Nintendo Puts Off Sales of 2 New Game Console Models

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Feb. 25–TOKYO — Nintendo Co. said Friday it will start selling in Japan two of its three new models of the portable home game console DS Lite on March 11, instead of March 2 as initially planned, due to an “unexpected trouble in the process of manufacturing.” Nintendo earlier planned to put on the market the three models of ice blue, enamel navy and crystal white colors simultaneously on March 2.

However, the company has put off the launch of ice blue and enamel navy color models until March 11 because the manufacturing glitch has made it hard to secure a sufficient amount of the two models by that date, Nintendo said, adding the crystal white model will be put on sale March 2 as initially scheduled.

The Nintendo DS Lite is the upgraded version of the popular DS portable home game machine that was launched in December 2004.

Sales of the Nintendo DS in Japan eclipsed 4 million units in 2005, according to game magazine publisher Enterbrain Inc.

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