Archived from groups: alt.games.video.nintendo.gameboy.advance,alt.games.video.nintendo.gamecube (More info?)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd pulled away from the competition and
remained Japan's top game software maker in the business year ended March
31, game magazine publisher Enterbrain Inc said on Friday.
Nintendo sold nearly 6.5 million units, helped by hit titles such as racing
game "Mario Kart Double Dash" and "Mario Party 5."
It maintained the top spot even without "Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green,"
Japan's top selling game. That game and other popular Pokemon titles now
come under the Pokemon company in which Nintendo holds a 30 percent stake.
Square Enix Co Ltd sold nearly four million titles and came in second, while
Konami Corp slipped to sixth from fourth last year, despite having Japan's
second most popular game, "World Soccer Winning Eleven 7."
Nintendo continued to benefit from its strong position in the handheld
market with its GameBoy Advance and Enterbrain President Hirokazu Hamamura
said he was eagerly awaiting the company's new handheld, "Nintendo DS."
"This will be a product unlike anything available right now and it will come
with a touch panel," said Hamamura, adding that Nintendo was prepared to
unveil 30 "DS" titles at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los
Angeles in May.
The "DS" is expected to be a portable videogame system with two screens, one
above the other, that will go on sale by year-end. A Nintendo spokesman
declined to comment on whether the product would come with a touch panel
screen.
Sony Corp plans to take the wraps off a handheld of its own at E3. The
PlayStation Portable (PSP) -- a device that will play games, movies and
music -- is expected to go on sale in Japan by year-end.
Sony has delayed its launch in the United States and Europe until the first
quarter of 2005 and Enterbrain's Hamamura said it might be forced to delay
the Japanese start unless it unveiled some key details, such as pricing.
Total game console sales, including handhelds, fell 15.7 percent in Japan to
7.38 million units and software sales dipped 1.7 percent to 55.2 million
units in the business year to March 31.
Hamamura said he expected Microsoft Corp to roll out the next version of its
Xbox console by the end of 2005, in a bid to be the first to market. Sony
may hold off on a PlayStation sequel until early 2006, he said.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd pulled away from the competition and
remained Japan's top game software maker in the business year ended March
31, game magazine publisher Enterbrain Inc said on Friday.
Nintendo sold nearly 6.5 million units, helped by hit titles such as racing
game "Mario Kart Double Dash" and "Mario Party 5."
It maintained the top spot even without "Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green,"
Japan's top selling game. That game and other popular Pokemon titles now
come under the Pokemon company in which Nintendo holds a 30 percent stake.
Square Enix Co Ltd sold nearly four million titles and came in second, while
Konami Corp slipped to sixth from fourth last year, despite having Japan's
second most popular game, "World Soccer Winning Eleven 7."
Nintendo continued to benefit from its strong position in the handheld
market with its GameBoy Advance and Enterbrain President Hirokazu Hamamura
said he was eagerly awaiting the company's new handheld, "Nintendo DS."
"This will be a product unlike anything available right now and it will come
with a touch panel," said Hamamura, adding that Nintendo was prepared to
unveil 30 "DS" titles at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los
Angeles in May.
The "DS" is expected to be a portable videogame system with two screens, one
above the other, that will go on sale by year-end. A Nintendo spokesman
declined to comment on whether the product would come with a touch panel
screen.
Sony Corp plans to take the wraps off a handheld of its own at E3. The
PlayStation Portable (PSP) -- a device that will play games, movies and
music -- is expected to go on sale in Japan by year-end.
Sony has delayed its launch in the United States and Europe until the first
quarter of 2005 and Enterbrain's Hamamura said it might be forced to delay
the Japanese start unless it unveiled some key details, such as pricing.
Total game console sales, including handhelds, fell 15.7 percent in Japan to
7.38 million units and software sales dipped 1.7 percent to 55.2 million
units in the business year to March 31.
Hamamura said he expected Microsoft Corp to roll out the next version of its
Xbox console by the end of 2005, in a bid to be the first to market. Sony
may hold off on a PlayStation sequel until early 2006, he said.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram