That 1.5 million breaks down to more than 550,000 Wii consoles and more than 1 million Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi portables, according to Nintendo's internal estimates. In terms of frequency, that's over 150 Nintendo hardware units sold every minute, more than 2.5 smiles put on faces every second.

Yes, those are impressive numbers. But one of those numbers was more impressive last year, when Nintendo says it sold more than 800,000 Wiis during the same time period.

In 2007, Nintendo sold a comparitively meager 350,000 Wiis during the Thanksgiving spending spree. That year, Nintendo boasted that Nintendo DS sales topped 600,000 during the same week long period, a number that jumped 20% the following year, nothing that compares to the new 1 million unit sold record held by combined DS and DSi sales.

Since Nintendo sold 506,900 Wii consoles and 457,600 Nintendo DSs during the full month of October, we'll bet the company will have something to brag about when November's tally rolls around. While we suspect it won't shatter November 2008's amazing, "historic" records,, we wouldn't be surprised to see Nintendo branded things topping the charts.

According to a boastful official announcement from Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix, the winner of the monthly music game battle was The Beatles: Rock Band, the "#2 selling title across all genres by revenue in the U.S. for the month of September." The Xbox 360 and Wii versions sold well enough to chart in the NPD's top ten video games for the month, with the downloadable single "All You Need Is Love" racking up over 100,000 downloads.

The Beatles: Rock Band folks further rub their victory in Activision's corporate face by pointing out that Guitar Hero 5 shipped on an additional platform (the PlayStation 2) and even included a copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen thrown in for free.

It may have also been claimed that Scott Guthrie, president of MTV Games, could beat up Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO. Or it may not have been. Or was it? We may never know...

That's still a long way from the more than 45 million copies the original game sold, but Wii Sports Resort, with its included Wii MotionPlus peripheral, likely won't stop there. The game moved over 360,000 in its first week on sale in Japan, passing the 763,000 mark in the country as of last week, according to sales tracker Media Create.

Nintendo of America estimates one Wii Sports Resorts sale every 1.5 seconds, give or take a fraction, between its release on July 26 and August 3.

According to official word from EA, The Sims 3 has already moved 1.4 million copies of the PC and Mac version since its June 2nd release. And we're talking actual sell through, not dirty, rampant pirating! Real money is being spent on The Sims 3, even on the iPhone version, which has remained the top selling paid app on iTunes since its launch.

If you'd like to be handed another official number, try this one on for size: 7 million. That's the number of player created items for The Sims 3 that have been downloaded since launch. I predict expansion packs!

The DS alone sold over a million, outselling every other competitor's console, portable and handheld, combined, with the new DSi contributing a mighty 827,000 of those sales. That tally set a new all-time record for April hardware sales in the US.

But it's not like the Wii was slacking, either, as with 340,000 sold it did better than the tallied sales of the 360 and PS3.

Knowing that the numbers speak for themselves, and that kicking your opponents while down is bad sport, Nintendo of America smile machine Cammie Dunaway kept it brief, saying "Nintendo systems and software represented 56 percent of the industry total shares in April, indicating continued strong consumer preference for quality and value".

"Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce active-play games like Punch-Out!! and Wii Sports Resort into the market." Oh come now, Cammie. We bet you're excited for Spirit Tracks, too.

The 175,000 Xbox 360s sold in April represents a drop of 7% from this time last year, leaving the company to try and focus on things like the fact that "Xbox 360 sales were up 28 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2009" and that some of the most popular 360 titles for the month included Godfather II and, uh, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

This is normally where we'd move onto a rousing speech from somebody like Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg, but this month, no rhetoric. No executive statements. Just the above. Guess everyone was all tuckered out mining that silver lining above, and called it a day early.

Can't blame them!

For you and me, it would be.

While a drop to $99 spurred the old PS2 into life, resulting in a handy 38% increase in sales, PS3 sales were down a whopping 32% from April 2008, and PSP sales were even worse, down 39%.

But don't think that's got Sony down! Chins are up at Sony Computer Entertainment America, where Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold has an idea on how to issue a marketing fix, sending out the following call to arms:

We're revving up the new fiscal year with a broad tent of content and services across our platforms with envelope-pushing PS3 games like inFAMOUS, MAG, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. We often hear from our customers that they're surprised by everything the PS3 does in addition to what they purchased the device for — including features like DLNA, free access to Wi Fi and Internet browser.

In some ways, this serves as a reminder that there's more we can do to relay the full breadth and power of the PS3. We know our consumers have varying entertainment lifestyles from the Blu-ray movie fanatic to photo enthusiast, so we've outlined our most aggressive marketing plans to help showcase this tremendous value proposition to all our consumers. We've got a proven history in delivering the best entertainment experience and there is no doubt the PlayStation brand is staged for another big year.

