Nintendo reveal sales figures

GCN News | Including woldwide DS sales up to September.

Heading up the figures is the current world #1 platform, the Nintendo DS, which as of September has sold (not shipped, sold) 8.83 million worldwide, 2.37 million of those to the US. 23.8 million DS games have been sold worldwide. Very impressive given that these figures are for less then a full year.

The Gamecube has just passed 10 million units sold in the US, bringing it to 19.31 million wolrdwide, and 169.51 million Gamecube games have been sold to September.

The Game Boy Advance, including original, SP and Micro, has now sold 70.04 million, and 296.12 million games.

We've also got some game series specific sales data. From 1983 to September this year, Nintendo has sold 184 million Mario games. Why 1983? That's when Mario made his debut on a Nintendo made console, the Japanese NES.

Next up is releative late starter Pokémon, with 143 million units sold. Incredible given they still have not been given a proper console game. #3 is the Zelda series with 47 million units, then Donkey Kong with 44 million games. Finally, #5 is Metroid with 11 million games sold. In total, Nintendo has sold over 2 billion units of software for all their consoles worldwide.

Nintendo slashes price of DS in Australia
14 Sep, 2005 | $179.99 from September 22nd.

'DS is a gimmick'
31 Aug, 2005 | Top Sony exec goes on the offensive as PSP launch nears.

GameBoy Micro launches in September
27 Jul, 2005 | The 13th...in Japan at least.

Nintendo classics get visual makeovers
22 Jun, 2005 | Revolution classic game downloads to have new looks?

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26 Comments

Matt

3 years ago

The DS has really been tearing it up lately - a hair underneath 300,000 units in Japan between the 5th and 12th (Media Create) - my prediction is that it will sell over a million units in Japan in the next three weeks (they're the biggest shopping weeks in Japan other than Golden week). Quite a few big name titles coming from Nintendo in the next couple of weeks, while the PSP really only has Me and My Katamari,

Here's a pretty chart showing just how badly the PSP is being whooped in Japan at the moment.

Au Francais, si vous plait

Also had another chart (which I can't find) that showed that the DS has outsold the PSP in the UK for the last 8 or 9 weeks on the trot, and has reclaimed its lead, and then some.

Considering Europe was supposed to be a Sony stronghold, the doggies really put Nintendo back into the game (bundles sold out everywhere, I'm told). Sony needs to bring the goods next year - fresh, original software, or the PSP is going to be Game Gear Part 2 - stick around for a few years before quietly fading away. They can still stay in the fight, but I do not believe they can win.

Sin Ogaris

3 years ago

PSP needs some ace titles, so far NOTHING on it, to me, justifies paying 400 bucks for the machine and like 80 for games. Maybe next year will change things but so far not a lot is wowing me whereas DS just had the greatest month imaginable.

DancesInUnderwear

3 years ago

Wow, I didn't realise the sales difference between Pokemon and Zelda was be that much.

Thats crazy.

theory

3 years ago

Great article David. Good to see my favourite series making the top 5 of all time Nintendo game sales.

Matt, those charts are really detailed. Nice.

In the long run I agree, it is all about the DS. PSP was fun for a minute, and it was cool to have it before most in Australia, but I rarely even turn it on these days.

J*ke

3 years ago

I'm still under the impression, based on Australian charts, that the PSP is doing better than the DS in Australia??? Don't get me wrong, I have a DS, and see the PSP as something that's already been and gone... but I've always seen Australia as a much more Sony/Microsoft gaming community. Take GameCube for example... you barely see the games in stores these days...

Sin Ogaris

3 years ago

I had to literally search to find a place IN MELBOURNE where I could hire GC games, it was crazy.

theory

3 years ago

Sin Ogaris wrote

I had to literally search to find a place IN MELBOURNE where I could hire GC games, it was crazy.

Which area of MEL do you live in? There's a couple around my hood, but then they are mostly really really old titles.

EvilHayama

3 years ago

Matt wrote

Here's a pretty chart showing just how badly the PSP is being whooped in Japan at the moment.

That's a very cool chart... I didn't realise the difference between dawgs and MK/AC in terms of selling DS's before. Any Australian figures?

Quote

Sony needs to bring the goods next year - fresh, original software, or the PSP is going to be Game Gear Part 2

I'll resist a battery life joke here >_>

Sin Ogaris

3 years ago

theory wrote

Sin Ogaris wrote

I had to literally search to find a place IN MELBOURNE where I could hire GC games, it was crazy.

Which area of MEL do you live in? There's a couple around my hood, but then they are mostly really really old titles.

Burwood. There's a blockbuster in Camberwell that I can go to but the choice is limited (all the games i would want to hire from there I own).

theory

3 years ago

Sin Ogaris wrote

theory wrote

Sin Ogaris wrote

I had to literally search to find a place IN MELBOURNE where I could hire GC games, it was crazy.

