A Year's Worth of Data - Red Steel 2

Coffee Beans
Red Steel 2 released on March 23, 2010 as a Wii exclusive, that was also a WM+ exclusive title...meaning Red Steel 2 isn't/wasn't playable without a WM+ unit.  Red Steel 2 released with a software only version of the game for $49.99, and a Wii MotionPlus bundled version for $59.99.

Red Steel 2 saw its first price drop just 4 months after it released, in July 2010.  The MSRP for the software only version dropped from $49.99, down to $39.99; and the WM+ bundle dropped from $59.99, down to $49.99. The game has since seen another price drop, now with the regular version selling for $19.99, or less; and the WM+ bundle selling for $29.99, or less.

How many hours have Wii owners reported playing Red Steel 2 in the last year, with 371 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Mario Madness! Mario Sports Mix Debut Data Report

Coffee Beans
Mario Sports Mix was released on February 7, 2011 in North America, with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo.

The ESRB gave the game an "E for Everybody" rating, with "Mild Cartoon Violence" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

A portion of the game's Amazon.com description reads, "Mario Sports Mix is a fast-paced and fun sports game for Wii featuring all your favorite Nintendo characters in over-the-top Mushroom Kingdom athletic action.  Events included in the game include basketball, volleyball, dodgeball and hockey playable both on ice and elsewhere.  Additional features include: multiplayer support, including four-player co-op play and two-on-two competitive play; special devastating moves available for each character; the ability to use koopa shells and other means against opposing players; a variety of game environments and more."

How many hours have Wii owners spent playing basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, and hockey in Mario's Mushroom Kingdom, with 22 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting
Mario Sports Mix has 7,341 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Nintendo Channel, on its debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported
Mario Sports Mix has 89,820 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average "sports" play-time of 12 Hours 17 Minutes "Per person"(or console) reporting data. The game's average play-time per session is just over 2 Hours 39 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price
Mario Sports Mix's Amazon.com sale rank is #64, and it's currently selling for $49.99 from a third party on Amazon.com. (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 9:30PM, on 2-28-11)

Review Score Averages
Mario Sports Mix's "professional" review score average is 64.69%, based on 26 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Mario Sports Mix has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 8 customer reviews. Mario Sports Mix's customer review score average is 85%, when converted to a 100% review scale.  You can see the customer review scores breakdown in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 9:30PM, on 2-28-11)

Filtered Thoughts
I haven't played Mario Sports Mix, and I probably won't play (or buy) it anytime soon, though I am interested to see how hockey plays in the game.  I really enjoyed Mario Strikers Charged, because it reminded me a lot of the NHL Hitz hockey games I used to play.  If the hockey game in Mario Sports Mix plays like either Mario Strikers Charged or the NHL Hitz games, I would probably enjoy that sport the most.

If you haven't seen how Nintendo has been advertising Mario Sports Mix, here's a compilation trailer showing three commercials I believe Nintendo has been running for the game:


As for the game's debut game-play hours, they actually took one week longer to debut than I expected for this game, considering it's a Nintendo published title with the name "Mario" in its title.  The debut hours are pretty solid for a game initially debuting though, and I think it will be interesting to see how the game performs over the next few months considering it has online multi-player, as well as local multi-player.

I guess with March Madness almost upon us, Nintendo's release of Mario Sports Mix in North America was well timed for basketball fans, that are perhaps also Mario fans.  It's like Nintendo basketball fans can have a "Mario March Madness" in the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario Sports Mix!

Questions
If you have played Mario Sports Mix, do you think the game is closer to an 85% review score like the customer reviews, or do you think it's closer to the 64.69% "professional" review score average?

Also, if you played the NHL Hitz hockey games, how does hockey in Mario Sports Mix play compared them if you can remember?


If you're interested in Mario Sports Mix, you can see prices for it listed on Amazon.com linked below:
  

FPS Friday - GoldenEye 007 Report

Coffee Beans:
     What is "FPS Friday"?  Well, it's a new feature I'm going to try and stick with, where I report at least one Wii FPS' game-play hours every Friday, and/or provide general thoughts on any FPS I may have recently played....starting today!
  
     For this first "FPS Friday" feature, I'll be doing a game-play data report, as well as including a multi-player game-play video, for GoldenEye 007 on the Wii.
     We last looked at GoldenEye 007's reported game-play hours, as they were recorded on December 20, 2010; just 5 days before Christmas.

