Nintendo 3DS gets close to Wii sales record

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 13 April 2011 10:24

Your IT - Entertainment

Nintendo Australia has just released sales figures for the 3DS gaming device.  The glasses free 3D gaming experience seems to be a hit breaking early sales records for hand-held entertainment.

iTWire is enjoying Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars on the 3DS right now, with Pilotwings Resort next on the list and Steel Diver coming soon.  Whilst the release line-up for the new DS iteration is not overly strong, there is certainly plenty of glasses free 3D fun to be had.

If you can stomach it that is, some people are turned off by the parallax barrier 3D technology on show with the 3DS, but according to Nintendo Australia, there are plenty more who seem enamoured with the device.

Nintendo Australia say:  Nintendo 3DSâ„¢, Nintendo's new device which offers portable entertainment in 3D without the need for special glasses, launched in Australia on 31 March and has already sold through more than 31,000 units!  [Sales data collected by Nintendo from retail partner reporting]

This has been achieved in only four days, and gives Nintendo 3DS the record for best handheld launch in Australia. Nintendo's popular home console Wiiâ„¢ holds the record for biggest week one sell through for any console, selling through slightly more than Nintendo 3DS with 32,000* units in its first week on sale, and has gone on to sell through more than 2.1 million* since its December 2006 launch.

Nintendo 3DS introduces players to a whole new world of gaming, with features including pre-installed 3D software such as AR Games (augmented reality), embedded motion sensor, the ability to watch 3D videos and take 3D photographs, and StreetPass. Not only can Nintendo 3DS software be played on the device, but also most existing Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi software can too.**  [Some Nintendo DS software cannot be used on the Nintendo 3DS system. Only 3D-compatible Nintendo 3DS software can be played in 3D. Nintendo DS / Nintendo DSi software cannot be displayed in 3D]