Wii overtakes Xbox 360 to become world market leader – PS3 flat lining
We all knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make the news that the Nintendo Wii has now overtaken lifetime sales of the Xbox 360 in the US any less intriguing, especially when you delve a little more deeply in to the statistics.
It was fully expected that the Wii would overtake the Xbox 360 in terms of total installed user base in the US this month and according to VGChartz, a site which tracks hardware sales in all major gaming regions around the world, that has now happened.
These aren’t official figures, and actually include all of North, Central, and South America rather than just the US. We’ll have to wait until the NPD numbers for May are released in a couple of weeks for confirmation of this feat, but it certainly seems as though the Xbox 360 has now lost it’s position as number one console of this generation.
The Wii has now reached 11.7 million sales in America, after having been on sale in the region for 79 weeks. The Xbox 360, the first console to hit 10 million sales in the country, has managed 11.5 million sales, but that’s after being available for 131 weeks, as it was released a year before the Wii.
And where is the PS3? Why, bringing up the rear of course, with US sales of just 4.9 million in its 80th week of being available to buy. So in the same time span, the Sony console has managed less than half the sales that the Wii has.
This now means that the Wii is leading the way in all three major gaming regions around the world. Wii overtook Xbox 360 in Europe way back in December, and it only took one week for it to do the same in Japan, a notoriously hard nut for Microsoft to crack.
The situation worldwide now means that the Wii is sitting pretty on 26.7 million console sales to date, with the Xbox 360 on 18.8 million, and the Playstation 3 on 13 million.
Critics and naysayers keep saying that the Wii’s time at the top has surely got to end soon, with gamers tiring of the poor graphics and lack of big games such as Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto 4 and Halo 3, but Nintendo keep releasing their own big exclusives, with the last three months seeing Super Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and the hugely popular, and currently sold out, Wii Fit.
What can Sony and Microsoft do, if anything, to claw back the impressive lead Nintendo is building, and is sure to continue building over the next few months?
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26 Responses to “Wii overtakes Xbox 360 to become world market leader – PS3 flat lining”
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May 29th, 2008
while i’m prone to believe this news as the wii is an insanely fun little toy, but i’ll wait for real data from someone more reputable and accurate than vgchartz.
May 29th, 2008
yeah.. I dont believe vgcharts… when NPD says that Wii has outsold the 360.. Ill quietly change the subject to the failure of the PS3.. an “Entertainment” cetre.. not a games machine…..
Yes… having a next gen format drive in a console is stupid… its unheard of… but giving people the option to download high definition video to their 20gb hard drive is okay.. its staying true to H@#dC0rz “gamerz”….
next week… Ill talk about why Bioshock is a stupid silly game…. (since it came out on the PS3) and why their creators need to be sacrificed to the gods for their blasphemy…
May 29th, 2008
lol DWH- couldn’t have said it any better
While I’ll acknowledge the fact that the Wii seems more popular than Jesus right now, I don’t get why everyone has to say the PS3 is dead cause it hasn’t caught up with the xbox in America. Does no one see that PS3 is only 5 million off the xbox, despite the xbox’s huge headstart? If they were released at the same time, and the current trend was present there also, the PS3 would be far ahead of the xbox, leaving IT in third. It annoys when everyone seems to think that America is the only country that counts. Europe and Japan are important too you know :/
May 29th, 2008
Oh well that settles it then.
MS should pull out of the EU and Japan, and Sony should just pack up shop, recall all PS3’s and go back to just Tv’s, media players, etc.
Well I’m glad that its all over.
Flat lining my ass.
May 29th, 2008
If we combine the 360 and ps3s sales, ‘gamerkind’ is doing better still, for now. Woohoo.
May 29th, 2008
I think flatlining is a little harsh. I don’t own a PS3 (yet) but I do know that it’s not going away anytime soon.
Well, congrats to Nintendo anyway. Regardless of whether we think the Wii is a fad or a kid’s toy, it’s still lining Nintendo’s pockets with sweet sweet legal tender.
May 30th, 2008
Agreed with most comments here.
