Wii the most popular online search item last week
by Blake Snow 
{ Dec 14th 2006 at 7:25AM }
Searches for Nintendo's Wii outnumbered those for both PS3 and Xbox 360 last week according to figures released by web analytics firm Hitwise. But game systems as a whole made up six of the top 10 most searched-for items as the holidays approach. The top electronics queries rounded out by iPods were as follows:- Nintendo Wii
- iPod
- Wii
- iPods
- iPod Nano
- iPod Shuffle
- PSP
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
- Xbox (?)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Slaziman @ Dec 14th 2006 7:43AM
The Wii keeps getting good press.
What insane magic is Nintendo using?
David4 @ Dec 14th 2006 1:00PM
Oh no we are all racists! The blacks are losing again!
Michael @ Dec 14th 2006 8:13AM
White is too a color! In fact, I dare say white is more color than any other color. White light = all other colors of light.
Ibere @ Dec 14th 2006 8:22AM
I think there's a Barbie doll that comes with a dog that eats and poops, that's why there's people searching for it.
ichip @ Dec 14th 2006 8:17AM
people were searching "eats and poops" to find realistic dolls or something.
Alfred Chew @ Dec 14th 2006 9:46AM
Thank You for the Resources
moominsean @ Dec 14th 2006 8:23AM
racists!
Phoenix42 @ Dec 14th 2006 8:31AM
::Insert necessary slow news day comment here::
I keed, I keed.
Raz 4 life @ Dec 14th 2006 8:33AM
It was his hat, Mr. Krabs! He was #1!!!
crono141 @ Dec 14th 2006 8:35AM
Schmitty Worbenjensen?
FSK405K @ Dec 14th 2006 8:38AM
It is impossible that "Nintendo Wii" was searched for more than "Wii." That's like saying that there are more blond women than women.
FSK405K @ Dec 14th 2006 8:47AM
Woa...Overstock apparently is really popular, not the website I began ignoring years ago because it never has quite the right products:
Rank By Market Share of Visits for Daily Data December 9, 2006
Rank Name Market Share
1 Amazon.com 13.54%
2 Walmart 8.79%
3 Target 5.61%
4 Overstock.com 4.65%
The rest are at http://www.hitwise.com/press-center/hitwiseHS2004/us-121206-productsearch.php
FrankTheCrank @ Dec 14th 2006 9:06AM
HAHA...
Playstation 3 beat out 360....
HAHA...
Jonathan @ Dec 14th 2006 9:00AM
As a proud Wii owner, of course this makes me happy. But another thing that makes me happy is that it didn't seem that long ago that the this generation was viewed as a two-way contest between Sony and Microsoft. But already Wii is getting press Sony could only dream of, and unlike XBOX 360, Wii seems to be a truly worldwide smash hit.
Of course those who want the 360/PS3/whatever to be the #1 system will still dismiss the Wii as a passing fad, but the writing is on the wall folks - Nintendo has the right business plan, and the skill and experience to execute it. Anyone at this point who is expecting a complete repeat of last generation has ultimately got to be kidding themselves.
Unimental @ Dec 14th 2006 9:01AM
No DS? Strange considering the sales figures lately.
FSK405K @ Dec 14th 2006 9:05AM
I'm sure if this was a report of search engines in Japan it would be there, Unimental.
Yuki~Summer Ver.~ @ Dec 14th 2006 9:21AM
You're laughing because a certain system that just came out is a whole one place higher than one that came out a year ago?
Sithlet @ Dec 14th 2006 9:29AM
Maybe it's the most searched for because people recognize "XBox" and "PS3," but don't yet recognize what a "Wii" is?
Also, not sure why the DS isn't in Joystiq's list when the graph they link to shows Wii, iPod, DS, 360, and PS3, in that order...so the DS was at least more popular than the 360 and PS3, which both made their list.
Daniel @ Dec 14th 2006 10:05AM
Regarding your first sentence Sithlet: exactly.
This is yet another reason why 'Wii' is such a great name from a marketing perspective. People wonder what the hell 'Wii' is, then they look it up. If people do that, then Nintendo has done its job.
