Nintendo was the high scorer in a record 2007 for the video game business, zooming past rivals Microsoft and Sony in the next-generation console wars thanks to the wild popularity of its Wii gaming system.
In a year when worldwide sales of video game software grew 43 percent to $17.94 billion – an all-time industry best – the Wii sold 8.5 million units, according to year-end figures from NPD Group.
That outpaced Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which sold 4.6 million units, and Sony’s PS3, which sold 2.6 million units. In a twist, Sony’s older system, the PS2, actually outpaced its successor – selling 3.9 million units.
Overall console system sales grew 73 percent to $5.1 billion, led by next-generation systems which cost $250 and up. Total hardware sales, including consoles and cheaper handheld devices, grew 54 percent to $7 billion. Nintendo’s kid-friendly handheld player, the Nintendo DS, was actually the best-selling device last year at 8.5 million units.
The Wii grabbed the top spot among big-ticket consoles despite manufacturing shortages over Christmas that severely limited its availability.
It’s also rapidly closing in on the Xbox 360 in all-time sales among the next-generation systems. The Xbox has sold 9.2 million units since its launch in 2005, while the Wii has sold 7.4 million units since its introduction in 2006.
The PS3, introduced the same year as the Wii, is running a distant third with 3.3 million units sold.
Nintendo also claimed four of the top 10 best-selling video game titles last year, the most of any software publisher, led by its sports game “Wii Play,” which ranked No. 2 with sales of 4.1 million copies.
Microsoft’s blockbuster “Halo 3” for Xbox 360 was the top game of the year with 4.8 million copies sold.
Activision’s “Guitar Hero 3,” for PS2 finished fourth with 2.7 million units during what was a big year for Guitar Hero-related sales. The franchise, including versions for other systems and older iterations of the game, generated $820 million in sales.