Last year, SEGA announced that Mario and Sonic will sell four million copies in it’s lifetime. People scoffed.
Well today, it seems, SEGA will have the last laugh. SEGA has announced today that not only has Mario and Sonic reach it’s goal of four million copies sold, it has surpassed it, selling a total of five million copies worldwide. “With adored icons and fun game play, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has shot to the top of the sales charts and is clearly resonating with the growing audience of casual gamers that want an engaging and accessible gaming experience,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America. “The market for entertaining games that everyone can enjoy is growing faster than any other segment in the industry, thanks in part to the explosive popularity of Wii and Nintendo DS,” continued Jeffery. “A key element of our growth strategy at SEGA is to develop and publish games that appeal to this expanding market.”
Mario and Sonic can owe much of it’s success to the UK, where the game has consistently remained in the top five every week since it’s release.
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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is the best selling game in the UK at the moment – increasing SEGA’s chances for a Christmas #1.
Traditionally, Electronic Arts developed titles have dominated UK sales charts throughout December. This has been the case for the last four years, and looked to be true in 2007 when Need For Speed: ProStreet edged into the top spot last week.
But the unlikely collaboration of two of video gaming’s greatest icons appear to have charmed British audiences, as today it has been revealed that Mario & Sonic jumped five places to take the Gold. Odd, considering there aren’t any actual Wii’s to go around…
Next week will be the prized Christmas Week. Can SEGA keep on top of the tree riding the Wiimania that’s sweeping the country, or will EA climb up and claim its star back?
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Chart Track have revealed info about the current UK sales chart for the week ending Decmber 1. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) has jumped up from No.14 to No.7 in the All formats chart. The game that pitches past rivals Sonic and Mario aganst eachother in olympic competition has now overtook Super Mario Galaxy and has recorded the largest sales week of any individual Nintendo Wii title. Now that’s an amazing feat. In the Wii game sales chart the game is now at No.1 with Super Mario Galaxy at No.2.
Stay tuned to Sonic News for more developments as they happen.
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For those living in and around London, and who have an afternoon to spare on Friday, you can head down to London’s West End to celebrate the launch of Mario and Sonic at the Olympics for the Nintendo Wii at the Oxford Street HMV.
The official British launch of the game will take place at 12:00pm noon, with festivities going on until around 3:00pm.
There is also an opportunity to see Radio 1 DJs Dick and Dom battle it out on the big screen, and no doubt get a snap of yourself with Sonic and Mario themselves. Try not to clothesline Mario though.
For anyone in Newcastle on Friday, the Northern M&S launch party is going down in my living room from 7:00pm onwards. Bring beer.
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With the amount of money spent on video games, and being home to two of the biggest gaming developers in the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking the UK was actually a third-world country when it comes to the industry. Particularly for Sonic merchandise, where material on the blue blur besides games have all but dried up in comparison to other countries.
One of the biggest conspiracy theories was regarding the lack of a domestic release of the Sonic X cartoon on DVD. Despite having DVD releases in Australia and Holland as long as eight months ago, there had been no word in the (regular, brown) hedgehog haven that is Britain. Continue reading UK Sonic X DVDs
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