3DS Surpasses the First Year Sales of the DS
Nintendo's divisive new handheld only needed 8 months to beat the DS.
The 3DS roller coaster continues today. The system, which had so much positive buzz coming out of E3 2010, released to a collective “meh” from the industry at large, due to a tepid launch lineup and a general waning of interest in 3D. In a shocking move, Nintendo slashed the price of the 3DS down to 169.99 from its original price point of 249.99, and Nintendo President of Japan Satoru Iwata took a 50% pay cut from the debacle. However, it seems to have worked, because we’ve just learned that the 3DS has surpassed the first year sales of the DS, and in only 8 months.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed that the 3DS had pulled ahead of the first year DS sales. “In sales through this past Saturday—8 months—it has outsold the full 12 months of the original DS,” says Reggie. “During that 12 months time, the original DS sold 2.37 million and we just surpassed that this past Saturday, so we’ve got real good momentum going into the holidays.”
That momentum has been bolstered thanks to the holiday season and Black Friday deals, as well as a strong couple of titles from Nintendo. Super Mario 3D Land has already sold over 500,000 units, making it the fastest selling handheld Mario game to date, and Mario Kart 7 comes out on the 4th. “It reinforces the idea that in this business, great, compelling software drives hardware,” Reggie continues. “As long as we continue to make great content, we’ll continute to have very strong performing handhelds.”
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