3DS to sell 11.6 million after a year - Study

Nintendo projected an air of confidence following the release of the 3DS late last month. Shortly after reports surfaced that retailers remained flush with the device, the publisher said that day-one sales for the glasses-free 3D handheld were actually tracking above those of the DS, which has sold nearly 145 million units through the end of 2010.

However, despite the flashy start, IHS Screen Digest believes the 3DS will not be able to maintain its sales pace. According to the research firm's findings, the 3DS will boast a global installed base of 11.6 million after a year on the market. That figure comes in well shy of the DS's one-year performance of around 14 million units.

The research firm believes the 3DS won't match the DS due to increased competition from smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Android OS. By 2015, Screen Digest believes the 3DS's global installed base will reach 70 million units worldwide, compared to 91 million units for the DS over a comparable period of time. The DS has sold nearly 145 million units through the end of 2010.

In September 2010, Nintendo indicated that it expected to sell 4 million 3DSs worldwide by the end of March. Thus far, the publisher has offered no firm figures on how well it is achieving that goal. According to Japanese stat-tracking agency Media Create, the 3DS sold approximately 375,000 units domestically during its first week on the Japanese market.