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Xbox 360 outselling Wii in UK by two to one photo

The Wii has a reputation for being a sales powerhouse, but according to the latest data, it would seem that at least in Britain, it's the Xbox 360 that's become the breadwinning console. The Annual General Meeting of The GAME Group has released sales data that shows the 360 outselling the Wii at a ratio of two to one.

The data, which covers all UK retailers, shows that from February to June this year, the Wii sold 300,000 units while the Xbox 360 was able to shift 600,000. The Wii is, of course, still ahead in total lifetime sales, but this represents one of three things: Either people are getting bored of the Wii craze, everybody in the UK who wants one already has one, or consumers are just buying a brand new Xbox 360 every time their one red rings. 

Wii Sports Resort is out very soon, so we'll have to see what this does to the sales data. Still, I'm sure Microsoft is quite happy with this data in the meantime, and will ignore all subsequent statistics to the contrary.


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31 comments | showing # 1 to 31

Nitex's Avatar
Nitex at 07/04/2009 14:04
Maybe they just love the smell of a newly opened system. Ah yes love that fresh plastic smell. Now I must go deal with this tumor on my brain.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 07/04/2009 14:04
Could it also be that people who got their first taste of gaming with the Wii are "movin' on up" to the more "hardcore" consoles? Nah.
jorgedc's Avatar
jorgedc at 07/04/2009 14:22
THE XBOX360 IS SO UGLY AND SHITTY :)
Drunk Ste's Avatar
Drunk Ste at 07/04/2009 14:24
I think its safe to say that everyone who wants one has one by now. I know plenty of people with Wii's who only use it for Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Also the fact that here in UK the Wii is more expensive than a Xbox360 with a 60GB hard drive.
Kvb's Avatar
Kvb at 07/04/2009 14:35
Why does Jim still have image editing software? I figured someone would've taken that away from him by now.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar
GoldenGamerXero at 07/04/2009 14:39
Now find a way to compare these results to gun crime in the UK and you might get hired by the BBC!
EdgyDude's Avatar
EdgyDude at 07/04/2009 14:42
It was bound to happen after Natal's appearance on the E3. Nintendo had always managed to stay afloat by the casual market, their own 1st party games and (very) few oustanding 3rd party games, but after Natal's arrival the casuals have been easily wooed by an (in theory) more sophisticated new age control scheme, and they are preparing for it's arrival in 2010, now the pressure it's on Nintendo to either fix their own mistakes with their quality control (unlikely at this point), 3rd parties begin to release actually polished good games (even more unlikely) or release a new console somewhere in 2010, the last mainly out of pressure if their Wii sales really drop as dramatically as i'm expecting.
PhazonYoshi's Avatar
PhazonYoshi at 07/04/2009 14:46
Kvb, you can do this stuff on the internet now. He doesn't even need specific software.
HiddenAHB's Avatar
HiddenAHB at 07/04/2009 15:11
Why is the 360 a Gremlim?
Anyway, i kinda agree with Dexter, people bought a Wii and had a great time, but then they saw the 360 with it's hardware, and the appearence of Natal, which made them say "OMFG!", and rush to bought a 360.
Or no.
Cadtalfryn's Avatar
Cadtalfryn at 07/04/2009 15:16
@EdgyDude
The data ends in June. E3 Started June 2, 2009...It wasn't Natal that effected this data.

Market saturation is probably more likely. Since the UK population is relatively small, in comparison with the US which is 500% larger and Japan-200% larger, it is likely to hit before these places.

However, that's probably not entirely the case. Quality Wii software is the exact opposite of last year and is primarily loaded towards the end of the year. Since software sells consoles, especially first party as far as Nintendo is concerned, with less titles you get less sales.

Other factors are sure to be out there as well.

However, I have often wondered if this: "consumers are just buying a brand new Xbox 360 every time their one red rings" boosts 360 sales.
Im OK's Avatar
Im OK at 07/04/2009 15:18
It's got to be getting close to the point where anyone who wanted a Wii already has one by now, given how crazily it has been selling up to this point. I would expect the sales to start slacking off more and more.
CocoJambo's Avatar
CocoJambo at 07/04/2009 15:32
I hate the market saturation extrapolation, no console has ever saturated the market.
Magnalon's Avatar
Magnalon at 07/04/2009 15:46
@Coco
The Wii will. All the parents that bought it from the Ellen craze and abandoned it a week later; the number will continue to rise.
Haxan's Avatar
Haxan at 07/04/2009 15:48
Don't forget that the Wii being more expensive in Europe now than it was last year, despite being cheaper to build is a tough pill to swallow.
Brlito's Avatar
Brlito at 07/04/2009 15:56
WII-PNOSIS OVER! COMMON SENSE GET!

