- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (3.5 million, estimated)
- Mario Kart (3.4 million)
- Grand Theft Auto IV (3.2 million, estimated)
- Wii Play (3 million)
- Wii Fit (2.8 million)
Report: Wii games dominate top 5 US sellers in '08 (so far)
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
on Nov 17th 2008 7:00PM
96
Reader Comments (96)
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 6:32AM xxxsam said
@sack: 'When there are at least twice and in some cases three times the amount of Wii's in the country'
what? Wii only recently overtook 360 in US, and these are US figures. There are currently approx 16M Wiis vs approx 13M 360s. Hardly 'twice and in some cases three times'.
While there's some sense in using individual SKUs, it would probably be interesting to also see a multiplatform sales chart - or at least one that combines the 'equivalent' platforms. In that chart, I believe GTA4's on top; maybe something like Guitar Hero 3 also shows up?
Reply
what? Wii only recently overtook 360 in US, and these are US figures. There are currently approx 16M Wiis vs approx 13M 360s. Hardly 'twice and in some cases three times'.
While there's some sense in using individual SKUs, it would probably be interesting to also see a multiplatform sales chart - or at least one that combines the 'equivalent' platforms. In that chart, I believe GTA4's on top; maybe something like Guitar Hero 3 also shows up?
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 1:39PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Sam -
I probably should have clarified my statement.
3x as may Wii's as PS3's
2x as many 360's as PS3's
Reply
I probably should have clarified my statement.
3x as may Wii's as PS3's
2x as many 360's as PS3's
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:33PM (Unverified) said
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:48PM SoulBlade said
GoW2 is probably the only game that has a chance of popping in this list. First day sales were 2.1 million, so I'd say it can probably take the 5th spot. I doubt it will sell many more after the first month, and I'm sure a lot of those top 5 titles will sell like crazy over the holidays.
What scares me the most is what Wii Fit would actually sell if it were able to meet the demand.
Reply
What scares me the most is what Wii Fit would actually sell if it were able to meet the demand.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:35PM FernandoRocker said
And actually, Mario Kart Wii is the best selling title worlwide too.
It has sold even more than Halo 3 worldwide.
Great game... my favorite second in the series.
It has sold even more than Halo 3 worldwide.
Great game... my favorite second in the series.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 8:17PM Premature ejaculation man said
I liked and played the 64 a lot more than I do the Wii version. Perhaps its due to me getting older and liking other games though, rather than Wii being a bad game.
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Posted: Nov 18th 2008 12:59AM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Mario kart Wii was dumbed down. Period. The professional reviews allude to that fact.
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Posted: Nov 18th 2008 1:42PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
Twee -
Who said I didn't have my own opinion?
I like the dumbed down version of Mario kart Wii. There is no denying that the diffuclty was dumbed down to make the game more accessible to everyone. Thats the biggest problem with Mario kart Wii - in trying to appeal to everyone it went away from what made the franchise good in the first place. Snaking?
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Who said I didn't have my own opinion?
I like the dumbed down version of Mario kart Wii. There is no denying that the diffuclty was dumbed down to make the game more accessible to everyone. Thats the biggest problem with Mario kart Wii - in trying to appeal to everyone it went away from what made the franchise good in the first place. Snaking?
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:36PM (Unverified) said
I wouldn't be super excited about those numbers unless all you want to play is Nintendo games. Notice that only one non-Nintendo title made the list. The big installed base makes the system attractive to 3rd party publishers, but eventually, unless sales pick up for non-Nintendo games -- and unless Nintendo makes some efforts to help those sales, they will go away and stick with platforms that pay -- like the 360 and to a lesser extent the PS3.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:46PM (Unverified) said
I just got my Wii a few days ago ,because my sister wanted one REALLY BAD . So far I've been enjoying Super Mario Galaxy , but I intend to get the Legend of Zelda , Metroid , and SSBB over the next 3-4 months .
Any other good Wii games I should know about . (I'm going to stay away from the Wii series of games .)
Any other good Wii games I should know about . (I'm going to stay away from the Wii series of games .)
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 8:04PM (Unverified) said
lol ,I totally forgot about paper mario , it WAs on my list . I'll have to check out some reviews and gameplay footage of No More Heros , Boom Blox , and Zack and Wiki .
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Posted: Nov 17th 2008 11:57PM samfish said
Definitely get Okami if you never played it before. Best game on the Wii, if you ask me.
Boom Blox is also awesome.
Wario Land is enjoyable enough, but you might want to get it used.
RE4 should be played by everyone, even if you played it on the GC or PS2.
Zak & Wiki is awesome, as mentioned
Sonic & the Secret Rings is really fun, although it has a few flaws.
And it'll probably be a real bitch to track down at this point, but if you can find it, Kororinpa: Marble Mania is really awesome.
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Boom Blox is also awesome.
Wario Land is enjoyable enough, but you might want to get it used.
RE4 should be played by everyone, even if you played it on the GC or PS2.
