Portable market in hand for Nintendo

Company says nearly 4 million DSs have been sold in North America; Mario Kart and Nintendogs top 2005 software numbers.

While most eyes are on the upcoming next-generation console war, Nintendo sent out a little reminder that the battle for handheld gaming is still raging. The Japanese company today revealed that nearly 4 million units of its DS handheld have been sold in the US. The latest numbers bring the total crop of DSs in customers' hands to more than 10 million. In Nintendo's home country, the DS has sold more than 5 million units, and in Europe, the number exceeded 1 million in June (new numbers have not yet been made available).

Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America's vice president for marketing and corporate communications, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that more than 3 million DSs were sold in the US in 2005, on top of the 1.2 million sold in just over a month in 2004. With both the DS and the three models of the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo claims to own 78 percent of the handheld gaming market in the US.

Nintendo also trumpeted the numbers being put up by a few of the dual-screened handheld's software titles. Sales of Mario Kart DS, released in mid-November, have already topped 1 million units in the US. Nintendogs, which revived sales of the system both in the US and Japan, has sold more than 1.5 million units in the US since its August release.

With more than 5 million units sold in Japan since its December 2004 regional launch, the DS has become the fastest-selling gaming machine in Japan's history. In another first, Japanese gamers have scooped up more than a million copies of four different titles within one year of a system's launch: Nintendogs, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Brain Age, and Brain Flex.

The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, which allows gamers to play over the Internet, has seen 550,000 unique visitors since its debut in late 2005.

The sales numbers of Nintendo's main rival in the handheld market, the Sony PSP, differ depending on who is asked. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sony has sold 2.7 million PSPs in the US from its March launch through December 1. However, last month, Sony told Reuters that 3 million units of the handheld have been sold in the US through November. A third opinion yields a third number--NPD Funworld says 2.5 million PSPs were sold in America through November.

141 Comments

  • Menta_Mage

    Posted Jan 15, 2006 1:18 pm PT

    Wow this incident looks slightly familiar when it comes to the GCN/PS2 war.

  • Cloud987

    Posted Jan 9, 2006 3:41 pm PT

    Whoaa...wait a damn minute...Everyone acts like the portable war is over!! Yea...of course the DS is killing the sales right now.. They have Nintendogs, Mario Kart, unique games like Wario Ware, and a cool stylus. What does PSP have? A watered down GTA game, Lumines, and Wipeout.-Basically good launch games and nothing else. Wait untill PSP gets some quality titles under it's belt. (Street Fighter Alpha 3, Mega Man, Classic series from companies like Capcom and Konami, Gradius remake, Field Commander, FFVll crisis Core, Daxter, MGS, and many more...) PSP hasn't had that chance yet, and honestly, I love the DS, but I'm still more excited about the idea of playing a 50 hour long RPG with beautiful cut-scenes on the go... Face it, the PSP just will have games that aren't even possible on the DS-and the same goes for DS games not being possible on PSP. Wait untill a company like Squaresoft or Sony makes a real Killer App, then the sparks will really began to fly...

  • Ninjitsu_Gamer

    Posted Jan 8, 2006 8:09 pm PT

    Oh, yeah, by the way: How do you guys know that sony is going to have another handheld?

  • Ninjitsu_Gamer

    Posted Jan 8, 2006 8:09 pm PT

    You guys shouldn't just diss sony like that. I'm trying to get a DS myself, but you've got to think of all the other hanheld systems not made by Nintendo: N-Gage (shivers), NEO-GEO pocket, etc, didn't do that good, so for Sony to have even 22% of the handheld industry is a surprize. Think about the human poulation; 22% of it is a lot, just like game sales because they're pretty high. I'm not gonna go and diss the PSP; I've played some fairly good games and it's too early for me to judge beacause I've only played 3: WWE vs. RAW, The Con, and Need for speed Underground 2, but I hope for great success for both companies in the near future. Oh, yeah and I hope well for the Revolution, PS3, and Xbox 360; God knows, if the Xbox 360 fails, they might release a portable system (shivers).

  • EdVader

    Posted Jan 7, 2006 6:18 pm PT

    Amazing, I never thought that because I was not being patient and just bought a DS over the PSP that I would have actually made a good decision!

