wii-fit-plus posts(Subscribe to this feed)

GfK-ChartTrack analyzes 2009's global software and hardware sales trends

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 3rd 2010 at 1:40PM }

We've seen some pretty comprehensive breakdowns of how the U.S. gaming industry performed last year -- however, industry analysis firm GfK-ChartTrack recently compiled a sizable amount of data to inform us how the whole planet did. In short, the planet did okay. U.S. sales faltered somewhat, the U.K.'s past-gen console sales sunk like a rock (or, rather, an original Xbox), and Japan stayed afloat upon a makeshift raft of Nintendo DS RPGs.

The worldwide best-selling game of 2009 was (you'll never guess) Modern Warfare 2, with 11.86 million units sold. The runners-up were all proud members of the casual Wii suite: Wii Sports Resort, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Fit Plus, and plain ol' Wii Fit. For more details on how the gaming industry did across this great big terrestrial mass we call home, check out MCV's analysis of the statistics.

Nintendo and Target teaming up for Wii Fit Plus promo -- receive $15 gift card

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 14th 2010 at 5:00PM }

Nintendo and Target are teaming up for the "Wii Fit Plus Experience," which is apparently an elaborate version of the Sports Authority experience with prizes. Across the United States' lower latitudes, visitors to the experience, which will be held in the parking lot or entrance of the stores between January 16-31, will gain (/groan) "feet-on" time with Wii Fit Plus.

Those who complete the Wii Fit Plus demo will receive a $15 gift card (while supplies last), which "can be applied toward any Target purchase." Therefore, we recommend humoring the Nintendo "ambassadors" working the kiosks. Gratefully take that gift card and blow it on junk food -- then get time-lapse coverage of all that junk food going straight to your ever-expanding butt and post it on YouTube. The locations holding the Wii Fit Plus Experience can be found after the break.

Continued →

UK charts: MW2 show continues, Bayonetta and Darksiders debut

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 11th 2010 at 10:45AM }

Reporting the UK sales chart is starting to feel like being a weatherman in Los Angeles. For the ninth week in a row, Modern Warfare 2 sits atop the all formats chart. If Modern Warfare 2 makes it to ten weeks in a row, we're expecting a communique from Hitchhiker's Marvin.

The next three spots are occupied by a casual alliance, consisting of Wii Fit Plus, Just Dance for Wii and Wii Sports Resort, respectively. Proving that the UK still has interest in games beyond war, sports and losing weight, Bayonetta's hair grabbed the fifth spot on the chart for its debut. THQ's Zelda meets God of War hybrid, Darksiders, also had a strong debut in eighth place. Had it bested the current chart champ, we'd be checking for signs of the apocalypse.

Source – 9 successive weeks at No1 for Call of Duty [GFK Chart-Track]
Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]

Modern Warfare 2 spends sixth week atop UK sales chart

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 21st 2009 at 9:05AM }

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been entrenched at the top spot of the UK sales chart for six weeks now. FIFA 10's expected pre-holiday sales surge happened and the game rebounded from fifth to second place, but it still wasn't enough to suppress the firepower of Activision's FPS (it seems the only thing more powerful than Call of Duty is Waldo). While stuffing themselves with Turkish delight, Chart-Track has declared this the "Official Christmas Chart" of 2009. Nintendo has Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus at the third and fourth spots, respectively.

Despite serious competition during the holiday week from more family-friendly fare, Assassin's Creed 2 maintains a respectable foothold, slipping only two spots down to fifth place. Thanks to the movie release, James Cameron's Avatar got its blue butt on some big bird-lizard things and flew up 17 spots (129%) to reach 12th place.

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (11/10/09)

Source -- Modern Warfare 2 captures Christmas No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

UK Charts: Modern Warfare still tops; Assassin's Creed 2 outperforms original's debut

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 23rd 2009 at 10:39AM }

The Assassin's Creed sequel may not have taken out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from the top spot on the UK charts, but the game did outperform the original's 2007 debut by 12 percent in unit sales. Although Chart Track doesn't give specific unit sales figures, it's staggering to think that Infinity Ward's FPS dropped 86 percent after its launch week and still retained the top spot.

Behind the big boys of violence, Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus took the next three spots, respectively. The hardened Left 4 Dead 2 shambled up to seventh spot.

Source -- Call of Duty stands firm [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

Sports Authority to begin selling Wii consoles, Wii Fit Plus in stores

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 17th 2009 at 2:31PM }

Somewhere between the jockstraps and gun racks, The Sports Authority will begin selling Wii and Wii Fit Plus in select stores. Company President David Campisi says, "Sports Authority recognized that the Wii console is a product that can help you stay active and have fun with your family at the same time, which is why the retail partnership with Nintendo is a perfect fit." Meanwhile, the American Council on Exercise finds the actual benefits of Wii Fit "underwhelming."

