Nintendo DS tops PlayStation Portable in worldwide shipments
posted Apr 28th 2005 9:59AM
They didn't get around to telling us this until now, but Nintendo says that as of last month they've shipped over five million Nintendo DS consoles and that the company is well on its way to selling another five or six million consoles during the next 12 months. Sony's gotten off to a slower start (a higher price tag and a March launch date'll do that). They've shipped only 2.5 million PlayStation Portables worldwide since its debut in Japan last year, about half a mil short of their target of three million consoles by the end of March, but say they're still on track to ship 12 million PSP consoles in the year ending March 31st, 2006, which would put them ahead of Nintendo by this time next year. Mixed news, but what fanboys on neither side want to admit is that the market is simply big enough for both consoles.
I think this article brings up a good point... I am a PSP owner, and I think it is great that other people are buying the DS. Having more than one system available creates competition and encourages software developers for each platform to work a little harder to make the best titles they can. If you bought a DS, and you like it, then that is terrific. If you bought a PSP and you like it, then that is just as good. And the more people that buy either platform, the better the software should become.
I don't think they recovered from the dell vs apple upheaval
I am truly amazed at nintendo's success. At first it seemed as if they ignored the PSP competition, but they really didn't. I don't know if you guys remember, but as soon as the PSP design was announced, nintendo quickly redesigned their system.
I agree with #1. It's about time Nintendo face a worthy competitor in the handheld market. Fierce competition will keep both sides always on edge and push them to make quality games.
I own both DS and PSP and I couldn't be happier. Looks like good times ahead for gamers everywhere.
i think it also has to do something with price. The DS is around $150 cheaper than the PSP... therefore more people buy it.
All those DS's and no GAMES to play!
I own a DS, and i'll be picking up a PSP shortly. I've always maintained the market is big enough for both units, and I still do.
And Eric, what with six releases in the last few weeks, and more scheduled for may onwards, I wouldn't say the DS has no games. Unless you're discounting Polarium, NFS2, PacPix and PuyoPop in the last few weeks. Of course, things get slim for a few weeks, but then we have EggMonster Heroes, Dynasty Warriors DS, Gundam Seed DS, SW:Ep. III, Meteos, Kirby, Goldeneye, Nanostray and Bomberman DS.
DS's launch was weak, but the games are coming in steadily, at this point.
I've got both and I like them both, although I've spent more time playing Advance games on the DS than DS games, and I've spent more time playing the PSP than the DS...
...but that is Lumines fault. Damn additicive puzzle games....
The market most definitely is big enough for multiple handhelds. The market has been able to support up to 3 consoles at once, as evidenced by the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube.
However, as the old saying goes, "two's company, three's a crowd." Past history has shown that while there may be 3 consoles on the market, one always takes a beating. Remember a few years back when the PSOne, Sega Saturn, and Atari Jaguar, and 3DO were all competing?
One died a quick death (3DO), another struggled badly (Jaguar, though I loved AvP and Tempest2000), and the other two... well, you know the story.
The video game market has grown to the point that 3 systems can compete in the console arena, though we have yet to see it grow enough for 3 handhelds to compete. Maybe in 5-10 years.
For now, the DS will do just fine appealing primarily to kids and teens, while the PSP will take the older teen audience and those into their 20's and 30's.
I am a 26 year old gamer and I love my Nintendo DS. I also own a PSP. Right now, the PSP is collecting dust on my shelf. There is nothing on this console, yet, that hasn't been done somewhere else, the same exact way they have always been done. The touchscreen control of Tiger Woods, Polarium, Wario Ware, World Poker Tournament, Feel the Magic, and Zoo Keeper has kept me locked on the DS. I have never played handheld games as much as I do now. I think Nintendo will further prove the case that the highest tech machine is not necessarily the best selling. PS2 epitmoizes this. As soon as online hits, and DS gets Animal Crossing and Nintendogs, the awareness of handheld gaming will change dramatically. Nintendo will continue to be a household name. The PSP has better movies coming out for it than games IMO. Don't know what it is yet. I like Lumines because it looks awesome, but it is nothing different. There is just something missing for me concerning PSP. Guess we will find out at E3 what they have in store to alleviate that.
raymond
I actually find it hard to consider these two sytems competitors. They are seen as competitors because (most obviously) they both play games, but really because they were released by Sony and Nintendo. They each have such unique characteristics that make them different and they appeal to different demographics.
