NPD, GfK Chart-Track and
Enterbrain have combined video game software sales lists for the respective regions they cover to declare
Mario Kart Wii as the top selling game of 2008. Games sales across the "world's three largest games markets" saw an 11% increase, totaling 409.9 million units last year.
Top five selling games for US, UK and Japan combined:
- Mario Kart Wii - 8.94 million
- Wii Fit - 8.31 million
- Grand Theft Auto IV - 7.29 million
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 6.32 million
- Call of Duty: World at War - 5.89 million
The rankings are almost identical to
Edge's "guesstimate" sales list released last week, which included all of Europe, but not Japan. Overall, the US and UK markets saw increases of 15% and 26%, respectively. The Japanese market saw a 13%
decline in software sales, which Enterbrain explains has little to do with the current generation of consoles, but is due to the 46% software sales drop on the PS2. Check out the chart after the break for a regional dissection of the software ranks.
{ Feb 2nd 2009 at 9:00AM } 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nomi @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:15AM
hmmm....nintendos first party titles do really well on the wii, how do 3rd party titles compare?
Dash @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:17AM
The true reason for the economical crisis: Nintendo took all the money in the world, and put it in a ? block.
Bad jokes aside, I'm impressed that Kart made the top. Smash had better first week and month sales, but I guess MK had leg on the long run.
baby sea tuna @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:22AM
Either that, or they hit it with a Blue Shell at the last second.
;p
Hyams @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:53AM
Fuckin' blue shells...
FSK405K @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:07AM
Damn, I just accidentally voted you down. Stupid site redesign.
NaeemTHM @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:25AM
My god...is that a screen grab from Mario Kart Wii? I'm in no way a graphics whore, but I've certainly been spoiled by the 360 and PS3.
baby sea tuna @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:28AM
I was going to post the same thing. It looks like a goddamn DS game.
Professor Lario @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:45AM
Yes, but you can actually turn the wheel - TURN THE WHEEL MAN!
Heyyou27 @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:47AM
This is what happens when you don't update your hardware for a new console cycle. ;(
NaeemTHM @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:32AM
It looks bad evenn for a Wii game though. I don't remember No More Heroes or Zelda looking so bad.
I mean look at that screen grab! It looks like a HD N64 game.
Heyyou27 @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:38AM
But the game isn't in HD.
Quiggy @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:51AM
In its defense, most Wii games look hideous in screen shots but fairly good in motion. The game's graphics certainly beat the pants off of any other Mario Kart.
Mr Khan @ Feb 2nd 2009 11:38AM
In this case, they sacrificed graphics for fluidity. 60 fps for 12 racers, fairly intricate courses, and countless items, with no slowdown
Lee @ Feb 2nd 2009 11:42AM
Wow, looks like somebody doesn't know the capabilities of a DS. LOL.
Where can I get a DS that shits out graphics as good as that? The Future? Guess I'll wait.
TwEE @ Feb 2nd 2009 3:08PM
Yeah, the first screen shots of MK wii I saw kinda disgusted me too (what with those bone clubs for hands), but once you start playing your really dont notice at all. Even watching over people play on a HD screen it looks good.
Foetoid @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:03PM
The game doesn't look that bad, but when you take a still shot and zoom in, it makes the jaggies and blurries appear a lot worse than they really are.
JXCgunrunna @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:43AM
There were so many good games last year. I only have 2 of those 5 (Brawl and GTA) and im happy with what i got. with world of goo, castle crashers, Far Cry 2, L4D, Vagas 2, and still playing CoD4, ill be set until resident evil 5 hits and hopefully that will last til ghost recon and CoDMW2... so many games, so little money. Sometimes i hate higher education.
Vcize @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:44AM
Well, there goes any hope I ever had for a hardcore version of Mario Kart that is more like a real racer, and less like a "whoever gets the best item last" type thing (this would be in addition to the normal Mario Kart).
They dumbed this last one down to the point where you can practically play it with your feet and it sells like mad.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:03AM
I think you're the only one who would like a realistic Mario Kart.
Vcize @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:09AM
I bet I can find at least 3 other people in the entire world
samfish @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:30AM
I already didn't like the Wii version (stupid ruined Battle Mode)...a 'realistic' Mario Kart would probably completely kill any interest I have in the series.
Vcize @ Feb 2nd 2009 11:25AM
Like I said, it would be in addition to the regular MK, not instead of it.
I think it would be fun. Just take out the uber "instant catch-up" items like lightning bolt, star, bullet, etc, and take out the auto-catchup handicap so that stuff like power sliding to shave off a few milliseconds actually matters.
