4 million sold for Nintendo 3DS
Handheld beats Wii with more sales in its first 9 months
The Nintendo 3DS handheld has sold 4 million units since its release, according to official figures. The total puts the machine ahead of the Wii in terms of unit sales for the first 9 months.
Nintendo revealed today that in 2011 it sold 12 million hardware units, including 4.5 million Wiis, the 3DS's 4 million and 3.4 million other Nintendo DS handhelds.
Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are also the first titles for the 3DS to sell a million each in North America.
"One of the strongest software line ups in our history helped Nintendo have a great holiday season and to close 2011 with a full head of steam," said Nintendo of America VP of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt.
"Not only have the new Mario and Zelda titles already broken records, but with strong reviews and satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences, all three are also shaping up to be the latest long-tail titles from Nintendo. Couple that with a massive first- and third party lineup in the first part of the year and the prospects for 2012 are extremely promising."
The celebratory news is a stark contrast to the current Japanese figures for PlayStation Vita, which saw a 78 per cent drop in sales from its first to second week.