DS ships 1m in Japan, Sell through 1m by Saturday. US also 1m sells

T

tetsuoxb

Member
Just got back from tagging along to an interview with Minagawa-san at NCL.

Got to ask a few questions and beyond the PR flack, there was some interesting stuff said. I wont post all of it because I think a good bit will air on gamer.tv.

Anyways - the notable news was that the DS has sold through 1m units in the US. Apparently the press release just went out a few hours ago. He also said the DS has shipped 1m in Japan, and they expect sell through of 1m by Sunday. Total year end shipments will be 2.8m.

We also got a bit about why they developed the play-yan, and if that doesn't make it to air on gamer.tv I will be sure and post it here.
 
john tv said:
Source = me
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This source is not viable! Anecdotal...overload...breaking...down...

...but seriously, what makes you think PSP is going to own DS? I mean we know it's a sexy piece of hardware but based on current trends what makes you think PSP is going to just blow past DS once it has the hardware to meet demand?
 
the fact that none of the japan gaf members have touched their DS units since the PSP came out.

remember - japan is the only country where you can buy both.
 
tetsuoxb said:
the fact that none of the japan gaf members have touched their DS units since the PSP came out.

remember - japan is the only country where you can buy both.
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This is true but remember the DS is still beating PSP in sales. This is true that supply can't meet demand, but I'm just interested to know what specifically in trends makes you think it'll beat DS so dramatically. Yes, some people don't touch their PS2s in favour of their Gamecubes... doesn't mean Gamecube is doing the best, non?

Anyway, heh, I'm just interested. I like to make predictions and I want to be well informed when I make my next prediction at another website forum or something
 
tetsuoxb said:
the fact that none of the japan gaf members have touched their DS units since the PSP came out.

remember - japan is the only country where you can buy both.
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That will change when Meteos releases!! You know this to be true!! :D
 
Amir0x said:
This is true but remember the DS is still beating PSP in sales. This is true that supply can't meet demand, but I'm just interested to know what specifically in trends makes you think it'll beat DS so dramatically. Yes, some people don't touch their PS2s in favour of their Gamecubes... doesn't mean Gamecube is doing the best, non?

Anyway, heh, I'm just interested. I like to make predictions and I want to be well informed when I make my next prediction at another website forum or something
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Do i play minigame tech demos or near current gen games on a silicon piece of sex?
 
Spike said:
That will change when Meteos releases!! You know this to be true!! :D
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Meteos > Lumines?

tetsuoxb said:
Do i play minigame tech demos or near current gen games on a silicon piece of sex?
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Heh. Well, I can see your point but... eh... I'll wait to make a prediction until next Christmas.
 
tetsuoxb said:
Not yet, but I know Q is in hardcore crunch mode to finish it. A friend of mine worked on both meteos and lumines.
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Does this indicate good or bad things for Meteos?

I can't imagine the audio-visual presentation of Meteos beating out what I have seen of Lumines, is all. Gameplay is another issue entirely though.
 
john tv said:
PSP is gonna destroy DS.
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I agree with this post. Once they're side by side here in the US, in a couple of months it's not going to be close.

Again, I would be absolutely shocked if the DS can outsell the PSP on a regular, weekly basis six months from now. Nintendo is going to be in trouble once they start to encroach upon saturation amongst their core fanbase.

Prediction: PSP will be outselling DS by at least a ratio of 1.5:1 by Christmas 2005.
 
Amir0x said:
Does this indicate good or bad things for Meteos?

I can't imagine the audio-visual presentation of Meteos beating out what I have seen of Lumines, is all. Gameplay is another issue entirely though.
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Good. They started crunching like 3 or 4 weeks ago. Ship date is late feb.... that amount of polish is going to be great.

I am kinda amused in an indirect way at Mizuguchi though. I like him as a developer.... but I heard he cancelled some of the Japanese year end holidays on the dev staff, but he has been going to the mondo grosso fearless records launch parties "supported by lumines" in Nagoya and this week Thursday in Tokyo. I just hope he isnt killing holidays for staff and not putting in his hours. Im sure he is, but if he isnt, my opinion of him -1.
 
