DS homing in on PS2 record

[Juanmatron]

It may be suffering a little cramp as it races down the closing straight, but Nintendo’s DS handheld now seems well on track to steal gaming’s most cherished sales record.

Sony’s PlayStation 2 currently stands as the world’s most popular console, with total global sales estimated at around 135m units. As of March 31st 2010, total DS sales – including every iteration of the machine – stand at 129m.

NPD’s Anita Frazier estimates that DS will claim the global crown by October or November this year..

It’s a remarkable achievement for a console that was widely ridiculed upon its unveiling by Nintendo in 2004. Compared to another upcoming rival, Sony’s high-tech PSP, the DS seemed to boast dated graphics and an obscure touch-controlled interface.

Yet just six years later it’s on the cusp of claiming our industry’s most coveted accolade, with more than twice the number of sales of Sony’s machine.

Source: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38994/DS-homing-in-on-PS2-record

 

[ykhan]

woooooooot
ds ftw

 

[Master Mo]

Great handheld and it deserves all the praises it received over the years!

I think if Nintendo would have been a little smarter, and wouldn`t have announced a new handheld, the sales for the DS would be higher. I for one would have upgraded from DSLite to DSiXL if I wouldn`t know, that we`ll get a new handheld by the end of this year...

Still, I`m positive, that the DS will break this record... And it deserve it for what it has done.

 

[HBK]

Just like the Beatles did in the music industry, I agree, the DS has revolutionized gaming into a touch era (well, it started out with touch, then manufacturers started putting touch screens in their products). Now we're heading towards the 3D era.

This may be an overstatement but if you look back you'll see that never has a handheld console withstood 6 years of life without having a successor already out (the GBA lasted a long time but the DS had come out by 2004, making it's "life without sucessors" 3 years).

 

[spinal_cord]

This may be an overstatement but if you look back you'll see that never has a handheld console withstood 6 years of life without having a successor already out (the GBA lasted a long time but the DS had come out by 2004, making it's "life without sucessors" 3 years).

The original Gameboy was released in 1989 and sold until 1998 when the Gameboy Color was released. That is 9 years. Some would argue that the Gameboy color was not a successor to the gameboy and that the GBA was, which would take it to 2001 instead, which would be 12 years.

 

[yuyuyup]

gameboy color was a much more powerful system

I'd damn near say gameboy color was a far bigger advancement than color-to-gba

 

[Satangel]

-snip-

Makes me feel really good that I saw this coming 5 years ago.
My friend was always saying that the PSP would win thanks to the 1337 graphics, but I kept believing this handheld would win in the long end.

 

[DjoeN]

No suprize here

But Ninty will have to go allthe way for there next handheld!

 

[DarkWay]

I'd like to see nintendo push out a console with upto-date graphics and decent hardware/software
(not handheld).

 

[SPH73]

DS will do at least 140 million before its sales completely dry up.

The sony empire continues to crumble. Soon they will be nothing but a memory. Like Sega, SNK, Atari, NEC, etc. The circle of life continues.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

DS will do at least 140 million before its sales completely dry up.

The sony empire continues to crumble. Soon they will be nothing but a memory. Like Sega, SNK, Atari, NEC, etc. The circle of life continues.

...No. Sony still beat every other company in the PS1 and PS2. And the PS3 is the rising star. Saying "OH SONY WILL FALL BECAUSE THE DS IS BEATING THE PS2" is simply without base. The DS is a handheld, the PS2 is a home console, there's a big difference right there in regards to sales and demographics.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

The DS is a handheld, the PS2 is a home console, there's a big difference right there in regards to sales and demographics.

If it were merely the difference between one being a home console and the other a handheld, then the PSP should have similarly high sales. Yet it's only sold around 63 million units, and it launched within a few weeks of the DS in Japan.

QUOTE(Guild McCommunist @ May 14 2010, 07:56 PM) And the PS3 is the rising star.

Imagine how much earlier it could've happened, had the PS3 not been ridiculously overpowered and prohibitively expensive at launch?

 

[SPH73]

DS will do at least 140 million before its sales completely dry up.

The sony empire continues to crumble. Soon they will be nothing but a memory. Like Sega, SNK, Atari, NEC, etc. The circle of life continues.

