January NPD sales – The Wii outshines Xbox 360 and PS3 yet again
Is the Nintendo charge to the top of the games industry ever going to end? It doesn’t look like it. The latest U.S. sales data for January has been released by NPD, and it shows the Wii again on top by a huge margin. The Xbox 360 is holding steady, while the PS3 saw sales drop year on year.
2008 was the year of the Wii, and the DS too if you’re including hand held consoles. I thought 2009 could signal a change in proceedings but it seems the same pattern is continuing well into the new year. January is a notoriously slow month for video games, because there’s very few new releases, and everyone who wants a new console would surely have got one for Christmas.
January Hardware Sales Figures (U.S.)
Wii – 679,000
Nintendo DS – 510,800
Xbox 360 – 309,000
PlayStation 3 – 203,200
PlayStation Portable – 172,300
Playstation 2 – 101,200
January software Sales Figures (U.S.)
Wii Fit (Wii) – 777,000
Wii Play (Wii) – 415,000
Mario Kart (Wii) – 292,000
Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) – 243,000
Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) – 235,000
Skate 2 (Xbox 360) – 199,000
Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) – 155,000
New Super Mario Bros. (DS) – 135,000
Mario Kart DS (DS) – 132,000
Lord of the Rings: Conquest (PS3) – 113,000
Nintendo
Nintendo seems determined to buck trends and predictions though, and it has again by selling over half a million of both its consoles in January. The Wii managed 679,200 units in actual fact, while its little brother, the Nintendo DS, managed 510,800.
Nintendo also cleaned up in the software charts. The Wii had the top three bestselling games for the month, as well as another Wii game in the top ten and two DS games also making the cut. Interestingly, the three Wii games at the top of the pile all ship with peripherals as standard, so I must be in the minority in disliking them.
Microsoft
The Xbox 360 is holding steady, and that’s not a bad thing. 309,000 units in January is a good result, beating last year’s figure for the same month (230,000) by quite a margin. The Microsoft console also managed to outsell the PS3 by over 100,000 units although it’s still way behind the Wii.
Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty: World at War, and Skate 2 on the Xbox 360 all made the top ten in January. And while the numbers are all far below that enjoyed by the Wii games mentioned above, it again points towards the Xbox 360 holding its ground and sitting comfortably in second place.
Sony
And so it’s left to Sony to bring up the rear. It may have three consoles on the market but that’s not much to brag about when they appear last, second-to-last, and third-to-last in the hardware charts for the month. The Playstation 3 managed to shed over 60,000 units from last year to this, which is a worrying trend.
Things don’t look much better on the software side of things either, with just one PS3 game making the top ten, and that, at number ten. It’s not rocket science to realize that less hardware sold is also going to mean less software sold, but it’s still a very bad result.
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61 Responses to “January NPD sales – The Wii outshines Xbox 360 and PS3 yet again”
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February 13th, 2009
PS3 sales decline, Sony losing 500 billion, GT is a niche market. Killzone 2 doesn’t have co-op.
Did I cover everything already? I’m sure there is more.
Man Nintendo knows how to shift units.
February 13th, 2009
Oh and 2.40 bricks you PS3 %101 and all PS3′s within a 200 metre radius.
February 13th, 2009
360 still suffering RROD despite what xbots claim, With only Alan Wake to look forward to and still having to pay for an online service.
Did i cover everything already? I’m sure there is more.
Man Sony know how roll out a games line up in 2009
February 13th, 2009
So i was mocking the xbots… I hope you were mocking the SDF.
February 13th, 2009
We should remember that America is not the center of the whole world.
PlayStation software is dominating the top of the Japanese charts and KZ2 has 1.1 million pre-orders in Europe alone already.
Add in the epic God Of War 3 trailer just released, and things will get better for Sony.
Though to be honest, as long as I get to play GOW3, where Sony is doesn’t really bother me.
I want God of War 3 NOW……
February 13th, 2009
destructoid.com/preview-god-of-war-iii-121446.phtml#ext
HEY DICKHEADS!!
ahem… been a while since I did this…
GOD OF WAR !!!