GO DS!!!!!!!

I really love the system. And once again, this two systems can coexist. What is it with GAF members always having to choose one product over another? I swear I believe that living in conflict all the time must be quite stressing. What about sometimes wanting to play my DS and on other ocations wanting to play PSP?
 
CrisKre said:
GO DS!!!!!!!

I really love the system. And once again, this two systems can coexist. What is it with GAF members always having to choose one product over another? I swear I believe that living in conflict all the time must be quite stressing. What about sometimes wanting to play my DS and on other ocations wanting to play PSP?
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Thats just it.. once you have a PSP, there are no occasions you want to play your DS. Til mario kart and meteos that is.
 
mashoutposse said:
. Nintendo is going to be in trouble once they start to encroach upon saturation amongst their core fanbase.

Prediction: PSP will be outselling DS by at least a ratio of 1.5:1 by Christmas 2005.
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If the core fanbase of the GBA is anything to go by, that won't happen for quite some time. I see the DS's lead growing, and the PSP having problems getting a decent number of units to retail simutaniously (in the three territories), as big problems in Sony's plan for portable domination. Can't forget pokemon either :)

The DS will continue to outsell the PSP.
 
Cruel Bastard Mario said:
If the core fanbase of the GBA is anything to go by, that won't happen for quite some time. I see the DS's lead growing, and the PSP having problems getting a decent number of units to retail simutaniously (in the three territories), as big problems in Sony's plan for portable domination. Can't forget pokemon either :)

The DS will continue to outsell the PSP.
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I'm saving all these posts on a comfortable "crow" notepad.

Only one of you two can be right. We'll see who will be eating crow by Christmas 2005!
 
I was pretty excited about the DS and I still think it's a great machine with a lot of potential. But after having played with it extensively over the past two weeks, its flaws have become readily apparent. Look at the games I'm enjoying most on it: Zoo Keeper, Mr. Driller, Chokkan Hitofude... all puzzle games. Wario was fun while it lasted, but how long did it last? I finished the main game in less than two days, and then pretty much lost interest. And anything with substance or depth gets pushed aside because of a lack of decent controls. Not having an analog stick was a really, REALLY bad idea, and after playing PSP, it's kind of hard to take any kind of 3D on DS seriously. The system's only been out two weeks and already the graphics are looking ancient. Bad sign if you ask me.

I also stopped to look at the future lineup... I can't really find anything worth getting excited about. The games I want to play most are all games that really don't require a touch pen or dual screens to enjoy. The ones that DO require the touch pen seem gimmicky at best. Yoshi's Touch & Go is a prime example: after the novelty wears off, is this really going to be worth spending loads of time with? I honestly do hope so, but you'll have to forgive me right now for being skeptical.

Ultimately I guess my biggest beef is no analog stick. Being forced to play with a d-pad really sucks.

I realize Nintendo is gunning for a different market than PSP, but I'm not so sure that market is as defined as they'd like it to be. There's a lot of crossover, and in my eyes, anyone who comes within 10 feet of a PSP is going to instantly realize how superior it is to DS in just about every way. I'll gladly take wide-screen, next-generation graphics on a game like Ridge Racer in exchange for not having the ability to waste an entire screen on an ugly-ass steering wheel that I control with my thumb. If the graphics were at least comparable to PSP, and it had an analog stick as well, I think I'd be much, much more excited for DS right now. Instead, Nintendo shot themselves in the foot (again) by coming out of the gate with a huge handicap already in place. It just doesn't make sense to me. I suppose it'll be great for girls and kids and stuff (hey, my girlfriend loves it and she's not even all that into games), but for the rest of us? Hmm. Not sure...
 
Unfortunately only hardcore gamers care so much about graphics. Just like DC. Most people still kept their PS1's.
 
mashoutposse said:
I agree with this post. Once they're side by side here in the US, in a couple of months it's not going to be close.

Again, I would be absolutely shocked if the DS can outsell the PSP on a regular, weekly basis six months from now. Nintendo is going to be in trouble once they start to encroach upon saturation amongst their core fanbase.

Prediction: PSP will be outselling DS by at least a ratio of 1.5:1 by Christmas 2005.
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I think it depends on pricing and supply. If Sony can get manufacturing up to speed and take a JP sized per unit loss in western markets upfront, PSP will eat DS alive. Then again, Nintendo could probably slash the price themselves (they have much more wiggle room here) and stay ahead, playing the bleeding game with Sony. Software support and lineups are strong on both sides, it's going to come down to market strategies this time imo.
 
BTW, just a random point: would anyone else have gladly traded in the second screen for one big PSP-esque widescreen that still had touch support? I'm pretty sure I would've.
 
john tv said:
It just doesn't make sense to me. I suppose it'll be great for girls and kids and stuff (hey, my girlfriend loves it and she's not even all that into games), but for the rest of us? Hmm. Not sure...
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Cough cough third pillar cough cough.

In all seriousness though, have we figured out why so many women in Japan bought the DS compared to the PSP? Perhaps Nintendo has managed to create a gaming device more appealing to the traditional "non-gaming" female crowd. *

* I don't mean to imply that the ladies can't game, I just meant to imply that generally they aren't the largest share of the video game console market. However, if the DS is well suited for puzzle and adventure games (such as point & click ones), that could be a good sign... didn't studies show that women are more likely to enjoy puzzle and adventure games, as opposed to action ones? **

** See prior disclaimer.
 
tetsuoxb said:
yeah gigadent... because there was only 1 launch title for PSP.
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Well... there are only two that are selling decent numbers. Let's face it Lumines may get a lot of attention on this board but it's not exactly a system seller in the real world.
 
Well according to GAFFERS Katamari Damacy and ICO should've also outsold all other games because of their superiority, we all know how that went. I won't even mention Lumines. GAF is not very representative for the average gamer, i think we all figured that out a long time ago. Anyway, the crow eating in a few months (from whatever side) is gonna be great.
 
john tv said:
BTW, just a random point: would anyone else have gladly traded in the second screen for one big PSP-esque widescreen that still had touch support? I'm pretty sure I would've.
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nah I wouldn't. Then you'd sacrifice the clamshell. Also I like have two independent views of the action. I know you could do it with split screen but the chances of it happening would be much less likely.
 
john tv said:
BTW, just a random point: would anyone else have gladly traded in the second screen for one big PSP-esque widescreen that still had touch support? I'm pretty sure I would've.
Click to expand...
Nope, because then the pen would get in the way of the graphics. Remember how many people looked down on MP:Hunters with the old scheme? Lower screen for the action, top with the map?
 
DavidDayton said:
In all seriousness though, have we figured out why so many women in Japan bought the DS compared to the PSP? Perhaps Nintendo has managed to create a gaming device more appealing to the traditional "non-gaming" female crowd. *
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I'm sorry there is absolutely no real statistical evidence backing up your claim that the ratio of female gamers:male gamers on DS is greater than the ratio of female gamers:male gamers on PSP.

If you try to mention anecdotal evidence you will fail at life.

So produce some statistical evidence and then this debate can easily continue.
 
Cruel Bastard Mario said:
If the core fanbase of the GBA is anything to go by, that won't happen for quite some time. I see the DS's lead growing, and the PSP having problems getting a decent number of units to retail simutaniously (in the three territories), as big problems in Sony's plan for portable domination. Can't forget pokemon either :)

The DS will continue to outsell the PSP.
Click to expand...

One thing to consider is that the members of the GBA fanbase are likely less Nintendo fans than they are simply "Game Boy" fans (you can say the same thing about Sony and "Playstation").

Sony needed to do more than simply make a better product to overcome the market leader. Microsoft (XBOX) and Visual Concepts (football games) have tried making something that was only a little bit better and failed. They had to create something so advanced, so superior, that it would render comparisons almost ridiculous. It would have to be something that even the most casual of gamers (and even non-gamers) could clearly and obviously see is so far ahead of anything that came before it; something that would make it difficult to go back. PSP really delivers here.

In the long run, it's going to be a slaughter sales-wise. I'm confident that Sony will be considered the handheld "market leader" within two years.
 
I agree with this post. Once they're side by side here in the US, in a couple of months it's not going to be close.

Again, I would be absolutely shocked if the DS can outsell the PSP on a regular, weekly basis six months from now. Nintendo is going to be in trouble once they start to encroach upon saturation amongst their core fanbase.

Prediction: PSP will be outselling DS by at least a ratio of 1.5:1 by Christmas 2005.
Click to expand...

ya know back in 99 when DC came out, people said the same thing. You went to a store and you saw ps games running, then right next to it you saw DC running and it was night and day, but low and behold ps still outsold it by a far margin. I'm not saying the psp is gonna bomb..I don't even think thats possible, but I do believe that the DS could outsell it on a continual basis. Graphics aren't the only thing that makes a machine great, and thats basically the basis of the psp is gonna own the DS. The touchscreen is already paying off for nintendo and I have my own experiences to prove it. I've gotten both my sister and my mother addicted to mario DS and neither of them play videogames. That says alot about what something like a touchscreen can do for your system.




In the long run, it's going to be a slaughter sales-wise. I'm confident that Sony will be considered the handheld "market leader" within two years.
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so you think the psp is gonna sell over 20 million some units and pass the GBA in 2 years?? Your of your rocker.

In 2 years nintendo could have a new Gameboy out that would be even more advanced than the psp.
 
jarrod said:
I think it depends on pricing and supply. If Sony can get manufacturing up to speed and take a JP sized per unit loss in western markets upfront, PSP will eat DS alive. Then again, Nintendo could probably slash the price themselves (they have much more wiggle room here) and stay ahead, playing the bleeding game with Sony. Software support and lineups are strong on both sides, it's going to come down to market strategies this time imo.
Click to expand...

Great post, and I think you illustrated Sony's main problem perfectly. What some people aren't realising is that Sony doesn't have a magical supply of PSP's that they can just throw out there whenever they want. Right now we have about 2 Million Nintendo DS units sold through compared to what, about 300,000 or so PSPs? That's a pretty lopsided ratio, and it's going to be a while until Sony can even ready enough units to play catch up to Nintendo. I'm of the opinion that sony wouldn't even be comfortable selling that many this early in the game even if they were ready (crazy talk, but I'll tell you why). Losses. Sony is selling a unit that by accounts costs up to 400 bucks or so to manufacture for about 200 bucks retail. They know they have to do it (hell, their hand was forced by Nintendo on that one) but it's got to hurt a bit. Sony has already said themselves that it sees this as one of the reasons they are currently limiting the number of available PSP units. They're not going to get the price down overnight, and for an additional rock to add to this hard place, you've got to realise that economy of scale states that although they can get the device down to a reasonable level once they start selling on a larger scale, to do so, they would have to at first take a pretty sizable hit. It's going to be a while until even they can work the kinks out of that one.

And all the while, Nintendo has the chance to release titles like Jump Super Stars and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Titles that will move millions of NDS units a month. Right now, Sony can't even prepare millions of PSP's a month.

Food for thought.
 
john tv said:
BTW, just a random point: would anyone else have gladly traded in the second screen for one big PSP-esque widescreen that still had touch support? I'm pretty sure I would've.
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Me... hopefully that's where the next GameBoy goes.
 
Yeah, anecdotally, I have about a dozen stories where I've shown a co-worker / friend / family memeber my DS & they've loved the time they've had with it, regardless of gaming background. I dunno if that translates into actual sales, though.
 
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