And the PS3 is the rising star.


lmao, really

QUOTE(Guild McCommunist @ May 14 2010, 08:56 PM)

Saying "OH SONY WILL FALL BECAUSE THE DS IS BEATING THE PS2"....yada yada

Sony HAS failed because the PS3 is a failure. Sony has lost almost 6 billion since the PS3 launched. The company just posted another loss over $850 million. That's on top of the 5 billion they've lost so far. Also, multiconsole software sales HEAVILY favor the 360.

The PSP Go was an utter disaster and recent NPD sales prove the PSP is on its last legs. And remember when EVERYONE thought the PSP was going to destroy the DS? lmao, good times

Plus Apple is eating up Sony's portable market share.

This is all about business. Not fanboys, not brand loyalty. As a business sony has failed and the PS3 has failed.

That's just the way it is.

---

 

[Guild McCommunist]

The DS is a handheld, the PS2 is a home console, there's a big difference right there in regards to sales and demographics.

If it were merely the difference between one being a home console and the other a handheld, then the PSP should have similarly high sales. Yet it's only sold around 63 million units, and it launched within a few weeks of the DS in Japan.

QUOTE(Guild McCommunist @ May 14 2010, 07:56 PM) And the PS3 is the rising star.

Imagine how much earlier it could've happened, had the PS3 not been ridiculously overpowered and prohibitively expensive at launch?

The DS is a handheld (aka cheaper, sells more to a pick-up-and-play, on-the-go audience) and is targeted towards casual gamers. The PS2 was a console (aka more pricey at the time of its release) and targeted your typical gamer audience. The PSP was yes, a handheld, but it was aimed at not only a cornered market (face it, Nintendo will always dominate handhelds, even against Apple), but at a gamer base. And even then, PSP games weren't even designed like handheld games, but console games. So not so much "pick up and play" but more of those "hunker down and play for hours at a time" titles you'd see on a console. The PSP still sold quite a bit though. Software sales stunk but that's another story.

And why are you saying "overpowered" like its an insult? If someone classified my computer or my console as "overpowered", I'd think "FUCK YEAH!" I want to pump out graphics that look like a fucking movie and that can do a lot of shit. It was pricey and Sony knew that's why it sold like junk. Since the Slim launch PS3 sales have been picking up steam.

EDIT: And SPH, everybody brings up that same fucking graph. It's old. We know the PSP sells software like crap.

I don't even own a PS3.

 

[Joe88]

oh look fanboys

and yes SPH73 im talking about you

 

[TM2-Megatron]

And why are you saying "overpowered" like its an insult? If someone classified my computer or my console as "overpowered", I'd think "FUCK YEAH!" I want to pump out graphics that look like a fucking movie and that can do a lot of shit. It was pricey and Sony knew that's why it sold like junk. Since the Slim launch PS3 sales have been picking up steam.

Not an insult, just dumb. Sony could've tried marketing a Cray as the original Playstation back in the 90s, but it would've been stupid and nobody would've been able to afford it. There's such a thing as being too powerful for a given purpose, at a particular time.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

And why are you saying "overpowered" like its an insult? If someone classified my computer or my console as "overpowered", I'd think "FUCK YEAH!" I want to pump out graphics that look like a fucking movie and that can do a lot of shit. It was pricey and Sony knew that's why it sold like junk. Since the Slim launch PS3 sales have been picking up steam.

Not an insult, just dumb. Sony could've tried marketing a Cray as the original Playstation back in the 90s, but it would've been stupid and nobody would've been able to afford it. There's such a thing as being too powerful for a given purpose, at a particular time.

PS3 Slims are just as powerful as standard PS3s in playing games, movies, etc (yeah, they're skimpier on features, but it's still just as much power). And guess what? They're affordable.

And as a gamer, I say unless it burns down my house or drains all the power from the electrical grid, there's nothing "too powerful" to give me a good gaming time.

 

[SPH73]

oh look fanboys

Oh look its the pot calling the kettle black.

That's a skillful debate style you have there. Dont try to refute the facts, just attack the speaker instead, lmao.

That's ok. I know the truth hurts. And I just enjoy rubbing salt in your wounds. Because lets face it, everything I said was true and can be backed up with a simple google search.

tl:dr = you mad

 

[Law]

higher population + more parents buying things for their kids so they don't have to bother looking after them = higher nintendo DS sales.

 

[Saddamsdevil]

higher population + more parents buying things for their kids so they don't have to bother looking after them = higher nintendo DS sales.

Not specifically, in fact I'd say most DS' are in the hands of the 16-21 age range.

Also, DS being able to play downloaded game using a flashcart certainly helped sales.

Bet you anything that since the psp became 'unhackable' the sales went down.