Wii Sports is best-selling game ever

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/wii-sports-is-best-selling-game-ever/1276855

Wii Sports is best-selling game ever
Jock blockbuster topples Mario.
By Ben Silverman
1-5-9

Well, that didn't take long.

According to game-tracking website VGChartz, sales of Nintendo's pop-culture phenom Wii Sports have surpassed those of legendary platformer Super Mario Bros., making the breakout Wii title the best-selling video game of all time. And it only took two years and two months to do it.

The data is based on cumulative worldwide sales figures ending the week of December 27, 2008, which indicate that lifetime sales of Wii Sports have exceeded Mario's staggering 40.24 million units.

Shocked? Don't be. Unlike most video games that can be bought at retail, Wii Sports comes bundled with the Wii hardware in every territory other than Japan and Korea. In other words, if you bought a Wii, you bought Wii Sports whether you liked it or not (chances are, you liked it). With over 45 million Wiis sold worldwide to date, it's only logical that Wii Sports would start smashing records sooner or later.

And before you brand Wii Sports a false champion due to being bundled with hardware, consider that Super Mario Bros. was also sold as a bundle with the original Nintendo Entertainment System during its mid-80's heyday. Plus, Wii Sports has been a major hit even in non-bundled form, topping Wii sales charts in Japan at over 3.2 million copies sold in 2008 alone.

A new version of the game, Wii Sports: Resort, is due out later this year.

Video Game VIPs

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Video Game VIPs
Nov 2, 2007

Hanks. Nicholson. Streep. You need to open a film, you bring in the bigwigs. Silver screen A-listers determine the tone and timbre of the Hollywood heartbeat, selling more overpriced buckets of popcorn than the entire Redenbacher clan. One DeNiro is worth, like, twenty Jason Schwartzmanns.

The same goes for video games. While we all clamor for more original products and new franchises, it's important to honor the select few that, at the end of the day, truly make the virtual world go round. We tip our caps to these groundbreaking characters; without them, we'd all still be named "Player 1."
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Mario
He's the captain of the football team, the lovable older brother and the feared CEO wrapped up in one chubby little package. Exactly how popular is Nintendo's favorite son? That's hard to quantify, but a study conducted in 1990 by Marketing Evaluations found that the plump plumber was more recognizable to kids than - wait for it - Mickey "I Used to Run This Town" Mouse. Heck, he's been the unofficial president of the video game industry for so long, his reign can almost be considered a dictatorship. But a nice one, for sure.

Believe it or not: Mario wears a hat because designer Shigeru Miyamoto had a hard time drawing hair.
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Solid Snake
Based not-so-loosely on Escape from New York's gruff protagonist Snake Plissken, the Metal Gear mercenary has saved the world from giant mechanical nukes so many times, he deserves a lifetime Caribbean vacation package. Though his career began as a lowly rookie member of the special-forces unit FOXHOUND, his stunning turn in Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation turned him into an enigmatic action star. And with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4, the elderly soldier will battle both conventional enemies and video game ageism by tackling obstacles as a gray-haired retiree.

Believe it or not: If you see him on the street, call him by his real first name - David.
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Sonic the Hedgehog
When upstart Sega decided to challenge Nintendo's console dominance at the end of the 1980s, gamers scoffed. Sure, the Sega Genesis was a cool rig, but it had no character, no pizzazz. In a word, no Mario. So Sega did what any enterprising company would do - they drew up their own mascot, one that was bigger, stronger and faster. A lot faster. Sonic roared into our homes and completely changed the way we looked at platforming games, turning Mario's mellow coin collecting into a frantic dash for gold rings. Though his popularity has waned over the years, we tip our hat to the first mascot who had the cajones to run against Nintendo. (Interestingly, he'll be running with the company in a few weeks.)

Believe it or not: In his short-lived animated show on ABC in the mid-90's, Sonic was voiced by none other than Jaleel "Urkel" White.
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Master Chief
Got some Covenant in your closet? Then call Master Chief, the world's foremost authority on alien extermination. A man of few words, the silent giant is THE video game star of the new millennium. Enjoying more product endorsements than half of the NBA, Halo's hero is a money-making machine, helping save the underprivileged brass at Microsoft from the poor house by raking in enough money to actually scare normally unflappable film execs. Now that's a player.

