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REDMOND, Wash., Mar 06, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The era of glasses-free 3D gaming is turning one this month as Nintendo 3DS prepares to celebrate its first birthday. On March 27, 2011, video games and portable entertainment jumped into a new dimension in the U.S. and that story got richer throughout the year with record-breaking software titles such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 and entertainment options such as Netflix, Nintendo Video and the ability to record 3D movies. The platform enters its second year with a massive lineup of games, including the recently launched Resident Evil Revelations from CAPCOM, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games published by SEGA, TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., METAL GEAR SOLID Snake Eater 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment and the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising and Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir from Nintendo.

"Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with a lengthy list of accomplishments but we're still just scratching the surface," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "With a massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future. We're just getting started but this platform is built for the long haul."

Some of the milestones achieved by Nintendo 3DS in its first year include:

-- March 27, 2011: Nintendo 3DS ushers in a new era of gaming with glasses-free 3D. Launch-day sales are the strongest in Nintendo's history.

-- June 2011: The Nintendo eShop launches, letting users preview, try and buy new and classic games, download applications and watch 3D movie trailers.

-- June 2011: Link makes his first appearance in 3D with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which is still the best-reviewed game for Nintendo 3DS.

-- Summer 2011: Nintendo 3DS adds two video services: -- Netflix unlimited streaming members can instantly watch thousands of TV episodes and movies.

-- Nintendo Video automatically delivers hand-picked 3D content from leading sites and artists.

-- October 2011: After only eight months, Nintendo 3DS surpasses first-year sales of Nintendo DS, the best-selling video game system in history.

-- Fall 2011: Mario jumps into 3D with two new games, each becoming the fastest-selling titles in their franchises' history: -- Nov. 13, 2011: Super Mario 3D Land -- 1.75 million copies sold to date

-- Dec. 4, 2011: Mario Kart 7 -- 1.45 million copies sold to date

-- December 2011: Users can now record up to 10 minutes of 3D videoand stop-motion animation.

-- December 2011: Nintendo 3DS crosses 4 million units sold, passing the record pace set by the Wii.

-- Feb. 22, 2012: Dillon's Rolling Western launches for the Nintendo eShop, joining hot titles Pushmo and Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!

-- March 23, 2012: Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with the launch of Kid Icarus: Uprising, the first original entrant in the series in more than 20 years.

Nintendo 3DS is inexorably linked with its predecessor the Nintendo DS, the best-selling gaming system in U.S. history with more than 51 million units sold. A side-by-side comparison shows that Nintendo 3DS had a stronger first year across the board.

                                                                   Nintendo DS*     Nintendo 3DS**
                                                                   -------------    --------------
        Launch date                                                Nov. 21, 2004    March 27, 2011
        -------------------------------------------------------    -------------    --------------
        Total HW units sold in first 12 months                     2.3 million      4.5 million
        -------------------------------------------------------    -------------    --------------
        Total number of SW titles released in first 12 months      58               100+
        -------------------------------------------------------    -------------    --------------
        Total units of software sold in first 12 months            5 million        9 million+
        -------------------------------------------------------    -------------    --------------
        Total $ sales (HW, SW and accessory) in first 12 months    $540 million     $1.2 billion+
        -------------------------------------------------------    -------------    --------------

Not bad.

 

[Nibel]

Iwata: *laughs*

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Considering the start it had, pretty impressive.

 

[GCX]

5 million in Japan, 4,5 million in NA, ??? in Europe.

 

[shinobi602]

 

[electroplankton]

Can we extrapolate numbers from here to have an idea of how 3DS sold last months?

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

Congratulations!

 

[shinra-bansho]

Damn.. that means I lowballed my NPD prediction, lol.

But good for Nintendo.

 

[drspeedy]

Consider me impressed- seems they found the right price point at $169.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Everything went better than expected.

—Woo.

 

[liger05]

Great news and a pretty damn strong recovery. I know Iwata messed up but he still rectified the fuck up to an extent.

 

[GDGF]

Finally numbers.

Glad we can officially say it's doing very well in NA.

 

[MightyKAC]

This is good news for the system and Nintendo as a whole.

Now, more games please

 

[Kyoufu]

Nintendo knows how to sell a handheld.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Can we extrapolate numbers from here to have an idea of how 3DS sold last months?

So:

October 2011: After only eight months, Nintendo 3DS surpasses first-year sales of Nintendo DS, the best-selling video game system in history.

- DS sold 2.3m and the 3DS reached this number in eight months
- In the last four months then, the 3DS has sold 2.2m (4.5 - 2.3)

 

[Kacho]

Quite impressive. Hats off to you, Nintendo.

 

[Bullza2o]

Good job Nintendo!

I want Kid Icarus now!!

 

[18-Volt]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

 

[blu]

Watch SM3DL2 pop up on the iOS AppStore in less than a year.

 

[AceBandage]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

Nintendo was still releasing some pretty big stuff for the DS though.
And hell, it's STILL getting another mainline Pokemon.
It was far from dead, but it was over 6 years old. It was time to replace it.

 

[frostbyte]

Impressive. Let's see if it can still outpace the DS over its lifetime.

 

[big_z]

wait there's over 100 games on the 3ds?

did the creators of mynotebook release 40 different versions?

 

[Medalion]

Meh, still doomed.

Vita will overtake things now.

