Wii outsells both 360 and PS3 in January despite shortages

by Blake Snow { Feb 21st 2007 at 11:10AM }

Preliminary NPD data via Next-Gen suggests that Nintendo outsold both the 360 and PS3 in January, this despite continued shortages for the console while the latter two are widely in stock. Here's how it allegedly went down last month:

Wii - 436,000 units
360 - 294,000 units
PS3 - 244,000 units

Said Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo's VP of marketing on the numbers: "I do think that we're selling to additional and different customers. We've had an incredibly healthy start and we think there's going to be a pretty long tail on this product." Does Kaplan even know what Long Tail is? I think she means Wii can continue to sell well.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

M @ Feb 21st 2007 11:14AM

That's great news for Nintendo. Hopefully their success continues into the future.

generaldane @ Feb 21st 2007 11:14AM

Am Rick James, Bitch

Unit @ Feb 21st 2007 11:14AM

let the madness begin......

jay @ Feb 21st 2007 11:14AM

Good going Nintendo. I fought long and hard to find a Wii in a retail store, my friends have just managed to get them.

Good system, enjoying it more than anything else right now - DS included. I've had Wii Sports for 2 months now and I'm still addicted... and stronger!

jay @ Feb 21st 2007 11:16AM

oh yea. This thread is going to turn ugly.
Just go out and buy a Wii instead of being stuck up, if you can find one!

Shagittarius @ Feb 21st 2007 11:18AM

Answer #1 - For a product that costs half as much or less not selling double the amounts color me unimpressed.

Answer #2 - Since there are shortages this data is inconclusive.

Answer #3 - PS2 outsold them all LOLZ!!!!!!1

sheppy @ Feb 21st 2007 11:20AM

I wonder how many of those January sales were directly related to tax returns in regards to PS3 and 360. For PS3 to come that close to 360 without anything in January is suprising to me. I wonder what March numbers will be like.

NintendoFanbot @ Feb 21st 2007 11:20AM

Oh Joystiq, you and your economics-centered jargon. To be honest I don't know what that meant either. :P

Hypothetical question: What if the Wii was a snake and swallowed competitor sales? Not only being able to last as long but sell higher?

Bah I'm being crazy. The Wii is doing well enough as is and I won't presume to analyze because I don't know everything Nintendo is or will be up to after this year's big releases.

Tom @ Feb 21st 2007 11:21AM

All this over system sales,but where are the games? I'm just shocked there is more said about the clear lack of games for that system. No games ,no graphics and a gimicky controller does not a good system make.but hey,if you can sell to the "me too " crowd all is forgivin

Yardman @ Feb 21st 2007 11:24AM

who is buying this Sh!t....? Damn the wii sucks!

Matt @ Feb 21st 2007 11:25AM

I've been as skeptical of the Wii as anyone, but 436,000 units in a month like January is downright phenomenal, especially when supply is still limited. As for the PS3, they have to do something. At this point in the game they have already have significantly less units out there than both their competitors and they're selling at a slower rate. If this continues, frachises like GTA and VF jumping ship will be just the start. I think the only way that they'll get their sales up to where they need to be is a price cut, but that's likely to be a long ways off still.

Jake @ Feb 21st 2007 11:25AM

It is pretty amazing how well the Wii is doing. Even people like me who don't care for what the Wii has to offer should be pulling for Nintendo on this one. I was skeptical at first, but do think that they will help to expand the market for everyone. Go Nintendo! And get some games that aren't lame on that damn system so I can get one too. ;)

With that said, Kaplin mis-used the long tail expression. She annoys the hell out of me; Nintendo should just fire her. Seriously, she is dumber than a bag of bricks. Sony spokespeople may be arrogant, but Kaplin is just straight up stupid.

sheppy @ Feb 21st 2007 11:28AM

All is not forgiven, Tom. The hardcore gaming community is growing rather dispondant with Nintendo over those issues over the gimmick games, ports, and lack of "Beefy" experiences. But you forget, the industry is ruled by casuals. Right now, the casuals are happy and there is not enough pressure for Nintendo to start blowing Holiday arsenal prematurely just to keep the hardcore happy.

With Nintendo, it's all about patience. This is, after all, the company that finally released Starcraft 64 two years after it went Gold just so that it wouldn't interfere with other games sales.

Matt @ Feb 21st 2007 11:29AM

@ NintendoFanbot

Yeah, but you didn't use the term in a press release. Someone with the title "VP of Marketing" should know better than to use incorrect terms as buzzwords in a press release.

By the way, the long tail refers to niche market goods that sell to extremely small audiences, but are made economically feasible by the incremental distribution costs of the internet.

PS3Crashed @ Feb 21st 2007 11:30AM

Good for Nintendo. As for Tom and Yardman, don't make me come down to where you work and slap the cock out of your mouths.

Virtua Fanboy @ Feb 21st 2007 11:32AM

Oh Shit. LOL Wow. Here we go...

CowboyGA @ Feb 21st 2007 11:34AM

This is great news for Nintendo and even Xbox, but not necessarily horrible news for Sony. For Nintendo to gut the market above Sony, it means their base is growing stronger and faster than expected (price is irrelevant to units sold in regards to this chart's reflection of market control, Shagirrarious). Following the holiday push and a year of availability, Xbox is still moving forward and gaining ground. Good for them, too. But with the downfall that Sony's been taking in the press and fanbase, a quarter million units in a month is not quite a disaster. Of course it means invester woes, but I think a lot of consumers are waiting to see if anything else occurs. I believe it will turn into Sony's sales continuing along at a consistant pace. Sony's been usurped, but she's not going away. Think of her as this generation's Dreamcast more than the Jaguar.

NintendoFanbot @ Feb 21st 2007 11:34AM

TOM:

They've said this at E3 and Miyamoto's said it in many interviews, that no matter how much convincing text there is and no matter how good screenshots or word of mouth is you'll never be sure until you've tried for yourself. Many of the games may not seem enjoyable but there are people that obviously enjoy them.

There are even reviews of games for Wii where they say it's hard to review because there are few standards to judge Wii games by. WiiSports reviews range anywhere from 70-80 and yet the game is well-recieved and applauded anyways.

I know people who really enjoy Red Steel, despite being major fans of Halo and all the other top games out there. It's not hard to grasp. Even though the game isn't well accepted critically doesn't mean that people aren't enjoying it. I enjoyed Geist on GC and would LOVE to see a Wii sequel.

Pixelantes Anonymous @ Feb 21st 2007 11:35AM

Shagittarius, dude...if you want to make statements about financial results you should first try and actually know something about the subject and the video gaming industry in particular.

Case on point...who the hell cares if the the Wii costs less than its competitors when its profit margins are speculated to be MUCH better than its competitors, especially the PS3s.

Furthermore being that Nintendo has the strongest first party game support of any of the video game platform manufacturers selling more consoles means more actual first party games sold. You can bet your ignorant ass Nintendo is making an absolute killing on those first party game sales.

But that probably is way too complicated for you to understand. Sony FTW, eh?

Myke @ Feb 21st 2007 11:36AM

You know, sheppy is right, there is a Wii shortage so this isnt accurate, the Wii would have buried those other two even more if they were readily available, ala PS3...

Intentless @ Feb 21st 2007 11:37AM

The only system with a true shortage is the Wii. In other words the only system truly hampered by shortages is the Wii... PS3 may not be readily available but this time last year I was still waiting for a 360 pre-order and you couldn't find a 360 on shelves for more than a few seconds. I can walk into any store in the area and find at least 1-10 PS3s... Shortages would make the numbers inconclusive in that theoretically the Wii would have a larger lead for the month....

j0mb13 @ Feb 21st 2007 11:39AM

The long tale simply is a company having the majority of their sales coming from their least popular products. In this case I think Perrin was referring to the majority of Wii sales over the life of the console going to the most unlikely customer target (moms and grandparents?) hence the quote "I do think that we're selling to additional and different customers." Yes no? I'm not a biz guy but thats the conclusion I came to after a short visit to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_tail

jaysins @ Feb 21st 2007 11:41AM

The hype for the wii is in full swing and like the 360 last year, is only being limited by the number of units in stock, though there is more than the xbox last year. Curious to see how long it is sustained till January next year. What I'm most interested in is though when HALO 3, SSBB and Metal Gear come out to see how the sales skyrocket for each. Especially since they are all supposed to be dropping in close proximity to each other date wise. I predict HALO 3 has the biggest impact of sales for any game this year, any takers?

x876543 @ Feb 21st 2007 11:42AM

Sony Defense Force Assemble! Form of rant: use buzzwords like gimmick, 1080p, graphics, cell processors, blu-ray.

JAC @ Feb 21st 2007 11:44AM

Shortages? more like excessive demand.

Marlos Hill @ Feb 21st 2007 11:43AM

$250 vs $400+ or $500+

Cmon. people...its not rocket science.

(AND i have all 3 consoles).

i havent played my Wii since launch.

