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Wii Play, Guitar Hero III top games of 2000s...so far

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Oct 14, 2009 11:42 am PT

Nintendo's Wii Remote pack-in and Activision's guitar-based rocker cap NPD's top 10 US bestsellers from Jan. 2000 to Aug. 2009; San Andreas, Call of Duty 4, Wii Fit also make chart.

Though it no longer enjoys a permanent spot on the monthly top 10 list, Wii Play has made its mark on the US game industry.

What a difference a remote makes.

According to sales figures provided directly to GameSpot by the NPD Group, the Wii-exclusive minigame collection is the best-selling non-PC software title of the decade--so far. Some 11.1 million units of the tepidly reviewed title have been sold domestically since its 2006 release, in no small part due to the game being packed in with a Wii Remote. In May, Nintendo reported that nearly 23 million Wii Plays were sold worldwide.

Number two on NPD's list, which covers total multiplatform sales from January 2009 to August 2009, is Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Released in October 2007, the game has sold 10.3 million units on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. The total covers all the game's retail configurations, including single- and double-guitar pack-ins and the solo software. As of May 2009, the Guitar Hero franchise--which Activision acquired for under $100 million in 2006--had generated over $2 billion in revenue.

Guitar Hero III brought faux-rock to over 10 million US living rooms.

Taking the bronze in the decade-to-date chart is its most controversial entry, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox, PlayStation 2) with 9.8 million units. Released to universal acclaim in 2004, the game sparked massive controversy the following year, when the discovery of sex minigames caused the title to be re-rated, recalled, rereleased, and investigated by the federal government. Just last month, one of the last lawsuits filed over the game was settled for over $20 million.

Though Activision is touting Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as the "biggest entertainment launch ever," its predecessor had to settle for fourth place on NPD's 2000-2009 top 10. Released in 2007 for the PS3 and 360, the Infinity Ward-developed critical darling sold 8.5 million units domestically--and over 14 million worldwide as of Activision Blizzard's last financial report, released in August. That was 600,000 better than fifth-place finisher Wii Fit, which came exclusively in a $90 bundle with the Wii Balance Board.

"Oh, no. I am not falling for that 'Come up for some coffee' line again."

The most recent Treyarch-developed entry in the Call of Duty series, World at War, is the ninth best-selling game in the US, although NPD did not release figures for the bottom five titles. It barely bested Microsoft's 10th-place Halo 2 (2004), but fell behind sixth-place Madden NFL 07 (2006), seventh-place Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and eighth-place Madden NFL 08 (2007).

BEST-SELLING US GAME SOFTWARE: JAN. 2000-AUG. 2009
RANK / TITLE (YEAR) / PLATFORM(S) / UNIT SALES
1 / Wii Play with Remote (2006) / Wii / 11.1 million
2 / Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007) / PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 / 10.3 million
3 / Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) / PS2, Xbox/ 9.8 million
4 / Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) / DS, PS3, Xbox 360 / 8.5 million
5 / Wii Fit with Balance Board (2008) / Wii / 7.9 million
6 / Madden NFL 07 (2006) / GC, GBA, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360
7/ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) / PS2, Xbox
8 / Madden NFL 08 (2007) / GC, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360,
9 / Call of Duty: World at War (2008) / DS, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
10 / Halo 2 (2004) / Xbox

Source: The NPD Group. Sales figures for titles 6-10 not provided to press.

221 Comments

  • Voltergeist

    Posted Nov 2, 2009 9:03 am PT

    Even the sales figures are bs, I think. Mario Kart, SSBB, and a bunch of the other top wii titles outsold the top titles on other consoles like 2:1. Either the authors are willfully ignorant or getting their info from an erroneous source.

  • pataponplayer

    Posted Oct 31, 2009 12:16 pm PT

    Wii Play is such a scam and a half-assed mini game cluster. Definitely does NOT deserve #1.

  • obsidianzero

    Posted Oct 22, 2009 5:39 pm PT

    SO not interested in any of the games in that list. Mine would include LBP, Fallout, Oblivion, and maybe MGS4

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Oct 22, 2009 1:16 pm PT

    @F1_2004 This chart doesn't include PC games. I doubt we've really gotten over it.

  • F1_2004

    Posted Oct 20, 2009 12:00 pm PT

    What's this? The Sims is finally not taking up 5/10 of the top-selling games list? Thank god we got over that...

  • buckybuckster

    Posted Oct 20, 2009 11:41 am PT

    This list proves what i've been saying for a long time. That we as a gaming community are nothing more than a bunch of violence loving, musically inclined sports fans who on occasion are suckered into buying a crappy $10 game when it's packed with a $40 controller......DUH!

  • anmacd

    Posted Oct 19, 2009 2:36 pm PT

    Why is that half of you cant seem to read this article correctly? it's not a "Top 10" list of quality games, or well-thought out games, or innovative games - its US SALES and NOTHING ELSE. WoW is not on there because it clearly states its a list of top selling non-PC games. Wii Fit IS a game that comes bundled with the Wii Fit Balance Board peripheral, to address just a few of the questionable comments that have been made, despite the fact that countless posts before me have pointed out these facts as well.

    There's some good games in there and some questionable ones, but I suppose it goes to show that marketing an adequate game alongside an innovative peripheral can net you some big cash in the US. 3 of the top 5 were included in software/hardware bundles.

    And for all you ultra-opinionated out there, who posted "all the games on that list suck" then you can look on the brightside and consider yourself (falsely) "smarter" than the 40 million-odd ppl who purchased those titles.

  • Zazabar11

    Posted Oct 19, 2009 1:11 pm PT

    guess pc games don't count as software.

  • failspy

    Posted Oct 19, 2009 9:17 am PT

    Sales aren't everything...there's a lot of gems missing from that list.

  • Flint247

    Posted Oct 18, 2009 8:59 pm PT

    Worst, top ten list, ever.

  • ZeldaMutant

    Posted Oct 18, 2009 4:59 pm PT

    Halo 3 sold 8.1 million in 2007 alone. Why the heck is it not listed? Blind anti-halo fanboys again?

  • grove12345

    Posted Oct 18, 2009 12:22 pm PT

    wonder why WOW isnt there. I think they reached over 11 million.

    Seeing something stupid like a Wii board selling so well makes me shudder.

  • termadoyle

    Posted Oct 18, 2009 8:02 am PT

    Wii Play... LOL.

  • Evil_Robo

    Posted Oct 18, 2009 7:25 am PT

    @tbs76 Wii fit isnt a game -thats what people like you(wi bashers) tend to overlook and Wii play comes with a Wiimote -thats the reason the latter has sold so well.

    Therefore, it has nothing to do with the quality of games, innovation or whatever else. Its good marketing aiming at another market....and an extra Wiimote. People have to realise that EVERYONE plays the Wii, it has every kind of software for every kind of person. Is it in line with REAL games? Well ask MS and Sony who are unleashing their casual peripherals very soon.

  • tekken220

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 10:50 pm PT

    No wonder so many little kids have GTA San Andreas XD

  • Ashki

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 10:36 pm PT

    To many games published by the evil that is Activsion on that list.

  • Newave

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 4:50 pm PT

    Why do people keep buying these terrible games? There are actual GOOD games out there as well, you know?

    There is literally not a single game on this top 10 list worth even farting in the same direction as.

  • Sonicplys

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 2:31 pm PT

    Wii tha best, MAN!!!!!!

  • silvertalis315

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 8:55 am PT

    Didn't Halo 3 sell like, 3 times as much as Halo 2?

  • Kyleve

    Posted Oct 17, 2009 8:43 am PT

    Where is WOW on that list?

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