Wii Owners Don't Buy Games

According to a well-argued piece by the New York Times, Wii owners don't buy games. They look at the issue from a variety of angles, including the facts (Wii owners buy one game less per year than their 360/PS3 counterparts), the analysts (Michael Pachter explains this represents a "broadening of the demographic") and the consequences (Super Smash Bros. Brawl sales dropped 90% over the first four weeks, forcing companies like Walmart to turn to bundling the game).

All in all, it's a good thing that Nintendo makes loads of cash on the Wii, Wii controllers and accessories for Wii controllers. Because even their traditional franchises are failing to inspire many of those who purchased Wiis in the first place.

New Wii Games Find a Big (but Stingy) Audience [NYT]

Microsoft Moving 7 Games Per Console

Back when I was an NES junkie, I owned only a handful of games. And that seemed liked a LOT. Now, I have my wife trying to throw away the Xbox/360, DS, PS2/3, and Wii cases that fill every nook and cranny of my living room (the vintage stuff is in my office). Apparently I'm not the only one to sacrifice my paycheck to purchase games, as Microsoft is now claiming a 7-game attachment rate per 360 sold—what they call a "record" for "consoles in relative history." Considering that most games for the 360 hit shelves at $60 a pop, not only are gamers buying more titles, but they're probably spending more money on said titles than ever before. (Translation: the Xbox 720 will offer titles at $70, suckers).

Microsoft CFO Liddell Talks [CNBC via Maxconsole]