New Super Mario Bros. Wii Breaks Record in Japan

[Greg Tito]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Breaks Record in Japan

Nintendo's newest flagship title is doing well in its native country, but will it beat Modern Warfare 2 in worldwide sales?

According to the Japanese magazine Famitsu, Nintendo sold 936,734 copies of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in the first week it was available in Japan, between December 3rd and December 6th. That total beats out the previous record-holder for a Wii title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl with 816,000, for the most copies sold in its debut week in Japan.

It doesn't take a genius businessman to predict that Mario would sell well, especially in the country in which he was born (not Italy.) But back in November, one analyst went so far as to posit that New Super Mario Bros. Wii might actually beat Modern Warfare 2 in worldwide lifetime sales [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/26012/Analyst_New_Super_Mario_Bros_Wii_Could_Outdo_Modern_Warfare_2.php], mostly due to the Mario franchise's ongoing popularity in the island country. In case you forgot, Modern Warfare 2 made over $550 million over its first week of sales.

It's no secret that foreign games do not sell well in Japan, so a game like Mario selling like hotcakes on its home turf is only good news for Nintendo and the Wii platform. But will it beat the money-making juggernaut of Modern Warfare 2? Time will tell.

Source: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5420429/new-super-mario-bros-wii-defeats-super-smash-bros-brawl-in-first-week-sales]

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[DrDeath3191]

I still think Reggie's claim can be met: Mario could beat MW2 on a single console. However, to say that it's going to topple the lead of the game on all consoles would be flat-out ludicrous.

 

[messy]

I can't be the only one that feels sorry for the one toad on the cover art that doesn't get a yoshi can I?

Also; like you say sure it's going to sell loads but that is fairly impressive. And with the Wii the best selling console, and this game is meant to appeal to both "hardcore" and "casual" players we could (just maybe, very slim chance) see this actually outsell MW2 (in its lifetime, not the first few weeks).

I don't put much faith in that happening though

 

[Georgeman]

I think it can top Modern Warfare 2. I mean, hell, Mario Kart Wii SURPASSED Grand Theft Auto IV in both consoles and is still selling pretty well. Grand Theft Auto IV? Not so much. It won't happen soon though. It will take a year at the very least. And let's not forget that New Super Mario Bros DS sold about 20 million... and that it still sells.

 

[Talendra]

I think it could. While I am sure Modern Warfare 2 will probably do well over Christmas, you cannot deny a Mario game for the Wii is going to be at the top of many kids Christmas lists, and even more parents buy lists. It is a perfect game for kids, and just as fun for adults, and it won't turn you into a terrorist =P

 

[Aura Guardian]

It can and it will.

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

I can't be the only one that feels sorry for the one toad on the cover art that doesn't get a yoshi can I?

It's OK, he's got a propeller-hat.

As for the possibility of it surpassing MewTwo, I just can't see it happening.

 

[The Rockerfly]

I really hope it doesn't

 

[orangeapples]

As for the possibility of it surpassing MewTwo, I just can't see it happening.

Mewtwo? So MW2 will now take the name of a Nintendo character?

 

[JediMB]

I still think Reggie's claim can be met: Mario could beat MW2 on a single console. However, to say that it's going to topple the lead of the game on all consoles would be flat-out ludicrous.

Keep in mind that the claim was in reference to lifetime sales. MW2 has competition from both other games in the genre and, eventually, its own sequel in two years or so. Additionally, it's the kind of game to have high burst sales at release, while Mario games are known to sell well over long periods of time.

Plus, 9 out of the 10 best-selling console games of all time are Nintendo games. The original "New Super Mario Bros." is in fifth place with nearly 20 million units sold.

But, eh, we'll see. No point debating it at this point, really.

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

Mewtwo? So MW2 will now take the name of a Nintendo character?

Hey, I didn't start it. I just like using it.

 

[DrDeath3191]

I still think Reggie's claim can be met: Mario could beat MW2 on a single console. However, to say that it's going to topple the lead of the game on all consoles would be flat-out ludicrous.

Keep in mind that the claim was in reference to lifetime sales. MW2 has competition from both other games in the genre and, eventually, its own sequel in two years or so. Additionally, it's the kind of game to have high burst sales at release, while Mario games are known to sell well over long periods of time.

Plus, 9 out of the 10 best-selling console games of all time are Nintendo games. The original "New Super Mario Bros." is in fifth place with nearly 20 million units sold.

But, eh, we'll see. No point debating it at this point, really.

Reggie claimed that it would win by Q1. If this claim states that it's over a lifetime, I'd have to say 'DUH'. Mario games have legs like you wouldn't believe.

 

[PhiMed]

I think it can top Modern Warfare 2. I mean, hell, Mario Kart Wii SURPASSED Grand Theft Auto IV in both consoles and is still selling pretty well. Grand Theft Auto IV? Not so much. It won't happen soon though. It will take a year at the very least. And let's not forget that New Super Mario Bros DS sold about 20 million... and that it still sells.

Yeah, but Mario Kart Wii was bundled with a Wii, two controllers, and two wheels. How many sales did it get simply because of that?

I think it could. While I am sure Modern Warfare 2 will probably do well over Christmas, you cannot deny a Mario game for the Wii is going to be at the top of many kids Christmas lists, and even more parents buy lists. It is a perfect game for kids, and just as fun for adults, and it won't turn you into a terrorist =P

Yes, a Mario title for the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy sold 8 million units to date. It's two years old. That's certainly impressive, but this guy's predicting double that for New Super Mario Brothers Wii. Is that realistic?

Contrary to popular belief, the games that do best for Nintendo's home console don't include the names Mario, Zelda, or Metroid. They're gimmicky garbage such as Wii Fit, Wii Play, and Wii Sports. With the exception of Mario Kart Wii (which I already talked about), the sales of their other major releases are very much in line with major releases on the HD consoles. The idea that big releases on the Wii outsell "blockbuster" releases falls apart after you get to number 5 on the Wii sales chart.

Another issue I had with this article is the fact that they talk in terms of units, and then talked about fast sales as if that was a bad thing. I know prices aren't uniform over the duration of a game's lifetime, but when most of your game's sales are at $60 a pop shortly after release (as is the case with Modern Warfare 2), is that really comparable to most Wii games, where sales trickle in for months to years, many of them at reduced prices of $40 or less? I'm no economist, but introductory finance tells me most companies would prefer to get their money earlier so they can invest in other projects.

 

[Jared]

Maybe in Japan it will, and possibly over time...but, in all reality I got a feeling its not going to even come close to the capital that MW2 has already raised.

 

[Georgeman]

I think it can top Modern Warfare 2. I mean, hell, Mario Kart Wii SURPASSED Grand Theft Auto IV in both consoles and is still selling pretty well. Grand Theft Auto IV? Not so much. It won't happen soon though. It will take a year at the very least. And let's not forget that New Super Mario Bros DS sold about 20 million... and that it still sells.

Yeah, but Mario Kart Wii was bundled with a Wii, two controllers, and two wheels. How many sales did it get simply because of that?

I think it could. While I am sure Modern Warfare 2 will probably do well over Christmas, you cannot deny a Mario game for the Wii is going to be at the top of many kids Christmas lists, and even more parents buy lists. It is a perfect game for kids, and just as fun for adults, and it won't turn you into a terrorist =P

Yes, a Mario title for the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy sold 8 million units to date. It's two years old. That's certainly impressive, but this guy's predicting double that for New Super Mario Brothers Wii. Is that realistic?

Contrary to popular belief, the games that do best for Nintendo's home console don't include the names Mario, Zelda, or Metroid. They're gimmicky garbage such as Wii Fit, Wii Play, and Wii Sports. With the exception of Mario Kart Wii (which I already talked about), the sales of their other major releases are very much in line with major releases on the HD consoles. The idea that big releases on the Wii outsell "blockbuster" releases falls apart after you get to number 5 on the Wii sales chart.

Another issue I had with this article is the fact that they talk in terms of units, and then talked about fast sales as if that was a bad thing. I know prices aren't uniform over the duration of a game's lifetime, but when most of your game's sales are at $60 a pop shortly after release (as is the case with Modern Warfare 2), is that really comparable to most Wii games, where sales trickle in for months to years, many of them at reduced prices of $40 or less? I'm no economist, but introductory finance tells me most companies would prefer to get their money earlier so they can invest in other projects.

Nice try, but WRONG! Let me see where I begin with this:

1) Mario Kart was NOT bundled with anything else other than a Wheel. That's all. If you happened to see any "specialized" packages in various stores, that was not Nintendo's strategy. Keep in mind that Grand Theft Auto IV had bundles too.

2) Mario 2nd and Mario 3d are NOT the same games and the sales reflect that. 2d Super Mario Bros has always sold significantly better than 3d Mario.

3) Calling Wii Fit, Wii Play and Wii Sports "garbage" makes you heavily biased. If that's what people want to buy and play, who are you to call it garbage?

4) Fast sales ARE an issue with games. Many games happen to fall in price just a few months later. We have Platinum Games the same year that those games were released (I look at you, Killzone 2.) Now, look at the so called "garbage": Mario Kart, New Super Mario Bros DS, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Wii Sports. No price drop, they still sell for full price, they still give Nintendo a crapload of money.

 

[KDR_11k]

Why do you act like MW2 is bigger than Mario? NSMB DS sold way more than CoD4 (and is STILL selling!) so the starting assumption should be that Mario will win (yes, NSMBW didn't have as big of a launch as MW2 but that's the nature of Wii games, the sales curve is much slower).

 

[Jharry5]

I really doubt that it'll sell as well as MW2 in its first week in countries besides Japan.
But, over time? Yeah, that's completely plausible.

 

[MetaKnight19]

Maybe over the lifetime, but not after the first few weeks. I have both MW2 and NSMBW, they are both awesome, plus the new Mario game is suprisingly challenging, almost as hard as the Lost Levels, also the final boss fight is pretty damn cool.

 

[GamerLuck]

I am kinda sorta seeing this first hand... I work at a gamestop and we are out of New Super Mario Bros as of yesterday, and we have yet to order more MW2's.... Really surprised me. what didnt surprise me was how pissed some people got when i had to tell them we were sold out...

 

[odiextian]

I got one same thing for my son. I got it using the service at www.amzpricesniper.com. It watched the Amazon inventory and the moment Amazon received fresh inventory at the regular retail price this obnoxious alarm went off.