'Hardcore' gamers can bitch about the name until the cows come home, but I was one of the four people who saw the genius in the name when I first heard it (no, for real).
Even just typing it into a search engine is simple beyond simple. You simply cannot screw up 'Wii', and there's no way that anything else on the Web will be mixed up with Nintendo's Wii (ie. there isn't any huge 'Wii' restaurant chains, 'Wii' music bands or 'Wii' cars).
Genius I tell ya!
pixelator @ Dec 14th 2006 10:06AM
Joystiq will pluck a needle of Wii news out of a haystack of everything else to say HEY! LOOK! It's all about the Wii! -- On the flipside, they'll find the one or two crappy newsbytes about the PS3 or PSP to make Sony look like complete ass, even if there's plenty of good news to otherwise be had.
This is a perfect example. According to wordspot.wordpress.com, for -overall- Google searches, the fanboy-beloved Wii clocked in at #6 for the week of 11/25 amongst all the usual stuff (no PS3) -- though the PS3 was #2 the week of 11/18, the week both systems launched (Wii was #9). The Zune was #3 that week, too, showing there's little accounting for tastes with these results. *cough*britney*cough*
Furthermore, it's funny how Nint-- I mean JOYstiq totally ignores the fact that according to the quoted Yahoo article, tech serches showed the PSP ranked #7, with no mention of the DS whatsoever. I guess nobody at N-stiq was going to mention _that_... >.>
Jonstiq @ Dec 14th 2006 10:07AM
Oú est la gare?
cakestick @ Dec 14th 2006 10:11AM
Pixelator:
You sound like somebody that wonders why they don't report all the good news coming out of Iraq.
mocax @ Dec 14th 2006 10:16AM
so Joystiq something remotely favorable to Nintendo, they get labelled N-stiq.
when they do that for Sony, they become PStiq?
And for Microsoft, they're 3-6-stiq?
gman @ Dec 14th 2006 10:22AM
Pixelator:
cakestick sure got your number. ;)
Jake @ Dec 14th 2006 4:17PM
I personally don't consider the Wii to be in the console war. It may sell more units than the PS3 or 360, but it is so different you can't hardly compare it. I wouldn't compare a PC or PSP or DS to the PS3 or 360, so I won't compare the Wii.
I mean, if the Wii does well, then great. I will eventually get it to play its top 5-10 games and I hope they are the best they can be. One of my friends has it and we play bowling before poker on Wednesday nights. It is fun. I really don't feel like I am playing a video game at all. I feel more like I am throwing darts or something like that. (refering to Bowling)
But, this whole Wii will win the console race thing doesn't quite work for me. I mean, I almost look at it like the Wii is an awesome peripheral for last gen. I don't mean that as a dis, but lets face it. You are never going to have a Gears of War on Wii. You won't have Mass Effect, MGS4, or other beautiful games that flirt with looking completely realistic. That is the direction of gaming over the last 10 years. These are the types of games that 360 and PS3 will be competing with eachother. I play games when I am alone. I don't see myself enjoying a game of bowling or Elebits or Excite truck as much as GoW or PGR or something. I mean, it isn't even friken close. Graphics aren't everything, you say, but I do not touch my PS2 now that I have a 360.
Nintendo chose a different path, and it looks like it will make them more money than following.
But really, can you compare a system that costs $150 to make with one that costs $600 to make? Look at the graphics on the thing. The system is built purely on gameplay and last gen graphics. If it is fun, then that is great and it is totally worth the money. But to say that it is competing with Sony and MS is real shady. Does a Honda Civic compete with a Porsche? Wouldn't a Civic win because it sells more? They are in different markets. (This analogy isn't chosen to make Nintendo look lame next to others the way a Civic looks lame next to a Porsche, it is just the best I could come up with)
Nintendo is competing not with MS or Sony, but with gamers' and nongamers' preconceived notions of gaming. They are competing with Joe Schmo's concept of value and price. They are competing with the dudes that don't play games, but enjoyed playing the Wii with some friends and is thinking of getting one as long as the price is right. They are competing with sewing kits and the Price is Right for the entertainment of the elderly. They are trying to make the thing fun enough so the kiddies will be happy with it even if they wanted a PS3 more.
