Nintendo DS and How it Touched a Nation
Massive sales smash records – launch a triumph for Nintendo PR.
Nintendo Europe will no doubt be swimming in praise from Kyoto this morning as the official ChartTrack data shows its DS launch to be a massive, record-breaking success.
Indeed, the Nintendo DS has managed to shift a shade over 87,000 hardware units, smashing the launch record for portable hardware formerly held by Nintendo’s own Game Boy Advance which saw sales in excess of 67,000
The campaign has been a triumph for Nintendo Europe’s dogged PR push, which has seen the DS elevated from obscurity to tangible consumer product in the face of belated marketing support and the omnipresent spectre of Sony’s still-absent-in-Europe PlayStation Portable.
However, and somewhat ominously for Nintendo, the overall record for launch sales in Europe was a crown held until today by the GameCube with 69,000 units shifted. The firm will be hoping that jubilant Nintendo fanaticism this time paves the way for sustained market share.
In other news, Gran Turismo 4 took the All Formats number one, with the series still proving wildly popular across the UK. Although the game has been made considerably more difficult, this lack of accessability has done nothing to deter gamers keen to experience what will likely stand as the defining title of the current generation of machines.
For more information on the DS and associated events, click here to visit the mini-site.
The rest of this week's All Formats top 40 reads like this:
1-Gran Turismo 4
2-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
3-FIFA Street
4-Super Mario 64 DS
5-The Sims 2: University
6-Wario Ware Touched!
7-Mercenaries
8-Star Wars: Republic Commando
9-Sonic Mega Collection Plus
10-Rayman DS
11-The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
12-Asphalt: Urban GT
13-Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
14-The Simpsons: Hit & Run
15-The Urbz: Sims in the City
16-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
17-Playboy: The Mansion
18-Pokemon Dash
19-Spider-man 2
20-Need for Speed: Underground 2
21-FIFA 2005
22-Pro Evolution Soccer 4
23-The Incredibles
24-Sonic Heroes
25-Robots
26-UEFA Champions League 2004-2005
27-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
28-Simpsons: Road Rage
29-Project Rub
30-Project: Snowblind
31-Finding Nemo
32-Ace Combat: Squadron Leader
33-Shrek 2
34-Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
35-GTR FIA GT Racing Game
36-Football Manager 2005
37-Spongebob: Revenge of Flying Dutchman
38-The Sims 2
39-Zoo Keeper
40-Polarium
For full chart details, including movements and platform-specific charts, check out our charts sections
Indeed, the Nintendo DS has managed to shift a shade over 87,000 hardware units, smashing the launch record for portable hardware formerly held by Nintendo’s own Game Boy Advance which saw sales in excess of 67,000
The campaign has been a triumph for Nintendo Europe’s dogged PR push, which has seen the DS elevated from obscurity to tangible consumer product in the face of belated marketing support and the omnipresent spectre of Sony’s still-absent-in-Europe PlayStation Portable.
However, and somewhat ominously for Nintendo, the overall record for launch sales in Europe was a crown held until today by the GameCube with 69,000 units shifted. The firm will be hoping that jubilant Nintendo fanaticism this time paves the way for sustained market share.
In other news, Gran Turismo 4 took the All Formats number one, with the series still proving wildly popular across the UK. Although the game has been made considerably more difficult, this lack of accessability has done nothing to deter gamers keen to experience what will likely stand as the defining title of the current generation of machines.
For more information on the DS and associated events, click here to visit the mini-site.
The rest of this week's All Formats top 40 reads like this:
1-Gran Turismo 4
2-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
3-FIFA Street
4-Super Mario 64 DS
5-The Sims 2: University
6-Wario Ware Touched!
7-Mercenaries
8-Star Wars: Republic Commando
9-Sonic Mega Collection Plus
10-Rayman DS
11-The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
12-Asphalt: Urban GT
13-Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
14-The Simpsons: Hit & Run
15-The Urbz: Sims in the City
16-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
17-Playboy: The Mansion
18-Pokemon Dash
19-Spider-man 2
20-Need for Speed: Underground 2
21-FIFA 2005
22-Pro Evolution Soccer 4
23-The Incredibles
24-Sonic Heroes
25-Robots
26-UEFA Champions League 2004-2005
27-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
28-Simpsons: Road Rage
29-Project Rub
30-Project: Snowblind
31-Finding Nemo
32-Ace Combat: Squadron Leader
33-Shrek 2
34-Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
35-GTR FIA GT Racing Game
36-Football Manager 2005
37-Spongebob: Revenge of Flying Dutchman
38-The Sims 2
39-Zoo Keeper
40-Polarium
For full chart details, including movements and platform-specific charts, check out our charts sections
Companies:
Nintendo
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Comments
NiktheGreek 15 Mar 2005 14:10
1/10
Attention UK game buyers! You're cretins for buying more copies of ancient tosh Simpsons: Road Rage than Project Rub. Worse still, Asphalt: Urban GT is at #12. Triple F.
