Nintendo Reveals Thanksgiving Week Numbers -- Prints Cash

[DaXIthR]

By way of GamesIndustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=31018), news is that Nintendo has sold over 1M units of hardware in one territory in one week. The Nintendo DS has crushed the record for the best week for any videogame hardware in North America by handily outselling the numbers its predecessor the GBA did in 2005.

Nintendo of America has set a new sales record by selling more products during the Thanksgiving week than at any other time in the company's history.

During the period November 18 to November 24, over 653,000 DS units were sold, smashing the previous record of 600,000 Game Boy Advance consoles sold in 2005.

A further 350,000 Wii home systems were also snapped up by Christmas shoppers, along with "millions of games and accessories".

"As shoppers look for ways to maximize their limited holiday spending money, they turn to gifts that can be used by the entire family," commented George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications.

"Wii and Nintendo DS offer something for every member of the family. They're the most fun video game experiences at the most affordable price."

These numbers are just mind-boggling. I can't believe people here are still underestimating the demand for these systems, with all the talk about MS owning the holidays because Nintendo cannot keep stock on shelves.

And for those of you who didn't know it until now, the DS will be as scarce this season as it was last year.

[Vandenh]

Well who knows.. maybe 360 and/or PS3 did better?

:)

[Gorvi]

And for those of you who didn't know it until now, the DS will be as scarce this season as it was last year.
No, no it won't. Every store I go in seems to have 30+ DS Lites in stock sitting on the shelf.

[TrackZero]

[i]These numbers are just mind-boggling. I can't believe people here are still underestimating the demand for these systems, with all the talk about MS owning the holidays because Nintendo cannot keep stock on shelves.


Indeed. Though as Nintendo themselves said, they're not in the same market as the other consoles. If you added the PS3 and 360 numbers, they'd have outsold the Wii. (Even if you count the number of people who own both systems.) Or even take into consideration that MS is right behind them and at a much more costly system price.

But Kudos to Nintendo for finally getting their sales back on track. Though personally, I still think I liked the GC more than the Wii (thank goodness it has full BC support).

[drakkarim]

cocksuckers are full of it, they're going to tell us they couldn't judge demand for a whole fucking year? have they bothered to look up from their coke lines at all in the last year?

never thought the DS would be scarce, i seem to be kicking piles of them out of the way everytime i go in the electronics section of any store.

[bapenguin]

cocksuckers are full of it, they're going to tell us they couldn't judge demand for a whole fucking year? have they bothered to look up from their coke lines at all in the last year?

never thought the DS would be scarce, i seem to be kicking piles of them out of the way everytime i go in the electronics section of any store.

OH I agree, Nintendo are master marketers to generate hype and demand. Not saying demand isn't there...but they really make it seem like every god damn person on the planet wants one.

[Kelegacy]

I hope the DS Lite becomes scarce, because then I can sell mine on eBay for a better price. Right now it's hidden in a shelf crying itself to sleep every night.

[civil_dead]

I hope the DS Lite becomes scarce, because then I can sell mine on eBay for a better price. Right now it's hidden in a shelf crying itself to sleep every night.
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[Telefrog]

Was anyone comparing the 360 or the PS3 to the DS? I don't remember that.

As for the Wii, I have no doubt that Nintendo will sell more of it's console than MS or Sony. I do doubt that Nintendo will sell more games for the Wii than the 360 will.

[Shifter]

Besides some great Nintendo titles, my Wii sits totally unplayed for vast stretches of time between releases. Unless they do something about it, the Wii is going to face exactly the same fate as the Gamecube -- that of an outstanding Nintendo-only game player with a complete lack of 3rd party titles.

I'm sure you guys have all read about or seen the attach rates on the Wii -- something like 2.3 games purchased over the life of the console so far, compared to 5.5 PER YEAR for the 360. Once again it looks like the only people who are going to make money off a Nintendo console is Nintendo. I think this "appeal to the blue ocean masses strategy" is definitely a double-edged sword. Nintendo will have a huge install base to lures developers in, but they're appealing to exactly the people who won't run out and buy titles every 6-8 weeks (or bi-weekly, as is my case :) ). Great for Nintendo, but not so good for developers and publishers. It'll be quite interesting to see how this pans out. I for one would truly love great 3rd party stuff to come out for the Wii, but we sure haven't seen it yet.

