Iwata: The Wii has recovered

In October, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata declared that after three years of booming sales, the Wii had finally stalled. In the wake of a December that saw 3 million Wii systems sold, the Nintendo executive told Reuters the console was back on track.

"I think it's now safe to say the Wii has recovered from slowdown," Iwata told the news agency. He added, "But I'm not sure if it's prudent to use words like revival and recovery lightly before making absolutely certain we can maintain this momentum. So, I steer clear of such words today."

As for what prompted the resurgence, Iwata chalked it up to a number of factors. He said the company's software lineup toward the end of the year--spearheaded by the 4 million-selling New Super Mario Bros. Wii--was notably stronger. The system's $50 September price drop played a part as well, according to Iwata.

The executive also clarified a statement from yesterday's Nintendo holiday sales update. The company had said 2009 saw the DS set an "all-time calendar-year US sales record for any console or handheld system," but neglected to say what that record was. Iwata told Reuters that Nintendo believes the DS likely sold more than 10 million units in the US in 2009.