Nintendo Wii has a strong grip over the US female gaming market

According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, out of 11.7 female gamers in the US, 9.36 million own Wii while 1.29 million and 1.05 million own Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 respectively.

In other words, Wii accounts for 80 percent of the market segment while Microsoft and Sony account for only 11 percent and 9 percent respectively.

"This didn't happen by accident," Fils-Aime said. "It's the result of a deliberate attempt to expand the market."

Though Nintendo has acknowledged that the number of female gamers is "by far lower than the amount of men (33.3 million) who play console games" and though its study covers neither gamers who prefer handheld consoles nor PC gamers, yet it underscores the immense success of Wii.

Launched in 2006, Wii has sold over 56 million units till date, thanks to a slew of blockbuster video game titles such as Super Mario Bros., Wii Fit, The Legend of Zelda, Call of Duty and Metroid.

Vis-a-vis rival game consoles, Wii, which uses a motion-sensing controller system, has proved particularly popular with families and is a hit in the "casual" gaming market due to its "small and light" form factor and ease of use and the latest study is sure to give the company a boost ahead of the holiday season.