Nintendo of America sold 400,000 3DS systems in first week

The Nintendo 3DS launched on February 26, 2011 in Japan, on March 25, 2011 in Europe and on March 27, 2011 in North The united states. The device naturally sold out in Japan, selling close to 400,000 units in days.

As always, in North The united states it was slightly less popular. Consumers bought fewer than 400,000 Nintendo 3DS systems in the week after it was launched, according to Nintendo of The united states president Reggie Fils-Aime. "We are satisfied with this start and they look forward to the momentum that they will build on Nintendo 3DS with the launch of the E-Shop, the launch of the 3-D trailers for Hollywood movies and the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in mid-June, as well as the launch of Netflix later on in the summertime," Fils-Aime told USA Today. Furthermore, they downplayed comparing the numbers to the original DS:

  Is it fair to compare the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo DS?
  It is apples and oranges. When they launched DS they launched going right in to the Thanksgiving week (in 2004). From a pure timing seasonality, you are not going to be able to compare the launches. They are going to be continuing to sell DS and that platform is going to continue to build on its legacy of the best-selling hardware process ever in the US. I would like to have the Nintendo 3DS eclipse that, but this is a new platform that they have given birth to. I would like to have ongoing comparisons to the DS business because that would definitely mean they are doing a nice job growing the Nintendo 3DS business.

In North The united states, Nintendo launched its new handheld 3DS game process much more quietly when compared to earlier systems. It also used the same strategy as with the Wii: staging supply so it would not sell out. The company had product going directly to stores and product in distribution centers, so they could basically replenish when stores ran low on stock.

The device also has an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a small analog circle pad, a home button, and a charging cradle. There is even an activity logger that acts like a pedometer, counting your steps and awarding coins that can be exchanged for bonus content, and a Street Pass function that lets you share positive information (think Miis) with passers-by who also have the feature activated.

The 3DS offers 3D gambling sans 3D glasses and also includes the ability to take 3D photographs thanks to dual cameras on the back of the device. You can fine-tune the 3D intensity or turn it off using the slider. Nintendo issued a warning that it is not healthy for babies under the age of 6 to view 3D images.