Nintendo DS - 21 million systems sold

[EvilBob46]

Gaming Target (http://www.gamingtarget.com/) brings word (http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=5778) from Nintendo that they have sold 21 million systems since the DS launch.

Nintendo has announced that the DS has sold 21 million systems worldwide since it's launch on November 21, 2004. In less than two years it already has a larger installed base than Nintendo's GameCube.
The article states that the PSP has shipped between 18 and 20 million units according to estimates. Even if the exact number was known, a direct comparison of sales between the two system's would be difficult because Sony does not report the number of systems sold, but the number of systems shipped to stores instead.

[TrackZero]

"You can't handle the truth!" - Sony

[Kelegacy]

Jesus, handhelds are a lucrative business.

[Selar]

Jesus, handhelds are a lucrative business.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!

[Kamalot]

In less than two years it already has a larger installed base than Nintendo's GameCube. Holy crap! That's like twice what the Dreamcast sold in its entire life!

I went into the game store the other day to pick up a DS for my niece. They were out. While I was there, three other people tried to get one. Nope, all out.

They had a stack of PSPs all across the top of their shelves and more than 13 that had been traded in. Nobody was asking.

I don’t know how many PSPs the store had in stock, but multiply the number by the number of GameStop stores and you get an idea between the difference in SHIPPED and SOLD units.

[31 Flavas]

Sony does not report the number of systems sold, but the number of systems shipped to stores instead.As someone pointed out to me somewhere else... Nintendo, at least in Japan, could release shipped numbers and we'd still know what the number of sold units was.

[SexualChoc]

Score that as a win for innovation.

[Reanimated]

So I guess sony is in the "handheld gaming ghetto" now?

[Adam Blue]

Also, I wonder how many returned PSP's are considered sold. Remember Sony did that trick with the PS2?

[zombiekiller13]

isn't Microsoft doing the same thing, where they report the number shipped not sold? a little shady for companies to do that, if you ask me. doesn't that affect their stocks? saying 15 million shipped while on 5 million sold...hide the number sold so that their stock price goes up?

[31 Flavas]

So I guess sony is in the "handheld gaming ghetto" now?Yea... So much for that "Urban Ranger" crap...

[benig]

Game set and match?

[EvilBob46]

As someone pointed out to me somewhere else... Nintendo, at least in Japan, could release shipped numbers and we'd still know what the number of sold units was.

I don't really understand what you're point is. Hardware and software sales in Japan are reported very accurately. Yeah, but so what? That doesn't help in figuring out the exact number of units sold elsewhere.

[JazGalaxy]

Well in theory they are sold, just not "sold through".

Gamestop, for instance, buys the consoles from manufacturers and will not ever return them unless the company is running a program like Nintendo did with the NES that sees them buying back unsold units as a measure of faith.

So, reporting your units as "sold through" kind of alludes to the idea that there is more demand out there. Reporting only sales artifically inflates the number of people with your console in hand, but depending on spin, may or may not allude to the idea that more people out there want your console.

As for the DS... yeah, I'm blown away at how well it's selling. I was at Gamestop and a guy was driving around the city looking for for a DS Lite. He had the managers calling up stores and asking them to hold one for him as far as the next city. And this was like last week.

[JazGalaxy]

I don't really understand what you're point is. Hardware and software sales in Japan are reported very accurately. Yeah, but so what? That doesn't help in figuring out the exact number of units sold elsewhere.

I think he's suggesting that if the number of units made is... I dunno... 100, and the number of units sold is "sold out", as it is in Japan, then obviously the number of units sold is also 100.

[Pinku!]

21 Million...? DANG.

That's almost enough to give everyone in North Korea a DS! (http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/Content/ContentGroups/Datasheets/2005_World_Population_Data_Sheet.htm)

Perhaps Kim Jong Il can be deposed by arming his people with DS Lites...? :rolleyes:

But back on topic, this may sound a little airheaded to ask, but why is it that Sony only reports units shipped and not units sold? At the risk of sounding inflammatory, if they're truly the cock of the walk they say they are, would it be that much of a problem to do so? What are they afraid of?