The wii is also half the cost of the ps3 and to a lessor extend, the 360, so of course it is going to sell with the reputaion it has of being a great fun console (and yes it is a fun console – but in my opinion, that is it – a fun console)
Credit to Nintendo for having a great “gimmick” tool (that admittedly is fun, in small doses) at a great affordable price at the family level and then then marketed brilliantly – they certainly learnt from their mistakes of the past. It just goes to show that any company can make a BIG comeback if they have the right formula.
All the consoles are selling well and have sold alot of units. None are “floundering” and are going to die, so to speak.
My opinion is expense was/is the biggest problem for the ps3. It has the right hardware, but price is it’s biggest enemy. But in saying that, it has still sold well in light of a hefty price tag that is hard for the average family to really justify the purchase.
The 360 is a good piece of hardware as well, and it was at a more appetising price tag and in my opinion, it’s hardwae problems reputation was it’s biggest enemy. That was my reason for looking elsewhere (was a orig xbox owner) and returning to PS.
C’mon Kevin…..call me a fanboy. I know you will find something to spin this into an “anti-ps3 – 360 superior” argument. Don’t dissapoint me now ?
May 30th, 2008
DWH
Trying to be too funny but failing again as usual.
May 30th, 2008
spidey – you hit some valid points. why call you a fanboy? you ACTUALLY had something of value to say for a change.
i think tho; it’s more than the price of the ps3 that’s keeping it from selling more to their 120 million customers from last gen. it’s the fact that a very, very small percentage of tv owners can fully exploit 1080p, which is the selling point of bluray. It’s like if they tried to sell vcr’s only a few years after the tv was invented. a vcr is nice, but very few can take advantage of it.
given the fact bluray sales are not skyrocketing, as predicted, with hd dvd out of the picture kinda underscores this. people just aren’t ready.
the fact that gamers can find more games, with better graphics and better online gaming than the ps3 at a lower price can’t be helping either.
May 30th, 2008
breakin my balls here hammy.. youre breakin my balls…
It is sad that the PS3 isnt selling as much units despite the inclusion of Blu ray drive… well since the biggest entertainment market is USA (speculation…) and the’re goin through a tough time.. Im guessing they’re not too keen in forking over 1 grand just too see a sharper image of desperate housewives…
Another problem is that the best HD tvs (Sony according to PC WOrld) are riddiculously high priced (more than $3500).. whereas Vizio and other cheap brands with meh video quality (PC world) are $2000.. personally Id buy the more expensive Sony one… but not when its 7 time the price of my console…
But… I have to say… I LOVE the Wii.. to me this is truely nex gen.. because PS1 generation was about 3d graphics… the PS2 and Xbox generation was about online gameplay… so this generation shouldnt be about graphics… it should be about gameplay…
We shouldnt classify a generation based on graphics only… graphics needs no incentive.. people are gonna make games with better graphics anyways… Id rather have new forms of gameplay….
Though I have to say… Im getting a little tired of the bubblegum graphics of the Wii… its pissing Mii off
May 30th, 2008
Wow…you are right. HDTV’s are needed for the proper experience and the user base is not quite ready or there yet and won’t be for a little while yet, but the same could be said for 360. To fully appreciate what it has to offer, a HDTV is needed. I’ve played in SD and HD and the difference is staggering and never would I go back to SD gaming.
I will disagree with the comments on “more games” “better graphics” and “better online” and I will tell you why:
1. there are PLENTY of games to choose from on each platform – more than what money I have anyways. There is at least 20 or so I have on a “mental back order” that I can’t afford just yet, but am eagerly awaiting to get – so amount of games is not an issue. And with this list of games I want to get, it is only getting bigger with the release of other games, ie announcment of Bioshock (YES!!)
2. I have seen the graphics on both systems – on mine and a friends systems and the graphics differences are negligible and there are “for and against” points for each system depending on the games played.
3. My online expereince with PSN has been fine with very few complaints. It suits me fine, I have always been able to play with little to no lag and it doesn’t costs me a cent, so I’m happy.