They are not competing with 360 or PS3 because anything that those two companies do will have little impact on the Wii and vice versa.
Kimosabae @ Dec 14th 2006 10:42AM
Black is actually the complete absence of all color, so you've got it wrong. It's a common misconception that white hosts the description:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black
Just another branch of reasoning to support the recent argument and discoveries that Black African's may be the original homosapien.
Also, the more conventional colors of the Nano and iPods are black AND white, making your 2-8 statistic somewhat misleading (not to mention the fact that some new Nano colors were just released, no?)
Unless I'm missing something...
-SynikaL
Matt @ Dec 14th 2006 10:47AM
Actually white is a color, it is every color combined. Black is not a color, for it is the absence of color. However, if you look at it by way of crayola instead of light, then the opposite is true.
pixelator @ Dec 14th 2006 10:46AM
Erm, Joystiq isn't 'remotely' favorable to Nintendo. The only ones downplaying the anti-Sony and pro-Ninty bias factor are, naturally, the Nintendo fanboys.
In other news, N-fanboy brings up Iraq. Classy.
FWIW, looks like the DS *was* on the Hitwise chart, but not mentioned in the Yahoo article. Even so, you have to wonder how they establish where the PS3 fits into all that when it wasn't even on the chart... Sounds a bit fishy to me, but Ninty fans will of course say anyone who questions this is a Sony fanboy, Joystiq isn't biased, etc.
Derbeste @ Dec 14th 2006 11:04AM
Sorry, Pixelator. You just got completely OWNED by cakestick.
Sony just "invaded Iraq" and now you wonder why there is little good to say about it.
Lately it seems that, much like the Iraq War, the best thing you can say about PS3 is that "no one died today" because of it.
Ndric @ Dec 14th 2006 11:30AM
Pixelator, if you would just try to think for once, Yahoo News isn't a 'haystack'
Is being ignorant a requirement to be a Sony fanboy?
Genius @ Dec 14th 2006 11:46AM
Personally, even though I own a Wii, I want to know why every nintendo fanboy says theres only one game on the PS3 worth owning. When, in fact, theres only one game on the Wii worth owning and its a barely graphically updated version of its Gamecube counterpart, Zelda. In my opinion, thats the true sign of a fanboy, one that ignores flaws with their favored system to point out the same flaws on their so called rival system.
Hinkmania @ Dec 14th 2006 11:52AM
My site can attest to that, boy howdy.
Daniel @ Dec 14th 2006 1:46PM
Genius - I also own a Wii and I have to respectfully disagree with you. I would say that Trauma Center is actually superior to the already-awesome DS version and well worth the price.
In addition, I can't fathom why I'm having so much fun with Excite Truck, but I am. I'm absolutely obsessed with it, and believe it or not it's much deeper than it first seems. Split screen is surprisingly awesome too. It's a real shame this one didn't use online but it's still a solid, solid game.
In addition, I can't believe you're not giving credit to Wii Sports. Every single person I've shown Wii to LOVES Wii Sports, regardless of their age, gender or gaming prowess. My brother in law was over the other day to check out Wii for the first time and he literally would not stop playing tennis. When I finally got him onto Trauma Center, he finished almost as much as I have. Afterward, he loved telling people that he played tennis and 'performed open heart surgery' that day, heh heh.
So you are wrong. Zelda is NOT the only game worth owning for Wii (I haven't even mentioned Virtual Console games either). And out of curiousity, how many Wii games have you played? A couple of minutes with the 'big' names (ie. Red Steel, Rayman) or a lot of time with others like Dragonball?
Grog @ Dec 14th 2006 12:19PM
29. "I want to know why every nintendo fanboy says theres only one game on the PS3 worth owning. When, in fact, theres only one game on the Wii worth owning and its a barely graphically updated version of its Gamecube counterpart, Zelda."
That is, of course, your opinion. I'm curious as to why you downplay some of the other games that have gotten major press (Wii Sports, Rayman Raving Rabbids), but also surprised that you have a problem with Zelda. After all, everyone knew it was a dual-release and that it wouldn't be PS3- or 360-quality graphics. I'm guessing you're a Shagi-esque Wii owner - the type who likes to rag on the system, and possibly doesn't even own it.
