Wii sales near 30 million worldwide

5 million Wii consoles sold between April and June lifts life-to-date total to 29.62 million.

Nintendo has announced its financial results for the three month period ended June 30, 2008, revealing a net profit of $1 billion - a 33% increase over the same period last year.

The platform holder has also issued updated sales figures for both the Wii and Nintendo DS, which sold 5.17 million and 6.94 million units respectively during the quarter. Wii sales are up by 1.74 million units compared to Q1 last year, while the DS saw a slight decline - down 40,000 units.

Speaking to Reuters, Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management, said the slight decline in DS sales could pave the way for a new Nintendo handheld.

"This will probably set the stage for the launch of a new DS model. But until the new machine is unveiled, Nintendo's share price could come under pressure," said Akino.

As of June 30, worldwide sales of the Wii stood at 29.62 million units, compared to 77.54 million units for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo identified Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit as the best software performers. The Wii Wheel peripheral helped Mario Kart Wii sell 6.42 million units during the quarter, while Wii Fit moved 3.42 million units to bring its lifetime sales to 5.27 million.