Nintendo DS Pre-Orders Double Expectations

Representatives from Nintendo of Japan have revealed that domestic orders for the new Nintendo DS handheld console have risen to more than 2 million, double the company’s target of 1 million unit sales by the end of the year. The company admits that it does not have the capacity to meet this unexpected demand, but that it plans to boost output of the console by outsourcing production to an additional site in China. According to a company spokesman, “We have two sites up and running smoothly. We are now hurrying to get the third one going to ramp up output." Regarding the console’s US pre-order numbers the same spokesman admitted "We have not been able to confirm [the number of] orders in the U.S., but we have heard they are strong." The console is not due to launch in Europe until next spring. Also today, the company has released details of its major first and third party releases for the first half of 2005. There are few surprises in the listings, though, and indeed, the company rarely chooses to unveil new titles in this manner. Perhaps the most interesting point to note, though, is the relative lack of new first-party Nintendo DS titles being scheduled for release, with key title Metroid Prime: Hunters suffering from only the vaguest of “Q2” release dates. However, if the console does prove to be as large a success as it appears, it is likely that the company will make every effort to address this situation with regard to first-party titles, and will likely have increasing numbers of third-party games to rely on if the handheld proves popular with consumers worldwide.