These are my opinion only, so don’t ask me for sources or quotes from somewhere or I will tell you I got them from “Spideyware magazine”
But that was a much better dialogue for us….you have surprised me Kevyboy.
May 30th, 2008
spidey – the difference betwen the 360 and the ps3 is that the 360 doesn’t require anyone to buy a 1080p tv. Meanwhile, 720p hdtv are around $600, stateside. Waaay more affordable than what is required to fully enjoy the ps3’s offerings
feel free to disagree, but the fact is the 360 has waaaay more games than the ps3. it was a huge factor last gen, as it will be this gen. after all, what’s a console w/o games?
the difference in graphics may be small to you, but the ps3 lost a selling point when the competitor does it better at a lower price. Graphics are not the paramount consideration anyway as the wii is proving.
psn is fine, but lacks in the feature-set that xbox live has. With xbl continuously growing it’s feature set, PSN will always be one step behind. again, not good when the competitor does it for a lower price. The fact that more choose to pay for xbl than those using psn for free proves sony is lacking somewhere in the online dept.
bah… relax..i’m off my game today… i’ll be my snarky self on monday, most likely…
May 30th, 2008
1. You can use a PS3 with a SD telly for gaming and DVD’s. – doesn’t look at pretty, but the same for 360. To watch blu-ray you need a telly that at least accepts 1080p signal but will downscale the pic to the resolution that the tv accepts, so to watch BD you don’t necessarily need a full 1080p telly.
2. The amount of games for a particular system was not a “deciding factor” last gen for me. Besides there are an abundance of great games for PS3 now anyways. I will buy on the quality of games and the games that I like, not just on the sheer quantity, that is just stupid.
3. It’s only you and some select “internet sources” that you have provided that say 360 has better graphics. I don’t think that that is true. Some games are better graphically on the 360 others are better on the ps3.
4. your quote: “the fact that more choose to pay for xbl than those using psn for free proves sony is lacking in he online dept”…..that is the stupidest argument I have heard for some time……..How the hell did you come to that conclusion apart from the obvious “At this time, there a larger user base with 360″ so obviously there are going to be more users on xbl. They have no choice, either pay or no online gaming for you. Which begs the question, how does the competitor do it cheaper if 360 users have to pay to go online and ps3 users don’t? Really Kevin, you are better than that?? I am not going to argue which online service is better because 1. It serves me fine and doesn’t cost anything and – 2. Even if xbl is better, so it should be, your paying for it. i wouldn’t expect anything less.
May 30th, 2008
i sure wish sony would bring down the price of the ps3. i mean i do have one, its not that i struggle to afford one, and the service is great, but the fact that everyone complains about how “expensive it is” really pisses me off. the way i see is one off payment (ok its a fairly large one off payment) and then all you have to pay for is games, thats it (apart from any downloads you want). PS store has improved dramatically, and as for xbl , ive never played on it so i wont comment but its fine, i have no real complaints. I dont see how kevin can still slag off the ps3 when the xbox has equal amount of flaws. Its so pathetic
May 30th, 2008
Well said DWH….
Hey guys, the great DWH has spoken.
So, lets all chuck our HDTv’s out the window cuz u know what, we don’t need them anymore.
Wii are going to enjoy the next gen games by doing yoga because thats top of the range “Gameplay” right there.
Sure, nvidia nd Ati are spending millions on improving graphics and games like Crysis, Far Cry 2 are trying to push the boundries, but those are all last gen.
HOW DARE THEY CALL CRYSIS A NEXT GEN GAME. IT SHOULD HAVE COME OUT FOR THE PS1 WHEN IT WAS ABOUT GRAPHICS AND NOTHING ELSE!!!!!!
HOW DARE THEY CALL GTA IV AND CALL OF DUTY 4 NEXT GEN GAMES FOR HAVING KILLER ONLINE GAMEPLAY. THEY SHOULD’ve BEEN RELEASED FOR THE PS2 OR XBOX WHEN IT WAS ALL ABOUT ONLINE GAMING AND NOT YOGA!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yoga is NEXT GENERATION gaming my friends.
