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December 2, 2008 11:18:30 AM CST

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Wii Remains Hottest Seller for Holidays

Posted Dec 14, 07 9:59 AM CST in Business,  Arts & Living,  Technology 

(Newser) – Nintendo’s Wii remained the hottest-selling—and hardest to find—game console in the US in November as shoppers snapped up nearly 1 million units, Reuters reports. Shoppers desperate for holiday presents have been standing in line at stores more than 14 hours to get a crack at one, and paying double the $249 retail price on Craigslist and eBay, the Columbus Dispatch notes. Some are offering trades of wedding bands and cars.

Sales, the best since its November 2006 launch, were up 60% over last December. “It's difficult to say just how high sales could be,” one analyst said. Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold 777,000 units and Sony's PlayStation 3 about 500,000. Gamers made "Call of Duty 4" the top-selling game, with more than 2 million copies sold.

Sources Reuters, Columbus Dispatch

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Employees at Nintendo's distribution center prepare thousands of Wii for shipment to retailers across the country. Nintendo has tripled its distribution workforce to meet demand for the holidays. Nintendo's...   (Associated Press)
A young gamer tries out Wii.   (Getty Images)
A gamer tries out Nintendo's Wii.   (Getty Images)
This photo from Nintendo shows the Wii console. Nintendo sold 350,000 Wii consoles during the first week of the holiday shopping season. (AP Photo/Nintendo)   (Associated Press)
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video game • Nintendo Wii • holiday shopping • multiplayer games • Call of Duty


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