Sales figures for Nintendo's Virtual Console service on the Wii have been hard to come by, but a recent interview with president Satoru Iwata has revealed that the Virtual Console has surpassed 10 million games sold as of December. Even assuming that the majority of sales were at $5 USD (the lowest price point), Nintendo would have still earned over $50 million USD on old, re-released titles alone.
Though Iwata states this as proof of the value of digital distribution, he also reiterates the importance of the retail channel, claiming that boxed games will still be a strong part of the market for the next three-to-five years.
Iwata also admits that the retail chain is not nearly as profitable for Nintendo, with low profit margins on boxed titles, and short shelf life as two of the main contributing problems. In spite of these difficulties, Iwata remains confident on the value of brick-and-mortar retail. With WiiWare due out sometime this year, however, it'll be interesting to see if he begins to change his tune.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Reader Comments (50)
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:06AM (Unverified) said
$20 says 93% or more of those 10 million games have the word "Mario" in the title.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 6:13PM NO DOUBT GET LOUD said
With the other 6% going to Zelda.
The remaining 1% goes to Soldier Blade.
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The remaining 1% goes to Soldier Blade.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:06AM SheppyReturns said
Now how many of those were regretted purchases? Just kidding... but not really. I recalled Donkey Kong Country being so much better than it was...
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:09AM SheppyReturns said
But in all fairness, I also fed the machine...
Like I bought Wonder Boy in Monster land just so I can keep my CDX in the bedroom and play the game in the living room... I bought a copy of a game I already owned just because I wanted to be able to play it in two different rooms....
*bangs head*
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Like I bought Wonder Boy in Monster land just so I can keep my CDX in the bedroom and play the game in the living room... I bought a copy of a game I already owned just because I wanted to be able to play it in two different rooms....
*bangs head*
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:23AM (Unverified) said
Wow, you have a CDX? I always wanted one of those... um, when I was 11.
But I highly regret buying Sonic 2 and Super Mario Bros. I played enough of those games when I was a kid. Now it all seems so tired and done.
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But I highly regret buying Sonic 2 and Super Mario Bros. I played enough of those games when I was a kid. Now it all seems so tired and done.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:54AM SheppyReturns said
Yeah, I had a Sega Genesis Model 1 and a Sega CD model 2 (awkward looking config that was.. especially with 32X added) for a while but as Saturn was floundering, I went in to reserve my N64 and found the fabled CDX's on clearance at my local Toys R Us. Gotta love the $50 price tag. Especially when the system came bundled with Sonic CD. I've had the CDX ever since (although gave away the Gen/CD combo). I love having that little device for anytime I feel like Genesis games. And because it shares the same AV hookups as Saturn, it's a quick swap between those machines. Majority of my classic systems are in the bedroom (something to do while rendering).
Also, yeah, I can see how Sonic 2 could disappoint (And SMB for that matter). I was tempted to snag Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles but without the connect cart tech, it just seems so empty. ESPECIALLY if you play as Knuckles. I did use VC to rediscover some of my TG16 games I used to own only to remember why I sold the system...
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Also, yeah, I can see how Sonic 2 could disappoint (And SMB for that matter). I was tempted to snag Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles but without the connect cart tech, it just seems so empty. ESPECIALLY if you play as Knuckles. I did use VC to rediscover some of my TG16 games I used to own only to remember why I sold the system...
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:16AM baby sea tuna said
90% of my VC purchases have been regrettable (SMB and Kid Icarus included). That's why I'm so hesitant to buy any more, even though I've had the points in my account forever.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:23AM SheppyReturns said
I just consider this more evidence that, despite the supposedly golden era of gaming, nostalgia convinces us more of game quality than the games itself. After all, Castlevania was broken all the way until SOTN.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:33AM baby sea tuna said
That's exactly why there's no demo feature. Well, that and the laughable amount of flash-memory the Wii has.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 1:24PM (Unverified) said
I did point out back when the VC was announced that most of the old games don't live up to your memories.. and also don't play like modern games.
Noone ever listens to me... hello?
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Noone ever listens to me... hello?
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 2:30PM (Unverified) said
On the other hand, I DON'T regret purchasing some top tier games I never played as a kid, such as Super Metroid and Kirby's Adventure. Totally worth it. I think playing the classics I missed is worth it. Might get Sin and Punishment.
