Nintendo Sells 100 Millionth DS Portable Gaming Device

Nintendo has sold 100 million DS handhelds worldwide since the gadget's release in November 2004, making the device the quickest video-game console to reach that milestone.

The 100 millionth device was shipped as of March 6, Nintendo said. The total shipments include sales of Nintendo DS, DS Lite, and DSi, which is the latest iteration. The DSi has been available in Japan and is scheduled to be on U.S. store shelves April 5 for $170.

In comparison, Sony, Nintendo's major rival in the portable gaming market, has shipped 50 million units of the PlayStation Portable since releasing the device in 2004.

The original DS launched with dual screens, a touch panel, and voice-recognition capabilities. The portable system's successor, DS Lite, was a slimmer model.

The DSi advances the franchise with two 0.3-megapixel cameras, one on the external body and the other pointing at the user when the device is flipped open. The outside camera is for taking and sharing pictures over the Web. Developers are expected to make use of the inside device to make games more interactive.

Other features include a voice recorder and music player and software filters and controls for altering voices or changing the tempo of songs. The system plays downloadable games from Nintendo's online store, as well as store-bought games. The DSi also can play the more than 850 titles made for the DS.

Once available in the United States, Nintendo's latest gadget could evolve into a competitor of the iPod Touch, which is also a gaming platform and music and video player. The iPod is more expensive with a starting price of $229, but games are cheaper on the Apple product.

As of Dec. 31, global shipments of 83 DS games have topped 1 million copies, according to Nintendo. Seven of those titles topped 10 million.

InformationWeek has published an in-depth report on rich Internet applications. Download the report here (registration required).