Which area of MEL do you live in? There's a couple around my hood, but then they are mostly really really old titles.

Burwood. There's a blockbuster in Camberwell that I can go to but the choice is limited (all the games i would want to hire from there I own).

Come to the Northwest. There's a bit more of a choice here, plus E2Games where you can pretty much hire anything including new release NTSC games. GameTraders let you hire anything on the shelf as well, if there's one around there.

ZNMS

3 years ago

Next up is releative late starter Pokémon, with 143 million units sold. Incredible given they still have not been given a proper console game.

So true. It's frightening.

LordPaludis

3 years ago

Does anyone know the total number of PSP's sold worldwide?

David

3 years ago

LordPaludis wrote

Does anyone know the total number of PSP's sold worldwide?

Well, let's work it out.

We know the DS has sold 8.83 million worldwide to September.

From Matt's chart, we know that just in Japan, the DS has sold 4250373 and the PSP 2315200, giving the DS a lead of 1935173 in Japan.

From memory, I believe the DS has about a 200,000 - 400,000 lead in the US, and about a 1 - 1.2 million lead in Europe.

So based on that, a resonable guess of PSP sales to date is about 5.2 - 5.5 million to September.

(8.83 minus 1.94 minus 0.2 to 0.4 minus 1.0 to 1.2, in millions)

Infested Jibbs

3 years ago

^Now THAT is one for the too hard basket.

Man, the little engine that could.The ds has powled over so many just recently with some true aaa titles.Sonic rush, animal crossing, castlevania, metroid pinball, mario kart........insane.The reason i see it suceeding is because it offers something for everyone.From the cutesy-poo nintendogs, to the dark castlevania, to the best portable rts advance wars, to super mario kart for the rev heads.

Diversity is the key.Psp has none.

Keep on chuggin......you little engine that could.

James

3 years ago

Don't forget that it costs twice as much.

Jeremy

3 years ago

I think that part of the reason that the DS is caning is because of the lack of activity from the PSP. I still am not convinced that the DS is as good as it could be but I think that Sony banked too much on LCS and only LSC.

David

3 years ago

James wrote

Don't forget that it costs twice as much.

Only in Australia and the UK.

In the US PSP costs a little more then 1.5 times the DS ($250 to $150), and in Japan it's only about 1.3 times (19,800 yen to 15,000 yen).

So basically, for most of the world your statement is completley untrue.

Sorry Mr Manager (ducks for cover).

PS: thanks for the Christmas card!

Jeremy

3 years ago

[quote="David"]

James wrote

PS: thanks for the Christmas card!

Same here, thanks a bunch

Capoeira

3 years ago

Chipping in here too with thanks for the card! What a pleasant surprise! And boy, those presents under the tree looked awfully tempting...

Mark

3 years ago

James wrote

Don't forget that it costs twice as much.

That doesn't really change a thing. The PSP targets a much broader market than the DS, and should be up there with the DS despite its price tag. It's only a problem because Sony wanted to promote this UMD movie playing, instead of having the console compatible with DVDs, which would've secured a lot more sales.

PSP is an entertainment powerhouse and offers an excellent package if that's what you want. However, just for a gaming console, it's pretty darn terrible at this stage. I still think that Sony pushed out their handheld far too early so they didn't get trumped by the DS, which it still is. In the first couple of months of release, the PSP had major hardware problems and the deadpixel problem is still a common problem. Sony didn't secure enough exclusive IPs, but rather re-releasing, porting or releasing titles that are washed-down PS2 titles, which isn't exactly worth the money when you've got the comfort of your home and a far better game at only a little bit extra. And the software is incredibly limited in appeal. Car games, sports games? They sell, but not enough.

The DS has at least backed up its console with a lot of excellent IPs that target the audience that they were originally trying to get - the non-gamers. And I think that all boils down to Nintendo having enough in-house developers, whereas Sony doesn't have enough, and the ones they do have don't always release quality titles.

I think GTA will definitely push up the console sales though, but as will Mario Kart DS. So, I personally, unless Sony match the DS in price, don't see the PSP surpassing the DS anytime soon.

Sin Ogaris

3 years ago

theory wrote

Never even heard of those places. When I move to South Yarra I'll look into it, currently living in the eastern suburbs is a bit of a deterrent to going to the northwest. Sure i want to play Fire Emblem, but not enough to drive an hour one way.

theory

3 years ago

Fair enough, just letting ya know. Check out the websites if ya like.
GameTraders
e2 Games

Bitchacho

3 years ago

Next up is releative late starter Pokémon, with 143 million units sold. Incredible given they still have not been given a proper console game.

What about Pokemon Gale of Darkness or whatever it's called?