     How much has GoldenEye 007 been played in the weeks since the Christmas and New Year's holidays?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     GoldenEye 007 now has 30,975 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Reported Player Increase:
     How many more players have reported play-time data for GoldenEye since the Christmas and New Year's holidays?
     GoldenEye 007 has seen an increase of about 15,924 more gamers reporting game-play data, since the hours from December 20.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     GoldenEye 007 now has 496,450 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 259,452 Total Hours in the last 4 weeks.
     The average play-time for GoldenEye 007 has increased to 16 Hours 1 Minute "Per person" reporting data, which is an increase of 16 minutes over the last report.
     GoldenEye 007's average play-time per session has decreased slightly and is now just over 2 Hours 17 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     GoldenEye 007's Amazon.com sale rank is #249, and is currently selling for $39.96.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 10:30PM, on 1-21-11)

Review Score Averages:
     GoldenEye 007's "professional" review score average is now 84.19%, based on 57 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     GoldenEye 007, the software version only, has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 78 customer reviews.
     The Golden Classic Controller Pro bundle also has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, but it's based on 47 customer reviews.
     GoldenEye 007's software only version and the Classic Controller Pro bundle have review score averages of 76.92% and 80.85% respectively, when converted to a 100% review scale.  You can see the customer review scores in the image below:

Click to enlarge

     (Review score averages recorded around 10:30PM, on 1-21-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I have shown a few of the multi-player levels in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, through different game-play videos.  Here's a multi-player video of a Team Conflict match that I played on GoldenEye 007's map, Outpost:


  
     On the reported data, I think the overall number of players reporting data is good so far for GoldenEye 007, though I think it's going to be interesting seeing how fast it increases over the next few months, now that the holidays have passed.
     The "Total Hours" reported are pretty good, but are actually lower than I expected them to be at this time.  I thought they would have crossed at least 500,000 right around/after Christmas, considering how much Activision talked about this game before it released; but that should happen this next week instead.
     GoldenEye 007's Amazon.com sale rank is also lower than I thought it would be at this point after its release, especially when compared to some other Wii games released in the last few months.

     If any of you are still playing GoldenEye 007's online multi-player on a regular basis, please add my friend code 2043-7355-3797 to your list, and leave a comment or email me your code.
     I would love to hop online with some fellow CoffeewithGames readers, and play a few rounds online, and perhaps a few different modes as well.

Questions:
     Have any of you been playing GoldenEye 007 in the last few weeks, and if you received the game over the holidays, have you completed its single-player campaign?
     If you have been playing the game's online multi-player, what is your Level/Rank so far?  I think I'm around Level 19...I have a long way to go!

If any of you are interested in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, you can see prices for the game listed and linked on Amazon.com below:
  

Donkey Kong Country Returns - Official Nintendo Channel data report

Coffee Beans
We last looked at Donkey Kong Country Returns' reported game-play hours last month.  The game-play hours in the last report were recorded on December 13, so we haven't looked at Donkey Kong Country Returns' game-play hours since before the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

If some of you are looking for details on the 2011 Club Nintendo Calendar giveaway, you can check the "Filtered Thoughts" section of this post for the link to the giveaway information.

How many hours have Wii owners reported playing Donkey Kong Country Returns in the last 5 weeks?  Let's take a look!

Call of Duty: Black Ops' Reported Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     It's been about 3 weeks since we last looked at Call of Duty: Black Ops' reported game-play hours.  In the last report, I showed both Call of Duty: Black Ops' and GoldenEye 007's reported game-play hours, as of December 20, 2010; 5 days before Christmas.  You can read that report, HERE!

