NOE on Massive Wii, DS Sales

Nintendo of Europe issued a release Thursday morning that trumpeted the subsidiary's regional success with the Wii and DS platforms. According to NOE, more than eight million Wii systems sold to consumers in the region last year alone, which raises the console's installed base in Europe to 14.2 million.

Meanwhile, in its third year in Europe, DS shows no signs of slowing down. In 2008, 11.2 million consumers purchased Nintendo's handheld, "the largest ever annual sales of a gaming console in European history," according to the company. More than 31 million DS handhelds have been sold total in Europe.

"The sales trend on both Wii and Nintendo DS, hardware and software during 2008 shows that more and more people in Europe are enjoying video games as part of their daily lives. This proves that Nintendo's wish to expand the gaming population has strong potential in Europe," said Laurent Fischer, managing director, marketing and public relations, Nintendo of Europe.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/945/945262p1.html