Virtua Fanboy @ Feb 21st 2007 11:43AM

Lets go ahead and make it fun.

I say, "HEY LOOK, IT'S SHITSTATION 3 IN THIRD PLACE, WHO SAW THAT ONE COMING!!1!"

Any takers?

NintendoFanbot @ Feb 21st 2007 11:43AM

@ Matt

Yeah, I read Joystiq's linked definition. True that it sounds odd that Perrin would say that. I don't see Nintendo very much as a niche company though. Their name alone should utter fear into anyone that dare crosses them. :P J/K

But I do see how they would use the principle in WiiConnect24, VC and such, with a few releases every week/month and etc. I agree with the definition that they are stretching some things, but only towards keeping whatever they are stretching viable.

Thanks for the clarification.

snowy_mongoose @ Feb 21st 2007 11:44AM

dont forget too nintendo is making money on every unit, sony is losing money.

Steve @ Feb 21st 2007 11:46AM

I find it very odd that this system is still out of stock. The DS shortage makes a little more sense because people who bought the fat version want to upgrade, portable systems are more likely to die a horrible accidental death than a home console, and parents are more likely to buy a DS for each kid while consoles are often shared resources. Hell, I could even see a few people who bought the white DS Lite upgrading to a better color and keeping their old system.

I'm impressed how a system that's been on the market for 3 months and has such a limited library of good games is still so high in demand. The Christmas shopping season's been over for nearly two months now.

Watership @ Feb 21st 2007 11:47AM

Wii sold well because it's cheaper, and the core nintedo fan base buys their new consoles within the first 6 months.

Within another 6 months, when the games dry up, those numbers will change.

Szu @ Feb 21st 2007 11:49AM

I would also like to point out that this Jan was a 5-week month. That extra week probably means the difference of about 40-50K units for the 360 and PS3. I guess it would translate to about 80K for the Wii. That's just my cheap arthimetic working these numbers.

Jake @ Feb 21st 2007 11:49AM

If the 360 had 500,000 units available in its first January, it would have likely sold them all as well. I don't know how many units the Wii would have sold if it had more supply than demand. Probably significantly more. My point is that the numbers don't mean a ton for MS and Nintendo. They both are doing pretty good, with Nintendo doing great. Sony is doing fine as well if you take into consideration how well the PS2 is doing. However, the one loser in this list is the PS3. Not outselling a competitor in year two despite having ample stock is not good at all. The 360 didn't have significantly more games at its launch and it was in much higher demand.

bmac @ Feb 21st 2007 11:53AM

Those aren't bad numbers for anyone. Considering everything it has going against it at the moment, the ps3 isn't doing badly at all. Too bad (for sony and MS) both are being trounced by Nintendo. As little as I like the wii, I'm glad it's bringing something new to the game, as well as major mainstream attention to the industry.

Antec747 @ Feb 21st 2007 11:53AM

I just traded in the Wii yesterday. Beat Zelda, tired of playing the same tech demo everyday. Ill buy it again when there's actual games to be played on it.

PS3Crashed @ Feb 21st 2007 11:53AM

@ 23

PS3Crashed @ Feb 21st 2007 11:54AM

@ 23

SSBB is going to kill 'em. The last one for gamecube sold over 6 million copies.

Neal @ Feb 21st 2007 11:59AM

My PS3 was a waste of money. if I could sell it back, I would.

I think Wii appeals to those who grew up on NES and SNES, and love the classics. Younger kids now who knew nothing but PS, PS2 and now PS3 dont know how fun the cassics and 2d games were. I am incredibly saddened that there won't be any more 2d games, like... ever. I have been playing the Legend of Zelda Link to the Past hack (parallel worlds) more than I have my PS3 or Wii. PS3 and 360 have nothing to offer except it looks nicer than the system before them.

Nintendo wil continue to grow and grow because everyone loves Mario, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Mario Party... and everything Mario because they are simple, fun, and great to play with friends. If I was at work all the hours I played Smash Brothers with my friends, I'd be a millionaire.

spoo @ Feb 21st 2007 12:02PM

I am shocked that the PS3 sold that many systems last month. I have seen the same systems sitting on shelfs since early Jan. not moving.

Back on topic this is good news for all 3 systems!

ackmondual @ Feb 21st 2007 12:01PM

@ #6
""Answer #3 - PS2 outsold them all LOLZ!!!!!!1""

when it comes time for the PS4 and its generation of competitors, will you have the PS2 fight the PS4's battles as well?

baby sea tuna @ Feb 21st 2007 12:02PM

#36

I was kinda thinking the same thing, since I can probably still get a fair amount more than I paid for it. I think my mom would probably kill me though, since she's a much bigger fan of the system than I am.

jaysins @ Feb 21st 2007 12:05PM

@PS3Crashed

Halo 2 sold 9.2 million, so bring it :). But I think the new SSBB is going to be sick, it just better have online ranked play.

