Nintendo responds to Apple’s claim that iPod Touch is “world’s most popular portable game player”

In Apple’s press release sent out yesterday (September 1, 2010) regarding the new iPod Touch, there’s a curious and somewhat enigmatic claim that reads:

iPod touch is the world’s most popular portable game player.

That statement is echoed on Apple iPod Touch web site:

iPod Touch is the most popular portable game player in the world.

That’s a very bold claim considering that Nintendo (according to Engadget) announced the DS line (DS, DS Lite, DSi and XL) had sold around 129 million units as of May 2010.

Apple rarely gives out specific sales numbers, instead combining the iPhone and iPod Touch together in statistics as “iPhone OS devices.” Based on a few reports and statements (and extrapolation by ZDNet) we assume that, as of May 2010, Apple had sold 25 to 30 million iPod Touches.

I reached out to Nintendo for an official response to Apple’s claims. Here is Nintendo of America’s official response:

It is impossible for us to comment until it is made clear which products and time periods are being referenced, what the specific data is and the source for that data.

Careful and almost equally enigmatic (pretty standard for a corporation to give a “no comment’ response) but notice that Nintendo is basically telling Apple, “Show us the numbers and then we’ll talk.” The iPod Touch might have outsold the DS one day or even one month but we’d never know it.

And, of course, if we are talking about all game systems, there is also the PS2 to consider as it is the best selling game system of all time with an estimated more than 145 million unit sold since its 2000 release. Maybe not a current system but that sure was popular. Around the world.

Read [Gamertell] Also Read [Engadget]