Yeah, maybe. It will be the big question this holiday season. I'm also not convinced about the "stockpiling" theory (beyond stockpiling for say, a week or two). Retailers don't like to hold onto stock - they like to sell it, then restock.

The only real reason for holding hardware, would be if a big game was coming out - and by having more hardware, they could sell more software (which is much more profitable). Something like the WiiFit launch.

But yeah - as I said in another thread - on Dec 31st '08 - will you be able to walk into a random store, and buy a Wii off the shelf? I think the chances are very, very slim - it won't be as bad as last Xmas (where Wiis were "rare" to find), but I think they will pretty much sell out almost instantly when shipments arrive. Maybe Xmas '09 will have lots of Wii in stock? (its not like you can walk into random stores now, and buy Wiis??)

(I could be wrong - who knows...).

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@XGamer0611:

MGS sales are a real 'symptom' of the current console war. The PS3/360 are very much "hard-core" machines, with hardcore audiences. When a big game arrives, ALL the hardcores want it ASAP (i.e. Halo launch, MGS4 launch). They all buy it at launch, and the game has amazing sales - then the game drops off the charts really, really quickly. Its the titles that really show legs are significant (ones that come to mind are Guitar Hero & CoD4 - both have done great).

This is also why the Wii is "working" - it is selling to people that never have owned a console (or maybe had a PS2). They head into a store, armed with little knowledge of games - and buy based on brands, word of mouth (Ninty titles), or "fun" games they played at a friends place (i.e. party games).

Non-gamers just don't walk into a store, and on impulse pick up a 360/PS3 - and THEN get MGS4 (which probably intimidates your average consumer with its "hardcore" look). Hence sales drop off pretty quickly.

C'mon leo - just leave the thread if its bothering you. Its simply a discussion of the figures from this week. And its hard to spin another way, except to say the Wii has done well. Unless the numbers are wrong (which is pretty unlikely).

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Now that the thread is back on topic, discussions have improved.

(I'm out of here for now though, lots of work to do...:P)

I agree sometimes people go overboard but this is the SALES DISCUSSION FORUM.  This week the Wii sold twice as much in NA than the PS360 combined!  Less than a month removed from MGS4 no less where people were celebrating the PS3 beating the Wii WW temporarily.  It's only logical that people would be talking about the Wii's success in here.

By 'not convinced about the "stockpiling" theory' do you mean on the part of retailers?  Because I think that looking at last christmas, the worldwide Wii sales/month in 2008, and what we know of their manufacturing capabilities should be enough to prove that Nintendo is definitely holding back units for Christmas.

I mainly ask because I don't want to have to deal with months of people arguing that Nintendo isn't saving up units for XMas again this year; it was so annoying last year to have people arguing that they were selling all they were manufacturing when they obviously weren't

Said the same one who keep repeating "I will wait for NPD"... I wonder how big is the wii-fit role on this trend...

fire emblem was the main reason I used the word "rarely". However, it hasn't been released on the wii. I find Link weird. I don't even know if he/she is male/female. COD4 is the only shooter-heavy game that I ever paid money for so metroid isn't my thing either even though I admit that Samus is actually cool I've never heard of Eternal Darkness or Disaster. It looks like Nintendo never hyped those.

I understand the mario nostalgia. Back in the snes era, I was a casual gamer who only played Killer Instinct and some mario here and there but the ps1 brought me true gaming bliss and I became hardcore. Kudos to those who still love mario but for me, I grew out of it. My fav games now are heavily story driven and mario falls terribly short (character aside).

However, I understand that nintendo won't drop the mario franchise as it makes no business sense. As a gamer, I as only asking for more games that fit my taste but they haven't been forthcoming from  nintendo. I'm especially worried that they may further focus on party-type games to appease casuals and make even more profit and sony and M$ may follow suit next gen.

Mods, please don't ban me. I had to respond to someone questioning my posts.

Back on point, congrats to the wii for doing what it does better than the rest of the competition and selling like ice cream in the summer!

FE: RD

wii sales are amazing like always nothing new. ps3/360 ok.

Hardware sales are pretty much what you'd expect but there are a few disappointments in software. Square Enix must be pretty upset that the latest FF spinoff game for the DS isn't selling that well.. also, what a huge drop for MGS4... that's not good at all and really indicates that there isn't much that can be done to revive the PS3 in NA.

july 5th cannot come soon enough