     How much has Call of Duty: Black Ops been played in the weeks since Christmas?  Let's take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops now has 28,946 Wii owners reporting game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Player Increase Reporting Data Since December 20, 2010:
     How many more players have used the Nintendo Channel to report their Black Ops' game-play hours?
     Call of Duty: Black Ops has seen an increase of about 16,636 more gamers reporting their game-play data, since December 20, 2010.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops now has 788,282 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 447,933 Total Hours since the last report.
     Black Ops' average play-time is now 27 Hours 14 Minutes "Per person", which is a slight decrease of 25 minutes off the average reported "Per person" on the last report.
     Black Ops' average play-time per session(or day) reported is now just over 3 Hours 1 Minute, a 5 minute decrease from the December 20 data.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops' Amazon.com sale rank is #79, and is currently selling for $39.54.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 12:45AM, on 1-15-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops' "professional" review score average is still 82.21%, based on 14 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Black Ops has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 64 customer reviews.  When I converted the customer review scores to a 100% review scale, Call of Duty: Black Ops' Amazon.com customer review score averaged out to be 76.875%.
     You can see the customer review score breakdown in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 12:45AM, on 1-15-10)

Filtered Thoughts:
     Seeing the number of players reporting play-time data more than double in 3 weeks, makes me think Black Ops was probably under a lot of Christmas trees.
     Not only did Call of Duty: Black Ops' number of players reporting data more than double, but also its Total Hours reported more than doubled.

     Now you may be thinking, "What Nintendo published games that were also released in 2010 has Black Ops already passed in 'Total Hours' as the image says?"
     Here's an image for comparison:

     You're seeing that right, Black Ops has already passed Metroid: Other M, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Wii Party in "Total Hours" reported.
     Those aren't the only Nintendo published games released in 2010 that Black Ops has passed though, other games like Sin and Punishment: Star Successor and also Endless Ocean: Blue World have been passed as well.
     For me, the biggest surprise is seeing how quickly Black Ops passed Metroid: Other M, because Other M was released 71 days before Black Ops was.

Questions:
     Did any of you receive Call of Duty: Black Ops for Christmas, or get it with any money received over the holidays?  If so, what do you think of the game?  Is Black Ops a huge improvement over the previous Call of Duty Wii games, or about the same?
     Also, are any of you surprised, like myself, at how quickly Black Ops has passed Metroid: Other M?

If you are interested in Call of Duty: Black Ops, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Rock Band 3's Debut Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     Rock Band 3 was released on October 26, 2010 in North America, with two different ways to obtain the game.  One way was to buy the software version only of Rock Band 3, which allowed players to use any existing guitar, bass, and drum peripherals they owned, as well as the microphone peripheral for solo vocals or three-part vocal harmony; to play the game by themselves or with others.
     Rock Band 3 was also offered for sale in a bundle, with a new wireless keyboard controller peripheral that was designed for the game.

     Rock Band 3 was a multi-console release, being released on the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360.  It was also released for the Nintendo DS system as well.
     The game was developed by Harmonix, and Backbone Entertainment; and it was published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts.
     Rock Band 3 received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB, with "Mild Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol" being listed as content for parents to be aware of.
     The game-play hours shown and reported in this post are for the Wii system only.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported rocking out with Rock Band 3 since it released?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Rock Band 3 has 3,734 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours for its hours debut on the Nintendo Channel.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours:
     Rock Band 3 has 55,031 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average of 14 Hours 44 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Rock Band 3's average play-time per session is just over 2 Hours 19 Minutes.

Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:
     Rock Band 3's software only Amazon.com sale rank is #204, and it is on sale for $29.99.
     Rock Band 3's bundle Amazon.com sale rank is #1,367, and it is selling for $114.54.
     (Sale ranks and advertised prices recorded around 12:45AM on 1-12-11.)

Review Score Averages:
     Rock Band 3's review score average is 90.67%, based on 6 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Rock Band 3 has two separate sets of customer review scores on Amazon.com.  One set is for the software only version of the game, the other set of customer reviews are for the Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard and Software bundle.
     The software only version has about a 3.5 out of 5 Stars rating, based on 25 customer reviews.
     Based on a 100% review scale, the 25 customer reviews for this version of Rock Band 3 are equivalent to a 72% review score average.
  
     The Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard bundle has what appears to be a 5 out of 5 Stars rating, based on just 8 customer reviews.
     Based on a 100% review scale, this Rock Band 3 bundle's review score comes out to a 97.50% based on the 8 customer reviews.
     You can see the customer review score breakdowns for both versions in the image below:

Click to enlarge

     (Review score averages recorded around 12:45AM on 1-12-11.)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I played Rock Band 3 briefly on New Year's Eve this last year, but nobody that I was playing with actually used the wireless keyboard controller, even though it was available.  We all just stuck with the guitar, bass, drums, and the vocals.
  
