Print this article | E-mail this article | Comment on this article

Wii building sales lead over PS3 in Japan once again

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

February 28, 2008, 5:37 PM

After successfully cutting into Nintendo's considerable lead in console sales over the past several months, Sony is once again losing ground. According to statistics provided by Japanese game magazine Enterbrain, Nintendo sold 331,627 Wii consoles in the four weeks ending February 24, compared to 89,131 for the PS3. This is larger than the 3-to-1 margin in January.

As has been practically consistent since its launch, the Xbox 360 lagged far behind with only 14,079 consoles sold during the same period. With such broad success during the month, Wii games also stood atop the best selling games. Nintendo sold some 1.33 million copies of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, followed by Wii Fit, which had sales of 309,311 units. Both games are produced directly by Nintendo.

Add a Comment (33 Comments)

BetaNews reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated.

By MinuteMaid

posted Mar 1, 2008 - 6:11 AM

Danno,

PS3 has caught up, and overtaken 360 sales in the biggest gaming market in the world (Europe), this IS making progress..

Score: 0

By Danno

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 12:16 PM

MinuteMaid.

You should take this as an FYI. Your console isn't making any progress. Sony would come out with an official statement but currently they are working on replacing people internally with even less quailified people.

Score: 0

By MinuteMaid

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 3:33 AM

Who cares, you have to be an idiot, or a Betanews editor to even think the Wii and the PS3 are competing for sales.

Who about reporting that cans of Coke vastly outsold the Wii in Japan in the last 4 weeks, as it't equally relevant...

Score: 0

By marrix

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 11:28 AM

I do Pepsicola, in the left nostril (crook sinuses), and with the right I try to yodel & chortle & guffaw!
MM, are we comparing inanities here?

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

edited Feb 29, 2008 - 10:24 AM

Would you please shut the **** up, your beloved console lost to an inferior, featureless console that actually makes money on every sale simply because it's fun.

Sony has lost billions with the PS3 and BD. With the money it cost to get rid of HD-DVD, they wont see a profit ..... ever.

BD and HD-DVD were both doomed in my opinion, niether will ever become mainstream as most people just don't give a crap thanks to cheap upscaling players and the fact that the average size TV is only 42 inches these days.

Like your POS Panasonic LCD Dave. You can't even tell the difference on a TV that small.

No one wants to re-buy all of thier DVD's in BD for a little bit better picture. Movies are not great because of resolution, they are great because of the story and dialog. Once the novelty wears off, no one gives a crap about HD.

Score: 0

By yourcat

posted Mar 1, 2008 - 8:23 PM

Serves $ony right.

Score: 0

By Skyfrog

edited Feb 29, 2008 - 4:38 AM

LMAO, wow...talk about lame excuses.

So comparing one console to another is basically the same as comparing a soft drink to a game console, because one is more powerful? Right...that just makes LOTS of sense. They're both game consoles moron, and yes they are competing for sales. You'd have to be an idiot not to know that, but then you clearly are. Anyone can see you're only crying because you're a Sony fanboy and your precious isn't the top selling game console.

Score: 0

By Niro

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 9:34 AM

C'mon Skyfrog, don't you know by now? Anything that does better then the PS3 (or any sony product for that matter), is not a competitor anymore...that way the PS3 can always be #1.

The xbox360 wasn't even a competitor until the one month that the PS3 outsold it...in that month the PS3 and the 360 were competitors.

Score: 0

By yourcat

posted Mar 1, 2008 - 8:24 PM

LOL

Score: 0

By Matrix3000k

edited Feb 29, 2008 - 2:29 AM

All these consoles are great. I own all 3 myself and for specific reasons. The PS3 is hands down the cheapest bluray player out there right now and some of the games I have tried out the graphics are amazing. The Wii is my favorite. Whenever we have family get togethers or have my friends over we all agree on playing the Wii than the PS3 and 360. It more fun and interactive for everyone. The 360 is there for when I feel a little competitive and want to go online and kick someones butt in a game. But all in all these consoles are just a personal prefernce. You will have people out there that will put down one system and praise another. People like that in my mind really don't have a life and need to get one. If Nintendo is killing PS3 sales then they must be doing something right. They know how to attrack the yonger crowd to buy their systems. Buy the system that you feel will best fit your needs and stop flaming about the stupid little things like "Oh PS3 is much better than the Wii or 360". These companies don't care what you think and what your a fan of, all they want is your hard earned money!!

Score: 0

By timatl

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 11:46 PM

i purchased the ps3 today. i now on all three next gen consoles. i will be using the ps3 as abluray player to replace my hddvd player. my daughter mostly plays the wii, it is fun family game. i still prefer the 360 because of xbox live and the controller.

Score: 0

By yountmj

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 12:54 AM

I hear ya there. The 360 controller just feels right and is designed very well. It's also the only controller I'll use for the PC... although Microsoft's drivers are severely lacking.

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 10:09 PM

The Wii is a lot of fun. The PS3 is a great console, just a year late to the party. I've spent thousands on two 360 consoles, games, peripherals and Live points. There is no way I will ever use the PS3 for anything else than an average BD player.

