...and promptly sells out. Details following the jump.

Nintendo must be kicking itself. On the morning they launched their anticipated DS redesign, the DS Lite, ravenous Japanese crowds quickly made the event a certain success. The results were bittersweet however...the reality is that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of potential sales went unfulfilled - the result of frustrating supply and manufacturing problems the company has been beset with over the past couple months.

Originally, the company laid out their intention to ship 1 million bright new Lites to stores all over Japan in the month of March, with 280k units in three colors available at launch on the 2nd alone. However, the company was forced to swallow hard and report that due to manufacturing difficulties the planned release of two of the three initial colours (Enamel Navy and Ice Blue) would be delayed until the 11th. That brought available launch units down to a paltry 93k of the tantalizing Crystal White handhelds - a number that would surely be snapped up without remorse come opening time. The results of this mad rush for the relatively few available DS Lites is better illustrated through pictures (posted on Famitsu.com, Impress Watch and Nikkei Business Publications - click on smaller pictures to enlarge):

Understand how late it is. How COLD it is. Unprecedented mojo for a handheld.

Outside the Yodobashi in Akiba. Thats a lot of middle-aged folks. Probaly there to get Children of Mana or perhaps Resident Evil DS.

By 8:45 AM the lines outside this Bic Camera store numbered in the hundreds.

Employee likely stating: "We're sold out. Please, don't shoot the messenger."

Inside Akiba's huge Yodobashi Camera. Note all the gray-headed gamers.

Speaking for guy gamers: DS Banzai.

Another shot outside of Bic Camera. 500 people at one point. Needless to say, there were a lot of disgruntled aspiring DS owners this morning...

...but there were some happy endings. Take this family here. Looking closely, it may be that even the baby has one.

On the plus side, the extent to which this once unheralded portable has commanded the attention of the Japanese people is shocking. Waiting outside in the cold, darkened streets the night before launch day were people from all social strata: otaku, not-quite-otaku, young men, young women, parents, middle-aged folks and Grandpas and Grandmas a-plenty. Unfortuneately, while the DS has certainly bared some impressive fangs, the bite is not fully there. While the available units were snapped up in minutes (most stores were practically "sold out" before really even opening) many, many people were left decidedly DS-less. The situation will not get all that rosier for Nintendo in the coming weeks.

Once planning 1 million DS Lites for Japan throughout March (and praying that would be enough), the Big N has since reportedly lowered their estimates to roughly 450k units supplemented by 200k Original DS'. Though regular shipments are planned to replenish stock every week (including the Original DS, considered largely "sold out" for the past two months) if Wednesday was any indication, it will not be close to enough. Compounding Nintendo's supply situation, there are other regions hungry for the Lite (hey, thats us). That Nintendo is struggling to satisfy even one nation's demand is likely a chief reason for the lack of a concrete release plan in western territories.

Thus, Nintendo is gritting its teeth in the midst of what would otherwise be deemed an unqualified success. Stay tuned for further details, and keep your fingers crossed that these recent developments will not delay the Lite's arrival in your territory.