In this chart, the growth of each console's hardware sales since launch are compared. The Wii's sales have risen at a record speed, outperforming even the PlayStation 2. The Xbox 360 was actually slower to sell than the Xbox in the same period of time. That orange line at the bottom, right under the GameCube, is the PlayStation 3's hardware sales.

After the Nintendo DS Lite's release in the U.S. in June, 2006, sales for the handheld rose dramatically. Limited availability at the beginning of 2007 constrained the system's hardware sales, but once the shelves were stocked, the Nintendo DS's sales went right back up. The PSP's sales sharp in September crease can be attributed to a recent hardware revision.

The second graph tracks Europe's portable hardware sales, emulating the U.S.'s peaks and valleys. While this year's Nintendo DS sales seem to fall off at the same time as the PSP line's rise (week 36 - 38), it's worth noting that the DS sales' decline mirrors last year's drop.

Despite limited availability, Nintendo remained the console leader in hardware sales for the majority of 2007 with the Wii. While Microsoft spent the year trailing behind at about half of Nintendo's numbers, the Xbox 360 managed to just barely break Nintendo's seven-month streak in September with the release of its flagship title, Halo 3. PlayStation 3 hardware sales, however, haven't moved much from its third place position, settling at a sluggish 20k.

Iwata blames U.K. shortages for the drop in Wii hardware sales in Europe during weeks 39 and 40, as shown by the large spike afterwards after stocks were replenished. The PlayStation 3 also saw a sudden rise in sales once its price was cut. Bumps in the Xbox 360's line indicate the system's price cut and new configurations.