DS Lite sold out in Japan in less than 1 day!

[StefanS]

Nintendo launched the DS Lite revision of the Nintendo DS hardware in Japan yesterday, and it should come as no surprise that just about every unit in the country was sold out in minutes.

Despite only one of the three Lite colors launching, the white DS, people still queued up in lines that were hundreds strong. Some even stayed in line when they knew that there was a good chance they wouldn't get one.

Nintendo has had so much difficulty in satisfying the demand, they've issued a three-part apology. First, because the Enamel Navy and Ice Blue colors won't be available until next week. Second, only 650,000 DS units will be shipped this month, 450K of them being the new DS Lite.

pictures at http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3148546

 

[Corwin_B]

pictures at http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3148546

Totally FUBARed launch, something Nintendo generally manages to avoid... The whole DS supply situation since the huge holiday sales has been pretty bad in Japan, in fact.

 

[pixelbox]

I just don't get them.

 

[StefanS]

Totally FUBARed launch, something Nintendo generally manages to avoid... The whole DS supply situation since the huge holiday sales has been pretty bad in Japan, in fact.

Well, they had some manufacturing problems with the other two colours, which aggravated the situation. So the two other colours launch next Wednesday if I am correct.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Totally FUBARed launch.

But they sold them all. If demand exceeds the ability to manufacture and supply, people will miss out. There's no solution to that, except to make an unpopular device or secretly launch it without telling anyone.

My psychic prediction for the week - DS will top the hardware chart in Japan.

 

[Guden Oden]

I just don't get them.

What's there not to get about the DS lite? It's a gorgeous device, it's got two very bright and colorful screens, improved ergonomics, it's smaller, lighter, prettier, sexier than the original, and there's a wifi web browser coming out for it soon.

In japan anyway.

Besides, calling this launch fubar'd is a complete joke. If this launch was fubar'd, then what was the gizmondo launch, a runaway success perhaps?

 

[pixelbox]

What's there not to get about the DS lite? It's a gorgeous device, it's got two very bright and colorful screens, improved ergonomics, it's smaller, lighter, prettier, sexier than the original, and there's a wifi web browser coming out for it soon.

In japan anyway.

Besides, calling this launch fubar'd is a complete joke. If this launch was fubar'd, then what was the gizmondo launch, a runaway success perhaps?

Not the DS. The japanese.

 

[Corwin_B]

Besides, calling this launch fubar'd is a complete joke. If this launch was fubar'd, then what was the gizmondo launch, a runaway success perhaps?

I called the launch fubared because of the atrocious lack of supply, from the first reports it was even worse than the PSP launch in December 2004. It was fubared in the same sense the 360 launch was fubared, because of many disappointed customers. And Nintendo didn't even go for a worldwide launch, unlike MS...

The "BAR" part was a bit too much, though, because there is a possibility that supply will ramp up soon.

 

[Corwin_B]

My psychic prediction for the week - DS will top the hardware chart in Japan.

But then again, apart from a couple of weeks early 2006, it has done that since April 2005, when Nintendogs was first released.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Hey, the DS lite is cute! I think I'll pick one up for my daughter.

Anyone know the retail price?

 

[Guden Oden]

Anyone know the retail price?

There is none in the west; the thing's only just been released in japan...

Import prices are going up and up as we speak it seems. Lik-sang's price was originally $169 I believe, and then bumped it to $199. Other importers alledgedly charge upwards of $300.

I called the launch fubared because of the atrocious lack of supply

The supply is apparantly only 'atrocious' in the biggest cities, reader reports on joystiq.com say there's still units to be had in the countryside. Then again, with interest this high there's almost no way it could have launched without supply difficulties in the big cities.

 

[Bobbler]

Hey, the DS lite is cute! I think I'll pick one up for my daughter.

Anyone know the retail price?

Retail it should hit $149 in the states when it comes here. (maybe $129 -- the JP price at the moment is equivalent to $149 though, iirc). If it does come in at $129 in the states then I imagine the original DS will go down to $99 (or has it already? Haven't really been paying attention, been waiting for the DSLite).

You're in the states, right? If you're in EU then I have no idea about pricing. =\