You decide: Does Nintendo or Microsoft sell more third-party games?
Over the past week, Nintendo and Microsoft have been trading barbs over which console--the Xbox 360 or Wii--holds the top spot for the most third-party games sold.
Nintendo was the first to "set the record straight" and released data from NPD that the company claimed showed that the Wii has sold more games than any other console when first-party and third-party titles are factored in. After hearing doubts over the inclusion of first-party titles, Nintendo then released a graph showing sales of only third-party titles, which it once again, compiled from NPD source data.
"I actually think that given the number of comments made from industry executives at E3 (or thereabouts) about how they didn't put enough resources against development of Wii games that the industry has realized that the old adage of 'only first-party games sell on Nintendo systems' is absolutely incorrect. I think you're right that the data will cause a few eyebrows to lift," NPD industry analyst Anita Frazier said in defense of the figures.
But Microsoft was suspect of the data and decided to release its own figures obtained from NPD to "clear the air." In its study, Microsoft claims "total third-party sales for the Xbox 360 since launch is currently 67,929,999 units, followed by the Wii at 33,394,311 units, and the PlayStation 3 at 19,976,325 units.
"Third-party sales for the Xbox 360 since the launch of the Wii and PS3 is 54,065,728 units, still almost double the Wii's 33,394,311 units."
On top of that, the company claims that it's actually selling more third-party titles per console sold than Nintendo, which it believes, shows its success in the space.
"No matter how you slice it, the Wii third-party game story is not a pretty one," David Dennis, group manager of corporate PR at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, said in response to his company's report.
So which company is right? Well, it looks like they're both right in their own special way.
Microsoft's stance is that its third parties have sold more units since the release of the Xbox 360 (and even the release of the Wii) than they've ever sold in Wii units.
Nintendo claims that it has sold more units in the first 20 months of the Wii's availability than Microsoft sold in the first 20 months of the Xbox 360's availability.
"According to the independent NPD Group, which tracks software sales in the United States, more than 33 million units of third-party Wii software sold in its first 20 months, compared with about 29 million units for Xbox 360 and about 20 million units for PS3 sold during each of their first 20 months on the market," Nintendo told me in an email. "NPD's tally of third-party software sales 20 months after each console's launch is the only way to make a direct, apples-to-apples comparison of the numbers. Wii remains the best-selling console of this generation."
So if we're trying to compare apples to apples, Nintendo has (theoretically) sold more units than Microsoft. But if we're comparing gross sales figures, third parties have sold more games on the Xbox 360 than the Nintendo Wii.
After getting in touch with NPD's Anita Frazier, I asked her to clarify the figures and give me raw data to compare the success of both companies' console.
According to Frazier, in the first 20 months of availability (the entire tally of sold units so far), the Wii "sold 60 million total software units where 56 percent are third-party units or 33 million. Keep in mind that this does not include Wii Sports. Since it's in-pack with the hardware, it is not counted as a software sale."
During its first 20 months of availability, the Xbox 360 sold "35 million software units, 84 percent of which were third party, or 29 million total."
Over its entire lifespan, Frazier says, the Xbox 360 has sold 82 million units total and 82 percent of those were third party, representing 67 million units.
Taking all that into account, it's abundantly clear that both Microsoft and Nintendo are keenly aware of the importance of third parties in the future success of their consoles, but it also highlights one important point: If Nintendo wasn't a Microsoft competitor, why would it care about Nintendo's claims of dominance?
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
But in the end, there's really no way to judge the success of third parties on either console in a way that would be fair to all parties involved. Sure, there are a number of factors involved, including hardware sales and first-party sales, but it's practically impossible to compare each fairly. That said, I'll leave it up to you: Who do you think is the real leader in third-party sales?
Microsoft was contacted for a response. So far, it has yet to respond.
Update1: Added Nintendo official statement.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Essentially Microsoft are combating they have no clue how to fight, they might have bested Sony, but Nintendo are selling outside the hardcore gamer market, and every hardcore gamer will get the Wii anyway. Seriously, how do you fight that?!
Of course, if Blue Ray ever becomes a factor we could see Sony's PS3 rise from the grave. I say that as this "hardcore gamer" still doesn't have plans for a PS3 (and I'd budgeted for it... just don't see any compelling content - yet).
I think for a good analysis, we need to see how many games were bestsellers on each console. If you count movie tie-ins and crappy 3rd party games, it only mucks up the water from the good 3rd party games. I think the 360 has better third-party developer support because it has the X-Box Live Arcade. Nintendo has the Virtual Console, but I don't think those games count as games for the Wii, because they were not developed for the Wii.
Nintendo family of products (Wii, GameCube, DS, GameBoy, etc) vs Microsoft family of products (360, Xbox, Windows OS, etc).
That would be interesting, though I would have to assume that Microsoft wins that one unfortunately.
Down with M$!
