Wii Sports sells 45 million copies

By Robert Purchese Published 8 May, 2009

Dethrones Mario Bros as biggest ever.

Nintendo has revealed that Wii Sports has sold an outrageous 45.7m copies, making it the biggest-selling videogame ever, according to Wikipedia. Only Super Mario Bros. comes close with 40.23m sales.

But sales at the peak of the all-time charts are distorted, as each of the biggest games has come bundled with hardware. Wii Sports is packed with Wii, Super Mario Bros. was packed with NES, Tetris (33m) was packed with GameBoy and Super Mario World (20m) was packed with SNES.

Similarly, Wii Play's enormous 22.9m sales can be attributed to people wanting another Wii controller. You may even say 18.2m people were after a Wii Fit balance board, or that 15.4m people wanted a Mario Kart Wii steering wheel. You might say that because you've seen the next-best Wii seller only posting half as many sales.

But Nintendogs manages a beastly 22.2m without all that, and New Super Mario Bros. isn't far behind with 18.6m.

Brain Training notches up 17.4m sales just ahead of Pokémon Diamond/Pearl with 16.8m sales. Also close are Mario Kart DS with 14.6m sales and More Brain Training with 13.7m sales. After that, the list starts to drop off a bit.

Every single top 10 entry in Wikipedia's best-selling videogames of all time is by Nintendo. No wonder the house of Mario made a staggering USD 2.8bn net profit for the financial year ending 31st March.

Update: Cooking Guide has sold 1.8m not 18.6m copies. Sorry, we were dazzled.

Wii

  1. Wii Sports - 45.7m
  2. Wii Play - 22.9m
  3. Wii Fit - 18.2m
  4. Mario Kart Wii - 15.4m
  5. Super Smash Bros Brawl - 8.4m
  6. Super Mario Galaxy - 8m
  7. Mario Party 8 - 6.7m
  8. Link's Crossbow Training - 3.76m
  9. Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City - 3.76m
  10. Wii Music - 2.65m
  11. Super Mario Stadium Baseball - 1.2m

DS

  1. Nintendogs - 22.2m units.
  2. New Super Mario Bros - 18.4m
  3. Brain Training - 17.4m units
  4. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl - 16.8m
  5. Mario Kart DS - 14.6m
  6. More Brain Training - 13.7m
  7. Animal Crossing: Wild World - 10m
  8. Super Mario 64 DS - 7.5m
  9. Mario Party DS - 5.8m
  10. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - 4.5m
  11. Pokémon Platinum - 3.7m
  12. Kirby Super Star Ultra - 2.3m
  13. Pokémon Ranger - 2m
  14. Cooking Guide - 1.8m
  15. Rhythm Paradise - 1.9m.
  16. Professor Layton and the Curious Village - 1.6m
Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • JayeM #1 3 years ago

    What a shame.

  • Gnort #2 3 years ago

    Does it really count as a game sale if it is, and always has been, bundled with the console?

  • jamie_fear #3 3 years ago

    What if a game has been bundled with say an OS? Surely that would make Minesweeper the biggest selling game ever?

  • Triggerhappytel #4 3 years ago

    I don't think games bundled for free with a console should be counted as the biggest sellers of all time. Fair enough for stuff like Wii Fit or Mario Kart Wii, but every hardware manufacturer could just bundle a crap free game with their consoles to get on the list of biggest selling software ever.

    And yes, it was reported about two months back. Clearly Wii Play (awful, awful game) passed it ages back; five million sales ago.

  • Linkified #5 3 years ago

    Does a free demo == selling it.

    I know in japan it didn't come bundled in because they wanted to recover the 5 day dev costs on it but still.

  • menage #6 3 years ago

    "What if a game has been bundled with say an OS? Surely that would make Minesweeper the biggest selling game ever?"

    +1

    or Solitaire, Snake, etc. loads of games sold more than this.

  • Velios #7 3 years ago

    ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY NINTENDO !!!! The REAL winners of the current videogame generation

  • secombe #8 3 years ago

    Clearly Wii Play (awful, awful game) passed it ages back; five million sales ago.