Believe it or not: In full armor, Master Chief stands seven feet tall and weighs a whopping one thousand pounds.
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Lara Croft
What can we say? She's the Angelina Jolie of video games. The worldly action heroine gives the image of the uptight, stuffy British noblewoman a black eye, routinely risking life and limb to secure lost treasures locked away in ancient ruins, steam liners, mansions, jungles, and of course, tombs. A star among stars, she's been portrayed by no less than nine famous models, voiced by Minnie Driver, and even shared the stage with Bono during U2's PoPMart tour in the late '90s. Not too shabby for a cold-blooded killer.

Believe it or not: Lara is in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the most successful human video game heroine."
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Link
Trouble-prone Princess Zelda owes more than just her kingdom to perpetual adventurer Link - she owes him every measly fan letter she's ever received. Time and again Link must rescue the eponymous ruler of Hyrule from some ungodly fate, yet somehow she gets top billing while Link gets stuck with the bill. It's not fair, but the squeaky clean star never complains, instead delivering awesome adventure after awesome adventure and cementing his status as the best good guy in gaming.

Believe it or not: Link was initially written as being left-handed.
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Ms. Pac Man
Okay, so she's really just Pac-Man with lipstick, an eyeball and a bow (and eerily sexy legs in the key art). But there's simply no denying the fact that the missus has outperformed her iconic Mr. when it comes to contemporary street cred. Walk into any bar in America and chances are pretty good that you'll find a Ms. Pac Man machine instead of plain old Pac-Man. Why? Because it's simply a better game - with 6 different mazes, more randomized ghost movement and bouncing fruit, it's actually still quite fun. Score one for the ladies.

Believe it or not: Ms. Pac Man started off as an unauthorized bootleg of Pac-Man called Crazy Otto.
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Kratos
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and there's no better pantry chef in the business than the determined demigod Kratos. In only two PS2 outings, he took down the god Ares, swore vengeance against his father Zeus and even escaped from Hell. Talk about a one-track mind. But while most of his in-game actions were born out of selfishness and runaway pride, he's gifted gamers with some of the most divine (and oft-copied) gameplay of all time. Besides, we couldn't keep this brute off the guest list if we tried.

Believe it or not: A God of War film adaptation is in the works with a tentative release date of 2008.
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Gordon Freeman
In his ten-year career, the elusive star of the vaunted Half-Life series hasn't spoken a word. Not one syllable. Nor has he stared into a mirror. In fact, the only time we even catch a glimpse of Gordon is during the original game's expansion Half-Life: Blue Shift. But by allowing us to experience every minute of Half-Life through Gordon's eyes - including the in-engine cut scenes, a stroke of genius - Valve has unwittingly created the most relatable character in the history of the medium.

Believe it or not: Gordon is named after real-life physicist Freeman Dyson.
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Ryu / Ken
We still can't tell the difference between these two, so they both get in. The dynamic duo of Street Fighter fame revolutionized gaming by introducing what is now considered the core control mechanic for the fighting genre: Quarter-circle forward = fireball! They've appeared in ever Street Fighter entry (including the long-forgotten arcade version) as well as every Vs. crossover game. While the Street Fighter series has sort of plateaued over the past several years, Ryu and Ken's archetypal impact is still felt far and wide. Hadooken!

Believe it or not: The original Street Fighter coin-op featured punchable pads rather than conventional buttons...until they broke.
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And lest we forget the SIPs (Somewhat Important People):

Mega Man
In Japan, he's called Rock Man. In America, he's called a hit franchise.

Samus Aran
The maiden of Metroid has more tricks up her robotic sleeve than David Copperfield.

Duke Nukem
The first FPS superstar kicks ass and chews bubble-gum. Pray he isn't out of bubble-gum.

Crash Bandicoot
Sony's original mascot has seen better days, but he almost gets in on the strength of those awesome commercials alone.

