Nintendo DS Big in Japan
Portable system finally hits Japan.
After two long weeks of seething jealousy, Japanese gamers have finally got their hands on the Nintendo DS. The handheld launched on 21 November in North America, making it the first Nintendo console to launch outside of Japan.
But on Thursday all was forgiven as hundreds of gamers lined the famed incandescent streets of Tokyo and across Japan to pick up the dual-screen portable machine.
When the smoke had cleared by the end of the day, Nintendo had shipped out more than 500,000 Nintendo DSes to be embraced by warm Japanese hands. But even this won't be enough.
In the run-up to the handheld's release, Nintendo ran an expansive pre-order campaign, with retailers placing orders for a full 2 million units of the Nintendo DS.
The company has pledged to meet these demands, going so far as to open up more production facilities to crank out as many units of the portable as it can.
With Japan and North America now taken care of, the last stop for the Nintendo DS is Europe. The console should arrive here during this coming winter.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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