Kotaku: millions

One Million Concurrent WoW Players In China

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:00:00 MDT

The9 Limited, the operators of World of Warcraft in China, has announced that they recently achieved a peak of one million players online at the same time. That's not the fudgy sort of numbers you get for subscribers either - that is one million World of Warcraft accounts online and playing at one time. That's the biggest number they've seen since the game launched there back in 2005. Of course there are 1.3 billion or so people living in China, so a million is just a drop in a bucket, but that's a very big drop in a absolutely gigantic bucket. To put things in perspective, if a million people stood on your head, your skull would be completely crushed. Them's skull-crushing numbers right there, and before you go blaming gold farming, keep in mind that these are Chinese servers, not people accessing servers outside of the country, so nya.

World of Warcraft Hits Record One Million Concurrent Chinese Players [GameDaily]

Mario & Sonic Sells Five Million

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:40:06 MST

Looks like Sega's Masanao Maeda underestimated the power of Sonic and Mario in the same game. Back at TGS last year he claimed that Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games would sell four million copies, matching the sales of the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis. Expectation met, and neatly surpassed. In three months the title has sold over five million copies worldwide as gamers flocked to the store in droves to witness what sort of train wreck occurs when you let Sega screw around with both their own characters and Nintendo's, while parents bought up copies because it was the most kid friendly game they could find without Billy Ray Cyrus's daughter on the front cover. Since they mention both in the press release, I am assuming this covers both the DS and Wii versions of the game, but they're equally mediocre so I'll allow it. Congratulations Sega for proving once again that a game can sell based on characters alone.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games™ Hits 5 Million in Global Sales
Founding Fathers of Video Games, SEGA and Nintendo, Find Winning Formula with First-Ever Pairing of Famous Mascots

TOKYO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—SEGA® Corporation today announced that its history-making video game title, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games™, has sold five million copies worldwide in just over three months. Developed by SEGA for the Wii™ video game system and the Nintendo DS™ system, with creative input and executive milestone approvals by Nintendo's developers, the title brought together for the first time the two most beloved icons in the entertainment industry. In the spirit of the Olympic Games, the legendary mascots also brought friends from their storied franchises along, including Luigi™, Knuckles™, Yoshi® and Tails™, to compete in a variety of Olympic events.

"With adored icons and fun game play, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has shot to the top of the sales charts and is clearly resonating with the growing audience of casual gamers that want an engaging and accessible gaming experience," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America.

Published by SEGA across Europe and North America, and by Nintendo in Japan, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games made its worldwide debut on November 6, 2007, when the Wii version hit store shelves in the United States. According to the NPD Group, which tracks sales data in the United States, the game was one of the top-ten best-sellers in the United States - across all platforms - in the critical holiday sales month of December.

When Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games launched in Europe just days later, it was an immediate hit, rising rapidly to the top of sales charts. Mario & Sonic became the best-ever performing Wii game over the seven-day period that ended on December 11, 2007. In January, Mario & Sonic was the best-selling video game in England across all formats.

"The market for entertaining games that everyone can enjoy is growing faster than any other segment in the industry, thanks in part to the explosive popularity of Wii and Nintendo DS," continued Jeffery. "A key element of our growth strategy at SEGA is to develop and publish games that appeal to this expanding market."

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is licensed through a worldwide partnership with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), the exclusive Interactive Entertainment Software licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Ubisoft Pwns Bratz Producers For $13 Million

Mike Fahey — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:40:12 MST

MGA Entertainment, the owners of the ~~Underage Slutz~~ Bratz brand of toys just discovered the hard way not to try and jerk Ubisoft around, to the tune of $13.4 million. Back in 2002 MGA and Ubisoft entered into an agreement to produce games based on the popular toy line. In 2003, overwhelmed by the massive, inexplicable success of the toys, MGA sought to force a renegotiation by terminating the original contract groundlessly, calling into question every aspect of Ubisoft's handling of the license in the process. Ubisoft wouldn't back down, MGA sued, and Ubi countersued for breach of contract. The Greenberg Glusker law firm stepped up to bat for Ubisoft.

"Our relationship with Ubisoft went far beyond the normal lawyer-client relationship," said Smith, who chairs Greenberg Glusker's Litigation Group and who was lead counsel in the matter. "We effectively became an extension of our client, learning everything about Ubisoft's business from its most senior management."

