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3DS Has Officially Sold More Units than N64

I didn't see this posted anywhere, but the 3DS has achieved a milestone that should be recognized!

Here it is:

3DS Hardware Shipments to Retailers as of September 30th, 2013:
34,980,000 units

N64 Hardware Shipments to Retailers as of September 30th, 2013:
32,930,000 units


3DS Software Shipments to Retailers as of September 30th, 2013:
122,420,000 units

N64 Software Shipments to Retailers as of September 30th, 2013:
224,970,000 units


With the most recent quarterly announcements, it's official: 3DS has now surpassed the Nintendo 64. Sometimes we tend to forget how successful the 3DS has been since its launch. In only 2 and 1/2 years of being on the market the 3DS has managed to sell more consoles than the Nintendo 64 was able to sell throughout its entire five-year lifespan.


List of Nintendo consoles by worldwide, lifetime hardware shipments:

1) DS: 153,960,000 units shipped
2) GB + GBC: 111,869,000 units shipped
3) Wii: 100,300,000 units shipped
4) GBA: 81,510,000 units shipped
5) NES: 61,910,000 units shipped
6) SNES: 49,100,000 units shipped
7) 3DS: 34,980,000 units shipped (in 2 and 1/2 years of being on the market)
8) N64: 32,930,000 units shipped
9) GC: 21,740,000 units shipped
10) Wii U: 3,910,000 units shipped
11) Virtual Boy: ~1,260,000 units shipped

The next milestone for the 3DS is SNES shipments at 49.1 million. Considering the 3DS hit 34.98 million in only 2 and 1/2 years, it's safe to say that 3DS will easily surpass SNES by the time it's taken off the market.

However, the 3DS's success has a double-edged sword. Although it may have sold more hardware, the N64 has moved twice the amount of software sales.


List of Nintendo consoles by worldwide, lifetime software shipments:

1) DS: 938,930,000 units shipped
2) Wii: 883,970,000 units shipped
3) GB + GBC: 501,110,000 units shipped
4) NES: 500,010,000 units shipped
5) SNES: 379,060,000 units shipped
6) GBA: 377,420,000 units shipped
7) N64: 224,970,000 units shipped
8) GC: 208,570,000 units shipped
9) 3DS: 122,420,000 units shipped (in 2 and 1/2 years of being on the market)
10) Wii U: 19,710,000 units shipped

* Note: 3DS software sales are (Worldwide lifetime shipments to retailers + Worldwide eShop digital-version-of-retail-title sales to consumers)
* Note: Wii U software sales are (Worldwide lifetime shipments to retailers + Worldwide eShop digital-version-of-retail-title sales to consumers
)


And, despite rocketing past the GameCube in terms of hardware sales, it's still lagging behind with software.

Although, the 3DS still has plenty of time to rectify this (it's only been out for 2 and 1/2 years), and handhelds historically have lower tie ratios than their console counterparts.
 

Elija2

Member
It's kinda weird that the 3DS is still lagging behind even the Gamecube in software sales. I'm guessing eShop sales aren't counted?
 

NameGenerated

Who paid you to grab Dr. Pavel?
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.
 
Yay, an Aquamarine data thread!

The software issue is definitely one to watch, especially the marginal numbers in future months/years. People may have bought their 3DS for a particular game (e.g., Animal Crossing), but when they consider future software purchases, they may be looking elsewhere.
 

apana

Member
Damn, Gameboy Advance sales are impressive considering it was killed off early because of DS. No wonder Nintendo was making good profits even during the Gamecube era.
 
It's kinda weird that the 3DS is still lagging behind even the Gamecube in software sales. I'm guessing eShop sales aren't counted?
7 years vs. 2 years


And yes, Software is another department than Hardware in this case.


Also: Handhelds have a lower tie ratio than consoles traditionally.
 

Zalman

Member
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.
I had the same experience, but with the GameCube. I mean, a lot of people I knew had PS2s, but even more had GameCubes. I was shocked years later when I realized it was Nintendo's "black sheep".
 

Rich!

Member
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.

Same here. Only one kid I knew had a PlayStation, and it was chipped.

Me and my mates all had N64 consoles and played games like Goldeneye to death. I was 11 at the time though - maybe younger kids had playstations in the UK at that time?

N64 was definitely the cool console to have at school anyhow.
 

Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.

I still can't process it. Everyone I know, whether they still play games or not, has enjoyed Mario Kart 64 or Goldeneye at some point.

I have a theory that the N64 did outsell the Playstation but time travel was involved and flipped the sales the other way. Though everyone still has some residual memory of owning an N64 and enjoying Mario Kart 64.
 
Good for the 3DS. 2013 3DS has been one of those legendary, magical years for a platform in terms of games. It's been non-stop great game after great game, almost reminds me of 1994 SNES. Hope it keeps on trucking along.
 

balohna

Member
Same here. Only one kid I knew had a PlayStation, and it was chipped.

Me and my mates all had N64 consoles and played games like Goldeneye to death. I was 11 at the time though - maybe younger kids had playstations in the UK at that time?

