Say what you want about Nintendo, but the fact remains that they are making mad money. But the money may not be the only thing that’s mad, as Nintendo appears to be poised to take the number-one and two slots of North America’s best-selling video games of the decade.
Wii Play has been sitting pretty in the top spot for a while now, with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas holding firmly right beneath it. But now, reports say that at only 350,000 units behind, Wii Fit could supplant Carl “CJ” Johnson, giving Nintendo the top two spots in the rankings.
“The appeal of Wii Fit is so broad and its ability to keep attracting new users every month has really played out time and time again,” says Nintendo of America Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Cammie Dunaway, of the title’s runaway success. She believes the key is that it appeals to gamers young and old alike:
“I really think it’s been about the breadth of appeal and changing the way that people think about videogames,” she says. “So, for long time players like yourself, I think there’s a real appreciation of what this represented as innovation in the category. And for non-gamers, it disrupted a perception that videogames aren’t active.”
“As your numbers show,” she tells IGN, “with almost eight million sold life to date and a place in the Top 10 every month since it’s launched, it’s pretty clear that consumers love this game.”
However, there is one game which stands in the way of Wii Fit claiming dominance over Rockstar’s efforts: Wii Fit Plus.
“Honestly, we have tried to get the market clean of Wii Fit because we want consumers to be exposed to the new product and eliminate any confusion in the market place. So it’s really tough to predict what October numbers are going to look like,” Dunaway explained. “There’s certainly an opportunity there. That being said, we think Wii Fit Plus really expands upon the marketplace. And the new enhancements that come with Wii Fit Plus are going to make it appeal to an even broader audience.”
Asked about the price difference between the original $89 Wii Fit with Balance Board bundle and Wii Fit Plus’s $99 bundle, Dunaway said “Working out at the gym would be a lot more expensive than playing Wii Fit Plus,” as they hope the added features, exercise routines, mini-games, and routines will make people cough up a pic of Hamilton for the difference.
Nintendo has done well for itself with games bundled with peripherals as of late, including Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel, Link’s Crossbow Training and the Zapper, Animal Crossing: City Folk and WiiSpeak, and the above two examples. And as one might expect, it appears the Vitality Sensor is being poised as next in line:
“I think that peripherals can really help expand the occasions for videogames,” Dunaway said. “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.”
