That 80M should double pretty easily.
It could reach 100M by the end of the year, depending on shipments. I've long predicted it would reach 100M shipped by the end of 2008. Remember, it will do half of it's yearly sales in America and Europe over the last two months of the year.
With sales slower in Japan, 2009 could also see a DS redesign. But with sales so ridiculous in Europe, it will not see an all-new Nintendo handheld. That will be 2010 at the earliest.
And the thing to remember is that DS will still sell another 30M or so AFTER Nintendo's next handheld comes out. Look at NES, GB, PS1, PS2 and GBA.
So if the next handheld comes out holiday 2010, DS could be at 140M heading into those holidays, and add at least 30M beyond that. I guess I'd put 170M as my minimum.
With DS pushed to a GB-length lifespan, we'd be talking 250M+.
"[Our former customers] are unable to find software which they WANT to play."
"The way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate what kind of games [they CAN play]."
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President. Only slightly paraphrased.
