The Wii has hit the 18 month marker, a year and a half. So how is the Wii doing? Basically, very, very well. The Wii has reached an important milestone, in the first 18 months, it has sold both more games and more consoles than the PS2 did in its first 18 months. Of course, for six of those 18 months, the PS2 wasn’t release in the U.S. yet, but even taking that into account, the Wii is lining up comparable to the PS2.

Why are we comparing Wii number to a console almost a decade old? Because the PS2 is the final word on console success. Part of the reason the PS3 is having a hard time is because it has to compete with the PS2. At the moment, there are 120 million PS2s floating around. Compare that to the 25 million Wiis that have been sold and you’ll see why Nintendo is excited about the fact that it looks like the Wii is on the path to becoming as popular as the PS2.

Shortages continue to plague us, but Wiis can still be found without too much trouble. This fine line, where the supply seems to be meeting the demand almost exactly seems to suggest that Nintendo is stockpiling the extra console for the holiday season. A very good idea indeed. If demand has been so high during these slow seasons, it’ll be crazy come Christmas. But, if Nintendo wants to reach numbers as high as the PS2, then simple math tells us they are going to have to produce these things faster than they have been.

The Xbox 360 has been thoroughly routed by the Wii. Despite launching a whole year later, the Wii has sold close to 6 million more units than the Xbox. Apparently, Microsoft is developing both a motion controller, and a Mii system for their console, trying to tap into the same market that the Wii is having so much success in, but personally, I don’t think it’ll help their sinking console.

The PS3 has been selling better than the Xbox recently, but, less units have sold total since the PS3 was launched a year later than the Xbox, like the Wii. So Far the Wii has outsold the PS3 about two to one, but the PS3 is poised to make a leap. Soon the price should be coming down (possible for the holidays) and the PS3 is after all dozens of times more powerful than the Wii. The PS3, for all intents and purposes, is really a whole generation, maybe more, ahead of the Wii in terms of power. Consequently, the price has been much, much higher. But, if some of that starts turning around, than the PS3 might see their Ps2 fans beginning to convert over, which has the potential to seriously affect this console battle. But time for the PS3 is running out. This holiday season is the ‘now or never’ point. If the PS3 doesn’t have a good showing then, it is possible that in everones minds, the Wii will be this generations winner, and nothing will be able to stop it.

We are close to being able to crown the Wii, and things look good, but the battle isn’t over. It is possible that this good start for the Wii is only do to the low retail price it started with. Possibly, as the difference in price start to matter less, the Xbox 360 or PS3 will be able to make a comeback.

Tags: the force unleashed, new nintendo game, nintendo wii fan club, metroid prime 3, super mario galaxy

Rating and sales have an odd habit of not matching up, yet for some reason, people intuitively trust sales as a better indicator of value. Well then, here you go — the top ten Wii games by sales. Wii Sports and Wii Fit, normally the number one and number two slot have been excluded from this list, since both of them came packaged with the game and a controller respectively.

Number 10 - Wii Fit

Amazingly, Wii Fit is in the number ten slot even though it has only been released in Japan. I don’t know if Europeans and North Americans will have as high sales as it did in Japan, but if there are, Wii Fit could move to number one by the end of the year.

Number 9 - Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

This first person shooter is one of the few games on this list not published by Nintendo. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition take great advantage of the unique Wii controls and is really scary. If you want a game that’ll give you nightmares, then you’re at the right place.

Number 8 - Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Guitar Hero has done well on every platform and the Wii is no exception. This rhythm based game which uses a guitar shaped controler for input (as well as drums and a microphone) has been busting into gamers lives everywhere.

Number 7 - Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree

This brain expanding game features a series of brainy puzzlers designed to flip your thinking into high gear. Great fun with friends. I think it has gotten such a high spot because of parents looking for educational titles to counteract all the brain loss regular video games cause.

Number 6 - Super Parer Mario

Whether or not this titles high sales is just because it has Mario in the title, Super Paper Mario is one fun game. Half RPG, half puzzle, this quirky game is great fun. Based in a 2D paper world (that can sometimes be circumvented) Super Paper Mario deserves the number six slot.

Number 5 - Warrio Ware: Smooth Moves

This took the idea of a minigame to the extreme and made mircogames. Warrio Ware is full of five second games that connect back to the roots of gaming and give that pleasure of figuring things out to you — the one you normally only get at the beginning of games — throughout the whole game. Good stuff.

Number 4 - Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games 

Despite fairly low ratings,I guess most people couldn’t resist a title with Mario and Sonic in it. Selling a cool 5 million, this Olympic based sports game grabs the Number 4 slot — even though it doesn’t really deserve it.

Number 3 - The Legend  of Zelda: Twilight Princess

A great and truly wonderful sequel in the Zelda saga. This game had wonderful reviews and is taking a nice spot. Taking good advantage of the Wii controls, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a good successor to the legendary N64 game Ocarina of Time, which is still the best ranked game in the world.

