The Charts: Wii-E Weekend Pays Off

Wii for the Win?

Posted by Staff
Unsurprisingly, the fastest-selling console in the history of the UK Videogame Charts was Nintendo’s newly-launched, ‘new gen’ Wii, with nearly 105,000 consoles and 170,000 copies of launch games already sold since Wii-E day last Friday, outselling the Xbox 360's first weekend hardware sales by 35,000 and first weekend launch software sales by around 20,000 units.

The good news continues for Nintendo with the second best-selling software format this last week (in terms of value) being the DS, which means that Nintendo’s home console and handheld formats account for over a quarter of all software value sold through the week. Impressive stuff, say wii (sic).

In the All Formats Top Ten, EA’s FIFA 07 scores its impressive second hat-trick at the top of the chart this year, while the publisher’s Need for Speed: Carbon holds firm at number two, no doubt bolstered by the release of the Wii version. The Christmas chart is only a week away - will Need for Speed pull ahead with a last minute sales burst to take the Christmas glory crown yet again?

Konami’s had a good week with increased sales of the PSP and Xbox 360 versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 kicking the game up one place to number three this week, swapping places with Activision’s Call of Duty 3 which drops one place to number four.

Six out of the fourteen Wii titles available at launched this weekend feature in the All Formats Top 40, with the console’s ‘killer app’ The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess straight in at five, bought by over two-thirds of new Wii owners. You can see SPOnG’s full review of Twilight Princess to see why you need this game.

The second most popular Wii game is Wii Play which is straight in at number nine, mainly because it is sold as part of a no-brainer, must-buy bundle with an extra Wii Remote. The game itself is worth your £35 alone, so it’s no surprise it’s selling healthily.

Third party Wii publishers also did good business last weekend, with Ubisoft’s Red Steel in at 19, Rayman Raving Rabbids in at 30 and Midway’s movie cash-in Happy Feet (Wii version new this week) hot-footing it up the chart seven places to number 11.

Comments

Dreadknux 12 Dec 2006 10:47
1/8
The second most popular Wii game is Wii Play which is straight in at number nine, mainly because it is sold as part of a no-brainer, must-buy bundle with an extra Wii Remote. The game itself is worth your £35 alone, so it’s no surprise it’s selling healthily.


True that. Although the #9 position could also be due to people attempting to get extra controllers - as Nintendo apparently forgot to ship standalone Wii Remotes, I had to make the rather ingenious decision (well I thought so at the time) to buy three copies of Wii Play instead of just the one. The four controllers are mine :D

By the way, just thought I'd say - the cow racing game - genius!
DoctorDee 12 Dec 2006 11:02
2/8
Svend Joscelyne wrote:
the rather ingenious decision (well I thought so at the time) to buy three copies of Wii Play instead of just the one. The four controllers are mine :D

Bet you have a bitch of a time off-loading those spare copies of Wii Play though! The attach rate must be incredible...

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Jay 12 Dec 2006 11:07
3/8
The game itself is worth your £35 alone, so it’s no surprise it’s selling healthily.


The extra fiver maybe, but there's no way the game is worth £35 alone. In fact, it's quite a disappointment considering the potential for a first-party title like that.
Dreadknux 12 Dec 2006 11:09
4/8
Yeah, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the extra copies yet, lol. They're just stuffed in my attic right now with the other now-empty boxes... I figure eBay or reselling them isn't an option, clearly because most consumers are pretty savvy when it comes to the fact that a controller once came with it.

I may play the scene by ear. Considering Wii Play is currently sold out wherever I look, I'd say after Christmas people might go for the extra controller on its own if Wii Play isn't on the shelf. That is when I will strike (mwaha).
headcasephil 12 Dec 2006 11:10
5/8


True that. Although the #9 position could also be due to people attempting to get extra controllers - as Nintendo apparently forgot to ship standalone Wii Remotes, I had to make the rather ingenious decision (well I thought so at the time) to buy three copies of Wii Play instead of just the one. The four controllers are mine :D

By the way, just thought I'd say - the cow racing game - genius!


to all that have done this an now have three wii plays if you take it to GAME you can trade them in for £5 a game
and get more wii goodness
Dreadknux 12 Dec 2006 11:10
6/8
Jay wrote:
The extra fiver maybe, but there's no way the game is worth £35 alone. In fact, it's quite a disappointment considering the potential for a first-party title like that.


I'd say tenner max. Although having said that -- COW RACING!

if you take it to GAME you can trade them in for £5 a game and get more wii goodness

Word, so I can take the extra games on their own and get a fiver off (without the remotes of course, they're the reason I bought the extra copies)?

I might have to indulge in a little bit of that.
headcasephil 12 Dec 2006 11:15
7/8
yes you do not need the remote
YenRug 12 Dec 2006 13:09
8/8
I was pleasantly surprised to find Dixons used WiiPlay to supply the extra controller for my bundle, that I ordered; upped my game collection to 5 on launch day!
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