Japanese gamers no longer delighted by DS Lite?
Smash Bros release lifts Wii
Has Nintendo's hugely popular DS Lite had its day? Maybe in Japan, at least, where last week sales of the handheld games console fell below those notched up by its nearest rivals, Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PSP.
For the week to 2 February, DS sales totalled 67,472 units - a new low in the post-Christmas slump that's hit all the current consoles but the DS, Wii and PSP in particular. PSP sales have slipped through January too, but until last week, when Sony saw sales of 72,528 units, they've never surpassed the DS.
Japanese Console Sales
Source: Media Create/Register Hardware
The figures come from local market watcher Media Create, which also revealed that the Wii had reversed its downturn, thanks to the release of Mario Smash Bros in Japan.
How sale will fare after players began experienced problems with the game - issues Nintendo attributed to cigarette smoke - remains to be seen.
The release of Devil May Cry 4 lifted PS3 sales a bit too, to 41,796 units, the console's highest weekly sales since the first week of January.
The PS2 and the Xbox 360 continued to sell much as they have to date.
COMMENTS
Wii - almost a great system
Bought a Wii - love it but the bitter after taste of trying to get an issue resolved by the Nintendo customer support has actually put me off the console.
So far I have had 5 emails advising they are busy and value me, this is after being advised to contact them online by their phone support 5 weeks ago.
Haven't bought any games. Machine is now an ornament under my TV.
I think this is why the Playstation was so good - they had the customer service to back up the product. Wouldn't recommend this now as my experience has quashed the excitement.
Bit of a mute point though isn't it?
Well given the fact the DS has sold more than twice the number of PSP's overall in Japan its not much of a victory is it?
The DS had to hit a saturation point at some point, but even if the PSP outsells the DS for the rest of the year it won't come close to matching its overall sales figures.
Time to bring on the new DS extra-lite?
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/16/third_generation_ds_lite_claims/
