According to an
online report from Japanese consumer magazine Famitsu, over 10 million Pokemon characters have been traded online by users of
Pokemon Diamond and
Pearl in both Japan and North America and in trades between the two regions.
As
translated by video games forum NeoGAF, the article indicates that over 500,000 Pokemon have been traded in Japan, since the release of the games in September of last year. The games – which, as usual with the series, are functionally identical except for differences in the available Pokemon – were released in North America on April 22nd. The games are due to be released in Europe on July 27th.
Pokemon Diamond and
Pearl have proven to be the fastest selling titles in the core role-playing game series so far, with two million copies made available for the initial Japanese launch, making it the
fastest selling Nintendo DS title ever in Japan. Over 500,000 pre-orders for the game were registered in the United States, with
more than one million copies sold in the first five days.
Trading Pokemon characters has always been an important feature of previous titles, adding to the social element which has allowed the games to endure long after the initial marketing frenzy for the series has abated. Previously such trading was only possible via a game link cable, but
Pokemon Diamond and
Pearl allows for online chat, trading and battles.
