Nintendo 3DS Sells 4.5 Million in First Year

Nintendo has released the first full year sales figures for the Nintendo 3DS and they are quite astonishing.  The company’s 3D handheld which released last year has already sold 4.5 million units as the handheld celebrates its first birthday.  To celebrate, Nintendo reassures fans and newcomers to the platform that the handheld is built for the long-haul, much like its Nintendo DS system, which is still wildly popular.

“Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with a lengthy list of accomplishments but we’re still scratching the surface,” said Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime.  Explaining that there is a lot more on the way for the Nintendo 3DS, the president believes that “The Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future.  We’re just getting started…”

These sales numbers for the device are promising for Nintendo.  The company only sold half as many Nintendo DS units in its first year.  Though, you have to take into consideration the massive price cut that Nintendo levied on the device just months after launch.

Fans are expecting big things from the handheld in 2012.  First party titles like Kid Icarus: Uprising and Luigi’s Mansion 2 have already been announced, and with others on the way, it’s sure to be another great year for the handheld.