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Wii Fit top-selling game in Australia in 2008

  • By Laura Parker, GameSpot AU
  • Posted Jan 21, 2009 7:26 pm PT

Nintendo dominates top-10 game list in Australia for 2008.

Anyone who kept an eye on the Australian game-sales charts in 2008 would probably have guessed that Nintendo would figure heavily when the final year sales were tallied. Figures from local industry tracker GFK Australia have now confirmed that, given that eight out of the 10 games in the annual list of top-selling console games of 2008 were Nintendo games. Wii Fit--a constant number one in last year's weekly charts--unsurprisingly finished in the top spot.

Nintendo Australia's managing director, Rose Lappin, said that the company was part of a rising trend. "As recently announced through the IEAA, the industry has seen a growth in social gaming, which we are pleased to be a part of," Lappin said.

The top-selling console games of 2008, according to GfK Australia, were:

1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Wii Play (Wii)
3. Mario Kart (Wii)
4. Mario and Sonic At The Olympics (Wii)
5. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
6. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
7. Brain Training (DS)
8. Mario and Sonic At The Olympics (DS)
9. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
10. Big Beach Sports (Wii)

53 Comments

  • gameking5000

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 9:36 pm GMT

    @D4_Mafia

    Gaming is obviously for entertainment. Not for money

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 5:47 pm GMT

    wow, I for sure would have thought Wii Play would have beat out everything since they're counting it as a game... since software that's bundled with hardware counts I'm surprised "Wii Sports w/ Wii Console" isn't on the list

  • D4_Mafia

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 5:14 am GMT

    @admiral_picard
    Half the "games" for the Wii aren't even games...

    Umm do you know why people make games? Its to make money, games are used to help ship consoles. If you make a game that can't sell any consoles or make money then why are you even gonna make it then?

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 1:10 pm GMT

    @rnmp - agreed. And there are certainly more families out there than real gamers.

  • plm3d_basic

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 11:08 am GMT

    I didn't know Australians have a weight problem.

  • rnmp

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 6:37 am GMT

    I think the wii is a console for the family but ps3 and xbox360 are for real gamers .

  • gameking5000

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 3:50 am GMT

    Grand theft auto shouldnt even be on the list. It shouldnt be allowed. The australian bureau of classification shouldn't have let that game in Australia. Believe me that your mind changes after playing these games and it's a negative effect.

  • barkera0

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 2:09 am GMT

    @bleach1st

    I work at in retail gaming and it's not the parents buying for kids. It's adults buying Wii Fit for themselves.

  • bleach1st

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 11:15 pm GMT

    wow how sad... I guess parents buying for their children are really having an affect on the market..?

  • Megaship

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 10:16 pm GMT

    I'm kinda surprised but not that much since the Wii is really fun with it's unique way of playing rather than the usual classic controller.

    Although I'm kinda shocked the Wii killed GTA IV in the sales lol

  • DM2438

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 10:07 pm GMT

    Out of all those games, the only one I played was GTA IV. I just don't care for Wii because the games are just not my preference. My friend has one and lets just say, XBOX and PS3 offer something more in my opinion.

  • T4Tony00

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 7:59 pm GMT

    gta4 was probably my favorite game

  • bingchoi

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 6:11 pm GMT

    Wtf do you mean they will do what they do in the game its a game people who play it know its not real if anyone does anything from it its because they have mental issues not the game

  • djsiddiqi

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 5:55 pm GMT

    too much fukin wii

  • freek33

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:44 pm GMT

    glennvolio

    There is much MUCH more to a place than game sales. Australia is a fantastic place to live and i'm not being bias as i'm from the UK originally and i've lived in the US too.

  • gameking5000

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:33 pm GMT

    I'm not pleased with the Grand theft Auto being at Number 4 and 5. These games affect somebody negatively, they'll end up doing what they do in the games.

    Surprised that there are no PC games. People must like the consoles now and especially the Wii and DS

  • blangenakker

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:56 pm GMT

    I hope this doesn't effect the future of gaming, like other companies copying Nintendo.

  • Space-Q

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:38 pm GMT

    aw yeah! they're sellin' heaps. I guess the title of "fattest nation on earth" isn't sitting too well with most parents..

    goodonya! but just get out there and surf if you wanna get fit.

  • volcomstoner180

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 11:21 am GMT

    haha well at least i got the only 360 non nintendo game on there...but i do have the wii fit and mario kart as well

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 10:56 am GMT

    GS rates: wii fit: 7 wiiplay: NR mario and sonic (wii): 6 Brain Training: NR Mario and sonic (DS):6 Big beach sports: 4.5
    |
    |
    this would have never worked on another console .... yet it works here thus my comment below HAS integrity ... parents buy their kids the cheapest crap out there and kids get shafted. Companies see that these CRAP games are selling well and guess what, LOW DEV COST means hey "why make expensive good games on next gen consoles if we can make crappy shovelware on teh wii and get better sales" THUS good games and other consoles get hurt in the process. Ive never seen a worse top 10 list .... since ... well .... ever -_-

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 10:51 am GMT

    -_- wow ... #1 game isn't a game imo #2,#4,#8,#10 are all party games that any socialite would become bored with after 1-2 hours of play alone. Thus the only time they get touched is when you have a whole bunch of friends over, I typically go out so that would have very little use for me. Seems like the wii is dominating the charts using cheap shovel ware games and pinging the impulse in parents to buy the cheapest games regardless of quality.

