Nintendo 3DS On Track To Beat First-Year DS Sales

Nintendo's slow-starting portable console, the Nintendo 3DS, may end up selling more units in its first year than its predecessor, according to data provided by the company. Citing data provided by the NPD Group, Nintendo said that the 3DS has now sold 1.65 million units in the United States in its first eight months on the market. By comparison, the original DS sold 2.37 million units in its first twelve months on the market, with approximately half of those sales occurring during the crucial Holiday time frame. It is worth noting that the original DS launched in the United States on November 21, 2004, meaning that the Holiday period that generated half of its year-one sales also coincided with the product launch. The 3DS, by comparison, launched on February 26 of this year, and therefore will not have its predecessor's added benefit of attracting early adopters this Holiday. Early adopters purchased 400,000 units in the system's opening week. Sales for the system were well below expectations for a time, though a dramatic price cut in July -- as well as the announcement of a Holiday release for franchise titles Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land -- have improved its performance. Despite the system's potential recovery, the company is projecting its first ever annual loss due in part to the 3DS' slow start. The 3DS sold over 250,000 units in October, according to Nintendo, as did the Wii. The original DS still held out strong with 180,000 units sold.