BKK2 on 14 November 2008
Nintendo PR:
Wii and Nintendo DS Top October U.S. Sales
Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ topped the U.S. sales charts and combined to sell more than 1.29 million units in October. Nintendo sold 803,210 Wii consoles and 491,176 Nintendo DS systems in October, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. These figures bring the lifetime U.S. sales for Wii to more than 13.35 million and Nintendo DS to more than 23.02 million, extending their leads as the best-selling hardware of this generation.
Nintendo’s total hardware unit sales represent a 25.7 percent increase over October 2007. They also account for 59.3 percent of the industry’s total hardware unit sales.
Wii Fit™, the game that combines fun and fitness, sold nearly half a million copies in the United States in October, six months after it launched. The lifetime U.S. sales for Wii Fit now total more than 2.83 million.
“Nintendo provides consumers with the best value not only among video games, but also among most entertainment options,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo also provides an incomparable range of experiences that everyone can enjoy, whether you’ve been playing for years or are just getting into video games.”
Three games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top five best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit™ at No. 2 with 487,234 copies sold, Mario Kart Wii™ at No. 4 with 289,869 copies sold and Wii Play™ at No. 5 with 281,844 copies sold.
Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ topped the U.S. sales charts and combined to sell more than 1.29 million units in October. Nintendo sold 803,210 Wii consoles and 491,176 Nintendo DS systems in October, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. These figures bring the lifetime U.S. sales for Wii to more than 13.35 million and Nintendo DS to more than 23.02 million, extending their leads as the best-selling hardware of this generation.
Nintendo’s total hardware unit sales represent a 25.7 percent increase over October 2007. They also account for 59.3 percent of the industry’s total hardware unit sales.
Wii Fit™, the game that combines fun and fitness, sold nearly half a million copies in the United States in October, six months after it launched. The lifetime U.S. sales for Wii Fit now total more than 2.83 million.
“Nintendo provides consumers with the best value not only among video games, but also among most entertainment options,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo also provides an incomparable range of experiences that everyone can enjoy, whether you’ve been playing for years or are just getting into video games.”
Three games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top five best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit™ at No. 2 with 487,234 copies sold, Mario Kart Wii™ at No. 4 with 289,869 copies sold and Wii Play™ at No. 5 with 281,844 copies sold.
Microsoft PR:
Xbox 360 outsells PS3 nearly 2:1 in October, Fable II debuts at #1
Xbox 360 hardware sales continue to surge after price drop
With 371,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold in October and a 33% increase in average weekly run rates from September, the Xbox 360 outsold PS3 by nearly 2:1 this month. Consumers are eager to get the most affordable next generation video game and entertainment system on the market, just in time for the New Xbox Experience, which launches next Wednesday, November 19 (October NPD data).
“Fable II” debuts exclusively on Xbox 360 with a record-setting pace
· Since its U.S. launch on Oct. 21, “Fable II” has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide for Xbox 360 in the first two weeks of retail, making it the fastest selling RPG on Xbox 360 and the most popular game, across all platforms, in the US in October. (October NPD data and Microsoft Internal Data)
“Gears of War 2” has a blockbuster opening weekend
· Following its Nov. 7 launch, 2 million copies of “Gears of War 2” sold worldwide during its first weekend of availability. The sequel to the fastest-selling video game of 2006 and one of the most popular games in Xbox history is setting the pace again for blockbusters this holiday. (Microsoft Internal Data)
· More than 1.5 million people logged into “Gears of War 2” on Xbox LIVE during its first weekend, racking up a total 15 million hours of game play, helping set a new record for concurrent LIVE players
Xbox 360 blockbusters are flying off shelves and ready for holiday gamers
This holiday season, the Xbox 360 blockbusters are here and we have something to excite everyone. October NPD numbers show a record software attach rate of 8.1 and industry leading software spend reaching $244 million this month on the Xbox 360, thanks to a slew of new titles. Xbox owners are flocking to blockbuster titles such as “Fable II,” “Gears of War 2,” and “Fallout 3.” And we know Xbox 360 owners will also be eager to get their hands on social games like “Lips” and “You’re in the Movies” when they debut in the coming weeks. With a line up like this, it’s no surprise Xbox 360 games had half of the top ten slots this month.