Zak & Wiki is awesome, as mentioned
Sonic & the Secret Rings is really fun, although it has a few flaws.
And it'll probably be a real bitch to track down at this point, but if you can find it, Kororinpa: Marble Mania is really awesome.
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 1:09AM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
The best Wii game hands down is Wario Land Shake It. Not even close in my opinion. Okami & Resident Evil 4 are great if you missed them on the PS2 but not worth repurchasing if you already played through them. There are not many great Wii titles outside of first party offerings IMO.
I would recommend (I have):
Wario Land Shake It
Galaxy
Paper Mario
Mario Kart
World Of Goo (Downloadable on Wii Ware)
Animal Crossing City Folk
Metroid Prime
Zelda
Zack & Wiki
Smash Bros Brawl
See a trend there?
Pretty much the first party stuff and a few others. I'm not saying there are no other good games for the console but those are some of the ones I have that I have enjoyed enough to recommend. I don't know about some of the other more niche titles but ones that look good to me are the chocobo dungeon game and the newly released tales of symphonia. Maybe batallion wars, wii music, samba de amigo and especially de blob - which looks really good.
Reply
I would recommend (I have):
Wario Land Shake It
Galaxy
Paper Mario
Mario Kart
World Of Goo (Downloadable on Wii Ware)
Animal Crossing City Folk
Metroid Prime
Zelda
Zack & Wiki
Smash Bros Brawl
See a trend there?
Pretty much the first party stuff and a few others. I'm not saying there are no other good games for the console but those are some of the ones I have that I have enjoyed enough to recommend. I don't know about some of the other more niche titles but ones that look good to me are the chocobo dungeon game and the newly released tales of symphonia. Maybe batallion wars, wii music, samba de amigo and especially de blob - which looks really good.
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 2:13AM samfish said
D'OH! I forgot about de Blob. Definitely get de Blob. It, too, is very much awesome. One of the best games I've played this year...how I forgot to mention it now is beyond me.
I would avoid Samba like the plague, though. It's controls are completely broken. Some people seem to think that you can get them with some practice, but having to be so precise with how you hold the Wiimotes takes a lot of the fun away from the game.
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I would avoid Samba like the plague, though. It's controls are completely broken. Some people seem to think that you can get them with some practice, but having to be so precise with how you hold the Wiimotes takes a lot of the fun away from the game.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:50PM Garrett said
While the Wii is fun and Smash Bros. was awesome, I am sad to see gaming turn in this direction. The earliest games catered to a hard-core audience, and the best games continue to. The industry is devoting far too much of its resources to casual games, and it is hurting the hardcore games.
Core gamers should take priority. If other people can't handle the blood and violence, they should find a new hobby.
I'm not saying all casual games are bad, in fact I enjoy some of them, but it doesn't seem fair that the people who have given so much time, devotion, and money to this industry are being let down.
Core gamers should take priority. If other people can't handle the blood and violence, they should find a new hobby.
I'm not saying all casual games are bad, in fact I enjoy some of them, but it doesn't seem fair that the people who have given so much time, devotion, and money to this industry are being let down.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:59PM mirage said
I hear you Gman, unfortunately business has never been about loyalty. It is all about making the most money possible and that is what is causing this current trend. I would be willing to be that the current economic crisis will hit the casual games market eventually though and that will repay those game makers for their "loyalty" to the hardcore gamers that built the industry to its current level.
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Posted: Nov 17th 2008 9:20PM Mr Khan said
Depends on what you define as "The Earliest Games."
Zork and its companion text adventures were quite hardcore, but Pong, Pac-Man, and Space Invaders gained popularity because they were casual titles. The arcade boom and the early console games were all casual also. Indeed, the NES was mocked by PC gamers of the era as being "too simplistic"
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Zork and its companion text adventures were quite hardcore, but Pong, Pac-Man, and Space Invaders gained popularity because they were casual titles. The arcade boom and the early console games were all casual also. Indeed, the NES was mocked by PC gamers of the era as being "too simplistic"
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 10:37PM (Unverified) said
"I am sad to see gaming turn in this direction. The earliest games catered to a hard-core audience, and the best games continue to. The industry is devoting far too much of its resources to casual games, and it is hurting the hardcore games."
#1 - I see one casual game on that list (Wii Play doesn't count, it's a controller pack in which is why it sold so many copies). Nintendo games may be turning in that direction, but read #2
#2 - Where the hell have you been these last two holiday seasons? 'Gaming turning in a casual direction' my ass, devs/publishers have seen just how well casual games can do (and when I say casual games, I mean Nintendo's casual games - third party casual games seldom do well) and what did they do?
Gave us two of the best years of gaming in recent memory.
Gaming isn't turning, and I'm sick of hearing it.
