Wii, then Xbox, then PS3 - Nintendo DS trumps all in 2007
By Dave Parrack
The end of year data is in, and it shows that overall the game industry had a phenomenal year in the US, with hardware, software and accessory sales reaching record levels. But the biggest winner by far was Nintendo with both the DS and Wii doing phenomenally well.
Here on GAMER.BLORGE, we tend to concentrate mainly on the home console front, with a focus on news and innovation happening with the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360. Maybe we haven’t done the DS justice because the latest figures show that it was the biggest selling console by far through 2007.
Nintendo must be absolutely raking it in, as the latest NPD research group data shows that the DS sold 8.5 million consoles in the last twelve months. That’s two years in a row that the little handheld has been the top seller.
The Wii was a considerable way back, selling 6.3 million consoles. That’s a phenomenal amount of units, and it could have been even greater had the supply matched the rather obvious demand.
Now what was the next console I hear you ask. Was it the PS3, or the Xbox 360. As my post last week asked, maybe it’s now a distinct race for second for the Sony and Microsoft consoles, with the Wii too far ahead to ever be caught in this generation.
Well, the answer is the Xbox 360, which Microsoft managed to shift 4.62 million units of. A big portion of these consoles sold in the summer, coinciding with the huge release of Halo 3. Regardless of the reasons, it’s a long way ahead of the PS3, which actually sold significantly less than it’s much older, and consequently less powerful brother, the PS2.
The PS2, with sales of 3.97 million, is still doing phenomenally well, despite being over seven years old. Through a combination of reducing the price to bargain bucket levels, and removing the backwards compatibility from some models of the PS3, Sony have managed to make the PS2 a must buy, even this late in its life.
Which just leaves the poor old PS3, stuck in definitive last place on 2.56 million consoles sold in 2007. Oh how those PS3 fanboys must be crying in to their breakfast bowls this morning.
I think 2008 will start as 2007 ended, with sales of all three home consoles doing very well. There’s a big question mark over the Wii, as there’ll surely come a time when demand drops off from it’s current levels. If and when that happens, I think whichever console from the PS3 and Xbox 360 has the most killer games out for it at the time, will determine which one suddenly starts to sell in larger numbers.
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Stumble It!
Tips N4G
January 19th, 2008
I’m sure the fanboys will think of something
January 20th, 2008
Thought!
Mike’s a retard!
hahaha
January 20th, 2008
Good article Dave, very unbiased. 2008 will be interesting indeed.
January 20th, 2008
You state that sales data is in for hardware, software and accessories and then say nintedo were the big winners and only state hardware. theres more to it than hardware, we all know that…