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

Japan's Handheld War

[ClamIAm]

Given the popularity of the DS and PSP in Japan (check the hardware sales, they're both on top), and also how Japanese gamers go ga-ga over new colors and such with hardware, I think we'll see some interesting things in the future. Now if they'd only start selling the Lite in the US!

Re:Japan's Handheld War

[chrismcdirty]

This is just speculation, but I would assume that the DS Lite would go state-side along with the new Super Mario Bros. game [Week 1 or 2 in May]. What better way to promote your restyled system than with a game that should be familiar to around 90% of gamers?

Size?

[/ASCII]

My interpretation of the huge interest in the DS Lite is that the claims about how the size of the Xbox and Xbox 360 are a major factor in the horrible sales of those systems in Japan are true. If people really go this crazy over a smaller version of an old system - twice - then size really must be critical over there. I guess it might not be a question of xenophobia after all...

Re:Size?

[edwdig]

The DS Lite selling out twice really isn't that surprising. The DS has been consistantly selling well in Japan. The DS redesign rumors started because the original DS has been completely sold out in Japan for months. People assumed - correctly - that the reason for the shortage was Nintendo revamping the production lines for a new model. Now that the new model is out, Nintendo can't even ship the quantities they were originally intending. If Nintendo announces the date of the next shipment, I wouldn't be surprised to see it sell out quickly as well.

visit IGN instead

[Anonymous Coward]

IGN has a much better write up, with better photos: http://ds.ign.com/articles/695/695157p1.html

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 :)

OK, but what about America?

[Anonymous Coward]

The DS has consistently been a runaway hit for a really long time in Japan-- it's been the best-selling video game system there for many months. It is no surprise at all the DS Lite has done well, and only a tiny surprise it has done this well.

The question is, how will the DS Lite do when it is released in America? The DS is popular here, but not that popular, there are fewer DS games here than in Japan and the games have been less successful. Will Nintendo find a way to make the DS Lite catch on in some kind of special way with the American public, or will it just sell extra briskly for two weeks after which point retailers will go back to forgetting the DS exists so they can try to push more overpriced UMD movies?

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...

Re:Serious Question

[HaloZero]

There are changes that run deeper than the color of the case. The backlit screen on the DS is much brighter, the wireless is stronger, but uses less battery life, and the battery is overall longer-lasting.

GBA games now stick out from the device, as well, causing pocket-issues.