Number  2 - Mario Party 8

OK, Mario Party 8 had pretty close to failing reviews. Why is it in the number 2 slot? I don’t know. Again, I think it is just because Mario is in the title. Previous Mario Party games were fun and original. This just seemed like more of the same. Oh well.

Number 1 - Super Mario Galaxy

Well, we all knew this would be here. Five years ago we could have predicted that the sequel to the main Mario game universe would be Number One. The surprise? Super Mario Galaxy actually deserves it. A fun game with amazing reviews. Super Mario Galaxy is currently the second best reviewed game of all time (behind the N64 Zelda one we mentioned earlier) and definitely the best Wii game we’ve seen to date. Good going Mario.

Continued from What the Wii Has to Do to Win, Part 1

Keep Pushing Innovation:

Controllers, sound, design, genre… everything. Innovation is key. At the moment, if given a choice between a free Wii and a free PS3, most people would choose the PS3 because they feel it is more valuable. Nintendo needs to put the focus back on the quality of the games. Nintendo is honestly the god of games, and if anyone can do it, Nintendo can. There is already great movement in this direction with Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy. Now if only the third party developers can get their act together and make some good games.
When the PS3 and Xbox 360 prices start to drop, people will have to actually prefer the Wii. I think this is possible. I think it is starting. But they have to make a strong case to keep people away from that technology loaded PS3. One thing that might ruin everything is if PS3 developers catch on and start releasing titles with more motion sensitivity. One huge PS3 blockbuster in this area could put the nail in the Wii coffin.

Keep the Controllers Coming:

The Wii seems more like an entire game box instead of just one console. Nintendo needs to take advantage of that by keeping the new controllers coming. Also, they should stay away from giving people the impression that they are doing it to make people buy more attachments. They are making good strides with the Wii Wheel and how they are including one with the game. Keep including these attachments, it is important that people don’t feel like they are being forced to buy them. The wide array of controllers is already making the PS3 and Xbox 360 look kinda boring. Lets emphasize that even more. The Wii needs to be seen as an arcade emulator, not just a console.

More Genres:

The Wii is a little top heavy in the genre department. Too much casual and light children’s games. We need to make the case the the Wii is all you need, and in order to do that we need a broader range of genres. RPGs, first person shooters, real time strategies, 4X, simulation, massively multiplayer online. All of these genres are almost completely missing and the Wii. If Nintendo is going to win the console wars this generation, they need to broaden their horizons.

On the whole, I think Nintendo is doing a very good job. But only the battle is won, not the war. We still have a long way to go. Nintendo’s lost cost system was a good way to sprint in front at the beginning of the race, but it is possible that Sony’s Playstation 3 — with almost 25 times more processing power — has the endurance for the long haul. Remember, there are 120 million people out there with a PS2, and they’ll want a console that can play the games they already have. Nintendo is doing everything right, but they might have a run for their money is Sony does the same.

So far, the Wii is up. But the battle isn’t even close to over. So far the Wii has sold over 20 million units, but last cycle, the PS2 sold almost 120 million units. We still have a long way to go, and here is what Nintendo needs to do if it wants to stay number one:

More Wii Games:

We need more games designed for the Wii. More games that can only be played on the Wii. Games like Metroid Prime 3. Games that wouldn’t be the same if it was ported to a different console. Nintendo needs to deemphasize games like Wii Sports — just a motion sensitivity gimmick — and show some games that focus on game play, with the Wiimote of course. Super Smash Bros Brawl is a spectacular example. Unfortunately, most developers are using the Wiimote capabilities for the same things they would use a mouse for. Or they only really use them in small and lame mini-games. We need more games that include the Wiimote into core game play, in unique and innovative ways that work.

At the moment, the Wiimote is new. So I understand the slow developer movement to explore the possibilities. Nintendo is doing a great job of showing the way, and I think that developers are starting to take a real good look at what they can do. So far, so good in this category.

More Non-Wii Games:

A lot of big franchises are skipping over the Wii. This has to stop, or eventually people will get those other consoles. A lot of developers don’t even want to deal with how to manage a port, and many of them feel that if they can’t incorporate motion sensitivity it isn’t worth it. Nintendo needs to put more emphasis on the Classic Controller. They need to arrange more people having one so that developers can count on players having one, making the port simpler. If Nintendo doesn’t reel these developers in, many gamers this cycle are going to end up with two systems. In that case, I think developers will continue staying away from the Wii which will only lead to the Wii will losing out big.

Drop Virtual Console Costs:

The VC is a great idea. Tons of people love the old games and want collection of them. This is already common in the computer emulator and rom world. I think the VC could be a great draw, and a good reason for people to buy a Wii. But costs need to go down. Ten bucks for an old N64 is far too much. I know they’re working on this, but Nintendo also needs a much bigger collection. People like the idea of having every old game at their fingertips. If Nintendo drops VC prices and offers a wider collection, I bet it’ll help them stay in the lead. Imagine the amazing response if Nintendo offered every NES game ever made — free. That is marketing, get on it Nintendo, people are already pirating them anyway.

