September NPD: It finally happened

by David Hinkle { Oct 19th 2007 at 11:15AM }

Turns out, one man's prediction was correct, as the Wii was finally knocked off its throne in September, thanks to Halo 3. We know, if you need to take a moment, we understand. We are shocked and saddened here at Wii Fanboy Estates, as we lay in the fetal position in a puddle of our own tears, only breaking away to make the occasional blog post.

Without further ado, let's look at the hardware figures:

Microsoft Xbox 360: 527.8K (6.8 million total)
Nintendo Wii: 501K (4.5 million total)
Nintendo DS: 495.8K (13.2 million total)
Sony PlayStation 2: 215K (39.3 million total)
Sony PSP: 284.5K (8.6 million total)
Sony PlayStation 3: 119.4K (1.87 million total)

Be sure to hit the break for the list of top-selling software titles.

Halo 3 (all three SKUs - Xbox 360) – 3.3 million
Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) – 282K
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) – 224K
Madden NFL 08 (PS2) – 205K
Skate (Xbox 360) – 175K
Madden NFL 08 (Xbox 360) – 173K
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) – 167K
BioShock (Xbox 360) – 150K
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day (DS) – 141K
Heavenly Sword (PS3) – 139K

As you can see, the Wii still has Wii Play and Metroid Prime 3 on the software list, which helps ease the blow some, but ultimately is not enough. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to drown ourselves in a tub of Americone Dream.

Tags: bungie, halo3, metroid, microsoft, npd, sales, wiiplay, xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

vidGuy @ Oct 19th 2007 11:20AM

Not surprising in the least. The 360's lead will probably hold through the holidays, but the Wii will take the lead again in early 08.

DonWii @ Oct 19th 2007 11:22AM

I'll quote Reggie:

The Wii went up against the self-proclaimed ‘biggest entertainment launch ever’ and we emerged with our best month of the year. They fired their bullet and our gun is loaded and ready to fire throughout the holidays.

troy @ Oct 19th 2007 11:22AM

Well, this was bound to be a problem when 'Halo' came out, as much as Diamond and Pearl alone have outsold the whole Halo franchise very slightly (though that is likely to be just about not true by the time Halo 3 has been out for a while) its not like there is more than one franchise MS has like that or that half of those people will ever get any other game for the thing. Oh well. I don't understand the allure of that series: and everyone I see who does is the type of gamer I am not. This guy at my job talks about God of War and Halo all hardcore every now and then but has never played Zelda. I think those more acquainted with gaming call those 'twich gamers' is that right?

troy @ Oct 19th 2007 11:24AM

Woah, you honestly think the XBOX will 'KEEP ITS LEAD?' Ha ha ha I don't think that's true. I mean its not a stupid thing to think but I think that 'bullet has been fired' to use the above analogy. Look at the band Depeche Mode: they have TONS of huge fans who buy their albums the first day. So their albums debut on the charts at like #1 or #2 and within a month are way down low, because anyone who likes them bought them that first week. I would be very, VERY surprised if MS came off as good next month or ever again.

Ruben @ Oct 19th 2007 11:35AM

The X what? I mean its only this much a game can make a console sell. Halo will eventually get old. And MS will have nothing else to feed on for every console they make. While the wii and PS3 have an arsenal of lineups, they have to dust off for 2008 and this christmas: Super Mario Galaxy, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heavenly Sword, Haze, Smash Bros Brawl, Wii Fit. But seriously, the wii also needs more button mashing games. And their demo service better come out soon. But MS, what do you have now? A original motion sensing controller that can also be used to aim? Or your already announced 3D avatar environment?

ELIJAH @ Oct 19th 2007 11:46AM

This is very similiar to madden as it can outsell almost any game due to the popularity football has and this is exactly what microsoft has done.

troy @ Oct 19th 2007 11:47AM

Hey someone post another article so that when I refresh I

troy @ Oct 19th 2007 11:47AM

Hey someone post another article so that when I refresh I don't see this depressing crap ha ha

Brian @ Oct 19th 2007 11:58AM

And PS3 sales continue to be abysmal...

troy @ Oct 19th 2007 12:00PM

This month WAS apparently the most Wii's sold in America in a month since launch, though...

DeadPlasmaCell @ Oct 19th 2007 12:04PM

Nice. It's good to be part of the Wii60 camp. I hope to be part of the PSwii60 eventually.. Just can't justify spending $400+ on it right now. Ne who back to the subject, This can only be good. Healthy competition is a good thing.

Jeremy @ Oct 19th 2007 12:06PM

It's funny how it takes a single game to up console sales so much. Congratulations for MS getting the Wii off the top for one month. Now back to business that was the only big MS title for their holiday line-up. How many big titles does the Wii have in their holiday line-up? Like 6+ big name titles for the Wii this Holiday season so let's see those numbers for this month and the next two.