[Johan]

I love my DS (I have two). I do see plenty of them in stores, however. Many, many, many in stock.

The Wii, on the other hand, is nigh impossible to find around me, and has been since it released. It literally sells within hours of shipments coming in to any of the usual suspects (Target, CC, BB, Wal-Mart, GameStop, etc.).

[Gorvi]

I for one would truly love great 3rd party stuff to come out for the Wii, but we sure haven't seen it yet.
Zak & Wiki is supposed to be really good. Have you tried that?

Personally, as someone planning on buying a Wii in the near future, I can think of seven games that I'll purchase for the system that are out right now. Six of them are from Nintendo themselves, though.

[Kelegacy]

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Some of those games I own/owned, but I'm just not a portable gamer I guess. I hate the stylus and any game that makes me use it instead of the d-pad. When I game, I own a 360 on a big screen. Staring down at a small screen isn't for me. Doesn't matter how good the games apparently are, I just can't seem to get into them. NSMB was the last game I played at any length, and that was last year. I bought a ton of DS games this year, and all have disappointed me or not gripped me. Games like Rocket Slime sounded so cool until I got to play it; I'm 26 and can't overlook that many of the games are aimed at a much younger, cutesy-craving audience. I like cute and play many games that are all ages, but sometimes things are just too saccharine.

I just don't think I have the time or interest for the DS. The PSP has a few more games up my alley, like Metal Gear, but I'm still leery of buying one for fear I'd end up discarding it like the DS. If I'm going to play a game, it might as well just be on a bigger screen with a controller in my hands. I never game on the go either, so portability means little to me.

[Shifter]

My PSP hasn't been touched for over a year. When I travel, the DS is now my companion. My PSP must feel like this:

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=236

[Gorvi]

My PSP hasn't been touched for over a year. When I travel, the DS is now my companion. My PSP must feel like this:

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=236
That's kinda sad, especially with the year the PSP has had. If you don't want it, I'll take it. My wife could use a PSP of her own so she doesn't have to steal mine. ;)

[kokyunage]

I'm sure you guys have all read about or seen the attach rates on the Wii -- something like 2.3 games purchased over the life of the console so far, compared to 5.5 PER YEAR for the 360.

Where did you get that 2.3 figure? Last I remember reading about this the Wii's attach rate was in the 4 range. Obviously, not in the 5.5 range, but still not 2.3.

[Morratut]

The Wii is just a strange party device for the family.

So for me it doesn't exist.

I have a DS though and I play that when i'm travelling which isn't often.

[Shifter]

Where did you get that 2.3 figure? Last I remember reading about this the Wii's attach rate was in the 4 range. Obviously, not in the 5.5 range, but still not 2.3.


I heard 2.3 vs 5.5 from a recent 1Up Yours podcast. It might have been the Game Theory podcast. I believe that the "hard core" segment might have an attach rate of 4 -- let's see: Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Wii Play (for the controller)... drops off pretty quick after that. The attach rate will likely increase this holiday season, but it's still a pretty bleak picture for 3rd party titles.

On the bright side I did just pick up a Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training. Couldn't resist!!

[civil_dead]

Some of those games I own/owned, but I'm just not a portable gamer I guess. I hate the stylus and any game that makes me use it instead of the d-pad. When I game, I own a 360 on a big screen. Staring down at a small screen isn't for me. Doesn't matter how good the games apparently are, I just can't seem to get into them. NSMB was the last game I played at any length, and that was last year. I bought a ton of DS games this year, and all have disappointed me or not gripped me. Games like Rocket Slime sounded so cool until I got to play it; I'm 26 and can't overlook that many of the games are aimed at a much younger, cutesy-craving audience. I like cute and play many games that are all ages, but sometimes things are just too saccharine.

I just don't think I have the time or interest for the DS. The PSP has a few more games up my alley, like Metal Gear, but I'm still leery of buying one for fear I'd end up discarding it like the DS. If I'm going to play a game, it might as well just be on a bigger screen with a controller in my hands. I never game on the go either, so portability means little to me.
I can dig that. It took me a while to get into the physicality of the system. Sometimes it throws me off even still.