360 sales were up 25% over the same time last year, with 330,000 sold in the US, while Microsoft were also beating their chests over strong software sales, claiming four of the top ten-sellers for March being 360 games (Resident Evil 5, Halo Wars, MLB 2K09 and GH: Metallica (though, uh, we don't see GH: Metallica in the top ten)

But wait! The boasting doesn't stop there! Microsoft also claim that, thanks to the release of GTAIV expansion Lost & Damned and the Dark Knight on the Xbox Video Marketplace, "the number of unique users buying content on Xbox LIVE more than doubled", while also pointing out a "220 percent growth in the number of users purchasing Game Add-ons over the same period last year".

Sadly, Microsoft's press release did not contain a quote from Aaron Greenberg.

March NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:

* Xbox 360 system sales hit 330,000 units, up 25 percent from a year earlier, making it the only console experiencing growth in March
* Xbox 360 claimed four of the top 10 video game titles in March
* Purchasers of Game Add-ons on Xbox LIVE surged 128 percent in March over the same period last year

Xbox 360 was the only game console to show year-over-year growth in the U.S. as the $199 starting price continued to resonate with consumers looking to get more entertainment value for their money. Retail sales of Xbox 360 systems hit 330,000 units in March, climbing 25 percent from a year earlier, in contrast to double-digit declines posted by Wii and PlayStation 3. March was the sixth month in a row that Xbox 360 has seen year-over-year sales growth.

Games on Xbox 360

Xbox 360 claimed four of the top 10 console games in March, including "Resident Evil 5," "Halo Wars," "MLB 2K09," and "Guitar Hero: Metallica" (March NPD data). The titles covered action, strategy, sports and music genres, highlighting the breadth of gaming experiences available on Xbox 360. Sales of third-party games on Xbox 360, a key measure of platform health, hit $185 million in March, more than any other system (March NPD data). Xbox 360 is also home to the most top-rated games of any current-generation console, with 139 titles earning a score of 80 or above on Metacritic, while no other console has even 100 such titles (Metacritic data).

Number of users buying content on Xbox LIVE more than doubles

Xbox LIVE extends the range of home entertainment experiences with more than 30,000 pieces of entertainment content. This includes more than 18,000 movies, TV shows and music videos via the LIVE Video Marketplace and more than 12,000 videos streamed through an exclusive partnership with Netflix. The number of unique users buying content on Xbox LIVE more than doubled, soaring 128 percent in March over a year earlier, driven by Game Add-ons like "Fallout 3: The Pitt," and blockbuster movies like "The Dark Knight" (Microsoft internal data).

Consumers get more entertainment on Xbox LIVE

2009 marks the year that we've take online console gaming and entertainment to new heights through downloadable games and Game Add-ons. Game Add-ons give Xbox 360 owners the ability to extend the life of their favorite games, whether it's new song tracks for music games, "The Pitt" expansion for "Fallout 3" or the "Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack," which launched April 9.

* In the first three months of 2009, we've seen 220 percent growth in the number of users purchasing Game Add-ons over the same period last year (Microsoft internal data)

· 63 games released 516 Game Add-ons on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in the first three months of 2009 – a 62 percent increase over the same period last year (Microsoft internal data)

· Exclusive Game Add-ons to Xbox 360 include "Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned," "Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage," "Fallout 3: The Pitt," "Gears of War 2 Snowblind Map Pack," and "Scene It? Box Office Smash!."

Namely, the fact there were three PlayStation 3 games in the month's top ten sales (Resident Evil 5, MLB'09 The Show & Killzone 2), which is the first time we can remember that happening in a long time. If it's ever happened at all.

As for hardware sales, Sony chose not to focus on the present, and instead focus on the future. "The best part of what PlayStation has to offer this year is a relentless string of AAA games. We've lined up mass entertainment appeal from the hard core gamer who can't wait to get their hands on a game like MAG, the industry's first 256-player shooter, to the casual gamer who wants to take their RockBand skills on the road via the PSP" says SCEA's Patrick Seybold.

"We're also seeing exciting preliminary numbers for PlayStation 2 with the recent price cut and we couldn't be more pleased with the continued entertainment value and gameplay the platform provides even in its ninth year. We've got a confident plan ahead and have many cards yet to deal, so consumers can rest assured there's a lot to look forward to from PlayStation this new fiscal year."

Patrick Seybold: super pleased.

