DS outsells GBA, Wii sales near 35M

More than 84 million handhelds sold as console's popularity continues unabated; Nintendo snips annual income forecast by 16 percent--but still projects $3.5 billion profit.

For years, the Game Boy Advance had the distinction of being the best-selling portable game platform of all time. No longer. Today, Nintendo announced that its old-school handheld has been overtaken by its double-vision-stricken younger sibling, the DS. According to Nintendo, the handheld has sold 84.33 million units worldwide since being introduced in November 2004, generating a staggering 454.63 million in DS software sales. Since its debut in 2001, the Game Boy Advance has sold 81.36 million units.

Say hello to Nintendo's little friend.

Sales of Nintendo's Wii aren't exactly shabby either. Since its launch in November 2006, the plucky console has sold 34.55 million units. Of those, 10.1 million were bought during the first half of Nintendo's fiscal year, which ended on September 30. From January to the end of June, 81.41 million Wii games were purchased internationally, bringing the platform's cumulative software haul to a whopping 229.85 million units.

The DS and Wii sales figures were part of Nintendo's earnings report for the first half of its 2008 fiscal year. Income for that period totaled ¥836.9 billion ($8.85 billion), a 10.4 percent rise from the same period in 2007. Net income--otherwise known as "profit"--rose 9.4 percent year over year to hit ¥144.8 billion ($1.48 billion). The company called out such games as Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, Pokemon Platinum, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness as best-sellers.

Unfortunately, Nintendo's cash-minting operation has been somewhat hamstrung by international exchange rates. So far this year, the Japanese yen has climbed 14 percent against the US dollar and 27 percent against the Euro, according to the Bloomberg news service. As a result, Nintendo is now cutting its full-year forecast by 16 percent, and now only--only--expects a annual net income of ¥345 billion ($3.5 billion) for its current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2009.

179 Comments

  • Darkof

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 12:19 pm GMT

    Answer on "Where are the games Nintendo?": It's in Japan. One of the reason why they can't release games in Us and Eu is the short of staff in translating them.

  • SEr_803

    Posted Nov 30, 2008 6:32 pm GMT

    pwn.

  • Dark_knight109

    Posted Nov 26, 2008 11:43 pm GMT

    Looks like the DS is on its way to trouncing the PS2 as best-selling console ever.

  • Fire_EmblemFan

    Posted Nov 10, 2008 3:02 pm GMT

    congrats nintendo!

  • FNKYMNK

    Posted Nov 10, 2008 1:57 pm GMT

    Anema, are you being sarcastic? Sony definately hasn't taken over the game industry, not just sale wise, their are only a handfull of great games exclusively on the PS3. Nintendo may have the most sales, but it's not us buying the stuff, it's our parents and younger siblings. In my opinion Xbox360 is the superior system this generation, call me a fanboy all you want but Sony and especially Nintendo have gone way downhill.

  • Anema1986

    Posted Nov 5, 2008 10:12 am GMT

    good for Nintendo
    since the failures of the N64 and GC thanks to the crappy memory of the cartrige and disc, it seems that Sony has taken over the game industry, but Nintendo has proven the contrary.
    So good is the Wii, that Sony has patent a sensitive control to match Wii controls, pathetic from them, since the PS3 doesnt really need those kind of controls, since there true rival isnt Nintendo, is Microsoft

  • Fareru

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 3:21 pm GMT

    It's nice to hear that Nintendo is still doing well. The DS has quickly become one of my favorite platforms since I only picked my first one up this past September. I'm not a huge fan of the Wii, but I do want Nintendo to keep on truckin' through to the next gen games.

  • acsam12304

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 10:15 am GMT

    yeah i can say Wii and DS has a lot of games then teh PS3 but how many of the Wii games can you actully play using the Wiimote? most of the game you just cant i wonder how skate is goign to be witht he Wii fit pad. one little jump and it has to reload your feel on the pad.

    with the DS NOW we can say that the DSi is copying the PSP the . but if you look at all your going to get is extra features in a new handled b ut same grpahics

  • acsam12304

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 10:08 am GMT

    khoofia_pika
    you suck

  • acsam12304

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 10:05 am GMT

    na ill still stick with my PSP

  • Shtinky

    Posted Nov 3, 2008 2:31 am GMT

    ricardo-sene: That's sad. And that's the point. I had to change my preferred platform to follow this third-party games I like. Besides the sucess of Nintendo, my preferred platform today is no longer a Nintendo console anymore

    That's nice, but the article is about Nintendo's portable not console, and the DS is the best portable of all time.

