Nintendo 3DS hardware sales increased 38% in August, thanks in part to the release of the 3DS XL.
August was a good month to be a 3DS owner, at least according to Nintendo. The publisher stated in a press release that New Super Mario Bros. 2 was the best-selling standalone title of the month, despite being released on August 19 and having “only five days of reported data.” The platformer sold 240,000 within a few days of release.
Not about to be outdone, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, which was released on July 31, amassed a solid 180,000 units sold. The press release states that it was the #2 individual software SKU of the month, right behind New Super Mario Bros. 2. The August 19 release of the 3DS XL only helped Nintendo’s sales last month, with a 38% increase in 3DS hardware and a 68% increase in software over July’s sales.
As Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott Moffit put it, “software sells hardware, and no one sells either quite like Mario.” He added that the release of the 3DS XL “is driving increased interest” in older games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The press release didn’t mention specific sales numbers for the 3DS or 3DS XL, so it’s unclear just how much of that 38% jump in hardware sales can be attributed to 3DS XL units sold.
