Nintendo gets high score in ’07 game console battle

Nintendo Co. was the big winner in the video-game console race in 2007, with sold-out sales of its Wii machine helping to send industry revenue soaring 43% to $17.9 billion last year in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday.

Sony Corp., once the reigning champion with its PlayStation brand, came in last place out of the three major makers. The Japan-based company was hobbled by a console that cost nearly double the $250 price tag of the Wii, according to the report by market research firm NPD Group.

Shoppers snapped up 6.3 million Wii boxes last year, compared with 2.6 million PS3 consoles, according to NPD. Microsoft Corp. held its own, selling 4.6 million Xbox 360s costing $280 to $450 each.

“What these numbers tell me is that the closer you get to the magic $200 price point, the better your sales,” said analyst Rob Enderle of consulting firm Enderle Group.

Since launching its PS3 in November 2006, Sony has sold 3.25 million consoles in the U.S., while Nintendo has sold 7.4 million Wiis. Microsoft released its Xbox 360 in November 2005, a year ahead of its competitors, giving the Redmond, Wash.-based company the overall lead with 9.15 million consoles sold.

“Microsoft has a pretty serious lead over Sony,” said analyst Van Baker at technology research firm Gartner Inc.

“It’s unclear whether Sony can catch up. By the end of this year, the game will largely be over. This is a critical year for Sony.”

In 2008, some analysts predict that Sony will gain momentum, boosted by a lineup of hotly anticipated games that includes the final episode of the bestselling “Metal Gear Solid” series, new installments of “Kill Zone” and “Devil May Cry” and “Little Big Planet,” a new title that has garnered buzz among critics.

Microsoft last year benefited from its release of “Halo 3,” which sold 4.8 million copies in the U.S., making it the bestselling game in 2007.

So far, however, the company lacks a title this year that can match the firepower of “Halo 3.”

This year may be challenging for Japan-based Nintendo as well, Baker said.

“The Wii appeals to casual gamers who don’t live and breathe games,” Baker said. “After a while, there’s a good chance it will sit in the corner and gather dust once the novelty wears off.”

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alex.pham@latimes.com