Nintendo

This post is actually a positive post. I wanted to talk about how Nintendo have gone from strength to strength in recent years, what with the releases of the DS, DS Lite, and Wii – which have all become major hits for Nintendo.

Firstly, the original DS. For those that don’t know, the DS is a handheld console that has two screens, one of which has a touch screen, which allows for some niche gameplay. The DS debuted in 2004, and has sold almost 7 million units in Japan, and over 20 million units in the USA. This has by far exceeded the expectations of Nintendo, and it’s continued success reigns supreme over Sony’s rival PSP. 

The DS Lite, the superceder of the DS, has sold just over 17 million units in Japan, and almost 20 million in the USA. These numbers are quite extraordinary for a console that just got a slight update from its predecessor. The DS Lite has better sound, brighter screens and a suave, sleek finish in a multitude of colours. To date, the DS and DS Lite have sold a combined 84.33 Million units worldwide. That’s about 2 and a half DS’s for every person in Canada.

The DSi is a brand new version of the DS/DS Lite, and has already been released in Japan, and is expected to come to Europe and America sometime in 2009. This time, the DSi boasts two cameras, bigger screen, better screen resolution, better sound and a chic matte finish. It also comes with built in Internet capabilities, MP3 playback, various camera software packages and a Wii-style interface. This has proven to be a step in the right direction for Nintendo, as the console is currently sold out in Japanese stores, and the public are craving more.

The Wii is so far the best-selling home console around. The console, for those who don’t know, is an interactive console which attempts to put gamers in the game. This has thus far proven very successful, as sales, as of 30th September 2008, have reached 34.55 Million units worldwide. This is a huge achievement, and has outsold the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. Noteworthy, is that the Xbox 360 has actually been out around nine months longer than the Wii has. 

Nintendo continue to dominate the gaming demographic, and will continue to see the sales of their consoles rise, especially over the holiday period. I personally love Nintendo’s consoles, and I do hope that their domination of the market continues.