PS3Crashed @ Feb 21st 2007 12:07PM

#6 Answer 1

It's 52,000 short of doubling the PS3 sales actually. And thats about how shy the PS3 is of 360 sales. Read your horoscope bitch.

MosquitoControl @ Feb 21st 2007 12:07PM

A week and a half in and I'm tired of the Wii.

Wario Ware was fun but I'm having trouble getting multiple people together for it. Wii Tennis is great, as is Wii Baseball, but Wii Bowling gets stagnant and isn't as good as Monkey Bowling, and Wii Golf is pretty bad. Wii Play mostly sucks. Zelda looks good, but I still haven't finished the last one.

ExciteTruck is the only game out there that I'm eager to play.

On the flip side, there's nothing coming out for the 360 lately that I'd be interested in, and Motorstorm is the only PS3 game that looks good to me. But I wouldn't have purchased a Wii now. The only one I'd purchase would be a 360. I've had it a year and can only remember a few short spurts that I've felt there was nothing to play. And while I'm certain the Wii will pick up, at least for a while, and the PS3 eventually will, too, the 360 feels like the only one really worth the money at this moment.

Rod @ Feb 21st 2007 12:09PM

Shagi you retard, the Wii outsold the ps2 as well, check your facts before you comment...

BPM @ Feb 21st 2007 12:12PM

I don't get what's with these "limited good Wii games" comments... You guys haven't looked around the Wii section much, have you? Here are some good games (based on both my own experience, and that of others):

My own experience:
-The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
-Metal Slug Anthology
-Super Swing Golf
-Trauma Center: Second Opinion
-Excite Truck

Based on others' experiences:
-Rayman Raving Rabbids
-Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
-Red Steel (yes, some people find this fun)
-WarioWare: Smooth Moves
-Elebits

10 games there that are worth a purchase (or at least, a rental). And unless you do nothing but play video games all day, it'd take a while to be completely done with all of them.

PS3Crashed @ Feb 21st 2007 12:15PM

@jaysins

I'll see you out there in the battle arena homey.:) Kid Icarus looks sick. Hopefully he has Marth/Roy-like controls

@neal

I think my power time on the last SSB game was about 120 hrs. It consumed me.

Intentless @ Feb 21st 2007 12:15PM

SSB... Halo 3... God.... Need.... Both...... Only so... Many hours.... in .... day.....

NintendoFanbot @ Feb 21st 2007 12:16PM

@ Jaysins

SSBM is a better comparison to Halo 1, the respective sales of which were neck-and-neck for the entire last generation, though Halo 2 did put it over the top. :D

Brawl (if Online) will be the heavens. Oh yes.

And EVO2K is offering Melee tournaments now. If only I could attend one. :(

Jonny @ Feb 21st 2007 12:22PM

The SDF stands on a lonely, windswept dune overlooking the utter ruin that is the PS3 thus far. Twisting tendrils of smoke rise lazily into the air only to be swallowed by the swift approaching twilight. Shagittarius shuffles his feet uneasily, earning him a piercing glare from Fred T. Watership and Yardman support between them a softly weeping Sheppy, whose choking sobs are the only sound in the otherwise still night. Finally Fred T's voice rings out across the hazy vista.
"Fellow members of the SDF...it is time."
Fred T stands proudly and raises his right fist, remarkable only for a white gold ring engraven with the initials SDF, into the air.
"Blu-Ray!"
An argent beam of light wells from the ring itself and pierces the darkness, but does not banish it.
Shagittarius quickly follows suit.
"1080p!" The light from his ring joins that of Fred T.
Watership is next.
"PlayStation Store!" The darkness is daunted but far from defeated.
Yardman wearily, yet defiantly, adds his power to that of his friends.
"Cell Processor!"
And finally Sheppy raises his tear-streaked face to the cold and cheerless night and utters the one word that will complete the circle.
"Metal Gear Solid 4 Exclusive...maybe."
As the beam from Sheppy's ring joins that of the other members' of the SDF the air itself begins to crackle in anticipation. The ground quakes and the very stars began throwing themselves from the heavens only to be stopped by the voice of a veritable God.
"With your powers combined, I am Krazy Ken!"
(To Be Continued...)