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#1 - I see one casual game on that list (Wii Play doesn't count, it's a controller pack in which is why it sold so many copies). Nintendo games may be turning in that direction, but read #2
#2 - Where the hell have you been these last two holiday seasons? 'Gaming turning in a casual direction' my ass, devs/publishers have seen just how well casual games can do (and when I say casual games, I mean Nintendo's casual games - third party casual games seldom do well) and what did they do?
Gave us two of the best years of gaming in recent memory.
Gaming isn't turning, and I'm sick of hearing it.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 11:37PM Paulmichael said
Amen, kickassness. Neither the 360 nor the PS3 are neglecting their core audience. Resistance 2, Gears of War 2, LittleBigPlanet, Fable 2, Farcry 2, Fallout 3. Need I go on? Just this past month we have seen a flurry of amazing titles, and go back a few months and there were still amazing titles coming out. We're fine; the market has simply expanded.
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Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:51PM mcarage said
I don't understand why PC games aren't included. Wouldn't Spore make an appearance and of course WoW?
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 7:54PM mirage said
Based on the source link, it is just the 360 version. The only way Nintendo beats out a multiplatform game of that caliber is if it is broken down by platform. Seems quite schewed to me. :)
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 8:11PM ScottG13 said
No one ever says Wii games don't sell. Nintendo published Wii games sell quite well. Its 3rd party games that don't sell particularly well. Some do, but the vast majority don't.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 8:32PM Roto13 said
People buy more third party Wii games than first party, according to that Gamasutra article last week.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20988
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http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20988
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 6:41AM xxxsam said
@ScottG:
how many of those 400 weren't utter shit, or at least 'quite poor', though? There's no sense comparing (generally) high-quality Nintendo games against (generally) poor-quality third party games. I agree Nintendo have a massive advantage but the fact is that there are still relatively few high-quality third party games. Far from 400, there are only 63 'green' Wii games on Metacritic, and 14 of those are Nintendo titles, leaving only 49 reasonable third-party games - and if you exclude WiiWare, that number drops by at least a dozen.
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how many of those 400 weren't utter shit, or at least 'quite poor', though? There's no sense comparing (generally) high-quality Nintendo games against (generally) poor-quality third party games. I agree Nintendo have a massive advantage but the fact is that there are still relatively few high-quality third party games. Far from 400, there are only 63 'green' Wii games on Metacritic, and 14 of those are Nintendo titles, leaving only 49 reasonable third-party games - and if you exclude WiiWare, that number drops by at least a dozen.
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 8:01AM ScottG13 said
Which is my problem with Nintendo. They've given up on quality control for this generation and have let D rate publishers SPAM the shelves with low budget product. When people ask me about getting a Wii, the first conversation I have is about being discriminate when purchasing software. The crap to ok ratio is probably 5-1 at least. Those things don't have to sell much to fund the next one.
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Posted: Nov 17th 2008 8:56PM Megadanxzero said
# Wii Play (3 million)
# Wii Fit (2.8 million)
Why are there non-games in this list of best-selling games?
# Wii Fit (2.8 million)
Why are there non-games in this list of best-selling games?
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 10:23PM (Unverified) said
Why dont they show sales by games across platforms?
This is entirely too depressing to read. I really dont like the Wii because I think it just isnt fun. I love to see games succeding this much, but wasnt Wii Play bundled with a controller? And Wii Fit isnt even a game. GTA was a decent game to me, but I dont think it was worth was it received. And I dont see how something like Brawl can succede when the online portion blows.
I really dont want to sound like a fanboy here, I used to love Nintendo. They just havent had a game out since the original 3 gamecube games that actual appeal to me. And despite what most people think, graphics do matter. I really love seeing Bioshock in 1080i. And my harddrive.
This is entirely too depressing to read. I really dont like the Wii because I think it just isnt fun. I love to see games succeding this much, but wasnt Wii Play bundled with a controller? And Wii Fit isnt even a game. GTA was a decent game to me, but I dont think it was worth was it received. And I dont see how something like Brawl can succede when the online portion blows.
I really dont want to sound like a fanboy here, I used to love Nintendo. They just havent had a game out since the original 3 gamecube games that actual appeal to me. And despite what most people think, graphics do matter. I really love seeing Bioshock in 1080i. And my harddrive.
Posted: Nov 17th 2008 10:38PM (Unverified) said
"And I dont see how something like Brawl can succede when the online portion blows"
Then you've never been into Smash Bros.
The appeal isn't playing with strangers across the net.
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Then you've never been into Smash Bros.
The appeal isn't playing with strangers across the net.
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 1:10AM GoonieGooGoo said
Nintendo's master plan they perfected on the DS is working.....flood the market with crap so your 1st party games stand out. GENIUS!!
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 5:38AM (Unverified) said
WhatTheyPlay may be on to something...
Posted: Nov 18th 2008 4:48PM JRMG said
OK, so let me get this straight: Year 1 of the Wii was all about GC ports and tech demos; year 2 was all about the casuals (wii fit, wii music, wii speak). If by the next E3 there is nothing for the core gamer then Nintendo really has given up on the fanbase that built them.
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