Wii Sales More than Double in U.S. Thanksgiving week

Reuters recently interviewed Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, and Nintendo couldn't be doing better.

Last week Nintendo Co. stock jumped on lowering oil prices up nearly 5 percent at last count. Sales returns from the Black Friday weekend should have Nintendo Co. reeling. Nintendo's President Satoru Iwata told Reuters that Wii sales more than doubled to about 800,000 units during the Thanksgiving holiday week in the United States, from 350,000 units a year ago. Sales of the DS handheld were up 20 percent for the holiday period. And Nintendo achieved this amidst the worse financial crisis in many a decade.

"When the economy is strong, people tend to buy three things from the top of their wish list. But when things are bad, people often buy only the first thing on their list," Iwata said. "Fortunately for us a lot of shoppers put our products at the top of their list."

Of course Nintendo's greatest advantage is Iwata himself. Since taking the helm, he's charted a new direction in gaming toward the new and casual player while not alienating the base. It is a tight rope to walk, but it seems very simple to the President of Nintendo Co.

"When similar products are on store shelves, price competition is inevitable. Nintendo has been trying to steer clear of that direction and create a market of our own."

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  Console number means nothing if they don't have good software to back it up.

  LeSomeGuy, 30-11--0001 at 00:00