European DS Sales Reach 6 Million

The ongoing triumph of the Nintendo DS really doesn’t surprise us anymore, right? Still, it’s worth noting when there’s another success story to be told. Because Nintendo just announced that since the launch in March 2005, six million units of the sleek little handheld (including both Original and Lite versions) have reached the hands of Europeans.

Main reasons for the impressive numbers in Europe are the Touch! Generations range of games that attempt to appeal to non-gamers as well. Dr KawashimaÂ’s Brain Training: How Old Is your Brain?, even surpassed the title’s sales in Japan. More than 700,000 copies have sold across Europe since itÂ’s launch, the majority of these to adults.

Another title in the Touch! Generations range, Nintendogs, has now shipped over 4 million copies in Europe alone since it’s release in October 2005. Animal Crossing: Wild World managed to score over 850,000 copies.
Let’s also not forget outstanding launch of the DS Lite that boosted the device’s popularity to a peak. No surprise then when Nintendo says they have secured a lead in the handheld market with a 70% share of the market for eleven consecutive weeks. Also, they’re boasting the fact that 44% of all DS consoles are sold to women, again demonstrating the wide target audience of the handheld.

With the Pink DS Lite soon arriving in Europe, together with a big number of potential smash hit titles, it doesn’t look like DS fans have anything to worry about. What first was seen as a risky and needlessly inventive approach to handheld gaming turned out  one of the most successful consoles of all time. And when similar things will be said about the Wii in a few months, there’ll be no doubts anymore – Nintendo has grabbed the crown of the video game industry again and won’t be giving it away anytime soon.

The ongoing triumph of the Nintendo DS really doesn’t surprise us anymore, right? Still, it’s worth noting when there’s another success story to be told. Because Nintendo just announced that since the launch in March 2005, six million units of the sleek little handheld (including both Original and Lite versions) have reached the hands of Europeans.

Main reasons for the impressive numbers in Europe are the Touch! Generations range of games that attempt to appeal to non-gamers as well. Dr KawashimaÂ’s Brain Training: How Old Is your Brain?, even surpassed the title’s sales in Japan. More than 700,000 copies have sold across Europe since itÂ’s launch, the majority of these to adults.

Another title in the Touch! Generations range, Nintendogs, has now shipped over 4 million copies in Europe alone since it’s release in October 2005. Animal Crossing: Wild World managed to score over 850,000 copies.
Let’s also not forget outstanding launch of the DS Lite that boosted the device’s popularity to a peak. No surprise then when Nintendo says they have secured a lead in the handheld market with a 70% share of the market for eleven consecutive weeks. Also, they’re boasting the fact that 44% of all DS consoles are sold to women, again demonstrating the wide target audience of the handheld.

With the Pink DS Lite soon arriving in Europe, together with a big number of potential smash hit titles, it doesn’t look like DS fans have anything to worry about. What first was seen as a risky and needlessly inventive approach to handheld gaming turned out  one of the most successful consoles of all time. And when similar things will be said about the Wii in a few months, there’ll be no doubts anymore – Nintendo has grabbed the crown of the video game industry again and won’t be giving it away anytime soon.