Sony's full statement below:

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) continues to deliver premium entertainment content and experiences, kicking off 2009 with the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) blockbuster exclusive Killzone® 2 on February 27. With more than 1 million copies sold worldwide and a truly "only on PlayStation" experience, the hit game has garnered the biggest initial success at retail of any first-party PS3 title to date, and will continue to drive incentive for hardware sales throughout the year. MLB® 09 THE Show™ is also garnering tremendous reception by gaming media and sports fans alike, with a recent New York Times review stating, "at its heart [MLB® 09 THE Show] is the most organic, rhythmically accurate and natural simulation of any team sport." Approximately 1 in every 3 PS3 titles achieve Metacritic scores of 80 or higher, which affirms PlayStation's proven track record in delivering rich and relevant entertainment content. SCEA is staged for yet another breakout fiscal year with a broad range of highly anticipated PS3 exclusives, including inFamous, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves™, MAG™, Heavy Rain, God of War® III, and Rachet & Clank® Future: A Crack in Time.

SCEA is also seeing positive internal sales momentum for PlayStation®2 (PS2) hardware sales for April and as the most played game console last year, the PS2 system continues to serve as a great choice for family entertainment, with its new $99.99 price point and ability to play back DVDs and CDs. Offering an unmatched library of nearly 1,900 games in North America, PS2 owners will see new additions such as MLB® 09 THE Show™ and MotorStorm®: Arctic Edge as well as major franchise titles from SCEA's publishing partners, including Ghostbusters: The Video Game and Guitar Hero Metallica come to the platform this fiscal year.

Portable entertainment continues to gain tremendous momentum across the industry and the PSP® system is poised for its most exciting and diverse line up yet. SCEA has planned an unprecedented line up of games and content from publishing partners including Square Enix, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and popular first party franchises to hit the PSP platform, such as LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm. Also, to commemorate the debut of the Rock Band franchise on the PSP platform later this year, SCEA will be releasing a limited edition Rock Band branded entertainment pack at the launch of Rock Band™ Unplugged. In addition to a stellar line up this fiscal year, PSP users will have new freedom in how they access their on-the-go content, with the test case digital-only distribution of Patapon 2 release on May 5.

PlayStation Network continues to expand its service to over 55 countries around the globe connecting more than 20 million registered users to each other and to a variety of digital entertainment options, including the revolutionary PlayStation Home service which accounts for more than 5 million users worldwide. PlayStation Network's game library includes more than 180 downloadable games with extensive range of games from Ragdoll Kung Fu and Flower to growing selections from publishing partners, such as Wheel of Fortune and Noby Noby Boy. With the addition of NBC Universal content to PlayStation Network's video delivery service, consumers today have access to more than 1,700 movies and 5,700 television episodes from every major motion picture studio, including new movie releases such as Wanted and Role Models. The top ranked downloaded game in March was Flower and the top downloaded movie was Twilight.

PlayStation is synonymous with superior entertainment and SCEA is on pace to deliver on that promise once again.

Yes, 600,000 Wiis and 563,000 DS handhelds sold would be cause for celebration enough, but add in the fact that four of the month's top ten games were published by Nintendo and you'll see why the company's execs are still radiating their usual shade of "tickled pink".

"Nintendo systems accounted for 58.4 percent of the video game hardware sold in March, more than all other systems combined," gushed Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Consumers continue to be attracted to the wide range of software available and the great value of Nintendo systems".

No wonder she's always smiling!

The full Nintendo gloat is below:

Nintendo Systems Account for 58.4% of Video Game Hardware Sold in March

Nintendo's Wii™ home console and the Nintendo DS™ portable video game system comfortably led U.S. sales in March, according to data from the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Pokémon™ Platinum Version for Nintendo DS emerged as the No. 2 video game of the month, with nearly 805,000 units sold.

Wii tallied sales of nearly 601,000 in March, while Nintendo DS sold more than half a million, even in advance of the April 5 launch of the new Nintendo DSi™ system. Both Wii and Nintendo DS extended their lead as the best-selling video game systems of this generation.

"Nintendo systems accounted for 58.4 percent of the video game hardware sold in March, more than all other systems combined," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Consumers continue to be attracted to the wide range of software available and the great value of Nintendo systems."

Four games published by Nintendo finished in the top 10 best-sellers of March. These include Pokémon Platinum Version at No. 2, Wii Fit™ at No. 3 with more than 541,000 sold, Wii Play™ at No. 8 with more than 281,000 sold and Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 9 with more than 278,000 sold.

Early U.S. sales of the new Nintendo DSi hand-held system are ahead of those for Nintendo DS Lite, according to Nintendo's internal tracking numbers. In its first week, Nintendo DSi sold 435,000 in the United States. After the same amount of time on the U.S. market after its launch, Nintendo DS Lite had sold 226,300 systems. These numbers demonstrate that the Nintendo DS brand remains strong, and that consumers continue to look for the best new experiences on their portable video game systems.