[Gamasutra Podcast]

Numbers shipped... numbers sold... It doesn't matter all that much in the end. The real news here is that Nintendo has once again managed to stave off an incursion against their portable gaming hegemony. Some real figures: their Q1 financial results indicate a 10% increase in operating profits (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10192). That's real money, folks. Not dicey stats.

Combine that with an increase in their annual profit forecast with the Wii launch around the corner, and their overall positive vibe among the analysts and press, and you've got Nintendo sitting very pretty. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo picked up a lot of positive PR from the mainstream press with the Wii launch, as well.

Microsoft has pretty much spilled the beans (http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/microsoft/microsofts-zune-announcement-189112.php) that their Zune device will be primarily a portable media player. Even when MS releases their Xbox-branded portable (which they surely will, piggybacking on their learnings and market inroads with the Zune), they will have a tough battle against two fronts: Apple's iPod brand on one side, and Nintendo's DS on the other. Of course, MS probably has some great user experience exclusives up their sleeves banking off their Live Anywhere service. Xbox Live Arcade direct downloads, anyone? And, if their Live Anywhere claim of "one purchase for all devices" holds, how 'bout not having to re-pay for games you've already bought on your 360? Sounding pretty good. Of course, that's all rumor and speculation, and no one needs to be reminded of Microsoft's policy on commenting on that...

Even so, launching a new hardware platform is a major undertaking. The engineering, manufacturing, and distribution alone can tax the resources of even monolithic multinational corporations like Sony and MS. And the marketplace will already be quite crowded with game machines. So another factor to consider is that developers only have so many resources of their own to go around to develop for each platform. Particularly with the incredible investment required to do next-gen console dev.

Getting back to the point: whatever the figures, Nintendo doesn't have much to worry about in the portable games space.

One more side note -- as much as Sony seems to be trying to shoot themselves in the collective foot, I still think they'll do just fine. But that's a subject for another post.

[31 Flavas]

I don't really understand what you're point is. Hardware and software sales in Japan are reported very accurately. Yeah, but so what? That doesn't help in figuring out the exact number of units sold elsewhere.Well, that one flew over your head... it was a joke.

Since the Nintendo DS is such a cultural phenomenon in Japan, and that Nintendo, itself, publicly apologized for the DS being completely sold out over xmas, and since then has not been able to keep the system in stock at stores due to increadible demand...

The agument set forth by myself and this mystery 'other' person was that, at least in Japan, was that shipped numbers are the equivalent of sold numbers for the Nintendo DS.

In other words, it would be it would be ironic that Nintendo could say, we shipped XXX million number of DS units. And you would NOT have to do any Bullshit analysis on that number!

A subtle dig at Sony and PSP, but now it's not funny anymore because you made me explain it.

Oh well.... Win some lose some.

[thenefariousone]

Anecdotal evidence of poor psp sales aside - why is everyone ignoring the PSP sales? The numbers provided are very similar to the DS numbers, despite numerous psp problems, lack of innovation, and lack of software.

Even if their number is not as accurate as the Nintendo figures, it's still a very significant number and shows the battle for the handheld market is far from over.

[thenefariousone]

Well Microsoft is not foolish enough to release an xbox branded portable. Look at their strategy for “one purchase for all devices” for what it really is: it’s not an xbox branded portable – it’s a xbox branded cell phone.

There's no need to waste vast amounts of money on r&d, distribution, and a billion other things for a handheld, when Nokia, Motorolla, Siemens, are already doing it for you. Every year the tech in cell phones becomes better and better. Both Ati and Nvidia are working on graphic chips that will run in phones.

Cell phone companies are always looking for new features to make people upgrade. Cell phone companies love premium features, particularly those that keep you in their walled garden. A “Live Anywhere” or “ Xbox live monthly membership" feature on a cell phone is just what the doctor ordered.

Just like that – the potential audience changes from the current ~150 million console owner market, to ~70% of the entire US population (http://www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/WirelessCellularRFID/WirelessCellularRFIDTrends/tabid/264/Default.aspx). The numbers are even higher abroad.

And that's an audience who's willing to spend $1 or more on a ringtone! Think of the microtransactions!

Numbers shipped... numbers sold... It doesn't matter all that much in the end. The real news here is that Nintendo has once again managed to stave off an incursion against their portable gaming hegemony. Some real figures: their Q1 financial results indicate a 10% increase in operating profits (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10192). That's real money, folks. Not dicey stats.