Kekekeke watch what happens...
SedeoInedus's Avatar
SedeoInedus at 07/04/2009 16:07
Damn we have good taste
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 07/04/2009 16:10
I guess that's great
megaStryke's Avatar
megaStryke at 07/04/2009 18:30
Pffft! Mindless sheep always go after the mass-market console! Seriously. Just because something sells best doesn't mean it is the best. Just because Hyundai sells more cars than Ferrari doesn't mean...

Wait...

The Wii is being outsold by the 360? Not the other way around? Are you sure?

Ummm...

I mean...

Yeah! That's right! Quality always wins out in the end! The mass market has given up on the fad and has moved on to the REAL console! Yes!
Chilly's Avatar
Chilly at 07/04/2009 18:34
Isn't it because everyone who has owned a 360 has had to by another 1 or 2 because of RROD, I know I've had to by another.

2 x360 1 wii here, the figures are acurate for me.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar
ArrestedDeveloper at 07/04/2009 18:35
That guy uses the word "whilst" four times in the same article.
dj-anon's Avatar
dj-anon at 07/04/2009 18:51
@Chilly:

Who buys two 360's? If you get the RROD you have three years of warranty, if it dies for another reason you just have to push a lil bit to get it repaired for free or even if you pay, you don't have to get another one, it doesn't make sense.
aZZmodan's Avatar
aZZmodan at 07/04/2009 19:53
Oh... People are bying it. It doesn't realy work, but they're buing it, so it must be OK...
BattyAdroit's Avatar
BattyAdroit at 07/04/2009 20:03
I feel like the Wii is nearing its saturation point, maybe?
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 07/04/2009 20:14
@Djnx

Call me doofus, but I think you already answered your question. It was released in 2006 if my memory is right, and those three years have already passed and it could have gone kaput for some reason, so many buy a new one.
Cadtalfryn's Avatar
Cadtalfryn at 07/04/2009 20:54
@Monodi
It was actually released in 2005.

I find it a little surprising the 360 doesn't have a larger hold on the market as it was on the market for a year and a half longer than both the PS2 and Wii.
John B's Avatar
John B at 07/04/2009 22:31
Another article from Jim finding a way to bitch-slap the Wii in the UK?

ZZZzzz...ZZZzzz...

Love ya, Jimbo, but really...
Takeshi's Avatar
Takeshi at 07/05/2009 02:09
Not in my household!
Chronic Logic's Avatar
Chronic Logic at 07/05/2009 05:59
Why must Micro$oft insist on making more money than other companies? Will their insatiable quest for money ever end?
Chilly's Avatar
Chilly at 07/05/2009 15:04
@Djnx

Because at the same price of repair (£80, trust me it's not free) you can buy a second hand xbox without a HDD and data transfer; for me it was like a forced upgrade to the elite.

Sometimes I wonder why I bought a Wii and PS3, neither has had enough use.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar
Sexualchocolate at 07/06/2009 05:02
Most "casual gamers" (read: Wii owners) will not have a clue what Natal is. Only us dorks that read these sites know it exists. You know that the majority of the "casual gaming population" doesn't even know there was a recent gaming show, let alone what was shown there.

There are 2 reasons that the 360 is outselling the Wii...

1) Almost everyone who wants a Wii has got one now.

2) Everyone who has a 360, has had to buy AT LEAST 2. in my experience anyway, i don't know a single 360 user who isn't on their 2nd, 3rd or 4th. Because of RRod - before extended warrantee - 2 I know of with disc tray fails, one friend bought 3 and never even considered calling MS when each one died.

Not everyone is as "in tune" with the gaming industry as those of us who care enough to read forums like this.
ChaosTeaCup's Avatar
ChaosTeaCup at 07/06/2009 11:06
SexualChocolate, I'm flabbergasted that you didn't manage to correlate the rising sales of the Xbox360 in the UK, and the rising unemployment in the UK. Shame on you. Sony are not going to like this. Not one bit. Say goodbye to this month's commission.

(I have to own up to being one of those who's 360 RROD ((After three years, though!)) and just thought "Fuck it" then bought a new one the next day)
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