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NPD: Wii Play top US best-seller to date

Wii Remote pack-in leads list of all-time titles; Guitar Hero III, GTA: San Andreas, Modern Warfare 2, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, Call of Duty 4, Madden NFL 07, COD: World at War, and Namco Museum also make chart.

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Last week when NPD released its December 2009 US sales numbers, it declared that three of the 10 games of all time were from the Call of Duty franchise. Today, the industry-research firm released its list of top 10 domestic non-PC games to date, which reconfirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the fourth best seller of all time. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare came in seventh place, followed by Call of Duty: World at War in ninth.

Don't call it a comeback--it's been here for years.
Don't call it a comeback--it's been here for years.

Unfortunately, NPD's number-one best-selling software "game" is a game many people don't consider a game at all. As first reported by IndustryGamers, The Wii Remote pack-in minigames compilation Wii Play is now the top-selling software game product of all time in the United States, beating out Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (second) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (third).

Though NPD did not release sales data to accompany today's top 10, it declared last October that Wii Play had sold 11.1 million units domestically. Guitar Hero III had sold 10.2 million on all platforms, with GTA: San Andreas selling 9.8 million on the original Xbox and PlayStation 2 combined. (PC sales are counted separately by NPD.) According to NPD figures, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold 8.82 million units domestically to date, with Activision reporting the critically acclaimed shooter has grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

In fifth place on NPD's all-time top 10 is Wii Fit, which was a fixture on the monthly non-PC top 10 until it was phased out in favor of Wii Fit Plus this past fall. In sixth is Mario Kart Wii, followed by the aforementioned Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Madden NFL 07 was eighth, with Call of Duty: World and War and--surprisingly--Namco Museum in 10th.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 US NON-PC GAMES
1) Wii Play (Wii)
2) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
3) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox)
4) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
5) Wii Fit (Wii)
6) Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
7) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3, Xbox 360, DS)
8) Madden NFL 07 (PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, PSP, DS, GC, GBA, Wii)
9) Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, Xbox 360, DS, Wii)
10) Namco Museum (DC, GBA, PS2, GC, Xbox, PSP, N64, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS, Xbox 360)

Source: The NPD Group, non-PC sales through January 2, 2010.

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Sgthombre

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Namco Museum? Really?

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PayneKiller

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lol wow Wii Play with such crap review scores goes on to be best selling game. I'm just happy Nintendo's bs isn't actually controlling how the game industry will advance. They get loads of sales to nobody's (to real gaming) and otherwise are ignored.

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ar2_arr

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mmm, this list has something to it, i mean, they are only counting recent games, otherwise there would have to be a lot more of older games, like super mario bros (the best selling of all time, thou it was bundle so maybe they dont count it) or super mario bros 3 (which wasnt a bundle)

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ScionofEntropy

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I've never really seen the appeal of the Modern Warfare games, but I've admittedly only had brushes with either. I'd like to check them out sometime, to see what all the fuss is about. If they're "that" good, I should enjoy the hell out of them.

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deactivated-66c3a92fab78a

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How dare Wii Play and Guitar Hero III be ahead of San Andreas?! I cannot believe Modern Warfare 2 is already number 4. I'm so happy that no Halo game is on there!

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manga777

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How is MW2 already one of the top 10 selling games!? Wii play is a game but no one bought it for the game besides parents for their 5 year old kids. You would think the list would be full of older games on the PS2. Are they counting all the different namco museums as one?

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riariases

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Wii Play without the WiiRemote packed in is like a $5.99 bargain bin game. Of course you're gonna buy the WiiRemote with the 6 dollar game. You wouldn't waste 6 bucks, would you? That could feed a kid in africa for like 6 years!

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deactivated-5d6bb9cb2ee20

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The fact that GS says it is 'unfortunate' that Wii Play is number one shows their anti Nintendo bias

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Alexei10

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Calling Wii Play the best selling game ever is a joke. 98% of people bought it for the controller only, I know I did

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VenomRitual

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Wii Remote with craptacular afterthought add ons = top selling game? What garabge. remove that from the list NPD.

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condelirios

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Interesting... These all outsold the original Super Mario Bros? I am not sure I believe that... but ok

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Glade_Gnarr

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Namco museum? WTF?

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cyco_clown

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Namco Museum has several diferent releases along all these platforms, why putting them all together? And by excluding PC you can't put wiiPlay against the other best selling game of all time, The Sims. I'm questioning the validity of this list.

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fon1988

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This shows that alot of people wanted an extra Wii-Remote which is good for Nintendo. No one is saying that this is one of the best games ever so people need to chill.

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Freezezzy

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Great. Now lets see how it sells WITHOUT the extra remote.

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Nintendofreakx

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...ugh please tell me this game Didn't become the best seller I really doubt many people actually liked this game. Easily nintendo's worst wii game period.

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5a1nt_j0k3r

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Hey David, just because you think a game sucks doesn't mean everyone has to.

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Ethan111111

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this is all because you don't even buy it for the game. you buy it for the wiimote. the mini games were limited and crappy.