     I showed data for The Beatles: Rock Band's game-play hours as reported just 48 days after it released in 2009. The Beatles: Rock Band had 91,455 Total Hours of game-play reported in just 48 days.  Rock Band 3's game-play hours, as shown in this report, have taken 77 days after release to debut; and Rock Band 3 has 36,424 fewer "Total Hours" reported, compared to The Beatles: Rock Band's hours at just 48 days after release.
     In short, Rock Band 3 took 77 days from its release for game-play hours to debut on the Nintendo Channel, compared to fewer than 50 days for The Beatles: Rock Band's game-play hours to debut.

     On reviews, I think it's interesting looking at the Rock Band 3 customer reviews, and seeing how people that purchased the Wireless Keyboard Bundle rated the game higher overall, compared to the people that purchased just the standalone software version.
     In regards to sales of the game, I remember reading throughout the last year how sales for music games like the Rock Band series had slumped, compared to previous releases.  I think that the current reported game-play data for Rock Band 3, probably helps to confirm those reports even more.  I don't know if the slumping sales will result in a "restructuring" of the way music games are released, or if companies will just continue with yearly sequels.

     Even though the game-play hours for Rock Band 3 took longer than I expected to debut, and even though sales apparently weren't very well for Rock Band 3 compared to past games in the series, I was actually glad to see the developers attempt something new, by introducing the wireless keyboard.
     Hopefully the sales can continue at a steady pace for Rock Band 3, and the developers will be encouraged to try new ideas in future games as well.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Rock Band 3, with the wireless keyboard controller?  If so, do you think the wireless keyboard controller helps to add a lot to the game-play, and replay value of the game?
     If you haven't played Rock Band 3, but you enjoy the music game genre, what is your favorite game in the genre?

If you are interested in Rock Band 3, you can click on the links to different versions of the game on Amazon.com below:

 

Do You Feel the Burn! Wii Fit's & Wii Fit Plus' Hours Played

Coffee Beans:
     Did you know between 40-45%(according to this source) of Americans make New Year's resolutions each year?  I made one this year!
     Of the Americans that do make a New Year's resolution 46% or 62%(according this source) make a resolution to either lose weight or exercise more, respectively.
    Considering that information, I thought it would be a good time to look at two Wii games that were designed to help get players more "fit" and even lose weight if that's a goal:  Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus.

     Wii Fit was released on May 21, 2008 and was available for purchase only with Nintendo's Wii Balance Board.  The game and Balance Board released with a MSRP of $89.99.
     Wii Fit received an "E" rating from the ESRB, with "Comic Mischief" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

     Wii Fit Plus was released on October 4, 2009, as a "sequel" of sorts to the original Wii Fit.  Wii Fit Plus was released as standalone software with a MSRP of $19.99, and Wii Fit Plus was bundled with the Balance Board with a MSRP of $99.99.
     Wii Fit Plus received an "E" rating from the ESRB, with "Mild Cartoon Violence" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported "getting fit" with Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus since they released?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.
Wii Fit has 958 days of game-play hours reported.
Wii Fit Plus has 457 days of game-play hours reported.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Wii Fit now has 1,198,546 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel.
     Wii Fit Plus now has 425,949 Wii owners reporting their play-time data through the Nintendo Channel.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Wii Fit has 27,642,143 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 23 Hours 3 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Wii Fit's average reported play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 6 Minutes.

     Wii Fit Plus has 9,574,694 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 22 Hours 28 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Wii Fit Plus' average reported play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 13 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Wii Fit's Amazon.com sale rank is #886, and its advertised selling price is $113.47.

     Wii Fit Plus' software only Amazon.com sale rank is #99, and its advertised selling price is $18.47.
     The Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board bundle's Amazon.com sale rank is #3, and its advertised selling price is $79.96.

    Wii Fit is no longer being published by Nintendo, so it's sale rank will naturally be lower than Wii Fit Plus'.
     Sale ranks and advertised prices recorded around 10:35PM on 1-7-11. 

Review Score Averages:
     Wii Fit's review score average is 81.20%, based on 56 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Wii Fit Plus' review score average is 80.83%, based on 18 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Wii Fit has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 1,594 customer reviews.
     Wii Fit Plus has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 1,086 customer reviews between both versions offered for the game.
     Take a look at the crazy number of customer reviews for both games in image below!

