Nintendo predicts DS install base of 152 million

Not impossible for Wii total sales to eclipse the final install base of the PS2.

Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata has stated he believes the Nintendo DS and Wii still have plenty of room to grow their respective installed bases.

Speaking with inventors at Nintendo's third quarter financial briefing (reported by Gamasutra), Iwata revealed a predicted total installed base figure of 152.2 million units for the Nintendo DS.

Iwata also addressed concerns that Nintendo's platforms - especially the DS - has peaked and sales will begin to slump in the next financial year, noting that the traditional five-year lifespan for video game consoles does not apply in Nintendo's case.

"Especially in the case of DS," he admitted, "when you apply this five-year cycle theory to a platform that has been through its 5th holiday season since its 2004 launch, a concern that DS business may slow down in the next fiscal year may appear to be logical at first glance."

This isn't the case, though, Iwata noting that the DS has seen its sales develop uniquely in each territory thanks to the handheld's "gaming population expansion".

"I don't think it is appropriate to conclude that DS is reaching its final stages on the market and that the market will be saturated in the next fiscal year," commented Iwata who believes the DS could end up reaching an estimated installed base of 152.2 million units. The current DS installed base stands as 84.1 million.

According to Iwata growth of the Wii is also expected:

"With new customers acquired by the gaming population expansion efforts, it is not impossible for Wii's total sales to exceed the final install base of PS2. Wii still has much more room for expansion," said Iwata.