The first 30 or so days of the 3DS are going to be pretty good, according to Nintendo’s estimates.
Despite a fairly hefty price tag for a handheld, Nintendo is still expecting some pretty impressive sales for the 3DS. Nintendo estimates that it will sell around 4 million units by the end of March, as well as 15 million 3DS games.
This figure was part of a revised set of sales estimates from the company, which are significantly reduced from their previous levels. Originally, Nintendo had predicted around 30 million DS sales – including those of the 3DS – by the end of March, but has now cut that number down to 23.5 million over all.
The company has also reduced its estimates for DS software sales by around 17%, cutting the previously predicted 150 million units down to 125 million. Nintendo is blaming lower than expected sales figures and the unexpected appreciation of the yen, as well as missing the holidays sales window with the 3DS, for the revised figures.
4 million units is a big number, especially in just a few weeks, but given the buzz around the 3DS, it doesn’t seem all that unlikely at all, especially if the worldwide release is fairly early on in March. The $250 – $300 cost will be a stumbling block however, and opinions are split over whether the 3DS is worth that much.
Source: MCV