Combine that with an increase in their annual profit forecast with the Wii launch around the corner, and their overall positive vibe among the analysts and press, and you've got Nintendo sitting very pretty. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo picked up a lot of positive PR from the mainstream press with the Wii launch, as well.

Microsoft has pretty much spilled the beans (http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/microsoft/microsofts-zune-announcement-189112.php) that their Zune device will be primarily a portable media player. Even when MS releases their Xbox-branded portable (which they surely will, piggybacking on their learnings and market inroads with the Zune), they will have a tough battle against two fronts: Apple's iPod brand on one side, and Nintendo's DS on the other. Of course, MS probably has some great user experience exclusives up their sleeves banking off their Live Anywhere service. Xbox Live Arcade direct downloads, anyone? And, if their Live Anywhere claim of "one purchase for all devices" holds, how 'bout not having to re-pay for games you've already bought on your 360? Sounding pretty good. Of course, that's all rumor and speculation, and no one needs to be reminded of Microsoft's policy on commenting on that...

Even so, launching a new hardware platform is a major undertaking. The engineering, manufacturing, and distribution alone can tax the resources of even monolithic multinational corporations like Sony and MS. And the marketplace will already be quite crowded with game machines. So another factor to consider is that developers only have so many resources of their own to go around to develop for each platform. Particularly with the incredible investment required to do next-gen console dev.

Getting back to the point: whatever the figures, Nintendo doesn't have much to worry about in the portable games space.

One more side note -- as much as Sony seems to be trying to shoot themselves in the collective foot, I still think they'll do just fine. But that's a subject for another post.

[Plays4Pants]

Good for nintendo. they make a good system with good games and some innovation. Learn something Sony/Microsoft

[Zacharai]

Anecdotal evidence of poor psp sales aside - why is everyone ignoring the PSP sales? The numbers provided are very similar to the DS numbers, despite numerous psp problems, lack of innovation, and lack of software.
Those are good numbers, it's true, even if the PSP has slacked off in actual sales now. Thing is, the DS's base is still growing, and it seems to be far from over.

The two best things for my PSP are Lumines and a UMD of Sin City. I even tried, I went out a few weeks ago and picked up Lemmings, but I couldn't play it nearly enough to be worthwhile.

Last weekend my girl visited, and got really into Brain Training on the DS Lite. I got so damn bored... we had a tug of war over the DS Lite in a room that has a PS2, X360, PSP, and PC. :rolleyes:

[MoJoBehaumat]

Is this the Beggining of the End for the PSP then?????????

[Metal Jesus]

Is this the Beggining of the End for the PSP then?????????

I doubt it... When I was standing in line at the EB Games in West Lake Mall yesterday, the 2 people standing in line ahead of me were all there to pick up Tekken for the PSP. And I was there to pick up Valkyrie Profile for the PSP.

IMHO: Both handhelds will continue for the foreseeable future.

[Morangie]

Anecdotal evidence of poor psp sales aside - why is everyone ignoring the PSP sales? The numbers provided are very similar to the DS numbers, despite numerous psp problems, lack of innovation, and lack of software.

Because we don't know the PSP sales.

Nintendo has announced that the DS has sold 21 million systems worldwide since it's launch on November 21, 2004.

For comparison's sake, estimates say between 18 and 20 million PSP systems have been shipped to stores since it launched.

Sony wants to play? Let them put out some real numbers.

[Gamasutra Podcast]

Just like that – the potential audience changes from the current ~150 million console owner market, to ~70% of the entire US population (http://www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/WirelessCellularRFID/WirelessCellularRFIDTrends/tabid/264/Default.aspx). The numbers are even higher abroad.
You certainly bring up some good points, nefarious. There are still some advantages to releasing your own hardware platform. Namely income from licensing and support, ensured integration with proprietary technologies, and mostly stability of the platform. A large reason cellphone gaming development is so hard is that there are no real standards (just talk to Greg Costikyan about his days working on cellphone gaming at Nokia). But with the current speed of technology changes, particularly in the mobile market, it is very difficult -- but interesting -- to posit where this is all headed...

