3DS game sales up 45 percent in 2013, boasts Nintendo

The 3DS is Nintendo’s sales juggernaut.

The hardware manufacturer revealed today that it has sold a total of 11.5 million 3DSes in the U.S. since the device launched in 2011.

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That growing customer base helped the corporation and its third-party publishing partners sell a ton of games in 2013. The publisher revealed that customers purchased 16 million physical and digital 3DS games in 2013. That number is up 45 percent compared to 2012. Nintendo is likely hoping these impressive figures will draw attention away from its floundering Wii U home console.

The company credits highly regarded releases like The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Fire Emblem: Awakening for boosting sales.

“Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse, with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players,” Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt said in a statement. “We’re not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come.”

Looking forward, Nintendo is planning to continue the handheld’s momentum with a handful of major releases throughout 2014.

Next month, on Feb. 7, Nintendo will release publisher Square Enix‘s Bravely Default role-playing game in North America. On Feb. 28, Nintendo and developer Level 5 will release Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, which closes out the second trilogy of popular Professor Layton puzzle games.

On March 14, the publisher plans to release Yoshi’s New Island, which continues the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and DS franchise in a new adventure with the green dinosaur and baby Mario. In April, Disney will release Disney Magical World. This management game puts players in charge of a fantasy café where they can also plant crops and customize their character with Disney-themed outfits.

Nintendo is happily pointing out the strength of the 3DS and ignoring the dark cloud that is the Wii U. While the portable gaming device continues to dominate its market, the Wii U found that its year-long head start couldn’t keep Sony’s and Microsoft’s new consoles from overshadowing it in the latest sales report from industry-intelligence firm The NPD Group.

 

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