So far this year, video game industry revenues are on par with 2008, but Nintendo remains a key driver. Without Nintendo products, the industry would be down 14 percent for the year, according to the NPD Group.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com

While Sony didn't release a "PlayStation By The Numbers" response this month—putting the fate of our regular Corporate Gloating posts in doubt—Peter Dille, Senior VP of Marketing and the PlayStation Network at Sony Computer Entertainment America, gave the numbers some thought. While Dille doesn't point out that PlayStation family sales bested 600,000 units sold, which would have outsold the "Xbox family" or the "DS family," he does call the month a "tremendous kickstart" to the year.

SCEA did take a sentence or two to brag about the launch of Killzone 2 which placed in the top ten bestselling games of the month and scored a "noteworthy 92 Metacritic score." And hey, that's nothing to shake a stick at!

Read on for the full statement and the word "momentum."

"In February, we had a tremendous kickstart to what promises to be another record year for the PlayStation brand with the launch of mega blockbuster hit Killzone 2, which ranked in the top 5 with only two days of sales in February and has been garnering extraordinary reviews, and a noteworthy 92 Metacritic score. We have no doubt this game will deliver a next gen experience and will be responsible for driving hardware sales throughout the year. You can also expect an onslaught of unmatched entertainment offerings to hit across our platforms, such as genre-leading PS3 titles like MLB'09: The Show and inFamous, and new content via the PlayStation Network like movies and TV shows from NBC Universal, and an unprecedented line-up of third and first party exclusives to hit the PSP. We have no doubt 2009 will be another year of continued momentum and we remain confident in delivering the best entertainment experience to our consumers." — Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and the PlayStation Network, Sony Computer Entertainment America

Nintendo brags that Wii Play, which has been bundled with a Wii Remote since day one in the States, has been purchased 10 million times over. That's solely in the U.S. and over the course of two years. Wii Play was released here in February of 2007. And Nintendo VP Cammie Dunaway has something to say about it!

"Even if you believe people are buying Wii Play solely for the controller, that indicates that there are now more than 10 million people who have an extra Wii Remote controller in their homes," Dunaway says, "When added to the 12.7 million Wii Remote controllers that have sold separately, this reinforces the growing 'social gaming' trend we have been seeing where friends and family use their Wii games as a social hub – both in person and online." Sound infallible to anyone else?

February brings lifetime U.S. sales of the Wii to "nearly 19 million" with the DS reaching "nearly 29 million." Nearly astounding.

NINTENDO'S WII PLAY SURPASSES 10 MILLION UNITS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES

March 19, 2009

Wii Play™, a collection of nine mini-games, has now sold more than 10 million units in the United States alone since its debut in February 2007, according to figures released today by the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Wii Play, now the top-selling software on all consoles and portable systems in the United States, comes packaged with a Wii Remote™ controller.

"Wii Play mini-games are fun and they get people playing together," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Even if you believe people are buying Wii Play solely for the controller, that indicates that there are now more than 10 million people who have an extra Wii Remote controller in their homes. When added to the 12.7 million Wii Remote controllers that have sold separately, this reinforces the growing 'social gaming' trend we have been seeing where friends and family use their Wii games as a social hub – both in person and online."

Wii™ system sales were up about 74 percent over February 2008, and Wii and Nintendo DS™ finished February as the top-selling hardware systems. Wii sold nearly 753,000, bringing its lifetime U.S. sales to nearly 19 million, while Nintendo DS sold nearly 588,000 for a lifetime U.S. total of nearly 29 million.

Nintendo DS™ demonstrated continued strength, as "evergreen" games like Mario Kart™ DS (launched November 2005) and New Super Mario Bros.™ (launched May 2006) again placed among the top sellers for February. The strong showing for Nintendo DS hardware and software demonstrates continued consumer interest in the portable system as the United States preps for the April 5 launch of the Nintendo DSi™ system, the third iteration of the hardware.

Five games made for Nintendo systems finished in the top 10 best-sellers of February. These include Wii Fit™ at No. 1 with nearly 644,000 sold, Wii Play at No. 2 with nearly 386,000 sold, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 6 with nearly 263,000 sold, Mario Kart DS at No. 8 with nearly 145,000 sold and New Super Mario Bros. at No. 9 with more than 144,000 sold.

