Wii to Pass Xbox 360 in U.S., Fils-Aime Says

Nintendo has reasserted itself on the Japanese sales charts following a January slump, while Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime says the Wii will soon pass the Xbox 360 in the U.S.

In a brief statement to Bloomberg, Fils-Aime said the release of highly anticipated titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl will push the Wii console past Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in total U.S. sales by June. The comment followed a 4.1 percent rise in Nintendo’s stock to $499, its highest mark since January 23.

In Japan, meanwhile, Nintendo has returned to its customary position at the top of the hardware sales charts, led by the Wii with 78,583 units sold and the DS handheld in second place at 62,362 units. Sony’s PlayStation Portable follows in third with 59,654, followed by the PlayStation 3, lagging to a distant fourth at 17,637 unit sales. The PlayStation 2 continues to hang in there with a respectable 11,266 sold, while the Xbox 360, the Mike Huckabee of the Japanese console market, is still holding on to four-figure sales numbers at 2198 units sold.