The results? An arbitrator ruled in favor of Ubisoft, of course, with MGA ordered to pay $13.2 million in lost profits, attorney's fees, and interest. All of MGA's claims were rejected. See kids? That's what happens when you act like bratz.

Greenberg Glusker Client Ubisoft Wins $13 Million Award in Video Game Licensing Dispute
LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Greenberg Glusker today announced that its client, Ubisoft Entertainment, one of the world's largest video game publishers, has obtained a $13.2 million judgment in a copyright and trademark infringement dispute against MGA Entertainment, the owner of Bratz™ dolls. Greenberg Glusker attorneys Stephen Smith and Suann MacIsaac, joining with Dale Kinsella of Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump & Aldisert, represented Ubisoft in the American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitration that led to the judgment.

"We are thrilled with the result, and we feel completely vindicated," said Ubisoft's General Counsel Cecile Russeil. "We could not have achieved this outcome without attorneys who mastered every aspect of the case, and thoroughly understood our video gaming business."

In 2002, Ubisoft entered into a license with MGA to publish video games based on the Bratz™ dolls. Due to the increasing popularity of the dolls, MGA sought to force a renegotiation of the license in 2003 by terminating the license without cause and on pretextual grounds. When Ubisoft refused to give in to MGA's bad faith demands, MGA sued. Ubisoft counter-sued, alleging that MGA's termination of the license was invalid and a breach of contract.

In an effort to justify its wrongful termination, MGA sought to place at issue every aspect of Ubisoft's handling of the Bratz™ license, which required the legal team to become intimately familiar with Ubisoft's development, manufacturing, marketing and sales operations.

"Our relationship with Ubisoft went far beyond the normal lawyer-client relationship," said Smith, who chairs Greenberg Glusker's Litigation Group and who was lead counsel in the matter. "We effectively became an extension of our client, learning everything about Ubisoft's business from its most senior management."

The arbitrator ruled in favor of Ubisoft, awarding it $13 million in lost profits damages, attorney's fees and interest, and rejecting all of MGA's claims. After the arbitration award was confirmed by the Los Angeles Superior Court, MGA stipulated to entry of judgment in the amount of $13.2 million.

"This arbitration was a textbook example of effective cooperation between an internal legal team and its outside counsel," said lead Ubisoft in-house counsel Virginie Gringarten. "We are extremely pleased with the results."

Halo 3 Makes $300 Million, Console Sales Double

Mike Fahey — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:40:14 MDT

The first week of Halo 3 has passed, and as Kotaku editors recover from various jaunts around the globe and begin playing each other in earnest, Microsoft makes with the impressive statistics, giving us something to tell you people in between rounds. After announcing $170 million in sales in just the U.S. alone on launch day, the end of the week tally has risen to an impressive $300 million worldwide, with the game topping the charts just about everywhere that you find charts. Even estimating a modest average of $90 per game, that's over 3 million copies sold - with over 2.7 million Xbox Live members having played online so far for a total of 40 million hours. The effect on console sales has also been amazing, with initial reports showing double the weekly worldwide average of 360s sold. That's insane...so insane that I took the above picture of myself in Second Life to commemorate the occasion. Ponder its greatness, and then calm your pounding heart with a lovely Microsoft press release after the jump.

Global Entertainment Phenomenon "Halo 3" Recores More Than $300 Million In First-Week Sales Worldwide Xbox 360 Console Sales More Than Doubled; Nearly 3 Million Gamers Play Online Via Xbox LIVE LONDON, 4th October 2007 — Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. "Halo® 3" has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.
Microsoft Corp. today announced that "Halo 3" has officially become a global phenomenon, garnering more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone. The critically acclaimed Xbox 360® exclusive, which was released in Europe on Wednesday 26th September, is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have more than doubled compared with the weekly average before the launch of "Halo 3." With games like "Halo 3," "BioShock," "Mass Effect" and "Project Gotham Racing 4," Xbox 360 has the greatest line-up in the history of video games and the only console where consumers can play all of the year's biggest blockbusters.

"'Halo' is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of 'Halo 3' is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "'Halo 3' embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world's greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling."

"Halo 3" is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE® game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world's largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV. More than 2.7 million gamers have played "Halo 3" on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, "Halo 3" players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since "Halo 3 launched," gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, "Halo 3" drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.

"Halo 3" is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, "Halo 3" continues the franchise's grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game's online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favourite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the "Halo" franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. "Halo 3" was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the "Halo" trilogy have been sold worldwide.

Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game's release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of "Spider-Man 3" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of "Halo 3" were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of "Halo 2."

Nintendo DS - Over 50 Million Served

Mike Fahey — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:20:16 MDT

I remember back when Nintendo first announced the DS. How we laughed and jeered. Two screens? What a stupid idea! Well now that stupid idea has been proven not so stupid over 50 million times. Selling a hundred times better than your average hotcake, Nintendo's handheld gamble has paid off big time. In contrast, it took them 11 years to sell 100 million Gameboys, so as PC World points out, the DS should easily surpass that if momentum continues. Huge numbers, but it still means that only .07% of the world population owns a Nintendo DS, so pick up the pace, slackers! Bossangoa needs their Pokemon!

Nintendo DS Sales Pass 50 Million [PC World]

The Biggest Entertainment Launch In History

Mike Fahey — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:00:10 MDT

Why does Halo 3 get so much coverage? For every one of you who complains about it there are a thousand more people buying it, that's why. According to a rather celebratory press release from Microsoft, Halo 3 is now officially the biggest entertainment launch in history, bringing in over $170 million in the U.S. alone during the first day of availability, beating out even the biggest movie opening day totals. Over a million players logged into Xbox live during the first 20 hours of release, and nearly all of them have killed me at least once at this point. Retailers are understandably overjoyed.

Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for GameStop Corp commented that, "With consumer demand for Halo 3 and related products, we expect it to be the biggest video game title generator in GameStop's history."

So that's why you see so many Halo 3 posts. Now we just have to wonder where we go from here. What can top the insanity surrounding Halo 3's launch? We should ponder this while we hit the jump to read Microsoft loving itself.

Xbox 360 Exclusive "Halo 3" Registers Biggest Day in US Entertainment History with $170 Million in Sales
Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive game "Halo 3" has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster theatrical releases like "Spider-man 3" and novels such as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

"Halo 3" is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, "Halo 3" continues the franchise's grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE, the world's largest social network on TV.

"Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "Not only is "Halo 3" setting sales records, it's also redefining entertainment.

Within the first 20 hours alone, we've seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members come online to play Halo 3 - that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history."

Retailers have also expressed their excitement about the launch of "Halo 3."

Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for GameStop Corp commented that, "With consumer demand for Halo 3 and related products, we expect it to be the biggest video game title generator in GameStop's history."

"The initial demand we've seen for 'Halo 3' has been astounding, and the game is on track to become the number one gaming title of all time. 'Halo 3' is a genuine entertainment phenomenon and our customers have responded very enthusiastically to the release," said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy.

Developed by Bungie Studios, the "Halo" franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. The more than 7 million Xbox LIVE users will get a continually evolving gaming experience with "Halo 3." Its online multiplayer and cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables infinite customization options are just some of the new features to experience.

More than 10,000 retailers hosted Midnight Madness events to celebrate the launch of this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise. In New York, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles, Microsoft and retail partners hosted marquee launch events that featured contests and appearances by local celebrities and professional athletes who are fanatical about the "Halo" franchise, including Ludacris and Zac Efron and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

More than 1.7 million copies of "Halo 3" were preordered in the United States before a single store opened its doors at midnight, Sept. 25, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of "Halo 2." Well beyond just a U.S. phenomenon, the launch of "Halo 3" was a worldwide celebration that released in 37 countries and available in 17 languages.

Sega Predicts 4 Million For Mario and Sonic

Mike Fahey — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:30:14 MDT

Sega is counting on the Wii rekindling of a 16-year old rivalry will match the sales of the first shot fired in the Mario VS Sonic war back in 1991. The original Sonic The Hedgehog sold 4 million copies, and Sega's Masanao Maeda says Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games will do the same. The corporate director at Sega's gaming unit made the statement at the Tokyo Games Show yesterday. Considering the number of Wii systems already in gamers' hands and the fact that this is one title that people will buy to see Sonic and Mario in the same place no matter how good or bad it turns out to be, I'd have to say that it's a realistic goal. Hell, Sonic Heroes alone sold a million copies in Europe, and it completely sucked. If that many people will buy crap with Sonic's name on it, adding Mario to the mix should get them 4 million easy.

