Nintendo is the big winner in 2007 and its sales of consoles and games has led video game sales in Japan to hit a new record high.

According to research by Enterbrain, which publishes game magazines, they found that hardware and software gaming sales in Japan totaled 687.76 billion yen (US$6.3 billion) in 2007, up 10 percent from the previous year.

The top-selling machine in Japan was the Nintendo DS portable machine, with 7.1 million units sold last year. Since going on sale in 2004, sales of the Nintendo DS have totaled 21 million in Japan.

The No. 2 selling machine here in 2007 was also from Nintendo, the Wii, which has been a sellout around the world since arriving at stores in late 2006. In Japan, 3.6 million Wiis were sold last year, for a cumulative 4.6 million.

Offerings from rival Sony did not fare as well — at 3 million for the PlayStation Portable and 1.2 million for the PlayStation 3 in 2007. Only 257,800 of Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox360 machines were sold in Japan last year.

Ranking No. 1 in game software was “Wii Sports,” which has players using the wandlike remote to play virtual tennis, boxing and other sports, at 1.9 million sold last year in Japan.

Seems like I ought to go get myself a Nintendo Wii as well. But I’m pretty sure when Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out in the second quarter in 2008, its going to push up sales of PS3 significantly. I”m personally planning to buy a PS3 just for MGS4.