Click to enlarge!

     Review scores recorded around 10:35PM on 1-7-11.

Filtered Thoughts:

     We own Wii Fit, but we haven't played it in a long time.

     While we haven't played ours in a while, I think it's pretty impressive that the 1,624,495 Wii owners reporting data between both games, have a combined 37,216,837 "Total Hours" reported. 

     The combined reported game-play hours for Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus are equivalent to 4,245(rounded down) years spent getting fit!

     I would say the reported average hours "Per person" aren't extremely high, but I think they are encouraging for fitness games.

Questions:
     Did any of you make a New Year's resolution to exercise more, or lose weight, and plan to use a video game to help you do it?
     If any of you own Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus, do you find yourself or other family members still playing it often?

If you are interested in Wii Fit Plus, I'm providing a link to Wii Fit Plus' software and Balance Board on Amazon.com below.
    

Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition - Debut Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition was released on December 12, 2010 in North America with a MSRP of $29.99.  Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition was published by Nintendo, and was a "reissue" of Super Mario All-Stars from 1993 for the SNES.
     The game contains four classic Mario Bros. games on one Wii disc:  Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3.
     The "Limited Edition" also includes a Super Mario History CD soundtrack with various Mario themes and sound effects from Mario games, and the "Limited Edition" contains a 32-page Super Mario History booklet, that features "interviews, behind-the-scenes details, and rare concept art."
     Super Mario All-Stars received an "E" rating from the ESRB, and there isn't any "Content" listed for parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported playing Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, in the 23 days since it released?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Super Mario All-Stars has 16,741 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Wii's Nintendo Channel, for its "hours" debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition has 60,951 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average of 3 Hours 38 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Super Mario All-Stars' average reported play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 19 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition's Amazon.com sale rank is #86, and it is currently selling for $68.00.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 11:15PM on 1-3-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Super Mario All-Stars' review score average is 70.46%, based on 13 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Super Mario All-Stars has a 3 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 84 customer reviews.
     You can see the customer review score breakdown for it pictured below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:15PM on 1-3-2011)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I didn't purchase Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, but based on the prices it's now selling for on Amazon.com, perhaps I should have picked it up when it was only $29.99!  There are a few vendors currently on Amazon that have the game priced at more than $100!
     I was surprised that Super Mario All-Stars took more than 2-weeks for its game-play hours to show up on the Nintendo Channel, but considering the shorter length of the Mario games on the disc it makes sense.
     Also, the gamers that purchased or received it as a gift, may have had a crazy busy December like I did, and didn't find much time to play it until after the holidays.
     I'll continue to record the game's data, and I think it'll be interesting to see what the average hours "Per person" are for Super Mario All-Stars in a few months.

Questions:
     Did any of you purchase or receive Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition?  If so, what do you think of the package as a whole, with the soundtrack CD and 32-page booklet?  Was the collection and disc worth the $29.99, and could you justify purchasing it for a lot more, like the prices on Amazon.com?


If you are interested and want to see how much vendors are selling the game for on Amazon.com, you can see them linked below:
  

Metroid Prime Trilogy - Not Published, But Played?

Quick Brew Info:
     Metroid Prime Trilogy was released in North America on the Wii, on August 24, 2009.  It was developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo, and released with a MSRP of $49.99.
     The play-time data shown below was collected 372 days after Metroid Prime Trilogy released in North America; or 1 year, 7 days.

Click image to enlarge

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Metroid Prime Trilogy has 56,120 players reporting their play-time data, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Average Play-Times:
     Metroid Prime Trilogy's "per person" average hours of play reported are 29 Hours 41 Minutes, over just 13 play sessions.  The average play session, for each person reporting play-time data on Metroid Prime Trilogy, is about 2 Hours 15 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Metroid Prime Trilogy's Amazon.com sale rank was #383, with a listed "new" price of $69.98 from a third party vendor.
     As I reported back in January, I believe that Metroid Prime Trilogy is still no longer being published, as I was told by two Nintendo employees.

Review Score Averages:
     As the image above shows, Metroid Prime Trilogy has a 92.27% review score average, based on 33 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     On Amazon.com, Metroid Prime Trilogy has what appears to be a 5 out of 5 Star rating, based on 75 customer reviews.