    Tanks! automatically takes Wii Play well above "awful" status (Laser Hockey is a time-eater, as well). I love it, one of my most played games of last year, oddly.

  • oceanmotion #9 3 years ago

    Doesn't count.

  • danathjo #10 3 years ago

    so Link's crossbow training out sold Twilight Princes??

    people loves sum plastic Nintendo crap

  • gohda #11 3 years ago

    disgusting

  • gohda #12 3 years ago

    At Ł70...Wii Fit - 18.2m

    That is unreal.

  • chrisjm #13 3 years ago

    by default, mario did it through user choice

  • smelly #14 3 years ago

    .. And people said wii music was a "failure"..

    Obviously some people wanted it...


    >A pack-in hardly counts does it?

    Well the story covers that... but remember it's for sale in japan.. and even if microsoft bundled halo 3 with the 360, it still wouldnt come close to that number..

  • jonsaan #15 3 years ago

    But more so than any other bundled game ever, an awful lot of people bought a Wii for Wiisports only. I would think...

  • butler` #16 3 years ago

    budled games don't countttttttttttttttttttttttttt

  • Malek86 #17 3 years ago

    ".. And people said wii music was a "failure".. "

    That depends. In the industry, there's no "decent performance", there are only two possible outcomes. Once you decide to start a project, you must choose your expectations: if they are met, it's a success. If they aren't, it's considered a failure, even if it made a profit, because of those so-called opportunity costs.

    I don't really know what Nintendo's expectations were for Wii Music, so I can't say if it should be considered a failure or a success. But looking at other titles in the series (Wii Play? Wii Fit?), I think they expected it to sell more than this. Also, the fact they are never talking about it, probably means it didn't meet their expectations. Of course, I could be wrong.

    Back to the article: wow, that's a lot of games being sold on a daily basis. They know how to reach the public, that's for sure. My bro's girlfriend, who's not keen on games, is always bugging me to buy Nintendogs (but I haven't given in yet, eheh). As someone who is studying economics, my hat's off to you, Nintendo. I'm sure their example of how a company can severely enlarge the market, will be cited in textbooks for many years to come.

  • smelly #18 3 years ago

    Just a thought - why isnt duck hunt on that list?

  • IneptPercy #19 3 years ago

    I just sold my copy of Wii sports on ebay for Ł22... I don't know why people are buying it but there seems to be a market.

    Must be
    Wii = many kids
    many kids = scratched to hell games
    scratched to hell games = broken games
    broken games = kid moaning
    kid moaning = parent going on ebay and buying another for the little shit who should have looked after it in the first place.

  • smelly #20 3 years ago

    >That depends. In the industry, there's no "decent performance",

    it's the number 10 best selling wii game!

    I'd say that was a success! Regardless of how little "real" (cough) gamers want it to have been.

    Get ready for wii music 2!

  • KrispyBacon #21 3 years ago

    Well done Nintendo.

  • penhalion #22 3 years ago

    I thought Wii Sports came free with the console. So how is it the biggest selling game of all time?

  • Goodfella #23 3 years ago

    Every time someone buys a Wii (or Wii Play or Mario Kart) God kills a kitten.

    Think on people, think on.

  • Monkey_Puncher #24 3 years ago

    Wii Music was a faliure, in the sense that it was a load of fucking shit.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/09 @ 19:14

  • ZeroAX #25 3 years ago

    yeah but it counts when people BUY the console for that game (aka wii sports). I know I did buy the wii because of wii sports (and escite truck). and i know many people who did the same

  • Tyedyed #26 3 years ago

    sad day

  • JediMasterMalik #27 3 years ago

    These numbers are depressing, why can't people buy really good games in these quantities?

  • Malek86 #28 3 years ago

    "it's the number 10 best selling wii game!

    I'd say that was a success! Regardless of how little "real" (cough) gamers want it to have been."

