensely right there. What makes a Nintendo game kiddy? Because you say so? That is about the worst retort man has ever invented. "I dnt tuch it cuz its sooo kidday!"

Grow up. Games are, with minor exceptations, for all ages. Not for "Oh so grown up gamers who cannot refrain themselves from calling a company kiddielike".

[Frnicatr]

I miss last generation. No console wars. No one cared how many sales each system was getting. No one cared who won! There was still debates about how PS2 is better than Xbox and vice-versa.. but this generation is ridiculous.

[ItsDubC]

How do you only have two bubbles w/ comments like that?

[BrotherNick]

True, bubbles to that.

[titntin]

The WII is aimed fairly and squarely at casual gamers, and its attracted them very well.
By their very definition, casual gamers buy less games than the audiences of other consoles.
Nintendo don't care. With so many units out there (each one generating a profit) the actual units sold is still fairly healthy and is almost entirely first party content that sells.

The fact mine gathers dust won't mean a thing to them and they can happily laugh all the way to the bank. :)

[IQUITN4G]

My only complaint really is about the real games we get from Nintendo ie not the party cr!p for casuals.Galaxy is pure Nintendo magic but it's so stupidly baby easy.Zelda Twilight is disapointing also for it leads you by the hand and basically tells you where to go half the time which was a massive shame considering how great this game is otherwise.

I love Nintendo for it's wonderfully realized characters, worlds and adult challenge but this new Nintendo, the one that's trying hard to appeal to it's new found bigger audience is in danger of losing it's most devoted of fans.Would i be better off sticking the Wiimote up my bum and playing using this method instead maybe because it would at least provide me with a game approaching like how previous Nintendo games used to be - i miss the fair but challenging nature of how a Nintendo game used to be.

With such a big audience now i don't suppose that really matters and i can understand at least why Nintendo needs to do this.A game without challenge though is no fun at all and i only hope Nintendo applies more of a challenge from the next Zelda.

The game i mostly play on Wii is Excitetruck.Got rid of this once but then played it again round a friends and it convinced me how daft i was for parting with it.Master it's genius and it becomes hugely thrilling to the point of being very hard to stop playing.And of course the challenge from this game is in beating your highscore and laptimes.

[IQUITN4G]

That's not to say iv'e stuck a controller up my bum or indeed that's how we used to play Nintendo games

[Reality]

Wii has more hardcore games sold than the entire library of PS3 games combined.

[eagle21]

Don't even bro, games like PES 2008 and FIFA, have sold more on PS3 than Wii. And don't even talk about ps2. Playstations sold 5 million Guitar Hero III versus the competition selling half that each. You just pulled that out of no where. No hate to Wii, but 2008 will show your post a little somethin' somethin'...lol

[wiizy]

wii is sitting on top to stay software sales are picking up with the quality of games... public has spoken innovation wins..not 10 thousand fps

[Perverted]

I think they mean the sales of games are low in comparison to how many consoles they sell...

But I'd say the Wii audience is 20% hardcore 65% casual and 15% Pirate....So really the game are to sell....casuals will only rarely buy games and if they do it's part games, pirates rarely buy any games and hardcores are a fussy bunch.

Also bubbles for KingJFS and VOR.

[jinn]

not surprising

[VANHALEN07]

maybe the problem is that the will needs more decent shooter games not like galazy that was horrible

[flappo]

i'm amazed the wii's still outselling the ps3 / 360 - now they've had a price cut

there's a handful - maybe even not that - of games on the wii worth playing - the rest are all utter junk

this time next year - i'm sure it'll be doa and they'll be intro'ing the wii hd

same crap as now but it plays at 720p via a hardware scaler cludge

[BrotherNick]

Story does not matter, Nintendo is making money off each system. If the Devs make good games, maybe they'll sell.