April NPD: GTA IV, Mario Kart Wii race to the top

by Ludwig Kietzmann { May 15th 2008 at 7:45PM }

Things that won't surprise you

April proved to be yet another lucrative month for the ol' gaming biz, with total industry sales reaching $1.23 billion, reports GameDaily. Software sales in particular grew to $654.7 million, an increase of 68% carried on the fine leather seats of Grand Theft Auto IV's recently stolen convertible. Rockstar's urban riffraff romp sold 2.85 million copies -- that's 1.85 million on Xbox 360 and 1 million on PS3 -- while Nintendo's Wii took the top spot in hardware sales. Mario Kart Wii, however, had to settle for second place.

Things that will surprise you

It was a photo finish for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but the photographers had likely packed up and left for the day by the time the steeds reached the finish line. Selling 188K and 187.1K units respectively, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were thoroughly bested by the systems that didn't have GTA IV. We'd feel a bit silly if we were them.

- Wii: 714.2K

6.8K (0.94%)
- DS: 414.8K

283.2K (40.6%)
- PSP: 192.7K

104.3K (35.1%)
- Xbox 360: 188K

74K (28.2%)
- PS3: 187.1K

69.9K (27.2%)
- PS2: 124.4K

91.6K (42.4%)

You'll find the top ten in software sales after the break.

April Software

1. GTA IV – Xbox 360 – 1.85 million*
2. Mario Kart Wii – Wii – 1.12 million
3. GTA IV – PS3 – 1.00 million*
4. Wii Play w/ remote – Wii – 360K
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Wii – 326K
6. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – PS3 – 224K
7. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness – DS – 202K
8. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time – DS – 202K
9. Guitar Hero III – Wii – 152K
10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Xbox 360 – 141K*

* includes bundles, collector's editions, GOTY editions

Tags: BreakingNews, GTAIV, Mario-Kart-Wii, Microsoft, Nintendo, NPD, Rockstar, Sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Fernando Rocker @ May 15th 2008 7:48PM

I just won $80 dlls in Wii Points... time to pay (really) McPoop and the other guy with the Megaman avatar.

=p

Anyway... who was the one from here from Joystiq who said that the Wii was dead the day GTA was released? GTA didn't help to increade the hardware sales, and if GTA did't help, then no other will. And no, MGS will not sell more than GTA.

Anyone remember this thread? Nintendo Wii will sell 21 millions only by 2012... lol... it's at 26 millions in less than two years =p

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/analyst-sony-to-win-big-in-long-run/

ApolloIV @ May 15th 2008 7:56PM

If I change my avatar to a Megaman avatar, do I get the points instead?

ApolloIV @ May 15th 2008 7:57PM

Whoops I misread your comment. :(

reguy @ May 15th 2008 7:59PM

Im not sure about those other bets but didnt you bet me that metroid 3 would beat bioshock in total sales?

That didnt happen so pay up
and I dont take wii points

Fernando Rocker @ May 15th 2008 8:02PM

I didn't bet anything with you...

Last time I won the bet about GT5P sales, and the 3 person from Joystiq paid me...

I bet with 4 persons about the GTA vs MK sales, and one person from Joystiq already paid me... just 3 more left.

Matt B @ May 15th 2008 8:17PM

What if your adversaries point out that PS3 GTA only had 2 days of sales versus MK's 5?

Fernando Rocker @ May 15th 2008 8:23PM

Dude... look... the bet was for the first month, more specifically, for the first 4 weeks.

I just compared VGChartz sales with NPD numbers and dude, they are pretty similar.

Now, sales from last week was: 340,000 PS3 GTA vs 450,000 Mario Kart.

One guy from Joystiq already paid me, but if they want to wait until the end of this month, fine with me. PS3 GTA sill not sell more than Mario Kart.

Heck, Mario Kart already outsold GTA worlwide, individually.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ May 15th 2008 8:29PM

who said MGS would sell more than GTAIV? they are two different animals. i think MGS4 will sell better than some of the previous MGS games but not on the level of GTAIV.

Matt B @ May 15th 2008 8:32PM

I don't hold any trust in VG chartz number given the fact that MS just stated they were the 1st to 10M in the US here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/tc_nm/microsoft_xbox_dc_2

yet VGC is over tracking sales by 1.7M units for whatever reason.

Yet they only seam to overtrack the PS3 in the US by around 200K over Sony's admitted numbers by comparison.