Actual average would be about a 9.5 out of 10

Thoughts:
     I purchased Metroid Prime Trilogy back in December, when Best Buy put the game(or games?) on sale for $20.  I JUST opened the game case last week, but the disc still hasn't made it into my Wii yet.

     I still find it strange that Nintendo of America hasn't commented on the publishing status of Metroid Prime Trilogy, or even Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, since January of this year.  I would think with Metroid: Other M just releasing, having Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, or even Metroid Prime Trilogy available in some fashion would encourage sales of those games.

     Here is the complete trailer for Metroid Prime Trilogy:


Questions:
     Did anybody run out and purchase Metroid Prime Trilogy back in January when the news broke about the game not being published anymore?  If you didn't get a copy then, have you tried to find a copy recently and had trouble finding one?

If anybody is interested in Metroid Prime Trilogy, you can see new and used prices on Amazon.com below:

How many Wii owners have played Super Metroid? Data report

Quick Brew Info:
Super Metroid, the sequel to Metroid II: Return of Samus, was originally released on the SNES in North America on April 18, 1994.  It was also released in Japan and Europe the same year.

Super Metroid was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in North America on August 20, 2007, and is available for download off the Wii's Shop Channel for 800 Wii Points.

The data pictured below was collected about 1,107 days, after Super Metroid was re-released.

Click image to enlarge

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
Super Metroid has 102,756 players reporting play-time data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Sales Info:
Nintendo has made approximately $822,048 from Super Metroid being on the Virtual Console, just in North America.  As the image above shows, Super Metroid was at the #12 spot, on the Virtual Console's "Top 20 - Most Popular" games, when I checked tonight.

Thoughts:
Like Metroid, it has been years since I have played Super Metroid.  While the "informational" video for Metroid showed a little action, the "informational" video for Super Metroid on the Nintendo Channel is pretty bare of any action, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me:


Looking at the sales data for Super Metroid and Metroid, on the Virtual Console, makes me wonder how much the games have made world-wide.

Just in North America alone, Nintendo has made about $1,172,273 off of Metroid and Super Metroid on the Virtual Console.  I wonder if the total world-wide Virtual Console sales of the Metroid games were enough to fund the entire development of Metroid: Other M?

Questions:
I know WesFX, Brad, and The Dread Pirate Guy commented on my "Are Wii Owners Playing the Original Metroid?" post.  Has anybody gone back and played Super Metroid recently, because of Metroid: Other M's release today?

If you are interested in downloading Super Metroid off the Virtual Console, you can use a credit card directly on the Shop Channel, or purchase a Nintendo Wii/DSi Points Card:















Also, credit for the Metroid in the chart goes to GamesWeLike.com, from a Google Images search.

Something Is Burning - Real Heroes: Firefighter Play-Time Data

Something is burning, and it's not my coffee!

Quick Brew Info:
     Real Heroes: Firefighter was released on the Nintendo Wii on August 4, 2009(August 11 according to a few sources).  Real Heroes: Firefighter released with a MSRP of $29.99.

     It took 371 days for Real Heroes: Firefighter's play-time data to debut on the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

(Click image to enlarge)

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Real Heroes: Firefighter has 6,040 players reporting their play-time data, for its debut on the Nintendo Channel.

"Total" Game-Play & Average Hours Played Reported:
     Real Heroes: Firefighter has 50,506 Total Hours for its debut, and 8 Hours 22 Minutes play-time per person/console.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Real Heroes: Firefighter's Amazon.com sale rank is #1,548 and is selling for $17.96.
As I stated in the "Quick Brew Info" section, the game released with a MSRP of just $29.99, but now has a "List Price" of only $19.99.

Review Score Averages:
     Real Heroes: Firefighter's review score average is 70.29%, based on 17 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

     On Amazon.com, Real Heroes: Firefighter has a 4.5 out of 5 Star customer rating.  The 4.5 out of 5 Star customer rating would put the game at a 90% review score average; nearly 20% points higher than the "professional" review score average.
     Out of 26 customer reviews for the game, twenty-five reviews were rated either 4 or 5 stars.  There was only one customer rating of "1 star", but when I read it, it was clear the low score was not for the game itself, but with an issue of receiving a version that would not play on their Wii (PAL vs. NTSC).

Thoughts:

     I have not played Real Heroes: Firefighter, but I am interested in the game.  I like the idea behind it, and think that there is potential for a franchise with it.

