Nintendo expects 20 Million DS sales this year

20 million. That’s a big number, and it feels even larger when it refers to sales of the Nintendo DS.

While we can’t really assess who’s going to come out on top at the end of the console wars, Nintendo’s handheld is certainly helping the company to be the world’s largest videogame hardware company this year. According to Nintendo, they expect global sales of the DS to be higher this year than previously, with an estimated 20 million units for 2006 trumping the roughly 17 million DS handhelds sold last year.

According to Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America‘s president, since Nintendo’s reputation currently shows itself to the public in the accessible form of the DS, increased sales of the handheld are a great way of letting people know of the Wii’s arrival. “Numbers dramatically show the value of reaching out to the masses with products that are compelling and comfortable,” he says, “and this perfectly sets the stage for our breakthrough Wii console, which appeals to both core players and current non-players with an intuitive control system and a price everyone can afford.”

In light of earlier news of their rising stock, you can’t helped but be impressed. Whether or not this translates into Wii sales, as we earlier mentioned, will still be left to consumers when the Wii arrives.

20 million. That’s a big number, and it feels even larger when it refers to sales of the Nintendo DS.

While we can’t really assess who’s going to come out on top at the end of the console wars, Nintendo’s handheld is certainly helping the company to be the world’s largest videogame hardware company this year. According to Nintendo, they expect global sales of the DS to be higher this year than previously, with an estimated 20 million units for 2006 trumping the roughly 17 million DS handhelds sold last year.

According to Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America‘s president, since Nintendo’s reputation currently shows itself to the public in the accessible form of the DS, increased sales of the handheld are a great way of letting people know of the Wii’s arrival. “Numbers dramatically show the value of reaching out to the masses with products that are compelling and comfortable,” he says, “and this perfectly sets the stage for our breakthrough Wii console, which appeals to both core players and current non-players with an intuitive control system and a price everyone can afford.”

In light of earlier news of their rising stock, you can’t helped but be impressed. Whether or not this translates into Wii sales, as we earlier mentioned, will still be left to consumers when the Wii arrives.