November 12^th, 2004 (2:01pm) - According to Nintendo spokesmen Ken Toyoda, in response to a Nikkei English News report, approximately two million pre-orders have been made for Nintendo’s upcoming dual-screened handheld, the Nintendo DS, in Japan.

Thanks to these reports, Nintendo Co. shares surged this morning in Osaka, Japan to 490 yen per share, or 4.1 percent. The amount of pre-orders made for the handheld in Japan are double the amount of what the company had predicted.

According to Mr. Toyoda, Nintendo also plans to bring the Nintendo DS into China in the near future. Both the iQue and Game Boy Advance have managed to become very successful in the growing territory and the company hopes to repeat the success a third time with the Nintendo DS.

The Nintendo DS will launch in North America as early as next week according to new reports stating it will begin shipping to retailers early. However, the platform’s official North American release is Nov. 21st, and it will retail at a suggested price of $149.99. The Nintendo DS will see a release in Japan on Dec. 2.