Second Coming of the DS Lite

DS News writes "Gamespot has posted news that the release of the Enamel Navy and Ice Blue has been just as much a sell-out success as the White DS Lite event a week ago. From the article: 'Following last week's launch of the Crystal While DS Lite, Nintendo Co, Ltd. shipped its Ice Blue and Enamel Navy models today in Japan. Considering that the handheld has already made one debut, the industry wasn't expecting the same high turnout for these new models. But contrary to conventional wisdom, the machine's second launch drew even more demand than the first.'" As with the White launch, Kotaku has a man on the ground with impressions from the Japanese launch day.

Comments

Potential reason?

[RyoShin]

To my knowledge, Japanese people are techno-nuts (more so for the young adult/teen age group.) You hear about all kinds of crazy (and cool) doo-dads from Japan selling like hotcakes. Cell phones that play entire movies, sunglasses that play movies, the 64DD...

But I digress. Because those who live within the cities of Japan do not have nearly the reliance on automobiles (and, hence, gas) that we do in America, they tend to have more cash to throw around (especially the age group mentioned earlier.) So, while they do pay more for housing, they aren't as frugal about getting the latest and greatest, especially if all their friends have it now.

Apple has proven, both here and there, that sexy sells. Nintendo has taken this concept to heart to try and enhance its image; we've all seen images of the I-could-be-a-monolith black Revolution console. Small form factor, sleek, and now with the option to be put on its side. They reproduced this with the DS Lite- even if you already have a DS, it's now the old DS, and you aren't cool if you don't have the new DS. This would explain the massive turnout, even when the original DS sold so many.

Which is not to say that it won't sell like hotcakes once it hits stateside. You will, however, have a lot less people who are looking to replace their old DS for the new one. While image is a big factor in our society, it focuses more on fashion and status than technology and intelligence, so the DS Lite isn't going to be as big of a deal. (Though I suppose some female gamers might pick one up to compliment their purse or something.

Of course, this is just how I understand things. Feel free to jump in with a counter-point.

Re:Potential reason?

[Hitto]

I agree with much of what you have said - you speak wisely.

But I think the DSLite sells like hotcakes because the normal DS was already completely sold out. It's such a *huge* success all over there. The brain training and other "touch generations" series have won them a whole lotta new gamers. Maybe not as much in the western world, where we are somehow fond of sDoRnMy. So when it will be released in a coupla months in the USA and, in three years in Europe (grr!), it will sell as much as the original one.

But here's an interesting thing; if you look up recent sales charts, you can see this kind of thing :
GBA: 105 (1,584)
source : http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=6085

Somehow, I think Ninty will keep selling original DS'es, because there may still be some people who prefer the larger console? In a nutshell, what you said was right - But I think it's wanted, and there's a hint it might work.

So, my theory is that the sexy new look is rather to try to win some of us over. I know people who bought GBM's and PSP's before seeing what games were on both consoles, there's a lot of trust when the machine looks cool. I am not into marketing techniques, either, so if any people working in advertisement could give a shout? Something like : "Hey! Look at me! I'm sexy! I'm smaller than the copmetition, and I carry *two miniature suns* AND I play Nintendogs and $MARIO_GAME! Buy the fuck outta me!"

Disclaimer : I consider myself a customer, not a fanboi. But... I *want* a DSLite, it'll just be the occasion for me to lend the older console to friends of mine, or give it to a relative :)

why is it a surprise?

[Frag-A-Muffin]

...Considering that the handheld has already made one debut, the industry wasn't expecting the same high turnout for these new models. But contrary to conventional wisdom, the machine's second launch drew even more demand than the first...

Why is it a big surprise? There were thousands of people left without one last week, and even lik-sang couldn't get any for export to the US. A big line up for the blue DS Lites is not surprising at all for me. I don't consider myself an insider by any stretch of the imagination, but even I knew this one was coming.

Size in Japan's Culture...

[nmaster64]

There really is a good reason Japan has such a thing for smaller products, and it's a relatively simple one: they don't have much room to put things...

The average-size American apartment is the average-size family residence in Japan. Japan is a small country with a LOT of people, and there isn't room for everyone to have houses, so most people live in skyscraper-tall apartment buildings. A family of three or four living in a relatively small apartment? You can see why the size of the things they buy might matter.

So the size of the Xbox's to them is ridculous, and it really doesn't surprise me a whole lot how much they reject that (of course it has just as much to do with the fact it's American). On the other hand, look at something like the Revolution. OMG, talk about Japan's dream console. That design alone I think is going to make the Revolution sell millions.

So really, size DOES matter in Japan, a lot more than many people think...

Serious Question

[rueger]

OK, despite winning a Nintendo DS (non-lite) at a conference last month, and finding it quite fun, I am in no way a gamer.

I have to ask though, is the release of this unit with no change other than the colour of the plastic case really noteworthy or even interesting?

Re:Serious Question

[Newander]

Of course, he was comparing it to the recent release of the DS Lite, not the original DS.

Re:And for those of us who just bought the normal

[edwdig]

In Japan, the original DS sold out nationwide right around Christmas and never had any significant shipments after that. You basically had a 2-3 month span where it was really hard to find a DS. I don't think anyone got cheated there. If you had to have one for Christmas, you got one. If not, you're getting the better one.

When Nintendo announced the Japanese release of the DS Lite about a month ago, they also announced that the US would be getting it in late spring. Even if the DS Lite comes out in early May like rumored, that's still 3 months notice. Considering all games will work on both systems, I think that's pretty reasonable.