 

[electroplankton]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

DS pretty much dead?
Pokémon Black / White was released few weeks before 3DS in North America, and DS was still selling great, especially during 2010 Christmas.

 

[Blue Submarine No. 6]

I'll admit it... I'm surprised. Personally, I actually know more people with Vitas that 3DSs... But hats off to Nintendo; they know how to move systems.

wait there's over 100 games on the 3ds?

did the creators of mynotebook release 40 different versions?

lol Ya, that made me double-take too... It doesn't seem like we have that many 3DS titles here... They must be counting Nintendo Network games for 3DS including the Ambassador Program releases...

 

[Truth101]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

Incredibly false.

The DS was very much alive, the 3DS just replaced it nicely post price-cut.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Meh, still doomed.

Vita will overtake things now.

notsureifserious.gif

 

[DefectiveReject]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

False
DS was a new type of gaming.
offering 2 screens and additional power over the GBA. So a new experience compared with the GBA

 

[GDGF]

Meh, still doomed.

Vita will overtake things now.

notsureifsober.gif

 

[Sadist]

That's a little unfair. DS had a very strong competitor, GBA, which was in its prime. In first year of DS, all the quality titles were released for GBA, LoZ: Minish Cap, Mario vs DK, Mario Tennis, Final Fantasy IV, Pokémon Emerald, Fire Emblem 2 and Donkey Kong Country 2. By the time 3DS was released DS was pretty much dead and people were starving for a new system.

Nintendo DS in 2011 had games like Pokémon Black & White, Okamiden, Radiant Historia, Ghost Trick, Professor Layton & the Last Spectre, Kirby Mass Attack, Dragon Quest VI, Solatorobo, Aliens Infestation and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Yay. Now I eagerly wait for FE:A and the hope that they'll bring over the sexy Cobalt Blue 3DS, so I can join the ranks.

 

[ponpo]

Upcoming revision or not, if the 3DS was region free their sales numbers would be 4.5 million and 1.

 

[ace3skoot]

still waiting for a revision....even if I have to wait until next year
fool me once...

Great news anyway, hopefully this should give 3rd parties some confidence in producing some new IP's for the platform, which is the 3DS biggest weakness at the moment, but such things do take time.

 

[cvxfreak]

So, has any major system in history sold worse in year 2 than year 1?

 

[18-Volt]

Nintendo was still releasing some pretty big stuff for the DS though.
And hell, it's STILL getting another mainline Pokemon.
It was far from dead, but it was over 6 years old. It was time to replace it.

Big stuff, Kirby Mass Attack and couple of late localizations...

And yes, there are Black and White 2 coming, but they'll only help to boost 3DS's sales, not DS. DS hit the maximum sales point long time ago and it's all about 3DS from now on.

 

[The Hermit]

Well the DS kicked into beast mode after Lite, lets see how the 3DS will do against that.

 

[Ruud_Luiten]

Waiting for the next 'news'-article claiming that Nintendo should focus on iOS......

 

[Sammy Samusu]

Now we wait for Monster Hunter 3G to move even more units!

 

[AceBandage]

Waiting for the next 'news'-article claiming that Nintendo should focus on iOS......

That'll come Wednesday.

 

[VAPitts]

still waiting for a revision....even if I have to wait until next year
fool me once...

Great news anyway, hopefully this should give 3rd parties some confidence in producing some new IP's for the platform, which is the 3DS biggest weakness at the moment, but such things do take time.

yes, that's a good time to wait considering the DS Lite didn't come out until 2006. around year and a half. also, they said they are anywhere near ready for a revision.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Was there ever any doubt this thing would be tremendous hit? At this point, Nintendo has built such consumer brand loyalty and trust in their handheld products that they'll sell on name alone.

I know I love my 3DS, as well as features like Street Pass and Swap Note. Great system that's got an extremely bright future.

 

[slaughterking]

This makes me very happy. Now if only the Vita could follow the 3DS in its path (somewhat at least) we would look at a bright handheld future.

 

[electroplankton]

Big stuff, Kirby Mass Attack and couple of late localizations...

And yes, there are Black and White 2 coming, but they'll only help to boost 3DS's sales, not DS. DS hit the maximum sales point long time ago and it's all about 3DS from now on.

You forget Pokémon Black / White, released in March 2011, just few weeks before 3DS.
And looking at sales data of DS in 2010 and early 2011, you cannot define it a dead console.

 

[Mpl90]

Ok, 3DS did 250k this month, since last month we had the IGN article where Nintendo talked about the 4.25 millions sold. And those were NPD tracked numbers, non Nintendo ones...

 

[FreeMufasa]

lol love this pic.

I wonder if it'll reach 20 million by the end of the year.

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

Not bad, not bad. But remain sore that I'm gonna have to pick up another 3DS when I move to Japan. Still, I can wait for the revision and get a tasty Japan-only design, to go alongside my Zelda PAL 3DS.

 

[massoluk]

Haha, I knew it outpaced the DS, but I didn't know they actually almost doubled both HW and SW numbers. Damn.

 

[Diman]

Nintendo is still owning in the handheld market as usual.
I didn't aspect it to sell more units then the DS did in the first year.

 

[liger05]

Are all those doom and gloom writers now going to retract those articles and admit that a setback does not kill nintendo.

 

[Miles X]

Shouldn't first year be up to March 27th? I get this includes 12 NPD months, but it's really only 11, missing nearly an entire March. Unless I'm missing something.