Third-party Wii and Nintendo DS games also posted strong sales, with titles from LucasArts, Ubisoft, Majesco, Disney Interactive Studios, Electronic Arts and Activision/Blizzard all placing in the top 30 for the month.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

That's according to NPD analyst Anita Frazier, but the rest of the best is from Microsoft PR. Yes, the company is justifiably pleased with its performance in the U.S. of A. last month, a month in which it moved 391,000 Xbox 360s. Microsoft says that's up 53 percent from last year's February, thanks in part to the console being the "best value in the industry" in its own recently released words.

It also implies that it's home to the best software, gloating that "Xbox 360 is home to the most top-rated games of any current-generation console, with 135 titles earning a score of 80 or above on Metacritic, versus 94 for PlayStation 3 and 43 for Wii." Yep, right in the face.

While Microsoft touts 1 million copies of Halo Wars sold, it still won't go on record with quantitative sales of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned. Believe me, we looked. Hard.

February NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:

· Xbox 360 system sales hit 391,000, up 53 percent from a year earlier, as the best value in the industry continues to win over consumers
· Xbox 360 claimed four of the top 10 video game titles in February
· "Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned" set a sales record for Xbox LIVE

Xbox 360 sustained its record-setting pace this year as U.S. retail sales jumped 53 percent in February from a year earlier to hit 391,000 units. With Xbox 360 starting at just $199, the system offers a compelling buy for consumers looking to make their entertainment dollars go further. Xbox 360 is home to the most top-rated games of any current-generation console, with 135 titles earning a score of 80 or above on Metacritic, versus 94 for PlayStation 3 and 43 for Wii (Metacritic data). Xbox 360 also features a vibrant online community with Xbox LIVE and takes entertainment beyond games with more than 30,000 pieces of content available for download, including more than 12,000 movies and TV shows for instant watch through a partnership with Netflix.

Games on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 claimed four of February's top 10 console games, including "Street Fighter IV," "Call of Duty: World at War," "FEAR 2," "Skate 2." (February NPD data). Each game was from a different publisher, underscoring Xbox 360's role as a driver of the entire industry. Sales of third-party games on Xbox 360 hit $162 million in February, more than either competitor (February NPD data). Xbox 360 owners continue to buy more games than owners of other systems, having bought an average of 8.2 titles each.

"The Lost and Damned" Sets Xbox LIVE Sales Record
On February 17, "The Lost and Damned," the first highly anticipated Game Add-on for "Grand Theft Auto IV," was released exclusively on Xbox LIVE. This all-new chapter in the "GTA IV" world set a record for first-day sales on Xbox LIVE and highlighted Xbox 360 as the only console where you can play additional episodes of the game.

Setting the Stage for Sustained Growth
Xbox 360 rolled out more hits in March with the release of "Halo Wars," which put a strategic twist on one of the best-selling franchises of all time. As announced earlier today, sales of "Halo Wars" have already hit 1 million copies worldwide. Also, Capcom's globally popular "Resident Evil" franchise came to Xbox 360 for the first time with the release of "Resident Evil 5" on March 13. Xbox and Capcom further stoked fan enthusiasm by releasing a red "RE5" limited edition Xbox 360 console.

Consumers Get More Entertainment on Xbox LIVE
· Xbox 360 is the leading console for online play and is used by fully half of people who play console games online(NPD Online Gaming 2009)
· Xbox 360 owners spend an average of 8 hours per week playing games online, more than any other platform, including the PC (NPD Online Gaming 2009)
· The top five movie downloads on Xbox LIVE in February included "Body of Lies," "College," "Eagle Eye," "My Best Friend's Girl," and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (Microsoft internal data)
· Game Add-ons give Xbox 360 owners the ability to extend the life of their favorite games, with examples ranging from the wildly successful "The Lost and Damned" for "Grand Theft Auto IV," to extra tracks for music games.

AMD calls the "Hollywood" graphics chip, the central Smile Processing Unit that outputs those eye-blistering Wii visuals, "the most successful AMD game console chip to date in terms of unit sales." And we'd think that "in terms of unit sales" is pretty much the primary term that AMD and its shareholders give a toss about.

Sure, they may care that AMD's stock price has dropped from about $21 at the Wii's launch to two bucks and change today, but don't blame that on the Wii!

"AMD's graphics technology expertise as displayed in the ATI 'Hollywood' chip is a great part of the momentum of Wii. Our combined efforts help deliver entertaining experiences to create many smiling faces in living rooms around the world," said Genyo Takeda, general manager of Integrated R&D at Nintendo.

Congrats, AMD chip fabrication plant. We bet you have plenty more Wii business to fall back on over the next few years.

Seems January 2009 was the "single biggest month ever for Xbox LIVE", which leads us into a presser which sees Microsoft boasting - oh, just like Nintendo! - that 2009 has started with a bang.

