Lets talk Hardware sales with numbers right from Nintendo.

So Nintendo Financials came out today. And while the 3ds is selling, I want to show you guys something.

Fiscal year - Ap-Jn Jl-Sp Oc-Dc Ja-Mr FY LTD

Quote :

FY 2010/11 - - - 3.61 3.61 3.61

FY 2011/12 0.71 2.36 8.36 2.10 13.53 17.13

FY 2012/13 1.86 3.20 - - 5.06 22.19

Look at those numbers. Can you really not tell me the handheld market is dying? Last year sales were to be expected for new hardware. But such a quick drop is a troubling sign.

For reference here is the DS sales:

Quote :

FY 2004/05 - - 2.84 2.43 5.27 5.27

FY 2005/06 1.38 2.19 5.59 2.30 11.46 16.73

FY 2006/07 4.54 5.55 8.79 4.68 23.56 40.29

FY 2007/08 6.98 6.37 11.15 5.81 30.31 70.60

FY 2008/09 6.94 6.79 11.89 5.56 31.18 101.78

FY 2009/10 5.97 5.73 11.65 3.76 27.11 128.89

FY 2010/11 3.15 3.54 9.01 1.82 17.52 146.42

FY 2011/12 1.44 1.14 2.06 0.46 5.10 151.52

FY 2012/13 0.54 0.44 - - 0.98 152.50

Yes, Nintendo is doomed.

I'll say it...again...there is room for all. Keep in mind there is still two quarters not accounted for, one being the holiday season. So comparing 40m for DS to 22m 3DS is still pending. What you SHOULD be looking at is the two complete fiscal years. Allow me...

DS
first year total - 5.27
second year total - 16.73
third year total - 40.29

3DS
first year total - 3.61
second year total - 17.13
third year total (only 2 quarters final) - 22.19

The "doomed" 3DS with a horrible first year still outsold the DS after 2 fiscal years, in a tablet/smartphone world no less. It will probably end up 3-4M shy of the DS after the third year, but if that's the case, remember you're comparing it to the BIGGEST SELLING HANDHELD EVER. Compare it to your favorite handheld and the 3DS is moving at a record pace.

As for the big drop..let's take a wait and see approach. Naysayers always like to say "doomed" at the first dip. Remember you're comparing the 3DS to the DS and nobody ever thought the 3DS would do DS numbers in its lifetime.

If the handheld market is dying you better get rid of that Vita and run for the hills!

No matter how you want to slice it the 3ds is the successor to the DS.

Does it really matter if 3DS stays ahead for 1 more quarter? After this point, DS was doing 4.5-6M in the non-holiday quarters. Unless 3DS sales increase over 100% next year, that gap is going to widen very quickly.

Do you expect that to happen? I really think the $40 price point on the games is whats going to prove the biggest downfall.

Triz wrote:

No matter how you want to slice it the 3ds is the successor to the DS.

Not sure what you mean here that isn't part of the obvious.

Let me bring it back to the point that no one ever thought from the beginning that the 3DS would have a chance to reach the same success the DS had. Same has been said about the Wii U reaching Wii numbers. They are astronomical. The 3DS will not be able to stay ahead of DS numbers, but to be pretty much on par at this point is a huge success. To have already sold more in less than 2 years than the entire life of the GameCube is a huge success. The 3DS will not reach DS numbers but I bet, at a low point, 4 years from now it will be around $60M. While that isn't the ridiculous amount DS had, you'd be hard pressed to call that a failure in the portable market.

I dont think its gonna come close to 60M, but we wont know that till more data is in I guess. Too many competing devices to approach that number IMO.

Do you really have to troll a site that has 5 members? I know, this is just Triz pointing out any negativity he can about Nintendo.

So what if the handheld market is dying, whats your point? (not that I think its anytime soon) You just wanna point it out to ruin peoples day? Go back to your 8 hour game session and let us have our handheld games for as long as they're available, geez.

The personal atacks are wearing thin Zat. Why dont you take a minnute and realize its not always rosy news in your prefered console land.

Ok guys, let's calm down a bit. I don't want anyone to rage. ZeldAnTales, try to refrain from name calling (on a different post), and Triz, quit trying to be Pachter. I love both you guys and want it to stay somewhat civilized in here.

Triz ain't trollin', he's just bein' Triz. He keeps things real around here, yo, and I for one appreciate it!


...stupid, no-taste, Smash Bros hating jerk head...


Sorry, uh... some guy just walked by my window.
I think he hates Smash Bros.

I agree with ZeldAnTales but at the same time I enjoy the debate the negativity of Triz brings. I'm torn.

Wii U will fail. Says so right here:

http://www.examiner.com/article/wii-u-will-fall-shortly-after-its-launch-xbox-720-can-learn-from-it

"There have already been reports of pre-orders selling out for the Wii U, which will certainly provide solid numbers at the launch, but not matter what anyone says, what the console's performance is over the long-term will be more telling than anything else."

Really? That's just silly. It's like saying a person's pulse is more important than how tall they are for being able to tell if they are alive. Clearly, a tall person is alive or they wouldn't be tall! This guy needs to take a logic class from Professor Obvious.

I'm ignoring the rather unprofessional typo in there. We'll let that slide. This time.

Eventually life will crumble and nothing good will happen.

I wonder when people will finally get tired of Apple forcing them to buy another phone or tablet every 6 months to a year. When will people realize they are getting brainwashed to think they need the latest newest apple thing. So much complaining when 3DS XL comes out a year later and some of the same people are going out to buy a new apple tablet 6 months later. Whatevs...

Streex wrote:

I wonder when people will finally get tired of Apple forcing them to buy another phone or tablet every 6 months to a year. When will people realize they are getting brainwashed to think they need the latest newest apple thing. So much complaining when 3DS XL comes out a year later and some of the same people are going out to buy a new apple tablet 6 months later. Whatevs...

There is a difference between a screen size increase and a whole platform improvment though. Its not like they are buying the same machine reformated.

Still doesn't make sense to buy a newer version 6 months later.

Streex wrote:

Still doesn't make sense to buy a newer version 6 months later.

I didnt say it was smart. But it's no tlike they are buying the same machine

I agree. (With both of you.)

It's not the same machine, that's what I don't understand. Apple was clearly deep in development with the newer version to come out 6 months later, but for now let's rip off our customers with this soon to be outdated version. Am I the only one that sees this?

Let this be my Pachter moment. I'm predicting now that Steve Jobs has died, more and more products from Apple will lack the same quality and innovation, higher ups will see the fall coming and take off, and in a few years Apple will fall back down to earth.

I don't think Apple will fall too terribly far, if it does, but I think Google may replace them on top.

Found this chart that makes it much easier to see where the 3DS is compared to the GBA and DS at this point in the lifecycle. It's hard to dispute the facts when they are displayed in a way a child could understand.

Triz is not a child, foo'!

When I wrote that I had Pachter in mind...

Uhhhh right, yeah.

I knew that.

Where is the chart from just out of curiosity?