DeadPlasmaCell @ Oct 19th 2007 12:34PM

@ Jeremy

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that.. Halo 3 wasn't the only big title coming out this holiday. There is:

Guitar Hero III
Ace Combat 6
Call of Duty 4
Virtua Fighter 5
Army of Two
Assassins Creed
Mass Effect
Rock Band
Alan Wake
Devil May Cry 4
Resident Evil 5
Silent Hill V
Soul Calibur IV

Sure those are always subject to change, but not too bad of a line up.

Matt @ Oct 19th 2007 12:51PM

DeadPlasmaCell, good call. Yeah, I don't know what he's talking about with "1" title for the holidays.

ViewtifulVance @ Oct 19th 2007 12:52PM

isn't the Wii still selling every console they make? that means the only reason the 360 is outselling the Wii is because theirs tons of 360's laying around! if there were as many Wii in stores as 360's than the Wii would still be the top seller!

DonWii @ Oct 19th 2007 12:55PM

Alan Wake
Devil May Cry 4
Resident Evil 5
Silent Hill V
Soul Calibur IV

I am 100% certain these will come out in 2008/ Some have already been announced delayed. Also, I haven't heard about Alan Wake in a long long time.

Jeremy @ Oct 19th 2007 1:03PM

Out of exclusives yeah Halo 3 is pretty much it for the 360. Given they have around 40 or so games for their holiday line-up only a few will be worth buying and none of which will be worth actually going out to buy the console for.

I am in no way knocking the 360 as being an owner of one (my third due to replacements) but the 360 is going on two years old now and by that point the original XBOX had a much better library to choose from. Given the Wii doesn't have much of a library to choose from as well but by years end I think the Wii will have a better selection of games. Maybe not in graphics but as in how fun they are.

Stephen @ Oct 19th 2007 1:05PM

I will probably add an Xbox360 to the Wii I already own. The Wii games just really are lacking in depth and replay value, generally.

Jonathan @ Oct 19th 2007 1:08PM

JEREMY, you are sadly mistaken if you honestly think Microsoft has only 1 big title this lineup.

Have you heard about a little much hyped action RPG from the makers of KOTOR called Mass Effect? Yeah, that's a big one.

And they have quite a few more. Get informed, then speak. You can't just make up stuff. 360 has just as many, if not more, big AAA holiday titles as the Wii.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 19th 2007 1:28PM

I don't think it will last. This was Wii's 2nd strongest month since December 2006. The sales are increasing with no games, and Wii Play's still topping the charts and nobody knows why. It can only get better for Nintendo in October when good games start coming out, and it can only get worse for Microsoft as a new Halo doesn't come out. None of their "big games" are 10% as big as Halo.

Also, I'd like to thank troy for that Depeche Mode analogy. I'd buy the hell out of a new D-Mode album on day 1.

DeadPlasmaCell @ Oct 19th 2007 1:21PM

The same could be said for the Wii.. Tons of games set to come out, but really all that matters is Mario Galaxy.. Maybe Umbrella Chronicles.

linebeginstoblur @ Oct 19th 2007 1:29PM

Wii hardware and software are still quite high in the charts. Whoever is #1 is #1 and it doesn't really matter to me. I find it to be quite immature when people whine, complain, insult others, etc. based on sales information. You'd think, with the sales, that those who own PlayStation 3's are the ones really distraught, but I bought one months ago, and I don't care how they do in sales currently. I love my system, and I'm not concerned about what others think about it.

Jeremy @ Oct 19th 2007 1:32PM

@19
My god read and understand what you read before you speak. I was only stating based on the topic of this article that Halo was the only game that 360 had that made people go out and buy the console. I was in no way saying that it is the only good game this season for the system. I will even also quote myself so that you will see that I did state this.

"Given they have around 40 or so games for their holiday line-up only a few will be worth buying and none of which will be worth actually going out to buy the console for."

So Jonathan please for gods sake understand what you read and don't jump into xbox fanboy mode when you think someone is cutting down the 360.

DeadPlasmaCell @ Oct 19th 2007 1:55PM

@ DonWii

I got the release dates via GameStop.com they do state that they will be released last week of Dec & first week of Jan technically.

FX-1 @ Oct 19th 2007 2:23PM

Not taking the time to read through all these other posts, here's what I have to say:

So Halo 3 gave them a sales jump, big surprise. Anyone who didn't expect that to happen isn't very well acquainted with games. As much as I disagree with the XBot mindset, it is a fact that Halo has gathered (notice gathered, not earned) a strong following amongst "gamers" one so strong and XBot infested that several of them probably bought another 360 just for Halo 3 even though they already had a fully functional one at home with Halo stickers plastered all over it and Master Chief gloves glued to the controller so they can play all nigh in their "Blues suck" jammies while hyped up on Halo 3 Mountain Dew. Some (the sane people of the world) consider this behavior unnatural and unhealthy and would suggest these people see several different kinds of doctors, but the XBot is the only species I learned about in Bilogy class that's mating rituals are this perculiar, so it was to be expected that 360 sales would jump above Wii's around this time. Fact of the matter is, no other game deteriorates this many brain cells so fans of Mass Effect, the next Bioshock games, and God only knows what other monstrosities Microsoft has up it's $20,000 suit sleeve will not generate this big of a ripple in the pond of gaming, once all the rabbid XBot's have the seventeen 360s they need to finish Halo 3 and have deprived 40 third world countries of food for a week, Nintendo will be allowed to triumphantly kick the hungover Microsoft off it's throne and sit in it again.