Bottom line: The XBOX 360 has sold a staggering 67 million units software units in 3rd pary sales, whereas the Wii has only sold a measely 33 million units in 3rd party sales.
They are not even on the same planet. 360 3rd pary sales blow Ninetndo 3rd party sales out of the water, with plenty of room to spare.
I don't care if the 360 launched b4 the Wii or not. As far as 3rd party devepolers are concerned, all they care about is that they have sold over TWICE as many units on the 360 as on the Wii, depite the fact that total Wii hardware sales are now on par with 360 hardware sales.
In the previous generation, 3rd party sales on the PS2 easily beat 3rd party sales on the original XBOX. I didn't hear Microsoft or any analyst complain that the PS2 was launched a year before the original XBOCX, or that both Nintendo and Sony, had been in the vieo games business for a massive 20 years(in the case of Nineunmdo) before Microsft even launched the XBOX.
If we want to compare Apples to Apples, then its Microsoft that should be given the handicap, since Nintendo had 3rd party relationships and games on their consoles long before the XBOX was even launched, and Microsoft had to start from scratch, when Sony and Nintendo were already established in the console business.
If anyone thinks that is going to change soon, they'd better take another look at the Nintendo DS, where Nintendo's own 3rd pary sales continue to far outpace 3rd pary sales on the DS, despite a huge DS installed base.
That is the more reason why 3rd parties with any sense, will put mosts of their resources on the 360, as they have.
That takes nothing away from the 360 at all so calm down on the fanboy damage control. The large install base of the Wii and DS still give 3rd parties to sell more software on those consoles even is they get a smaller percentage of software sales. That is pretty easy to see , but your fanboy eyes blind you. Both consoles have room to do well, because each does something the other can not do. Cry your bitter tears over something else.
The Wii is not even on the same planet as the 360 when it comes to 3rd party software sales. No matter how you look at it, the 360 dominates the Wii:
Total third party sales for the Xbox 360 since launch is currently 67,929,999 units, followed by the Wii at 33,394,311 units and the PlayStation 3 at 19,976,325 units.
Third party sales for the Xbox 360 since the launch of the Wii and PS3 is 54,065,728 units, still almost double the Wii's 33,394,311 units.
If you take the total number of units sold and divide that by the number of titles released since November 2006, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are selling more units per title on average than the Wii. This puts the Xbox 360 at 217,252 units per title, the PS3 at 156,065 units and the Wii at 132,517 units
The Wii is not even on the same planet as the 360 when it comes to 3rd party software sales. No matter how you look at it, the 360 dominates the Wii:
Lets just look at the real FACTS, from NPD shall we?
Total third party sales for the Xbox 360 since launch is currently 67,929,999 units, followed by the Wii at 33,394,311 units and the PlayStation 3 at 19,976,325 units.
Third party sales for the Xbox 360 since the launch of the Wii and PS3 is 54,065,728 units, still almost double the Wii's 33,394,311 units.
If you take the total number of units sold and divide that by the number of titles released since November 2006, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are selling more units per title on average than the Wii. This puts the Xbox 360 at 217,252 units per title, the PS3 at 156,065 units and the Wii at 132,517 units.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-the-wii-third-party-game-story-is-not-a-pretty-one
That's why people think that the 360 sells more 3rd party games. Thanks to the 360's year head start and the hesitation to support the Wii, there are more 3rd party developers making games for the 360, so they have more games to sell. If the Wii and 360 were given the same number of 3rd party software titles, over time, it's a proven fact that the Wii would sell more titles than the 360. The only reason the 360 "sells more" is because it has more to sell. Once again, Nintendo is the victor.
The mindless Nintendo zombies strike again.
According to you : "The only reason the 360 "sells more" is because it has more to sell. Once again, Nintendo is the victor"
Try and make some sense will ya?
How the heck can Ninetndo "emerge the victor" when the 360 software is outselling Wii 3rd party software by a massive 2:1?
Are you living in the doublespeak world of George Orwell's "1984" where faslehoods mean the truth?
It's nobody's fault but Nintendo's that 3 rd party develprrs prefer the 360 to the Wii. Microsoft not only provides bettter development tools, Microsoft has atcively set out to woo 3rd party developers, and give them every support they need to develop for the 360, and it shows.
- by Kwasiowusu August 15, 2008 5:03 PM PDT
- The July NPD software numbers confirm it: 360 3rd party sales easily smoke wii 3rd party sales.Not only did NCAA 09 sell more than any other game in July, the Wii version of NCAA 09 didn't even make the top 10 at all.
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(21 Comments)Plus the 360 had another 2 3rd party titles in the top 10, Soul Calibur IV, and Sid Meir. The wii had just ONE title in the top 10.
360 wins agin in 3rd party sales.
Next month, Madden 09 on the 360 will blow away Madden 09 on the wii with plenty of room to go have dinner.