DS continues Japan platform dominance

[Shrygue]

via Games Industry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=32007)


The Nintendo DS capped an excellent year in Japan with a strong flourish in the last two weeks of 2007, with sales of the hardware falling just shy of 500,000 units.

That compares, according to the latest data from Media Create, with the Wii which sold 385,000 and the PlayStation Portable which sold 332,000 in the same time frame.

While sales overall slowed from the previous week, the week ending December 30 still saw above average sales of consoles, with the PlayStation 3 now firmly outselling the PlayStation 2 - albeit with numbers around a third that of the Wii.

The Xbox 360 continued to lag far behind its rivals, despite picking up moderately in recent months, and broke the 500,000 units barrier right at the end of 2007.

Hardware sales for the week ending December 30 are as follows:

1. Nintendo DS: 218,894
2. PlayStation Portable: 161,370
3. Nintendo Wii: 152,209
4. PlayStation 3: 52,706
5. PlayStation 2: 25,569
6. Xbox 360: 8,304

[F9zDark]

Are these people using the DS to wipe their ass? Has there been a week when the DS hasn't sold 100,000 units?

[Veskgar]

Are these people using the DS to wipe their ass? Has there been a week when the DS hasn't sold 100,000 units?

Yeah, its really amazing the success of the DS Lite. In Japan especially. You know though, every time I try to get into my DS Lite I quickly start to miss my Slim PSP. No matter how hard I try and what great games I play on the DS Lite, it still could never sway my opinion that the Slim & Lite PSP is a better platform.

My best educated guess is that gaming, especially casual pick-up-and-play type gaming is more widely adopted by the elderly and parents in Japan. And the DS is far less intimidating than the PSP.

The DS is going on its 4th year come this November and it hasn't changed much. No new features making it constantly grow and evolve like you see with PSP firmware updates. But that could also be an impressive fact. The DS Lite has continued success without firmware updates or extra features added.

Its really great to see the PSP start to be so successful. But with games like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2, Final Fantasy IV, etc. on the way for the DS Lite, the DS will continue to remain very popular.

All in all though I think the PSP, like the PS3 over the Wii has the longest staying power and 'potential' lifespan. Nintendo will at some point in the near future have to design and improved version of the DS capable of more technologically impressive games. But in order for them to convince consumers to switch it will have to be backwards compatible with the current DS carts. I'd suggest that they get rid of the GBA cartridge slot to achieve that.

Needless to say, I happen to prefer the PSP and the commercial game lineup for it.

[JKKDARK]

Damn, the Wii didn't do well that week, because PSP sold more :mad:

[sappo]

Yeah, its really amazing the success of the DS Lite. In Japan especially. You know though, every time I try to get into my DS Lite I quickly start to miss my Slim PSP. No matter how hard I try and what great games I play on the DS Lite, it still could never sway my opinion that the Slim & Lite PSP is a better platform.

My best educated guess is that gaming, especially casual pick-up-and-play type gaming is more widely adopted by the elderly and parents in Japan. And the DS is far less intimidating than the PSP.

The DS is going on its 4th year come this November and it hasn't changed much. No new features making it constantly grow and evolve like you see with PSP firmware updates. But that could also be an impressive fact. The DS Lite has continued success without firmware updates or extra features added.

Its really great to see the PSP start to be so successful. But with games like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2, Final Fantasy IV, etc. on the way for the DS Lite, the DS will continue to remain very popular.

All in all though I think the PSP, like the PS3 over the Wii has the longest staying power and 'potential' lifespan. Nintendo will at some point in the near future have to design and improved version of the DS capable of more technologically impressive games. But in order for them to convince consumers to switch it will have to be backwards compatible with the current DS carts. I'd suggest that they get rid of the GBA cartridge slot to achieve that.

Needless to say, I happen to prefer the PSP and the commercial game lineup for it.

I haven't played a SINGLE commercial game on my PSP in months. I only use it for emulators. DS has FAR better games than PSP.

Power means nothing, compared to fun. And Sony's learning that at their expense (see PS3).


Damn, the Wii didn't do well that week, because PSP sold more :mad:

Yes, but it's still selling three times more than PS3 :rofl: PSP Slim will start to sell even less, during the next months, and Wii will take second place again.