Nintendo sees DS sales hitting five million units

TOKYO--According to Reuters and Mainichi Interactive, Nintendo has announced that it is raising its sales forecast for the DS to five million units for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2005. The company has not changed its outlook for the handheld's software sales, which is holding steady at 15 million copies.

This will be the second time that Nintendo has raised its sales estimates for the DS. Earlier this month, Nintendo increased its forecast for the DS from 3.5 to 4 million units. The handheld has been in massive demand in Japan where preorders have reached 2 million units, double the company's initial expectations. The handheld had a successful launch in America last week, and it will be released in Japan this Thursday.

In Tokyo, Nintendo is currently holding last minute promotions in the streets of the city's commercial districts, giving passers-by a chance to try out the handheld.

Nintendo also raised its sales estimate for the Game Boy Advance from 14 million to 16 million units, of which 15 million units are the GBA SP model.

Likewise, the forecast for GBA software sales has also been raised from 70 million to 77 million units. In addition, the company revealed that its Famicom Mini series shipped a total of 4.23 units in Japan; and its latest Pokemon title, Pokemon Emerald, has sold over 1 million units.

With sales of GBA games going smoothly and the DS handheld units expected to remain in high demand throughout the next few months, Nintendo has raised its net profit estimate for FY2005 from 84 billion yen ($817 million) to 90 billion yen ($875 million), nearly triple the profit from last year. The fiscal year ends March 31, 2005.