  • ricardo-sene

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 5:01 pm GMT

    I'd like to post one point to think.

    We all grew up playing nintendo consoles. The most part of us played lots of NES, SNES, N64 and GC games during our history, so Nintendo is just part of our lives. During the GC era we played lot's of excellent third-party games like RE, Prince of Persia, Hitman, etc.. So we started to track these games as well. And now we see new RE5 and Prince of Persia games coming out and we can't play them in our preferred platform. That's sad. And that's the point. I had to change my preferred platform to follow this third-party games I like. Besides the sucess of Nintendo, my preferred platform today is no longer a Nintendo console anymore.

  • Makaatsu

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 2:02 pm GMT

    wish i had all the money Nintendo have! They sure got enough of mine!

  • brawl_freak

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 10:46 am GMT

    well lets hope nintendo keeps up there momentum, which is going to be harder now for the wii because of the xbox price cuts

  • abvance

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 9:31 am GMT

    Might reach 100 million when DSi comes out.

  • mylsd

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 4:55 am GMT

    Great job Nintendo, the DS has long been my favorite way to play games, but man there are some whiny people here "where are the games, where are the games" I'm not gonna list all the games I enjoyed, or mention some other console whose game department is lacking, I'll just say Nintendo has exceeded my expectations with both the DS and the Wii!

  • chocolate1325

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 4:54 am GMT

    It's amazing the DS has done so well in sales.

  • hotfiree posted Nov 2, 2008 12:49 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    hotfiree

    Posted Nov 2, 2008 12:49 am GMT (hide)

    I really dont get why it sells so well, apart from casual gamers. Im really open minded with games but i can count on my hand how many good wii and ds games i like.

  • trw534

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 3:02 pm GMT

    i still like the GBA

  • 14113a

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 11:32 am GMT

    I completely agree with frazzle, nintendo is loved by many but its an unconditional love. The way nintendo reigon locks games and is then forgiven is really surprising and disheartening.

    one of the other main reasons for nintendos success is the price. nintendo products are significantly cheaper than rival ones (ds; around £110, psp; £130, iPod touch; £149). Although many of the games are fun, original, cutsey and interesting its time people stopped thinking nintendo were the nice kids on the block.

  • frazzle00

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 8:30 am GMT

    Xdeiri and Ricardo-sene are right. Where are the games Nintendo? Unfortunately there are plenty of Nintendo apologists here, and that's why I am sure this comment will be rated negatively . In all honesty however, if you put your "love" of a company ahead of your expectations of it, then as a consumer you can only lose. Why? Because the company sure as hell doesn't love you. If Nintendo did the Wii would be region-free, Nintendo would not periodically release updates that invalidate the Free Loader, PAL VC games would be 60 Hz compatible, classic Japan only titles would be translated and we all would have got a chance to play Mother 3 in English on our GBA/DS consoles. So instead of jumping on the "Nintendo can do no wrong" bandwagon despite a blatant shortage of quality titles, let your dissatisfaction be known and perhaps Nintendo may change the status quo.

  • r_gam3

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 5:21 am GMT

    wii win.

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 4:22 am GMT

    Ardiendo_1,

    you suck

  • ricardo-sene

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 4:21 am GMT

    I always heard that a system is nothing without games, and that the games are the reason of the success of a system. Well, it looks like the Wii is one exception...

    but xdeiri is right: WHERE IS THE GAMES?? So I think we should start a little protest for more quality games on Wii.

