Did the Wii Really Fall Behind?

For some reason, the video game world has this eccentric love/hate relationship with Nintendo. It's been called too kiddie-like, but it has some characters nearing the 30 year old mark that our grandparents can recognize and name. Sometimes, these arguments denouncing Nintendo are valid. They beat the hell out of series and characters without a doubt. That said, though, is anyone really complaining about new Mario, Metroid, or Zelda games? These franchises are some of the most lucrative in gaming history, and aren't going to be running dry anytime soon.

It would be cool if Nintendo branched out a little bit more here and there, but why should they? There's nothing broken. 2011 was the first time in 30 years the company had lost sales. Now internet surfers don't have to travel far to hear why Nintendo is losing its reign, and why Microsoft and Sony have taken over the popularity. The Wii is dead. Sounds familiar, right?

That's great and all, if you're into biased and factually deficient arguments. Let's step back a minute and look at the numbers. Below is a small list of lifetime (total sales since release) of each system.

Official Figures:

Wii - 95 million

360 - 66 million
PS3 - 62 million

And, the once predicted doomed 3DS is now soaring in sales, especially in Japan (first number is this week's sale numbers and the second number is last week's):

1. 3DS: 84,789 (Last week: 80,960)
2. PlayStation 3: 22,924 (21,155)
3. PS Vita: 18,942 (15,219)
4. PSP: 16,008 (17,181)
5. Wii: 10,396 (10,173)
6. Xbox 360: 1235 (1,588)
7. DSi XL: 1180 (1,200)
8. DSi: 738 (822)
9. PlayStation 2: 713 (903)

Of course, it should be noted that sales are subject to change in a flash. However, after constant talk about the "downfall of Nintendo" and how the Xbox and PS3 were "better and more popular systems," it's nice to see the ACTUAL evidence. Currently, the PS3 is ahead of the Wii in weekly sales, though the 360 is not even close in comparison. Taking a look at the lifetime sales, there is a 30 MILLION sale difference.

It's really easy to jump on a Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony bandwagon, but another to start throwing empty hype denouncements around. Nintendo isn't going anywhere, just like Sony and Microsoft aren't. Each company has its niche, and they have each enjoyed mountains of success and riches.

That said, Nintendo gets put down left and right. When it comes down to it, the figures don't lie. The Wii has been quietly leading the pack since its release. Not only that, but the Wii will become obsolete while still on top of the market, which is something very few systems have done. Now, the Wii U certainly appears shaky at the moment, with some very cool looking features but also some very questionable ones. That is the future. As for the present, the Wii will be going out in the same place it entered: on top.