As for the age target of the games themselves...I've never found that an issue but gaming for me is about reconnecting with that part of myself. It's a form of child-like joy, really. My DS (I sold my PSP long ago) is mainly to kill time on long flights/drives/craps and when I visit friends/family and can't sleep at night.

[jacktion]

Third parties are making tons of money off of the Wii. The Wii and the DS are both selling at unprecedented rates. They are selling better than the PS2 did and that is considered the king of games consoles.
Nintendo is not constraining supplies, there is really just that many people that want them.
Wii has lots of interesting games, but not for the typical game fanatic that frequent sites like this one.
It is kind of like if you go to a snobby luxury car website and try to talk about how good the Honda Accord is. All those snobs will laugh and say anyone that drives a Honda Accord is an idiot and that they should drive Lamborghinis. "Don't you appreciate the horsepower and performance of a Murcielago?" "Only babies and jackasses drive Accords!"
But in reality most people drive cars like the Accord. And they love them. And the Accord is a great car that wins Car of the Year awards.
It is the same with the Wii.
People on sites like this one want to drop 2 grand on a hi def tv and play games in 1600 x 3200 or whatever. But real people just want to have some fun with a good system. And the Wii is that system.

[Baron Samedi]

Wow, this thread is a skipping record.

[Shifter]

Third parties are making tons of money off of the Wii. The Wii and the DS are both selling at unprecedented rates. They are selling better than the PS2 did and that is considered the king of games consoles. .


I totally agree that the Wii CONSOLE is selling in big numbers, but my point is that 3rd party software isn't really selling. Try to find a 3rd party game in the NPD numbers released monthly. The numbers say it all. 2.3 games per console purchased. Guess which games those are? I'll give you a Metroid, a Zelda, and .3 of a Mario.

[Baron Samedi]

The numbers say it all. 2.3 games per console purchased. Guess which games those are? I'll give you a Metroid, a Zelda, and .3 of a Mario.

No, you misunderstand the Wii install base. I give you a Wii Sports, Wii Play, Rayman Raving Rabbids and Carnival Games (maybe Mario Party for good measure).

[ZeroOmegaZX]

I'd have to disagree bout the 3rd party software titles, especially now. Out of all of the games I own for the game 1/2 are Nintendo and half are 3rd party. With the Wii Zapper release I'll be grabbing any shooter I can. Grabbed Ghost Squad (SEGA) for $30 and love it. Nintendo won't make any good light gun shooters, plus there are some decent 3rd party titles coming out as well.

[Phanto]

DS Lite scarce??!! on BF I saw lots of units on shelves most of them were the "DS Lite Gold" version or whatever is called.

[Shifter]

Come on you can't possibly count Wii Play and Wii Sports in there as legitimate 3rd party titles competing for dollars. One comes bundled and the other is basically a free game.

Rayman? Carnival Games? Please. Saying those are worthy is like a starving man saying Taco Bell is delicious.

I will agree though that those and Mario Party are probably the install base, given the complete dearth of other titles at launch.

On a side note, is Ghost Squad any good?

[boratika]

I'm sure you guys have all read about or seen the attach rates on the Wii -- something like 2.3 games purchased over the life of the console so far, compared to 5.5 PER YEAR for the 360.

The life of the Wii is a year, so it has a 2.3 game per year attach rate compared to the 360's 5.5 per year attach rate:). If this keeps constant and the Wii:360 install base reaches 2.5:1 then more Wii games will have sold overall. And with much lower overheads.

And there have been some 3rd party success stories. RE4 sold over a million so far with about 5mil already sold on 2 other platforms. On the other side of the spectrum Tamagotchi Corner Shop made it's way to the millions. I think the reason most of the best selling Wii games are 1st party is that there's more good 1st party than 3rd party games on the system. It's mostly shovelware.

But I'm rambling. I love my Wii. I plan on getting a 360 in early '08. Basically for those of us that treat console (etc.) numbers as a spectator sport it's a good time:D. Much more interesting than last round.

[Generation ABXY]

The problem with Wii software is that third-party developers just weren't putting in any effort - there are only so many waggle-enabled PS2 ports I can take. Much like the PS3, though, things are getting better now that people have warmed-up to the system. Zack & Wiki, as mentioned, is a great example of a quality third-party title, and if you own a Wii, you should at least try it. Strangely enough, even as a Nintendo fan, most of my Wii library is third party, I believe (though it may be closer to a 50/50 split).