Sega Sammy Says Sonic and Mario Game Sales May Reach 4 Million [Bloomberg via Next Generation]

Guild Wars Sells 4 Million

Mike Fahey — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:00:56 MDT

There's something to be said for a free MMO. Generally bad things, really, but not so much in the case of Guild Wars. NCsoft has just announced that the 2 year-old fantasy MMO has just surpassed the four million sold mark. No telling what the figures are on how many of those players bought the game, played it for a month and then quit like I ended up doing, but impressive numbers nonetheless. Just ask GameStop's ~~Doug~~ Bob McKenzie.

"Four million units sold is an impressive number and demonstrates that Guild Wars is a proven franchise," said Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, GameStop Corporation. "The Guild Wars franchise delivers an outstanding gaming experience and is clearly an important part of our PC games offerings."

You know what this means. Guild Wars standees for every store! Huzzah!

NCsoft's Guild Wars Breaks Four Million
Subscription-free business model sets new standard for online multiplayer games

Bellevue, WA. Aug. 21, 2007—The Guild Wars® franchise of online roleplaying games has broken the four million units sold mark in just over two years. Published by NCsoft® and developed by ArenaNet®, the Guild Wars series (consisting of Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, and Guild Wars Nightfall™) has set the standard for online co-operative and competitive play with award-winning content and a subscription-free business model. Since the first campaign launched in 2005, Guild Wars has developed legions of loyal fans who are hotly anticipating the August 31 release of the game's first true expansion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North™.

"ArenaNet's fantastic work on Guild Wars has helped make NCsoft the leading online gaming publisher in the world," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "Guild Wars players continue to join in droves and stay loyal to the franchise thanks to a business model that makes for a very accessible product. We are all excited about the future of Guild Wars with the expansion ready to be released and Guild Wars 2™ on the horizon."

"Four million units sold is an impressive number and demonstrates that Guild Wars is a proven franchise," said Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, GameStop Corporation. "The Guild Wars franchise delivers an outstanding gaming experience and is clearly an important part of our PC games offerings."

Windows Vista Sells 20 Million

Mike Fahey — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:20:14 MDT

They keep telling us it's a game platform, so we'll keep on telling you about it. Microsoft has announced sales for the first month after Vista's consumer launch on January 30th have topped 20 million copies. The number includes copies purchased by companies like Dell to preinstall in systems (like my stupid notebook), upgrades purchased by impulsive individuals thinking it would change the way they game (me, and slowly), and packages shipped to retail outlets (not yet, but the box is awfully shiny.)

Vista has sold twice as much as XP did when it was first launched, but I don't recall Microsoft making as much of a stink about XP either.

"We are encouraged to see such a positive consumer response to Windows Vista right out of the gate," said Bill Veghte, corporate vice president of the Windows business group at Microsoft.

It's rather odd, considering how often my statements about installing Vista on my PC elicit the response, "Why the hell would you do that?" While looking for a new wireless card this weekend for my living room PC I was told flat out by a Walmart employee to uninstall it. Guess I'm just not hanging out with the right consumers. Michael Fahey

Windows Vista sales top 20m [GamesIndustry.biz]

Burning Crusade Shatters Sales Records

Mike Fahey — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 11:40:30 MST

In news that should come as no surprise to anyone, Blizzard has announced that their Burning Crusade expansion pack has become the fastest selling PC game ever in North America and Europe. Within the first 24 hours of release, nearly 2.4 million copies were sold around the world, with close to 1.2 million sold in North America and over 1.1 million sold in Europe. By the end of launch day 1.7 million accounts had already been upgraded.

By 'fastest selling across North America and Europe' I believe they are talking combined totals there, as Gamasutra reports that they narrowly missed the title for Europe, losing out to Eidos's Championship Manager 04 by under 1,000 units.

My excitement for the expansion is starting to wane a bit already, only a week after release, and at the rate players are burning through this new content I give it a couple of months before we're all sitting around at level 70 doing the same things over and over again. I'll be posting full impressions later this week. Till then, enjoy the delicious press release below. Michael Fahey

World of Warcraft : The Burning CrusadeTM Shatters Day-1 Sales Record

23 January, 2007 PARIS, France — Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft : The Burning Crusade has broken the day-one sales record to become the fastest-selling PC game ever in North America and Europe, with a worldwide total of nearly 2.4 million copies sold in the first 24 hours of availability. The Burning Crusade, the first expansion set for World of Warcraft, was simultaneously released in North America, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia on 16 January, and on 17 January in Australia and New Zealand.

