Topic: Nintendo DS Worldwide Sales Nearing 13 Million

[NWR_Lindy]

Nintendo of Europe adds their sales totals to the impressive American and Japanese tallies.

NINTENDO EUROPE TAKES THE NEW YEAR BY STORM WITH OUTSTANDING HAND-HELD SUCCESS

- 3.5 million Nintendo DS units sold across Europe -    

5th January 2006 - Without a doubt 2005 was the year of the handheld console.    With the highly successful launch of the Nintendo DS and the continued success   of Game Boy Advance SP Nintendo has dominated the handheld market.  Following   Nintendo DS's launch in Europe in March, almost three and a half million   Nintendo DS have been sold.

   

Worldwide sales have shown a similar pattern with millions turning to Nintendo   for their portable gaming.  Approximately 13 million* Nintendo DS are now in   the hands of people all around the world.

   

In Europe sales of Nintendo DS have been significantly bolstered by the launch   of ground breaking games such as Nintendogs, which sold 1.6 million copies in   Europe since launch in October and Mario Kart DS which stormed the Christmas   charts with its global Wi-Fi capabilities, selling 800,000 copies in Europe   since its late November launch.

   

Game Boy Advance has once again continued to sell well throughout the year   with Pokemon continuing to go from strength to strength, sales of the latest   game Pokemon Emerald reaching a staggering 1.2 million since it launched in   October 2005.

   

European gamers have a lot to look forward to in 2006, with the launch of   Prof. Kawashima's Brain Training: How old is your brain? and Animal Crossing:   Wild World, both of which have been a huge success in Japan, selling over one   million each, and are launching soon in Europe.

   

The Nintendo DS is available for around 129 Euros.  Mario Kart DS and   Nintendogs are now available for around 40 Euros and both games are also   available in bundle packs (including a copy of the game and a Nintendo DS),   available for around 149 Euros.

   

* Combined sell-thru numbers in Japan, US, Latin America, Australia and other   territories

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

BANZAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

[BiLdItUp1]

I'm curious...aren't there more people in Europe(some 450 million vs. ~300 million) than there are in America? If so, should the market be bigger? If not, why not?

Do we have a country-by-country breakdown of DS sales?

[Infernal Monkey]

Well I guess this confirms DS' certain doom. =(

[KDR_11k]

BildItUp: Less disposable income or higher prices (console game prices are awfully high) or just less interest in technology. Besides, the DS came out half a year later in Europe.

[Mario]

Europe has never been a big territory for Nintendo, but with Nintendogs selling more there than anywhere else, it seems maybe that was because Nintendo weren't offering them the right type of games.

[couchmonkey]

Looks like Nintendo's non-gamer strategy has potential after all.  Of course, there's no proof here that non-gamers are the ones buying the system, but Nintendogs doesn't exactly scream "killer app" for hardcore gamers.

[cubist]

...and yet I've always thought of Nintendogs to be the killer app for DS since I first saw it presented...especially the E3 presentation by the Big 'N.  Imagine what happens in Europe if word spreads about 'Electroplankton'.  The Big N should definitely market this one over there...all my European cousins would go crazy over that shiznit over the American crowd.

[NWR_Lindy]

Hmm, let's do some math...

DS's American release was Nov. 21, 2004.  As of the end of Dec. 2005, it has been out in the U.S. for 13.5 months.

4,000,000/13.5 = 296,296 sold per month

DS's European release was Mar. 11, 2005.  As of the end of Dec. 2005, it has been out in Europe for 9.5 months.

3,500,000/9.5 = 368,421 sold per month

So the DS is selling at a faster rate in Europe (+75,000 per month) than in the US...you'd think that Nintendo would make Europe more of a priority than it has been in the past.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

You'd think.

But this is Nintendo, so all attempts at figuring out what's best for them via forum discussion doesn't affect them at all.

This news will simply help them push whatever new Sonic title comes out over there.  GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LOGIC!!

[Guitar Smasher]

Quote
Originally posted by: Silks
Hmm, let's do some math...

DS's American release was Nov. 21, 2004.  As of the end of Dec. 2005, it has been out in the U.S. for 13.5 months.

4,000,000/13.5 = 296,296 sold per month

DS's European release was Mar. 11, 2005.  As of the end of Dec. 2005, it has been out in Europe for 9.5 months.

3,500,000/9.5 = 368,421 sold per month

So the DS is selling at a faster rate in Europe (+75,000 per month) than in the US...you'd think that Nintendo would make Europe more of a priority than it has been in the past.

That's assuming sales/month is constant, which it most certainly is not.  It'd make more sense for you to compare 6 non-launch/non-holiday months and compare.  In the case of NA's months, they should be early ones, as sales are influenced by the products prior availability.

[Mario323]

I bet the PSP didn't even sell half that much.