Wii Play is best-selling game this decade

By Ellie Gibson Published 14 October, 2009

In the US, anyway. San Andreas second.

The NPD Group has revealed Wii Play is the best-selling game of the decade in the US.

As reported by IGN, more than 11.1 million copies of the game have now been sold there. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is in second place on 8.25 million, followed by Wii Fit (7.9 million) and GTA: Vice City (6.9 million). Mario Kart Wii rounds out the top five with sales of 6.7 million.

So what's the next step in Nintendo's plan to secure all the money in the world? Well there's Wii Fit Plus, which is available bundled with a balance board for $99. "Working out at the gym would be a lot more expensive than playing Wii Fit Plus," pointed out white trouser suit fan Cammie Dunaway.

And then? "Certainly the Wii Vitality Sensor is going to enable us to keep innovating, to keep taking another step in expanding the appeal of videogames. So we're excited about having it launch. I'm excited. And will be excited to share more details with you down the road." Exciting.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • LazyDan #1 2 years ago

    I love the games industry these days - it's so hilariously arse-backwards.

  • kipper #2 2 years ago

    As I suspected, if you want to have a high selling Wii game, bundle it with a peripheral. Seems those Wii owners just can't resist that shiny white plastic. It's a bit sad really (unless you are a Nintendo shareholder).

  • erp #3 2 years ago

    But it's rubbish.

  • MyAfroAndMe #4 2 years ago

    There's no need for an outcry. It was essentially a free game as Wii Play cost the same as a Wiimote. FREE GAME IN HIGH SALES SHOCKER!!

  • bad09 #5 2 years ago

    2nd controller for Wii is best selling "game" this decade......

  • crozon #6 2 years ago

    don't get it where is halo and call of duty 4. thought call of duty did 14 million.........

  • siro #7 2 years ago

    crozon: "...in the US."

  • vx-chemical #8 2 years ago

    I feel sad for all those people purchasing stuff for the Wii only to have it collect dust in a corner. It must be great having the best selling console out there for Nintendo, but im sure it would be better to have more than 20% of the people buy games as well.

  • VMerken #9 2 years ago

    "Working out at the gym would be a lot more expensive than playing Wii Fit Plus," pointed out white trouser suit fan Cammie Dunaway.

    ... and, probably much better at achieving the actual goal of becoming fit, what with all the specialised equipment and professional staff?

  • Mkwone #10 2 years ago

    Where does Wii Sports fit into it then. I thought ever Wii outside Japan had it bundled with the console?

  • Canyarion #11 2 years ago

    @MyAfroAndMe

    Wii Play + Wiimote: €50
    Wiimote: €40

    Wii Play = €50 - €40 = €10.
    €10 =/= Free.

  • Golgo #12 2 years ago

    If these hardware bundles count as best-selling 'games', then surely Mah-Jong, Minesweeper, Solitaire and all the rest of em that are bundled with Windows are the best sellers?

  • secombe #13 2 years ago

    I'm in the minority, but I love Wii Play. High score gaming = win, quite frankly, and in Tanks! and Laser Hockey, it has two of the most addictive "must beat my own score" games I've played in years. Considering it essentially cost a £5, it's up there with the likes of GeoDefense on the iPhone as the best value games I've owned, period.

  • Zomoniac #14 2 years ago

    @Canyarion

    At the vast majority of UK high street retailers (where Wii owner types buy games):

    Wii Remote = £32.99
    Wii Play with Wii Remote = £34.99

    Wii Play = £34.99 - £32.99
    Wii Play = £2.

    £2 = Pretty much free.

    Also, on launch day Nintendo didn't make enough Wii remotes to go round. I couldn't get a second remote anywhere. So I bought 3 copies of Wii Play at a negligible extra cost (two of which I sold at a profit) as it was the only way to get remotes. I probably wasn't the only one.

  • muscleblade #15 2 years ago

    "don't get it where is halo and call of duty 4. thought call of duty did 14 million......... "

    You mean the whole franchise or just COD4? I think COD4 sold a lot less than 14 million. It sold best on the 360 just below 4 million copies worldwide. Halo 3 has sold a little over 8 millon the same goes for Halo 2 worldwide.

    The whole franchise might have sold 14 millon though as the Halo trilogy has sold 22 millon copies worldwide.
    Edited by 2 at 14/10/09 @ 15:17

  • cianchristopher #16 2 years ago

    No, Call of Duty 4 did sell 14 million copies, but that's all over the world and on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC (yep, it even sold millions on the PC, canyoubelieveit)...

    But this is US-only, so I'd say COD4 sold about 5-6m there... (It's probably in the top-ten)

  • cianchristopher #17 2 years ago

    Yeah but Donnie, it's still heartening to see GTA Vice City and San Andreas so high up the list. Great games, no doubt about it!

    Nintendo died about 5 years ago, Mario Galaxy was nothing but a freak accident (of a high-quality game actually being made there)...

  • secombe #18 2 years ago

    @ donnie

    Funny that, Mario Kart Wii is probably the most played game ever in our household, and I know for sure it is in my parents household, and my sisters. It's not revolutionary, but show me a game that is these days (even on the 'hardcore consoles') that is selling in epic numbers.

    My point - if millions are enjoying it (and I'm sure millions still are) I can't see how it's a "disgrace" at all. It's not inherently broken, it's not a bad game by any measure, it has a reasonable feature set (even my folks can play it online), so what's the problem?

  • Burkey123 #19 2 years ago

    @ donnie

    Sorry but Mario Kart Wii is a great game imo.
    Okay, you get a plastic wheel with the game but you don't have to use the bloody thing! Gamecube pad all the way! The online is great fun and works flawlessy. And playing with friends is up there with Brawl and Wii Sports for great local multiplayer action imo.
    Yes, the packaged wheel did help it sell but it's still packaged with a good game and the game shows that Nintendo can utilise online if they really put their minds to it(unlike the horrible online multiplayer in Brawl).

  • KDR_11k #20 2 years ago

    Wii Play is well worth the money. Tank Box is awesome.

  • dahsif #21 2 years ago

    cianchristopher
    "Mario Galaxy was nothing but a freak accident (of a high-quality game actually being made there)..."
    I still don't understand why people think SMG was such a good game...I played it, it was cute, nice and..boring after one hour of play. It was a 7/10 game.

  • fjharps #22 2 years ago

    @dahsif
    I agree with you there but to be honest I think Mario Galaxy was way better than Super Mario Sunshine never quite enjoyed that one. But still both these mario games are but a shadow of what Super Mario 64 was. Anyway I'm another one one of those millions who got Wii Play on launch just for the extra controller and I thought the game wasn't very good at all especially compared to wii sports.

  • bad09 #23 2 years ago

    Wow 2 people who agree with me on SMG, I'm stunned I thought I was the only one who thought it was a bore!

    / hugs SM64