Nintendo has announced that there have been 600,000 preorders for its Game Boy Color games Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver since mid-August. Nintendo predicts that it will sell 10 million Pokémon Gold and Silver cartridges in the next six months. Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition is the industry's fastest-selling game to date, with 4.5 million units sold during the same time frame last year. Pokémon Yellow presold just 150,000 units.

　　"The sheer demand for Pokémon Gold and Silver is astounding," said Peter Main, Nintendo's executive vice president, sales and marketing. "It proves the unique staying power of the Pokémon franchise. With three full weeks to go before launch, the previously unimaginable possibility of selling 1 million units before the games even hit retail shelves is becoming a reality."

　　Pokémon Gold and Silver will introduce dozens of new pokémon to the series, along with male and female genders, mating, and a real-time clock that affects gameplay. Pokémon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64 was released on September 15; Hey You, Pikachu!, a voice-recognition game for the Nintendo 64, is set for release on November 6; and Pokémon Pikachu 2, a virtual pet, will be released on October 15. Nintendo predicts that the Pokémon franchise will generate revenues of US$3 billion this year in the US alone.

　　Pokémon Gold and Silver are set for release on October 15.