Usually two systems that are competing will share a large number of the same games. These two systems have, and are going to have very different games and they have different features and capabilities. I have considered buying a PSP because of its graphic power and multimedia capabilities, but I haven't taken a second look at the DS because I am not into the type of games that it has or the features it boasts.
Well, wouldn't the GameBoy Advance SP be a more direct competitor to the PSP? I mean, how are those numbers?
Heh. If anything, the GBA SP is a direct competitor to the PS/2, if sales are any indication. In it's first year, the GBA SP sold 6.5 million units. That's pretty impressive numbers for a second-iteration of an existing platform. The SP and PS/2 have traded places back-and-forth on the global sales charts more than once. However, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, per se: the PSP is aimed at a different audience with different uses.
To me, the core focus of the PSP is this: console gaming and convergence. My friends are spending more time working with hacking the PSPs multimedia and wireless features than actually playing on it (though they like it just fine for that purpose, thankyouverymuch).
The core focus of the DS is: toy/game experience and pick-up/put-down gaming. 'Games' like Electroplancton and Nintendogs are high-tech toys...there's no game to win, just a really cool way to pass the time with an amusement. Games like Yoshi Touch and Go!, Wariorware:Touched and Polarium are all about flipping open the DS and playing for five minutes.
One doesn't look for Metal Gear Ac!d on the DS, and one doesn't start playing MGA, hoping to sneak in 5 five minutes here or there.
Nintendo included wireless features purely for interaction and gaming; Sony included wireless to take advantage of the possiblilities of the technology as another device on your home LAN.
The real question is where are they going to go from here? Both need to start to truly tap their hardware...and that's when the fun REALLY begins.
i regret buying my DS as i thought i'd have MP Hunters and a few other titles in my hands right now. Everything has been pushed back, and most of what's available is just so-so or for the kiddies. June bring Meteos I guess, but that's not just 'a few weeks away' like another poster mentioned. The PSP has had one of the strongest launches (game wise) that I can remember. I'm genuinely excited about Lumines, Wipeout Pure, and Twisted Metal. I was about MG Acid but cards scare me. I don't have the cash just yet to dive into a PSP, but I will eventually as the games are already there and more are coming. I'll hang on to my DS to see how innovative they can make it, and to take advantage of Metroid/Zelda/Castlevania, but I still wish I'd waited. I do agree that the PSP more directly competes with the Gameboy Advance SP, but if Nintendo upgrades the Gameboy to do battle, I wonder how the DS will fit into their marketing strategy. A unique, niche portable may not survive in the marketplace. At least they have duped enough into a sizeable install base, including myself.
To Michael Olshansky in comment #8 - well put. The handheld market can handle two players - one for kids and one for teens+.
Curiously, Nintendo seems to have won the reputation as the console (GameCube) for the same demo (demographic) as the GBA - kids.
Sony and MSFT are fighting over the teens+.
Trick is, the console market is big enough to support two players per demo - I don't think the handheld market is.
Unless I am mistaken the PSP has not even been released in Europe yet, I am sure this accounts for some of the difference in numbers.
i own a psp my nieghbor owns a DS. Guess who's the jealous one?
he says he hasn't played his in maybe a month. I play mine an hour every night (untold legends). I also watch movies off my memory stick frequently, which is a great feature, no matter what anyone else says.
Chrisp, I have a life.
Seems like this thing is gonna be a fanboy war again >.>
Some people just can't help themselves posting things like 'this is better, that's better'
Where's the intelligence here? All I get see is jealousness all around. Come on, cope with it! Live with it! It's not like the world is going down if Nintendo sells more systems.
And yes, Resident Evil 4 is a game for kids, it sure is... *grins*
"And yes, Resident Evil 4 is a game for kids, it sure is... *grins*" Funny :D
Anyways what i think hurts the PSP in sales is probably the price tag 250 is alot of money especially for teens.
Anyways im getting a Ds Next week cuase i dont want to put a huge dent in my dads wallet :/ and plus warioware is so much fun :D
I'm a total Nintendo fan boy and I can clearly see room for both. I bought the DS at release because of my Nintendo disease, but I'll eventually pick up the PSP too. What ruined the PSP for me was the rumor that a future PSP release might have a hard drive in it, which would make the music playback so much better.
