Wii serves 3M in Japan

Yesterday, international news wire Reuters reported that Sony's PlayStation 3 had sold its 1 millionth console in Japan, nearly six months to the day after the publisher claimed to have shipped 1 million consoles to its home market. Citing numbers published by Famitsu publisher and gaming-industry tracker Enterbrain, Reuters also reported that Nintendo's Wii was at the precipice of its own milestone, having sold 2.9 million units in the Land of the Rising Sun as of July 8.

Today, the news service has updated its numbers from Enterbrain, and it now appears the Wii has indeed broached the 3 million-units-sold mark. While Nintendo sold the 3 millionth Wii alongside the PS3 on July 15, the official data was not yet available, according to Reuters.

Though the two consoles were released a mere three weeks apart, they have been met with diametrically opposite receptions. Nintendo's portable Nintendo DS and stationary Wii have dominated both hardware and software sales charts in Japan. The Wii's innovative motion-sensing controls and 25,000 yen (approximately $205) price point have helped attract new customers for Nintendo, while industry analysts have widely credited the PS3's trailing sales to its 59,980 yen (approximately $491) price point and lack of exclusive titles. However, both consoles have well surpassed Microsoft's Xbox 360, which has sold 420,000 consoles in Japan as of mid-July, according to Enterbrain.

The PS3 launched in Japan on November 11, 2006, while the Wii went on sale December 2, 2006. The Xbox 360 was released in Japan on December 10, 2005.