Blizzard had supplied more than 4 million game boxes to retailers worldwide, and more than 5,000 stores throughout the world had their doors open at midnight to welcome thousands of expectant players.

Day-one sales totals on both continents were similar, with an estimated total of nearly 1.2 million copies sold on the first day in North America and an estimated total of more than 1.1 million copies sold in Europe within the first 24 hours of launch.* By the end of the first day of availability on both continents, a total of more than 1.7 million players had already logged in and upgraded World of Warcraft to play The Burning Crusade.

"The Burning Crusade has already exceeded even our most ambitious expectations," said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're pleased that so many players are eager to see all of the new content that the expansion has to offer, and we look forward to seeing everyone online as additional players continue to upgrade in the days ahead."

Retailers are continuing to report sustained demand, so if players have not yet purchased their copy of The Burning Crusade, they are advised to call ahead to make sure their store has copies on hand. Additional shipments of the expansion have been routed to retailers to help maintain stock levels.

"The excitement and sense of anticipation generated by the huge crowd at The Burning Crusade launch event far exceeded our expectations," said Tim Ellis, Head of Games for HMV, UK. "And in terms of units shifted, this was HMV's biggest launch event ever, and that includes Audio and DVD events."

Prior to the launch of The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft was played by more than 8 million players around the world — with more than 2 million on North American realms and more than 1.5 million on European realms — making it the most successful subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game in PC-gaming history.

For more information on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, please visit the official website for the expansion at www.wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade.

*Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

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DS Sells 10 Million in Europe

Mike Fahey — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:40:14 MST

Ah yes, our little folding friend the DS. When it was first announced the concept was met with widespread ridicule, but it has shown them all, answering back with record-breaking sales. Nintendo has announced that the DS (both the original and the Lite) has sold over 10 million units in Europe since the handheld was released back in March of 2005. That's over 14,000 sold a day, becoming the fastest console in European history to hit the 10 million mark. The numbers are actual sell-thru to customers even, so this isn't one of those shipping announcements I'm so fond of. Nice!

Now if everyone can just stop buying them long enough for me to be able to find one outside of eBay, that would be great. I need something to do during the awkward moments meeting my fellow Kotaku editors in New York later this week, and my PSP can only handle 2-3 hours looking busy time tops. I technically own a DS, but my girlfriend hasn't let me touch it since I got her Hamsterz for Christmas. Damn hamsters. Michael Fahey

Nintendo DS Breaks Records To Become The Fastest Selling Console To Reach 10 Million In Europe!

22 January 2007 - The Nintendo DS has gone from strength to strength since its launch in March 2005, with sales dwarfing those of all other consoles as Nintendo attracts all-new audiences to the gaming industry. Now after just one year and ten months on sale, Nintendo DS has become the fastest games console in European history to sell 10 million (sell-thru to customers) and with 1.7 million units selling in December 2006 alone it is also by far the best selling handheld games console across Europe.

The success of Nintendo DS has been driven by Nintendo's range of innovative Touch! Generations games, targeted at non-traditional audiences. Nintendogs which launched in October 2005, is now being enjoyed by over five million Europeans, whilst titles like Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How old is your brain? have been enjoying similar success with over two million copies sold to consumers to date in Europe. What's more six months after its launch sales are still going strong and it's maintaining a high position in sales charts across Europe!

Traditional gaming titles are also achieving significant growth with total sales of New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64 DS, Mario Kart DS, Pok mon Mystery Dungeon and Animal Crossing: Wild World all surpassing the million sold mark in Europe. The success doesn't end there with dozens of third party games such as The Sims 2 Pets (Electronic Arts), Sonic Rush (SEGA) and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Buena Vista Games) selling at a significant rate in Europe.

Laurent Fischer, European Marketing Director said:

"Nintendo DS topped the six million mark in September and has continued to go from strength to strength with thousands of new people being introduced to gaming through the Nintendo DS. Its appeal to both gamers and non-gamers means it has expanded the gaming population significantly. This landmark figure of 10 million Nintendo DS gamers cements the console's position as undisputed leader of the handheld market, bringing gaming to a whole new audience - something that was unimaginable a few years ago! The innovative Nintendo DS is now helping to shape the whole market with sales of the Nintendo DS console and games being the main drivers behind recent market growth all across Europe."

Nintendo is continuing to build on this momentum with a dynamic range of exciting, new games including Mario Slam Basketball, Star Fox Command, Actionloop, and the highly anticipated legendary Final Fantasy III from Square-Enix, all scheduled for launch in 2007.