Cloud Strife
Dumb name, great game. The hero of Final Fantasy VII introduced a generation to materia, Shinra, and those pesky Chocobos.

Donkey Kong
Remember when he was an imposing, barrel-lobbing kidnapper? Now he wears a necktie and no pants. How the mighty have fallen.

Kirby
Equal parts gumball and vacuum cleaner, Nintendo's puffy pink poof is flirting with the big time.

The Top 10 Best-Selling Game Franchises

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/the-top-10-best-selling-game-franchises/532199

Video Games Home
The Top 10 Best-Selling Game Franchises
Sep 28, 2007

It's official -- the fight has been finished. With Grand Theft Auto IV on the blocks until early next year, it's a pretty safe bet that Halo 3 will be the best-selling game of 2007. On Wednesday Microsoft gleefully announced a $170 million take on opening day alone, making it the highest-grossing single day launch in entertainment history. To give you some perspective, current box-office champ Spider-Man 3 enjoyed an opening weekend total of about $150 million. Master Chief does whatever a spider can and then some.

But despite such astronomical revenue, the Halo trilogy barely cracks the worldwide best-selling franchises Top 40, currently resting at a comfy 15 million units sold. Tack on a generous 10 million more courtesy of Halo 3 (Halo 2 rests at 9 million) and it's still light years away from competing with these formidable franchises.

10. Gran Turismo
Units sold: 47 million
Defining game: Gran Turismo (PSOne)

For racing game fans, there was life before Gran Turismo and whatever shreds of a life they could piece together after Gran Turismo. Known for its insanely realistic graphics, bevy of licensed vehicles and intricately detailed tuning and control, the series has become widely considered the de facto leader in video game simulation racing. Though only four full games have been released thus far, each of those has been a massive worldwide seller.

Trivial Trivia: The first Gran Turismo was the best-selling game on the original Playstation.

9. Donkey Kong
Units sold: 48 million
Defining game: Donkey Kong (Arcade)

Drawing inspiration from the classic King Kong and, presumably, a large barrel of whiskey, ace game developer Shigeru Miyamoto uncaged his bizarre, beastly creation in 1981. While the barrel-throwing has become significantly less prominent, the apish frontman certainly hasn't, enjoying steady work through the years in a variety of well-received platformers and racers. But by introducing the world to a mustachioed plumber named Jumpman (who would later become you-know-who), it's DK's first game that remains his beloved best.

Trivial Trivia: Universal Studios, owner of the King Kong trademark, unsuccessfully sued Nintendo in 1982 over the Donkey Kong name.

8. The Legend of Zelda
Units sold: 52 million
Defining game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

While Mario might rule Nintendo's roost, Zelda hero Link rules its heart. Few franchises have enjoyed the kind of critical and commercial success routinely heaped upon the Action/RPG mainstay, and for good reason. Each Zelda outing is a study in whimsical game design, a clever puzzle rife with secrets and oozing with fairy tale wonder. The timeline is a bit wacky, but whether you're rebuilding the Triforce in the NES classic or saving Hyrule from perpetual darkness in Twilight Princess, you're truly playing with power.

Trivial Trivia: The titular princess is named after F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda.

7. Madden NFL
Units sold: 60 million
Defining game: Oh, just pick one.

Long live consistency - a new Madden football game has arrived on store shelves every summer for nearly twenty years in a row. The result is the best-selling sports franchise ever and easily the most famous. Though the series is almost entirely associated with consoles, it began in 1989 on the Apple II after the ex-Raider coach convinced publisher Electronic Arts that he'd only sign on if the game were an authentic 11-on-11 experience. Like a great back, it's never stopped running.

Trivial Trivia: John Madden himself is the only voice actor who has appeared in every single version of the game.