But, forget the ACE telling us that doing the real-world versions of Wii Fit exercises is healthier, Sports Authority has a multi-million unit selling console and excercise program to sell! Who cares if it actually works -- or people use it? Sports Authority has sold plenty of products over the years to people looking to get healthy, and parents whose kids want to try a new sport, which then get used a few times and exist afterward as dust collectors 'til the end of days.

Modern Warfare 2 makes a killing, bundled games rally in UK sales chart

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 16th 2009 at 10:08AM }

Much like a dude-seeking missile dropped from an overhead predator drone, Modern Warfare 2 sales plummeted in the UK after the game's first day of availability. As you already know, the game moved 1.23 million copies on its launch day -- however, according to Chart Track's calculations, it finished off the week with a paltry 1.78 million units (for £67.4 million) sold. With pathetic figures like that, you know Activision's got to be feeling disappointed.

Other UK chart staples (Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, FIFA 10) all maintained their top 10 ranking this week -- though the list had two unfamiliar visitors who vaulted to the top of the charts on the back of a new 360 bundle: Lego Batman (which jumped from 14th place to 7th) and Pure (which sprung from 23rd place to 9th). That's quite a comeback for these two titles, though perhaps they would have fared even better had they been bundled with copies of Modern Warfare 2 instead.

Source -- Modern Warfare 2 Smashes All Records [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

Buy Wii Fit Plus, get free water

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 10th 2009 at 11:15PM }

Did you upgrade to Wii Fit Plus so you can stay in shape over the holidays? While some may question the validity of a Wii Fit "workout," premium water company Hint is trying to capitalize on the craze by offering all purchasers of Nintendo's latest fitness title a free case of water. A standalone copy of Wii Fit Plus costs $20, while a 12-pack of Hint water costs $22, making this quite the "deal."

According to its official website, "Hint is a pure healthy water lightly infused with natural flavors. Unsweetened. Lightly flavored. No calories." If you're into that sort of thing, you can send in a digital scan of your Wii Fit Plus receipt to hintwater@5wpr.com. You'll be able to choose from one of the following flavors: Blackberry, Watermelon, Pomegranate Tangerine, Mango Grapefruit or Raspberry Lime.

Wii Fit Plus claims top spot in UK sales chart, Dragon Age debuts in fifth

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 9th 2009 at 10:01AM }

Wii Fit Plus has taken the top spot in the UK during its second week of release, according to Chart Track. The excellent Dragon Age: Origins premiered in fifth place, behind Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort and two football games. No surprises there!

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time premiered at the 22nd spot, which is a weaker debut than we had anticipated for the titular duo's final(ish) outing. It'll likely have a stronger showing in the US, though we'll have to wait for the NPD results to see if it lands in the top ten.

Source -- A fitting No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

Joyswag: Wii Fit Plus and a Wii Fit Plus shirt [update]

by David Hinkle { Nov 5th 2009 at 10:15AM }

Update: That's it, folks -- the contest has come to a close! Keep an eye on your email's inbox to see if you won!

With the major pound-packing holidays bearing down on us at breakneck speed, we thought it prudent to help a few of you shed those unwanted love handles with a free copy of Wii Fit Plus. Are you game? See below for how to enter -- best of luck!

Leave a comment telling us whether or not you actively exercise
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 11:59AM ET on Wednesday, November 11
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive Wii Fit Plus for the Nintendo Wii ($20 ARV) and a Wii Fit Plus workout shirt ($20 ARV)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Soccer reigns supreme once again in UK sales chart; DJ Hero breaks in at 20

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 2nd 2009 at 1:00PM }

Another football game came out in the UK last week and, once again, it came in first place in the region's weekly software sales charts. This time around, the game was Football Manager 2010, in which soccer isn't played, but rather, managed. That's far too boring a concept to discuss further, so instead, let's move to the other big debuts: Wii Fit Plus, for instance, came in second place for the week, which is -- wait a minute. Doesn't Wii Fit Plus have a "Soccer Heading" minigame? Oh, Nintendo. You know exactly what you're doing.

Episodes From Liberty City and Tekken 6 also made a splash during their launch week, garnering sixth and eighth place finishes, respectively. However, DJ Hero seems to be following its expected, slow-starting sales trajectory, debuting at twentieth place in last week's chart. We've got a small suggestion for FreeStyle Games to improve the rhythm title's performance in the UK: Needs moar Dizzee Rascal.