May 30th, 2008
I don’t have anything against the wii.
I have one and its fun.
But DWH going on to call it the “ONLY” next gen console out there is just too much.
What lunatic would say a thing like that?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I beg you to write more of your idiotic comments DWH.
Oh and are you gonna let me have it in you next reply? Please write one of crappy insults and humiliate me.
Oh wait, I know…. Imitate me, like you do Kevin. That makes you look real smart.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 30th, 2008
The whole ‘next-gen’ thing is just plain stupid.
I’d argue that all 3 of the units are just more powerful versions of previous generations.
The Wii does have some unique games, but its been done before it has just NEVER sold as well.
Take the balance board, its probably going to become the best selling ‘none bundled peripheral’ for a game ever. Others have tried and failed (remember the fishing rod for the DC?, and even light guns) – however I do accept that games like rockband and guitar hero did very well, but we all know the balance board is going to destroy them in terms of sales.
The PS3 and 360 are just like pc’s to me now. The power increases, the games get more pretty, there are some improvements in terms of physics and AI, but generally the games stay the same.
E.g DMC4, GTA4, Burnout, GT5 (even MGS4 i hear) etc etc.
Do you know what you will be playing in 6 years? DMC 6, GTA 5, GT6, . When you kill people, they will fall to the ground better, they may even flank you better, thats about it, oh and it will look pretty.
We need to get full hardcore VR going already
May 30th, 2008
SPIDEY -
1. sony is selling bluray with the features of 1080p as THE selling point. nice dodging there sport.
2. maybe not for “you”, but everyone knows the ps2 won due to the huuuge library it had. nothing’s changed. library size is a huge draw.
3. since the professional gaming “insiders” have made the distinction, i find it funny you don’t. but hey… why change your fanboy stance now, right?
4. you would have a point IF the original xbox didn’t have a larger xbox live userbase than the ps2 did, while the ps2 had 10 times the userbase. try again……
May 30th, 2008
hmmm…. done yet hamburger??
great, thanks, your little rant enlightened us all :/
way I see it, both consoles have different strong points. Xbox has Live, which (atm anyway) is better than PSN, and rightly so, your paying for it, we (PS owners) aren’t. I don’t think your argument about having better games can hold up anymore, one of your best is now coming to the PS3, and Mass Effect will likely follow. Still, you have GEOW and GEOW2, Viva Pinatta, Halo (if you can call that a good game :S), but now the PS3 has better games too, MGS4, R&C, uncharted, so its fairly even on that spot too.
PS3 has Blu-ray, is an all round better multimedia hub than the Xbox. So I think it comes down to preference really.
and kevin, just when I thought you had perhaps become a little more civil in your other posts, its back to the usual. So much for Monday, eh?
May 30th, 2008
robb – the high attach ratio, high review scores, kinda underscore how great the 360’s library is. if the ps3’s was on par, they would be selling software on pace with the 360, but they’re not. you forgot about Forza III, GeoW II, and Fable II, off the top of my head. All great franchises coming to the 360.
i think the 360 is a better media hub, even including the feature of playing your own, created, soundtracks in game.
but yes, i guess it comes down to preference. given the 360 sales vs ps3 sales, it’s safe to see where the preference is.
yes..so much for monday… hey..blame spidey… he went on the attack.. i was merely defending.
May 30th, 2008
yep – but I also forgot to mention FFXIII and GOW3 and GT5, just off the top of my head
And I do believe, that excluding the US, PS3 is outselling xbox everywhere (apart from post GTA in the UK anyway).
