Nintendo enjoys its biggest sales week ever in U.S.,breaks record

[8th lutz]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/28/nintendo...ales-week-ever/

 

Nintendo has announced that it sold 653,000 DS Lites over the week of November 18-24, setting a new record for the portable, for Nintendo, and for the entire industry. The number of units moved is record-breaking, exceeding the industry's previous record, also held by Nintendo with the Game Boy Advance's sales during Thanksgiving 2005.

 

The Wii also performed quite admirably, selling 350,000 units, a number topped only by the console's launch week. No word on how these sales figures compare to Sony or Microsoft's, but it's not like it's a competition or anything, right?

 

Update: Specified sales figures as pertaining to the U.S., and clarified the record as industry-wide.

[+remowilliams]

Damn, the DS is like printing money.

[joeybastard]

Damn, the DS is like printing money.

 

For good reason too, that thing is just plain simple fun. Since I got mine last Xmas, it's gotten 10x the amount of play of all of my other consoles/handhelds.

[RickHarrisMaine]

Damn, the DS is like printing money.

 

For good reason too, that thing is just plain simple fun. Since I got mine last Xmas, it's gotten 10x the amount of play of all of my other consoles/handhelds.

 

Both my kids want one of those DS Lites before even wanting a Wii. At least the DS is actually available to buy......

[Vic George 2K3]

Bizarrely ironic that the Wii is both the best-selling game system and also the most difficult one to find in stock.

[chrisbid]

Damn, the DS is like printing money.

 

For good reason too, that thing is just plain simple fun. Since I got mine last Xmas, it's gotten 10x the amount of play of all of my other consoles/handhelds.

 

Both my kids want one of those DS Lites before even wanting a Wii. At least the DS is actually available to buy......

 

 

you couldnt find a DS (even fat ones were hard to come by) to save your life last xmas, the same will be true this season

[Bilnick]

The DS is like an ipod for kids. They all either have one or want one. Good little system. Tons of kid friendly games. Durable design.

 

My kids play with thier DS alot. After that the Xbox 360 gets the most play, while the Wii and PS3 sit there collecting dust.....

 

My daughter wants a DS lite now, to replace the old silver DS. I guess a DS is like an ipod where Nintendo repackages the same thing and sells it to you again.

 

I saw DS Lites (while searching for a Wii and PS3) almost everywhere last Xmas. The selection of available colors wasn't the best everywhere (Pink DS Lites I always saw), but they were not hard to find.

[Zwackery]

you couldnt find a DS (even fat ones were hard to come by) to save your life last xmas, the same will be true this season

 

Ummm, no. There are plenty of DS Lites to be had.

[DragonmasterDan]

you couldnt find a DS (even fat ones were hard to come by) to save your life last xmas, the same will be true this season

 

Ummm, no. There are plenty of DS Lites to be had.

 

I thought that a year ago, a week before Christmas I was doing some last minute shopping and discovered they had become difficult to find, the only DS's I saw in many trips to various retailers between the last week and a half or so of Christmas were a few used ones at a gamestop.

 

I'm sure in a more rural area it wasn't as much of a challenge but at least where I live 25+ stores I visited were out of them by the middle of December.

[pmpddytim]

I guess a DS is like an ipod where Nintendo repackages the same thing and sells it to you again.

 

To be fair Sony did the same thing with the PSP (they added a bit but nothing really great.). I don't think they are selling you the same thing as much as pushing the people who were on the cusp of buying one for one reason or another over the edge. Plus, people just like to have the smallest shiniest gadgets. Just good marketing on any companies part if you ask me.

 

-T

[Bilnick]

To be fair Sony did the same thing with the PSP (they added a bit but nothing really great.). I don't think they are selling you the same thing as much as pushing the people who were on the cusp of buying one for one reason or another over the edge. Plus, people just like to have the smallest shiniest gadgets. Just good marketing on any companies part if you ask me.

 

-T

 

Of course. I am not bashing them at all. Nintendo has done a brilliant job marketing thier two gaming machines.

 

The DS I understand why it is outselling the PSP. More games. Plays GBA games. More durable design for kids. Better battery life. Cheaper. For most people these factors would outweigh the PSPs larger screen and more horsepower.

 

Having owned all three consoles for a year now I still cannot see how the Wii is king of the hill (or soon will be if it isn't) I really wonder if Microsoft hadn't built a console less reliable than a 10 year old Yugo if it wouldn't be running away with this generation's sales, at least in the USA.

