Nintendo DS Driving Game Industry

According to research firsm NPD Group and Nintendo, the DS is driving the majority of the gaming industry's growth.

In a chart on the Nintendo website, the gaming industry saw revenue growth of about 11 percent when compared to the same period in 2005. While 11 percent may not seem very high, imagine a growth rate of only 1.6 percent with the Nintendo DS taken out of the picture. The Nintendo DS alone has seen a growth rate of over 203 percent in just about a year’s time with total global hardware figures showing 20 million units sold, and 82 million software titles sold.

"Numbers dramatically show the value of reaching out to the masses with products that are compelling and comfortable," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "And this perfectly sets the stage for our breakthrough Wii console, which appeals to both core players and current non-players with an intuitive control system and a price everyone can afford."

"During a home console generation upgrade, consumer interest in existing consoles tends to drop as anticipation for new consoles increases. Hand-held game hardware and software revenues have kept the industry afloat," says Billy Pidgeon, Program Manager, Consumer Markets: Gaming at IDC. "Hand-held gaming has spurred real industry growth, and Nintendo’s longstanding leadership in this space continues to drive this market."

Image Courtesy of Nintendo