A quick breakdown of this weeks sales numbers, just out.

Consoles:

The Wii sold 375k consoles this week. That is more consoles that the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined. They sold 152k and 179k respectively. This shows a continued trend of the Wii totally blowing the other two comsoles out of the water. In other news, the Nintendo DS is also topping the charts with 379k units, which trumps the PSP’s 206K.

This is good news for Wii owners. As the Wii starts attracting such a wide user base, developers will be forced to reckon with the Wii. Ports to the Wii will become more common, and serious games designed specifically for it will rise in numbers. Wii games are expected to be slightly lower priced than other console’s games. That is keeping a lot of more serious developers away. But soon the numbers will speak for themselves and developers will basically have no choice.

Games:

The Wii sold 1.8 million games this week, which is almost five games per console. Again, this is way more than the Xbox 360 with 1.3 million or the Playstation 3 with .8 million. This time the Wii didn’t beat they both together. The games per console number is more important to Sony and Microsoft than it is to Nintendo. That is because both the Xbox and the Playstation 3 are actually selling at a net loss to the company. Both companies are relying on game sale to make it up. The Xbox is doing best in that regard, with 9 games per console, while the PS3 is about equal to the Wii with 5 games per unit. This is probably because the Wii and PS3 have been out for about the same amount of time while the Xbox has had a lot longer to sell consoles.

By Publisher:

Nintendo is definitely the biggest publisher this week, with over 1.9 million titles sold. The runner up, EA, only has a little more than a third that number. While on one hand this is good for Nintendo, on the other, third party releases on the Wii don’t get as much attention as Nintendo releases. This is something that needs to change if the Wii is to start attracting more serious developers.

By Game:

Wii Sports is topping the chart, but that is only because it is bundled with the Wii. Next up is Wii Play. I think that is because it comes bundles with a Wiimote. After that, Mario and Sonic Olympic Games, Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (not out in the US). No surprises there.

SSBB should get a huge number boost this week when it is released in North America on the 9th. I know that I, for one, will be buying it.

All the numbers just go to show that this little console is pack big punch. Here’s to everyone who scoffed at the Wii when it was unveiled in 2005.

The Wii is still running hard and strong in the next-gen race, outselling both the tech-heavy PS3 and early starter Xbox 360. Wiis have sold an estimated 20 million, while the Xbox is only around 17.5 and the PS3 limps in at around eight million. But the numbers are even more staggering if you work out how many are selling a day: The Playstation has sold an average of 17,ooo a day and the Xbox comes in at 21,000 a day. But the Wii, the Wii — despite supply shortages — comes in at a whopping 43,000 a day, outselling the PS3 and Xbox 360 combined.

So why does it matter to us gamers? Isn’t it all just some type of electronic beauty contest? Well, yes and no. The more consoles sell, the more third-party game produces will be willing to create or port a game for the Wii. The more games, the more competitive the market, and the more the gaming industry will invest in creating a really good game. The better the games, the happier the gamers. The happier the gamers, the more consoles sell, completing the cycle.

In the last generation, the Game Cube failed to compete against the PS2 and the Xbox, putting it at a disadvantage. But the real nail in the coffin didn’t come until third-party game producers started passing it up. Both the other consoles had dozens of hit franchise titles, but the Game Cube — nothing. This time around though, it looks like Nintendo has cleaned up its act, done some market research and really come up with something truly appealing.

So, can we crown the Wii winner yet? No quite yet. I think the Xbox 360 has little kick left in it. It has already showcased its biggest titles, it had a year head start and it has already had several price cuts. I don’t think we can expect any surprises here. The Playstation 3 on the other hand, still has some cards up its sleeve. The most obvious one — it packs more punch than any of the other consoles. Right now, that means it is the most expensive, which is putting a lot of people off. But give it a few years and the PS3 will be cheaper, and still on the cutting edge. Does cutting edge graphics equate to fun? No. But in the fun department, the PS3 has some potential. Their sixaxis controller gives them a chance to break into the same motion sensitive market Wii fans have been enjoying. Also, several important PS titles are still up and coming, like FFXII. The last, and possible the most important card that could effect this generation’s console war, unlike the Wii, the PS3 hasn’t been cracked yet. Game producers don’t like to hear it, but this effects people’s console decisions a lot. As soon as the PS3 is modable, expect sales to skyrocket. Especially in third-world countries where piracy is rampant.

Conclusion: the Wii is still winning, and it defenatly looks like it might take the gold, but we’ll have to wait before calling that one. One thing is clear though, the Wii is shaping the gaming industry, and no matter how you slice it, the Wii is here to stay

If you need additional Nintendo branded Mario Kart Wii steering wheels you won’t have to buy shell out for another copy of Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo plans on selling extra Wii Wheels on April 11, the same day Mario Kart Wii debuts in Japan.

Each extra plastic steering wheel runs for 1200 yen ($11). Of course, Nintendo’s Wii Wheel isn’t required to play Mario Kart Wii. Ubisoft’s wheel should work fine and so should a standalone controller.