The Nintendo DS Lite is now available in black, white and pink, priced around at 150 Euros ( 99 UK). The Nintendo DS is available across Europe in blue, silver and pink at around 130 Euros ( 89 UK).

Click onto www.nintendo-europe -media.com for all of the most up to date official information on Nintendo.

About Nintendo
Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 2.2 billion video games worldwide and more than 387 million hardware units globally, creating such industry icons as Mario and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Pok mon. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular video game systems, including home console units such as the Nintendo 64, NINTENDO GAMECUBE, and the forthcoming revolutionary new console Wii, as well as portable handheld gaming systems such as, Nintendo DS. Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system which has sold over 193 million units. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.

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Gears of War Sells 3 Million

Mike Fahey — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:40:00 MST

It was only a little over a month ago that we reported on Gears of War sales reaching 2 million worldwide, and now Microsoft has officially announced yet another million copies to add to the tally. That's something like 40,000+ copies of the game sold a day.

"Like blockbuster titles from Microsoft's Halo franchise and the Grand Theft Auto and Zelda franchises, Gears of War is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time and has established itself as the most successful new IP of the next generation," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Corp.

Not so sure I'd place the game in the same rank as Zelda or Halo, but the young franchise certainly is off to an interesting start. Ask me again after I've played through part 2. Michael Fahey

'Gears' Goes Triple Platinum [GameDaily]

Guild Wars Holiday Draws Massive Numbers

Mike Fahey — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:40:09 MST

NCSoft has announced that their annual Guild Wars holiday event, the Wintersday Festival, has been an overwhelming success this year, drawing players in record numbers. Countless players have spent their days questing for either gods Grenth or Dwayna, participating in snowball fights, delivering gifts to children or just enjoying all the amazingly cool loot the holidays always bring. Since the event began players have logged over 20 million hours of gameplay pursuing their own particular brand of holiday cheer. Who'd have though MMO players could spend so much time playing?

In the spirit of the holidays the festival is being extended for a week, now ending on January 11th in part to give Taiwanese players affected by the earthquake last week time to enjoy themselves. Sounds like a perfect time for lapsed players to stop by and check things out. Say, players who bought the collector's edition at launch, played for a month and then uninstalled the game because they were bored. *whistles innocently* Michael Fahey

Players Flock to Guild Wars in Record-Breaking Numbers and Rack Up 20 Million Hours of Gameplay

Extended Wintersday Festival a Smash Success!

January 8, 2007 (BELLEVUE, WA) — The annual Guild Wars Wintersday Festival kicked off on December 20, 2006, drawing new and existing players into the game in record-breaking numbers. Players racked up more than 20 million hours of gameplay during the Wintersday Festival alone as they participated in holiday-themed quests, festive events, competitive snowball fights and received unique Wintersday gifts. This year's Wintersday Festival was the fifth major holiday festival to be celebrated in Guild Wars, the hugely popular online roleplaying game developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games.

In keeping with that spirit of giving, the festival has been extended for a week, now ending at noon PST (8 p.m. GMT) on January 11, 2007. This extension allows Taiwanese players affected by last week's earthquake and countrywide Internet outage a chance to revel in the festivities. In an additional show of holiday spirit and goodwill, Guild Wars players have offered to share their Wintersday gifts with those affected. Plans are currently underway for a massive in-game gift donation.

Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions , and Guild Wars Nightfall are online roleplaying games in which millions of players from around the globe explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in fierce player-versus-player battles. The Guild Wars games have garnered numerous awards, including Billboard Magazine's DEMMX Award for 2006 Multiplayer Game of the Year, GameSpy's Best PC MMORPG of 2006, Play Magazine's 2005 PC Game of the Year, 1Up's 2006 Best Roleplaying Game, and IGN's 2005 Best PC Game, among others.

For more information, please contact Jenny Bendel at ArenaNet at 206.979.2202 or jenny@arena.net.

About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet's titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, and Guild Wars Nightfall are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.

About NCsoft Corporation

NCsoft North America is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft, with its own development and publishing offices in Texas and California, also works with other NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles in the last three years and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage /Lineage II, City of Heroes /City of Villains , Guild Wars/Guild Wars Factions/Guild Wars Nightfall, and Auto Assault . More information about NCsoft can be found at www.plaync.com.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Nightfall, ArenaNet, Lineage, Auto Assault, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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