Nintendo Wii: Top Console in January

By Geoff Duncan February 22, 2007

New sales numbers from market research firm NPD show that the Nintendo Wii was far and away the top-selling video game console during January 2007, moving some 436,000 units during the month. However, the rest of the pack was comparatively tight, with Sony’s long-standing PlayStation 2 claiming the number two spot with 299,000 units sold, while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 landed the number three position with 294,000 units sold and Sony’s much-touted but still-pricey PlayStation 3 finding itself in fourth place with 244,000 units.

NPD’s sales data represent about two thirds of U.S. retail sales during the month, and projects the rest of the market’s activity based on consumer sampling. The biggest omissions from NPD’s samples are individual, non-chain businesses and (gulp) Wal-Mart.

Overall sales of video game hardware and software were estimated at $1.3 billion during January, with game sales leaping up more than 50 percent to $549 million—once people get their new consoles, it seems they tend to buy new games. (However, the 50 percent jump compared to a year ago should be taken with a grain of salt: neither the Wii nor PS3 were available a year ago, and NPd is tallying this January as five weeks, whereas January 2006 was made up of four weeks.)

For the month, Capcom’s Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for the Xbox 360 came in tops, with 329,000 copies sold during the month. Other Xbox 360 titles in the top 10 sellers included Gears of War and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas at third and ninth, respectively. Guitar Hero 2 was the second best-selling game in the month, while Wii games WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess claimed the number four and five positions. The only PlayStation 3 title to crack the top ten was Resistance: Fall of Man at number 8.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Nintendo

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

VR headset deals: Meta Quest 2 and VIVE XR

htc vive vs pro headphones

While VR may not be as big as was predicted back in the early 2000s when the original Oculus Go was released, there is still a considerable market these days, and some great VR games like Half-Life: Alyx that you can have fun with. Of course, VR headsets remain expensive, and while options like the Meta Quest don't necessarily require a high-end gaming PC, they can still be a bit pricey for those who just want to put a foot in the hobby. Luckily, there are some good deals you can take advantage of, even on some of the best VR headsets, so be sure to check out all your options below.
Meta Quest 2 -- $199, was $200

Even though the Meta Quest 3 came out quite recently, the Meta Quest 2 is still a pretty powerful contender, especially since it has a wider library and app support than the Quest 3 currently has. Even more so, the Quest 2 is a lot cheaper than the Quest 3, and with the latest permanent discount down to just $200, that's a whole $300 or so difference from the Quest 3. Of course, the Quest 3 does have more advanced AR and slightly better performance with software and Wi-Fi, but that may not be worth the extra cost for some. Either way, be sure to check out the breakdown between Quest 2 and Quest 3 to get a better sense of what you should pick up.

Gaming

BlizzCon 2024 is not happening despite Blizzard’s strong 2024 lineup

A still from World of Warcraft The Worldsoul Saga's reveal tralier.

World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch maker Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that BlizzCon 2024 will not be happening.

BlizzCon was a convention that Blizzard Entertainment held almost every year between 2005 and 2019 to celebrate its games and make new announcements. The pandemic and hostile workplace allegations against Blizzard meant that no shows were held in 2020 or 2022 (2021 was digital-only), but BlizzCon made its grand return in 2023. We attended it last November and had the opportunity to speak with developers and learn more about Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer's first visit to Blizzard, upcoming plans for franchises like Diablo and Warcraft, and more. Although Blizzard never outright confirmed that it would hold BlizzCon in 2024, the event was expected to continue after its return last year.

Gaming

How to unlock fast travel in Another Crab’s Treasure

Kril with a coconut shell

Another Crab's Treasure is a fantastical soulslike set deep under the ocean where danger lurks around every corner. And like other games in the genre, it's often brutally difficult to overcome the various challenges you'll encounter. As such, you may find yourself wanting to backtrack for level grinding, to uncover new secrets, or to buy additional items in the game's main hub. However, you may notice early in the game that you haven't yet unlocked the ability to fast travel between the multitude of Moon Snail Shells (aka "bonfires") you've found. Here's how and when you'll unlock fast travel.
How to unlock fast travel
In the opening hours of the game, you may notice that you can access your skill tree, which will show a skill called Shelleportation. But you may be discouraged to see that you aren't able to apply any points to it yet. That's because the game doesn't open up this feature until you've advanced a few hours into the story.

To unlock fast travel, you'll need to work your way through the first few main areas of the game until you reach a boss called the Polluted Platoon Pathfinder. After beating this baddie, you'll soon find yourself teleporting to the Moon Snail's Domain. Here, you'll learn about the power of Umami, as well as unlock access to your skill tree.