Nintendo Wii

Sega Gives Virtual Console Three More

Sega really does seem to enjoy the Wii's Virtual Console, as this week they've added three more titles to the mix. We've got Sonic Spinball, Sword of Vermillion, and Beyond Oasis. Take a look at the full press release below.

SAN FRANCISCO (March 29, 2007) – SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that four titles from the SEGA Genesis™ library, Sword of Vermilion, Sonic Spinball, and Beyond Oasis are now available for download on the Wii™ Shop Channel. Prices start at 800 Wii™ Points for SEGA Genesis titles. Wii Points can be purchased online or at select retailers at an MSRP of $20 for 2,000 points.

Sword of Vermilion - When the evil wizard-king, Tsarkon, invaded Excalabria, King Erik V had no choice but to turn his infant son over to his most trusted warrior, Blade. As his castle burned, King Erik hurriedly gave Blade an ancient family heirloom, the Ring of Wisdom, and asked him to leave at once in the hopes that the young heir to the throne would survive. Blade raised Erik VI as his own, knowing one day the prince would fulfill the prophecy of the Malaga fortune tellers. Now, eighteen years later, Erik VI returns to Excalabria to avenge his father’s death and reclaim the kingdom.

Sonic Spinball - With his Veg-O-Fortress built high up on an active volcano, Dr. Eggman is turning all the cute, furry creatures of Planet Mobius into robot slaves! Sonic and Tails rush to save the animals and quickly discover the only way to stop the mechanizing madness is to trigger a volcanic eruption. Sonic knows this can be done by removing the Chaos Emeralds that keep the volcano stable. However, Dr. Eggman is also aware of the fragile relationship that exists between the Emeralds and the mountain, and he's set up an elaborate Pinball Defense System to make sure the precious jewels don't go anywhere.

Beyond Oasis - You are the young Prince Ali in a desperate fight to defeat the evil that has returned to threaten your island empire, Oasis. Long ago, a war raged between a wicked sorcerer who used a silver “armlet” to unleash destruction on the island and a wizard who defied him with a gold armlet that could summon four powerful spirits. Both armlets had been lost until recently when someone unearthed the silver band and began using it for their evil gain. Just when you think all is lost, you discover the precious gold armlet and finally have the power to combat the wearer of the silver band…but can you stop them in time?

“The Wii Shop Channel is a great avenue for gamers who want instant access to classic SEGA Genesis titles,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “Well-known titles such as Sword of Vermilion, Sonic Spinball and Beyond Oasis are a great fit for this platform.”

NiGHTS Officially Revealed?

A preview page for Swedish magazine GameReactor has been published online, and splashed all over it is a NiGHTS announcement. This, of course, goes hand in hand with what Official Nintendo Magazine has been hinting at, as well as a number of other publications. Take a look at the image below, and keep waiting for that official announcement from Sega. I just hope that this isn't some overblown April Fools joke.

Media Create Japan Software Sales: March 12th-18th

Another fun filled week of sales data from Japan, and things continue to remain the same - Nintendo DS software dominates the spots. Yoshi's Island DS remains in first place with 132k sold through. World Puzzle, a debut for Namco-Bandai, took in 72k sold. And Capcom continues to walk strong with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, as it went on to sell another 64k units - climbing past the one million mark sold (not shipped). Only three debuts made on to the chart, and games like Wii Sports, Wii Play, Professor Layton, and Dragon Quest Monster Joker continue to remain in the top 10. Gundam Musou has dropped off the chart after two weeks, but it's not too far out at the 14th spot.