    Yeah, but like I told you, one must see if that's what they were aiming for. Is 2,5 millions what they hoped for? It was the new Miyamoto game after all. And the one before it, Wii Fit, sold 7 times as much. I'm not saying it didn't make (a lot of) money, I just wonder if it performed under expectations.

    "Get ready for wii music 2! "

    If they can sort out the problems of the first one, I'd be all over it. WM1 was nice in its core idea, but lacked too much in content for its price. Stages were few, customization was scarce (you couldn't even name your album, or at least I didn't find any option...), the minigames looked like an afterthought, and tracks were too aimed at a very general audience - or Nintendo fans - to make a big impact on specific tastes. It's like, everyone is satisfied, but not enough. Though maybe they made it for a matter of licensing. The drums mode was very nice, but I didn't like how they still made you press buttons in some cases... that really shouldn't have been necessary. Maybe with WMP support...

    If the next game could have more interesting tracks, better customization choices, and more content in general, that would probably warrant a purchase for me. If it must be like the first but with different tracks, then I'd probably be contempt with just WM1.

    For MAX AWESOME they should give you a way of creating your own tracks to follow, but I guess that would be very difficult to do.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/09 @ 19:21

  • twh104 #29 3 years ago

    Nintendo must love it also as its the only Wii game you can't trade in. Not a penny gone to those greedy retailers.

  • Agent_Llama #30 3 years ago

    Bundled with console, therefore doesn't count.

  • Nabokov #31 3 years ago

    Mario Kart numbers are impressive, and it deserves it, like I've said million times. I hope this year Nintendo releases something similar, fun online game I mean.

  • The_Inquisitor #32 3 years ago

    Wow, it must be a really good game to sell that many. I'm gonna stop playing Fallout 3, SF4 and Call Of Duty and devote all my spare time to this.

  • mcbi4kh2 #33 3 years ago

    Like big boobs on fat birds, it doesn't count.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #34 3 years ago

    @The_Inquisitor
    "Wow, it must be a really good game to sell that many. I'm gonna stop playing Fallout 3, SF4 and Call Of Duty and devote all my spare time to this. "

    The mass market appeal of Wii sports, is for those with lives outside of video games. Not those who devote their lives to Call of Duty and other shooting/fighting games.

  • paulf #35 3 years ago

    wii sports has its own box and instruction leaflet therefore it counts, I think :)

  • stevetuck #36 3 years ago

    so thats 45million wii's sold? or are prople still forgetting that it comes FREE with the console?

  • smelly #37 3 years ago

    >Wii Music was a faliure, in the sense that it was a load of fucking shit.

    That's YOUR opinion (no doubt because it doesnt feature guns and violence). 2 million people disagree with you.

  • smelly #38 3 years ago

    @stevetuck: As previously pointed out.. most people bought the game, and the wii came free with it.

    (also to note: it's not bundled in japan)

  • gimo80 #39 3 years ago

    Odd, Wikipedia says that Twilight Princess on the Wii sold 4.52 million copies...therefore it should be on the list.

    Very interesting, Mr Bond...

  • smelly #40 3 years ago

    gim80 - doesnt count - it was a cube game :-)

  • Goodfella #41 3 years ago

    That's YOUR opinion (no doubt because it doesnt feature guns and violence). 2 million people disagree with you.

    Why assume it's because it doesn't have guns and violence? Yes, 2 million people bought it, but then quantity doesn't equate to quality, you only have to look at the list of games up there to realise that.

    Lets face it, Wii Music got a lot of poor reviews so it's not like anyone is being a dick saying its shit.

  • secombe #42 3 years ago

    What's the attach rate of Wii Sports in Japan? Stupidly high if I remember correctly. We can probably assume that even if it wasn't bundled in almost every other territory, it would still easily be one of the highest selling games of all time.

  • woodnotes #43 3 years ago

    If Wii Sports counts, then so does Hexic on the 360!!

  • evaluna #44 3 years ago

    Woodnotes: Exactly what I was thinking, which would surely make Hexic at the very least number 10 on the list?

