Nintendo Claims Game Lead

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 7/24/2007

Redmond, Wash. — Nintendo said Monday that sell-in numbers of its Wii video game console continue to outpace the industry, and unit sales in the United States and Canada combined for over 2.3 million over the first half of the year.

Breaking down the total, the company said the console sold 2.1 million in the United States and 222,000 in Canada, and that in the first half of 2007 Nintendo represented nearly 70 percent of the industry growth in those regions.

In June, Wii was the top-selling home console with nearly 435,000 units sold in the United States and Canada combined (381,800 United States, 53,000 Canada).

Also in the month, Nintendo’s DS player was the top-selling video game system overall with nearly 608,000 units sold in the United States and Canada combined (562,000 United States, 46,000 Canada).

Nintendo also claimed to be the top video game publisher in the United States and Canada in June, and for the year to date.

Nintendo said it had six of the top 10 best-selling games in the United States in June, including the top four: Mario Party 8 and Wii Play on the Wii platform and Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl on Nintendo DS.

Of the top 30 best-selling games in the United States for all of 2007, half are for Nintendo systems, the company said.

The three best-selling games in the United States for all of 2007 are for Nintendo systems: Pokémon Diamond, Wii Play and Pokémon Pearl.

In total, Wii currently lists more than 180 game titles, including 120 downloadable.

By the end of the year, that total number will climb to about 330 games, including an additional 100 new games from major third-party publishers, along with an additional 50 virtual console titles.

Approximately 300 games are already available for Nintendo DS, with another 140 titles expected by the end of the year from every major third-party publisher, the company said.