Nintendo Wii goes large in SA

Nintendo on Friday released two blockbuster games for the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8, and announced that the Nintendo Wii had proved to be the most popular third generation home console in the fourth quarter of 2007 in South Africa, outselling Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBox 360 combined in the December holiday shopping season.

Core Gaming Group, Nintendo’s representative company in South Africa, on Friday announced the release of two blockbuster games for the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8.

According to RJ van Spaandonk, CEO of the Core Group, of 100 000 games consoles sold in South Africa in the last quarter of 2007, one in five were Wii consoles. Speaking at the South African launch of the Nintendo DS Lite in Johannesburg on Friday, he also announced that Nintendo had taken 46% of the third generation games console market (comprising Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox) in South Africa for the last quarter.

Following its launch in South Africa in October last year, the Nintendo Wii proved to be the most popular third generation home console in the fourth quarter of 2007 in South Africa, outselling Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBox 360 combined in the crucial December holiday shopping season.

Now, with the launch of Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8, Nintendo intends entrenching its position in the South African market as the leading new platform for experienced gamers, casual players and novices alike.

Super Mario Galaxy is the latest in a long line of Mario platforms that encourage players to change the way they look at video games. From the amazing diversity of galaxies and a new array of special suits for Mario to the incredible control scheme offered through the Wii Remote, Super Mario Galaxy is described as the ultimate Mario experience.

In Mario Party 8, Mario is joined by Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, DK and other favourite Nintendo characters as they compete across five new game boards and more than 60 new mini games to win a coveted prize.

Other Nintendo titles for the Wii expected to be available in South Africa in the first half of the year include: Big Brain Academy (Feb 08): Metroid Prime 3 Corruption (Feb 08): Mario Strikers Charged Football (Mar 08): Endless Ocean (Mar 08): Mario Kart (May 08) and Super Paper Mario (Jun 08).

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