Derbeste @ Dec 14th 2006 12:37PM
@Genius
I apologize ahead of time for the forthcoming rant...
ahem....
For a "genius", you sure are stupid.
But hey....let's put logic aside assume that you're right.
Let's assume that all things are equal and, just like the PS3, the Wii has only one good game despite decent reviews for Rayman, Wii sports, and excite truck.
Let's assume that all their other Wii games can found on other systems just like the PS3.
Let's also assume that only your taste in games and control matters so the Wiimote is no different than the sixaxis.
Let's borrow a page from Kyle Orland and assume "all things are equal".....
THE WII IS STILL LESS THAN HALF THE FUCKING PRICE OF PS3!!!
Seriously...if Sony fanboys can't start to get that, I'm going to stab you all and fuck the wounds!
If Sony had just given GAMERS the choice as to whether they wanted an unproven MOVIE player, they'd be trouncing Nintendo right now.
/comes out of trance like rant
anyway....sorry if I hurt any feelings. I LOVE YOU! :)
Shagi @ Dec 14th 2006 1:05PM
Cool a Wiihugger used the term Shagi-esque.
Let me define Shagi-esque for you:
Shagiesque: Someone having no loyalties to any one system who will speak the truth despite the rabbid attack of fanboys.
crono141 @ Dec 14th 2006 2:40PM
Yep, > is DEFINITELY Shagi.
No 2 people can be that dilusional.
Ed @ Dec 14th 2006 2:00PM
I don't really see anything biased about the article. On other websites you don't really hear alot of news on the Wii, but when you do its usually a positive story, were as the two big boys are battling it out and hemridging money from their open wounds to be crowned the Next Gen victor, nintendo's quietly sailing along making a substantial profit.
TwilightKnight @ Dec 14th 2006 1:47PM
Yay! Another excellent post from >! It must take years of pratice and willpower to actually type something that ignorant. I certainly couldn't do that. I mean come on, somebody would have to have zero common sense and factual basis in reality to write and be serious about it. Bravo good sir.
As for the actual news, I enjoy how the Wii made it up there twice but very annoyed at iPod being up there 4 times.
Ben @ Dec 14th 2006 2:07PM
How a vast number of people can play the Wii and think it's awesome is beyond me - it's the biggest hoodwinking in quite a while IMHO. I put about 25 hours into the thing and my opinion only went downhill. The motion control is only a few steps away from fake, shaking the controller can do most everything, some games are a downright CHORE to play (COD3), the cursor is kinda wank and Zelda is a Gamecube game, akin to if Atari had forced Pitfall onto the 5200 to move the new systems. It's fun for a few hours but that's about it.
I am not a graphics whore, I love my DS, but I also like decent controls, not one where I'm trying to match stupid motions to do things a simple button press could perform. A person doesn't wave their arm and shake their ass to start a car do they? The Wii is like a keyboard that only works if you do sign language in front of it. If you haven't played a Wii yet, find a Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine and play it whilst holding a lightgun from a House of the Dead machine, you'll get the basic idea.
If people want a cheap system they should get a PS2 or a DS - both are superior to the Wii and have huge libraries of games. Joystiq is getting to the point where they should change their name to Wii-Mote-stiq, this site was much better before the darn Wii came out.
What they really need to do is make games AROUND the Wii-mote (like Trauma Center) and not shoehorn the controls on existing franchises.
Slaziman @ Dec 14th 2006 2:33PM
They put touch screen and dual screen controls on existing franchises and look how that turned out.
Shaking the controller will NOT get you Pro status in Wii Tennis, that I can assure.
My definition of Shagiesque: someone who will bash a console because of it's few bad points to piss the heaps of fanboys off, probably to get some sick satisfaction. Likes to repeat over and over again that the Wii is a GameCube.
Oh and Genius, Derbeste handed you your ass on a plate.
Jay T @ Dec 14th 2006 3:34PM
This comment seems very racist and it was not needed: "Therefore, the color white (though not really a color) wins over black 8-2."
