Nintendo Wii Leads Next-Gen Console Sales

April 6, 2007 By Geoff Duncan

Nintendo Wii Leads Next-Gen Console Sales

New figures from market research firm NPD show Nintendo's Wii has dominated console sales during the period next-gen system have been available.

Remember a year ago—or maybe six months ago—when most industry-watchers were expecting the next-generation video game console wars to center on Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360? New sales figures from market research firm NPD covering the period from November 2006 to February 2007 show the Nintendo Wii significantly outselling both its more-powerful (and more-expensive!) competitors.

According to NPD, the Nintendo Wii sold 1.86 million units from November 2006 through February 2007; in comparison, Sony sold 1.1 million PlayStation 3 consoles and Microsoft managed to move 1 million Xbox 360s.

Analysts attribute the Wii’s success to pricing—the system sells for significantly less than either Microsoft’s or Sony’s offerings—and also to the console’s innovative, interactive controls and friendly interface, which are credited with attracting customers who might not otherwise consider purchase of a video game system.

So far, industry-watchers don’t find the Wii’s lack of online multiplayer games a significant shortfall to adoption, although Nintendo plans to bring out its first online-capable title, Pokémon Battle Revolution, at the end of June.

Showing 3 comments

Don at 1:37pm 7th April 2007 You shouldn't have to own all 3 systems to want the others to succeed, it just makes good common sense, without competition just imagine the unmitigated crap Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft would be giving us. Just look at Microsoft since the release of the PS3 & Wii, they have really been scrambling to better the 360, which they would never have done otherwise, the same goes for Sony, they have been revamping their online service because of the superior offering by Microsoft. Nintendo is improving their online & installing a web browser in their system & so on & so on None of these things would happen without competition.

I think three systems is just about right for the market at the present time, especially with Nintendo tapping into a new segment of the consumer market, that's why I say Go Sony, Go Nintendo & Go Microsoft, (not necessarily in that order).

It's really dumb to be a fanboy, these three large companies don't give a tinkers dam about us, they like our money though & we should expect good value for that money.
Nintendo Wii at 10:33am 7th April 2007 That is a good way to look at it. If you have all three systems you could care less what happens! Yay Nintendo Wii, Xbox360 and Sony Playstation 3!
Don at 5:09pm 6th April 2007 Sounds like they are all fairly close in sales, it's good to have three healthy systems, it's a win, win, situation for the consumer.

Go Sony, Go Microsoft, Go Nintendo.