Position/Platform/Publisher/Game Name/Weekly Sold/Total
1. NDS, Nintendo - Yoshi's Island DS - 131,843 / 434,958
2. NDS, Bandai-Namco - Word Puzzle Mojipittan DS - 71,701 / Debut
3. PSP, Capcom - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd - 64,368 / 1,000,599
4. WII, Nintendo - Wii Sports - 38,560 / 1,204,234
5. PS2, Koei - Kin-iro no Corda 2 - 34,585 / Debut
6. NDS, Level 5 - Prof. Layton and the Mysterious Village - 31,371 / 297,388
7. WII, Nintendo - Wii Play - 30,416 / 1,033,044
8. NDS, Konami - Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 1st Love - 29,033 / Debut
9. NDS, Banpresto - Super Robot Wars W - 25,139 / 200,759
10. NDS, Square-Enix - Dragon Quest Monsters Joker - 22,462 / 1,250,726

March 5th-11th
1. NDS, Nintendo - Yoshi's Island DS - 303,114 / Debut
2. PSP, Capcom - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd - 93,099 / 936,231
3. NDS, Level 5 - Prof. Layton and the Mysterious Village - 45,344 / 266,017
4. PS2, Spike - Kenka Bancho 2: Full Throttle - 42,131 / Debut
5. NDS, Banpresto - Super Robot Wars W - 36,310 / 175,620
6. WII, Nintendo - Wii Sports - 35,298 / 1,165,674
7. PS3, Bandai-Namco - Gundam Musou - 31,145 / 201,869
8. NDS, Square-Enix - Dragon Quest Monsters Joker - 26,452 / 1,228,264
9. WII, Nintendo - Wii Play - 26,340 / 1,002,628
10. NDS, Nintendo - More Brain Age - 20,716 / 4,060,566

Media Create Japan Hardware Sales: March 12th-18th

The last two weeks has shown that the PS3 is quite capable of performing well and that all it needs is a hit or two. The software list for the PS3 is back to being dry once again, with nothing notable in sight for the console in Japan. Because of this, the PlayStation 3's sales have slumped back down to its original state, as the console took in 22k sold. The Nintendo Wii saw a boost in sales, as restock has arrived in Japan and Nintendo's console sold 67k. The PSP is still riding on the success of Monster Hunter, and it managed to take in another 44k handhelds sold. The DS saw an increase in sales with nearly 122k more dual screen wonders in the hands of gamers.

Nintendo DS - 121,630
Nintendo Wii - 67,070
Sony PSP - 43,769
Sony PlayStation 3 - 21,635
Sony PlayStation 2 - 13,321
Microsoft Xbox 360 - 2,910

March 5th-11th
Nintendo DS 108,631
Sony PSP 56,175
Nintendo Wii 44,495
Sony PlayStation 3 32,115
Sony PlayStation 2 14,585
Microsoft Xbox 360 3,333

Sega Releases Three More for Virtual Console

It's a good time to be a Wii owner, as Sega has added three more classics to the Virtual Console: Virtua Fighter 2, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, and Wonder Boy in Monster World. Sega says prices will start at 800 Wii points, which is $8 per game. It leaves a bit of ambiguity, because we're not quite sure what the prices are for each specific game.

    “The Wii Shop Channel continues to be a great avenue for gamers who want instant access to classic SEGA Genesis titles,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “Virtua Fighter 2, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, and Wonder Boy in Monster World, are all great titles that were popular hits in their day and now have a second life via Wii’s Virtual Console.”

   Virtua Fighter 2 - Virtua Fighter was the first 3D fighting game in the industry and introduced eight unique characters, each with their own martial arts style. In Virtua Fighter 2, the intrepid fighters return to the World Fighting Tournament. Take to the stage to see who will claim the championship title; will it be Lau Chan, Kage Maru, Wolf Hawkfield, Jeffry McWild, Akira Yuki, Jacky Bryant, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan.

    Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle - This classic title features Alex Kidd! Alex had given up hope that his kidnapped father, King Thor, would return to the kingdom on Planet Aries. When the news arrived that he was very much alive and being held captive on the planet Paperock, Alex raced to his rescue. Throughout 11 levels, players will battle enemies and avoid obstacles while winning coins that will buy you special items and vehicles. At the end of each level, players will encounter a boss and enter into a match of “Paper, Scissors, Rock.” Throw the right symbols and you’ll be ever closer to bringing King Thor home; throw the wrong symbols and you’ll be squashed beneath a heavy weight.