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Posted: Feb 9th 2008 1:07PM bm111 said
If you regret any purchases, then you simply played shitty games as a kid. SMB3, Super Metroid, kirby's Adventure, all examples of games that still hold up perfectly well and even rise high above some of the multi-million dollar pieces of shit being produced today.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:16AM (Unverified) said
"...Goemon Mystical Ninja for the 64."
Yes! Please! And Mishief Makers 64 for good measure. I love Treasure's games.
Hey, BTW, how is the SNES Goemon that's on the VC? I'm thinking about grabbin that one...
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Yes! Please! And Mishief Makers 64 for good measure. I love Treasure's games.
Hey, BTW, how is the SNES Goemon that's on the VC? I'm thinking about grabbin that one...
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:44AM iBubbles said
If you've played Mystical Ninja 2 on the 64, the game play is about the same, just the graphics are in 2D instead of 3D.
Its a very fun side scroller, with the only down side is being kind of on the short side.
It has very fun co-op as well. heres a video for you:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5i0s_jPpok0
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Its a very fun side scroller, with the only down side is being kind of on the short side.
It has very fun co-op as well. heres a video for you:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5i0s_jPpok0
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:07AM (Unverified) said
Didn't even know it had the co-op....i'll be picking this one up.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 6:16PM NO DOUBT GET LOUD said
You know how many sales they'd get if they released Chrono Trigger?
It'd double XBLA's sales in like 30 minutes.
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It'd double XBLA's sales in like 30 minutes.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:12AM (Unverified) said
I don't get it. Why not just use an emulator? I mean atleast with XBOX Live Arcade its mostly new content or redone old content (Rez HD). That's quite an expensive price to pay to play through super mario world again.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:17AM (Unverified) said
not everyone has a PC hooked up to their tv. and even if they did, not everyone has a controller hooked up to their PC.
personally I play my NES/SNE era games on my HTPC, but I can see the need for others.
If they could get some good RPG's on there, or the Shinning Force series (the Shinning force of old) they would have alot of sales.
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personally I play my NES/SNE era games on my HTPC, but I can see the need for others.
If they could get some good RPG's on there, or the Shinning Force series (the Shinning force of old) they would have alot of sales.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:25AM (Unverified) said
Some people also don't like the legal issues of using an emulator.
And by legal issues I mean illegality.
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And by legal issues I mean illegality.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:29AM (Unverified) said
Because the large majority of the Wii userbase has no idea what an emulator is, how to use one, or where to find ROMS.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:34AM (Unverified) said
"Because the large majority of the Wii userbase has no idea what an emulator is, how to use one, or where to find ROMS."
That was like the nerdiest cut down I've ever read... I can almost hear your pocket protecter going off.
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That was like the nerdiest cut down I've ever read... I can almost hear your pocket protecter going off.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:41AM (Unverified) said
@WiNG: I don't believe emulators are illegal if you OWN the game you're playing on it. Alot of these games are pretty much console staples.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:44AM (Unverified) said
Its so nice to have a modded xbox1 with full roms of just about every system, and guess what, they all play in high def unlike the wii. I do buy some n64 games though just because the emu for xbox is pretty nasty at times.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:26AM Crono141 said
Emulators are not illegal.
Downloading rom dumps is a legal grey area, because court arguments have been made that its legal to preserve media that hasn't moved from its original media type to a modern one. AKA its ok to make a rom dump of an Atari game as long as the same game isn't available on another medium. But even then, it only applies to rom dumps you make yourself, not necessarily ones you can download off the internet. The whole 24 hour thing is a myth and doesn't hold up in court.
And don't come in here telling me Nintendo's stance on roms and emulators. Last I checked, Nintendo wasn't a court of law.
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Downloading rom dumps is a legal grey area, because court arguments have been made that its legal to preserve media that hasn't moved from its original media type to a modern one. AKA its ok to make a rom dump of an Atari game as long as the same game isn't available on another medium. But even then, it only applies to rom dumps you make yourself, not necessarily ones you can download off the internet. The whole 24 hour thing is a myth and doesn't hold up in court.
And don't come in here telling me Nintendo's stance on roms and emulators. Last I checked, Nintendo wasn't a court of law.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:48AM (Unverified) said
"That was like the nerdiest cut down I've ever read..."
It wasn't a cut-down, I swear!
He just said that he doesn't get why the VC is doing so well when all the games are available through emulators. That's my two cents - Wii Bowing and PC emulation software are almost polar opposites IMHO.
Hell, most casuals seem to have no idea that Wii games outside of Wii Sports even exist...
