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Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort has hit a million units in each of three markets -- the U.S., Europe and Japan -- and more than 2 million MotionPlus accessories are in players' hands to date, the company says.

Leigh Alexander, Contributor

August 25, 2009

1 Min Read

Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort has hit a million units in the U.S. since it launched here on July 26th, and the title is selling equally briskly in Japan and Europe -- it's hit the 1 million mark in each of those markets, too. Nintendo says the game is "on its way to becoming another Nintendo 'long-tail' title that sells steadily over an extended period of time." The success of Wii Sports Resort also has a side-effect -- promoting adoption of the MotionPlus accessory, intended to increase the precision of the Wii Remote controls. Nintendo says over 2 million MotionPlus accessories have reached consumers to date in the United States alone, many coming bundled with Wii Sports Resort or Electronic Arts' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. The small accessory, which attaches to the Wii Remote, is also sold separately for $19.99. Games with sustained long-term sales rather than launch spikes have been key to Nintendo's success this generation. It's seen similar results with Wii Sports Resort's predecessor, Wii Sports, and the Balance Board-equipped Wii Fit, among others, which remain on charts worldwide for months or even years after they launch. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said he expects Wii Sports Resort to sell 10 million units worldwide this year, and the company expects similar performance for New Super Mario Bros. and Wii Fit Plus. "Millions of consumers worldwide have demonstrated that they want their summer vacations to keep going," says Nintendo Sales & Marketing EVP Cammie Dunaway. "Wii Sports Resort provides both novice and veteran players a fun, virtual escape to a resort island with their friends and family – something that will be even more appealing as the weather turns cooler this fall and winter."

About the Author(s)

Leigh Alexander

Contributor

Leigh Alexander is Editor At Large for Gamasutra and the site's former News Director. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety, Slate, Paste, Kill Screen, GamePro and numerous other publications. She also blogs regularly about gaming and internet culture at her Sexy Videogameland site. [NOTE: Edited 10/02/2014, this feature-linked bio was outdated.]

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