     I am surprised the game has taken a year for any play-time data to show up on the Nintendo Channel, as I thought the lower MSRP of $29.99 initially, would have helped with sales.  Perhaps the game didn't ship a large number of units initially, and it's just been a really "slow burn" title on the Wii?

Questions:

     Has anybody played Real Heroes: Firefighter?  If so, what are you thoughts on the game?  Is it something you would recommend to other Wii owners that enjoy the FPS genre, and are perhaps looking for something a little different?

If anybody is interested in Real Heroes: Firefighters, you can see new and used prices on Amazon.com linked below:

This City Is Busy - Animal Crossing: City Folk

Quick Brew Info:
     Animal Crossing: City Folk released on the Nintendo Wii on November 16, 2008.  It was the third game in the Animal Crossing game series, with a previous Animal Crossing game released on the GameCube(originally on the N64 in Japan and ported to the GameCube) and Animal Crossing: Wild World was released on the Nintendo DS.
     Animal Crossing: City Folk was released in two versions:  a software version only with a MSRP of $49.99, and a bundle with the Wii Speak accessory with a MSRP of $69.99.  It was the first Wii game to make use of and released with the Wii Speak accessory.

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Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
Animal Crossing: City Folk has 301,270 players reporting their play-time data, on the Nintendo Channel.

"Total" Game-Play & Average Hours Played Reported:
Animal Crossing: City Folk has 21,843,203 Total Hours reported, with an average play-time of 72 Hrs. 31 Min. per person/console reporting data.

Amazon.com Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
Animal Crossing: City Folk's Amazon.com sale rank is #380 and the current selling price is $49.95.

Review Score Averages:
Animal Crossing: City Folk's review score average is 73.48%, based on 46 reviews on GameRankings.com.
The review score average for Animal Crossing: City Folk is about 13% points lower than review score averages for the GameCube and Nintendo DS versions of Animal Crossing.

On Amazon.com, Animal Crossing: City Folk has what appears to be a 4 out of 5 Star rating, based on 178 customer reviews.  The 4 out of 5 Star rating would put the game at about an 80% based on customer reviews, so the customer review score average is slightly higher than the "professional" reviews for the game.

Thoughts:
Last year, I was excited about The Conduit releasing for the Wii and I wanted to have the Wii Speak accessory for The Conduit when it released.
At the end of March(2009), Amazon.com put the Animal Crossing: City Folk and Wii Speak Microphone Bundle on sale, and I decided to purchase it.
I thought that I could use Wii Speak for The Conduit, and if I did not like/play Animal Crossing, I could trade it in.

When I purchased Animal Crossing: City Folk, I was not really sure what to expect from the game, but soon found myself, and my wife, playing the game daily.

Well, 15 months later, I still own Animal Crossing: City Folk and Wii Speak, but traded off The Conduit in October of last year...strange how things work-out sometimes.
My wife is still playing Animal Crossing: City Folk, trying to complete the fossil collection(she just received a fountain for our town on Satuday, July 31)!

With my play-time and Mrs. CwG's combined, Animal Crossing: City Folk is the most played Wii game on our Wii console.


If you have played the game, you may be wondering if I ever visited Brewster.  I did visit Brewster quite often when I played the game on a more regular basis, and my wife was just in his shop tonight listening to K.K. Slider's songs.

*Quick update:  I also find it interesting that Animal Crossing: City Folk is currently the second most played Nintendo Wii game based on the average hours per person/console reporting play-time data.

Questions:
Have you played Animal Crossing: City Folk on the Wii?  If so, do you find yourself still playing it?
If you haven't played Animal Crossing: City Folk on the Wii, have you played the Nintendo DS or the GameCube versions?


If you are interested in Animal Crossing: City Folk, you can see new and used prices on Amazon.com below:
  

Monster Hunter Tri's Great Baggi: Frozen in Time (Data)

Quick Brew Info:
With this week's data, I am including a video of a Great Baggi hunt, that I went on with a blog reader many of you have probably seen comment on stories here on the site.
The reader in the video is Chuckpebble, and his hunter's name is Krystle.  We have only hunted one night together in Monster Hunter 3, but I was able to capture a few of the hunts from that night.
The hunt shows us trying to capture a Great Baggi.
Did we capture the Great Baggi, or was its harsh freezing home in the Tundra; too much for us to bare?

