Nintendo leaps ahead of Sony in festive battle

Wii and dual-screen console takes videogame giant to top of the charts for Christmas

Nintendo has ousted arch rival Sony from the top spot in videogame software sales for the third quarter of 2007, according to figures released by market watcher iSuppli.

The victory in the run up to the vital Christmas season, was due to a flood of new titles released for both its Wii console and its handheld Nintendo Dual Screen (DS) console, iSuppli claimed.

Total turnover for Nintendo DS and Wii software added up to $1.2bn (£500m) in Q3, up 31.4 per cent from the $943.6m in Q2 2007, and more than double the $611m generated in Q3 2006 (see graph).

In comparison, Sony generated $1bn global turnover for its PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation 2 (PS2) and PlayStation Portable (PSP) consoles. Microsoft came in third place with turnover of $317.8m for Xbox and Xbox 360 software.

David Carnevale, vice president of multimedia content and distribution at iSuppli, said: “Nintendo is likely to maintain its lead in this area because it expects by the end of 2007 to ship about 200 additional titles, adding to the 150-plus games already available.

“The company’s software sales should be further boosted by the addition of a new flagship title for the Wii - the Wii Fit,” Carnevale added. “This encourages players to engage in full-body exercises, using Wii Balance Boards and performing activities including yoga, push-ups, aerobics and stretching.”

iSuppli predicted that Wii software turnover will increase further to $1.1bn globally by Q4 2008, with Nintendo DS turnover reaching $1.2bn by Q4 2008.

According to the analyst firm, Nintendo Wii has mass-market appeal, with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console aimed at the more serious gamer.

iSuppli said Sony’s PS3 sales have been suffering due to the console’s high price point, combined with a ‘lack of compelling titles’, which has sent developers flocking to other platforms.

Nintendo was unable to comment on the research despite the positive results. A Nintendo representative told CRN the company “does not comment on third-party research”.

Both Sony and Microsoft refused to comment.