Platform Sells Nearly Twice as Many Units as Nintendo DS Sold in its First Year
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 video and
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 unitssold 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+ |
*Source: NPD **Source: Nintendo of America ***All Figures are U.S. Only