Boom Blox failed the midterm, but it just might pass the final.

Sales tracking Web site VGChartz is reporting Boom Blox, Electronic Arts’ critically acclaimed Wii exclusive, has sold approximately 250K copies worldwide in its first two months on store shelves.

The figures also suggest Boom Blox may have long legs at retail. It has sold no less than 11,000 copies each week in North America, a clear indication of David’s influence on the general populous.

Boom Blox’s steady eight-week worldwide figures are shown above relative to those of Zack and Wiki and Carnival Games, the minigame collection that eventually slow-cooked 1.7 million sales worldwide.

Boom Blox was released in North America and Europe this May. It is scheduled to hit Japanese shores July 17.

Forgive me a moment for being so pompous, and for the unabashedly bombastic headline. I’m in full fanman mode this week, and I smell blood.

First, as the link demonstrates, it was in defense of the beleaguered, but soon to be wildly successful, Boom Blox. Now, it’s with a follow-up: an accurate real-world depiction of just how powerful Nintendo’s slow cooker game strategy is, and what it will mean for 3rd party developers in the future. In short, it means tons of cash.

Anyway, to understand the future of gaming, you have to look to the past. But enough preaching. The power of the Long Tail and a snapshot of the future lies after the break. Here’s a hint: 25 out of 30.

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I’m reading a really good book right now, called Predictably Irrational. The first chapter is about how we humans tend to assign “anchors” to things, like price, and how we start to base future decisions off of our first impressions, even if at second glance those decisions start to look pretty stupid (I should probably dust off my copy of Strunk and White, too, after re-reading that double negative headline).

After reading analyst Evan “ZOMG the sky is falling” Wilson’s NPD analysis this morning, I’m beginning to understand this irrational “Wii bubble is about to burst” mentality that still grips the entire industry, even today. The only test that was failed this week was the one Wilson took when he wrote that research note.

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With his celestial voice, Freddy Mercury once belted the words, “Another one bites the dust.”

Nearly three decades later, the meaning of the prophetic lyric is clear. The latest NPD sales figures show Boom Blox, EA’s critically acclaimed collaboration with filmmaker Steven Spielberg, sold a paltry 60,000 copies in May.

As with Zack & Wiki, No More Heroes and Okami, it is disappointing to see quality third-party Wii efforts tank in the market. According to analyst firm Pacific Crest Securities’ Evan Wilson, Boom Blox’s failure is also indicative of a long-term trend for third-parties on Wii.

“Boom Blox was a true test of the potential for third-party success on Nintendo Wii. It appears that success on the Wii will remain difficult to achieve,” said Wilson during his NPD analysis for this month.

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Before a single Wii had been sold, gamers already knew what they had to look forward to. Even months prior to their first enthusiastic Wii remote waggle, in fact, people were drooling over games like Wii Sports, Red Steel and Twilight Princess.

Essentially, that feeling of assured anticipation has remained since. Facing the unknown is something Wii enthusiasts have yet to experience, really; major Wii games have come and gone, but there have always been confirmed new ones to look forward to.

Until now, that is. Sure, there have been some exciting rumors that refuse to go away, as well as a few minor game announcements. But for the most part, Nintendo’s plans for the industry’s blockbuster-filled autumn and winter months are a complete mystery.

It would be foolish to think Nintendo does not have some major announcements in store, and with E3 only two months away, it won’t be long before Nintendo fans have more premier titles to look forward to. Fortunately for Wii owners, the eight weeks leading to E3 should be quick and painless; 2008 has already been kind, and there are several awesome new Wii titles already sitting on store shelves.

So do yourself a favor; before E3 and the insanity that will ensue, give some of these great Wii games a shot before you start getting hyped for new ones like Kid Icarus Wii and forget about them.

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I realize this recommendation may fall on deaf ears — Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto IV are already sucking up gamers’ attention, and The World Ends With You and WiiWare most likely will be soon. Okami is equally phenomenal I’m told.

But you’d be doing yourself a disservice as a lover of single player addictive gameplay to overloook Boom Blox. Don’t just put it at the top of your to-play list — get it now! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it over the past week, even more than Kart.