  • markbridges

    Posted Jan 7, 2006 8:02 am PT

    This is a clear foreshadowing of how Nintendo is gonna reign supreme in the Next-gen console war. Like Nintendo has been saying for the longest time...Innovation is key... and what now? People are scooping it up in droves! I always knew Nintendo would win. They makes games for gamers. Unlike Sony and Microsoft: They make games for profit soley. MOst of their games are half-hearted or crappy. (Yes theirs some good.) PSP? Great portable Device but... I already got and I-pod Nano and Portable DvD player... Games? Don't make me laugh. I'd reather Pay 100$ for a Tv Screen that attaches to my PS2. (Or Gamecube :-P) Its cheaper and it has better games. Nintendo is the realest!

  • 0diablo0

    Posted Jan 6, 2006 12:49 pm PT

    i have to admit i think the psp is better than the ds i dont care about sales for the ds- see i love shooters, sports, racing and a few puzzle games i am not a fan of rpgs or addicting games (nintendogs sorry!)
    i love raw power a capeabil.ity and the psp is just for me.
    iam not saying the ds sucks, it's horrible or anything like that, iam saying it depends on what type of gamer you are. i own a psp and over 15 h + on my best friends ds (he has like a million games for it its not even funny...)

    but who here thinks that microsoft is gonna start losing sales on thier precious 360 and try the portable market well i do and they will fail horribly.
    ds is a great mashine but for me i perfer the psp over it.
    not please dont jump down my throat and say iam crazy. 78% of the handheld market is owned by nintendo so sony with it's first apperance took 22% of the market away from nintendo, imagine what the next psp will be like?? but if you look at it another way microsoft and sony have other markets to worry about (mp3 players, cpus, speakers,etc....) and nintendo is solely on gaming, what happens if nintendo come up with something dumb (not saying they will) and they rapid ly lose money, they go bankrupt. if sony or microsoft does that they will easliy take the blow and continue on.
    i perfer sony over nintendo and nintendo over microsoft.

  • kingneod

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:47 pm PT

    WT HECK?!?!?! you people keep saying that the DS sold 3 million in 2005 and the psp sold 2.7 million, well guess wat?!?! DS SOLD 4 million in 2005 in NA, not 3 milllion, it's a lot farther apart then you though huh?

  • auron212121

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:00 pm PT

    Hopefully the PSP stays in the market Nintendo needs some serious competition I honestly can't remember that many GBA games that I liked that I couldn't already play on my SNES.

  • Violent-M

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 3:47 pm PT

    You all speak like Nintendo wasn't in control of the handheld market or was in danger of loosing it. Even if the history of the handheld market was not a factor it's hard to beat out a company that basically manopolizes the entire market and is a vetaran in that market. Anyone who is shocked by this information(in a positive or negative way) is either 1 or 2 years old or has been living under a rock for the past 2 decades. It's not like this is any new information. Gamespot keeps rehashing this same article over and over. WIth all that said I own both the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP. Yeah Sony's PSP is pretty, and it is loaded with features but the company clearly doesn't work on reason or common sense. The few things that require success in the handheld market are games suited for portability, long battery life, generally simple games, and a cheap price point. Those 'bonus' features on the PSP are a joke. Who wants to buy a memory stick pro duo at outragious prices to put a maximum of about 250 songs when they could just have a superior mp3 player. Movies you say? They have these things called PMP's, they are wonderful little devices. A 'technical marval' as you people say. They run at high resolutions, have extended battery life and traditionally have a minimum space of 20 gbs, ranging up to 100 gbs or more. Now to the discs. You sexy little UMD discs are bulky and expensive to make, but that's ok, even if you can only carry about three with you easily, that's all you'll be able to afford, so all is well. Ahh sony, we love you and your beautiful fragile devices with proprietary formats. GOD DAMNIT, don't put moving parts in a small device that has a good chance of being dropped. Nobody wants 300 dollars to be flushed away just because their HANDHELD device couldn't survive a 2 foot drop. Jesus christ. Ok, with all that frustration aside, I do enjoy my PSP, especially X-Men Legends 2 and Burnout. Those are two good games, unfortunatly I had to sell my liver to get them. Now on to the Nintendo DS, ahh, cute toyish device that is perfect for the techy looking for an abusive relationship and it'll stay on until you are tired of dropping it in your shaky, uncoordinated hands. Too bad Nintendo is only a gaming company, the only way they can pump people up for a new system is when they send that big red retard Reggie off the stage. I hate that stupid bastard, all hunched over with his flabby body trying to act tough but deep inside something tells you that this is the person you use to pick on in grade school. The negative image and little to no publicity it recieves keeps developers caucious from jumping on the bandwagon so to speak. And trust me, the thing they would be jumping on is only about the size of a wagon. To all you folks out there you say 'durh the ds graphicalsiz are grood', no they aren't. The DS's power to render 3D visuals is sub par at best, but it is quite nice for a handheld with a low res screen, which is all we need to get down on the car ride to grandmas. I'd also like to point out that there is this device called the Play-Yan, yeah, SD cards are a lot cheaper than anything Sony spits out, but again, you stupid bastards, they have those things called mp3 players. You can get a 1 gb flash mp3 player with more 'features' you could know what to do with for less than one Memory Stick Duo, on top of that, they have 24 hours plus battery life, and are actually portable. No one is going to "own" anyone here, unless that person happens to be Nintendo, who owns the handheld market and has for the past two decades and only saw a net profit loss once in about 50 years. But wait wait, 50 years, how can that be possible. Well Nintendo didn't always make game consoles. Before them they made arcade games, before that toys. Dare we go back to the days where they owned their own chain of *ahem* hotels you rent by the hour not the night, yeah love hotels are quite profitable in Japan I hear. Ok ok, so it all comes down to Sony bein an arrogant bastard with amnesia and the quaint well managed Nintendo that has trained grandparents to decide what we think is cool and how to get in our heads. I love my DS and PSP, but everything is the same down the line and history repeats itself *caugh* what's the point of history if we don't look back to it for advice and information.