Blake Snow you didn't even try to be subliminally racist, you illustrated very clearly and blatantly how you feel. I wonder if any the Joystiq writers are African American. If there is one I hope they beat the shit out of your racist ass.
crono141 @ Dec 14th 2006 2:52PM
Of course, now that my "> = shagi" post is up, all of posts by > are now gone.
Boo
Dirk Dorkelson @ Dec 14th 2006 5:07PM
I don't know about you guys, but when I'm looking for news articles, I just do a Google search for "Xbox" or "PlayStation." There's little point in putting in the number, as there aren't many news articles about the old Xbox or the PS2 these days. That or I'm just lazy. I'd combine Xbox with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with whatever PlayStation got, but that's just me.
Rubang @ Dec 14th 2006 5:37PM
Comparing the DS to the PSP is like comparing apples and oranges. I mean, yeah one has TWO wacky new gimmick control schemes that make the games more immersive, and it costs way less, but look at the graphics on the DS. It just can't compete with the PSP. Oh wait, you guys are talking about the Wii and the PS3? Oops. Nevermind. Uhh... graphics own gameplay?
Shagi @ Dec 14th 2006 5:53PM
Are you Wiihuggers that delusional to think that > and I must be the same poster?
ZOMG! More than one person not impressed by the new Nintendo! Its not possible Nintendo is teh G0d! They must be the same person!
I'm not defending > at all. Most of his posts seem to foster some kind of data (fictional or not), my posts are more to do with my personal experiences and theories about the Wii.
Rubang @ Dec 14th 2006 6:03PM
Shagi, I just want to hug you.
Terrak @ Dec 14th 2006 6:51PM
Jake, the analogy you use is poor. Console gaming is not about High & low classes (your porsche to honda comparison), its all about the numbers. The winner is the one that sells the most, plain and simple. The one that sells the most means more potential income for developers and thus more games, more games means more people buy the console and so on (theoretically speaking). Wii was built with this in mind.
If 360 and ps3 wish to maintain the high class status at the expense of numbers they will lose the console wars.
Please quit your last gen graphics rubbish. Wii's graphics is 1 generation up, whereas 360 and ps3 is 2 gens up. OK. Wiis graphics will be better then last gen but never be as good as 360 or ps3, get over it.
"Shagiesque: Someone having no loyalties to any one system who will speak the truth despite the rabbid attack of fanboys."
I love your qualifier. Hmm i never seen you write a bad thing about ps3 or 360, if you have please direct me to them. What ps3 and 360 are perfect consoles now (in your eyes), fault free? CAn you tell me what your on?
Your comments Neutral? You are as Neutral as George W Bush would be as a jury member in Saddams Hussians Trial. At least have the balls to fess up, you hate Nintendo. I'm not bagging you for it. Just stop pretending you are impartial because you're not.
Shagi @ Dec 15th 2006 12:42AM
I posted stuff about being pissed that theres no 1080i support for non 720p users, I also posted that it sucks that sometimes the bluetooth controllers get disconected (although I've had the Wii do that to me once as well). The thing I mostly said about the PS3 is the percived huge potential as a great games machine and also as a linux machine. I like the PS3 cause it feels like back in the day when you got a c64 or Amiga since its runs linux.
If you want my opinion I think right now the 360 is in control, which isnt saying anything mindblowing, its been out longer, has more games and great graphics. I think anyone that would say the Wii is better than the 360 right now isn't being honest.
As far as claiming the Wii has potential beacuse of the motion controller I disagree, I think the mouse pointer stuff is good but not the motion sensing, I think that really stinks. Once you remove the potential of the motion sensing all you have left is a one screen DS (and i still don't like the DS) which I don't believe is much at all.
So for the record right now 360 > PS3 > Wii.
And thats how I feel about it after playing with all 3 for a while now.
Moose @ Dec 19th 2006 10:58AM
I dont know if any of you have thought of this but maybe it isnt racist? maybe the fact that the Wii is White and the Ps3 is black? maybe its just a reference to their colors of system? maybe you all have too much time and are arguing opinions? maybe you should all get lives and realize its just consumer bullshit? maybe you should go outside for more than just your jobs or buying games (unless you buy and work online then i seriously hope you are at least taking vitamin E and D tablets to make up what your skin isnt taking in from the wonderful rays of the sun).