The DS juggernaut continues to roll through Japan

You guys aren't going to believe this one. Are you ready? Okay -- it seems that the DS Lite is somewhat popular in Japan, and has been for a long time. Wow, who knew?

Alright, all sarcasm aside, according to the Famitsu Marketing Data Report for June (covering May 28-June 24), Nintendo is the force driving the Japanese gaming market into the stratosphere. Overall sales numbers for the industry were up more than 25%, and most of that is due to the fact that hardware sales are up nearly 50%. Why? All signs point to the DS. For fifteen consecutive months, the handheld has moved more than 500,000 units in Japan. But it's not all about the DS, particularly when we turn to the software numbers. Combined, software for Nintendo platforms accounted for more than 81% of software sales.

With the release of two new DS Lite colors in Japan, it seems likely that at least part of the handheld's success is due to the variety of models available. Not that the DS needs any real help in the Americas, but we're willing to bet that a few new colors might produce results here as well.

[Via 1P Start]