I haven't played my DS so much, but since I have a PS2 and GameCube that take up a good deal of my time, I don't think it's surprising. And I've yet to see a killer app for the PSP, so no point it spending that cash until need be.
Plus the XBox360 rumors have me thinking about picking up my first Microsoft console...
The PSP will more directly compete with the Gameboy Advance SP when it loses a few pounds.
Sure u can say Nintendo is all kids oriented but the truth is NDS and it's accesible controls lure nongaming audience - my girl culd actually controll Metroid Prime people!! :) and she wouldn't be able to do that on mouse trust me:)
The games are simple yet incredibly entertaining.
It truly is an innovation - games like nintendogs will for sure draw some nongaming audience.
PSP on the other side is maybe not as adult oriented as it is a true , quite capable videogames system.It's not for plain on the bus - it's for having fun at class , in the office and such where u can wait for loading screen to disapear and then play 2-3 h of game not 10-30 min like nds.NDS is more like DC here and PSP is just another Playstation.It's truly awesome to have the choice :)
Sure u can say Nintendo is all kids oriented but the truth is NDS and it's accesible controls lure nongaming audience - my girl culd actually controll Metroid Prime people!! :) and she wouldn't be able to do that on mouse trust me:)
The games are simple yet incredibly entertaining.
It truly is an innovation - games like nintendogs will for sure draw some nongaming audience.
PSP on the other side is maybe not as adult oriented as it is a true , quite capable videogames system.It's not for plain on the bus - it's for having fun at class , in the office and such where u can wait for loading screen to disapear and then play 2-3 h of game not 10-30 min like nds.NDS is more like DC here and PSP is just another Playstation.It's truly awesome to have the choice :)
....Fanboys? I am a girl. For a start.
I think Nintendo have worked so hard to get new exciting software when sony isn't coming up with anything new.
Pacpix, for instance. Nintendo have finally got the hardware for the software. New graphics, excellent gameplay... And what have sony done? Come up with a minature of a console they have already released.
Personally, I plan to get both systems because of the unique games that will be on each. I mean there are so many big-title games that come out for GC, PS2, and Xbox, but I can't imagine any that would come out for both PSP and the DS because of their radically different controls and screens.
Having said that, I'm pretty disappointed with the DS games that have been released to date. But it will all be worth it once a version of Advance Wars is available. That game along made my GB Advance SP worth buying.
So I have the DS and working on getting a PSP so I can play Lumines and Death Jr. -- two good looking games that I would never expect to see ported to the DS.
Oh, and by "working on it", I meant by using one of those referral services (see my link if you're interested in trying it). If you can get some people to sign up under your name, they send you stuff.
doesn't matter if one console is only slightly behind the other, what matters in the long run is game sales, if the games sell badly then no one will rellese more games which kills the console in unit sales and from there its downhill all the way.
I agree with Minicookies comment. The PSP is made now and Sony is not going to pull it even if the sales are dire. Games companies however will pull development on new games if they feel they are not worthwile financially - and that will kill the console off completely.
Please, some advice for a wrinkly.
Having read through the reviews and very informative feedback, I am considering a mobile games machine for my eldest son's birthday.
I am totally ignorant about the gaming industry in general, the consoles available and the targeted markets by the different suppliers etc. I saw the Nintendo DS ads on TV and this led to me reading reviews on the NDS and PSP and arriving at this site.
My son will be 8 shortly and we are UK based. He inherited an original Gameboy with a couple of games from his cousin a couple of months back and he has been thrilled with it! He made do with McDonalds Happy Meal freebies before that! He has also, on rare moments of weakness on my part, played on the few arcade style PC games I had bundled on my notebook.
A mobile device seems more flexible for us rather than a console, given we travel long distances on a frequent basis and I don't want a games console in a headset in the car!
From the feedback I have read I am getting the message the NDS would be the better choice due to the choice of games for younger people, not to mention that the screen may be more forgiving in the hands of a minor.
The device I require will be used solely for gaming as I don't envisage the need beyond that for the forseable future. By that time, no doubt we will be on PSP mark 5 or something.
I would be prepared to pay the extra for PSP if people strongly advised this was the better choice for our circumstances. Further, if it is strongly advised we went for a console rather than a handheld for his first 'modern' gaming device, then I would also heed that advice.
Thanks in anticipation.