  • DuffGuy

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 2:30 pm PT

    Another point to argue is simply because Nintendo has the name, and the whole GameBoy pedigree backing it, people are naturally going to lean towards it, especially over a 300 dollar piece of hardware.
    Both are great pieces of hardware, you can't argue that.

  • Tok3d

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 1:29 pm PT

    I agree. Although DS did come out ealier, and is alot cheaper, it still deserved the victory because the games are alot better than PSP, and although it gets its fair share of waterered down ports, the DS still doesnt totally overload on them. And the DS also has games that no other system can pull off.

  • Tok3d

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 1:29 pm PT

    I agree. Although DS did come out ealier, and is alot cheaper, it still deserved the victory because the games are alot better than PSP, and although it gets its fair share of waterered down ports, the DS still doesnt totally overload on them. And the DS also has games that no other system can pull off.

  • Dawnfades

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 12:30 pm PT

    Well add me to those Totals. I just bought a DS yesterday. I'm not a handheld fan but Nintendo is doing some really fun & innovative games for it. It bodes well for the upcoming revolution

  • neanderslob22

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 12:10 pm PT

    I got my DS last XMas and couldn't be happier. The games are awesome and innovative, and I can see why they're doing so well. Way to go Nintendo, keep up the good work!

  • EMH88

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 10:46 am PT

    I would say that PSP is for poor people like me who can't afford to buy games. DS has the greatest games(and I always loved the AAA nintendo games) but I'm so poor, I can't afford all these great titles.

  • EMH88

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 10:44 am PT


    NERDSFOREVER
    Finally nintendo gets some money after the gamecube. That makes the PSP less important than the DS. WOW (select an action below) Posted
    01/03/2006 6:14pm

    Nintendo already made alot of money with gamecube, pokemon and all their games. They made more money than sony and microsoft in video games. I have a PSP but since the begining I though both systems were good but I knew that the DS would pwn everything. I bought a PSP cuz I like gadgets and never had a playstation of mp3 player. And I like homebrew and all. If i had money I would buy the DS too. PSP is kinda more than a gadget since DS is the greatest handheld gaming console ever made.

  • Arwin

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 10:30 am PT

    The PSP is doing great. Right now, at this price difference, the two aren't in competition with each other. PSP, right off the bat, aimed to increase the handheld market by creating something that could appeal to a more adult (and wealthy) audience. While coming to the market later, the PSP has managed to keep up pretty well.


    Personally, I am very thankf ul for the PSP. I'm a long-time games fanatic, and although I've tried nearly all handheld devices at least once, this is the first handheld I've ever wanted. Games on the other systems simply didn't offer the kind of challenge I was looking for. Right up to the DS, Nintendo has been offering games that we played on consoles 10 or more years ago and on comparable hardware, totally ripping its customers off in that department. Can you believe how long the Gameboy Advance and SP were sold at something like 150$ when the whole package maybe cost $20? But who could blame them, as there was no competition whatsoever.


