Press release
Nintendo delivers on its promise to bring video gaming to the masses. In less than two years since its Nov. 21, 2004 launch, Nintendo has sold more than 21 million Nintendo DS systems worldwide. By comparison, Apple shipped one million of its ever-popular iPod music players in its first 19 months. The rate of Nintendo DS units being sold equates to 23 systems per minute – that's nearly one every two seconds – non-stop since launch.
"We're thrilled to be announcing this milestone today," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, "especially since Nintendo DS was North America's top-selling video game system of any type in June. We attribute this success to Nintendo's overall strategy of offering something for everyone – from five-year-olds caring for their Nintendogs to 65-year-olds tuning their mental agility with Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day."
Nintendo recently launched the new version of its popular portable system, DS Lite, featuring a smaller profile and more brilliant display. Beyond appealing attributes such as dual screens, a touch screen, a microphone and seamless Wi-Fi play, DS popularity also is being propelled by a unique mix of software that appeals equally to mainstream players and those new to the category.
The Touch Generations line of fun and accessible games for all ages and skill sets features the red-hot Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day and Big Brain Academy, as well as the enormously popular and innovative Nintendogs. Nintendo DS sales success is also supported by video gaming sensations, New Super Mario Bros. and Animal Crossing: Wild World.
To satiate the video gaming palates of the 21 million Nintendo DS owners worldwide, Nintendo continues to increase its software offerings with Star Fox Command, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, Clubhouse Games and more games launching in the months ahead. Nintendo DS and DS Lite owners currently enjoy more than 130 Nintendo DS software titles – and 880 Game Boy®Advance software titles in single play mode – all playable on their portable DS systems.