Score: 0

By yountmj

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 12:51 AM

But... the Boys in Blu say it's hands down the best Blu-ray player in existence. ;)

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 10:17 AM

That is why they make $15,000 a year.

Score: 0

By plague201

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 4:03 PM

LMAO, so true. If Nintendo gains any more ground, I think Sony might have to cut the price of the PS3 another $200 this year. Either way I win since I'm not buying one until GT5 comes out.

Score: 0

By marrix

posted Feb 29, 2008 - 11:30 AM

Cutting!

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 8:23 PM

Super Smash Bros. is out and no-one told me?! Oh, hang-on, it's probably just out in Japan. Crazy NTSC people...

Score: 0

By DynamicLynk

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 7:10 PM

console war console schmore

One day there I hope there will be a 1 format console that maybe Nintendo, Sony, and M$ can collaborate to together on. Wouldn't that be nice :) and make it backwards compatible via Roms\ Downloads sort like Virtual console on Wii, and Xbox live arcade.

Until then.... XBOX Ftw..IMO since I own one =P

Score: 0

By Banquo

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 8:23 PM

There was a standard format once that any company could license and make consoles using. It was called the 3DO. I very much doubt that will ever happen again. They make their money on the games, not the hardware.

Score: 0

By bsf

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 7:41 PM

That's sort of like the modern day PC isn't it?
Except there's Mac too.

Score: 0

By terminalx

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 7:22 PM

Will not ever happen, there is no money to be made in that decision. Competition is a good thing, if you only had one maker, they would not try and improve.

There would be no need to, this is what happened with internet explorer, no competition and firefox and opera are moving ahead as its more feature complete and customizable.

Score: 0

By yourcat

posted Mar 1, 2008 - 8:29 PM

Not one manufacturer, a bunch of them that all play the same games.

Score: 0

By Firand

edited Feb 28, 2008 - 6:34 PM

I must have missed when Sony was "successfully cutting into Nintendo's considerable lead" in console sales.

Has the PS3 outsold the Wii for more than a single consecutive week at any time since it's launch?

Score: 0

By kashin

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 11:33 PM

I asked my magic 8ball and it said:

"No."

Score: 0

By Galway

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 6:03 PM

Looks like a huge price drop is needed to tempt the gamers, since it appears the games it has are not tempting buyers. Of cource this would be easier if it didnt have blu-ray.

This must really bite with the other manufacturers, knowing they have to compete with sony happy to heavily subsidise the ps3.

Good to see the wii doing well, I dont have or desire one im pleased to see nintendo showing how to sell hardware, with fun enjoyable games.

Score: 0

By kashin

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 5:49 PM

What the heck? No replies yet? Where are all the Sony shills, whining about BetaNews being anti-Sony because they published an article that makes Sony look bad. Not that it's a hard thing to do these days. The PS3 has about a snowball's chance in Hell of ever catching up to the Wii.

Score: 0

By marrix

edited Feb 29, 2008 - 11:38 AM

Kashin,
Dave has told me many times, in many forums, that BRD is the best and now that they appear to have won, sorry I' can't keep a straight face.
But, seriously Joey/Benjamin et al, their presence is sorely missed!
Let's foresake that, time for another goddam beer.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 6:12 PM

Well - you just filled in the other requirement for a flame war. Congrats.

Score: 0

By sdmunoz

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 6:04 PM

The world is anti-Sony :P

Score: 0

By Jordanr05

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 5:53 PM

Everyone on here has a soft spot in their heart for Nintendo - myself included.

You need to mention MS to make the Sony boys cometh.

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Feb 28, 2008 - 8:32 PM

I beg to differ lol. The Sony fanboys will snap at ANYTHING that does not have the words Sony on it.

Score: 0

By Hollywood__

edited Feb 28, 2008 - 10:16 PM

All Sony fanboys are lonely angry nobodys. My cousin Jason fits the profile, he's a complete idiot who lives and breathes Sony & nobody likes him. Kind of like our dear DavidBG

Score: 0

Sep 5 - 1:15 PM ET 120GB Zunes begin to appear in stores

Sep 5 - 1:03 PM ET Is there a subsidized Netbook in your future?

Sep 5 - 12:09 PM ET Evidence Samsung and SanDisk are in merger talks

Sep 4 - 7:03 PM ET Where does John McCain stand on technology issues?

Sep 4 - 6:58 PM ET Germany to improve its privacy regulations

Sep 4 - 6:51 PM ET Oracle CEO Ellison destroyed critical e-mails, judge rules

Sep 4 - 5:48 PM ET Sun takes command of VirtualBox, adds 64-bit, VHD support

Sep 4 - 4:26 PM ET Cablevision rolls out muni Wi-Fi in Long Island, NY

Sep 4 - 4:24 PM ET Analyst: US 3G growth pulls even with Europe

Sep 4 - 4:09 PM ET Korea Times: Sony home video at the tail end of a Korean exodus