Wii - what is keeping the demand so high?

[elkatas]

Did Dewy's Adventure come out anywhere yet? Are those preorder sales?

It came out in Japan, and moved around 10 000 copies during its first week. Then it disappeared. Worst selling title for Wii in Japan has been Wing Island with 2 500 or so copies.

[Dogg Thang]

Hmmm... then I'm not sure about the figures. You see, if you add up what you gave me, that hits well over 11 million, which is impressive. I didn't see Zelda there so let's say (for the hell of it) that everyone who bought a Wii bought Zelda. So that's about 21 million.

Then there are the games that didn't make the list (I had a quick look at what I could find but admittedly I can only guess). If they're not heavy hitters and the ones on your list go down to five figures, we can probably only add about a million for those.

That's 22 million. Now there are bound to be more sales in there like European sales that may not have been accounted for but even if all the figures were double that (which can't imagine they are), they still wouldn't hit a five game per system ratio. Granted, that's totally rough and inaccurate.

[elkatas]

Granted, that's totally rough and inaccurate.

Yeah. It is hard to say what the real attach rate is, but five per console is the official number. It is less than X360's attach rate, but pretty normal homeconsole during its first year.

[MikeRox]

no you're not, the dreamcast had a year's head start on the PS2 and look at that. There's just one example for you. I'm sure there are others.

GC was the fastest selling console "out of the gate" last gen even in the UK, and we know where that ended up.

[elkatas]

GC was the fastest selling console "out of the gate" last gen even in the UK, and we know where that ended up.

Yeah, but no other console than Wii has ever sustained such sales speed for so long time. In fact, Wii has already dwarfed PS2's first year, and in best possible scenario, will triple its record (extremely unlikely, but still possible).

[crocky-chocky]

I get the impression that some folks think the Wii is a fad purely because people who aren't gamers are buying it. Which is stupid.

The Wii is currently my most played console, I'm on a wonderous rotation of Eledees, Trauma Center and Mercury. Three brilliant games that are either getting slated just for arriving late, or going unnoticed. Each of these feature gameplay that's greatly enhanced by unique control, they just wouldn't be as good on other systems.

Then of course there's the virtual console, and also Metroid and Mario are mere weeks away. Both of which are blatantly going to be freaking amazing...Galaxy may well be a platforming revolution and possibly the best game ever. Come on folks, think how LONG it's been since Mario Sunshine!

[saif]

Mole, first console out has not been the "winner" since the NES afaik.

5 per console has been hear many times but, no figure back it up. The figures here show it to be VERY unlikely. And presumably the attach rate also includes free games (ie Sports and Play).

[MikeRox]

It is unfortunately hard to give precise numbers , because NPD doesn't give sales numbers for titles that aren't in TOP-10. But I know following numbers:

- Big Brain Academy (less than 200 000, but I don't have European numbers)
- Super Paper Mario (around 800 000)
- Wii Play (around 4 million)
- Resident Evil 4 (400 000 copies or so)
- Madden 07 (over 300 000)
- Tiger Woods (over 400 000 or so)
- Red Steel (over million)
- Elebits (150 000 or so)
- Dragon Quest: Swords (480 000, decent numbers for DQ spin-off)
- Rayman: Raving Rabbids (over 800 000)
- Dewy's Adventure (10 000 copies, pretty bad)
- Gundam G (30 000 copies, pretty bad)
- Cooking Mama (over 200 000 copies, considered success story thanks to its low budget)
- Power Pro 15 (180 000 copies)
- Trauma Center (over 300 000, Atlus USA's best selling title ever).
- Godfather: Don's Edition (bombed, I guess around 80 000 copies worldwide)
- Scarface (bombed, 40 000 copies or so)
- Donkey Kong: Bongo Blast (80 000 or so)
- Mario Party 8 (around 800 000)
- Eternal Blue (around 40 000)
- WarioWare (over million)

As we can see from these numbers, there has been some great success stories, but also some awful flops.

They completely lack European figures though don't they? as Software figures are very rarely distributed for European software.

[elkatas]

And presumably the attach rate also includes free games (ie Sports and Play).

It doesn't include Wii Sports*. And what you mean? Wii Play is free game? You mean that people actually buy it for additional controller?

* Which has sold around 2.3 million in Japan, where it isn't packed with the system.

[elkatas]

They completely lack European figures though don't they? as Software figures are very rarely distributed for European software.

In some cases, European sales are missing, in some cases aren't.

[MarioMark]

- Elebits (150 000 or so)

One of the best games on the Wii and it's one of the least sellers.

The Wii is selling for the wrong reasons, not for games like Zelda and Metroid Prime 3, but for crap like Cooking Mama and Wii Play.

[Dogg Thang]

Is Cooking Mama not good? I haven't played it but had heard good things.

[MikeRox]

well cooking mama has been riding the UK chart for quite a few weeks

It might not be the sort of game MarioMark wasn't to play, but I don't see how that makes it any less valuable as a title.

[MarioMark]

Is Cooking Mama not good? I haven't played it but had heard good things.

It's ok but not my kind of game. My point really was me moaning, saying the Wii sells for these 15 minute mainstream pick up and play games, and not proper titles like Zelda and Metroid. Yes they are still system sellers and games we buy, but without them the Wii would still be a success.

[H-Man]

Cooking mama is pretty poo, fun for a quick rental.

Wii play lazer hockey and table tennis, though - presents from heaven. Me and a mate have very heated battles every time he comes round