    But those games were just to plain simple for me. I found them incredibly boring. Even the new DS games I find limited. They are Nintendo 64 games on a tiny screen with the Stylus and now Wireless play as its only saving grace. I'm pretty sure though that if you dropped those two features, the DS would still have been a success. The inclusion of these two features - which I still assume were partly inspired by their angst for Sony - have made the DS a resounding success.


    So the DS comes with new, innovative features, a sensible price-tag, and innovative games like Nintendogs. Would it have had to if the PSP hadn't been there? I doubt it.


    On the other hand we have the PSP as a high-quality gadget, that has a phenomenal screen, great multimedia support, and is powerful enough to run current generation games, which has allowed software publishers to release 70 games for what was an uncertain platform within its first year. Some of these games could have been a lot better, sure, but that is largely due to the relatively high development costs compared to the initial install base. Few companies were ready to take a big risk, but when they did (like RockStar with GTA, Namco with Ridge Racers, WipeOut, Metal Gear Acid, and so on), they could produce some phenomenal games. Later on, when EA had their traditionally slow learning development team getting a good grip of the system, their SSX On Tour and FIFA updates showed that these console games could transfer very well to the PSP if they wanted to. UMD movies set a benchmark for movies on the go, the PSP has a very functional web-browser, and its online features are kicking off much more strongly than on the DS which games like FIFA and SoCom (headset, anyone?) certainly showing off high-level on-line stuff.


    In response, the DS will come with a Metroid Prime online game. PSP in turn has reacted again to the DS's features (like the microphone) with Talkman and god-knows-what when the PSP-Cam is released, if we ever get that tilt-enabled Mercury 2, and MGS: Acid 2 with its 3D fun. And so the competition between the two gadgets keep improving and expanding the handheld experience for all of us.


    I think that the Nintendo gang were initially so threatened by a large player as Sony threatening the handheld domain, while I have always seen that the two aren't necessarily in each other's way. The PSP expands the market to a more adult audience, and to gamers that have grown accostumed to the kind of advanced and engrossing experiences that console games have readied them for. The DS is bringing in new gamers, not just their traditional set of younger gamers, but gamers who are great fans of Japanese culture (those are among the staunchest Nintendo fans here in Europe), ex-kid gamers who grew up with the Gameboy series, gamers who are curious about innovative techniques, and even female gamers, and they deservere credit for doing a good job at holding and expanding their ground.


    But it is very clear that the PSP is here to stay also, and now that is clear we will see more exclusive games being developed for it, or at the very least better adapted versions of the console games. You can say what you want about the PSP running console game hand-me-downs, but note also that something similar isn't possible for the DS. This strength will play out, making the platform increasingly interesting for more demanding gamers.


    In the end, both systems are awesome. I can afford both, but so far haven't seen anything on the DS that draws me in, while I love both the depth and the splendor of the games I've played on the PSP (Ridge Racers, Metal Gear Acid, WipeOut, Lumines, Prince of Persia, and I tried a friend's SSX On Tour). I've had my PSP for a year and have it with me every day, playing Prince of Persia, a Homebrew version of Sudoku, watching some Initial D anime episodes in great AVC format (bringing a 25 minute episode to 50mb while still looking great), or listening to my favorite songs in AAC3 format (which, at half the size of MP3, is more useful than I thought initially). It is truly amazing what you can get out of a 'mere' 512mb memory stick.


    But should I ever change my mind, I have the choice to also buy a DS. Perhaps the smaller capacity of the DS forces developers to make fun, innovate games that for some reason never make it onto the PSP, and still have a level of depth I enjoy, and I will get the DS.


    Perhaps someone with the DS discovers that the games on the DS are ultimately limited in depth and that the PSP turns out to churn out some amazing games that he or she just can't resist, doesn't already have a PS2, or discovers that many current-gen games have become good enough to only play on PSP, or just doesn't get a chance to play at home all that much, and is very attracted to the awesome multimedia features of the PSP.


    The point is, we have a choice. The market is definitely big enough for two handhelds, especially two that are so fundamentally different.


    DS fans can recognise that thanks to Sony entering this market, we are both better for it and certainly the DS has become better for it. PSP fans can recognise that thanks to Nintendo, this market exists in the first place.


