Monday, June 12, 2006

Nintendo Weighs In With New DS Lite Handheld

Investor's Business Daily writes about Nintendo's launch of the DS Lite in the U.S. According to the article, "the Nintendo DS Lite is less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS, more than 20% lighter and features a brighter screen."

David Cole at DFC Intelligence said, "Nintendo has been very strong in the portable system market. One thing they've been very good at is redesigning and retooling their systems. In the portable market, it's a lot about the style and look of the system. In many ways, it can be a fashion accessory."

Cole claimed "Nintendo has 90% of the portable video game devices market, mostly thanks to its ubiquitous, low-cost Game Boy gadgets. Sony has taken about 10% market share in just over a year."

As of early May, "Nintendo had sold more than 16 million DS units worldwide, while Sony had sold more than 17 million PlayStation Portables."

Thomas Wolf at The Diffusion Group said that in the U.S., "the pricier PSP, which sells for $199, has been outselling the DS." He thought that "with the DS Lite and a host of new game titles, it's possible the DS will outsell the PSP temporarily this summer."

I held a DS Lite today, and the form factor is really sweet. The second my 8 year-old daughter saw it, she asked if we could sell her DS on eBay so we could buy a DS Lite....