The Japanese company Nintendo struck gold with the Wii. Starting from the time that it was launched in the market until now, it has experienced record sales, even beating its rivals such as the Sony Playstation 3, which has been encountering numerous technical problems, and Microsoft Xbox 360.

A report released by the NPD Group, one of the largest research companies in the world, revealed that Nintendo Wii far exceeds the combined sales of Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 during the first six months of 2007.

Sometime in September 2007, Wii is gaining momentum over Xbox 360, which was launched in 2006, making the former the leading brand in the world of gaming consoles. It’s also the fastest-selling handheld device for games in all of Australia’s gaming history.

Nintendo’s secret weapon was its ability to control production costs. This way, they can extend their profit margin. Thus, in Japan alone, every Wii unit sold can give the company a return of almost $15. That number doubles when you consider the sales achieved in Europe as well as in the United States.