Wii Tops One Million Sales In Canada

The Nintendo Wii is the first current-gen console to hit one million unit sales in Canada, and it's all thanks to hockey fights.

A CTV report says the Nintendo console sold just under 1,060,000 units in Canada as of the end of July, compared to 870,000 Xbox 360 consoles and 520,000 PlayStation 3 systems. According to numbers compiled by the NPD Group, the Wii actually sold more than the combined unit sales of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 over the first seven months of 2008, and managed to reach the milestone ahead of its competitors despite being released a year behind the 360.

The success of the Wii is driving an overall boom in the Canadian videogame market, which was up 54 percent over the previous year as of the end of July. Eight of the top ten best-selling games in Canada were Nintendo titles, five for the Wii and three for the DS, and while Nintendo systems are undeniably popular around the world, their particular success in Canada can ironically be traced back to something the console isn't known for: Brutal, bloody violence.

2K Sports is preparing to release the highly-anticipated NHL 2K9, you see, and included in that game is a brand-new "fighting engine" that will actually let Wii owners simulate on-ice brawls with the wireless remote. As every good Canadian knows, "If you can't beat 'em in the alley, you can't beat 'em on the ice," and thus the opportunity to pummel the sweet holy hell out of your opponents every time they even look at the puck, with actual fist-swinging motions no less, is not only great fun, but also a patriotic duty.

Reports that the Wii Remote can also be used for cross-checking, high-sticking, face-washes, overhand clubbing and throwing elbows in the corner when the ref's got his back turned are unconfirmed, but we're all really hopeful.

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Blame Canada for the Wii's uproar in sales!

Though, them Canadians must really love their hockey.

Growing up in Canada, I often found hockey difficul, as I couldn't skate worth a damn. Didn't matter though. Between watching Hockey, collecting Hockey Cards, Road Hockey, and generally wanting government sponsored socialized ass-kicking, Hockey was still a big part of life.

Crunchy English:
Growing up in Canada, I often found hockey difficul, as I couldn't skate worth a damn. Didn't matter though. Between watching Hockey, collecting Hockey Cards, Road Hockey, and generally wanting government sponsored socialized ass-kicking, Hockey was still a big part of life.

Same here. The sun set too soon some days when my friends and I would play road hockey. Remember how you'd always let that kid who sucked play because he had a set of goalie pads that you desperately needed? ;-)

I just hope they don't have some asinine control scheme, like waggling the controller to swing your sword... er, shoot the puck, I mean. I think Twilight Princess scarred me.

Oh Canada, you bought all of our Wii's. Now your play the new games, like Hockey Smash Bro's ,Mounties: Live and Loaded, Eh!? and Grand Theft Moose.

I will just confirm now that the Wii remote can indeed be used for cross-checking, high-sticking, and overhand clubbing. Face washes are more like high sticking with it, and while not used in throwing elbows, it doesn't seem to interfere with such.

Oh wait.. you mean in the game... my bad.

Jumplion:
Blame Canada for the Wii's uproar in sales!

South Park predicted this with a song 9 years ago.

Wow, the PS3 sales suck internationally too... Amazing.

Yikes, one million in Canada sold? Did Nintendo finally get around to making more consoles?

It's apparently been missing here in the States as I'm still hearing people say that they're having difficulty finding them in stores.

We had to get up pretty early on a Sunday morning to get ours.

On a side note, nowadays, it works pretty well as a paperweight.