Wii, DS Sales Catapult Nintendo

Net sales were up 72.8% to $5.9 billion for the nine months ended Dec. 31, from the comparable period in the previous year.

Nintendo's strong performance is likely to increase the pressure on Sony. On Jan. 16, Sony said its cumulative shipments of the PS3 hit the 1 million mark in Japan.

That, however, did little to quell doubts that demand for the PS3 may be slowing because the console is too pricey. Sony's 20-gigabyte PS3 model retails for $499; the 60-gigabyte hard drive model sells for $599 in North America.

That compares with $249 for the Wii, as well as $299.99 for the basic version of Microsoft's(MSFT Quote) Xbox 360 and $399.99 for the 20-gigabyte version.

Earlier this week, a Japanese store cut the price of the PS3 by 20%. However, a Sony representative said the price cut was a promotional offer valid for a limited time.

Sony has recently said that it will not drop the price of the PS3 this year. Meanwhile, the company is planning a March 23 release of the PS3 in Europe.

The company plans to sell just the 60-gigabyte model in Europe and has priced it at 599 euros, or roughly $776.