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David-Macphail

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Wow.....the number of non - gamers on here defending Wii Play is just plain sad. Saying that Wii Play is one of the best games of all time only proves that you know nothing abut the videogames industry at all. The same people who enjoyed Wii Play probably also thought games such as Barbie Horse Adventures and Spongebob Squarepants were the best games of all time as well. I thought Wii owners were mature and that the press got it wrong.........now, i have my doubts.

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SadPSPAddict

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Of course Wii Play is top of the list - it only cost a couple of quid more than a controller on it's own so everyone bought one :)

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90xGrad

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anyone ever play "wii play" more than once?

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Super-Mario-Fan

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"Unfortunately, NPD's number-one best-selling software "game" is a game many people don't consider a game at all. " Wow, it's amazing how worked up people can get, even journalists...

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starburst121

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So if we put an extra controller in a box with a HORRIBLE game, you get millions of sales? Keep working your magic, Nintendo.

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LynQ

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[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

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LynQ

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lol this is the same thing as crackdown being a great selling game becuase it came out with the Halo 3 beta

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MasterLink31

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@jmartinex1983 Considering the 'game' was the same price as a wii-mote, why would people bother buying it in the first place? Why did you bother buying it? I think that a wii-mote is an added incentive to buy Wii Play, but it has earned the right to be on the top.

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Pipluplikeslink

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I got Wii play for the wii remote so I can play REAL games on the Wii

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Ginnnnnnn

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will be sold as a bonus from buying 6-packs of guiness... That'll put it right on top of that sales list...

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buzzguy

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This list isn't even really viable, since people really, really wanted an extra Wiimote, and Wii Play just happened to be included. How is Wii Play selling now that Wiimotes are readily available now? Answer me that!

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delcidanddarth

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Yeah, and if they included PC games, then solitaire, minesweeper, and hearts would all be tied for first.

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cajunstrike

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Agreed. This is akin to the original Wii Sports 'sales' totals.

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jmartinez1983

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Calling Wii Play the best selling game ever is a joke. 98% of people bought it for the controller only, I know I did. I've never even played the game.

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grasshopper6

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madden NFL 07 hmmm wish we had a choice in football games instead we only get a crappy madden game every year, wii will always sell cause it's a family console

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dem5000

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Which is sickening. Wii Play is by far one of the dumbest and most shallow games I've ever played.

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pakrulz

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Guitar Hero III on no.2? thats a surprise

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deactivated-57fce817a4cf5

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They mean extra Wii remotes top best seller to date right? Wii Play was just a bonus wasn't it.

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Azeren

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I feel like these numbers do not account for older games. Perhaps NPD did account for games such as SMB3 or Tetris.

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glennvolio

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This makes me and baby Jesus cry.

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BetardxFoosier

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Didn't know the Namco Museum pack even existed....

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brendanhunt1

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more of a mini game to me

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Doolum

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i feel sick

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Alter_Echo

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Certain Wii games selling by the truckload is not surprising at all when you consider how bleak and barren the system's library is. The prospective audience ( wii owners ) have little to choose from so the same few titles keep being purchased over and over. Compared to a system with a more robust ( aka not completely terrible ) lineup of games where the total amount of games purchased will be divided across a much larger number of titles thus lowering total sales for each individual game.

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mariostar0001

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Wii Play, Wii Fit, and GTA San Andreas don't belong there, they aren't games. Well, GTA may be, but it's a terrible game.

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0Aragorn0

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@Zerabp I used to work at gamestop and both wii play and wii sports were accepted in for trade in. I can't remember if wii sports was required to trade in when someone traded a wii at the beginning, but I do know later that it wasn't required. Since GS is a corporation all GS operate under the same protocols (but there can be some personal differences with how managers run each one) so if someone said they wouldn't take it in on trade at your GS someone was probably feeding you some bs.

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BirgitteSilver

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People who bought 3 Wii Plays (when the normal controller was sold out) did so because they really really like Wii Play, am I right? Wii Play being included has always been, and will continue to be, a joke. I wonder what the "real" #10 is?

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efunk25

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Everyone I know that has Wii Play says it is lame and they never play it. Only got it because of the extra controller. Package dog poo with a Wii remote and it would top the charts.

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gameking5000

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Can you really call the bundle a game because well it's because of the included Wii Remote that it sells

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madSomnambulist

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Though I love trivia like this, what it shows is essentially meaningless and the source of what "counts" has been very disputed since the good 'ol Mario/Duck Hunt NES bundle and this is where Wii Play floats around. If it's the "default" software for a console, how do we rate it? Wii titles are going to continue to creep up here over time as it'll replace the PS2 as the largest market saturation ever in the US. How you get to the number also matters for some. MW2 sold I believe over 4 million in the US its first week, accounting for about half its sales to date. On the other hand, Mario Kart Wii has (for whatever reason) in the US top 10 for software sales continuously since its release which implies a wider and more casual player base, being important for marketing and strategy. One would assume that's how Wii Fit and Namco Museum(!) sneaked in there as well. Top 10 per console or genre is always a lot more fun.

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Hugomanen

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not sure that namco museum should be considered one game, theres around 6 years in difference between launch on the various platforms

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BuiltForSin

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Wow.. for me the most shocking part about this is the fact that Mario Kart Wii is the highest selling Mario game in the US.. which is rather sad.

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