  • drumbaby #45 3 years ago

    Wow, these numbers really make me want to buy a Wii, just to be part of the stats-fest.

  • Daryoon #46 3 years ago

    Even if you took bundled games off the list, the fanboys would still moan and come up with increasingly desperate methods to get every other massive-selling Nintendo game disqualified. Though I'm not sure why?

  • Xerx3s #47 3 years ago

    "The mass market appeal of Wii sports, is for those with lives outside of video games. Not those who devote their lives to Call of Duty and other shooting/fighting games."

    Translation: There are more casual gamers than normal people. Casual gamers buy shit games and generally don't have a clue what they buy. Normal people are well informed and buy good games.

  • Razorus #48 3 years ago

    Yeah, I'm not sure it counts tbh. In a way, the game was never sold, as it was a free software bundled with the console.
    The same can be said of Super Mario Bros but a lot of those sales are of the cartridge separately and its numerous appearances in other forms maybe.

  • smelly #49 3 years ago

    "Wii Music got a lot of poor reviews so it's not like anyone is being a dick saying its shit. "

    Games reviewers are by definition "hardcore" types. It wasnt meant for them.

    Try telling my 6 and 7 year old neice and nephew it's shit.. they love it.

    It's all part of the problem of games reviews in general.. If you make a game aimed at children, you're pretty much gauranteed a maximum score of 7 no matter how great it is.. Because the people reviewing the games, and the people who read said reviews arent interested in it...

  • smelly #50 3 years ago

    "Translation: There are more casual gamers than normal people. Casual gamers buy shit games and generally don't have a clue what they buy. Normal people are well informed and buy good games."


    Translation : Gamers who post on games forums and read games websites have different tastes to everyone else, and look down at them snobbishly thinking they're somehow superior and have a better taste in games. Put enough sci fi geek fans together, and they'll all scoff and look down their noses at non sci fi geek fans.. Doesnt mean they're right.

    But of course casual gamers play games for .. shock.. fun! And that's bad isnt it? You should be playing games for the crappy story or the gore, or for yet another carbon copy fps game... etc etc..

  • RedSparrows #51 3 years ago

    You know, being snobby back about genero-shooters doesn't make you sound any more informed. Wii has done amazingly well, that doesn't mean people lose the right to get pissy about the fact that shit sells to people, even if Wii Tennis is fun for 15 minutes every now and then.

    Yeah, 'gamers' play genero shooters incessantly. They also play Ico.

  • Eraysor #52 3 years ago

    Bundle sales can hardly be counted. By that logic something like Snake for ye olde Nokia phones would be the best selling game of all time.

  • The_Inquisitor #53 3 years ago

    @ canIdoyabombsforya

    It was a piss take, a joke, don't get your knickers in a twist ffs.

  • butler` #54 3 years ago

    Then we can half the sales of Super Mario Bros and Halo 3 then. Not to mention countless others.

    Rather than all the Wii Sports sales. You fanny.

  • butler` #55 3 years ago

    It's all part of the problem of games reviews in general.. If you make a game aimed at children, you're pretty much gauranteed a maximum score of 7 no matter how great it is

    But equally, games reviews aren't written for kids... So your point is null.

  • Toonster #56 3 years ago

    Wow, glad to see Rhythm Paradise and Professor Layton did so well!

  • Monkey_Puncher #57 3 years ago

    ">Wii Music was a faliure, in the sense that it was a load of fucking shit.

    That's YOUR opinion (no doubt because it doesnt feature guns and violence). 2 million people disagree with you. "

    Is that the best defence you can give?

    "JST BECOZ IT DOZNT FEATURE GUNZ N VIOLENCE LOLZ"

    I'm amazed there's still a few insanely hardcore Ninties still clinging onto the rotting carcass of what was once a game company they loved. Nintendo aren't making games for us any more. Wii Music wasn't shit because it didn't have guns or violence in it, it was shit because it was dull and uninspired.

    Nintendo doesn't love you any more, so why do you persistently stick up for them?

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