Nintendo of America today proudly announced sales figures from
March, a month that saw the release of three key Nintendo
products. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker set a Nintendo
pre-sale record when more than 600,000 gamers reserved the game
prior to its launch. According to Nintendo, "retailers now are
quickly burning through the entire initial North American shipment
of 1.1 million games." Further, Nintendo is reporting a 20%
increase in GameCube hardware sales following the release of The
Wind Waker.
In related March sales news, Nintendo reported that more than 2.2
million copies of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire have now moved through
to North American retailers. Additionally, 800,000 Game Boy Advance
SP units have been shipped to North American retails. Richard
Simone, a video game buyer for Toys "R" Us, said, "At
what is traditionally a slow time of the year for video games,
Nintendo has seized the sales initiative. With their blockbuster
products Game Boy Advance SP, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon,
they're a big part of why video games are one of the truly bright
spots at retail."
Nintendo Press Release:
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Strong Sales Surge for Nintendo
REDMOND, Wash. - April 4, 2003 - Riding the crest of three hit
product launches, Nintendo of America Inc. currently claims the best
selling console game, the best selling portable games, and the best
selling hardware system in America.
Since coming to market within a week of each other in late March,
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for Nintendo GameCube, Pokemon
Ruby Version and Pokemon Sapphire Version for Game Boy Advance, and
the new flip-top, front-lit Game Boy Advance SP portable system have
leaped to the top of their respective sales charts.
The new Zelda game set a Nintendo record with more than 600,000
copies pre-sold to consumers before its March 24 launch date, and
retailers now are quickly burning through the entire initial North
American shipment of 1.1 million games. In the same period, sales
rates for Nintendo GameCube hardware have jumped 20 percent.
With more than 4.4 million copies of Pokemon already shipped in
Japan, more than 2.2 million games have now moved through to North
American retailers, showing conclusively Pokemon is back with an
exclamation point. The companion Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire titles
have dominated portable software since their launch on March 17.
Finally, 800,000 Game Boy Advance SP units have blown through to
North American retail, matching equally raucous receptions in Japan
and Europe.
"While no one will know the champion of this season's college
basketball tournament until next week, the winner of this spring's
video game tournament is Nintendo," says Peter MacDougall,
executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America
Inc. "Game Boy Advance SP, Zelda and Pokemon represent a three
point play that players and retailers dream about."
"At what is traditionally a slow time of the year for video
games, Nintendo has seized the sales initiative," says Richard
Simone, video game buyer, Toys "R" Us. "With their
blockbuster products Game Boy Advance SP, The Legend of Zelda and
Pokemon, they're a big part of why video games are one of the truly
bright spots at retail."
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