    Let's leave it at that, and watch how the two platforms blossom. We are long past the point where the future of the one platform depended on the failure of the other, so put your battle-gear in the closet and come out and play in the flower-beds.

  • phoenix14

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 9:43 am PT

    this is great for nintendo, but we can't forget the fact that nintendo did come out first and is alot cheaper

  • thekey

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 9:18 am PT

    GOOD!!! PSP stinks!

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 9:06 am PT

    Well at least Nintendo is winning the handheld wars. I don't own one, but I do have a PSP.

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 8:51 am PT

    Well, almost everyone here agrees with me, PSP sucks. The games are terrible, the analog stick is a joke, there aren't 2 analog sticks which makes FPS games on it suck, and the screen scratchs if you look at it cross eyed. I've been behind the DS from the very begining, something made me buy my black brick (my PSP's knickname) and I'm still unsure why? I think it was for movies on the go but.... it could be subliminal messaging in their commercials. Which makes more sense to me. The DS has the touch screen, which is more fun to play cause it's different. The DS games are more interesting, regardless of graphics. And the graphics aren't bad. The PSP tries to hard to pretend it's something else. It pretends to be a portable DVD player, a iPod, and mocks palm. All and all, the PSP makes gaming seem like the least of it's functions. If I'm buying a gaming machine, I want a gaming machine.

  • doomed51

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 8:33 am PT

    good for nintendo!

  • deadmeat59

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 8:04 am PT

    i hate when they say in the ttle north america then they just talk about usa there is alot of countrys here in north america you know game spot

  • jefftapia

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:42 am PT

    Can't we all just get along? I own the PSP and the DS. I enjoy both systems and hope they both do well. It is in our best interest as consumers for both companies to do well in the handheld market. I personally have been playing my PSP more often than my DS but I can say that I have just as much fun playing either system. I wish the PSP had the second analog stick (what were you thinking Sony?) and I wish the DS had more graphical power and a bigger screen. I have read all the posts and it's amazing to see the fanboy talk. I will own all three "next-gen" systems when they come out and I want them all to succeed so I have maximum flexibility and selection when it comes to gaming. If you have to pick one handheld and one "next-gen" system because of your budget, just pick and be happy and don't bash everyone else because you need to feel better about your purchase. Now go play some games and have a nice day!

  • SuCuBuS_04

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:34 am PT

    All hale Nintendo!

  • SLAYERPSP

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:19 am PT

    it comes down to age the best games on the psp you have to be 17 to buy socom and gta and the ds all of the good stuff is e or t rated plus its kids who play with the handhelds a lot more then adults and price has a lot to do with it 129.99 to 249.99 if they were both the same price the psp would win hands down the psp is so much more powerful and cooler then the ds i only own one ds game tony hawk american skateland the next game ill get is the remake of re after that there is nothing i really want for the ds to much kid stuff . people just dont know how to use the psp to get the most out of it

  • nekrotaunter

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:16 am PT

    i expected the sales of the ds to exceed psp from the beginning because nintendo quite simply can build a better machine than anyone else. anytime graphics may be better than nintendo, nintendo makes up for it by creating durability. only way to break one of their systems is to go out of your way. dropped my play it loud series gameboy in a freezing pond, worked after it dried, dropped my gba off a bunk bed, still worked perfectly, ds dropped sending my gba game flying, still works perfectly. psp would have just smashed. and that's not saying anything about defects sony rolls out of the factory, i'm on my second psp because the door wouldn't stay closed while i was playing. that's after months of me cradling it like a damn child. the psp has some cool features but no games of interest haven't come out. i bought my ds when it came out just for the new castlevania and now i'm finding that more interestiong games are coming out. don't see anything about a resident evil on psp.

  • Akira2506

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:16 am PT

    *sigh*

    If PSP owners are happy with their PSP...and NDS owners are happy with their NDS... can't we all be friends?

    I believe the PSP is currently suffering a "Drought" in "killer-apz" similar to what the NDS had. When the NDS launched, every1 was hyped for MarioKart and MetroidPrime hunters (they even got a demo) and yet, 6month on, and neither had launched. At this point the PSP launched, and ppl were fed up of waiting, and traded their NDS for a PSP.