Fernando Rocker @ May 15th 2008 8:37PM

Yeah Microsoft said that, but they didn't say that they reach 10 million this month or week. They were refering that the reached 10 million before the Wii, but months ago.

Carlos @ May 15th 2008 8:53PM

(replying here)

yeah, i know. I meant third parties must be scared to death because of the turn of events, nobody expected this, but they put money for what they thought was a safe bet and... well, they're losing it. I don't know how much do these companies depend on the success of the hd consoles, but i bet most of them are going to focus a lot more on wii development for the rest of the generation. The hd games will continue to be the most expensive, but they'll have to be fewer and much more risk-free for sales. Or they'll do what ubisoft once said in an interview, that the money that they obtain from the cheap wii games will finance the bigger hd games :( (yeah, fuck them)

KeenCommander @ May 15th 2008 7:50PM

Prepare for Fernando to make a comment about the Wii having pwnd everyone else...5...4...3...2...1...

KeenCommander @ May 15th 2008 7:51PM

OK, that was cheap. Fernando, you're a filthy bastard for clicking the add comments button before I got that in. Totally spoiled my effect dammit!

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ May 15th 2008 10:49PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/BPMdotEXE/Macros/SmashFailure.jpg

Tone @ May 15th 2008 7:54PM

If GTA 4 makes that little of a differences to the overall war then this thing is over. Its done, WiiFit comes out in a week, you think Wii will sell less than 700k in a single month again anytime soon? It'll pass 360 definitely by the june NPD's or maybe as soon as the may one.

SoulBlade @ May 15th 2008 8:19PM

It's an old argument, but the game wasn't out for a week during the time frame of these numbers. It could make a difference next month, but yea.. Wii Fit will probably sell really well

Co @ May 15th 2008 8:24PM

This is what I have been saying all along!! GTA is a niche title that appaels to a niche crowd. The problem is, I've been voicing my opinion on this niche website... :(

Noshino @ May 15th 2008 9:04PM

Co,

"GTA is a niche title that appaels to a niche crowd."

over 17 million people is far from niche...

http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=3427

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186] @ May 15th 2008 10:52PM

I agree with Noshino. GTA has a VERY WIDE appeal.

3 out of the 5 best selling PS2 games were the different GTAs (excluding PSP ports). The other two were GT3: A-Spec and GT4.

That isn't niche appeal. Niche appeal is something like the Ace Attorney series. Adventure games like that have a pretty limited appeal.

Tone @ May 15th 2008 10:58PM

That was last gen, with consoles that were far cheaper than whats on shelves today, with a stronger economy and dollar.

Zsavior @ May 16th 2008 3:59AM

Co I am sorry but you are wrong, and somebody posted this article and now it is my turn for it to help others. This article will tell you why GTA IV didn't cancel out the WII.

http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html

GTA IV does have a wide spread audience but it has it in the Upper market of gamers who already enjoy that brand of gaming which it caters to. There are alot of uppoer market gamers. The problem is Lower market gamers, have no limit. The upper Market are already at ceiling capacity, they know these games and have a longer attach rate. You just can't make new Upper market gamers over night.

On the other side a lower market gamer can be created through one purchase. You don't go from WII sports to GTA IV over night. You do go from not being a gamer to picking up a wii and being a gamer right away. It is not that GTA IV doesn't have a wide appeal it is that the market that it appeals to is not growing. And that is why the WII and MK kept going strong even though GTA IV sold like a monster. Check out the article it really changes your perspective, it is long though.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ May 16th 2008 10:01AM

@Zsavior - Wow, what a hilarious and pretentiously written opinion piece. Sure, he makes some interesting points, but you realize it's basically some twit on his soapbox? Glad to hear its your bible tho.

Zsavior @ May 16th 2008 1:59PM

@ Markez and your excuse, reason, and explanation for saying this is? How is he a twit? You made accusations and backed them up with no evidence. Its my bible, ok cause I choose to listen to reason then to all the developers who said "The wii gamers don't play games" while watching month after month that is a lie? It is twit on a soap box because he calls out the industry and the "hardcores" on the constant braiding of the "casual" market? He is pretentious because he rather look at things logically rather than yell and post graphs that mean nothing every week? I don't want to put words in your mouth but I would like a reason to why you find this man a twit?

