That Wii! Gosh, Australia just loves it. Well, that’s what Nintendo and Gfk say. According to reports, Nintendo has sold 500,000 of the little white devices since launch, making it the fastest selling console in the country, ever. I didn’t even realise it was a race!
Here’s the relevant info from the release:
Independent market research company GfK Australia, confirms that 84 weeks since it launched, Wii has sold more than 500,000 units, making it the fastest selling home console to reach this milestone. Previously, the console that held this record, reached it in 107 weeks, which makes Wii 23 weeks faster.
Anyone care to guess which console held the old record? I reckon it was the N-Gage.
Full release after the jump. FYI, it’s packed with a bunch of game announcements and street dates too.
Wii Breaks Record – Plus new titles for Wii and Nintendo DS Announced
Australia, 23 July, 2008 – Nintendo announces that Wii™ is officially the fastest selling home console to sell through 500,000* units in Australia, plus information on new titles for both Wii and Nintendo DS.Independent market research company GfK Australia, confirms that 84 weeks since it launched, Wii has sold more than 500,000 units, making it the fastest selling home console to reach this milestone. Previously, the console that held this record, reached it in 107 weeks, which makes Wii 23 weeks faster.
Wii launched in December 2006 and the appeal of the Wii is that it has something for everyone. From Wii Fit™ to Mario Kart™ Wii, gamers and non-gamers alike will find something that will appeal. Game play with Wii is intuitive, for example with Mario Kart Wii players simply pick up the Wii Wheel™ and steer to begin racing, and with Wii™ Sports tennis the Wii Remote is used as a tennis racquet. This unique game play aspect with the Wii Remote ensures anyone can pick up and play.
Upcoming releases for Wii include Trauma Center™: Second Opinion, available 28 August. The Nintendo DS® surgical simulator comes to Wii with updated graphics, a second playable character, a new sixth chapter and new instruments to wield. In Trauma Center: Second Opinion you take the role of rookie doctor Derek Stiles, a surgeon with the extraordinary ‘Healing Touch’ ability. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk you can manipulate more than a dozen different instruments on-screen in realistic ways, such as injecting with syringes, making incisions with scalpels, removing tumours with tweezers, and bringing patients back to life with defibrillators.
Available 25 September, also on Wii will be Wario Land™: The Shake Dimension. Using the unique features of Wii and featuring stunning, cartoon-like graphics and animation, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension casts the larger-than-life Wario in a classic 2D-style platformer that spans contrasting continents crammed with adventure. Playing with the Wii Remote held sideways, you’ll be able to overcome enemies by using special moves that are activated with a simple shake or tilt.
Nintendo DS currently has an install base of more than 1.2 million units, which demonstrates that Nintendo DS continues to be the popular choice for all consumers. The week commencing 6 July was the highest individual week of sell through for Nintendo DS hardware in Australia, with more than 49,000 units sold. This is the largest single week sell through ever, for any console in Australia. This was largely driven by sales of Touch! Generations games including Brain Training™, More Brain Training™, Sight Training™, Maths Training™, Cooking Guide™: Can’t decide what to eat? and nintendogs™. Touch! Generations games are a range of games that are perfect for any age or skill level to pick up and play.
Nintendo DS also has unique and innovative games including Animal Crossing™, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass®, New Super Mario Bros.™ and Mario Kart® DS.
Available on Nintendo DS 14 August will be Etrian Odyssey™, as a new adventure begins in the forest known as Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Create your own maps on the Nintendo DS touch screen as you explore using the stylus; draw paths and walls, mark special locations and experience true exploration.
Make 10™: A Journey of Numbers arrives on Nintendo DS 4 September, making maths fun for everyone. In Make 10: A Journey of Numbers, players explore the world of ‘Make 10 Country’ by solving various maths problems, all centered around the idea of getting 10 and its multiples as a result. With more than 20 maths mini games, Make 10: A Journey of Numbers is easily controlled by the stylus as player tap, write, drag and drop numbers on the touch screen to solve the games.
Available October on Nintendo DS is Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™. Players seek out cleverly hidden items in this seek-and-solve game as they progress through an interactive detective story. Interactive puzzles utlise the touch screen and the built in Nintendo DS microphone, as you investigate a cast of characters and uncover evidence as you search for the rightful heir to a million dollar fortune.
*All sell through and market share information courtesy of GfK Australia
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