High DS Demand Forces Reservation Program At GameStop

Leading U.S. retailer GameStop has been forced to institute a reservation program for the Nintendo DS, as stock runs low ahead of the upcoming holidays. The company was forced to use a similar program last year for the Wii, but by boosting Wii production by 33 percent, Nintendo of America has repeatedly tried to allay fears of similar shortages this year. However, GameStop itself warned that availability may still be constrained for both the Xbox 360 and Wii this year. Nintendo DS stock is proving more problematic, specifically the metallic rose, cobalt/black and crimson/black versions of the system. Customers can make reservations in person at any GameStop store, but the company offers no guarantees of availability before Christmas. Instead, the projected delivery dates are between December 28th and January 15th - with a full payment of $129.99 plus tax being required in advance. Customers taking part in the program will also get a co-branded GameStop and Nintendo DS gift card. Although major new software releases have appeared to slow down this year, the DS continues to be one of the best-selling hardware platforms around the world, with November NPD data showing sales of 1.57 million in the U.S. It is unclear whether stock problems were already an issue during this time.