Source -- Sega's FM 2010 Kicks Off at No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

Professor Layton and the Million-Selling Sequel

by JC Fletcher { Oct 30th 2009 at 1:15PM }

It would appear that Nintendo made the right decision in finally getting around to releasing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box worldwide, as the company was able to trade that box for one filled with cash money. The company released a supplement to its earnings report, listing the million-selling first-party Wii and DS games of its Q3 (April-September), and Diabolical Box made the list with 1.26 million units sold. The entirety of that 1.26 million comes from outside of Japan, since it wasn't a first-party game in Japan, and it was released in 2007.

The other new additions to the million-seller club on DS: Tomodachi Collection, the Mii communication game, and Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which mysteriously managed to rack up 10,000 overseas sales despite not having been released outside of Japan. Is Nintendo tracking import retailers differently somehow?

On Wii, Wii Sports Resort has reached 6.97 million units worldwide, and Wii Fit Plus has already sold 2.13 million, a nice complement to the 4.28 million that the first Wii Fit sold in the last quarter.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Source (PDF)

Change 4 Life campaign endorsing Wii Fit Plus

by JC Fletcher { Oct 26th 2009 at 9:00PM }

The Change 4 Life ad campaign gathered early attention with the shocking connection between sedentary activities like games and "AN EARLY DEATH." Then it softened the message a bit with the more positive suggestion that "active" video games would be a healthy move. Now, the initiative is getting its exercise with vigorous backpedaling, as it will actually endorse a video game, giving permission to use its logo in advertising. Of course, that game is Wii Fit Plus.

"We are thrilled that active videogames are finally being recognised by the Government for contributing to a healthy, balanced lifestyle," ELSPA's Mike Rawlinson said. Rawlinson revealed that ELSPA has been working with the UK government since the first Change 4 Life ad to get some fairer recognition for games, and apparently the Change 4 Life folks finally ~~got tired of hearing about it~~ came to their senses.

Joyswag: Get your exercise on with Wii Fit Plus & Active Life Extreme Challenge

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 26th 2009 at 2:30PM }

As we approach the colder months of the year here at Joystiq HQ, we like to fool ourselves by picking up the latest Wiinovations in the world of game-based exercise equipment, knowing wholeheartedly that they'll never end up getting much use. This year, however, we figured we would extend that same ideological principle to you. We hope that your moral certitude will employ Wii Fit Plus and Active Life Extreme Challenge (it's totally extreme) more than we would! We'll be picking a winner for this enticing exercise pack at random from the folks who comment below -- all you have to do is tell us your favorite exercise fad of all time. Get those finger muscles moving!

Leave a comment telling us your favorite exercise fad of all time.
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, largely due to Celine Dion)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 2:31PM ET on Monday, November 2
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive a copy of Wii Fit Plus ($20 ARV) and Active Life Extreme Challenge ($60 ARV)
For a list of complete rules, click here

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Tony Hawk Tutorial

by David Hinkle { Oct 19th 2009 at 1:45PM }

This week's Nintendo Channel update is chock full of Wii Fit Plus stuff again, but we'd like to draw your attention to the video tutorial on how to play Tony Hawk Ride. It answers a lot of the super important questions we've had -- like, "Does this peripheral work with both male and female gamers?" and, "Is this one of the most advanced game controllers ever created?"

Head past the break for the full list of this week's content.

Continued →

wii-fit-plus posts(Subscribe to this feed)

GfK-ChartTrack analyzes 2009's global software and hardware sales trends

Nintendo and Target teaming up for Wii Fit Plus promo -- receive $15 gift card

UK charts: MW2 show continues, Bayonetta and Darksiders debut

Modern Warfare 2 spends sixth week atop UK sales chart

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (11/10/09)

UK Charts: Modern Warfare still tops; Assassin's Creed 2 outperforms original's debut

Sports Authority to begin selling Wii consoles, Wii Fit Plus in stores

Modern Warfare 2 makes a killing, bundled games rally in UK sales chart

Buy Wii Fit Plus, get free water

Wii Fit Plus claims top spot in UK sales chart, Dragon Age debuts in fifth

Joyswag: Wii Fit Plus and a Wii Fit Plus shirt [update]

Soccer reigns supreme once again in UK sales chart; DJ Hero breaks in at 20

Professor Layton and the Million-Selling Sequel

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Change 4 Life campaign endorsing Wii Fit Plus

Joyswag: Get your exercise on with Wii Fit Plus & Active Life Extreme Challenge

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Tony Hawk Tutorial

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wii-fit-plus posts(Subscribe to this feed)

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (11/10/09)

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