Sales of Nintendo’s Wii surged in the third week of December in Japan as more supplies of the hard-to-get game console arrived in shops across the country.Sales totaled 279,277 units for the week, according to figures from Media Create. That’s more than double the number sold a week earlier and the greatest weekly sales yet with the exception of launch week, when 350,358 consoles were sold, according to Media Create.Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation 3 also saw sales jump on the previous week, although the climb was much more modest. A total of 76,882 units were sold, said Media Create.Sales of both consoles are constrained by supply at present, so it’s difficult from the figures to gauge which will eventually prove more popular among Japanese gamers. With the latest figures, Nintendo sits on the cusp of selling its millionth Wii console in Japan. To Dec. 24, a total of 824,311 units had been sold, putting the million mark well within reach during the last week of the year as long as the company can keep supplies flowing into shops. In contrast, total sales of the PlayStation 3, which has been on sale for three weeks longer than Wii, totaled 385,791 units due to lower supply.The figures also delivered some good news for Microsoft. Sales of the Xbox 360 were 17,213 units, which is almost unchanged from the week earlier and still well above their level in November. Microsoft launched the long-awaited Blue Dragon game in Japan in early December and offered a special-edition Xbox 360 console to accompany the title. That appears to have boosted sales for the machine. In the software chart, Wii Sports ranked fifth with sales of 152,756 units, making it the highest-selling software title of the week for any of the three consoles. The title is sold separately in Japan but bundled with the console in North America.Overall, the handheld Nintendo DS Lite maintained its strong lead with sales of 485,584 units, said Media Create. Its closest handheld rival, Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP), sold 138,588 units for the week. Six of the top 10 software titles were for the DS, including number-one-ranked Pokemon Diamond, while the PSP game Metal Gear Solid Portable ranked second.By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)Related Links: Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii Sales Pick Up Console War: Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 Microsoft Sticks to Xbox 360 Shipment ForecastCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Huawei Beyond gigabit: the need for 10 Gbps in business networks Interview with Liu Jianning, Vice President of Huawei's Data Communication Marketing & Solutions Sales Dept By CIO Online Staff Dec 04, 2023 9 mins Cloud Architecture Networking brandpost Sponsored by HPE Aruba Networking Bringing the data processing unit (DPU) revolution to your data center By Mark Berly, CTO Data Center Networking, HPE Aruba Networking Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Data Center brandpost Sponsored by SAP What goes well with Viña Concha y Toro wines? Meat, fish, poultry, and SAP Viña Concha y Toro, a wine producer that distributes to more than 140 countries worldwide, paired its operation with the SAP Business Technology Platform to enhance its operation and product. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Azul How to maximize ROI by choosing the right Java partner for your organization Choosing the right Java provider is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your organization’s success. By asking the right questions and considering the total cost of ownership, you can ensure that you choose the best Java p By Scott Sellers Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Application Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe