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Wii, PS3 Sell Big In First Week

Posted by Zonk on from the lots-of-waggling dept.

Wowzer writes "Nintendo today announced the Wii sold through more than 600,000 units in the Americas in just its first eight days of availability. That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the November 19 launch!" From the article: "The company noted that, when taking into account first-party software and accessory sales, Wii sales have thus far amounted to an impressive $190 million. Nintendo also added that sales of the Wii's highly anticipated launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has already has achieved sales of more than 454,000 units in the Americas, a figure which it notes represents in excess of of 75 percent of all hardware purchasers." I couldn't find any sales figures for the PS3, just word that the company has sold all the units it shipped. Gamasutra is also reporting sales figures via Ebay for the two consoles. 15,000 PS3s were sold, while the Wii cracked 27,000 via the popular online auction site.

32 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. Before anyone mentions NexGenWars by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Before anyone mentions nexgenwars.com, I think you should all read this forum thread about how the numbers are calculated. To anyone who has even an inkling of statistics and probablity, his methods should stand out as highly flawed. Until we have a good sales history and ample supply with which to predict the sales of these consoles, it would be best to stick to the official figures released by the respective companies and retail tracking organizations. (The latter of which is not yet available.)

    Gamasutra is also reporting sales figures via Ebay for the two consoles. 15,000 PS3s were sold, while the Wii cracked 27,000 via the popular online auction site.

    It's worth noting that 15,000 PS3 units could be as much as 10% of the North American supply. Given that we don't know the actual figures shipped, it's just as possible that 15,000 is 5% of the supply. Either way, it's a significant percentage of the PS3 consoles.
    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    1. Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars by js3 · · Score: 5, Funny

      NexGenWars

      --
      did you forget to take your meds?
    2. Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars by archen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nintendo may have hit on an important point though. Just dumping your product on the market with a huge shortage before the Christmas season may not be enough. Nintendo has managed to get major numbers out there (4million estimated before Christmas). If it truly is the hot item, then it stands to stomp the PS3 in terms of market penetration. And if the Wii starts ramping up support, it's quite possible that many who planned on getting a PS3 before, ended up forgetting about it because they're perfectly happy with the Wii - which they could at least obtain.

    3. Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars by AKAImBatman · · Score: 3, Informative
      Nintendo has managed to get major numbers out there (4million estimated before Christmas).

      Nintendo's current estimates are 2 million consoles before year's end. The 4 million number was bandied about pre-launch along with Sony's 2 million number. Sony is currently targetting 1 million units by year's end.

      If both companies make their targets, there will be a 2:1 split between the competitors. The analysts, however, believe that Nintendo will only manage to ship between 1.5 and 2 million consoles (up to a 500,000 unit shortfall) and that Sony will only be able to ship 750,000.

      Wii will see how it turns out. :P
      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    4. Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars by Criminally+Insane+Ro · · Score: 5, Interesting

      If these videos: http://www.vgblogger.com/?p=350/are any clue, I would say that word of mouth advertising will destroy the PS3.

  2. Vegonomics by yakumo.unr · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=212

    never a truer word on this was spoke..

  3. Fuzzy math by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 5, Funny

    You really have to take the PS3 sales figure and double it, though.

    Cuz each PS3 sells twice. Once at the store, and then again on ebay...

    1. Re:Fuzzy math by oc255 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Hrm, considering that the hardware itself is no cash cow I wouldn't strategize at all on the hardware side. I'd want to get as much hardware crap out there as I can and establish the platform. Sony is sorta-kinda doing that. PS2s exceeded 360 sales even through the 360 launch (which is personally unbelievable). Sony sold 100M PS2s and the PS3 is majorly backwards compatible, now one could argue that the PS2 is $129 and the PS3 is much more at ~$600. But the fact remains that most people already are into the IP that Sony has. Of course one piece of that is GTA which isn't exclusive anymore (this is huge). That combined with the whole center-of-the-living room mess that the 360/PS3 is pimping it's going to be hard to compare the ps2 & ps3. It'll be interesting to see this thing play out.

      There are 1500 ps2 titles listed on wikipedia and I'd estimate an equal amount of ps1 titles. So if they continue, you'd have 1500 * 3 platforms = 4500 titles (just listing quantity not quality). Not that it's apples to apples but the Xbox had about 700, the 360 has about 300 so far. Sony is an electronics and entertainment company first, whereas MS was (and is) trying to break into the market. That's just the reality of the situation.

