RSSData: Nintendo drives the video game industry
By Tim Conneally | Published January 16, 2009, 11:43 AM
NPD group yesterday released its figures representing the video game industry at large, and with total sales up 19% over 2007, Nintendo was responsible for nearly all of that growth.
Nintendo secured the top two spots in number of consoles sold in 2008. The Wii accounted for 55% of all gen7 console sales, moving 10.17 million units in America last year, breaking all previous single-year sales records. The company's handheld system, the DS, fell in just behind the Wii, with 8.52 million units sold. In December alone, the DS sold 3.04 million units and the Wii sold 2.14 million.
Despite economic conditions, the video game industry appeared to be thriving, however, NPD data shows the only company that's truly thriving is Nintendo. The industry's annual revenue was 19% higher in 2008 than in 2007, and Nintendo products were responsible for 99% of that. Not since the days of the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) has Nintendo been such a force.
Of the top ten selling titles of 2008, half were first-party Nintendo titles These include Wii Play (5.28 million, with the controller bundle), Mario Kart (5 million, with the wheel bundle), Wii Fit (4.53 million), Super Smash Brothers Brawl (4.17 million), and Mario Kart DS (1.65 million). Once again, Nintendo blasted away the industry wisdom that said bundling a controller with games would only cannibalize the platform's attach rate; instead, it sent it skyrocketing.
The only title exclusive to a non-Nintendo system on the list of top-selling games for the year was Microsoft's Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360, the remainder were all cross-platform titles.
Everyone I know that said they where buying a PS3 or 360 for Christmas, guess what? They all got a Wii. That's only 3 people, but how many others said that and got a Wii? Wii's are still hard to find in the Baltimore area, while the 360's are pilled up 7 high in long rows at the local Best Buy.
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|Nintendo will always drive the videogame market better than it's 2 "rivals" mainly because the big N has more respect than the 2 conglomorates that want to drive everything into their own ballpark
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|take that PS, XBOX, SEGA or anyone who dares to challenge the master!
they laughed at Nintendo when they got out the Wii, but time will prove who knows better what gamers want...
is something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFoyp71xw3w
nothing like having a Nintendo at home.
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|now, now...
The fact that Wii sells the most does NOT mean it has the best games!
It simply means that it has more attractive pricing and a lower common denominator among more people! And that it offers more acceptable games for more people. Just like Mario (auuuggghhhh!), the game is NOT the best or the most fun, but lots play it.
Just like the Toyota Corolla sells a FEW more cars than the Porsche GT3/4! But I don't think anyone is dumb enough to think the corolla is a better performance car!!!
The problem arrises as both Sony and MS desire the sales of the Corolla while pushing their versions of a performance car.
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|Gee, the XBox260 and PS3 folks are having trouble with this one! ;-)
Nintendo targeted a larger demographic with lower common denominator pricing that makes it more attractive to a much broader array of groups, ranging from families to kids and to adults alike, cutting a much wider demographic swath, including to a much larger array of games unlike the more pricy platforms whose games'methodolgy are little changed from umpteen other platforms that are already available...and where simply adding more resolutiona and shades of grey add litle to the substance to the game.
Go figure, who would have figured that such an 'exotic' common sense decision would work?
Oh yeah, BR rules...cough...
LOL!
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|graphix is not that big of a deal. xbox and psx you sit on your a** and drink diet cokes and eat ice cream.
With the Wii you are all over the room getting a workout.
It's really just what your looking for...
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|I have a ps3 and xb360, but for me a wii is usless since I am 29y/o, but if I was 12 or 43 then I would get one.
:-)
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|I always knew the Wii would win because its not a GAME machine, its a FUN machine. most people i know have both a Wii and either a PS or Xbox line. I have a xbox 360 and a wii. They are both great, but 2 different beasts. So it has zero to do with graphics. When I wanna just relax and surf the web from my bed, or play some baseball ill turn on the Wii, if I want to rip out someones skull, the Xbox gets turned on. Since the new Xbox experience though, its getting a lot closer to adding the fun style to its already well stocked cabinet.
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|It makes me kind of sad though.. I mean, I am very much a Nintendo fan.. but, well, with the Wii has for me just kind of sucked. It has a ton of crapware. I love my DS, etc.. but I dunno, I dont know why Nintendo is dragging feet on some things.. Like online game play against other people could be greatly improved.. and I dunno.. And how many times do I have to pay for my games? Seriously... Virtualware games are overpriced.. and so are WiiWare games.. Why am I paying that much when I dont even get a book.. I can't transfer it to anyone else.. no media.. etc. Anyway.. the thing that bothers me about them doing so well while kind of crapping out on stuff is that they dont have as much incentive to change.. if that makes sense. Alright, rambling
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|so much for having to have next gen graphics to be a good console then.
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|"Nintendo was responsible for nearly all of that growth." Didn't need a research firm to tell us that. They've been doing that for decades.
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|Well yeah... if you ignore the last decade.
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