Last week retailers reported record sales as the holiday shopping season officially kicked off with Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that marks the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Ubisoft set new records last week for its Just Dance franchise, the world’s No. 1 video game dance brand. From November 20-26 Just Dance 3 on the Wii system from Nintendo and Kinect for Xbox 360 sold thru more than 700,000 copies in the United States, based on internal estimates. Just Dance 3 on the Nintendo Wii system has sold approximately 48 percent more than what Just Dance 2 sold on the Wii year over year to date in the U.S.

According to the most recent NPD report from November 11, 2011, Ubisoft has a 76 percent market share among dance games so far for calendar year 2011.Ubisoft’s dance games that includes Just Dance 3, Just Dance 2, Just Dance, Just Dance Summer Party, Just Dance Kids 2, Just Dance Kids, The Black Eyed Peas Experience, and ABBA You Can Dance, have sold a combined total of more than one million copies in the United States from November 20-26, according to internal estimates.

“Last week was an excellent start to the holiday shopping season for Ubisoft’s dance games,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “The popularity of Ubisoft’s dance games continues to gain momentum as these games appeal to a wide variety of consumers because they are fun to play alone or with friends and family. Ubisoft is looking forward to its final dance game release of the calendar year with Just Dance 3 on the PlayStation Move, which releases next week on Tuesday, December 6th.”