Nintendo DS 783k
Nintendo Wii 666.7k
PS3 405.5k
PSP 337.4k
Xbox 360 219.8k
PS2 188.8k

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami, PS3) - 774.6k*
2. Guitar Hero on Tour (Activision, DS) - 422.3k
3. Ninja Gaiden 2 (Microsoft, Xbox 360) - 372.7k
4. Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) - 372.7k
5. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) - 359.1k
6. Battlefield: Bad Company (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) - 346.8k
7. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) - 322.4k
8. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure (LucasArts, Wii) - 294.5k
9. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure (LucasArts, DS) - 267.8k
10. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Advneture (LucasArts, PS2) - 260.3k

*-Excludes bundles. Including bundled games, the total sales of MGS4 were almost 1 million.

Metal Gear Solid 4 pushed the PS3 into unfamiliar territory and made the gap between the PS3 and Xbox 360 something Microsoft’s not going to be able to spin quite as easily as usual. Nintendo Wii continues to lead and has now officially claimed the units sold lead in the US over Microsoft. The Xbox 360 “price cut” (aka inventory clearance of the smaller hard drive) isn’t going to help matters any, although it should be interesting to see what happens when Sony’s most expensive PS3 model finally hits $399 in September.

It didn’t take long for the Wii Fit clones to start appearing. Jillian Michaels, best known for her role as one of the trainers on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, is working with Majesco Games (largely a budget game publisher) on Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for the Nintendo Wii.

“Wii and the Wii Balance Board have added a credible and effective new option for players looking to get in shape in a fun and entertaining way,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. “Jillian Michaels’ expertise in the fitness world coupled with the innovative Wii Balance Board lets us deliver a compelling game that will change the way America approaches home fitness.”

“As a huge gamer myself with younger siblings and godchildren, I recognize the importance of staying current with how people digest their media and information,” said Jillian Michaels. “I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionizing the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today. I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Interactive Game Group and Majesco to bring a family-oriented fitness video game to the market.”

Frederic Chesnais, founder of Interactive Game Group (I2G), added, “This project is exactly why I created I2G — to bring talented people together and facilitate the creation and distribution of highly-innovative interactive entertainment.”

In Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 players become new recruits in Jillian’s boot camp where they enroll in a unique training program composed of fitness tests and a changing series of workouts. Players choose their workout from four types — Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb — and set the intensity to light, medium or hard for a duration between 10 and 60 minutes. By completing Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board motion-based challenges that range from crossing monkeybars to climbing ladders and rowing, players can also unlock lifestyle and fitness video tips from Jillian. Players can even track their progress based on calories burned and workout intensity. In addition, a Competitive Party Mode lets two players race against each other through individual challenges or through the entire Physical Training course to earn the winning time.

Developed by 3G Studios, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii is expected to release this holiday season. I’ll greet this product with a healthy dose of skepticism, but it will be interesting to see how it works out.

Nintendo Wii 675.1k
Nintendo DS 452.6k
PlayStation 3 208.7k
Xbox 360 186.6k
PlayStation Portable 182.3k

1. Grand Theft Auto 4 (Take 2 Interactive, Xbox 360) - 871.3k
2. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) - 787.4k
3. Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) - 687.7k
4. Grand Theft Auto 4 (Take 2 Interactive, PS3) - 442.9k
5. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) - 294.6k
6. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Nintendo, Wii) - 171.1k
7. Iron Man (Sega, PS2) - 130.6k
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Wii) - 116.8k
9. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo, Wii) - 107k
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Nintendo, Wii) - 102k

Nintendo’s Wii remained on top of the hardware charts in May. Sony’s PS3 managed to reclaim the #2 spot from Microsoft’s Xbox 360, but apparently Sony and Microsoft missed this memo the first 32 times, so it’s worth repeating: drop the damn prices already.

On the software side, GTA 4 remained dominant and is now the best selling game this year. Wii Fit had a decent launch, even if it clocked in lower than some may have anticipated. Mario Kart Wii continues to be strong, and Wii Play remains in the top where it’s been for over a year.

Looking ahead to June, we can probably expect the top 5 to remain onboard, while Metal Gear Solid 4 and Guitar Hero Aerosmith should launch strongly. It remains to be seen how the Guitar Hero franchise will perform in the portable market when Guitar Hero on Tour is released for the Nintendo DS.

