Nintendo remain strong over the summer

Recent figures suggest that Nintendo have remained strong throughout the summer in the United States.

Nintendo products kept people entertained in July, whether they wanted to get fit, rock out or just play around. According to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States, Nintendo DS? and Wii? again claimed the top two hardware spots for July, with more than 608,000 DS units and more than 555,000 Wii units sold. Wii claimed a 49 percent share of all console sales in July, and extended its lead as the best-selling console of this generation. Nintendo DS represented a 73 percent share of hand-held sales in July.

Five games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10 best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit?, with 369,603 units sold at No. 2; Guitar Hero®: On Tour for Nintendo DS, with 309,695 units sold at No. 3; Wii Play?, with 284,035 units sold at No. 4; Mario Kart® Wii, with 174,464 units sold at No. 7; and Rock Band for Wii, with 162,886 units sold at No. 8.

"Great hardware goes hand-in-hand with great software," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Various types of games for the Nintendo systems are represented in the top 10, demonstrating how we continue to break down the barriers between veteran and new players."

This comes as interesting news to this frustrated editor, it's felt like an incredibly dull summer for Wii in terms of new and interesting games.. however this doesn't seem to have affected sales to the masses with very impressive figures in the US.

Nintendo have very little games planned to launch over the next 9 months, possibly the toughest period for the Wii so far.