The main point of this post I believe in, the rest of it is a healthy dose of humor for those of you living in an all-too-boring world, don't take it too seriouslt if you actually did buy a second 360 ust for Halo 3. :D

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 19th 2007 2:26PM

It's the beginning of the end for the Wii unless they can get more games. One game this holiday season isn't going to win the console war.

David W. @ Oct 19th 2007 3:23PM

I would like to thank xbox fanboys for not flaming on this post, and thinking out your arguments thoroughly :) Wish I could say the same for some of the nintendo fanboys :(

Nintendo has two big games coming out, Smash and Galaxy...neither of which I'm all that interested...I'll need to see more Galaxy related stuff before I bite...and I was never a HUGE fan of Smash.

Meanwhile Xbox has Ace Combat (which I've always been a huge fan of) Assassins Creed (I'll probably rent it before buying it), and Mass Effect which looks awesome. I also recently got Halo 3, and Orange Box...both are terrefic game. For all of you Halo haters, yea, Halo 3 isn't the greatest game ever, but IT'S FUN, isn't that the point of games?

But then I guess I could be considered a "hardcore gamer" so I'm not Nintendo's core gamer.

bighit24 @ Oct 19th 2007 4:04PM

Wow Wii fanboys are so dumb. Besides Mario, Smash, and Mario Kart, the Wii has nothing really exciting or worthwhile to play. This console will turn out just like any Nintendo console before it...strong sales at first fueled by updates to Nintendo IPs then pretty much dropping off dead. I know 4 people who got a Wii at launch and do not ever play it anymore because the gimmick or thrill of Wii Sports is gone. Get a clue and stop jerking off to princess peach or Zelda pics you fanboys. And stop making Reggie out like he is your Jesus. You guys probably jerk off thinking of him giving press conferences too.

Elsnerma @ Oct 19th 2007 4:18PM

I agree with Ruben. Not only will Xbox have trouble keeping up with the Wii this coming year, but they'll be lucky if they can keep up with the first of many PS3 exclusives coming out this Spring (MGS4 and Home) not to mention Ratchet & Clank and Eye Of Judgement coming out here this Winter.

Exclusives are what convinced me to buy the PS3 and Wii in the first place...all of the Xbox exclusives are rather...bleh, imo. Especially Halo 3.

Mr Khan @ Oct 19th 2007 4:58PM

Dudes, RE5 is currently listed as TBA 2009, that game is a LOOOONG way off

I would, however, say that Mass Effect is a big 360 exclusive (but BioShock big, rather than H3 or Galaxy big), and CoD4 will essentially be another big 360 game, as its PS3 sales will be negligible in comparison, mark my words

Personally, i say they could possibly maintain dominance through October (look at how close they are this month), but with all the gold in November and onwards, Wii will stay up

And we'll start getting some real games on that list, too, to keep MP3 company

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 19th 2007 5:40PM

What we can all agree with is:

Americone Dream is a very good ice cream.

FX-1 @ Oct 19th 2007 6:13PM

Very good point, Fullmetal. :)

@27: If that was directed at me, IT WAS A JOKE! I already said that.

@28: Shut up you filthy XBot and leave this site. You're failure to bring up ant actual argumements other than stupid comments about people jerking off just proves that you don't really have any grasp on the situation and are using it to your advantage to blatantly insult Nintendo. Get your facts straight, there are plenty of good, worthwhile games coming out which you'd know if you glanced at the front page of this site for even a second or had any concept of what's going on with NIntendo but instead you just shoot your mouth at all of us true fans and disgrace yourself, good job. You XBots and BSPSfanboys are so cocky because GameCube sold relatively bad, your day of judgement will soon come and you'll all pay for disgracing gaming.

Skyrous @ Oct 19th 2007 6:19PM

You can point to devil may cry and soul caliber and any other game you like it doesn't matter those games NOT system sellers.

Halo is a franchise that sells systems, final fantasy is a franchise that sells systems, Mario and Smash are franchises that sell systems. We all know people who held off buying a 360 until Halo 3 hit, and with the 360's technical problems it was probably a good idea anyway.

Now that's done and the 360 will not sell in those numbers next month. Good games are one thing but a game that makes people buy your hardware is something entirely different.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 19th 2007 6:20PM

Are you guys serious? The Xbox BARELY beat the Wii (by just over 26K units (the DS only about another 5k behind), and that was with the 360's top game coming out.

Wii didn't even have any top games come out this month. Imagine what sales will be when Super Mario Galaxy or Smash Bros. comes out (and with supply slowly increasing)...