Analyst: DSi Boosts Nintendo Handheld 175 Percent

The April release of the Nintendo DSi has driven up DS unit sales 175 percent year over year, estimates Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey. Nintendo's handheld is expected to be one of the few bright spots in upcoming NPD results for April, according to Hickey -- industry-watchers largely expect as much as a double-digit decline in results for the month thanks to tough comparisons to the month in which Mario Kart Wii and record-breaking Grand Theft Auto IV launched. The release of the DSi is expected to bolster overall industry hardware sales 25 percent in April, says Hickey, ameliorating a 20 percent decline in software sales. The DSi's slightly higher price helps, too. Hickey also expects Microsoft's Xbox 360 to grow in April, but in terms of unit sales, not overall revenue -- he estimates the average retail price of the console is down about $80 year over year, creating the possibility of dollars down even when sales are up. The NPD Group is expected to release results for the video game industry's sales performance in April tomorrow afternoon.