Wii Australia’s fastest selling console

Wii News | 32K in four days.

Nintendo Australia has today announced that the Wii has broken all previous Australian launch records, with 32,901 consoles sold in its first four days on sale, only slightly overtaking the Xbox 360.

The Wii has already sold 20% of the GameCube’s LTD in Australia, which was a remarkably low 160k units. This follows excellent results shown elsewhere by the console, with 105,000 units already sold in the UK.

For the sake of comparison, the Xbox 360 sold 30,000 units during its first four days of launch, and was the previous record holder.

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35 Comments

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

Holy hell! I knew it sold well, but that's pretty impressive!
I wonder how it does against the 360's 100K record? That'll be interesting.

Sunrider

5 years ago

Perhaps now the Xbox guy can finally shut up.

Spanca

5 years ago

Sunrider wrote

Perhaps now the Xbox guy can finally shut up.

Well just to put a spin on it, the 360 launched in the relatively dead retail period of March (compared to the Wii's prime launch period for sales), and at 160% of the cost (well 185% or more if you include a game), yet the Wii only just beat it.

Just playing devil's advocate and putting things in perspective

slasherD

5 years ago

It's good to know that despite the pretty quiet build up, the Wii launch hasn't been a flop. And it really does drive home just how bad the purple lunchbox did here

Nova Prime

5 years ago

lol pwned.

It'd be nice if the [inevitable overwhelming] success of Wii got GameCube games back onto store shelves, but I guess that's unlikely.

rodvcpetrie

5 years ago

It could have that affect. I mean I never bought a GC and there's many games I'd like to buy, so the backwards compatibility works greatly in my favour, and in the favour of any other people in the same boat as me. That could boost sales of GC games.

Sunrider

5 years ago

My friend was in a similar postition with the PS2. Upon getting it, he hunted down all the old PS1 games he had been wanting to play.

VOOK

5 years ago

Spanca wrote

Sunrider wrote

Perhaps now the Xbox guy can finally shut up.

Please dont do that, you don't want to be Microsoft Australia do you?

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Spanca wrote

Sunrider wrote

Perhaps now the Xbox guy can finally shut up.

another spin might be that the relatively dead period is prime as people have more savings, rather than waiting for Christmas

meh, who cares ultimately?

why can't we all be friends?

EvilHayama

5 years ago

VOOK wrote

Please dont do that, you don't want to be Microsoft Australia do you?

They are the devil...

Isn't this more about how many consoles Nintendo got to stores? I'm guessing both the 360 and the Wii sold out on launch weekend, but there were more Wiis to go around.

Spanca

5 years ago

EvilHayama wrote

I'm guessing both the 360 and the Wii sold out on launch weekend, but there were more Wiis to go around.

Exactly. I make a post simply trying to look at it from a rational point of view, putting it in context, and with facts and figures (and no Obs, your theory is utterly wrong, as many retail stores do more business in the Christmas period than the rest of the year put together), yet apparently trying to do that makes me a equivalent to a Microsoft employee.

I mean there's posts like "lol pwn3d!" or "that'll shut up Microsoft" or "holy hell batman!" when the reality is, this launch is essentially the same as the 360's. Both did well with what they had, but I don't see Nintendo as being so deserving of all this overwhelming praise some of you give them. As the article said, it only just overtook the 360, yet with so much more going for it. Some of you guys are so willing to jerk Nintendo off at every opportunity. I mean I say "just putting things in perspective" and one response is "don't do that", as if that makes me some sort of fanboy

32 900 units is good, and a new record obviously, but it's hardly anything to get worked up over (like many have) if a much more expensive console can do the same in one of the deadest retail periods of the year.

Don't confuse my motivation as "Microsoft are teh bestest!" but rather a "ok so Nintendo sold slightly more than the new standard at the best launch time of the year with arguably one of the best launch games in the last decade". Good, but not great.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

i know, i am well aware that pre-christmas is typically a huge retail period for these sorts of luxury items, but i also know a few people who bought an XBox 360 simply because they had the money at the time, and can't get a Wii because they can't afford to spend the money on themselves now.

i know it's not conclusive proof of anything, just calling it as i saw it.

mind you, with Microsoft claiming last week as their biggest sales week since they launched, perhaps there's simply something wrong with people i know, or their financial habits. (i do know one guy who got dragged into the Wii hype, went to buy one, couldn't, so bought an X360 instead.)

it was also my experience that stores didn't sell out of XBox 360s when it launched. perhaps this was an oddity related to WA though, but it was quite easy to go pick one up in the days after it came on sale, whereas i haven't seen a Wii instore anywhere since the 7th. (i've not been actively looking, but neither was i for the XBox 360).

i agree that it's annoying having people insistant on congratulating every bowel movement <insert company> ever makes, and likewise it's irritating reading people critisise everything <insert company> does too. i hope i'm not sounding like that which i dispise.

--
edit: and yeah, i am sure Zelda being available for launch, where the XBox had, what? exactly, helped things along. just as i couldn't and can't find Wii's, there's definately no shortage of Zeldas.

