Nintendo DS Fastest Selling UK Console Ever

[Haver]

The Nintendo DS got off to a flying start last weekend, with UK sales topping some 87,000 units in the first two days on sale according to Chart-Track data released this morning.
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Compared to previous console sales over the years, the DS was well ahead of the original GBA's launch statistics, which managed 67,000 back in June 2001, while the remodelled GBA SP debuted with 47,000 in March 2003.

The cheap and cheerful DS even smashed sales of fully-fledged consoles, beating the Cube's record debut week of 69,000 back in May 2002, with the likes of Xbox (52,000) and PS2 (46,000) selling decent numbers despite £299 price points.

Software wise, the DS launched with an impressive 16 titles, 12 of which made this week's Top 40 All Formats.

With some blockbusting PS2 titles ruling the roost at the top of the listings, the best the DS could muster was a No.4 entry with Super Mario 64 DS, closely followed in the Top 10 by Wario Ware Touched! At No.6 and Rayman DS at No.10.

Ubisoft also scored a surprising No.12 entry with Asphalt: Urban GT, EA's multiformat pair of The Urbz: Sims In The City and Tiger Woods PGA Tour move up to No.15 and No.16 respectively, Pokemon Dash made it to No.18, Spider-Man 2 moved up to No.19, while the multiformat Robots (No.25), Project Rub (No.29), Zoo Keeper (No.39), and Polarium (No.40) also made it into the Top 40.

That left four of the 16-strong line up outside the Top 40, meaning the likes of Mr Driller: Drill Spirits, Retro Atari Classics, Ping Pals and Sprung were lower down on gamers' shopping lists.

Nevertheless, for what was a crowded release schedule, 12 titles in the Top 40 in the opening weekend represents a very strong showing for the DS in a territory where some commentators in the industry were unsure of how well Nintendo's new machine would be received.

Well, well. Nintendo seem to have hit the spot with us UK gamers. I'll have to do with snatching it off friends until the taxman brings me my money!

[bobo_ess]

good for the campaign in europe

[Vishus]

Now we just need to worry about the games.

[Shade Valkyrie]

Well, with Yoshi's touch and go in May we Europeans won't need to wait that long for a more decent game than Super Mario 64 DS.

[Viper]

Yeah, they launched with 16 games, many of them decent titles.


Lets see, DS had the best console launch ever in both Europe and Australia and high ranking launches in the US and Japan. Not bad for the little handheld a certain major publication called 'bizzare'.

[fishbonetaher]

how many DS's were released in the UK in the first place?

[#1MarioFan]

That's great! I'm glad the DS is doing fine. I was a bit worried there alittle bit because of the PSP, but the DS is holding its own.

[HereticPB]

The DS and PSP are in the same boat the hardware sells great but the software doesn't. However, if the software does sale it is in the bottom of the Top 10 or somewhere down below the Top 10.

I don't understand, I don't understand. Lets see how the US PSP launch does. I am interested in how this will go off on Friday the 24th in America. For sure the news will be exploding and screaming with excitement about Sony's new Portable gaming system just launched and boy is it a zinger nevermind Nintendo look at Sony, Sony, Sony.

[version2.0]

This is a relief, I was a little worried tahnks to some biased reviews on tv... Some people were beginning to talk.

But this small victory will make no difference if they don't come out with some killer titles soon... Animal Crossing just may do it, with the online and all. Im going to buy it and stand outside my neighbors house (he has wireless DSL) that way I can play online with friends

[exile]

So the aggresive marketing campaign paid off quite well, I'm was actually a little worried there for a while.

[Viper]

The DS and PSP are in the same boat the hardware sells great but the software doesn't. However, if the software does sale it is in the bottom of the Top 10 or somewhere down below the Top 10.

I don't understand, I don't understand. Lets see how the US PSP launch does. I am interested in how this will go off on Friday the 24th in America. For sure the news will be exploding and screaming with excitement about Sony's new Portable gaming system just launched and boy is it a zinger nevermind Nintendo look at Sony, Sony, Sony.
DS software did well great from the start. Especially in Japan and Europe. PSP software sales took weeks to even crack the top 10 in Japan while DS software never had a week without at least one title in the top 10. In Europe, DS software took 3 of the top 10 spots at launch.

[Electrezz]

Hey first of all do I need to preorder the PSP and second of all I'm not very sure we should talk about Nintendo DS sales yet because we are yet to see it in America and I'm a little sceptical about announcing DS success.

[P.B.]

wow...the gamecube sold that much at launch there? too bad it went way downhill from there...which sucks...hopefully the same wont happen with the ds. I am very interested to see how the psp will do here

[HereticPB]

My bad the 24th is Thursday!

[Nexus]

The DS is the fastest selling console in Australia and in the UK. Things are looking up for PAL gamers. :)

[kadr]

I'm a little sceptical about announcing DS success.Why? If the PSP sells well, will it make the DS less of a success? Nope.

I'd say that the news from Europe and Australia (and Japan and the U.S.) make the DS an unqualified success so far, regardless of how well competitors do.

I wonder if the DS launch in the U.S. would have been even more spectacular if we'd had the same titles available from the beginning. I'm a little jealous that the Europeans have a "great lineup, no wait" selection from the get-go.

[Nexus]

Why? If the PSP sells well, will it make the DS less of a success? Nope.

I'd say that the news from Europe and Australia (and Japan and the U.S.) make the DS an unqualified success so far, regardless of how well competitors do.

I wonder if the DS launch in the U.S. would have been even more spectacular if we'd had the same titles available from the beginning. I'm a little jealous that the Europeans have a "great lineup, no wait" selection from the get-go.
The Australian DS launch games were the same as the US except we had Wario Ware Touched and Polarium.

[Pro A.]

Now we just need to worry about the games.

Yeah, thats the major catch-22 right now.

[pac4life]

thats good news. good for the DS and nintendo's new marketing campiagn.

[tonic]

You guys got Polarium? Any good?

[koten]

Nintendo must be doing a damn good job of advertising.

[Nexus]

You guys got Polarium? Any good?
There actually has not been a lot of stores in Australia that sell Polarium, which is weird. So far I have only seen one copy of it for sale which is disapointing and since I don't have it I can't give any feedback but it looks pretty cool.

[Dashboard]

I figured that the DS would be popular in Europe. It just seems like something that Europeans would go crazy for. Nintendo might as well call this one of their most successful consoles ever. Its just so widely accepted by the world with all of it's features, that it's hard not to think that it's successful.

[Tael]

It's great that the DS is doing so well in Europe, I can't believe it sold 87,00 units!

[Shade Valkyrie]

That was only the UK numbers though, not the whole of Europe.
I hope the numbers for the whole of Europe will come soon.

[koten]

that' was UK only?

Hot Damn, DS is selling like mad.

[Flamin Scotsman]

i think based on that, its ironic that mail metro already decided that the ds is no competition for the psp...i might have said that already but i cant remember... i was peeved anyay coz the ignorant twats think tat the gizmondo is psps competitor