  • Ardiendo_1 posted Nov 1, 2008 3:03 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Ardiendo_1

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 3:03 am GMT (hide)

    I hate it when people say 'good on Nintendo' after an article like this. What have they even done to deserve praise? The DS is pretty cool admittedly but why anyone actually choose to buy a Wii over a PS3 or 360 is beyond me. If EA had made the Wii I'm sure it's success would outrage you all but no because it's Nintendo they did a good job adding poor motion sensing technology to a console they built 7 years ago and selling it for more than four times the price.

  • tudyniuz

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 2:05 am GMT

  • xdeiri

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:50 pm GMT

    whrer is the GAMES ?

  • bennae66

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 7:43 pm GMT

    good on nintendo! my heart may be with them but the wii in my house still gets less game time than even my ps3, and thats saying something. other half is playing fallout right now on 360

  • ToyGamer

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 5:52 pm GMT

    Sad that even with this successful popular systems that the Wii continue to create they still wont out buy are run M$ or Sony in the ground with just this. They must be able to take at least 55% of the market for them to give up. Nice idea with increasing the amount of people who play games gaining a bigger % of the market, now that much go back gather 3rd party support and steal more "Hardcore gamers" away from the clutches of M$ and Sony.

  • xgalacticax

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 5:32 pm GMT

    Looks like the DS is set to eventually become the best selling game machine ever. With the DSi approaching, surely it can only get better for them. Is there no end to Nintendo's success this generation? Roll out Resident Evil 5:Wii HD edition (well gonna get it for 360 but the wiimote made Resi 4 10 times the fun it was with the Cube/ PS2 controller... for me...so i can only hope theres gonna be Resi 5 for the HD Wii whenever).

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 2:30 pm GMT

    nintendo is the King of the consoles

  • wael_rajab

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 1:41 pm GMT

    lol only 3.5 million i could make that this proves Nintendo is the best

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 1:32 pm GMT

    lol i love how the article makes it a point "ONLY 3.5billion). haha

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 1:28 pm GMT

    Not bad for a flash in the pan.

    The Sony and M$ fanboys must be itching to make a comment right now

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 1:07 pm GMT

    Nintendo is great!

  • popdacracka

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 12:20 pm GMT

    Another point for Nintendo!

  • AngelsongCA

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 12:17 pm GMT

    Nintendo wins again. The company is literally made of win.

  • santiagochile

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:53 am GMT

    Khoofia is right. All you people whining about the GBA slot need to go out and spend $20-$30 on a GBA. It's pretty simple, actually.

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:35 am GMT

    you could just go and buy yourself a gba dude

  • necronaux

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:30 am GMT

    And the current DS is still selling. Even with the next-gen DSi coming out soon. But with so many GBA games out there, there is still going to be a demand fot the DS, with the GBA slot, for a long time to come.

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:06 am GMT

    charizard, I'm not saying its nintendo's fault. I'm, just saying its a minus point for the wii buyers. and i dont mind if wii doesnt get all the flashy games, i have all three consoles of this generation.

  • Annimation

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:04 am GMT

    I've been a member for less than a week and already I feel at home - amongst my own kind. Where I can sit with my DS and play past midnight and not get the **** taken out of me for doing so. And this just proves that I'm not wrong and I'm not alone. I shall sleep well tonight... well, when I finally get there I will - Hotel Dusk's arrived in the post today! :-)

  • charizard1605

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 11:03 am GMT

    andrew_ribbons,

    i am well aware that many of the games that i listed have been panned by the critics. but, if you ever take the time to see the player scores, you will see that most Wii games boast of high player averages, typically over 8.2. it is ultimately what the players think that matters, not what the critics think. otherwise, killzone wouldnt have been a platinum hit.

    khoofia_pika,

    i was waiting for this point to come up.
    True, the Wii DOES miss out on a LOT. but that's not really Nintendo's fault, is it? the third party developers dont understand the wii, so they avoid developing for it. if they made a game for the Wii AND the Xbox 360/PS3, then they would actually be making TWO games, one for the Wii and one for the X360 and PS3. There's a risk involved in that, so they usually stay away.
    However, as you may have noticed over the past one year or so, third party support for the Wii HAS been improving, as devs finally acquaint themselves with the system. how else would you explain games like No More Heroes 2?

