Sales of 'disruptive' game consoles and software have apparently saved in North America, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research's Jesse Divnich stating that were it not for Nintendo related then gaming would be feeling the full brunt of the economic downturn.

3.2 million systems were sold stateside over Christmas, with 3 million handheld's also flying off the shelves.

"Without these sales, the would have likely felt the full wrath of the - much like other industries closely linked to gaming," says Divnich.

"We believe the simple to use design, cheaper and wider variety of software titles, and the already ‘hot effect’ in place on both systems, all played a role in driving both the Wii and the DS to the top of their segments. Simply put, Nintendo saved Christmas."

Source: GI.biz

By Luke Guttridge