It’s apparent that every major hardware maker was a winner in 2007, according to year-end NPD data. Not satisfied, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo did what any good marketer would do: toot their horns. Playing the Numbers
Microsoft last week reported that “consumers have spent nearly 45 percent of total industry figures on Xbox 360,” and that “leading multiplatform blockbusters continue to sell better on Xbox 360.”
Indeed, Microsoft sells more games per console than any other system, but the company conveniently left out PS2, DS, and PSP sales from its “total industry figures.” And though to a lesser extent, Wii and PS2 sales of Guitar Hero III and Rock Band (PS2 only) were not included in the multiplatform blockbusters comparison.
Nintendo had such a good year when it came to hardware sales, that it didn’t have to mince words in its statement released late last week. The DS and Wii respectively finished the year as the top-selling systems, not to mention the best selling platforms during the holidays. However, Nintendo’s statement left out poor sales of third-party games, with exception to Guitar Hero III and Mario and Sonic at the Olympics.
Sony, for its part, said the PS3 is gaining momentum, which it did this holiday. However, all systems saw a substantial increase in sales during Christmas, so it’s difficult to accurately tell which console maker saw the most momentum.
Still, it’s the best thing Sony could say as the hardware king belongs to Wii, and the game sales trophy goes to Xbox 360.
I’ll still keep my 360, and wait for standalone BRD players to come down to $200 to get one of those.
What a brilliant idea the Wiimote was for Nintendo though. Instead of trying to “out graphic” the two powerhouse machines for the established hardcore gamer market they invent a new controller that creates a whole new gamer market. Who ever that idea traces back to at Nintendo better be get a huge f’ing bonus.
I have no reason to jump onto BRD as yet. I can wait.
…and, not only was is a brave, Brave move to bet on that “little” innovation, but as I recall, Nintendo actually makes a decent profit on the hardware too.
Me too, but I had no idea how well the motion sensing control was going to work. I had seen lots of these attempts by Nintendo fail (the gun, the power pad, some thing you would stand on and lean to replicate the d-pad) and I expected the wiimote to be the same gimmicky junk. Instead it’s a well engineered piece of hardware (minus the weak strap on early models) that completely changed the way games are played. By removing the complex over-buttoned controller Nintendo pulled in people who were never able to play video cames before.
I’d still love to see something similar done by Microsoft so I could play some of the quirky wii type games when I have a bunch of people over but still be able to get my HD hardcore gamer fix.
I’ve been very impressed with the Wii. Any system that can get my parents to play video games when they are home alone has done something special. To see my parents make Miis of themselves and achieve pro bowler status on Wii Sports almost made me question my existence.
My only problem with the wii is a lack of decent games. It seems most of the games are aimed at little kids, and You can only play so many different mario games before it becomes boring.
Great that doesn’t mean the games aren’t childish and stupid. I don’t want to play puzzle games, and stupid child games on my 300 dollar unit. They need more sports/action/fps games before it really becomes a fun system, I can only play so many different rehashed mario games.
Yes more fps/sports/action because that is crowd they are marketing towards. They don’t have those games because they want to appeal to the massive untapped market that 360 and ps3 leave out. Nintendo success is because they are able to reel in everyone else. They have these things in retirement homes and day cares.
Wii CPU: IBM PowerPC based “Broadway” processor
PS3 CPU: IBM PowerPC based “Cell” processor
360 CPU: IBM PowerPC based “Can’t seem to find the name, but hell does it matter” processor
Man you are a moron. Nowhere did I say that the wii wasn’t selling well, I was just saying that I am dissapointed in the game selection for the system.
It’s a game system, it’s marketed towards gamers, I don’t know why you wouldn’t try to tap into the whole game market. Hell Nintendo doesn’t doesn’t even have to make it, you would think some other game developer would want to take advantage of what the wii can do and make some games that a “traditional” gamer would like. I’ve had a wii since it came out and while it can be alot of fun I have only purchased 1 game for it because everything else is not worth buying. I know I am not the only one who feels this way, infact it is really the only complaint I get from other wii owners is that the game selection stinks.
Would you prefer they made Halo for the Wii? Because I think that game already sells pretty well on another system.
The idea is to differentiate yourself from your competitors, not just repackage something popular. Other games will come, for all 3 systems. Don’t bail on a system because they figured out how to appeal to a targeted market before they start filling in the voids already swamped by another (or 2 other) systems.