  • GRAW2596

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 10:44 am GMT

    I don't really have anything against the Wii but my favourite system is the Xbox 360. I think the Wii is going a little too much towards little kids, where the 360 still has lots of the hardcore M-rated games.

  • Inconnux

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 9:37 am GMT

    Good job Nintendo. As a hardcore gamer I love the Wii. Nice to see a company break the mold instead of rehashing the same system with fancier graphics. If I want great graphics, I use my PC, for just plain fun I like the Wii

  • Arkady_Husky

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 9:36 am GMT

    I never knew there were so many pensioners, little girls, Emos and people who haven't played, seen or heard of any videogames since the early nineties in Australia.

  • glennvolio posted Jan 22, 2009 9:34 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    glennvolio

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 9:34 am GMT (hide)

    If this is true, then it sounds like Australia is a really lame place to live (which I'm sure it isn't, but y'know).

  • Nintendo2Brawl

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 8:58 am GMT

    i play wii and there are some good games on this list but some games like wii play and wii fit shouldnt be on there but with all of 3 or 4 hardcore games on the list, gta 4, Brawl, Mkwii, the list could be much better

  • CorruptGamerGX

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 8:22 am GMT

    A sad day for gaming.

  • bart723

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 7:03 am GMT

    well, it looks like its the gamers turn in history to start accepting a seemingly outlandish group. Normally religion or race are involved, not this time... this time its the Wii that seperates the people.

    the ideological war of the 21st century... No one saw it coming...

  • warthog8

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 6:58 am GMT

    What can I say I love my Wii and my DS.

  • funky123

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 5:56 am GMT

    nintendo have been clever they found a spot in the market that sony amd microsoft thought was rubbish ( what sell expensive gaming consles to young kids and familys, they wont pay for that) well done to them, if they had tryed to compete with sony and microsoft directy they would have fail and pro gone under but this isnt such a bad thing for hardcore gamers, its pro a good thing it means that there is going to be more money flowing into the gaming sector as a whole ( plus dont think big beach sports is going to take many people away from fallout 3 )

  • admiral_picard

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 5:51 am GMT

    Wow, Wii Fit isn't even a game. Good job Australia, why isn't Wii Music at the top of your list too? Half the "games" for the Wii aren't even games...

  • Pilch_R_eD

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 5:13 am GMT

    blokeyspice - Please the Wii just fun, forget a PS3 or X360, real gamers stay true to the pc

    Please dont think all hardcore PC gamers are like this idiot. You sir give us a bad name!

    This is so horrifying. How can this be possible. Are there really that many people out there who are THAT clueless! I guess this chart answers that question..... Tis a sad day for ACTUAL gamers everywhere.

  • SoNin360

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:58 am GMT

    10. Big Beach Sports (Wii) wtf?
    and also 7. Brain Training (DS)

    wow

  • Tebbit

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:57 am GMT

    Well, at least Smash Bros is there... Everything else is tripe!!! (obviously apart from the GTA's)

  • justin1258

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:03 am GMT

    @sleazybhudda
    me too man me too

  • Payback7

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:42 am GMT

    go nintendo

  • ShadowLaguna

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:20 am GMT

    Nintendo have made the gamers gone crazy.

  • sleazybhudda

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 12:47 am GMT

    reading this list made me die a little inside

  • Pices

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 11:22 pm GMT

    @benboz, I have Wii with great hardcore games, so I don't NEED a ps3 or 360. True that it has a lot of casual games but that doesn't mean that it has no hardcore ones.

  • pretzelmeister

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 10:51 pm GMT

    It surely is a sad day when the likes of Wii Fit and Big Beach Sports outsell fantastic games like Fallout 3, MGS4 etc.
    I fear that if this trend continues, the quality of games in general will decline, and/or we will start to see more games aimed at a non-gamer and casual gamer audience.
    (When I mean a decline in game quality I mean developers pushing out more games faster to increase profit)

  • Timmeus posted Jan 21, 2009 10:43 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Timmeus

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 10:43 pm GMT (hide)

    They should only include real games.

  • Barnman2205

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 10:21 pm GMT

    Though not a fan of Wii Fit or Wii play, I'll admit they were popular... but the top two positions? I think that's a little rediculous...

    Also, Big Beach Sports at number ten is a *censored* joke

  • freek33

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 9:36 pm GMT

    @blokeyspice

    Bollox! Fanboys of any type are a very strange breed

  • blokeyspice posted Jan 21, 2009 9:30 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    blokeyspice

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 9:30 pm GMT (hide)

    Please the Wii just fun, forget a PS3 or X360, real gamers stay true to the pc.

  • freek33

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 9:07 pm GMT

    Good to see Wii fit at no 1. Might go some way to tackle Australia's obesity problem.

    On another note, just as gamers where shrugging the stereotype that we are all kids or geeks. Nintendo goes and dominates charts with a bunch of geeky kids games (not saying they are bad games). Thank god for GTA and Braintraining (is that a game?) on the list is all i can say!

  • link631

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 8:58 pm GMT

    brawl in 9th place!

  • hotfiree

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 8:47 pm GMT

    Big Beach Sports hahahahahahahha! proves my point.

  • hotfiree

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 8:46 pm GMT

    Doesnt say much, only people i know who have wiis are the teen girls at school and people who cant afford a ps3 or 360. Seriously would you rather play wii fit or fallout 3 ........

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