The slapping of high fives is also sounding throughout Microsoft HQ at the news Xbox 360 games constituted five of the top ten games for January, and that sales of 360 hardware were up 33% over January 2008, with 309,000 consoles sold.

January NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:

* Xbox 360 system sales hit 309,000, up 33 percent from a year
earlier, as holiday momentum carries into 2009

* Xbox 360 claimed five of the top 10 titles in January, with
more top-rated games available than on any other system

* Single biggest month ever for Xbox LIVE as record number of
new members joined in January; exclusive game add-ons extend
blockbuster experiences

Xbox 360 kicked off 2009 with a bang, posting record system sales for
January of 309,000 units (January NPD data), a 33 percent jump from a
year earlier. Sales were driven by Xbox 360's broad lineup of
blockbuster video games, as well as Xbox LIVE, which saw more new
members join than during any month in its history. The $199 Xbox 360
Arcade model also offers tremendous value for consumers looking to jump
into next-generation interactive entertainment.

Games on Xbox 360

Xbox 360 games claimed five spots in the January top 10, including "Left
4 Dead," "Call of Duty: World at War," "Skate 2," "Lord of the Rings:
Conquest," and "Gears of War 2" (January NPD data).

Sales of third-party games on Xbox 360 hit $139 million in January
(January NPD data), with Xbox 360 generating more life-to-date sales at
retail for third-party publishers than competing consoles. With 132
Xbox 360 titles rated 80 or higher on Metacritic, compared to 90 for PS3
and 42 for Wii (Metacritic data), it's no wonder that Xbox 360 owners
lead the industry in game purchases, having bought an average of 8.1
games each.

Xbox LIVE Records Highest Member Growth in History

January was also a banner month for Xbox LIVE as more people joined than
in any previous month in its history. A total of more than 17 million
people are now active members of the industry-leading service, which
features a vast selection of downloadable games, game add-ons, movies
and TV shows of any device connected to the TV.

Consumers Get More Entertainment on Xbox LIVE

* More than 1 million Xbox LIVE members now enjoying Netflix's
streaming video service

* Each household has watched an average of 16 movies over the
service

* Xbox 360 is the only place to get the complete storylines for
hit games like "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Fallout 3"

* "Fable II Knothole Island" and "Fallout 3 Operation:
Anchorage" were two of the top performers for game add-ons in the month
of January

* The "Halo Wars" demo, released on February 5, set a day-one
record for the most demo downloads on Xbox LIVE; with more than 2
million downloads in the first week, it was one of the top demo
downloads of all time on the service

* "The Lost and Damned" arrives February 17 for the
highest-rated game of all time, "Grand Theft Auto IV", only on Xbox LIVE

To you and I, maybe, but sure not to Nintendo, who continue to be pleased - no, very pleased - with the way the current console generation seems to be panning out. So pleased that they don't feel the year started well. They feel it started with a bang.

As you'd expect, when you consider they moved over a million consoles and were behind 20 of the top 30-selling console games for the month.

Nintendo Accounts for More Than Total Video Game Industry Growth in January Versus Last Year

Nintendo kicked off 2009 the same way it finished 2008: with a bang. While the video game industry grew by $150 million (12 percent) year-on-year, Nintendo's total sales grew by $300 million in January, offsetting declines on other platforms.

Sales of the Wii™ console in January were up 148 percent over January 2008, with nearly 680,000 units sold, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Since Wii launched in November 2006, it has sold more than 18 million units in the United States.

Sales of the Nintendo DS™ system in January were also up 99 percent over January 2008, and it once again was the top-selling portable system with more than 510,000 units sold. Since Nintendo DS launched in November 2004, it has sold more than 28 million units in the United States.

"Nintendo's significant contribution to January's industry growth validates our internal research showing that Nintendo continues to expand the gaming audience," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We are excited to see that consumers, new and existing, are choosing to entertain themselves in new ways with the diversity of our software lineup."

Similar momentum was witnessed in software sales, with 20 of the top 30 games of January made for Nintendo systems. Of those, five games made for Nintendo systems finished in the top 10 best-sellers of January. These games include Wii Fit™ at No. 1 with more than 777,000 sold, Wii Play™ at No. 2 with nearly 415,000 sold, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 3 with more than 292,000 sold, New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS at No. 7 with nearly 135,000 sold, and Mario Kart™ DS at No. 8 with more than 132,000 sold.

That figure is according to a release from LucasFilm, which released Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on just about every platform one can rattle off, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, iPhone, nGage and other mobile phones, a platform bombing strategy sure to have helped the game's chance. Moving 1.5 million copies in its first week gave it a pretty good head start.