N64 was definitely the cool console to have at school anyhow.

Same here, but I also live in Canada and apparently the N64 did actually outsell the PlayStation here I think. For whatever reason.
 

apana

Member
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.

Nintendo 64 was fairly competitive in America I think. It didn't sell well internationally and tapered off due to lack of support.
 

Rich!

Member
Nintendo 64 was fairly competitive in America I think. It didn't sell well internationally and tapered off due to lack of support.

I seem to recall the N64 being marketed very much as a hardcore/adults gaming console here in the UK, as opposed to the cheap and cheerful PlayStation. As absolutely incredible that may sound. Games like Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Turok, Conker and even Mario Kart really sold it in that sense. I mean hell, Conker's Bad Fur Day is pretty much the most British game ever made, and it's a hard 18.

Even the N64 magazines, such as the amazing n64 mag were catered very much to an older demographic.
 

illadelph

Member
I still can't process it. Everyone I know, whether they still play games or not, has enjoyed Mario Kart 64 or Goldeneye at some point.

I have a theory that the N64 did outsell the Playstation but time travel was involved and flipped the sales the other way. Though everyone still has some residual memory of owning an N64 and enjoying Mario Kart 64.

yeah there is seriously something going on, EVERYONE I knew had an N64, and I knew a lot of people growing up

EDIT: I guess international sales were poor, that's a shame
 

Clefargle

Member
What an incredible system, I hope it reaches NES levels before its retirement at least. I've never had a system this good.
 

Yanikun

Banned
At the end of it, the 3DS software shipment figures being relatively low should not be a surprise. Stuff like Steamworld Dig, Mutant Mudds, Jett Rocket II or Pushmo to name just a few would have been retail games in the past. The DS and the Wii both had digital-only games, but because their stores weren't as developed, they didn't really bring much stuff to their platforms that couldn't be found at retail. The eShop is bringing to the 3DS the kind of small- or mid-sized games that aren't being released at retail anymore. If you don't buy eShop games, you're missing out on a lot of high-quality 3DS exclusives.
 

apana

Member
I do wonder how you could break down sales in America depending on region. We will never have access to that kind of info but my sneaking suspicion is that Nintendo consoles sold better on the west coast than on the east coast. That may explain why some of you didn't notice the difference in sales.
 

dave_d

Member
Damn, Gameboy Advance sales are impressive considering it was killed off early because of DS. No wonder Nintendo was making good profits even during the Gamecube era.

I've got to second this. I mean the GBA came out in what? Summer of 2001 and the DS came out in late 2004. It was basically relevant for about 3 years.(And the DS was better at playing GBA games than the original GBA.)
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
That software situation doesnt look rosy. Massive contraction on publishers even making handheld software since the GBA/DS era probably doesn't help, but still.

Where do people put 3DS lifetime? I'm not convinced it outsells GBA at this current rate, but 2DS may be the booster rocket. Of course who knows what other late model shenanigans they may pull in the vein of a 3DSi.
 
Man if you look at it, Nintendo is a dinasour in this business, outlived every other of the old "big players" since the beginning.


1977 - Color TV Game

1983 - NES

1990 - SNES

1996 - N64

2001 - GCN

2006 - Wii

2012 - Wii U


2017 - 40 years in the market
 

Rich!

Member
Man if you look at it, Nintendo is a dinasour in this business, outlived every other of the old "big players" since the beginning.


1977 - Color TV Game

1983 - NES

1990 - SNES

1996 - N64

2001 - GCN

2006 - Wii

2012 - Wii U


2017 - 40 years in the market

40 years of gaming doom
 

zroid

Banned
I think 3DS will probably hit around GBA numbers when all's said and done

Not bad for a dedicated handheld platform, in an era when large segments of the market are being usurped
 

stuminus3

Member
It was weird when I discovered how poorly N64 sold relative to PS1. When I was a kid everyone had an N64. I don't remember any of my friends having Playstation.
Maybe because... and I hate to say this, but... maybe because you were a kid? I was in my 20s when the N64 was around and I was definitely the only one of my peers who not only owned one, but actively used it. There were maybe 2 or 3 others I knew who owned one but that was purely for multiplayer GoldenEye. Everyone else was full on Playstation, Playstation, Playstation. Of course I was also in the UK at the time, so that's probably an equally large part of it. ^_^
 

Yanikun

Banned
Man if you look at it, Nintendo is a dinasour in this business, outlived every other of the old "big players" since the beginning.


1977 - Color TV Game

1983 - NES

1990 - SNES

1996 - N64

2001 - GCN

2006 - Wii

2012 - Wii U


2017 - 40 years in the market

hiroshi-yamauchi.jpg


Notto baddo atto oru.
 

Rich!

Member
I think 3DS will probably hit around GBA numbers when all's said and done

Not bad for a dedicated handheld platform, in an era when large segments of the market are being usurped

And on that note, I personally think the 3DS at this point has a better library than the GBA.
 
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