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Nintendo 3DS Sells 15 Million in U.S.
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Nintendo announced on Thursday that the Nintendo 3DS has sold 15 million units in the United States. The Nintendo 3DS is the eighth Nintendo system to reach that milestone in the country.
The company said, "'Software sells hardware' has been Nintendo's mantra for nearly 30 years. And, when you consistently make fun, unique, exclusive games featuring the likes of Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and Pokémon, you can sell a lot of hardware."
The Nintendo 3DS shipped in the United States in March 2011, about one month after the system's launch in Japan. The device sold 4.5 million units in its first year in the United States. The latest revision of the system, the New Nintendo 3DS XL, shipped in the United States this past February.
Sales of the Nintendo 3DS increased by more than 50% in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year. The increase in sales in the United States may be partly due to release of the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing, said, "While crossing 15 million units is certainly a significant milestone, we are equally excited about the new momentum we've created in 2015 thanks to new hardware and an unrivaled library of software." Moffitt also said, "With more great games on the way and a hardware system for every type of gamer, 2015 is shaping up to be one of the stronger years yet for Nintendo 3DS in the United States."
Nintendo revealed its latest life-to-date hardware sales figures for the United States. Nintendo has sold almost 270 million pieces of Nintendo hardware in the country since the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) launched in 1985. That figure includes almost 145 million handheld units and about 125 million home consoles.
The Nintendo 3DS surpassed 15 million units sold in Japan in January 2014. The Nintendo 3DS XL sold 193,441 units in its first two days on shelves in Japan in July 2012.
[Via Siliconera, Gamespot]
