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Quantifying the DS Lite's Japanese Dominance
kukyfrope writes "According to the data trackers at Media Create, for the week of May 29th through June 4th the DS Lite sold 135,614 units in Japan, easily beating out the PSP (24,595 units), PS2 (18,513 units) and Xbox 360 (just 1,245 units). New Super Mario Bros. for DS also sold 334,208 units, putting total sales at about 1.2 million, in just 2 weeks. 'From the end of last year up until right now the sales of DS and DS Lite in Japan have been simply explosive. It was unprecedented in the Japanese game [industry] history for there to be that kind of incredible demand for one platform,' said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata."
That can't be right.
I heard the 360 is doing better than the first Xbox. That number can't be correct.
If Microsoft was only selling that many a week, they would have pulled out of Japan by now.
DS is doing very well in Japan, but worldwide it looks like the race is much closer between it and the PSP. I think in the US the PSP has been leading the DS for some time now. Don't know about Europe.
Anyone have the worldwide totals for the the handhelds?
The Japanese are heavily indoctrinated into buying new things, like toys or cell phones, long before there is any good reason to. The fact the device is a few years old and there's a new replacement is enough for them. I'd like to know how many DS owners are simply replacing theirs for a more compact model that is basically the same otherwise?
You know Nintendo must be doing something right if a REMAKE of the DS is selling like hotcakes. Hopefully this continues on with the Wii, forcing Sony to actually do something interesting for their PS4.
BTW... I want one, but since I already have the red Mario Kart DS... I'll wait for other colors first.
I have owned every game boy model released in the US except for the Micro and I totally get why the DS Lite has sold so well. I just bought one two or three days ago to replace my DS (which worked fine).
Let's ignore that it's smaller, sexier, fixes the top-heavy problem, etc. There is only one thing that matters about the DS above all else...
The screen is amazing.
It's on par with the PSP for clarity (although I realize the resolution is lower). It is an AMAZING step up. It's like going from the original GameBoy to the Pocket. Remember playing a GB after the pocket? It looked so muddy and blurry and such you wondered how you could ever use the thing. The difference with the Lite is just night and day. The lowest brightness setting is about equivalent to the what the DS looks like. But with the settings on the Lite you can play anywhere. Is it dark? You can see great on the lowest setting. Out in the sun? You can see great on the highest setting. It's possible to play the DS Lite outside on sunny days in the shade, where the DS was basically unplayable there.
But it gets BETTER. It's so much sharper and crisper (partially due to the brighter backlight, I'd think). I've been playing Trauma Center and it looks like a different game. I wish I hadn't sold so many of my DS games so I could stick them in to see just how much better they look. It's an AMAZING difference.
People complain about Nintendo doing things like this because "it's the same system", but the difference is night and day. I dare anyone to look at both and like the DS's screen over the Lite's. About the only way I could see you complaining about the Lite is the buttons (they have a different feel and if you had large hands I could see it being uncomfortable).
The thing is selling that well for a reason. It's just that good.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
How did this turn intto a 360 discussion?
M$ only invested about $20 in advertising the system in Japan. Many gamers over there aren't even aware the system exists. Gamers are going to the store to buy an Xbox1 not even knowing there is a 360 out.
In the United States it is still doing well, both in consoles sold and games sold/console. Here is the wrap up of last weeks games sold in the US.
6 Xbox 360 games.
2 Gamecube games.
1 DS game (New Super Mario Brothers, which was #1 on the list).
1 PS2 game, which was dead last at #10 (Kingdom Hearts).
Pointing out how poorly the 360 is doing in Japan is similar to saying MySpace isn't popular with the over 90 years old demographic. The games aren't meant for that demographic, and the marketing isn't targeting it either.
Yes, because a $600 PS3just isn't expensive enough on its own, I'll have to get a $250 rear view mirrortoo
Unlike the US
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
When I see 4 girls in a movie theatre, before the show starting, laughing and giggling out loud with a DS in each of their hands playing a multiplayer game wirelessly, Nintendo has done something right.
When I see a mom and her 5 year old daughter (well she looked around that age), playing with their DSes wirelessly together, obviously Nintendo has done something right.
If I weren't a no-account AC, I'd mod this up for being Funny.
The other two are only in the console market to destroy it, and replace consoles with laptops (Sony) or tablets (MS). MS uses it's presence to skirt anti-trust law and buy game developers to put the programmers out of work. MS programs to put IT workers out of work is why there are over 100,000 FOSS projects. Nintendo got it right. When the other 2 got in the HD DVD war, Nintendo realized that illegal dumping had nothing to do with gaming. Nintendo continued to focus on game play. Nintendo continues to port their franchise library to mobile. I'm not faulting the other 2. A $600 blu-ray PS3 when Sony is selling blu-ray players for $1000 is value.
And on that day, you won many internets, for MASSIVE DAMAGE.
Does Brain Age recognize the word "blue" more consistently when running on the Lite?
That's not the impression that I get from reading dsdev.org. Just 210 USD plus shipping gets you a fully homebrew-capable DS. The PSP, on the other hand, has that firmware 2.01 through 2.60 that require a specific M-rated game (which is actually banned in a few countries) to launch homebrew, and 2.70 and later that can't run homebrew at all.
I heard somthing, I'm pretty sure they were talking about these, whicch is that there is a cartridge you can get for it that allows you to look up kanji by writing them on the screen
The best part about the DS Lite 'upgrade' is that suddenly people have two DS-es they don't need. So they give their old hardware away or sell it cheap. The old DS is given to someone else who first finds they're really fun to own and play on, and then realise that they'd rather a DS Lite for the additional benefits. So then they get a lite and pass on the DS to someone else yet again.
My old DS was given away to a college-age girl who never was really interested in games. Now I hear she's pretty addicted. Similarly my parents actually want to purchase one (helps I'm giving Brain Age for fathers day, and loaning them my imported lite)
Yes, early adopters of the original brick got burned and have probably paid out twice. But I suspect they're not bitter (I know I'm not) and meanwhile the system just spreads on.
Very very clever Nintendo.
Baka Drew