      I have a 360. But when FF13, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid and especially White Knight (assuming the videos aren't pre-vis) are released you better believe the demand will be there. Although the price is a bit steep and it's so much more complicated than the ps2 was. It's early, hard to say. PS2 launch was the same imho, all that is different is the pricey High-Def age. Tivo Series 3(HD) is $700, Series2(non HD) was $399 at launch. HD just costs a lot, ps3 is right in there. I'd be curious to know if anyone has any old HiFi (audio) war stories?

  4. Ebay numbers wrong! by DinZy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Those numbers are the max systems that were available on ebay not the total sold. At one point there were 26000 Wiis and approximately 50 wiis were selling each minute, while more auctions were being listed.

  5. Analysts by HappySqurriel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know you're not to believe analysts, but earlier this week they were reporting that the Wii had 4 times as many units and that the PS3 launched with between 125,000 and 175,000 units ...

    Until NPD releases its November numbers or Sony makes an announcement I think those are about as accurate as we're going to get.

  6. Heh looks like Sony is a bit embarased by falcon5768 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I couldn't find any sales figures for the PS3, just word that the company has sold all the units it shipped.

    You think thats because all reports point to less than 200,000 actually being shipped when Sony swore they would be shipping twice that many?

    --

    "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

  7. All of the PS3's sold? by LordKronos · · Score: 3, Insightful
    just word that the company has sold all the [PS3] units it shipped


    Really? Wow, thanks for clearing that up for me, Sony. And here I was thinking that half of them had been lost somewhere in stockrooms across the country, and another quarter of them were sitting on store shelves while disinterested gamers walked by. I'm certainly glad we got that cleared up.
  8. Too early to tell... by BTWR · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Didn't Dreamcast sell very well at first too? We need to reserve judgement on all 3 consoles for at least a year (maybe more, or maybe less for the 360) before seeing who the winners/losers are.

    As of now, "every system Nintendo or Sony makes is sold immediately!" This obviously won't last, and we'll see who eventually comes out on top...

    1. Re:Too early to tell... by JayBlalock · · Score: 4, Interesting
      The Dreamcast was in much the same position as the 360 was last year - it was vastly superior hardware very early to market. The competition at that time, remember, was the PS1 and the N64. (oh, and *snicker* The Saturn) The N64 had already come to be regarded as a cruel joke, and PS1 was showing its age badly, so *everyone* jumped to get a Dreamcast. And for a short time, it was fantastically successful.

      Then Sony started lying out their asses about what the PS2 would be like and managed to spread the FUD so thick that people nearly quit buying Dreamcasts completely. (despite the fact that the PS2 was, in reality, only incrementally superior to the DC) Sega's marketing department failed to keep up, and the rest was history.

      Point of the story being, the DC situation is unlikely to be repeated in this case. It sort of came out in a weird "in between" time, generationally, rather than this situation where the three consoles have all come out relatively near to each other. (remember, people think of the SNES and the Genesis as being of the same generation, even though they were separated by two years)

      So what it's all going to come down to is customer adoption and games. Personally, I think Sony is at an INCREDIBLE disadvantage, one I'd be highly surprised to see them overcome. It's going to come down, I believe, to a slugging match between Microsoft and Nintendo in a war of prettiness and grittiness vs fun and fluffy. And I predict they'll end up at something of an equilibrium, maybe 40% market share each, with the PS3 taking the high-end business but little else.

      --
      Bush: He's Liberal in all the wrong ways.
  9. Meanwhile MS claims they won launch week... by grapeape · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?i d=150030

    I cant speak for anyone else but I have a hard time believing that Gears managed to move that many consoles. I was out shopping quite a bit last week and saw lots of wii's being sold but didnt more than a handful of 360's though all the stores I shopped had plenty. Of course the way that Sony and Microsoft count sales is how many ship to retail (including the ones sitting on the shelves) where Nintendo actually counts units sold.

  10. How many of those were busted? by SilentChris · · Score: 4, Informative

    I always have to question whether or not those numbers can be trusted.

    I bought my Wii and received it early last week. Plug it in, have it find my WPA-encrypted wireless network and proceed with my first system update. You need the firmware update to do anything online. Bong -- 110213 error (Google it -- a good number of people got it). Afterwards the system refused to go online (no virtual console goodness, no more firmware updates, etc). The predominant opinion is that the Wii doesn't CRC the firmware before installing it, resulting in semi-bricked consoles.

    Called up Nintendo and, after 30 minutes on hold, I got someone. To their credit, they immediately sent another console out (received it yesterday). It was already updated to the latest firmware. Looks refurbished, but I guess I don't have a choice.

