# Why did Nintendo stop making DS games? - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/why-did-nintendo-stop-making-ds-games/ - Published: 2023-11-02 - Author: Nelson Ayers - Categories: [Basic knowledge & Meaning](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/meaning/) --- Do you remember the thrill of opening up your brand new Nintendo DS for the first time? I‘ll never forget that feeling. The DS was revolutionary when it launched back in 2004. Its dual screens blew our minds way before tablets and smartphones became ubiquitous. One of those screens was a touchscreen too! That let developers create games that took advantage of touch and stylus inputs in addition to buttons. Simply put, the Nintendo DS changed gaming in ways we now take for granted. Let‘s take a walk down memory lane and explore why Nintendo ceased production on the beloved DS line of systems. ## How the Nintendo DS reimagined handheld gaming Prior to the DS, Nintendo ruled the portable gaming market for over a decade with the Game Boy line of systems. When the Game Boy Advance SP clamshell launched in 2003, it was a huge step up with its backlit screen and rechargeable battery. But Nintendo wanted to revolutionize handheld gaming even further. Under the brilliant leadership of President Satoru Iwata, they developed the Nintendo DS platform. The DS design may look simple in retrospect, but having dual screens with one being a touchscreen was a bold move in 2004. This opened up gameplay innovation that wasn‘t possible before on handhelds. The DS lower touchscreen made games like Nintendogs and Brain Age into killer apps. Petting your puppy or writing out math problems with a stylus captivated gamers. And the two screens meant you could see even more of the action compared to prior Game Boys. When the DS first launched, critics were skeptical. But consumers quickly realized how groundbreaking it was. DS sales absolutely exploded from day one. ## The rampant success of DS and DS Lite models The original DS model codenamed "Developer‘s System" prior to launch made dual screens cool. Within 6 months, over 4 million units were sold worldwide. By the end of 2005, that number quadrupled to over 18 million. The Nintendo DS was off to a blazing start. In 2006, the refined DS Lite launched at a slimmer size and with brighter screens. This massively popular redesign sold over 90 million units by itself. By 2007, Nintendo DS sales eclipsed the popularity of the original Game Boy. What an accomplishment! With over 154 million units sold, the DS family ranks among the best selling systems of all time: | Console | Total Sales | | --- | --- | | PlayStation 2 | 155 million | | Nintendo DS | 154 million | | Game Boy/Game Boy Color | 118 million | Early success led to massive third-party support. Franchises like Mario, Pokemon, and Nintendogs became cultural phenomenons. For a few years, the Nintendo DS was the hottest device around for portable gaming. But storm clouds were gathering as mobile gaming gained steam. ## The disruptive rise of smartphone gaming In 2007, the iPhone launched and ushered in the modern smartphone era. Android phones soon followed. Angry Birds in 2009 demonstrated that mobile gaming was viable. And smartphones rapidly ate into the once untouchable handheld gaming market. By 2009, worldwide mobile gaming revenue surpassed handheld revenue for the first time: | Year | Mobile Game Revenue | Handheld Game Revenue | | --- | --- | --- | | 2007 | $2.7 billion | $3.8 billion | | 2008 | $5.2 billion | $6.6 billion | | 2009 | $7.4 billion | $6.8 billion | And in 2013, global iOS and Android game sales exceeded portable consoles: | Platform | Revenue | | --- | --- | | Mobile iOS/Android | $9.3 billion | | Nintendo handhelds | $6.7 billion | | Sony handhelds | $1.8 billion | The days of handheld gaming dominance were over. Nintendo‘s next move needed to disrupt the industry again to stay viable in this new mobile-first era. ## Passing the torch to the Nintendo 3DS Facing slumping DS sales, Nintendo aimed to win back gamers with glasses-free stereoscopic 3D visuals on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. This was arguably their biggest selling point over smartphones. It worked for a while with over 75 million 3DS units sold. But analysts argue the 3DS arrived too late to fully capitalize on the strengths of the DS ecosystem. iOS and Android gaming was here to stay. Still, Nintendo consistently tried innovating with unique hardware like the nifty 3DS XL and affordable 2DS. We‘ll never know how a 3D capable DS model could have performed if released a few years earlier. But the 3DS did its job as a transitional system that bought Nintendo time to plot their next big evolution… ## The Nintendo Switch changes how we game on the go In the mid 2010s, Nintendo‘s handheld sales were slowing and their home console Wii U badly underperformed. Nintendo‘s next move had to be bold. The Nintendo Switch delivered on that promise with its revolutionary hybrid design that worked seamlessly as both a portable and home console. This strategy aligned with how our gaming lifestyles had evolved thanks to smartphones. Being able to game on a big screen or on the go with one system was genius. But this convergence meant diverting resources away from their traditional handheld division. While the Switch clearly descended from DS and 3DS innovations, supporting those legacy platforms had diminishing returns. So production of DS hardware and games slowly halted. ## The difficult goodbye to DS gaming Saying goodbye is always hard, especially to a system as groundbreaking as the Nintendo DS. By 2014, the last official new DS game had been released. In 2017, Nintendo officially ended production on all DS models. But we‘ll always remember the DS family fondly: | Console | Units Sold | Production Run | | --- | --- | --- | | Nintendo DS | 62 million | 2004 – 2013 | | DS Lite | 93 million | 2006 – 2011 | | DSi | 28 million | 2008 – 2014 | | DSi XL | 13 million | 2009 – 2013 | | Total | 154 million | 2004 – 2014 | What an incredible run! With your help, let‘s keep those DS memories alive. We can replay timeless games, trade stories, and collect rare titles before they disappear. Companies may move onto new systems, but the nostalgia never fades. After the 3DS inherited portable gaming from the DS, the Switch became Nintendo‘s flagship system in 2017. This Swiss Army knife console lets us game anywhere thanks to the legacy of innovative portables like Game Boy and DS. I still occasionally fire up my DS Lite to enjoy a round of Mario Kart DS or brain training. What DS memories stand out for you? Let‘s reminisce together about one of gaming‘s brightest eras. The DS forever changed how we experience portable play. --- Source: [Why did Nintendo stop making DS games?](https://33rdsquare.com/why-did-nintendo-stop-making-ds-games/)