    Wonder Boy in Monster World - Monster World was a peaceful, happy place until one dark day when an army of BioMeka monsters invaded. Playing as a young man named Shion, gamers vow to defeat the hostile foes and make the land peaceful again. Attack enemies with swords and spears and guard against incoming projectiles with shields and armor. Travel through the many different regions of Monster World and talk to the townspeople, collect money to buy items, and gather a large variety of weapons and magic. As players progress, the weapons and equipment become more powerful, including suits of armor and boots.

NiGHTS into Dreams? Dreams Into a Reality?

Is the writing really in the stars? Official Nintendo Magazine has published the left image on the last page of their previous issue and hinted at the announcement of an exclusive Wii title. Some clever minds recognized the outline of the stars and it seems like the puzzle piece fits. This could be either an all new NiGHTS game or a Virtual Console release. But either way, playing NiGHTS with the Wiimote is going to be heavenly. Stay tuned, as soon as ONM announces what the game actually is, we'll be here to inform you.

In the meantime, go say a few prayers in hopes of a new NiGHTS game, even if you aren't the praying type - heck, that didn't stop me.

Media Create Japan Software Sales: March 5th-11th

For the week of March 5th-11th the top 10 saw a few surprises and milestones. Firstly, the top spot last week belonged to Yoshi's Island for the DS. It racked in over 300k in copies sold. The next most notable mention is Monster Hunter Portable 2nd remaining firmly on the countdown at #2 with 93k games sold. What's surprising is that if you look over at the 7th spot, you'll notice that Gundam Musou has remained in the countdown and went on to sell another 31k copies, bringing its total to nearly 202k sold.

With that in mind, roughly 1 out of every 4 PS3 owners own a copy of Gundam Musou now. Also, last week finally had Wii Play reaching its million mark milestone, as the game is now the second Wii title to sell over 1M units. Lackluster week for debuts, as you can see - only two made the chart. And lastly, it's worth noting that Power Smash 3 (Virtua Tennis 3) debuted at the not-so-great 19th spot. Hardware numbers should arrive later tonight - look for them.

Position/Platform/Publisher/Game Name/Weekly Sold/Total
1. NDS, Nintendo - Yoshi's Island DS - 303,114 / Debut
2. PSP, Capcom - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd - 93,099 / 936,231
3. NDS, Level 5 - Prof. Layton and the Mysterious Village - 45,344 / 266,017
4. PS2, Spike - Kenka Bancho 2: Full Throttle - 42,131 / Debut
5. NDS, Banpresto - Super Robot Wars W - 36,310 / 175,620
6. WII, Nintendo - Wii Sports - 35,298 / 1,165,674
7. PS3, Bandai-Namco - Gundam Musou - 31,145 / 201,869
8. NDS, Square-Enix - Dragon Quest Monsters Joker - 26,452 / 1,228,264
9. WII, Nintendo - Wii Play - 26,340 / 1,002,628
10. NDS, Nintendo - More Brain Age - 20,716 / 4,060,566

Feb. 26th-March 4th
1. PS3, Bandai-Namco - Gundam Musou - 170,725 / Debut
2. NDS, Banpresto - Super Robot Wars W - 139,311 / Debut
3. PSP, Capcom - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd - 137,851 / 843,132
4. WII, Nintendo - Wii Sports - 39,639 / 1,130,376
5. NDS, Level 5 - Prof. Layton and the Mysterious Village - 33,957 / 220,673
6. WII, Nintendo - Wii Play - 31,702 / 976,288
7. NDS, Bandai-Namco - Iron Left Brain: Mistake Museum 2 - 28,495 / Debut
8. NDS, Square-Enix - Dragon Quest Monsters Joker - 27,236 / 1,201,812
9. NDS, Nintendo - New Super Mario Bros. - 24,545 / 4,193,532
10. NDS, Nintendo - More Brain Age - 22,854 / 4,039,850

Media Create Japan Hardware Sales: March 5th-11th

Last week's sales in Japan sure seem to be full of surprises. Gundam Musou remained on the top 10, and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd continues to sell a plethora. Now there are more surprises in the form of hardware sales. We aren't certain what the reasons are, but the Nintendo Wii's sales have fallen 13k down to 44k. Gamers who reside in Japan claim a shortage of consoles, stating that Wiis are nowhere to be found in the country.