6. Tetris
Units sold: 60 million
Defining game: Tetris (Game Boy)

Russian computer programmer Alexey Pajintov had a thing for shapes. Little did he realize that his obsession would soon become ours when he unleashed the world's most popular puzzler in 1989. An instant sensation, Tetris quickly became a commuting staple, a work distraction and a late-night fixation. It's so dangerously addictive, in fact, that it created a scientific phenomenon describing the inability of players to stop thinking about shifting blocks long after playing the game, blandly dubbed the "Tetris Effect." Trademark disputes and legal wrangling resulted in it being shamelessly ported to every known platform under a ton of different names, but whatever you want to call it, this block party is an undeniable success.

Trivial Trivia: The name of the theme song you can't get out of your head is "Korobeiniki," a traditional Russian folk tune.

5. Grand Theft Auto
Units sold: 65 million
Defining game: GTA III (PS2)

Throw your hands in the air and wave them like you're being robbed, because Rockstar's gangsta paradise has jacked its way onto the list. That's quite a move for a series that didn't see its initial blast of blockbuster success until 2001's seminal Grand Theft Auto III. Every subsequent release has been a major, major deal, due in equal parts to continued design brilliance and buckets of unintentionally promotional backlash. But whether you hate to love it or love to hate it (or, like us, just love to love it), you can't deny GTA's power over the people.

Trivial Trivia: The original Grand Theft Auto PC game takes place in three different cities: Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas.

4. Final Fantasy
Units sold: 75 million
Defining game: Final Fantasy VII (PSOne)

In 1987, a fledgling Japanese game development studio desperate for a hit poured all its resources into their last ditch-effort, a role-playing game given the exhausted title, Final Fantasy. The studio was Square, and the series isn't remotely close to being over. Roughly 30 games bearing the Final Fantasy moniker have been released worldwide, a feat made even more amazing considering that most are stand-alone affairs set in totally new worlds with little to no relationship with other games in the series. Despite the disconnected plots, gamers can't get enough of the franchise's trademark combat systems, stellar production values, mystifying melodramas and, of course, those weird, adorable Chocobos.

Trivial Trivia: Final Fantasy XI is considered to be the first console game to have received a downloadable patch.

3. The Sims
Units sold: 90 million
Defining game: The Sims (PC)

When legendary sim game designer Will Wright first announced his digital dollhouse The Sims, we were all a bit skeptical. Who in their right mind would want to distract themselves from their daily routine by playing a game based on their daily routine? The answer is approximately all of us. The original Sims was a crossover sensation, simultaneously appealing to both seasoned gamers looking for a brand new experience and uninitiated newbies itching to play house and practice social politicking. The formula works; powered by a steady stream of expansions, The Sims franchise maintains a firm grip on monthly PC sales charts to this day.

Trivial Trivia: The original The Sims is the best-selling PC game of all time.

2. Pokemon
Units sold: 164 million
Defining game: Pokemon Red/Blue (Game Boy)

Well, folks, you were instructed to catch 'em all, and you nearly did. Second only to big brother Mario, the Pokemon games have clawed, scratched and merchandized their way into the hearts and wallets of families all over the world. The Poke-phenomenon began in 1996 with the simultaneous release of two linkable Game Boy games, introducing hordes of impressionable young gamers to the holy handheld trinity of collecting, training and battling digital beasts. Thrilled with the overnight success of its devious concoction, Nintendo quickly opened the media floodgates by spinning it off into an anime series, a trading card game and a variety of feature films. A decade later, the games remain Pokemon's meat and potatoes.

Trivial Trivia: In 1997, over 600 Japanese children suffered seizures while watching an episode of Pokemon called "Electric Soldier Porygon." It hasn't aired since.

1. Mario
Units sold: 195 million
Defining game: Super Mario Bros. (NES)

Over his illustrious 25-year career, the world's most famous plumber has also become its most successful. Starting with 1983's Joust knock-off Mario Bros., a Mario game has graced every Nintendo console system ever released, from the classic NES to the not-so-classic Virtual Boy. A true Renaissance man, he's had more hits than The Beatles, spawning entire genres (Mario Kart, Super Mario 64) and reinventing old ones (Super Paper Mario). Along the way, his incessant quest for coins has been immensely profitable, grossing Nintendo in upwards of $8 billion.

Trivial Trivia: Mario was named after real-life Nintendo of America office landlord Mario Segale.