Oh, and make powersliding something you have to actuall do again, not automatic like it's become (even though it's totally unnecessary now anyways).
Mr Khan @ Feb 2nd 2009 1:26PM
Manual powersliding was the default option, automatic was an option too.
And it certainly makes a difference. I really don't know who you're playing this game with that you keep getting these opinions that skill has become irrelevant.
Vcize @ Feb 2nd 2009 2:20PM
Even if you set it to "manual" it still basically does it for you.
TwEE @ Feb 2nd 2009 3:19PM
Ha ha your so full of it Vcize, man have you ever played Mario kart before?
They already made the perfect mario kart for you buddy, its called Gran Turismo.
sjenky @ Feb 2nd 2009 5:13PM
Actually, I've played it with my feet a couple of times while eating a sandwich and rolling a cigarette.. and I still beat my grandma and boyfriend..
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:49AM
nothing to shocking here. So much for World at War being one of the "fake" COD's
WRE @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:54AM
WaW is pretty awesome, but it borrows heavily from CoD4.
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:07AM
I'm sure it was, and someday I may cave in and buy it like so many others clearly have. I was kinda hoping that left4dead would have been on there, but I guess Zombies aren't as popular as Nazi's no matter how much I wish they were.
FSK405K @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:09AM
Finn, I'd be really surprised if these reports included Steam, Direct2Drive, etc. in their totals.
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:14AM
good point, I didn't even think of that, so maybe there is still hope for zombies after all
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:19AM
also piracy (not piracy as in games about pirates, but people stealing games) probably had an effect on Left4Dead
Gun Barrier @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:50AM
thanks for being clear Finn. I would have gotten exited for a new zombie pirate game if u hadn't been more specific.
sinergy @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:54AM
L4D is clearly a multiplayer game. Sure, there's a single player portion, but anyone who pirated the game obviously wasn't very interested in playing it online and would have never bought the game in the first place.
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 11:25AM
no problem Gun Barrier, I aim to please
Drew @ Feb 2nd 2009 2:30PM
I aim to kill.
*ba-dum-imanidiot*
treqie @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:59AM
I wonder why they always make UK the definition of Europe and just skip the whole continent it's a part of.
error2k2 @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:25PM
They might as well. All of Europe are buying their games and consoles from the UK because of the weak British Pound.
A friend of mine imported LittleBigPlanet from the UK to France because over there it cost 70 Euro and in the UK it cost 30GBP, that was only about 34Euro at the time!!!!
JoeTheBlow @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:12AM
The japanese decline could be down to the PSP.
That thing is selling bucketloads, millions a year, yet software sales are zilch.
Hmm, methinks the japanese have discovered just how easy it is to get pirate games on it. Why buy games when you can get them all for free off the net.
Amazed they haven't locked down that firmware yet.
Finn @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:27AM
I had heard before (I think on a podcast) that in Japan they mainly sell tons of portable systems (mainly ds, and phones) and so if some ds game sold huge for Japan, and didn't sell at all in the other two countries it wouldn't make the list.
AzaMcWazza @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:58AM
Wow, and 3 of those are for a single platform only. The other 2 were on 2 platforms and eventually 3 platforms.
Maverick Saturn @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:54AM
I've seen this same chart over and over since Xmas ¬_¬ How many times more?
Lee @ Feb 2nd 2009 11:38AM
If only Brawl had an online network like Kart I might have played it for more than 5 minutes.
Excellent games in that top 5 though.
Heilos @ Feb 2nd 2009 12:24PM
Wii Fit is not a game...
lockheede @ Feb 2nd 2009 2:32PM
I'd be willing to bet that if there hadn't been such a heavy shortage, the Wii Fit would be at the top of that list.
Jrzshore @ Feb 2nd 2009 2:33PM
How many Karts and Fits would have sold had they not come with accessories? THAT is the question.
Mr Khan @ Feb 2nd 2009 3:26PM
Mario Kart i can kinda understand, but how in the hell would you play Wii Fit without the Balance Board?
Jrzshore @ Feb 2nd 2009 3:31PM
Well, now that other games are coming out that use the Balance Board, let's see how they sell.
If they don't sell well, it might indicate that the gimmick (not saying that as a bad thing) was what sold the game, not the other way around.
B @ Feb 2nd 2009 4:23PM
That's just insane... what a monster Mario Kart is. Same goes for Wii fit
Patrick @ Feb 2nd 2009 10:36PM
Hey I bought Mario Kart Wii! And it's the last game I've purchased for the Wii.