I'm also enjoying my PS3 quite a bit more now (though there was a time, early-on, when I seriously regretted my purchase), and I plan to expand my current library to include some of the better titles I've yet to pick up, like Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank and possibly even Warhawk. As for the Xbox 360, well, I'm just hanging onto that for Fable 2 really (too many blasted FPS and sports titles for me), and I let my Xbox Live membership lapse - I just couldn't justify it anymore.

[TheKeck]

No, you misunderstand the Wii install base. I give you a Wii Sports, Wii Play, Rayman Raving Rabbids and Carnival Games (maybe Mario Party for good measure).
Well, I give YOU Wii Sports, Zelda, Warioware, Super Monkey Ball, and Sonic.

Oh wait, those are just the games I happen to own. :p

I expect about four Wii games for Christmas, though.

[Baron Samedi]

The problem with third party support is that most of the shovelware was intended for a hardcore audience. Wii is not a hardcore console. For the first time, the hardcore audience may not be the majority consumer for a console. Another thing to keep in mind is that Nintendo is now the #1 publisher (even beat out EA), and they're only supporting two systems (DS and Wii). Outside of Ubisoft, the initial launch year, third-party support was non-existent - nobody saw the Wii coming. Combine this with the fact that Microsoft has few first or second party studios developing software for 360, and you get the disparity.

That said, Nintendo still has their work cut out for them this year, but we'll begin to see proper software being developed for the proper target audience. Comparing Wii to 360 is becoming increasingly difficult to do, as the target market is just so different.

[Farsight]

The excuses for the Wii's poor software sales are just that: excuses. Nearly every Wii title is selling fewer copies than one would expect given the install base. Even Nintendo's games have had somewhat disappointing figures on the whole. 3rd party games' numbers have been mostly frighteningly bleak, regardless of the quality of the game.

The problem is that a large portion of people buying the Wii aren't "gamers", so can't be appealed to in the way most game publishers try to sell games. These people don't read game mags or websites, and don't seek out information on new games. They don't watch the same TV shows either. So to them, most of these titles are complete non-entities; it's as if the Wii shelf were filled with 50 identical white boxes with just names on them.

If Nintendo wants to sell games to the market they've opened up, they're going to have to change their strategy. Target game ads at the people who are actually buying your system, and find alternative ways to reach the people that don't behave like your previous customers (newsletters, free demo discs, etc).

They've succeeded in marketing the Wii. Now they need to get people to stop bowling and spend some more cash.

[Baron Samedi]

The excuses for the Wii's poor software sales are just that: excuses. Nearly every Wii title is selling fewer copies than one would expect given the install base. Even Nintendo's games have had somewhat disappointing figures on the whole. 3rd party games' numbers have been mostly frighteningly bleak, regardless of the quality of the game.

I'm not so sure about poor (http://www.nintendojo.com/editorials/view_item.php?1194996228)...Just the day's of the Nintendo mega-hit may be over. The market is changing and our hardcore logic and tastes just don't apply to much of Wii.

[KSmitty]

*Raises hand* Guilty, I bought a Nintendogs Pink DS Lite for one niece and my sister bought one for her daughter as well.

[Hellstorm]

The excuses for the Wii's poor software sales are just that: excuses. Nearly every Wii title is selling fewer copies than one would expect given the install base. Even Nintendo's games have had somewhat disappointing figures on the whole. 3rd party games' numbers have been mostly frighteningly bleak, regardless of the quality of the game.


Funny, sales of Resident Evil 4, Red Steel, RRR, and guitar hero 3 (outsold ps3 and the bundle ps2 version) say you are wrong.

[Wolvie]

:eek:

Good lord, the evil Nintendo empire has returned! MS and Sony are DOOMED! DOOMED I SAY!!!

[DaXIthR]

No, no it won't. Every store I go in seems to have 30+ DS Lites in stock sitting on the shelf.

I don't care what you're selling, if you sell 650K of something in one week in one territory, you're going to have trouble keeping stock on shelves.

[Norse]

I'm so out of touch with the general public. I don't feel the urge to buy a DS or a Wii. I had a DS for a while, but sold it. The only games I enjoyed was Hotel Dusk and NSMB.