We're betting that LucasFilm might have something good going here with this Star Wars stuff. I'm calling it now: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. Eh? Catchy, isn't it?

In its follow-up to NPD sales data that showed Nintendo moving 2 million Wiis and 3 million DSs in the United States, the company points out its many success. It sold over 20 million hardware units in 2008, 10.17 million of those Wiis. That's never been done before, Nintendo says, with the two platforms breaking the previous record set by its own Nintendo DS in 2007. It sold 8.52 million units that year. Huzzah!

Nintendo puts it all in perspective, pointing out that Wii was responsible for 55% of all "next generation" home console sales in 2008, with the DS taking 72% of the portable pie.

It even racked up 132 million games sold on Nintendo hardware alone, third-parties included. The bragging is simply too much! You'll have to read the official statement while I recover...

Wii & Nintendo DS Set New Industry Records

Wii Sells 10.17 Million Units & DS Sells 9.95 Million Units in a Year

REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)— Before 2008, no video game system had ever been purchased by ten million Americans in a single year. But according to independent sales data released today by the NPD Group, the Wii™ console from Nintendo did just that, even during these economic times, with 2008 unit sales of 10.17 million. The Nintendo DS™ portable handheld system came in a close second, with 2008 unit sales of 9.95 million. Each of them broke the previous yearly unit sales record set in 2007 by Nintendo DS with sales of 8.52 million.

Consequently, Wii represented 55% of all next generation home console sales in 2008, while Nintendo DS claimed 72% of all portable system sales in 2008.

“Our type of entertainment has now moved to the point where there is no longer a question that if you offer consumers an expanded definition of what a video game can be, and deliver that idea with quality and affordability in mind, millions of new people will start playing video games,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Concepts like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band never would have seemed feasible just a few years ago, and now they’re driving growth for our the entire industry.”

NPD data released for December and all of 2008 also included the following:

* The industry’s top 4 selling games of 2008 were: Wii Play™ at No. 1, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 2, Wii Fit™ at No.3, and Super Smash Brothers™ Brawl, at No. 4.
* Industry annual revenues jumped 19% in 2008 over 2007, and Nintendo products were responsible for 99% of those additional retail dollars.
* Nintendo DS set another industry record for system sales in any month, with 3.04 million units sold in December.
* Wii broke its own monthly record, set in December 2007, by selling 2.14 million units last month.
* In December, Nintendo titles filled 20 of the top 30 spots on the best-seller list. Six games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10, including Wii Music™ for Wii (No. 9), which has now sold 865,000 units following its launch in October 2008, and Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS (No. 7), which has sold a total of 4.3 million units 38 months after launch.
* Activision’s Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero® World Tour, and MTV Games/EA’s* Rock Band Special Edition Bundle all sold more units on Nintendo platforms than any other platforms in 2008.
* More 3rd party units were sold for Wii than any other home consoles in December for the 2nd consecutive month.
* For the year, more than 132 million games were sold in America for play on Nintendo systems.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.8 billion video games and more than 480 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii and Nintendo DS, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

But let 'em gloat, we say. While the Xbox 360 didn't quite double sales of the PlayStation 3 last month, it came close enough to easily justify a "nearly." It also saw Xbox 360's "weekly sales run rate" increase 38% over November, which I'm sure is a very important milestone for people who measure weekly sales run rates.

Perhaps the choicest self-congratulation from Microsoft's response is that the 360 "generated more life-to-date dollars at retail for third-party publishers than the PS3 and Wii combined" to the tune of a half-billion dollars. Champagne all around!

For more reasons why Microsoft is poised for more success in 2009, read the official statement.

December NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:

* December ’08 was the biggest month for Xbox 360 in history
* Xbox 360 sold more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences in 2008 than any previous year
* In the all-important holiday quarter, Xbox 360 outsold PS3 by more than 2:1

Despite a decline in overall consumer spending during the holidays, video games continued to shine as a bright spot, with Xbox 360 registering record-setting numbers in December, selling 1.4 million consoles in the U.S. (December NPD data).

Not only did the Xbox 360 see its weekly sales run rate increase 38 percent compared to November, it also continued to outperform the PS3 by two-to-one for the third month in a row (December NPD data).