[DragonmasterDan]

Having owned all three consoles for a year now I still cannot see how the Wii is king of the hill (or soon will be if it isn't) I really wonder if Microsoft hadn't built a console less reliable than a 10 year old Yugo if it wouldn't be running away with this generation's sales, at least in the USA.

 

I think the main reason the Wii is running away is due to the fact that it's something new. The emphasis is on games with new types of control schemes and though most games are awful at implementing it, the few that do it well have made all the difference in the world for the platform.

 

I guess the other reason is that it has a diverse lineup, the Xbox 360 has a lineup of mostly first person shooters and games that are available on other consoles. It's exclusive lineup of titles strictly caters to a very specific market. Nintendo is successfully aiming their platform at new audiences for gaming. They're aiming at older people, women etc. Microsoft and Sony are both still aiming at 16-34 year old men.

 

While I think the 360s reliability (or lack thereof) has definitely negatively effected it overall, the overall problem is that it's reaching for the traditional gaming market (and competing with Sony for it) while Nintendo is aiming their product to as wide of an audience as possible.

[chrisbid]

Having owned all three consoles for a year now I still cannot see how the Wii is king of the hill (or soon will be if it isn't) I really wonder if Microsoft hadn't built a console less reliable than a 10 year old Yugo if it wouldn't be running away with this generation's sales, at least in the USA.

 

I think the main reason the Wii is running away is due to the fact that it's something new. The emphasis is on games with new types of control schemes and though most games are awful at implementing it, the few that do it well have made all the difference in the world for the platform.

 

I guess the other reason is that it has a diverse lineup, the Xbox 360 has a lineup of mostly first person shooters and games that are available on other consoles. It's exclusive lineup of titles strictly caters to a very specific market. Nintendo is successfully aiming their platform at new audiences for gaming. They're aiming at older people, women etc. Microsoft and Sony are both still aiming at 16-34 year old men.

 

While I think the 360s reliability (or lack thereof) has definitely negatively effected it overall, the overall problem is that it's reaching for the traditional gaming market (and competing with Sony for it) while Nintendo is aiming their product to as wide of an audience as possible.

 

price is the number 1 factor holding back the 360 and PS3. once one can get under 200 dollars, then sales will pick up dramatically... though that much of a drop may never happen

[DragonmasterDan]

Having owned all three consoles for a year now I still cannot see how the Wii is king of the hill (or soon will be if it isn't) I really wonder if Microsoft hadn't built a console less reliable than a 10 year old Yugo if it wouldn't be running away with this generation's sales, at least in the USA.

 

I think the main reason the Wii is running away is due to the fact that it's something new. The emphasis is on games with new types of control schemes and though most games are awful at implementing it, the few that do it well have made all the difference in the world for the platform.

 

I guess the other reason is that it has a diverse lineup, the Xbox 360 has a lineup of mostly first person shooters and games that are available on other consoles. It's exclusive lineup of titles strictly caters to a very specific market. Nintendo is successfully aiming their platform at new audiences for gaming. They're aiming at older people, women etc. Microsoft and Sony are both still aiming at 16-34 year old men.

 

While I think the 360s reliability (or lack thereof) has definitely negatively effected it overall, the overall problem is that it's reaching for the traditional gaming market (and competing with Sony for it) while Nintendo is aiming their product to as wide of an audience as possible.

 

price is the number 1 factor holding back the 360 and PS3. once one can get under 200 dollars, then sales will pick up dramatically... though that much of a drop may never happen

 

It will happen eventually, but it will be the hard-drive less Xbox 360 and the PS3 may not get there for years if at all.

 

And you're right it's a big factor in holding those platforms back from mass market adoption, but the Wii is succeeding not necessarily because of its lower price (it's what 30.00 less than the Arcade model of the 360) but due to Nintendo's success at aiming it at a wider audience.

[swlovinist]

I know that the love for Nintendo on this forum is mixed, but the system clearly is standing on its own after being out a year. While is may not have the mass amount of FPS shooters and a ton of violent mature games, Nintendo is smarter than doing the ol stand by. I have owned a system since April and see the "weak library" statements disappearing (Super Paper Mario, Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Rayman, Zack and Wikki). The system has a more diverse library, and is starting to get some fun titles. Heck even Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is a decent FPS with 32 online multiplayer. Nintendo is the only one really trying to be creative and diverse with its gaming, and doing a dam well job at it. The 360 has a very solid lineup, but I agree that many of their games are too centered around FPS and mature themes. The Wii is a throwback to casual gaming, fun gaming, family gaming. The other consoles just are doing a shitty job making their console family friendly, and kid friendly(minus the PS2).