I can't tell you how many times casuals I work with ask me "what is your favorite Wii game," and I usually say something like "Oh, I'm playing Metroid Prime: Corruption right now, and it's fun," or "I just finished Mario Galaxy, and it was really well done," and they say, with a blank stare, "No, I mean what Wii game do you like the best... I like bowling."
"Yeah... I like bowling too. Later."
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It wasn't a cut-down, I swear!
He just said that he doesn't get why the VC is doing so well when all the games are available through emulators. That's my two cents - Wii Bowing and PC emulation software are almost polar opposites IMHO.
Hell, most casuals seem to have no idea that Wii games outside of Wii Sports even exist...
I can't tell you how many times casuals I work with ask me "what is your favorite Wii game," and I usually say something like "Oh, I'm playing Metroid Prime: Corruption right now, and it's fun," or "I just finished Mario Galaxy, and it was really well done," and they say, with a blank stare, "No, I mean what Wii game do you like the best... I like bowling."
"Yeah... I like bowling too. Later."
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 1:13PM (Unverified) said
@bm et al: alright so maybe bringing up emulators was a bad idea. I of course don't recommend using them, but it was more of an analogy to the fact that there are ways to play old games that don't require paying $5 for them again. Like hooking up your SNES and NES. I was making more of a point that the VC content lacks original titles or updates on the games.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 2:39PM (Unverified) said
"@WiNG: I don't believe emulators are illegal if you OWN the game you're playing on it. Alot of these games are pretty much console staples."
Either way, I would bet dollars to power pellets that 99%+ of emulated games downloaded aren't picked by people who already own those games.
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Either way, I would bet dollars to power pellets that 99%+ of emulated games downloaded aren't picked by people who already own those games.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:38AM teamsammalone said
Since I filled my console up long ago, I haven't bought any games for myself (I'd love to get Wonderboy 3) but I have given out a good amount of gifts... Wonderboy in Monsterland, Kirby, Mario3, Blazin' Lasers, Bubble Bobble, and Air Zonk have all been bought twice by me.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 10:58AM (Unverified) said
They should fix the 16:9 stretching issue. I know I can just switch the TV mode to pillar box, but that's an extra remote to monkey with. Wii should do it automatically.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:35AM Crono141 said
Unfortunately that WON"T happen due to how Wii actually producing 16:9 widescreen. AKA, it doesn't. It takes a 16:9 images, squishes it into a 4:3 box, and outputs that 4:3 box in 480p. Then you have to tell your TV to scale it properly, which causes you to lose resolution definition.
I guess they could just squish VC screens by the same factor as the 16:9 screen, but then you'd really see a loss in definition.
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I guess they could just squish VC screens by the same factor as the 16:9 screen, but then you'd really see a loss in definition.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:16AM (Unverified) said
I can't get into playing older games, just feels like a step back. My son loves playing them though.
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Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:20AM ThornedVenom said
Doesn't surprise me at all: they pretty much have all of the damned best old-school exclusives.
It's an excellent feature to be able to re-download the stuff you've already purchased.
But one question still remains on everyone's lips:
WHERE'S THE FUCKING USB HDD SUPPORT?!!
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It's an excellent feature to be able to re-download the stuff you've already purchased.
But one question still remains on everyone's lips:
WHERE'S THE FUCKING USB HDD SUPPORT?!!
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 4:12PM Mr Khan said
They'll probably just end up with a proprietary USB Flash Memory expander of some sort
3-4 Gigs, maybe $50 or something
Really the thing that shot them in the foot about the memory space is the fact that that original 512 MB is already about 40% occupied by Wii firmware, right out of the box, so you're down to an even wimpier ~280 MB right out of the box
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3-4 Gigs, maybe $50 or something
Really the thing that shot them in the foot about the memory space is the fact that that original 512 MB is already about 40% occupied by Wii firmware, right out of the box, so you're down to an even wimpier ~280 MB right out of the box
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 11:50AM (Unverified) said
I think I've got about 10 or so VC games. It's just ace having them all back again, since my TV doesn't like old consoles.
Best games ever on that there VC.
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Best games ever on that there VC.
Posted: Feb 6th 2008 12:52PM (Unverified) said
I'm still waiting on Sonic & Knuckles and Majora's Mask here people.
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Posted: Feb 7th 2008 2:53AM (Unverified) said
Super Mario World, Super C and Sin & Punishment.
No regrets.
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No regrets.
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