    Now, the same thing is happening for teh PSP; just waiting for the decent games. Katamari should be cool

    But yes...
    Metroid Prime Hunters
    Gran Turismo 4 Mobile

    kinda like "phantom" games...

  • mus1523

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 7:08 am PT

    I must disagree with all of you. The PSP is tight. It's only been out since March and has sold millions with such few killer apps (Socom, Burnout, GTA, Lumines). I've played the DS and really it's not all that great. I guess it's all about taste. I really don't see any DS game outdoing SOCOM online. And there's still more to come with all of the exclusives coming out (MGS, Syphon Filter, Tenchu and much more). At least around where I live (DC area) nobody except for young kids (elementary school age) is talking about a DS. Not hating just giving my 2 cents.

  • beanofengland

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:45 am PT

    Nintendo know what they're doing when it comes to games, sony are much better at multi-media because it's where they come from. I'm not saying that this will have its effect forever but as far as i've seen so far-nintendo will always churn out better games with much greater quality control than what you will find on the PSP. Yeah sure the touch screen/non-touch screen games tend to be a bit iffy, but thats just the designers getting to grips with a whole new breed of gaming.

    Games like Castlevania work fine with the combination of both controls, and i'm sure with time we'll see many more games that work in this vein. Being a Nintendo veteran i'm obviously slightly biased in this debate-but i've had more fun playing mario kart and super mario 64 ds (in my house at uni m64ds is on almost 24/7 with me and my m8s just playing around with the minigames) than some recent pc games.

    Nintendo should win the war, if PSP does i'll probably kill people... many people.

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:26 am PT

    Well, at least Nintendo will probably always remain King of the Handhelds.

  • Kwiksilva

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:23 am PT

    Yes the DS is just a better overall system hands down it just has the software that makes it better as well as the innovation.

  • majere613

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:21 am PT

    I'm surprised at people who seem to be trying to claim that the PSP has 'failed'. The N-Gage failed, the PSP just hasn't shifted as many units as the DS yet- there's a big difference. The software argument is also misleading. I've been working at GAME in the UK over Christmas, and we had easily as much, if not more, PSP software as DS. Interestingly, we also have a fair amount of pre-owned PSP sotware, with very little for the DS. On the other hand, we had quite a lot of pre-owned DS systems. I suspect several of those came from people trading in DSs to get PSPs, but this may just be the whole 'must get the latest system' thing. As far as software sales go, take a look at the Chartspot for November. One DS title, 3 PSP titles if I remember correctly. Considering the disparity in the number of systems out there, that's quite an achievement for the PSP. I certainly don't think etiher system 'owns' the other, but I suspect that the days of Nintendo's unquestioned dominance of the handled market are ending- and frankly, that's good for us gamers. (Note for bias-spotters: I currently own an ancient original GBA, and I'm upgrading at the end of the week to a PSP. Personal taste, and making max use of my soon-to-end staff discount )

  • Ericvon71

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:15 am PT

    Well if you are looking to play more kiddie games then the DS the portable for you, I personally enjoy playing the PSP because the games they do have are entertaining to me, I don't mind spending a little extra cash for a better game.

  • moreyko

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 6:10 am PT

    In my opinion, the DS may have overused its touch screen on launch, but now its being used more sensibly- For example, nintendo didn't just throw a touch screen control mechanic into mario kart DS just because they could, and sonic rush hardly uses the touch screen at all. If a games gonna be succesful on the DS, it either needs to be moulded around the touch screen control completely, or put the touchscreen aside and make a game without using it. Incorporating the touch screen into games which don't really need it can ruin them, unless of course theres the option to play without it. The PSP doesn't really interest me, I'm yet to see a game I really want on it, and my one time with it was unpleasant due to huge loading times. The DS has mario kart DS, which is probably the most fun I've had in a game in a long time, and Advance Wars DS is also a brilliant strategy game. Add nintendogs, and you've got the DS reaching alot of people who wouldn't normally be interested.

    I'm not certain about how the revolution will fare against the PS3 and Xbox 360 yet though, not enough is known about it and its games yet to say.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 5:51 am PT

    I wouldn't say neck and neck, takeo. The PSP hasn't reached 3 million (notice how the NPD isn't conflicting with Nintendo they way they are with Sony?), and Nintendo sold 1.5 million of the units in November alone. That being said, I too agree that it's way too early to be saying one way or the other. However, Nintendo seems to be putting the lessons it learned the last time Sony snatched their market share to good use. Unless Sony pushes publishers and developers to make more diverse games, Nintendo's going to be leading the handheld war for years to come.