Zarnoss

5 years ago

Price differences would also be a factor in peoples purchases (general consumer) plus the wii control style has alot of "WOW! cool" appeal to the general public.

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

Spanca wrote

Exactly.

*snip*

Don't confuse my motivation as "Microsoft are teh bestest!" but rather a "ok so Nintendo sold slightly more than the new standard at the best launch time of the year with arguably one of the best launch games in the last decade". Good, but not great.

Yeah, Zelda undoutedly helped many a Wii sale along - but I don't think it's entirely an apples to apples comparisson like you're suggesting. AFAIK the XBOX did quite well in Australia (like the 360 is doing), whereas the 'cube did rather poorly - and I tend to think that installed use-base counts for something. Nintendo hasn't been a strong brand over here in the last few years, and the Wii is something that many people had (and still have) doubts about. Aside from hanging around on this gaming community, I barely encountered any hype or interest for the Wii locally. These factors combined, I found the outright success of the Wii launch surprising.
But hey, I guess that makes me some kind of rabid fanboy?

rodvcpetrie

5 years ago

Now could you imagine if Super Mario Galaxy was released alongside Zelda?

Anyway I've never been against Microsoft's consoles, even though I didn't buy an Xbox. I'll be getting a 360 later next year after purchasing a Wii, so it's no skin off my nose really.

When the N64 came out I didn't like the Playstation, even though I had never played one, but when I actually played Metal Gear Solid I thought "Hey this is pretty cool" and eventually bought one. Fast forward to now and I'm placing Sony last again.

I'll eventually get a PS3 because of their exclusive games but I'll be giving my money and gaming time to the Wii and 360 until that time.

Kaboth

5 years ago

Well I think 32k is a very impressive figure after how poorly the Cube did. Xbox360 had a very solid base of people who'd had a great experience with the Xbox and Live. Even the most hardened Cube fan has to admit that the Cube was in many ways dissapointing.

Bitchacho

5 years ago

1. This is great news. Now I have some evidence to back me up when my friends bag me

2. In the thread about the "30,000 Wii preorders in Australia" thread I said that it was hard to believe. Then some fools reckoned I was 'being overly negative' about it. Well guess what. Obviously 30,000 preorders weren't made as we all know many of the sales are 'over the counter' ones (without preorders). So on that note: EAT THAT! Nah kidding. But seriously my whole argument was that the figure is **** and someone pulled it out of their arse. Once again I'm right.

However 30,000 was a bloody good estimate. Congrats again Ninty.

admeister

5 years ago

Wow, this is more than I expected. I knew that Wii was very popular (and for good reason), but that is seriously impressive.

GroovySamurai

5 years ago

Spanca wrote

Sunrider wrote

Perhaps now the Xbox guy can finally shut up.

I think you will be getting the Microsoft Fanboy of the year award Spanca

(maybe poster of the year too.)

cycosippius

5 years ago

Which ever way you look at it with whatever glasses you want to wear. It is the fastest selling console and I too will be interested to see how long till the 100,00 mark cause I reckon at the mo. the number N has on shelves before Xmas will sell.

You know my Graphics whore mates have been impressed, and thats saying something, people with high dispossable incomes most looking to buy now.

And you know what, I loved my cube, and I think it is quite sad it will be seen as a failure.

I wont be giving it away like I did my SNES.

Jellyfish

5 years ago

Quote

I think you will be getting the Microsoft Fanboy of the year award Spanca

Funny how a Mac user gets a Microsoft Fanboy award

All he was doing was stating the truth because like Obs said some people get exciting over every bowel movement a company makes.[/quote]

KickyFunkFresh

5 years ago

The store I work at sold its first Wii tonight!

NeoSanity

5 years ago

The Wii is definatly a more attractive option for parents looking for gifts to buy for their little ones for Christmas. While I'm not insulting Xbox but Wii launched at the right time in the best possible way for them, right before Christmas and Nintendo bought their best to the front line.

If I was an overbearing parent of the 21st century I'd consider a Wii over a 360 for my kid this Chirstmas. I don't like the idea of an 8 year old butching realistic enemies with a chainsaw. It's the sort of thing that reeks of bad parenting.

The Xbox 360 though was launched in March, with rather average games, plus it was more expensive.

As to who'll be reeking in the squalers of the console war this Christmas? Nintendo will probably take the cake (or the Christmas pudding, har har) and Mircosoft will take in a tidy amount over the Summer.

As for Playstation 3, well that's a definate KIA until next March. Sony really need to get onto the ball if they plan to take the market like it did last time.

renegadesx

5 years ago

No real shock, like I've always said...
that system is a step in the right direction and its about time Nintendo did something right

I think it could very well sell 100,000 in 6 months due to targeting non-gamers approach

Sony will not get anywhere anytime soon considering people are going to look at the $999 price tag and say "f*@k that!" and I have always said the 360's content is too narrow for the masses that make the PS2 audience

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