New Super Mario Bros. Wii sales near 10.5 million

There was no question that New Super Mario Bros. Wii was going to be popular. Its fan base was prebuilt, with millions having played its forbearer, Super Mario Bros., in the 1980s. Besides helping launch the NES platform, the original title also spawned a series of sequels. The most recent spin-off, New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, has remained so popular since its 2006 launch that it made NPD's monthly US top 10 bestseller list several times in 2009.

Now, Japanese news service Nikkei (subscription required) is reporting figures from industry-research group Enterbrain, which show exactly how popular New Super Mario Bros. Wii is. The four-person-multiplayer, 3D-side-scroller has sold nearly 10.5 million units in just over two months. In North America, over 4.5 million units have been picked up since it launched November 15. In Europe, where the game debuted November 20, sales are nearing 3 million. In Japan, over 3 million units have been purchased since the platformer's arrival in stores December 3.

Besides reporting sales figures, Nikkei made the claim that New Super Mario Bros. Wii is "the fastest title in history to attain [the 10 million unit] mark." However, the claim seems inaccurate when compared to sales figures of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The console editions of Activision's multiplatform military shooter, which went on sale November 10 worldwide, sold 8.82 million units in the US alone in just over a month and a half. It has since gone on to gross over $1 billion.