DSi sells out at Japanese launch?

By all accounts, it was a bit of a low-key affair. Partly because most Japan retailers opted to sell pre-ordered only DSi consoles, negating the need for gamers to queue, and possibly also because DSi isn't a new console but a hardware update.

But still, no self-respecting Nintendo fan could have completely ignored the fact that Saturday, November 1st was the day DSi launched in Japan. That means that as you read, thousands of Japanese gamers are taking photos of themselves with the new DSi camera, browsing the new online store and, er, playing exactly the same games as they were on their DS Lite.

We were a bit busy at the weekend – every member of the Pocket Gamer UK team had an excuse; awards ceremonies to attend, cold viruses to fight off, car boot sales to hold – so sadly we couldn't make it to Japan for the launch. (But we sent one of our foreign office contacts so look out for more DSi goodness this week.)

However, online reports suggest that most shops failed to attract massive queues, primarily because they stuck to the often utilised pre-order only policy. If you hadn't reserved your console beforehand, signs in shop windows warned you wouldn't be getting one on launch day.

Some shops were selling them straight off the shelves though – and IGN reports that one Bic Camera shop in Ikebukuro had some 400 people waiting ahead of opening time.

Then, a few hours after the launch, it became almost impossible to find an unsold DSi from Nintendo's initial shipment of 200,000 consoles.

100,000 more are expected to ship this week, although retailers didn't appear too sure of when they would be getting them, with some customers reportedly told the arrival of more shipments was "to be confirmed".

The DSi is expected to be released in Europe before autumn 2009. If you can't wait, the current eBay price for one seems to be averaging around £190 – the official price is ¥18,900 (£100). Don't forget though, region-locking means buying a Japanese one would restrict you to downloading games from the Japan DSi Shop only.

If that doesn't sound like your thing, why not read our DS vs DSi comparison feature while you wait for the handheld's official European release?