Nintendo Plans For World-Wide DS Roll Out

Japanese business paper Nikkei News has reported that Nintendo is planning to launch the Nintendo DS portable console in Hong Kong in spring 2005, and in Taiwan in summer 2005. There are no plans yet for a launch in mainland China, however – no doubt because the Game Boy Advance SP has only just been launched in that territory this year. In a separate statement, Nintendo senior management director Yoshihiro Mori has claimed that the Nintendo DS will launch in Europe before Easter 2005. An Easter release date has long been assumed by European retailers, although at a conference this week, Nintendo of Europe representatives claimed a full announcement of their plans would be made in January. Assuming they have the stock for such a large launch, the company may well be wishing to ensure the DS launches before the PlayStation Portable, which is also expected in Europe around Easter time. In a final, unrelated, report newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun is reporting that Nintendo will enter the movie business in 2006 as an animated film production company. However, it is not clear whether this is simply a restatement of earlier rumors to this effect, or a final confirmation from the company itself.