In other news, that's a really successful launch for a system for which the centre-stage software is nearly a decade old. The point about the Gamecube's launch being the most successful previously is interesting though. More fuel to the "launch success means little" fire.
In other news, that's a really successful launch for a system for which the centre-stage software is nearly a decade old. The point about the Gamecube's launch being the most successful previously is interesting though. More fuel to the "launch success means little" fire.
Joji 15 Mar 2005 16:20
2/10
Congratulations Nintendo on a good DS launch. Seems the interest in the DS was higher than I thought it would be. I suppose people learn what is different about it quickly and good luck to them for buying.
A few more months of exposure should see a sweet summer ahead for DS before PSP turns up. Now roll out the big gun games.
A few more months of exposure should see a sweet summer ahead for DS before PSP turns up. Now roll out the big gun games.
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Ditto 15 Mar 2005 21:55
3/10
NiktheGreek wrote:
In other news, that's a really successful launch for a system for which the centre-stage software is nearly a decade old. The point about the Gamecube's launch being the most successful previously is interesting though. More fuel to the "launch success means little" fire.
Someone please employ me as a game designer. My games would shift DS units.
NiktheGreek 15 Mar 2005 22:31
4/10
Adam M wrote:
NiktheGreek wrote:
In other news, that's a really successful launch for a system for which the centre-stage software is nearly a decade old. The point about the Gamecube's launch being the most successful previously is interesting though. More fuel to the "launch success means little" fire.
Someone please employ me as a game designer. My games would shift DS units.
If you can create games that use the unique functions of the system without resorting to menu functionality, minigames or a poor substitute for analogue control, you're one step ahead of today's designers and I'd definitely not hire you. You're far too creative to make a profit! However, I'd buy your games.
Ditto 16 Mar 2005 09:11
5/10
NiktheGreek wrote:
If you can create games that use the unique functions of the system without resorting to menu functionality, minigames or a poor substitute for analogue control, you're one step ahead of today's designers and I'd definitely not hire you. You're far too creative to make a profit! However, I'd buy your games.
See - that's the problem. I can really see games that are much more innovative than those being released either in the present or future.
Now, I would develop these games myself, but Nintendo don't release any kind of development tools to hobbyist developers. As you said, I could approach a developer, however they wouldn't employ someone with no experience.
Now though, I do think that my games would be profitable if developed professionally. The one I've got in mind is one that has massive potential to sell well.
Greg2k 16 Mar 2005 09:20
6/10
NiktheGreek wrote:
If you can create games that use the unique functions of the system without resorting to menu functionality, minigames or a poor substitute for analogue control, you're one step ahead of today's designers and I'd definitely not hire you. You're far too creative to make a profit! However, I'd buy your games.
Am I the only one here that hints there to be some weird sort of "indie dev kit" from Nintendo on the horizon? By what Iwata said at the GDC, and the whole Developer System thing, it could actually make some sense. Like Net Yaroze, but Nintendified =P
ku16610 16 Mar 2005 10:32
7/10
The handheld With The least to offer the DS :)
Ditto 16 Mar 2005 11:02
8/10
Greg2k wrote:
Am I the only one here that hints there to be some weird sort of "indie dev kit" from Nintendo on the horizon? By what Iwata said at the GDC, and the whole Developer System thing, it could actually make some sense. Like Net Yaroze, but Nintendified =P
That would be a very positive move, but I seriously doubt it. Nintendo don't do positive.
Jayenkai 16 Mar 2005 15:49
9/10
Well, I'm in exactly the same boat..
I've a couple of game ideas that would be FAB on the DS, and I also know I could get them working. But.. A) no qualifications, and B) no experience (other than loads of games coded in Blitz Basic.. But they don't count.. They're neither c++, nor have I sold them!)
I'm desperately wanting to get into the homebrew scene, but that's not exactly the best way to go, either, is it!
I've a couple of game ideas that would be FAB on the DS, and I also know I could get them working. But.. A) no qualifications, and B) no experience (other than loads of games coded in Blitz Basic.. But they don't count.. They're neither c++, nor have I sold them!)
I'm desperately wanting to get into the homebrew scene, but that's not exactly the best way to go, either, is it!
Ditto 16 Mar 2005 16:58
10/10
Jayenkai wrote:
I'm desperately wanting to get into the homebrew scene, but that's not exactly the best way to go, either, is it!
I've decided that I'm going to go off and do a degree in Comp Sci (I'm doing a course where most of your third year is spent in a group programming a game) and then try and break into the industry.
Games developers don't seem to realise that people want to get into the industry and have no idea how. I'd personally blame Nintendo in this case; it would do it no harm at all to release some development tools into the public domain.