    I'm personally very interested in what percentage of those numbers are "usable" systems. 95%? 99%? Even if only 1% are busted, that's still a considerable number of machines.

    1. Re:How many of those were busted? by hibiki_r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How can it 'look' refurbished when it's been out less than two weeks? Given that they opened the box up to do the firmware update before they sent it to you, there are very few pieces of evidence that could identify a refurbished system vs a new one that was plugged in once to install an update.

  11. Re:Zonk plugs Nintendo... again! by falcon5768 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Um maybe a lot of the anti-PS3 articles are because EVERYONE HATES THE PS3. Seriously I have yet to see anyone besides gamer mags which we KNOW are paid by Sony (and we know cant speak badly otherwise they would get cut off from ex reporters of said mags) say the PS3 is a good system.

    Even the ones who dont flat out hate it, pretty much say its not worth it yet, and the benefits of the system simply are not there compared to the 360.

    On the otherhand you have a system thats trying to be different. Everyone knows its not as powerful (infact it got some low marks for that) but its FUN and just about everywhere there are storys of adults and kids playing together.

    Until sony does something right, I doubt you will ever see pro-ps3 artcles here or anywhere else thats not paid by Sony in advertising. Simply because as of right now Sony has done nothing right, from dust scratching the system, to poor backwards compatability (after ripping on Microsoft for the same) to forcing Blu-ray on a public that from all reports doesnt care about EITHER HD format.

    --

    "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

  12. Here's to you, Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fan... by everphilski · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here's to you, Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Troll!
    Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Troll!
    Sitting at home in your parents basement with your PS1 and 2 and 3...

    Maaaaaaan, thats a lot of consoooooooles....
    Or, Mr. Troll, are you playing with a wii?
    Tell me, Mr. Troll-man?
    So here's to you, Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Troll...
    Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Trooo-oooll!!!

  13. It's a manufacturing race... by alexhmit01 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Sony has a built up brand, people want it... (I've normally only owned Nintendo systems, but I can appreciate that the PS1 and PS2 had HUGE markets)... but they can't get product out the door. To win the marathon, Sony needs to make as many sales as possible to people willing to pay high prices, and figure out how to get manufacturing costs down as they lower price to sell more units... first sell to everyone willing to pay $500, then $400, then $300, then $200, etc.

    However, Sony will be able to keep selling units for top dollar, which will help them, because demand is so high... but they can't supply the market.

    Nintendo appears to have figured out how to get units out the door. It doesn't matter that 2x to 3x the people want a Sony system as a Nintendo system if Sony can't get them off the line and into stores. Nintendo will sell there demand, and some will substitute a Wii for a PS3. Sony blew this launch BADLY. They may win this round, they may make money, they may pull off a lot (they have a LOT of Brand Value), but they screwed up manufacturing.

    If Nintendo keeps manufacturing units and selling them, they will sell games and make money. Some third parties may sign up (if you want to launch a game for next Christmas, if Sony doesn't fix its manufacturing problems by mid-year, Nintendo may be a real option for them). The interesting thing is that Nintendo's system is SO different, it isn't straight ports that will work. Last generation, game companies could switch their target system around without much re-jiggering, but Nintendo's system requires a completely different approach because it is so unique.

    However, Sony blew the manufacturing... marketing did its job, but they didn't get product out there. I expect Microsoft to be the BIG beneficiary of this, as Sony and Microsoft are much more substitutable (similar hardware, similar controllers, similar target markets), but Nintendo will find itself fighting in the normal market, not just a niche...

    Interesting thing as well, Nintendo didn't overspec their system, they may have underspec'd it. That means that they may be able to get costs WAY down. If Sony's botched launch delays games (because nobody wants to sell games to a dead market), Nintendo may be able to keep moving systems and get the costs down fast. If that happens, expect Nintendo to start selling to hardcore gamers because if they can get a $200 package with 2 games out within 24 months, hard core gamers may pick one up to augment their Sony/MS gaming with Nintendo's unique offering.

    Nintendo executed, Sony didn't. Kudos to Nintendo. Sony, get your divisions back in sync.

    Alex

    1. Re:It's a manufacturing race... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 5, Funny

      If Nintendo keeps manufacturing units and selling them, they will sell games and make money.

      This is precisely the kind of insightful business acumen that I come to slashdot for.

  14. Official PS3 numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't reveal the exact number of units sold in US as that's a trade secret, but both units were sold.

