Super Mario 3D Land sells 5 million, Skyward Sword 3.4 million

Nintendo may have failed to hit its sales expectations for the 3DS, but the device isn't without its success stories. As part of Nintendo's postearnings information dump, the publisher revealed three first-party games that easily topped the million-unit sales milestone.
Super Mario 3D Land topped the 3DS's sales charts through December, selling 5.03 million units worldwide. The portly plumber's latest outing arrived to a solid critical reception in November. December's Mario Kart 7 posted a close second with 4.54 million units sold, while June's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D sold 2.49 million units.

On the Wii, Nintendo saw a strong performance from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Launched in late November, Link's latest action adventure sold 3.42 million units through December. That figure was good enough for a third-place finish on the Wii chart, behind Mario Kart Wii (4.91 million) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii (3.53 million).

Turning to the DS, Pokemon White/Black continued to put in solid numbers, topping the handheld's chart with a combined 2.91 million units sold. New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart DS followed, with 1.87 million units and 1.26 million units sold, respectively.

A full list of Nintendo's million-unit sellers for the April-December period, as well as those games' lifetime-to-date tallies, can be found below.

3DS
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Super Mario 3D Land / 5.03 million / 5.03 million
Mario Kart 7 / 4.54 million / 4.54 million
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D / 2.49 million / 2.49 million

Wii
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Mario Kart Wii / 4.91 million / 31.91 million
New Super Mario Bros. Wii / 3.53 million / 25.47 million
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword / 3.42 million / 3.42 million
Wii Sports / 2.4 million / 79.16 million
Wii Sports Resort / 2.19 million / 29.87 million
Wii Party / 1.91 million / 7.68 million
Wii Fit Plus / 1.75 million / 20.24 million
Kirby's Return to Dream Land / 1.21 million / 1.21 million
Wii Play: Motion / 1.12 million / 1.12 million
Super Mario Galaxy / 1.09 million / 10.4 million

DS family
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Pokemon Black & White / 2.91 million / 14.42 million
New Super Mario Bros. / 1.87 million / 28.74 million
Mario Kart DS / 1.26 million / 22.30 million
*Professor Layton and the Last Specter / 1.19 million / 1.19 million
Kirby Mass Attack / 1.01 million / 1.01 million

*Sales figures do not include Japan.

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SpaceX delays first satellite launch due to technical glitch


SpaceX scrubbed the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket minutes before takeoff Monday, saying it will prepare for another attempt Thursday.

The private spaceflight company posted the date of the next attempt on Twitter after the first attempt was thwarted by a technical glitch.It did not elaborate on the problem.

Reuters reported officials called off the launch after the rocket missed its 66-minute window due to delays, including the glitch.

If successful, the rocket will carry a commercial satellite into space, a potential game-changer in a global industry worth nearly $190 billion a year.

The satellite, known as SES-8 and worth about $100 million, will be positioned to provide television, cable, broadband and other services to customers in India, China, Vietnam and other markets in Asia, Reuters reports.

It is owned by Luxembourg-based SES S.A., which currently operates a 54-satellite fleet, the world's second-largest.

Reuters contributed to this report

Resident Evil 6 dated for November 20

The writing's been on the wall for a new flagship installment in Capcom's Resident Evil franchise for some time now, and today, the publisher pulled the trigger on that announcement. Resident Evil 6 will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on November 20.


Resident Evil 6 will feature a split plotline, though bioterrorism remains the motif. In the US, Leon S. Kennedy joins the president of the United States 10 years after the events that defined Raccoon City, ostensibly to offer the truth on what actually happened there. However, in the midst of this revelation, bioterrorists attack, converting the president into a lurching undead.

On the other side of the world, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield touches down in China, which is in the midst of its own bioterrorism outbreak. Resident Evil 6 will be the first installment in the franchise to feature both Redfield and Kennedy, and Capcom noted that new characters will also be introduced in the game.

Development on Resident Evil 6 is being led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. The developer has previously received producer credits for a number of Capcom's titles, including Resident Evil 4, Killer7, and Dragon's Dogma.

Prior to today's announcement, Capcom had posted to a countdown teaser site for the game, NoHopeLeft.com. That site now directs to a YouTube page featuring Resident Evil 6's first trailer, which can be found below.

Infinity Ward crafting next-gen Call of Duty?

In October, a job listing at Call of Duty studio Treyarch indicated that the developer was readying a next-generation entry in the shooter franchise. Now, it appears Infinity Ward is also preparing a next-generation Call of Duty game.


A requisition for a senior animator at Infinity Ward calls for a person with "an interest in working with next-generation technologies."

Unfortunately, the job listing does not offer any additional information about what Infinity Ward may be at work on. As for what next-generation technologies could pertain to, there are numerous possibilities. At the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Activision pledged its support for Nintendo's Wii U, and rumors are swirling that Microsoft and Sony are readying new consoles.

If Infinity Ward is indeed at work on a next-generation Call of Duty title, it won't be the only project the studio is crafting. Last week, Activision announced the Modern Warfare 3 content season, and it named Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Sledgehammer Games as developers for the barrage of game updates planned over the next nine months.

A new Call of Duty game has been confirmed for release in 2012, but Activision has yet to name this title or mention what developer(s) are working on it. That game has no release date yet, but Call of Duty has had new installments debut between late October and mid-November every year since the franchise was launched in 2003.