    I'm not denying that the Wii did not get GTA4, but that's because the Wii isnt meant for GTA4. Its meant for GTA 4 Wii. If Rockstar is too lazy to develop that, then that's their problem. If you want to play GTA, you can go play it on an Xbox. the Wii has a great lineup of titles that would appeal to gamers anyway. It doesnt need an MGS 4 to come and sell 3 million units.

    And finally, i would like to list out the good titles on PS3 here. Just for the sake of comparision.

    GOOD TITLES ON PS3:

    Metal Gear Solid 4
    Resistance
    MotorStorm
    Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
    Saint's Row 2
    Bioshock
    Devil May Cry 4
    Grand Theft Auto 4
    Burnout Paradise


    ... see what I mean? Compare this with the Wii... there are equal amounts of good titles on both systems... logically, people should be dissing both the Wii and the PS3 then. but they dont. either because they're fanboys, or because its cool to hate the wii, or because the PS3 has great HD visuals and that more mature feel.

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:53 am GMT

    charizard,

    man, i agre with you whole heartedly but wii DOES miss out on a lot of titles that wmake a difference...

    1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots
    2. Grand Theft Auto IV
    3. Saints Row 2
    4. Devil May Cry 4
    5. Bioshock
    6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
    7. Fallout 3
    8. Mass Effect
    9. Burnout Paradise
    10. Assassin's Creed

    Then, many titles that are yet to be released are not coming out on Wii

    1. Resident Evil 5
    2. Final Fantasy XIII
    3. Prince of Persia
    4. Bioshock 2
    5. Mass Effect 2

    Not that i dont like the wii. Personally, its my favourite and i love it. But it DOES miss out on a lot, weather you like it or not.

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:44 am GMT

    andrew_ribbons,

    dude, its not the average that matters. first of all, its a cod game so that contradicts the fact that wii has a lack of good third party games. Then, look at the player score, hjere on gamespot. COD isnt a bad game, dude. critics just suck.

  • andrew_ribbons posted Oct 31, 2008 10:38 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    andrew_ribbons

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:38 am GMT (hide)

    Charizard, you mention games like COD3 in your list, that game got an average review score of 69%, if you call that a quality title then congrats on proving the stereotype that Wii gamers will accept any old rubbish, to be true.

  • GANGSTASAN

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:37 am GMT

    Charizard1605- Actually, DS has even more good games like that.... But the list keeps going so no need to bother

  • khoofia_pika

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:36 am GMT

    chariard 1605,

    yep, agreed.

  • cajunstrike

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:20 am GMT

    Agreed. Arguing with success is futile.

  • charizard1605

    Posted Oct 31, 2008 10:06 am GMT

    okay, here i go again.

    as always, congrats Nintendo, you deserve all the success you get.

    and now, on to the reAL ISSUE: the percieved lack of quality titles on Wii and DS.

    The Wii has:

    Twilight Princess
    Metroid Prime Corruption
    Super Mario Galaxy
    Mario Kart Wii
    Star Wars The Force Unleashed
    Super Smash Bros Brawl
    Excitetruck
    Resident Evil 4
    No More Heroes
    Bully
    Manhunt 2
    Medal of Honor Heroes 2
    Call of Duty 3
    Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
    Guitar Hero World Tour
    Guitar Hero: Legend of Rock
    Rock Band
    The Godfather: Blackhand Edition

    MORE COMING UP:
    The Conduit
    MadWorld
    Disaster: Day of Crisis
    Call of Duty: World at War
    Need for Speed Undercover
    Quantum of Solace
    Tales of Symphonia 2
    Castlevania

    Now, if you can name as many games for the PS3, then i MIGHT consider that the Wii has a lack of good games...

    Now for the DS:

    Pokemon Pearl/Diamond
    The World Ends With You
    Final Fantasy IV
    Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
    Super Mario 64 DS
    The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
    Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
    Castlevania: Order of Escelcia
    Advance Wars: Dual Strike
    Mario Kart DS
    Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
    Lost Magic
    Harvest Moon
    Metroid Prime Hunters
    and many more...

    So there are so many great games for both, why're you complaining?

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