(click image to enlarge)

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data & Increased:
Monster Hunter Tri now has 31,941 players reporting their play-time data on the Nintendo Channel, and has increased by 1,647 more players reporting data since the report last week.

"Total" Game-Play Hours Reported/Increased:
Monster Hunter 3 has 2,113,104 Total Hours reported, an increase of 193,672 hours since last week's data.

Amazon.com Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
Monster Hunter Tri/3's Amazon.com sale rank is #268 and the current selling price is $39.99.

Review Score Average:
Monster Hunter Tri's review score average has not changed since I reported the data on June 22.
The game still has a review score average of 85.00%, based on 46 reviews.

Thoughts:
I have been slacking in my monster hunting these past 2-weeks, but I think the data shows that the other monster hunters have been picking up my slack.
Monster Hunter Tri increased by almost 3 whole hours averaged, "Per person", in game-play from last week to this week.
Last week it was at 63 Hrs 23 Min., and this week it has an average of 66 Hrs 9 Min.

Here is the video of the Great Baggi hunt with Chuckpebble, aka Krystle, as well as another monster hunter named Carlos:


If Chuckpebble is reading this, thanks for the fun hunts that night.  Hopefully we can hunt some more soon!


Questions:
If you are playing Monster Hunter Tri still, what is your Hunter Rank now?
Sadly :(, my HR is only 15.  Hopefully that will change in the coming days!

If you are interested in Monster Hunter Tri, Amazon.com currently has the game on sale for $39.99 new.  You can also see used prices on Amazon.com below as well!

Red Steel 2 Price Drop & Data

Quick Brew Info:
Red Steel 2 was released on the Nintendo Wii on March 23, 2010.
It has been 126 days since Red Steel 2's release, and the play-time data below reflects the number of hours reported by Wii owners since the game released.

When Red Steel 2 was released, there were two versions of the game available for purchase: the Red Steel 2 software only version for $49.99, or Red Steel w/ Wii MotionPlus for $59.99.
Well, it now looks like there will be only one version of Red Steel 2 available for purchase, and it appears to now have a new MSRP/list price.
Let's take a look at play-time data and the new list price...

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Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data & Increase:
Red Steel 2 has 18,590 players reporting play-time, an increase of 2,766 more players reporting play-time data than from the July 5 data.

Game-Play Hours Reported/Increased:
Red Steel 2 now has 175,777 Total Hours reported, an increase of 29,012 hours since the July 5 data.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price(and price drop):
Red Steel 2's Amazon.com sale rank is #563 and the current selling price is $36.99.
Red Steel 2's new MSRP, or "List" price, is now $39.99 for the game only.
It appears the Red Steel 2 w/ Wii MotionPlus bundle will no longer be carried once the supply runs out, and it has been discounted to $49.99 now.
If you want to skip straight to them, the links for both the software only and WM+ are:
Red Steel 2
Red Steel 2 w/ MotionPlus

Review Score Averages:
Red Steel 2's current GameRankings.com review score average is 80.85%, based on 46 site reviews.
Red Steel 2's review score average has slightly decreased from the July 5 average of 81.09%, when it had 45 reviews.

On Amazon.com, Red Steel 2 has what appears to be a 4.5 out of 5 Star rating; that would put the game at about a 90%, based on 29 customer reviews.

Thoughts:
I still have not played Red Steel 2(due to monsters).
I think the game-play data for Red Steel 2 is pretty encouraging though, especially when considering it is a Wii FPS that does not have online play.

I do find the price drop to $39.99 interesting, as most Wii games seem to drop from a MSRP of $49.99, down to $29.99.

If you missed it under the "Sale Rank & Advertised Price" section, it appears that the Red Steel 2 w/ Wii MotionPlus bundle won't be carried by retailers anymore, once the supply is out, but you can find it for $49.99 now.

Questions:
If you played Red Steel 2, would you recommend the game at its new price of $39.99 to Wii owners that own a WM+ accessory already?
Also, the average play-time for Red Steel 2 has been right between the 9-10 hour mark; if you played the game, did you find yourself going back to play it again after you beat it?  Or, was one play-through enough for you?

If you are like myself and have not played Red Steel 2, but are interested; you can see new & used prices for it on Amazon.com below: