Feb 2010 NPD: Wii Say Goodbye to a Good Run

[BreakABone]

Data care of NPD Group
Reporting Period: 1/31/2010 through 2/27/2010


PlayStation 2 101.9K
PlayStation 3 360.1K
PSP 133.4K
Xbox 360 422.0K
Wii 397.9K
Nintendo DS 613.2K


BIOSHOCK 2* 360 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE Feb-10 562.9K
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 555.6K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 314.3K
JUST DANCE WII UBISOFT Nov-09 275.4K
SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Jul-09 272.5K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* PS3 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 252.8K
MASS EFFECT 2 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Jan-10 246.5K
DANTE'S INFERNO: DIVINE EDITION PS3 ELECTRONIC ARTS Feb-10 242.5K
DANTE'S INFERNO 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Feb-10 224.7K
HEAVY RAIN PS3 SONY Feb-10 219.3K

So the 360 outsells the Wii for the 4th time this generation, and only 5th time the Wii hasn't been the number one console.

I'm not gonna offer any theories as I really don't know what caused the bump/decline either way.

As this is the 360's 3rd best month that isn't a holiday and Wii's, not sure where it lays.

Also think first time, a multiplatform title has sold better on Ps3 at launch, could be wrong.

[uber_paddler]

Yeah, it's a pretty strange phenomenon. I mean, the 360 has definitely outsold the Wii before, but there was also always a pretty clear catalyst for it. This time.....I've got nothing. I mean, Bioshock 2's pretty big, I guess, but it doesn't exactly spring to mind when you think "system seller".

[Bond]

Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2 perhaps? Also, maybe the impending release of FFXIII.

[BreakABone]

Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2 perhaps? Also, maybe the impending release of FFXIII.

Historical it wouldn't make sense in the context of the generation. Not saying that it couldn't be either, but Bioshock and Mass Effect 2 are both sequels to games that already exist on the console, and really don't see why they would sell.. especially since both games are rather story heavy and rely on their previous incarnation.

Also, FF 13 seems like the same deal, I wouldn't expect so many people to buy it 2 weeks in advance, but honestly your theories are about as sound as any I could come up with.

Sony and Nintendo are both claiming limited supply for their low sales, we shall see in March/April if it is or if this is a developing pattern.

[Xantar]

Sony and Nintendo are both claiming limited supply for their low sales, we shall see in March/April if it is or if this is a developing pattern.

Nintendo is still claiming shortages? Didn't they sort that out two years after launch?

[Bond]

Sony and Nintendo are both claiming limited supply for their low sales, we shall see in March/April if it is or if this is a developing pattern.
Were sales of the Wii and Playstation 3 even that low? Both consoles were only 23-60,000 behind the 360. Claiming shortages, again, after it was publicly stated the shortage issues had been addressed seems a tad ridiculous to me.

[uber_paddler]

Microsoft PR must be so confused right now. "What? You mean we don't have to put a ridiculous spin on these numbers?"

[BreakABone]

Nintendo is still claiming shortages? Didn't they sort that out two years after launch?
Maybe shortage is a bad term, but they haven't really been able to replenish stock as quickly after December, I mean they did sell more than 5m consoles in a month so they are slowly working it back up.

Were sales of the Wii and Playstation 3 even that low? Both consoles were only 23-60,000 behind the 360. Claiming shortages, again, after it was publicly stated the shortage issues had been addressed seems a tad ridiculous to me.

Sony has been claiming shortages since the start of the year so I would believe their claims.

Apparently, Nintendo started talking about it a week or two ago, but I have no source really, first I heard about it was during their press release.

And even if they sold well, it is one of the lower Wii's months.

[BreakABone]

Looking around, everyone seems to be in agreement that the PS3 and Wii are suffering shortages (and by everyone mean the news articles I found), what is a bit more troubling according to Pachter is that Wii software sales are also down 30% from this time last year or something,which he attributes to lower than usual sales of Wii Play and Wii Fit/Plus, Wii Play is an odd duck, since this marks the 3rd year of its release, and think sales may have slumped due to the fact Nintendo finally started releasing multi-colored Wii-motes with WMP which is a better deal IMO.

Anyhow, top 20 for the month

http://i44.tinypic.com/10cj4hz.png

Forgot to mention in OP, how impressed I am by Heavy Rain's number, that is quite the start for such an odd-ball game.

[TheGame]

I know this is a bit off topic.. but I wonder if there's a place to get the numbers on how many Ps2's have sold worldwide since Xbox 360's release.

[BreakABone]

I know this is a bit off topic.. but I wonder if there's a place to get the numbers on how many Ps2's have sold worldwide since Xbox 360's release.

At the end of 2005, this is what worldwide numbers looked like

Worldwide Hardware Sales (End of 2005)
PS2 - 101.37 million
Xbox - 24 million
GameCube - 20.61 million

North America
PS2 - 40.99 million
Xbox - 16 million
GameCube - 12 million

Japan / Asia
PS2 - 22.83 million
Xbox - 2 million
GameCube - 3.98 million

Europe / PAL
PS2 - 37.55 million
Xbox - 6 million
GameCube - 4.64 million

Figure the PS2 is at like 125 million or so worldwide, and you can figure about 24 million since launch of the Xbox 360 roughly.

[TheGame]

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100303e.html

According to this Press release, Sony claims they sold 142.8 million. I figure they could be inflating their numbers, but where did you get 125 mil from? (I know you said it as an estamate, but just wondering.)

If Sony's numbers are right, and corrolate with the numbers you posted.. then that would mean they sold over 40 million Ps2s this gen. Which would put it 2nd place behind Wii.

[BreakABone]

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100303e.html

According to this Press release, Sony claims they sold 142.8 million. I figure they could be inflating their numbers, but where did you get 125 mil from? (I know you said it as an estamate, but just wondering.)

If Sony's numbers are right, and corrolate with the numbers you posted.. then that would mean they sold over 40 million Ps2s this gen. Which would put it 2nd place behind Wii.

Yeah 40 million wouldn't make sense at all, it continued to sell well through most of 06 and 07, but tethered off in 08. 40 million in 4 years would be 10 million a year, it hasn't been selling THAT well.

Hmm