FUCK YEAH!!!
February 13th, 2009
2008 YEAR OF THE PS3
HA HA HA!
February 13th, 2009
I want to know how the ps3 fanboys are gonna spin this one! What a fucking disaster!!!!! HA HA HA
February 13th, 2009
lock_down,
Isn’t Japan considered to be the least robust market in the world? Agreed on God of War 3… if I was going to buy a PS3, this would be the game I buy it for.
February 13th, 2009
lol I get it SDF… Sony Defense Force, right? I you meant: Stupid Dumb Fu…
February 13th, 2009
I just picked up Fall Out 3… Stay tuned for my official review.
February 13th, 2009
I think the 1 PS3 game on this list is actually the 360 version Dave, at least according to Game Life on Wired- blog.wired.com/games/2009/02/january-npd-lor.html#more , and gamesindustry- gamesindustry.biz/articles/no-playstation-titles-make-us-top-ten-in-january
February 13th, 2009
sw – splitscreen coop…
there is a difference between that and online coop.
February 13th, 2009
Darn.
*adds split screen co-op to list*
February 13th, 2009
SW you forgot to mention how the PS3 rapes your family and stabs your children in the groin…
wow youre such an uninformed FULL OF BIAS!!!
February 13th, 2009
DWH – That only occurs if you suvive the 2.40 brickfest.
February 13th, 2009
I was just thinking about this… now I heard you can install Linux on the PS3… and this guy commented on my blog how he can play ROMS of old games on his linux PS3…
now if Left 4 dead and Warcraft supported Linux…
do you see what Im getting at?? would that mean I can play Left 4 dead on the PS3???
wow that was a great daydream… dont fucking ruin it with your fucking facts…
February 13th, 2009
how would you know SW??
my PS3 has taken advantage of me… it beats me all the time… Im afraid to tell anyone because I know in the inside it loves me…
sniff… its ok sweetie… I can change you…
February 13th, 2009
I thought only the 360 had that distinction here dwh… at least things are starting to balance out.
February 13th, 2009
DWH – Linux can be installed, I had unbuntu on mine for a while.
REALLY wanted to get the Wiimote installed on it but the cell architecture screwed stuff up, and while there is a solution to get it to work, I’m too much of a linux noob to get it to work.
I also think L4D would run like crap on it, as it seemed to have an issue even playing movies (sloooow).
February 13th, 2009
What is DWH going on about?
February 13th, 2009
Carl looks like the PS3 is doing nearly as bad as you are in Iraq. LOL
February 13th, 2009
Time to cut and run!!!!!
February 13th, 2009
SW i guess I’m a proud surviver of the 2.40 brick-ware…Infact all of my PSN friends survived, i guess we’re the lucky “few”.
February 13th, 2009
jesus fucking christ…
CON… you have sunk so low… that even a retarded asshole like me feels ashamed of your comments… and thats SAYING A LOT!!!
its ok carl… togather we will form a support group for all the survivors of “console date rape”…
I know there are millions out there who need our help…
PC games on my PS3 PLEASE!!!
February 13th, 2009
2.4 scared me a lot… specially since the updates are mandatory… I hope Sony does a lot more QnA nowadays… cus I hate jumping through hoops on my console… I get that enough from my crappy laptop…
February 13th, 2009
Bourne – Me and Ivan are just joking around dude.
My PS3 also had no issues with 2.40.
February 13th, 2009
What??? Thoses are facts!
February 13th, 2009
Doh! Me and DWH. I have Ivan on the brain…
*blushes*
He does have a sexeh moustache after all.
February 13th, 2009
well I bought my PS3 after the 2.4… but the whole debacle with the 2.4 update still keeps me up at night… that and the constant rape by the playstation…
I dont know which is worse…
February 13th, 2009
I think we all know that Tom Selleck has the best moustache.
