Nintendo DS Success: What Does it Mean to You and Wii?

When it first launched a few years ago, the Nintendo DS was hardly a hot item.  Early titles for the handheld were limited to games that desperately tried to take advantage of the "dual screen" technology from which the system inherited its name.  The DS' first year was so brutal that I regretted referring it to a relatively broke friend of mine, who found himself limited to Gameboy Advance titles. 

That's all changed.  Although the initial DS was a bulky behemoth of silver, Nintendo has successfully re-released the handheld in a smaller, lighter rendition that more closely resembles the dynamics of its popular Wii console.  Recent games like Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros., and others have revitalized the system as well, with Nintendo developing first party hits (what else is new?) that have trumped a lazily-supported competing handheld from Sony.

The result?  Research and marketing analysts are now predicting that the DS could eventually surpass the PlayStation 2 in becoming the top-selling console of all time.  With estimated sales of the portable market in the range of $10 billion for this year alone, Sony's ubiquitous home console is hardly safe from Mario's mini medium.

The meaning?  Although the DS' success speaks volumes about Nintendo's marketing of an otherwise dated technology, it also gives hope to the Wii.  While the DS clearly struggled in its first months after release, the dual screen has become a feature rather than a gimmick.  The handheld is also evidence that a system boasting far less graphical muscle than the competition can not only survive, but succeed.

It's certainly difficult to classify the Wii's opening period as anything but a success, but considering the far tougher competition in the home console world, it will need the kind of support the DS enjoys.  As Nintendo struggles to establish a Wii online multiplayer community with the same features claimed by its handheld, there's hope that flashy marketing and a unique approach to gaming can triumph, once again.

Check out the Nintendo DS
12 comments
Posted by someguy#1 on April 21,2007 at 4:49 PM

yeah mod superstar, they really need to learn how to spell, i mean if your going to play guitar heros at least learn how to spell it gosh.

Posted by someguy on April 19,2007 at 11:22 PM

what is up with people and the way *** keeps happing to me what the *** i just want to sit at home and play my gutar heiro.

Posted by Chuppa on March 23,2007 at 8:26 AM
What is with all of the gays.................we don't need to be shown right into our faces. If you want to be gay, be gay..but keep it to yourself. gay pride is retarded.
Posted by blueboy on March 22,2007 at 8:23 PM
Yeah chippa, you twat.
Posted by mod superstar on March 22,2007 at 6:55 PM
U GUYS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SPELL
Posted by miro on March 22,2007 at 6:54 PM
"Research and marketing analysts are now predicting that the DS could eventually surpass the PlayStation 2 in becoming the top-selling console of all time. "

Actually, although the Playstation 2 is the highest selling console of all time, if you factor in handhelds as well, it actually hasn't yet outsold the original GameBoy (although, this probably won't last much longer)

source: http://www.vgcharts.org/worldcons.php?date=38961&sort=1
Posted by Zink on March 22,2007 at 6:53 PM
Everybody just needs to forget about power, I mean who really cares how powerfull the system as long as its got good games, graphics, and an overall great gaming experince. For example i get that the PSPis more "powerfull" than the DS, but as a proud DS lite owner i can say I DON'T CARE the DS is a great syestem snd thats all that really matters.
Posted by chippa on March 22,2007 at 4:17 PM
yeah sshafer, you twat.
Posted by modsuperstar on March 22,2007 at 4:14 PM
Sshafer, the Gamecube was quite a bit more powerful then the PS2.  You find with games that it's really all that a developer is willing to put into a platform is what will show in the end product.  Many of the last generation cross platform games were dumbed down graphically to accommodate for the PS2s lesser processor.  I will readily concede that many developers got a whole hell of a lot of mileage out of the PS2 hardware, but as I said, it's all in what a developer is willing to put into it.  Very few developers were willing to put the effort into developing amazingly polished games for the Gamcube given it's limited install base.  Games like Capcom's RE4 and Factor 5's Rogue Squadron series showed the true graphical prowess of the Cube.
Posted by etuoyo on March 22,2007 at 3:18 PM
No the Gamecube was more powerful than the ps2 but less powerful than the xbox.  ps2 was least powerful of last generation but most successful.
Posted by sshafer on March 22,2007 at 1:29 PM
Actually the Gamecube was much less powerful that the PS2 or X-box, and it did horrible.
Posted by modsuperstar on March 22,2007 at 12:35 PM
I find that previous history seems to have shown that the less powerful machine seems to always win when it comes to gaming.  The Master System, Genesis, Game Gear, N64, Xbox and Gamecube were all more powerful then their respective leading competition, yet all were outmaneuvered by lesser machines.  The DS and Wii just seem to be continuing that tradition.