The hand held gaming console market consistently dominates international charts in terms of sales numbers. In the last ten weeks Nintendo has shifted between 350 00 and 400 000 DS units globally, compared to an average of 150 000 units per week for Xbox 360 and 230 00 units per week for PS3 according to VGChartz.<\/p>\n
Why then, if handheld gaming is indeed as cheap, convenient and popular as it appears do we not find a massive proliferation of mobile gamers in South Africa?<\/p>\n
It would be easy to attribute this to ‘unfair’ or exorbitant local pricing on handheld consoles but the reality is that South Africa isn’t that far from the global trend. A Nintendo DSi can be purchased for between R1500 and R1700 at any major electronics retailer, in the US they typically retail for roughly $160. With import taxes and retailer mark ups considered, we aren’t doing too badly.<\/p>\n
Why then isn’t everyone walking around with a DS or a PSP? They’re portable, light, cheaper than an Xbox 360 and don’t require a TV to display games.<\/p>\n
The answer, in my opinion, is strange but simple – there is a lack of reliable public transport in South Africa.<\/p>\n
The reason why handheld gaming consoles, particularly the Nintendo DS, are so popular in countries like South Korea, UK and the US is because people have nothing better to do when travelling (the sometimes lengthy) commute to work than play games. These devices also act as portable music players, data storage systems and browsers equipped with WiFi connectivity.<\/p>\n
What better way to spend your time on the train than playing Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, checking your mail, listening to music or reading the news?<\/p>\n
The unfortunate reality in South Africa is that the majority of us are too busy driving our cars to think about getting through the next level. As a result, many of us who are optimistic enough to believe that they will regularly use that PSP find, a year later, that it has done little more than gathered dust.<\/p>\n
For some reason however both Sony and Nintendo consider South Africa to be a viable source of income for their handheld products. This is because portable gaming does indeed have its place in our country.<\/p>\n
Each year a staggering number of hopeful kids wake up on their birthdays or Christmas to find that Dad and Mom bought them another gadget to keep them quiet.<\/p>\n
In addition, the creation of Dr Kawashima’s brain training for the Nintendo DS briefly convinced parents around the country that a portable console with Sudoku would do wonders for their kid’s development.<\/p>\n
This has clearly contributed enough, in terms of sales figures, to encourage both Sony and Nintendo to continue to ship units to South Africa – prompting gaming journalists such as myself to perpetually wonder if these companies have any idea who is really buying their products locally.<\/p>\n
This of course is irrelevant. Everyone knows that in business it’s not who you sell to but how many you sell (unless you’re Iraq or North Korea). Despite handheld gaming’s perceived impracticality in South Africa, units continue to sell.<\/p>\n
My conclusion therefore is if you can squeeze water out of a stone you deserve to drink it. Sony and Nintendo are therefore more than entitled to every cent they make in the local portable gaming market.<\/p>\n