Wii 714.2k
Nintendo DS 414.8k
PSP 192.7k
Xbox 360 188.0k
PlayStation 3 187.1k
PlayStation 2 124.4k

1. GTA 4 (Take Two Interactive Software, Xbox 360) - 1.85 million
2. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) - 1.12 million
3. GTA 4 (Take Two Interactive Software, PS3) - 1 million
4. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) - 360k
5. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Nintendo, Wii) - 326k
6. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (Sony, PS3) - 224k
7. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo, DS) - 202k
8. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Nintendo, DS) - 202k
9. Guitar Hero 3 (Activision, Wii) - 152k
10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, Xbox 360) - 141k

Microsoft finally managed to edge out Sony, but both of them got easily beat by Nintendo. Two key product launches managed to crush everything else. GTA 4 took home 2.85 million units of sales in 5 days, with a split of nearly 2:1 for the Xbox 360 version. On the Nintendo front, Mario Kart Wii was the big new game. Wii Play continues its standard performance, and Brawl remains in the top 10 as well. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue does okay but underwhelming, particularly compared to the European launch. Activision is in a position they’re not used to, bringing up the rear, but both their key franchises remain in the top.

Nintendo Wii 721k
Nintendo DS 698k
PlayStation Portable 297k
Xbox 360 262k
PlayStation 3 257k
PlayStation 2 216k

1. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Nintendo, Wii) - 2.7 million
2. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Ubisoft, Xbox 360) - 752.3k
3. Army of Two (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) - 606.1k
4. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) - 409.8k
5. God of War: Chains of Olympus (Sony, PSP) - 340.5k
6. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square-Enix, PSP) - 301.6k
7. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Wii) - 264.1k
8. Major League Baseball 2K8 (Take 2, Xbox 360) - 237.1k
9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, Xbox 360) - 237k
10. Army of Two (Electornic Arts, PS3) - 224.9k

Phenomenal month for Nintendo during Super Smash Bros Brawl release month. PS3 and Xbox 360 continue their battle for second, and things should get interesting next month when both platforms get this year’s biggest game, GTA 4. The month was a winner for the industry as a whole, and everyone has something to brag about, with year-over-year sales up 57%.

Nintendo DS 587.6k
Nintendo Wii 432k
PlayStation 2 351.8k
PlayStation 3 280.8k
Xbox 360 254.6k
PlayStation Portable 243.1k

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, Xbox 360) 296.2k
2. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom, Xbox 360) 295.2k
3. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) 289.7k
4. Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom, PS3) 233.5k
5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Wii) 222.9k
6. Mario & Sonic: at the Olympic Games (Sega, Nintendo DS) 205.6k
7. Lost Odyssey (Microsoft, Xbox 360) 203.6k
8. Turok (Touchstone, Xbox 360) 197.7k
9. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, PS2) 183.8k
10. Rock Band (Xbox 360) 161.8k

Last generation gaming here we come. Nintendo DS continued its dominance in the portable market, while Wii ticked up nicely to retain the lead in the console race. PS2, now in its 8th year, saw a solid performance, not only beating the other consoles other than Wii, but actually posting its best February since 2005. PS3 has firmly established itself in second place, despite still being way too expensive. This shows significant improvement over last year’s numbers. Microsoft did pre-NPD damage control, telling us they expected to be off both in February and March due to shortages.

On the software front, we see Activision’s usual suspects (Call of Duty 4 and Guitar Hero 3). Turok makes what will likely be a short-lived return to the top of the charts. Wii Play remains consistent as it has since it was released a year ago. The Devil May Cry gap is interesting. Despite having a userbase advantage of over 150%, the Xbox 360 version only outsold the PS3 version by 26%.

Cheat codes for: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
System: Nintendo Wii

3D Hot Rally Title (Music)
Clear Target Level 5 with any character.

All-Star Mode
Unlock all the hidden characters.

Boss Battle Mode
Defeat the Subspace Emissary with any character.

Captain Falcon
Beat Classic in 20 minutes or less then defeat him in the match following.

Donkey Kong Virtual Console Trial
Play ten or more hours.

Dream Chaser (Music)
Play 10 VS. matches on Port Town.

Electroplankton Stage
Complete Event #28.

Falco
Beat 100-man brawl or play 300 VS. matches.

Fire Field (Music)
Complete Event #24.

Frozen Hillside (Music)
Play 10 VS. matches on Halberd.

F-Zero Virual Console Trial
Defeat Subspace Emissary using Captain Falcon.

Ganondorf
Clear Classic on Hard with Link or Zelda, or play 200 VS. matches.

Geruda (Music)
Play 10 VS. matches on Halberd.

Great Temple (Music)
Complete Event #33 on Difficult.

His World (Music)
Play 10 VS. matches on Green Hill Zone.

Ike’s Theme (Music)
Find Ike in the Subspace Emissary.

Jigglypuff
Complete Classic Mode with any character other than Ike, or Complete Event #20.

Jungle Japes
Play on any Melee Stage ten times in VS. Mode.

King Dedede’s Theme (Music)
Complete Event #15.

Kuru Kuru Land (Music)
Achieve 400m in the Home-Run Contest with any character.

