The official word from Nintendo is that “US day one sales numbers for Nintendo 3DS were the highest of any Nintendo hand held system in our history”. Nintendo has confirmed that they sold 400,000 units during the first two days in the US with similar sales figures in Japan.
The fact that this declaration is qualified as being the highest for “hand held” devices is making some gaming experts suggest that the opening sales have actually fallen below the expected numbers. This has been largely based on the perceived lack of US advertising which accompanied the launch and reports of poor turnouts to stockists, at least compared to earlier successes such as the Wii.
Another factor which needs to be taken into account is the saturated games market which the 3DS was launched into. If you want a mobile games playing device then you currently have a lot more options than ever before. Is it possible that the iPhone, iPad and Android models around offer a sufficient portable gaming experience for most of us now? Clearly the Nintendo machine gives better graphics and a stunning 3D image but is that enough for people to shell out more money on another machine?
It has been suggested the “highest” sale numbers quoted by Nintendo are actually “shipped” figures. That would mean that these units have been sent from a retail warehouse to a store but not necessarily bought by an ordinary consumer. Analysts are already suggesting that the 3DS long term sales figures will not come up to the level of the original DS.
Do you intend to use a Nintendo 3DS and another hand held gadget, or is one enough for you?
