page_title: Wii launch
section_title: Sales
hierarchical_section_title: Wii launch / Sales
caption_attribution_description: The HMV on Oxford Street, which was the UK's Wii launch store, has had this sign up since December 8th.
context_page_description: The Wii launch was the release of Nintendo's seventh generation video game console. This successor to the GameCube was released in most territories in November and December 2006. It was the third seventh generation console to be released in Japan and North America, but was second in Europe, being released before the PlayStation 3.
context_section_description: On November 28, 2006, Nintendo reported that it had sold over 600,000 consoles in the first eight days of launch in the Americas, making it Nintendo's largest console launch until the release of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. Including the sales of accessories and games, Nintendo's Wii-related revenue had hit $190 million in its first week.
  The Wii launched in Japan on December 2, 2006. Japan initially received 400,000 Wii consoles, with around an estimate of 370,000 sold in two days, with Wii Sports and Wii Play being the top two selling games. While many PlayStation 3 consoles were resold on online auctions for a much higher price, the average Wii price on Yahoo! Auctions were only 30,000	¥ (USD: $260). This is perhaps because more people wanted to use the consoles, rather than resell them, as the Wii software tie ratio was 1.69.
  On December 12, 2006, sales data analysis firm Chart-Track and Nintendo confirmed with several press outlets in the United Kingdom that the Wii had become the fastest selling video game console in the region's recorded history, selling 105,000 consoles in its opening weekend, trumping the previous record holder, Xbox 360, which posted sales numbers of 70,000 units. Nintendo announced on the following day that the Wii had sold 325,000 units across Europe in its first two days of sale, making it the fastest selling console across the entire European continent.
  In the United Kingdom, gamers lined up at the midnight launch of the console at Game and HMV. Queues from both retail stores stretched into back alleyways and side streets. Game even provided them with slices of pizza and Wii branded umbrellas. HMV, meanwhile, handed out goodie bags containing Wii-branded T-shirts and The Legend of Zelda posters. Celebrities such as Pat Cash and Ian Wright appeared to promote the Wii.
  On December 14, 2006, it was announced that the Wii console had become the fastest selling console in Australian history with 32,901 units sold in just four days, beating the Xbox 360's opening weekend record of 30,241 units.
  In Singapore, local distributor Maxsoft said that 2,000 consoles were sold in the first two days of retail, much greater than for the launches of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and that many preorders remained unfulfilled due to a low stock inventory.
  While the Wii launch was considerably smoother than that of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it was not without its problems. Due to the scarcity of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, widespread price gouging began to form. Initial consumer reaction to the Wii appears to have been positive, with commentators judging the launch to have been successful.
  According to the Financial Times, as of September 2007 the Wii became the market leader in worldwide console sales.
caption: Wii sold out at HMV on Oxford Street
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