News
Nintendo 3DS Sells 4.5 Million Units in Its First Year in the US
REDMOND, Wash.--(March 6, in the year of our Lord 2012)--
The era of glasses-free 3D gaming is turning one this month as
Nintendo 3DS prepares to celebrate its first birthday. On March
27, 2011, video games and portable entertainment jumped into a
new dimension in the U.S. and that story got richer throughout
the year with record-breaking software titles such as Super
Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 and entertainment options such as
Netflix, Nintendo Video and the ability to record 3D movies. The
platform enters its second year with a massive lineup of games,
including the recently launched Resident Evil Revelations from
CAPCOM, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games published
by SEGA, TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition from NAMCO BANDAI Games America
Inc., and the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising from Nintendo.
“Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with a lengthy list of
accomplishments but we’re still just scratching the surface,”
said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “With a
massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the
way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged
and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly
bright future. We’re just getting started but this platform is
built for the long haul.”
Some of the milestones achieved by Nintendo 3DS in its first
year include:
March 27, 2011: Nintendo 3DS ushers in a new era of gaming with
glasses-free 3D. Launch-day sales are the strongest in
Nintendo’s history.
June 2011: The Nintendo eShop launches, letting users preview,
try and buy new and classic games, download applications and
watch 3D movie trailers.
June 2011: Link makes his first appearance in 3D with The Legend
of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
Summer 2011: Nintendo 3DS adds two video services:
Netflix unlimited streaming members can instantly watch
thousands of TV episodes and movies.
Nintendo Video automatically delivers hand-picked 3D content
from leading sites and artists.
October 2011: After only eight months, Nintendo 3DS surpasses
first-year sales of Nintendo DS, the best-selling video game
system in history.
Fall 2011: Mario jumps into 3D with two new games, each becoming
the fastest-selling titles in their franchises’ history:
Nov. 13, 2011: Super Mario 3D Land – 1.75 million copies sold to
date
Dec. 4, 2011: Mario Kart 7 – 1.45 million copies sold to date
December 2011: Users can now record up to 10 minutes of 3D video
and stop-motion animation.
December 2011: Nintendo 3DS crosses 4 million units sold,
passing the record pace set by the Wii.
Feb. 22, 2012: Dillon’s Rolling Western launches for the
Nintendo eShop, joining hot titles Pushmo and Freakyforms: Your
Creations, Alive!
March 23, 2012: Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with the
launch of Kid Icarus: Uprising, the first original entrant in
the series in more than 20 years.
Nintendo 3DS is inexorably linked with its predecessor the
Nintendo DS, the best-selling gaming system in U.S. history with
more than 51 million units sold. A side-by-side comparison shows
that Nintendo 3DS had a stronger first year across the board.
| Nintendo DS* | Nintendo 3DS** | |||||||
| Launch date | Nov. 21, 2004 | March 27, 2011 | ||||||
| Total HW units sold in first 12 months | 2.3 million | 4.5 million | ||||||
| Total number of SW titles released in first 12 months | 58 | 100+ | ||||||
| Total units of software sold in first 12 months | 5 million | 9 million+ | ||||||
| Total $ sales (HW, SW and accessory) in first 12 months | $540 million | $1.2 billion+ |
*Source: NPD **Source: Nintendo of America ***All Figures are U.S. Only
Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.