I remember Nintendo mentioning that the DS was their maker/breaker for the company but do you think the Wii is now just as important for their success as a game console manufacturer?

Nintendo has really subsisted on the handheld market since the latter N64 days, which is why (I believe) they worked so hard to revamp and get more sales out of the GBA and why they made the DS so awesome.

But now with the Wii doing so well they don't have to rely just on the handheld market anymore to make the big bucks so it is all gravy.

In Marketing, a rising star is defined as a product that has guaranteed high sales, as well as high market share. The Wii and DS are BOTH stars for Nintendo.

The DS was their proof of concept, the Wii is the expansion of that concept. Both are equally important. The Wii wouldn't exist as is without the DS, but the market the DS is capturing would have written gaming off as a one-time deal without the Wii.

Does that make sense?

The DS to my knowledge is more important. Even if Nintendo was to exit the console arena, the handheld market is theirs. That's when the DS plays a huge part for them.

The DS.

Without the DS there would be no Wii.

Also, Nintendo's next handheld is pretty much a sure success.

With the next console it will all be up in the air again. Nintendo will have to make some more magic to have a repeat.

The DS.

the DS was a huge success and big stepping stone, but Nintendo already owned the handheld market.

Their console market was slowly dying until the release of the Wii, so I would say the Wii.

This is a good question, and one that hasn't been discussed to death.

DS:
-Paved the way for Wii
-Is getting huge third party games like Guitar Hero, GTA and DQ9
-Biggest system ever in Nintendo's home region of Japan
-Becoming the biggest system ever in Nintendo's historically weak region of Europe
-Breakthrough, historic games:
---Brain Training
---Nintendogs
---NSMB


Wii:
-Taking off faster than DS
-Is biggest in Nintendo's biggest region of America
-Is capable of doing much higher revenue than DS
-Breakthrough, historic games:
---Wii Sports
---Wii Fit

So I'm a little surprised, but I'm actually going to say DS.

However, Wii is no doubt Nintendo's focus for major software right now.

I don't think you can choose and I doubt Nintendo would choose.

 like any good parent, they would say they love them both the same... lol