Canadian game sales jump in February

While the American arm of the industry-tracking NPD Group has yet to release its February sales figures for US gaming retailers, its Canadian counterpart has reported its own array of figures.

For the month, the NPD Group reports Canadian gaming software sales were up nearly 32 percent year-over-year, from February 2006's $24 million tally to last month's take of $31.6 million. Hardware sales more than doubled for the month, rising from about $13.3 million in the previous February to $27.6 million last month. Combined with accessories, Canadian game industry sales totaled $68.1 million for the month, nearly 59 percent more than the previous February.

Just as it did in January, the Wii sold more hardware in Canada during February than any of its competitors, moving more than 28,556 systems. The PlayStation 2 and DS trailed with 23,191 and 22,870 sold, respectively, while the Xbox 360 notched another 12,390 system sales north of the border, and the PlayStation 3--which recently saw a price increase at some Canadian retailers--moved 6,084 systems. The PlayStation Portable sold 9,311 systems for the month.

The Wii also boasted the top-selling game and top-selling accessories for February. Wii Play, the minigame collection that comes packaged with a spare Wii Remote, sold more than 27,000 copies in Canada last month, trailed by Crackdown for the Xbox 360 and Diddy Kong Racing on the Nintendo DS, respectively.

Even the Wii Remote that wasn't bundled with a game sold well, as it topped the NPD accessories sales chart. The Nunchuk attachment, Wii Points card, and Wii Classic Controller also ranked high on the charts, with the Xbox 360 wireless controller being the only non-Nintendo product to make it into the top five, landing in third place.

Canadian Top 10 Best-Selling Games for February, 2007

1. Wii Play with Wii Remote--Wii
2. Crackdown--Xbox 360
3. Diddy Kong Racing--Nintendo DS
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess--Wii
5. New Super Mario Bros.--DS
6. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition--Xbox 360
7. WarioWare: Smooth Moves--Wii
8. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess--GameCube
9. Gears of War--Xbox 360
10. Guitar Hero 2 bundle--PlayStation 2