Traditionally, in the consumer electronics space, users don't cotton to multi-function devices; they don't want a toaster that plays DVDs. They want a toaster or a DVD player. Ridiculous examples aside, from a marketing and sales standpoint, it makes the most sense to sell single-function devices with a strong point of view under an umbrella brand.

The exception, as you rightly indicate, seems to be the cellphone market. We already have a lot of convergence going on there with the various email and messaging phones running Palm OS or Windows Mobile. And increasingly, carriers are pushing rich media phones, too. This is because the device's central purpose -- mobile telophony -- is such a killer app that it alone is able to support the inclusion of multiple functions.

As for the true technological "ghetto" of portable gaming -- cellphone games -- there are some interesting examples of the growing potential of that hardware platform as well. Steven Glicker had mentioned in the last edition of his Gaming Steve podcast, that he spent some time playing with a mobile phone equipped with an ATI chipset running some kind of Xbox port of Sudeki at near full speed.

On the PSP, it's a gorgeous media player. And, almost incidentally a decent gaming platform. But Sony will have to work very hard, particularly in the next year, to entice third-party developers to support it properly if they truly want to be a competitive player in the portable space.

[31 Flavas]

Anecdotal evidence of poor psp sales aside - why is everyone ignoring the PSP sales?PSP Sales? Where are the PSP sales? All that is provided is shipped numbers.

The numbers provided are very similar to the DS numbers, despite numerous psp problems, lack of innovation, and lack of software.Well, sure, Sony can ship as many PSP as they want that doesn't necessitate that they have sold. Which is the critical difference between the numbers.

Even if their number is not as accurate as the Nintendo figures, it's still a very significant number and shows the battle for the handheld market is far from over.Here's some hard data for you.

Media Create July 10th - 16th (i.e. Japanese Numbers, very accurate)

DSL - 140,858
PSP - 35,283
PS2 - 23,927
DS - 11,821
GBASP - 2,619
GBM - 1,581
Xbox360 - 1,105
GC 928
GBA 28
Xbox 10

YTD/LTD

NDS - 3,849,643/9,496,595
PSP - 988,181/3,671,143

NDS Lead - 2,861,462/5,825,452

The DS in little over *half* a year has sold more then the PSP has in its entire life time in Japan.

Ok so there's the Japanese side, NPD covers the US side. Here's the EvilAv (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15043) coverage, and here a more statistics oriented coverage (http://www.cubed3.com/news/5531) for June.

The long and short, in the US, Nintendo DS - 5,187,240, PlayStation Portable - 4,711,961, life to date (sold hardware)

So in Japan PSP has 3.67m sold. In the US, PSP has 4.71m sold. In Europe I dunno, but lets be generous, i dunno 6m?

That adds up to 14.38 million. Unless Asia/Australia and the rest of the world make up 6.5 million the contest isn't even close...

[Abednigo]

This may be off topic slightly, but here it goes anyway. I love my DS Lite, but here's my only complaint (which isn't even with Nintendo per se). Why does Capcom discontinue making some of their best games?!? I'm sickened that I can't go out and buy Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and have to spend $40+ on Ebay for it (which I have yet to do but will very soon). The same thing happened with the GBA games. Anyone know why they do that? Did it not sell well?

[Gamasutra Podcast]

Incidentally, according to the Engadget podcast (show number 082 (http://podcasts.engadget.com/2006/07/16/engadget-podcast-082-07-16-2006/)), MS is hard at work building their own proprietary MVNO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_virtual_network_operator) (mobile virtual network operator) akin to Virgin Mobile (http://www.virgin.com/gateways/mobile/) or Helio (http://www.helio.com/). Very interesting, indeed.

More on the PSP: in my opinion, Sony's insistence on pushing their proprietary format hoo-hah and their inability to deliver an integrated user experience for their media devices severely hobble them in the portable media player market, as compared to Apple and, certainly, what Microsoft will deliver (on-the-go downloads on top of thin Windows Media Player-like, or Xbox Live-like interface and integration, friends lists, user community matching service for media preferences, ability to exchange content with other users). I mean, to get my DVDs and TiVo'ed programming onto my PSP requires that I purchase their buggy and inefficient hardware/software solution, or that I go through a 25-stage convoluted process that involves chicken sacrifices and the consultation of goat innards. C'mon Sony! Get with the program! Give up on the proprietary-format-to-the-exclusion-of-utility-and-marketshare thing. Has it ever worked for you? Will it? Especially these days, in the age of open standards?