Legendary Air Rider Machine (Music)
Complete Event #13.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Virtual Console Trial
Use Toon Link ten or more times.

Lucario
Defeat Subspace Emissary with Meta Knight, or complete five Target Tests with any character.

Luigi
Complete Classic Mode on Easy.

Luigi’s Mansion
Complete Classic Mode on Easy.

Mario Bros.
Complete Event #19.

Marth
Complete Classic Mode using Ike.

Mr. Game & Watch
Beat Classic Mode with every character.

Ness
Play five matches, or reflect ten projecticles, or meet Ness in the Subspace Emissary.

Pokémon Stadium
Play on Pokémon Stadium 2 ten times in VS. Mode.

Port City
Play as Captain Falcon ten times in VS. Mode.

R.O.B.
Play 160 VS. matches.

Snake
Play ten matches on Shadow Moses Island.

Sonic
Complete the Subspace Emissary.

Super Mario USA Virtual Console Trial
Win in VS mode with Peach five or more times.

Super Mario World
Play Yoshi’s Island (Melee) three or more times.

Toon Link
Finish the Classic Mode as Ganondorf.

Use Zero Suit Samus
Select Samus on the character screen and hold the following button (before the match starts):
Gamecube/Classic controller: Hold the R button.
Wii Remote with Nunchuk: Hold the Z button.
Wii Remote: Hold the Minus (-) button.

Wolf
In Iseki Stage (Ruins), pass by the first door, and enter the second door when lowered in to the pit, or play 450 VS. matches.

Nintendo Wii 274k
PlayStation 3 269k
PlayStation 2 264k
Nintendo DS 251k
PlayStation Portable 230k
Xbox 360 230k

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, Xbox 360) 330.9k
2. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) 298.1k
3. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Wii) 239.6k
4. Rock Band (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) 183.8k
5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Xbox 360) 182.7k
6. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo, Wii) 172k
7. Burnout Paradise (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) 144.1k
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, PS3) 140k
9. Mario Party (Nintendo, DS) 138.5k
10. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega, DS) 133k

A turnaround for Sony? Not quite. It’ll take another price drop or two before they regain their kingdom. While Nintendo and Microsoft struggle with supply, Sony’s competent and long established supply chain allowed them to come within spitting distance of the Wii with their PS3 (finishing ahead of Xbox 360 for the first time), and the PSP wasn’t too far off the DS. Year over year, PS3 was the only one that was up (243k to 269k), while both Wii (435k to 274k) and Xbox 360 (294k to 230k) saw sharp declines. Not to be overlooked is the PS2, the 8 year old system that just keeps going.

On the software side, Activision continues its dominance, with strong performance out of Call of Duty 4 and Guitar Hero III. Rock Band joins the music game fest. Nintendo’s got typically strong first party performance as well.

After multiple delays, what was expected to be the biggest game of last year finally has an official release date that looks like it will stick. GTA 4 will be released on April 29 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“We are so excited to be releasing Grand Theft Auto IV,” said Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. “We’ve pushed ourselves very hard to make something incredible and hope the game sets a new benchmark for interactive entertainment.”

Nintendo DS 2.47 million
Wii 1.35 million
Xbox 360 1.26 million
PlayStation 2 1.1 million
PlayStation Portable 1.06 million
PlayStation 3 797.6k

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision, Xbox 360) 1.47 million
2. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo, Wii) 1.40 million
3. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, PS2) 1.25 million
4. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) 1.08 million
5. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft, Xbox 360) 893.7k
6. Halo 3 (Microsoft, Xbox 360) 742.7k
7. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day (Nintendo, DS) 659.5k
8. Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts, PS2) 655.2k
9. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision, Xbox 360) 624.6k
10. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega, Wii) 613k

December, typically the biggest month of the year with holiday sales, was no slouch as could be expected. Nintendo DS has now firmly replaced the GameBoy Advance and taken its place at the top of the hardware charts. By a slight margin, Wii retains the console lead. Xbox 360 now in its third holiday season came a close second and up from last year, but even still, it’s a questionable performance for a system that’s been on the market for so long. Granted, with only one very small price cut in over two years, it’s not overly surprising. PS2, with over 130 million sales and counting, continues to refuse to die. Its younger sibling, however, came up short as usual, although 800k units is pretty good for a $500 system.

On the software side, the story remains Xbox 360, Activision, and Nintendo. Activision, which throughout the year has shown itself to be as strong as Electronic Arts in terms of sales, continues to get a strong performance out of Guitar Hero and now Call of Duty. Wii Play, the second best selling game of the year behind Halo 3, is still selling strong nearly a year after its release, while Super Mario Galaxy, despite struggling in Japan, has been a strong performer as we’ve come to expect from other Nintendo first party efforts.