Third-party publishers have blockbuster success on Xbox 360
· Third-party publishers helped Xbox 360 reach $171 million on third-party game spend in October, further boosting Xbox 360’s total third-party game sales this generation to $4.5 billion, or a 57% share. (October NPD data)
· After an Oct. 28 launch, “Fallout 3” is off to a hot start with the Xbox 360 version taking the no. 3 software spot in October. (October NPD data)
· Also earning a debut on the top 10 games list for October is the Xbox 360 version of “Saints Row 2” at no. 6. (October NPD data)
And of course just days from now, on Nov. 19, the New Xbox Experience will launch in time for the holiday shopping season, which will completely recast the Xbox 360. Look for an enhanced user experience including the ability to enjoy hit movies from Netflix instantly and in high definition exclusively on Xbox 360, a bold new User Interface, avatars, and LIVE parties. We’re optimistic for a great holiday season with an entertainment system that has something for everyone.
Xbox 360 hardware sales continue to surge after price drop
With 371,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold in October and a 33% increase in average weekly run rates from September, the Xbox 360 outsold PS3 by nearly 2:1 this month. Consumers are eager to get the most affordable next generation video game and entertainment system on the market, just in time for the New Xbox Experience, which launches next Wednesday, November 19 (October NPD data).
“Fable II” debuts exclusively on Xbox 360 with a record-setting pace
· Since its U.S. launch on Oct. 21, “Fable II” has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide for Xbox 360 in the first two weeks of retail, making it the fastest selling RPG on Xbox 360 and the most popular game, across all platforms, in the US in October. (October NPD data and Microsoft Internal Data)
“Gears of War 2” has a blockbuster opening weekend
· Following its Nov. 7 launch, 2 million copies of “Gears of War 2” sold worldwide during its first weekend of availability. The sequel to the fastest-selling video game of 2006 and one of the most popular games in Xbox history is setting the pace again for blockbusters this holiday. (Microsoft Internal Data)
· More than 1.5 million people logged into “Gears of War 2” on Xbox LIVE during its first weekend, racking up a total 15 million hours of game play, helping set a new record for concurrent LIVE players
Xbox 360 blockbusters are flying off shelves and ready for holiday gamers
This holiday season, the Xbox 360 blockbusters are here and we have something to excite everyone. October NPD numbers show a record software attach rate of 8.1 and industry leading software spend reaching $244 million this month on the Xbox 360, thanks to a slew of new titles. Xbox owners are flocking to blockbuster titles such as “Fable II,” “Gears of War 2,” and “Fallout 3.” And we know Xbox 360 owners will also be eager to get their hands on social games like “Lips” and “You’re in the Movies” when they debut in the coming weeks. With a line up like this, it’s no surprise Xbox 360 games had half of the top ten slots this month.
Third-party publishers have blockbuster success on Xbox 360
· Third-party publishers helped Xbox 360 reach $171 million on third-party game spend in October, further boosting Xbox 360’s total third-party game sales this generation to $4.5 billion, or a 57% share. (October NPD data)
· After an Oct. 28 launch, “Fallout 3” is off to a hot start with the Xbox 360 version taking the no. 3 software spot in October. (October NPD data)
· Also earning a debut on the top 10 games list for October is the Xbox 360 version of “Saints Row 2” at no. 6. (October NPD data)
And of course just days from now, on Nov. 19, the New Xbox Experience will launch in time for the holiday shopping season, which will completely recast the Xbox 360. Look for an enhanced user experience including the ability to enjoy hit movies from Netflix instantly and in high definition exclusively on Xbox 360, a bold new User Interface, avatars, and LIVE parties. We’re optimistic for a great holiday season with an entertainment system that has something for everyone.
Sony PR:
PlayStation by the Numbers: October 2008
PlayStation Enters the Holiday Season with Consistent Momentum; PS3 Sales Up 56% Year-Over-Year
The PlayStation Brand Generated $369 Million in October
PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) continued its positive momentum in October, with 190K hardware units sold, a 90% growth year-to-date. This represents an increase of 56% when compared to October 2007, during which SCEA introduced a price cut for PS3. Fueled by an unmatched line-up of first-party and third-party titles, PS3 software sales also increased almost 200% year-over-year, with 2.3 million units sold in October.