On the games front, I don't so much care about The Device as much as The Games. The PSP has the capability to be a great gaming machine, technology-wise. But they once again hobbled themselves with their proprietary hoo-hah. I just hope that the strategy of UMDs as the exclusive game delivery medium dies a quiet death (yeah, good luck there).

There is some hope with SCE's announcement at the GDC of downloadable PS1 games for the PSP through their Play Online service. I am assuming these will be saved onto the memory stick pro duo, saving precious load times and battery life (and selling more proprietary memory stick pro duos). But it's a step in the right direction.

Original I.P. on the PSP is still a tough sell to third-party devs, though. Too much of an investment for not enough of a guaranteed return... Pity.

In the meanwhile, I'll be playing my lovely indigo blue DS Lite.

[JazGalaxy]

This may be off topic slightly, but here it goes anyway. I love my DS Lite, but here's my only complaint (which isn't even with Nintendo per se). Why does Capcom discontinue making some of their best games?!? I'm sickened that I can't go out and buy Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and have to spend $40+ on Ebay for it (which I have yet to do but will very soon). The same thing happened with the GBA games. Anyone know why they do that? Did it not sell well?

Completely the opposite, actually. They believe nobody would BUY those games, and printed them in limited numbers. They had no idea the DS would take off as it did, and even less idea that American gamers would be into the quirky gameplay that has been the hallmark of the DS. For this reason they simply created a few batches of DS games and then called it a day. When consumers could no longer find them in stores they feared that that the games had been discontinued when in actuality they just sold so well that there WEREN'T any more. The good news is that a few games went back into print like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney and, I think, Castlevania.

[31 Flavas]

Phoenix Wright has been in republish more then a few times actually. Most stores don't know and just consider it discontinued.

Amazon.com's website does keep track of it though, and apparently their website says they are getting a new batch in on August 10th. $29.99.

If you need it sooner the auctioneers, of course, will be glad to sell you one for $50...

[Everlost_MI]

Blame me for two of the purchases, the original DS and now the lite. I love the hell out of 'em - just don't tell my wife. :D

[Vanthar]

yeah how many of those people own both, and how many of those DS lites were from returned DS'es lol..

[Verocity]

Heh. Bought a DS for myself that came with animal crossing. I bought Mario Kart for it and figured my wife would like the animal crossing since she enjoyed it in the GC.

BIG mistake. I hardly got to play it. Well, once the DS lite came out, I picked one up for myself and lo and behold, my wife liked it so much she Ebayed our original and we're back to one. I'm going to, eventually, get another lite for myself. I am just waiting for the cool new colored ones to become available. I'm not mad at her and am actually glad she enjoys it so much. We have 17 games now and counting. My daughter loves Nintendogs and now my wife is into the brain games.

When I first picked up the DS and played it, I knew it would be a hit. When I realized my wife loved it, well I knew the thing was going to explode all over the market.

Props to Nintendo - I've been a loyal customer since my original NES back in Christmas, 1985.

[rubek]

hehe, That sounds pretty similar to my predicament: I normally take my DSLite to work to battle folks on my lunchbreak, but Mondays and Tuesdays are my GF's days off, and if she doesn't have the DS to play, she gets grumpy!
It's her birthday in a week though, so I am going to try and find her a nice girly pink version. :)
It is quite amazing how much this lil console has managed to resonate with a majority of the population, not just gamers.

[sanatos]

31 Flavas, I just wanted to say thanks for bringing actual sales numbers to the table. A lot of people just seem to make them up around here.

[31 Flavas]

31 Flavas, I just wanted to say thanks for bringing actual sales numbers to the table. A lot of people just seem to make them up around here.I follow them in the DS Sales Thread in the forums over at planetgamecube.com, I just copied over the latest data. Feel free to lurk if you want follow the numbers as well. We're usually always on another tangent until new numbers come in and re-rail the thread.

Edit:

Japanese numbers are the most readily available and reliable, so they're always around every tuesday I believe. NPD numbers are much rarer of a find. And European numbers are some what of an accident, someone just finds them. But if you have anything to contribute, we'd love to know about it.