Fri, Jan 15, 2010 | 06:18 GMT

NPD December 2009: Nintendo finishes the year with multiple sales records

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Nintendo has responded to tonight’s December NPDs, citing Wii’s best month in history, and DS’ best calender year “of all time”.

Thanks to the holidays, Wii sold more than 3.8 million units in December, a new all-time single-month US sales record. DS and DSi combined to sell more than 3.3 million, which was the second biggest month in US history.

With such strong numbers, the DS franchise sold more than 11.2 million units in 2009, another US calendar-year sales record for a videogame system. Wii finished the year with 9.6 million sold, which taking into account its November 2006 launch, it means that nearly one-fifth of all Wii units (18.7 percent) were sold during November and December 2009.

“Wii, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi combined to sell more than 7 million units in the month of December alone,” said NOA VP Cammie Dunaway. “Clearly there is overwhelming consumer demand for fun games, motion controls and value.

“This remarkable hardware sales surge presents a tremendous software opportunity for Nintendo and its third-party partners as we head into 2010.”

Lifetime US sales for Wii have surpassed 27.2 million units, with lifetime sales for the DS franchise topping 38.8 million units – surpassing lifetime sales of the Game Boy Advance franchise.

Nintendo also took 6 of the top 10 spots on the software chart for the month, with New Super Mario Bros. Wii moving 2.82M units.

For all of 2009, Nintendo finished with seven of the top 10 best-selling games of the year:

  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii at No. 2 – more than 4.2 million sold
  • Wii Sports Resort at No. 3 – more than 4.2 million sold
  • Wii Fit at No. 4 -more than 3.5 million sold
  • Mario Kart Wii at No. 5 – nearly 3.1 million sold
  • Wii Play at No. 6 – more than 3.1 million sold
  • Wii Fit Plus at No. 8 – more than 2.4 million sold
  • Pokémon Platinum Version at No. 10 – more than 2.0 million sold

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16 comment-trail-alt Posted in: America, DS, Hot, Nintendo, Retail, Trade, Wii
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16 comments

#1

Psychotext
15/01/10, 1:25 am

As astonishing as December was for the Wii, somehow they ended up half a million down on 2008. Still, with that sort of performance in December, I doubt they’re overly worried going forward.

DS crushed its 2008 figure (+1.2m) and with the DSi XL coming soon I’m sure they’ll have a crazy 2010 as well.

#2

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 1:28 am

2008 Wii: 10.17m
2009 Wii:9.594.000
so it is actually down YOY

#3

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 1:29 am

thanks Psychotext for the numbers

#4

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 1:31 am

and can someone explain to me why Wii sold 4m in December

#5

Psychotext
15/01/10, 1:33 am

:D

Drugs in the water supply?

#6

Stephany Nunneley
15/01/10, 1:34 am

Soccer Moms. Plain and simple. Oh, and fatties. :-D

/going to burn in Hell

#7

Psychotext
15/01/10, 1:35 am

You had me at Soccer Moms, you lost me at fatties.

#8

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 1:41 am

hahahaha and pretty hot guys
i own 3 wiis
am i doing it rite

#9

Stephany Nunneley
15/01/10, 1:51 am

I am just cranky Psycho. Sorry. I will go get on the WiiFit now as penance. :-D

@Sniper – Why do you own three?

#10

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 2:40 am

because im hot pretty guy
lol

#11

Psychotext
15/01/10, 2:57 am

8O

#12

Stephany Nunneley
15/01/10, 3:07 am

Ok, there’s no way we can argue with you on that because we have no proof. Glad to know you’re pretty. :-)

#13

SniperWolf
15/01/10, 3:29 am

:-)

#14

Blerk
15/01/10, 8:48 am

And people still think they’re going to announce new machines this year? Somehow that seems rather doubtful.

#15

Robo_1
15/01/10, 9:12 am

But then Nintendo didn’t get the success they’re enjoying now, by waiting for the next big thing to happen, they went out and created it.

… although I agree that it’s pretty doubtful we’ll see WiiHD this year.

#16

OlderGamer
15/01/10, 12:41 pm

We oddly, play our Wii much more the past few months then we have in maybe the past three years. Its strange. If you get over the waggle, the shovelware, and the have it set up correctly(480p HD cables for HDTVs or just play on a SDTV), it isn’t too bad. Not at all.

We own several WiiWare games. Swords and Soilders, My Life as a King, Lost Winds, and more. Very good, and very different from anything we could get on a PS3 or XB360.

We also have a line up of Turbo Duo games from VC. I love Bonk! Book of Y’s. Nuetopia, and so many 2D shooters to pick from. I am like a fat kid in candy store.

Toss in The New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Oh yea. Good gaming, really. There isn’t any mellow drama. There isn’t any over the top gore. There isn’t any sex. There isn’t any foul language. There aren’t any gimmicks. No tricks. Just straight up fun games. Simple. Fun.

Not preaching or promoting. Yet there seem to be a lot of Core gamers that look at Nintendo and the Wii dumbfounded. Can’t understand why it does so well. Maybe because it doesn’t try to do things the way other systems do. Have you been on LIVE latly? It looks like a digital Billboard. PSN and LIVE are as much about forcing dlc down your throat(err I mean selling you stuff) as anything else.

The Wii is just simple. It offers games to buy. But not every game that releases on it resurves 30% of its content for you to purchase extra after you already bought the game.

I don’t know, I guess I am just starting to like what the Wii does (and to some extent what it doesn’t do) more and more.

As for WiiHD?

Yes. And soon(releativly, understanding that Nintendo doesn’t move until they are good and ready).

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