February 13th, 2009
Con, now that you mention it we are doing quite well here in Iraq, and the provincial elections went without a hitch. The Iraqi’s were finally allowed to enjoy the same privilege you may have taken for granted throughout your life: to live and even vote in an environment without violence and killing. I think some of the press even went so far as to say “the Marines are bored in Iraq” as most of the terrorists here have been killed or captured long ago. It’s been mostly quiet and uneventful this year and last, but thanks for your concern.
cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/06/un.iraq/index.html
Happy gaming, but I must remind you that this is a gaming forum and if you wish to speak of this topic, you really should visit one of those army sites you mentioned earlier or write to your congressman/woman.
February 13th, 2009
pfft… the senate and the congress is filled with liberal hippie nazis…
February 13th, 2009
“but I must remind you that this is a gaming forum and if you wish to speak of this topic”
I’m yet to see one of these things that stays on topic lol…..cut and run
February 13th, 2009
Did you say you cut and ran from something con? Nothing to run from here, unless you happen to be a terrorist.
February 13th, 2009
darkwhitehair, if that is true, then you are partly responsible for keeping them there now… ah well, it’s getting early here, so goodnight.
February 13th, 2009
NO DONT GO!!!
I want to argue about what as asshole -people who put their lives on the line for their country- are… apparently they are not nice people… and some are fanboys… OMG!!!!!111!!
February 13th, 2009
Yet again carl cuts and runs when it gets too much. LOL
February 13th, 2009
Ugh against with the anti war/pro war crap.
Can we get back to bashing the PS3? Here, ill get you started.
What the fuck is with the split memory? 360 has teh superiorz single poolz. The 360 also has a BJ hole for when you get bored.
February 13th, 2009
Dave, I thought you just said
“the PS3 is doing fine in relative terms”?
“the PS3 saw sales drop year on year”
All written without a trace of embarrassment I bet.
February 14th, 2009
Yet again con really doesn’t know what he is talking about. “LOL”
SW, I thought bashing the 360 was the in thing to do on this site…
February 14th, 2009
Yeah bashing the 360 and warmongers that lie through their teeth about WMD’s to commit acts of genocide
February 14th, 2009
Define genocide please. I’ll let you let you look like a fool.
February 14th, 2009
Genocide as in american soldiers getting their asses kicked and then going out on revenge missions raping young children, then the mass murder of their families. Throw in a bit of torture just for kicks. Seems to reported heavily across the world except for one country……..
February 14th, 2009
Yes, con, those individual soldiers have been tried and imprisoned for their crimes, and it was reported heavily in the states. Also, I am a Marine not a soldier.
February 14th, 2009
Have they fuck. The Iraqi people say it’s widespread. The americans might find it easy to forget about your dirty deeds but the rest of the world will not.
February 14th, 2009
You should continue to take action to try and help the Iraqi people con, it is encouraging to see you are so concerned and taking meaningful action in the right place. Sorry to disappoint, but I haven’t done any “dirty deeds” lately and don’t plan on it.
February 14th, 2009
I speak out against scum like you who still try to justify an illegal war. So shout me down all you want.
February 14th, 2009
Good for you con, I am glad you are utilizing your freedom of speech wisely and intelligently.
February 14th, 2009
Instead of trying to patronise me why don’t you go look for some of those WMDs you tried to convince the rest of the world to go to war with you.
February 14th, 2009
Sorry con, you must be thinking of somebody else as I never did that.
February 14th, 2009
Oh god can’t blorge ban this moron already.
February 14th, 2009
You got something to add?
February 14th, 2009
YOU SEE CARL!!! this is why Im a witch hunter… we dont get bullshit like this from the witch bitches…
if they give us lip… we just fly down our “fucking dragons” and eat them…
ummm yeah…
February 14th, 2009
dwh,
February 14th, 2009
darkwhitehair,
Is the site you were talking about earlier up yet? I’m all for it.
February 14th, 2009
“You got something to add?”
Not really. You’re either trolling or an idiot who is not capable of staying on the topic of video games on a tech website (specifically the video game section).
February 14th, 2009
Yeah you got me
DAMN!
February 14th, 2009
I know.
February 14th, 2009
nope… theres no point if its only me… cus Im really lazy and need someone to keep me in shape…
meh,.. onto destructoid…
February 19th, 2009
Everyone’s making money but Sony.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Place