I would like to see your side of it, did not a creative Director of GTA say "fuck casual gaming"? Do third parties not put out crap games they call "casual" and watch as they don't sell. It is an opinion piece and one that is well done. Also if listening to reason rather than yelling casual this and casual that after watching the wii's continued success means that is my gaming bible, fine. Even Nintendo the other day said there are No casual or hardcore gamers, there are just gamers. The only people sticking to the hardcore and casual fallacy are the same people trying to catch up to Nintendo, and fanbois scared of its success.

But like I said I would like to hear an opposite view, nothing is written in stone. If you make a better argument I will more than concede to your points.

ScottG13 @ May 15th 2008 7:54PM

3rd parties continue to dominate the charts for Wii.

Matt @ May 15th 2008 8:01PM

WHAT CAN YOU READ!!!

SWAT Kats are back! @ May 15th 2008 8:14PM

longest chart-topping version of Guitar Hero III notwithstanding

ScottG13 @ May 15th 2008 8:14PM

Hook, line and sinker.

Matt @ May 15th 2008 7:59PM

WOW THE WII GAME BEAT GTAIV ON PS3 that says something, and the wii is still number one that is crazy.

Hyams @ May 15th 2008 8:01PM

Wow PS3 and 360 did really badly, considering this was GTA's month. The 360 did especially bad, considering America is its strongest region.

Wii pwns all, as usual.

name123 @ May 15th 2008 11:12PM

Yeah, I'm sure Microsoft's thinking of excuses for May. Shortages, economy, famine, locusts...

Hyams @ May 16th 2008 8:47AM

Huh, I wonder why I got voted down. :S

ScottyGEE @ May 15th 2008 8:02PM

Wow...
I expected hardware sales to go up instead of down.

Knight Marquise @ May 15th 2008 8:10PM

I did as well, hell, I'm shocked. Well, it looks like the Wii certainly smokes this gen, and it's a battle for second place between the 360 & Ps3. In the US, it'll be the 360, world wide, I'm not too certain.

Cyro @ May 15th 2008 8:08PM

Holy crap. Teh haloz 3 sold more units in the first week than GTA IV (360 & PS3) combined!

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/18/september-npd-xbox-360-takes-the-lead-halo-3-to-thank/

Cyro @ May 15th 2008 8:08PM

Well in the US at least.

Pro-Truth League @ May 15th 2008 8:23PM

GTA IV was only out for 2 days in April.
Halo 3 was out for 6 days in September :/

samfish @ May 15th 2008 8:08PM

Yeah, I'd have to say the Wii has this round of console wars wrapped in in a nice, pretty bow.

If they couldn't phase the Wii during GTA4's launch week, I highly doubt ANYTHING will.

Knight Marquise @ May 15th 2008 8:11PM

Agreed. Shocked none the less, but agreed.

SWAT Kats are back! @ May 15th 2008 8:13PM

Proves that Halo is more significant than GTA. Halo pushed the 360 up ahead of the Wii, this didn't ;P

Cyro @ May 15th 2008 8:13PM

I think miyamoto hypnotized every < than average intelligent human being in the world.

:P

I just can't believe the 2 superior products lost a consumer electronics war. I guess cheap is still the most important factor. So sad...

Fernando Rocker @ May 15th 2008 8:16PM

Cyro

Just like Gamecube and Xbox lost againts the PS2...

The PS2 was the console with the shitty graphics last gen.

And price is not a factor... Gamecube was cheaper than the PS2.

Cyro @ May 15th 2008 8:22PM

@ Fernando:

Well you are right. I forgot another factor that the Wii has going for it. Hype. So I guess Hype and Cheap price is a match made in heaven.

This does not affect me much, because Sony and Microsoft are here to stay and as long as they keep selling what I want to buy, its all good.

SoulBlade @ May 15th 2008 8:33PM

Cyro,

I don't know how it can still be considered hype... the thing's been out for a long ass time now. It's livin up to the hype at this point.

Why not just give the system a little bit of credit - it appeals to a lot of people (hardcore and new) and can actually be a lot of fun to play if you give it a chance. More people seem to like the thing than hate it... though I don't know if that translates to the small population that is Joystiq

Co @ May 15th 2008 8:40PM

"More people seem to like the thing than hate it... though I don't know if that translates to the small population that is Joystiq"

Man you hit the nail on the head. I've never seen a more hate filled group of people than on this website. And the majority of them DO NOT reflect your typical person's view on ANYTHING game related. It really is the die hard 2% around here. The few of you guys that are cool keep me comin back though, just to defend you!