  • marcocat

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 5:32 am PT

    Nintendo is the best

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 5:11 am PT

    N owns.

  • takeo_miyazaki

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 5:09 am PT

    all the numbers aren't even out yet-i mean does anyone know the end of year sales figures for europe??? i mean DS owns Japan and its neck and neck in north america so that leaves europe and australia as the decider- the psp was meant to be the 'must have' for christmas but there was loads of stock left in every store where as the DS (especially the nintendogs packs) where like gold dust on the high streets! was this down to sony maintaining supply? who knows?!

    overall i think its way too early to be deciding anything especially when both handhelds havent even been out for a year world wide yet!

  • trick_man01

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 4:21 am PT

    nintendo will ninja whoever tries to oppose it

  • joyer

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 3:37 am PT

    good news i thought nintendo had lost their minds when they first released information on the ds... im so happy i was wrong

  • amogley

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 3:30 am PT

    Interesting that the figures are only for USA and Japan. I know that Europe doesn't count so much in the handheld market but I see more PSP's out and about than DS's.

    It is worth remembering that this is Sony's first venture in to the market and both handhelds are still relatively new. Lets see where we are at the end of this year

  • Kbs64

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 2:14 am PT

    I'm not too interested in the PSP but the only thing I see sony killing at is with the those DVD movie discs ... software I hear isn't so hot

  • Kbs64

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 1:51 am PT

    Go Nintendo, You Rock!! Anyways, You guys really think that the PSP only give out Watered Down versions of console game? How come you say that? Jus to let you know, I don't have a PSP so I don't know but I do have a DS.

  • xundying_soulx

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 1:35 am PT

    well...maybe there is some pattern here or i am crazy...the DS has cool wi fi features....wich makes it so popular...and some of the games like catslevania are even 2D...so it cant be the graphic capability that is making it so popular...and it has a good selection of games and its affordable and fun...maybe the revolution will turn out to be a great acheivment since its going to have wi fi online play...and its going to be affordable and i bet metroid prime 3 online is gonna be FUN...i'm not bashing Sony or anything cause i like Sony as well...

  • crymsonenigma

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 1:06 am PT

    Funny thing is VFG, you can do that with the PSP as well with a wider variety of games.

  • VFG

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 12:59 am PT

    I love the DS I got for Christmas. I may be missing out on hand held Metal Gear, but I'm playing people from all over the world for free with Mario Kart DS.

  • crymsonenigma

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 12:57 am PT

    Let's be truthful gentlemen, the DS is a great system for innovation, and yes it explores new boundries of game play. But, let's not count out the PSP just yet. Here is a little history lesson that everyone of you may have just forgotten about. The origanal Playstation was geared to be the new Nintendo system but Nintendo ducked out at the last minute, saying the industry was not ready for a cd based format for their games. And Sony, being the head strong company that they are brought the system out any how. We all know what happened after that. As with the PSP, it is a new handheld on the market and it has already sold either 2.5, 2.2, 3 millon units in just an eight month period. In any case the fact remains that the system has a lot of untapped patential that is to be exploited in the next year.
    For instance, Location Free technology available with the ver. 2.5 is anticipation for the Playstation 3, which show that Sony has more plans for the PSP in the future. Where the DS has only a few games that I am looking forward to. Metroid and Resident evil. And if you guys would really pay a little more attention you would also notice that the price of the DS games are going up as well. They used to be an average of 29.99 a pop but, working at Game Crazy I have seen that the current games are only ten dollars cheaper than the PSP games. That factors out prices. In a nut shell the PSP is the new kid on the block trying to find it's niche in a neiborhood that has a decade of Nintendo fans. GIve it some time and a chance and it might just win over a few of you. Drop all of your bias comments, which are going to be jaded if you are pro Nintendo, and enjoy the fight between these two heavy weights. Because in the end, I believe it is going to be a great fight.

  • Willo_10

    Posted Jan 4, 2006 12:43 am PT

    go DS! oh well PSP. Ninty deserves a victory for a change, let them enjoy it. More importantly, Final Faqntasy Handheld Project is exclusive to nintendos handhelds which is good cause i chose the DS firstly despite the fact that i believed they would favour sony, but everything has turned out well.

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