* Nearly 30 new titles were launched for PS3 in October, including first-party exclusives such as LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and SOCOM: Confrontation and third-party blockbusters including Dead Space, Guitar Hero World Tour, Midnight Club Los Angeles and Fallout 3.
* With the holiday shopping season officially kicking off in November, strong software sales are expected to continue with ongoing momentum on LittleBigPlanet and the launch of Resistance 2.
* The PLAYSTATION®Network also experienced tremendous growth in North America with its total user registration increasing by 166% since January (source: SCEA Internal Data). There are currently more than 14 million registered PlayStation Network accounts worldwide and more than 270 million pieces of content have been downloaded to date (source: SCEA Internal Data). Newly launched and downloadable content in October included exclusive games such as SOCOM: Confrontation and Linger in Shadows, original content such as Qore: Episode 5, and new blockbuster additions to the video delivery service such as The Happening and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) continued to be a popular choice for entertainment on the go, with 193K hardware units sold for the month. This represented a year-to-date growth of 9%.
PlayStation®2 (PS2) hardware unit sales maintained solid ground in October, with 136K hardware units and 1.7 million software units sold. The PS2 has reached an installed base of over 43 million units in the U.S. as of October 2008.
Power of the PlayStation Portfolio
The PlayStation brand showcased growth across all three platforms, generating $370 million in October.
* Year-to-date (Jan-Oct), the PlayStation brand has generated almost $4.4 billion in revenue, representing an increase of 18%.
* PlayStation total hardware revenue was $131 million in October, and $1.7 billion year-to-date, representing a growth of 19%.
* PlayStation total software revenue in October was $209 million, and $2.2 billion year-to-date, representing a growth of 23%.
PlayStation Enters the Holiday Season with Consistent Momentum; PS3 Sales Up 56% Year-Over-Year
The PlayStation Brand Generated $369 Million in October
PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) continued its positive momentum in October, with 190K hardware units sold, a 90% growth year-to-date. This represents an increase of 56% when compared to October 2007, during which SCEA introduced a price cut for PS3. Fueled by an unmatched line-up of first-party and third-party titles, PS3 software sales also increased almost 200% year-over-year, with 2.3 million units sold in October.
* Nearly 30 new titles were launched for PS3 in October, including first-party exclusives such as LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and SOCOM: Confrontation and third-party blockbusters including Dead Space, Guitar Hero World Tour, Midnight Club Los Angeles and Fallout 3.
* With the holiday shopping season officially kicking off in November, strong software sales are expected to continue with ongoing momentum on LittleBigPlanet and the launch of Resistance 2.
* The PLAYSTATION®Network also experienced tremendous growth in North America with its total user registration increasing by 166% since January (source: SCEA Internal Data). There are currently more than 14 million registered PlayStation Network accounts worldwide and more than 270 million pieces of content have been downloaded to date (source: SCEA Internal Data). Newly launched and downloadable content in October included exclusive games such as SOCOM: Confrontation and Linger in Shadows, original content such as Qore: Episode 5, and new blockbuster additions to the video delivery service such as The Happening and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) continued to be a popular choice for entertainment on the go, with 193K hardware units sold for the month. This represented a year-to-date growth of 9%.
PlayStation®2 (PS2) hardware unit sales maintained solid ground in October, with 136K hardware units and 1.7 million software units sold. The PS2 has reached an installed base of over 43 million units in the U.S. as of October 2008.
Power of the PlayStation Portfolio
The PlayStation brand showcased growth across all three platforms, generating $370 million in October.
* Year-to-date (Jan-Oct), the PlayStation brand has generated almost $4.4 billion in revenue, representing an increase of 18%.
* PlayStation total hardware revenue was $131 million in October, and $1.7 billion year-to-date, representing a growth of 19%.
* PlayStation total software revenue in October was $209 million, and $2.2 billion year-to-date, representing a growth of 23%.