With third-party game sales for Xbox 360 increasing from $298 million in November to $504 million in December, it’s no surprise that Xbox 360 has generated more life-to-date dollars at retail for third-party publishers than the PS3 and Wii combined. “Gears of War 2,” “Call of Duty: World at War,” “Grand Theft Auto IV,” “Madden NFL 09,” “Left 4 Dead” and the critically acclaimed “Fable II” were some of the hottest Xbox 360 games in 2008. Three Xbox 360 games appeared on the top 10 list in December, including “Call of Duty: World at War,” “Left 4 Dead” and “Gears of War 2.” (December NPD data)

“Our goal for 2008 was to reach new audiences by bringing ground-breaking games and entertainment to Xbox 360,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Looking forward, new waves of innovation will extend our position as the global leader in interactive entertainment.”

As announced by Microsoft last week, Xbox LIVE continues to experience rapid growth; online transactions over Xbox LIVE grew 84 percent in 2008 over 2007. More than 40 million downloads took place through the LIVE Marketplace in December alone (Microsoft internal data). With consumer appetite for immediate online entertainment growing exponentially, Xbox LIVE is poised for another great year in 2009.

Sony's response to today's NPD sales figures for the U.S. point out... well, they point out everything. PlayStation 3 hardware sales are up 40% for a total of 3.6 million consoles sold last year with software sales up 115% in the US of A.

On the PSP front, the million PlayStation Portables the company sold is up 143% from the previous month. And don't forget the PlayStation 2, which 99% increase in sales month to month. Other percentages we didn't call out were 124%, 143%, 116%, and 92%. All great percentages.

All told, the PlayStation family moved 2.156 million hardware units in the U.S. last month, which puts it in second place, all things considered.

We think Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PlayStation Network, said it best when he said "We remain confident in our momentum into 2009 as we continue to deliver to our consumers the best entertainment content and technology out there."

PlayStation by the Numbers - December 2008

PlayStation Brand Staged for Continued Momentum in 2009

Total 2008 PS3 Hardware Sales Up 40% and PS3 Software Sales Up 115% in the U.S.

PLAYSTATION 3

The PlayStation® brand delivered continued sales momentum throughout 2008 with a total of 3.6 million PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) units sold in the U.S. by the end of 2008, an increase of 40% from the previous year. In December, 726,005 PS3 hardware units were sold, representing an increase of 92% from November.

PS3 also generated one of its strongest months in software unit sales in the U.S., with almost 6 million units sold in December. For the calendar year, PS3 software unit sales increased 116%.

* Top-selling games for PS3 in December included exclusive hits Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet, as well as third-party blockbusters, such as Activision’s Call of Duty: World at War, Midway Games’ Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, and Ubisoft’s Price of Persia.
* Top-selling games for PS3 in 2008 included Grand Theft Auto IV, Call of Duty: World at War and the exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

PlayStation Network
With more than 17 million PlayStation®Network users worldwide and a total of 330 million pieces of content downloaded to date, the PlayStation Network continued to be a destination of choice during the holidays for interactive entertainment content.

* Top three most downloaded games in December included Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer and Linger in Shadows.
* Top three most downloaded movies in December included The Dark Knight, Step Brothers, and GetSmart.

PlayStation Portable
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack continued to be popular choices in the U.S. for on-the-go entertainment in December, with more than 1 million hardware units sold, an increase of 143% from November. In December, more than 3.7 million software units were sold for PSP, including popular hits such as Madden NFL 09, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 and Lego Batman: The Videogame.

* The PSP exclusive titles Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and God of War: Chains of Olympus, which both launched in March, were the top two most popular titles of 2008 and sold a combined 1,313,893 units in 2008.

PlayStation 2
PlayStation®2 (PS2) and the LEGO Batman: The Videogame PS2 Entertainment Pack delivered another month of solid sales in December, with a 99% increase in hardware units and 124% lift in software units from the previous month.

* The Guitar Hero franchise sold over 3 million units on the PS2 in 2008.

Power of the PlayStation Portfolio

In 2008, the PlayStation brand generated more than $6.4 billion in revenue in the U.S.

* PlayStation’s hardware unit revenue generated more than $2.5 billion in 2008.
* PlayStation’s software unit revenue totaled more than $3.2 billion in 2008.

Executive Perspective

“The PlayStation brand has had a solid calendar year with total PS3 hardware sales up 40% and total PS3 software sales up 115%. We remain confident in our momentum into 2009 as we continue to deliver to our consumers the best entertainment content and technology out there. And we delivered on that promise this past year with one of the best software line-ups in the industry, a dramatically expanded PlayStation Network with the launch of the video delivery service and the beta of PlayStation Home, as well as extended hardware offerings with the PSP 3000 and Uncharted 160GB PS3 bundle. We also hit a remarkable milestone for the PlayStation 2 platform in North America with 50 million units sold. It’s truly an amazing testament to the power and legacy of our brand.”

— Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing and PlayStation® Network, Sony Computer Entertainment America