Anyway, each to their own I guess
May 30th, 2008
exactly my point hammy…
I wasnt saying that these games werent next gen… Yes I loved Crysis too.. and Im eagerly waiting for Far Cry 2… the point I was trying to make is people dont put enough emphasis on the gameplay…
Because even with bad graphics… GTA 3 was a fun game… even with mediocre graphics… GTA san andreas was a fun game…
For me… I would like to see games that employ a new kind of gameplay… yo use the “yoga” argument?? yeah well it sounds like fun (havent played it yet)… but do enjoy your boob simulator DOA Xtreme 2… see “great” graphics… but little substance…
The point I was trying to make is… games are supposed to be fun… graphics only last for so long.. remember Assassin Creed?? how long did the “ooh” and “aahh” last?? soon it got a little tiring because the missions got repetative… Im not saying its bad.. but its an example of how emphasising on graphics doesnt make an enjoyable game… and Crysis wouldnt be as good if its AI wasnt as good as it was… remember Far Cry ??? GREAT graphics… but one time your fighting mercs.. the next your fighting retarded zombies *cough* kevin *cough* xD
But its all my opinion… I would like to see some new fun way of playing games… like Red Steel (only better controls)… like the Wii Sports… or Mario Kart Wii… just with a little less mario…
And do classify next gen please hammy… for me PS1 gen was about 3D graphics (NOT good graphics) but 3 dimensional graphics…
PS2 gen was about online play…
See each gen brought something new to the market.. something new for “g@merz”… maybe this gen should be about gameplay…
Look at the SixAxis… of that weird 360 controller (RUMOR)
But candyfloss graphics are pissing me off in Wii… seriously…
May 31st, 2008
Kevin I haven’t gone on the attack, I am discussing. A bit of a difference there m8.
Your quote: “1. sony is selling bluray with the features of 1080p as THE selling point. nice dodging there sport.” Yes and they are selling it on a heap of other “selling points” as well….sport. It’s not my fault that you just want to concentrate on 1 of them. The point is, you don’t have to have a 1080p tv to be able to use the PS3. The selling point is that it “CAN” use 1080p as well as other resolutions.
Your quote “2. maybe not for “you”, but everyone knows the ps2 won due to the huuuge library it had. nothing’s changed. library size is a huge draw.” Maybe. But the ps3 library is growing and quite quickly too. I have no doubts that it’s “library” is going to large enough very soon to snuff out silly arguments of library size soon.
Your quote: “3. since the professional gaming “insiders” have made the distinction, i find it funny you don’t. but hey… why change your fanboy stance now, right?”……. There you go again Kev. I offer good points for both sides, you don’t….who is the fanboy? On that note, plenty of “insider” gaming professionals have lauded the ps3 with superior graphics too Kev. But I suppose you only listen to the ones the love 360 eh?. Me, I don’t even bother listening to these so called experts, who do you believe….I don’t know. One week they say one thing and the next week they say the other. These days I will look and try for myself and then make a judgement. My judgement is that they both do it VERY well with the difference being minimal. For me, it comes down to who developed the game, and how well they did it, that will determine the “difference” between 360 and PS3 graphically. Nothing you write will change my opinion on that.
Your quote: “4. you would have a point IF the original xbox didn’t have a larger xbox live userbase than the ps2 did, while the ps2 had 10 times the userbase. try again……” M8 I obviously made a good point because yopu decided to go back to the previous gen…pretty poor when we are talking current gen…. The only way you can make a comparison is if BOTH systems could use either online service and the stats came back that users of both systems preferred to use LIVE and pay for it. When both systems can’t use the respective online service, you “comparision” is a moot point and totally irrelevant.
May 31st, 2008
DWH
I understand the point you make about gameplay.
But you cannot just rubbish graphics aside. A game needs both graphics and gameplay. You can’t have one without the other.
But imagine this, you are saying that wii is the “True Next gen”, so where does that leave us FPS and Gta fans. Are we stuck in the previous gen just because the only thing left to improve in this games are graphics?
June 2nd, 2008
vgchartz is awful and should NEVER be referenced.
October 17th, 2008
In my opinion the Wii has not taken a big part of the real gamers. The reason why the sales are that high is simple. People that didn’t use to have a console got a Wii.. thinking it would get them in shape or something… I mean just look at the sales of Wii Fit … They get unusual players that’s it. Even my grandmother bought a Wii to play Tiger Woods games. But really for people who played real games .. how silly does the Wii looks at their eyes.