[Gorvi]

I don't care what you're selling, if you sell 650K of something in one week in one territory, you're going to have trouble keeping stock on shelves.
I'm not selling anything (I'm well past my years of working in retail, thank you very much), but there is no DS shortage anywhere. At least, none that I've seen. You implied that it'd be tough to find one, I said you were wrong. DS Lites are in ample supply,thus, no shortage.

[Jack B]

These numbers are just mind-boggling. I can't believe people here are still underestimating the demand for these systems, with all the talk about MS owning the holidays because Nintendo cannot keep stock on shelves.

Not sure why you're confused.... I can't speak for everyone, but I believe the vast majority of people on EvAv consider the PS3 to be the competition for the 360, not the Wii. The DS, PSP, Wii, PS2 etc are gaming devices, but not who Microsoft is after. They'd like all that revenue, but if someone is looking for a hardcore gaming experience it's either the 360 or the PS3. The Wii is in it's own space for the most part. My guess is it will sell more units than the 360 or PS3 this holiday season. Good for Nintendo. Likewise the 360 will win the hardcore gaming market.

I will say, the Wii does take some revenue away from Microsoft, but if the Wii didn't exist, the majority of that revenue would go to the PS2 at a similar price point. On the other hand the Wii may get casual gamers into console gaming and then they'll decide to upgrade to a 360 or PS3, so it could increase 360/PS3 sales somewhat as well. Net net, I'd say the Wii has slowed Microsoft/Sony's high end market somewhat.

[Chainblast]

That announcement made the business segment of the local news last night. :P

[Zanzibar]

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/3052/iwatauk6.jpg

[Esquilax1138]

No "It prints money" pic yet? You guys are slipping!

[Chameleo]

Third parties are making tons of money off of the Wii. The Wii and the DS are both selling at unprecedented rates. They are selling better than the PS2 did and that is considered the king of games consoles.
Nintendo is not constraining supplies, there is really just that many people that want them.
Wii has lots of interesting games, but not for the typical game fanatic that frequent sites like this one.
It is kind of like if you go to a snobby luxury car website and try to talk about how good the Honda Accord is. All those snobs will laugh and say anyone that drives a Honda Accord is an idiot and that they should drive Lamborghinis. "Don't you appreciate the horsepower and performance of a Murcielago?" "Only babies and jackasses drive Accords!"
But in reality most people drive cars like the Accord. And they love them. And the Accord is a great car that wins Car of the Year awards.
It is the same with the Wii.
People on sites like this one want to drop 2 grand on a hi def tv and play games in 1600 x 3200 or whatever. But real people just want to have some fun with a good system. And the Wii is that system.

hah hah! so true, this board is filled with elitist gaming snobs. don't wanna get their noses dirty in mindless fun with other people IN THE SAME ROOM. hhahaha

[cp#]

Underestimated the demand? Who underestimated the demand? Not Nintendo. They sold over 600,000 DS Lites in America in one week. 350,000 Wiis during the same period. Most stores get at least a weekly shipment. They are cranking these things out as fast as they can. If you don't have one, do not be bitter, go read a book. Next time be in the right place at the right time. If you are waiting to be able to just walk into a store and pick up a Wii like you can a PS2, wait 5 years.

I totally agree that the Wii CONSOLE is selling in big numbers, but my point is that 3rd party software isn't really selling. Try to find a 3rd party game in the NPD numbers released monthly. The numbers say it all. 2.3 games per console purchased. Guess which games those are? I'll give you a Metroid, a Zelda, and .3 of a Mario.

Dear third party developers,

Make a good game and I'll buy it. (Maybe)

[mister_slim]

I heard 2.3 vs 5.5 from a recent 1Up Yours podcast. It might have been the Game Theory podcast. I believe that the "hard core" segment might have an attach rate of 4 -- let's see: Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Wii Play (for the controller)... drops off pretty quick after that. The attach rate will likely increase this holiday season, but it's still a pretty bleak picture for 3rd party titles.

On the bright side I did just pick up a Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training. Couldn't resist!!

Those numbers are wrong. Nintendo's numbers are easy to figure out, just use their quarterly report. For the 360 you have to depend on MS PR, but the most recent numbers from them were around a 6.5, IIRC.