  15. Re:Going unnoticed... by Conanymous+Award · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't want to be an asshat nitpicker, but this just seemed funny to me:

    "This has gone largely unnoticed, but Microsoft has started a hell of a holiday XBOX 360 campaign..."

    If it has gone largely unnoticed, can we really call it "a hell of a campaign"? On the other hand, if there's anybody in the world able to pull off such a thing (a largely unnoticed hell of a campaign, that is), it's probably Micro"Zuma"soft.

  16. Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment by Fryed · · Score: 3, Informative

    For the moment at least, they're still evaporating the moment they hit stores like water hitting a frying pan. Controllers seem to be disappearing even faster - I got my Wii on launch day, but to this day have only been able to get 2 extra controllers and chuks, and those I had to do about a week of searching to find.

    By January, they'll probably be easy to get ahold of. If you need one before then, I suggest buddying up to someone at a Toys R Us, Target, or similar store, and finding out the exact moment they plan to unload the Wiis from trucks and put them on the floor.

  17. The Math.... by Duncan3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sony loses $300+ per unit.
    Retailer makes maybe $50 after they pay all the extra security.
    Ebayers make $500-1500/unit minus...
    the Ebay makes 5.25% + Paypal 2.90% = 8.15% of that (more then the retailer most likely)
    And then of course all the violence, injuries, and robberies.

    Sony got screwed royally, and everyone else won the lottery.

    Console developers need to get their shit together and learn what a Dutch Auction is.

    --
    - Adam L. Beberg - The Cosm Project - http://www.mithral.com/
  18. Re:WTF ? by fuzz6y · · Score: 5, Funny
    As it reads, 454,000 SOFTWARE purchases exceeds 75% of all HARDWARE purchase(r)s. Does that mean 75% of all wii purchases, or 75% of all console purchases ? If it's the latter, does that mean non-wii owners have been buying this game (if that's at all possible) ?

    If you see two ways to interperet a statement, and one of them doesn't make any fucking sense to you, go with the other one.

    --
    If you're going to be elitist, it would help to be elite.
  19. Re:From what I here and see, WII has the advantage by krakelohm · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually from what I have seen online, the sensor bar is no more then a row of LED's that the wiimote "see's". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote

    --
    You are all a bunch of idots.
  20. Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment by Kankraka · · Score: 5, Funny
    Last weekend I was at EB, they'd just sold out their last one. Not five minutes later there was a purolator truck outside and a guy unloading another shipment of Wii's and Wii accessories. Those too were being snapped up pretty quick, but the crowning moment of being there? Hearing this:

    Customer: Hi, I'd like Twilight Princess for PS3.

    EB Employee: Uhm... What?

    Customer: Zelda, for PS3

    EB Employee: Uhh, yeah.. that's not for PS3, that's a Nintendo Wii game.

    Customer: So...?

    EB Employee: Ma'am, you need to have a Nintendo Wii *points to the display beside the counter* to play Twilight Princess, or a Game Cube, when it's released for that.

    Customer: So I can't play Zelda on PS3?

    EB Employee: No.

    Customer: So I spent 5 hours in the cold to buy my son a PS3, so he could play the new Zelda, but now he can't?

    EB Employee: The new Zelda is for Wii, not PS3, I can show you our PS3 selection if you'd like?

    Customer: No, I want Zelda for PS3.

    and it pretty much continued like that for a couple minutes before she grasped the concept that she wasn't going to be playing zelda on her ps3. Makes me wonder how many other confused non-gamers are out there in a similar situation. :)

  21. Re:The Counter-Strike of Game Consoles by zapp · · Score: 4, Informative

    Wow... there is only one thing I can say to that:

    TL;DR

    (too long, didn't read)

    Seriously, does your keyboard have an enter key?

    --
    no comment
  22. Re:The Counter-Strike of Game Consoles by genooma · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is this a convention of people who refuse to use line breaks. I'm in.

  23. Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment by edxwelch · · Score: 4, Funny

    She probably spends a lot of time trying to figure out how to get a CD into her iPod.

  24. no, they don't by Ender+Ryan · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Sony loses $300+ per unit.

    No. An analyst says that Sony loses $300 per unit. That is the same $900 / unit that analysts were talking about a year ago and was generally thought to be complete bunk. Just before the rootkit fiasco when everyone decided hating Sony would be the new cool thing to do on the Intertubes. Now when an analcyst spouts some bullshit numbers that ignore the fact that Sony owns the production lines for many of the PS3 components, people take it as god-given fact.

    --
    Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden