In spite of what were originally labeled “lackluster” sales of the Nintendo 3DS, the company that Miyamoto built today announced that the first-year sales of the 3DS are actually slated to exceed the first-year sales of the original Nintendo DS.
The sales data comes in spite of the higher price point of the 3DS handheld and mixed reviews about the actual visual “convenience” or ease of playing games on a glasses-free 3D screen.
In its eighth month on the market, the Nintendo 3DS system crossed 1.65 million units sold in the Unite States, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the country. The 1.6 million figure puts the Nintendo 3DS on track to surpass what is now known as the best-selling game platform in U.S. history: the original Nintendo DS.
The Nintendo DS system sold 2.37 million units in its first 12 months, with approximately 50% of its sales coming during the all-important holiday shopping season. The 3DS is now entering its first holiday season as well, not to mention the launches of the Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 games, which could position the Nintendo 3DS very favorably when it comes to total first-year sales.