Nintendo has recently gone on record to admit that demand is simply much higher than supply. What's more is that the PS3 is enjoying another week of reasonable sales, taking in 32k consoles sold. The PSP had another terrific week with 56k units moved, and the handheld has surpassed 5-million in sales. Lastly, the Nintendo DS continues to parade like a champ taking in almost the same amount as it did the week before with 109k sold.

Nintendo DS 108,631
Sony PSP 56,175
Nintendo Wii 44,495
Sony PlayStation 3 32,115
Sony PlayStation 2 14,585
Microsoft Xbox360 3,333

Feb. 26th - March 4th
Nintendo DS 111,814
Sony PSP 66,156
Nintendo Wii 57,972
Sony PlayStation 3 44,000
Sony PlayStation 2 15,364
Microsoft Xbox360 3,379

Tie-in Ratio Improves for PS3 and Wii

Now that we know what the software and hardware sales are, what about the spending habits of the gamer? In other words, how many games does the average PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii owner game? The NPD Fungroup estimates that the tie-in ratio for both the PS3 and Wii are fairly close, actually. In January, the average PS3 owner owned 2.7 games, and the average Wii owner had 2.2 games. For February there was a notable increase, as the numbers shot up a point. Now, the average PS3 owner owns 3.4 games, and the average Wii owner has 3.6.

"While some detractors may consider the next generation cycle off to a poor start," said a representative from NPD, "we think that improving tie ratios indicate strong demand for the relatively light software lineup on the next gen consoles, and we believe that once a greater variety of compelling software is released later this year, demand for the new hardware will increase."

February 07 NPD: Complete Software & Hardware Sales

After last month's painfully delayed January NPD results, the results for February have thankfully arrived just in time. The NPD Fungroup has informed us that the industry has grown 53% in comparison to last year. A quick recap shows us the following in console sales:

Nintendo DS 485,000
Wii 335,000
PlayStation 2 295,000
Xbox 360 228,000
PlayStation Portable 176,000
Game Boy Advance 136,000
PlayStation 3 127,000
GameCube 24,000
Xbox 480

Yes, the PlayStation 3 is dead last. Last month figures of the console were fairly close to that of the Xbox 360's, but in February the X360 outsold the PS3 by 100k units. The very end of February saw the release of Formula One, Virtua Fighter 5 and MLB 2K7 (which actually arrived in most stores March 1st), and that pretty much highlighted the entire list of PS3 games for the month. So once again, a lack of software has done Sony wrong. This performance is poor, no doubt, and we hope that with MotorStorm, the announcement of Home, and various 3rd party releases March's sales make up for February.

Software sales are a little different. While the Nintendo DS outsells in hardware, it's the Xbox 360 that rakes in all of the software sales. Crackdown sold 427k copies, largely due to its Halo 3 beta inclusion - a move that is very similar to what Konami did with Zone of Enders and the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo. And it seems like the Wii Play w/remote package was just too hard to pass up for many, as it went on to sell 371k. Rounding out the top three is Diddy Kong Racing for the DS, a remake of the N64 original.

360 Crackdown 427K
WII Wii Play w/Remote 371K
NDS Diddy Kong Racing 262K
WII Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 130K
PS2 Guitar Hero 2 w/Guitar 130K
360 Gears Of War 119K
360 Major League Baseball 2K7 113K
360 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition 111K
WII WarioWare: Smooth Moves 109K
360 NBA Street Homecourt 102k

Note: It is important to know that the NPD does not calculate 100% of sales, but closer to 75%. Sales in/from Canada, Mexico, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Sam's Club, a variety of retail stores and privately owned electronics/game stores do not get accounted for. These numbers are not concrete and are only used to illustrate a rough estimate of sales performance.