by Greg - 09.28.06
When I woke up this morning, I had to make sure that Japan still existed. Why? Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are out. We knew that the DS was a big deal in Japan, but we never would have guessed just how big this launch would be.
It looks like the rumors about DS production have been true. Nintendo has been stockpiling DS units for the past month, and they’ve been using almost all of their factories to pump out Pokemon cartridges. They still didn’t have enough to satisfy the Japanese.
According to a couple of sources, all two million copies of the two games sold out. Nintendo has also supposedly sold 500,000 DS Lite systems, including the special Pokemon edition of the system. We’re still waiting on official confirmation, but we wouldn’t be surprised at all if this is true.
Next week’s sales charts are going to be very interesting.
Pictures of lines
More lines
Famitsu has more lines for you
NeoGAF thread on the Pokemon launch
Pictures of the special-edition DS Lite.
FUH. KING. A.
DarkTide - 09.28.06 11:40 am
The madness has begun. Brace yourselves.
I want to see a review =]
applejelly - 09.28.06 11:44 am
Haha, that’s pretty insane! I’ve never played a pokemon game before, are they really that fun or is it just crazy rampant fanboyism and hype?
Bal - 09.28.06 11:48 am
2 million games, and half a million systems… that’s tough to wrap your mind around. absolutely amazing.
mongoloido - 09.28.06 11:49 am
@ applejelly:
Famitsu gave it a 35/40
Greg - 09.28.06 11:53 am
“I’ve never played a pokemon game before, are they really that fun or is it just crazy rampant fanboyism and hype?”
The original Pokemon games enjoyed tremendous sales with virtually no hype or advertising — like sleeper hits without the sleeping.
All of the games are very solid cRPGs/jRPGs/whatever-you-want-to-call them that are driven purely by gameplay mechanics (as opposed to FMV or even graphics/sound/story).
Take that as you will.
eM - 09.28.06 11:55 am
@ GREG:
Cheers.
applejelly - 09.28.06 12:12 pm
God I can’t wait for this to hit hte states
Quaddw - 09.28.06 12:20 pm
I really hope the DS hits 500,000 for the first time ever in one week. I’m gobsmacked!
Hardinator - 09.28.06 12:32 pm
This many adults playing Pokemon for chrissakes? Like we needed any more proof that the Japanese have an infantile culture.
Dynamo! - 09.28.06 12:39 pm
Don’t let the marketing in America fool you.
While the target audience for any “toy” is for children, the Pokemon games are actually very solid RPGs at heart.
IMO, Pokemon>Final Fantasy.
I still like Tales more though
Playswithwii - 09.28.06 12:47 pm
I want that special edition DS Lite. Like now.
Jon - 09.28.06 1:07 pm
Gotta buy em all! POKEMON!
Dave - 09.28.06 1:14 pm
Is it so wrong that i want the Special Edition DS lite?
DarkTide - 09.28.06 1:18 pm
(Dave) Your use of gay catch phrases won’t help in others’ opinions >_>
Playswithwii - 09.28.06 1:34 pm
I wonder if gameboy/GBA games will be available on the Virtual Console. I’ve also never played a pokemon game, and I wouldn’t mind starting from the beginning. Might do the same with Zelda before I dive into Twilight Princess.
Christ, the Wii may end up crashing the games industry instead of saving it. I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I’ll be spending the next few months playing 8-bit, 2-color games for a couple bucks a pop instead of buying shiny new $60 games.
Schtum - 09.28.06 2:09 pm
And so it starts… http://cgi.ebay.com/NINTENDO-DS-NDS-Lite-Pokemon-Center-Spec ial-Edition-NEW_W0QQitemZ180033189482QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6205 4QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
If that link doesn’t work, it’s the special edition DS Lite - over $300 (USD). Awesome.
I was never a huge fan of Pokemon (and I never got into the cartoon at all) but I borrowed it from a friend back in the day and it was fun. I kinda wanna get this game. I *really* like the special DS they made for it, but it ain’t worth $300+.
Dean - 09.28.06 2:26 pm
I’m not paying 300 for it >_>
Playswithwii - 09.28.06 2:44 pm
I never tried a Pokemon game either usually to expensive. I may pick up one of the Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen they’re players choice games a little cheaper to try out.
Any suggetion on which is better or are they both exactly the same?
Karen - 09.28.06 2:54 pm
Let’s face a lot of people are waiting for Pokemon DS.
I mean, for me, Game Boy was basically “thing that had Pokemon on it.”
Two million copies????!!!!
yanipheonu - 09.28.06 2:56 pm
those are guna be some amazing numbers! i hope they are coming out with a DS as cool asa that one for Phantom Hourglass!!!ill import regardless of price and that i already have a lite.
