The NPD Group should be releasing United States figures later tonight, but at least right now we have a press release coming from Nintendo of Canada. It seems that all of you north of the border continue to spread the Nintendo love.
CANADIANS CONTINUE TO MAKE NINTENDO THEIR FIRST CHOICE IN VIDEO GAMES
Nintendo holds down #1 positions in every category with unprecedented demand for Wii, Nintendo DS and first-party software
VANCOUVER, B.C., (May 17, 2007) – By every measure, Canadians continue to make Nintendo their number one choice for video game systems and software. The Wii was the top selling console system in Canada, the Nintendo DS was the top selling portable gaming system, and Nintendo held the top four spots for games for the period of April 8 to May 5, according to the latest Canadian figures released today by The NPD Group Inc.
In fact, Nintendo gaming systems accounted for more than 63 per cent of total hardware sales. In the reporting period, the Wii accounted for one of every two console systems sold in Canada. In the portable hardware category, Nintendo captured more than 77 market share, driven primarily by the ongoing success of the Nintendo DS.
“We’re ecstatic over the explosive appeal of Wii and Nintendo DS,†said Ron Bertram, vice president and general manager, Nintendo of Canada. “To witness such incredible demand during a traditionally slow sales period is solid proof that Canadians have embraced Nintendo’s vision of what video gaming can be. Our goal of expanding the market to include players of all ages and levels of experience with fun, pick-up-and-play systems and games continues to be a resounding success.â€
Nintendo’s momentum was bolstered by robust software sales, with first-party Nintendo titles capturing the top four spots. Recently released additions to Nintendo’s iconic Pokémon series – Pokemon Diamond Version DS â„¢ and Pokemon Pearl Version DSâ„¢ – led the pack at number one and number two respectively, followed by Wii Playâ„¢ and Super Paper Marioâ„¢ for Wii.
Households across the country have made the Wii a centrepiece for weekend parties, a new method for keeping active and a landmark product for generating cross-generational fun. The upcoming launches of two highly-anticipated Wii titles, Big Brain Academy™ and Mario Party 8™, are expected to keep demand for Nintendo’s hit video game console high well into the summer months.
For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.nintendo.ca.
