WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 Hits Sales Milestone, Delivers Wii Intrigue

A most interesting thing has happened this week: THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 has become a best-seller. That in itself isn’t amazing; in fact, it’s practically expected. But there’s more to the story.

Via GoNintendo, here is the company’s press release:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – August 3, 2010 – THQ Inc. today announced that WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010, the latest edition to the renowned fighting videogame franchise, has achieved “Greatest Hits” status in North America for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, as well as joined Nintendo’s “Player’s Choice” collection in North America for the Wii™ video game system.

Now hold it right there. Notice anything?

…as well as joined Nintendo’s “Player’s Choice” collection in North America for the Wii™ video game system.

Now think for a moment: as well as the Wii and many games for it have been selling, when was the last time you saw a Player’s Choice title for the system (or the DS, for that matter)? That’s right: never.

So that leaves the question: did the writer of this press release make a slip-up, or is Nintendo reimplementing its value game program at long last? Either way, it makes no difference for this title, at least:

Featuring extensive creative and online freedom, notable gameplay improvements and an impressive talent roster of more than 60 playable WWE Superstars and WWE Divas, all versions of the videogame originally launched on October 20, 2009 and are now available for the suggested retail price of $29.99 for the PlayStation 3 system and $19.99 for the PlayStation 2 system, PSP system and Wii.

Indeed, whether or not Player’s Choice has returned, you can at least snatch the 2010 WWE game for a pretty good price before the 2011 version hits. On a personal note, $19.99 is a great price for the game, so long as you’re not hung up on things such as online gameplay, or high-definition graphics.

On with the rest of the release:

“Reaching ‘Greatest Hits’ and ‘Player’s Choice’ status is an honor that speaks to the tremendous support of our fan base throughout North America and around the world,” said Cory Ledesma, Creative Director, THQ. “With a reduced price point, more players can enter the virtual ring and experience WWE like never before.”

Indeed they can, though curiously, they make no mention of the Xbox 360 version here, nor the DS version of the title. Perhaps they simply did not sell enough?