Alex - 09.28.06 2:59 pm
@ Karen:
They are the same game, but each has several Pokemon that the other doesn’t. They release two different versions each generation, but they are the same game with slightly different pokemon available. This is to get people to pay more money and trade with each other.
The generations (the ones in parentheses are the “improved” version released later on with a couple more changes):
Red/Blue/Green (Yellow)
Gold/Silver (Crystal)
Ruby/Sapphire (Emerald)
Fire Red/Leaf Green <- these are remakes of the original red/green
Diamond/Pearl
Greg - 09.28.06 3:11 pm
And I thought Final Fantasy III sold impressively at 500,000 the first day. Pokemon is an unstoppable monster… that fits in your pocket.
Lemond - 09.28.06 3:16 pm
Freaking jesus, seems like japanese people can’t get enough of Pokémon games.
Well, they’re good RPGs and everything but sheesh, the new Pokémons look like rejects from the first title.
[MaSQuE] - 09.28.06 4:01 pm
“I mean, for me, Game Boy was basically ‘thing that had Pokemon on it.’”
Oddly, that’s the only reason people my age even bought (or still have) their Gameboys.
You know, it just hit me that online play for this will never need more than 30 seconds while looking for players. Online play is what the series needed, and which is probably why these sales are so high.
However I’ll wait thil they release the “new and improved” version that Greg was talking about.
Marc - 09.28.06 4:42 pm
Special Edition DS Lite = Me want.
Crimson Warrior - 09.28.06 6:40 pm
Bad joke time: What happens if you go to jail in Jamaica? (In a Jamaican accent) “You’ll get the Poke-mon.”
My old boss loved that one (He was Jamaican too).
jd - 09.28.06 6:42 pm
Still waiting for final confirmation from Japanese sources, but that figure of 500,000 DS lites apparently only includes the special edition Diamond & Pearl DS lites that were sold (apparently available only at the Pokémon Center stores, from what I’ve been told), not the sales of other variations of the console that were sent to retail stores.
Archaic - 09.28.06 10:17 pm
I’ve been craving a brand new pokemon game for too many years.
Pokemon online in the ‘States ASAP, Japan!
buddudandslash - 09.28.06 11:32 pm
Wow. I’m glad I preordered mine, then.
Ryan Pinney - 09.29.06 1:05 am
This news is just fantastic. Way to go Nintendo on selling 2 million copies of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (combined) and another 500,000 DS Lites on one day. I hope that these reports are indeed fact, but even if they’re “close”, that’s still excellent. I’m really looking forward to next week’s sales data.
Paul Gale
1up.com
Paul Gale - 09.29.06 2:12 am
that’s crazy… and the DS on eBay sold at $288
Andrew Herron - 09.29.06 3:53 am
geez, id better preorder my copy of the US version. Usually i stroll into my local import shop and pick one up from the shelf, but if those kinds of sales happen worldwide..D:
ALH - 09.29.06 1:53 pm
Indeed, I hope this are true so we can destroy that damn sony’s psp sales even more :p
unkelski - 10.01.06 1:15 am
yeah down with the psp DS rules aswel as the new pokemon game its coming out in the uk round about februairy =] if you want to chat ad me on msn black.flame.13@hotmail.com
gaz - 10.09.06 6:11 am
Just to say, the pokemon sales werent 2 million in the ifrst week, but about 1,600,000 copies sold, wich is still brilliant. And the DS lite didnt sell 500 thousand, but managed to double their already massive sales from 125,000 average a week to about 250,000 the pokemon release week.
Louis - 10.11.06 6:03 pm
Huh.. 2 million copies is a lot of money.. IF i would’ve been the man who made the Pokémon >(Satoshi Tajiri)
sarsta - 10.15.06 7:14 am
I would be a Very rich man now
sartsa - 10.15.06 7:17 am
apparently diamond and pearl are not out until september 26th but you can always ship in a us version and woah are those sales amazing i need to pre-order a uk version or something
i can’t wait for them two games there the best pokemon games so far i heard from my pen-pal.
pokefreak - 02.24.07 7:08 pm
jonny14
jonny16 - 02.25.07 4:43 pm
“I mean, for me, Game Boy was basically ‘thing that had Pokemon on it.’”
Oddly, that’s the only reason people my age even bought (or still have) their Gameboys.
You know, it just hit me that online play for this will never need more than 30 seconds while looking for players. Online play is what the series needed, and which is probably why these sales are so high.
However I’ll wait thil they release the “new and improved” version that Greg was talking about.
cartoon wallpaper - 03.02.07 12:04 pm