Below is a list of this weeks VGChartz weekly worldwide sales of all games over 15 weeks old that sold more than 20.000 copies last week.
Sure, amazing launch numbers are very nice, but it's maybe even more of an achievement to keep sales at a high level after the advertisement hype is gone.
Usually games that keep selling are:

a) Must haves, like Zelda and Halo. Games that new owners of a console buy with their new toy.
b) Games that appeal to the casual gamer, that buys games a few times a year. (This can be Mario Party, but also GTA).

Either way, selling more than 20.000 units 15 weeks after launch is a big success for the developer, especially since most of these games will keep selling for a long time.

The list contains console software only and only lists games that have been out 15 weeks or longer in all area's or didn't have a launch somewher yet.

Game # weeks Sold
WiiSports: 68 191.231
WiiPlay: 67 107.998
Call of Duty 4: Modern warfare (360): 18 90.123
Call of Duty 4: Modern warfare (PS3): 18 66.796
Mario & Sonics at the Olympic Games: 18 64.809
Super Mario Galaxy: 19 54.482
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii): 19 49.625
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2): 19 49.510
WiiFit:      15 46.348
RockBand (360):     16 45.945
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (360): 19 43.143
Link's Crossbow Training:   16 39.992
Halo 3:      24 39.806
Mario Party 8:      41 37.290
Carnival Games:     28 34.776
Uncharted:Drakes Fortune:    17 34.589
Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree:   46 31.187
Game Party:     15 29.611
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: 68 28.726
Mass Effect:      16 27.082
Assassins Creed (360):    17 26.882
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition   41 25.149
Assassins Creed (PS3):    17 24.599
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS3):  19 23.343
Lego Star Wars: The complete saga (Wii): 18 21.375
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2:   17 20.935
Motorstorm:     65 20.419
Madden NFL 08 (360):    30 20.258

Wii: 15
360: 7
PS3: 5
PS2: 1

The first noticeable point is the staggering success of Call of Duty 4, especially on the 360. After 18 weeks it sold an amazing 90k this week. The PS3 version is not far behind with 66k.

Wii absolutely crashes the competition in terms of legs. It has more games over 15 weeks and 20.000 sold, than all other consoles combined. It is noticeable that of these 15 games, 7 are 3rd party.

PS3 is slowly recovering, although a game like Guitar Hero 3 sells a lot less than it's 360 and Wii counterparts. Uncharted started slow, but manages solid numbers after 17 weeks. Worldwide though the 360 still has an edge in multiplatform game-sales.

Seeing Wii's Guitar Hero numbers must make Activision very happy, but will be envisioned like an enormous missed opportunity at MTV/Harmonix.

360 doesn't seem to be the FPS-only console viewed with these numbers. Halo 3 and CoD 4 are accompanied by 2 music games, a WRPG and an adventure.  Pretty significant, as this list shows the more casual population of the console.

There are a lot of party games in the Wii list. a conservative count brings me to 6 but some people will say 11, but as Wii has 5 undeniably "gamers-games"  (Zelda, RE, Lego SW, SMG and GH3) on the list, they compete quit well with PS360.

 

Let me know your opinion. Do legs matter, or are first week sales more important?

i think gh3 for wii will end up selling more than the 360 version

i still go into stores and see 360 and ps3 and ps2 versions on the shelf but no wii version left in stock

COD4 is the first lifelike war game that takes place in the present with "real" weapons and tactics. Good game, good concept sell amazingly well.