We know Sony will introduce the new PSP-3000 handheld entertainment system on the Japanese market this fall. This is why rumors that Nintendo will also come up with a new DS don’t come exactly as a surprise.

According to Kotaku, and based on reports from several sources outside Nintendo, the company is working on an updated version of its DS. The future DS, which is said to come out early next year (although it would be nice if it came out this fall as well), will have two touch screens, sort of like a dual touch DS.

That isn’t surprising if we take into consideration the company’s announcement from E3, when they said they’re done for the year. It may seem strange however that Nintendo will give Sony a head start, all amid a shopping mania that is about to begin.

Or perhaps Nintendo thinks there’s nothing to worry about, since they’ve been keeping the number one spot for quite a while now in terms of sales.  The NPD Group figures for July show the same old hierarchy, with Nintendo DS on the number one spot, followed by Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.

As top selling hardware, Nintendo DS sold 608,400 units, down 23 percent compared to June, but still way ahead the PSP, which sold 222,000 units.

In terms of software sales, Nintendo DS came third, with Guitar Hero On Tour (Activision), while several  Wii games dominated the charts.

“Great hardware goes hand–in-hand with great software,” said Nintendo’s Cammie Dunaway after the NPD figures were released. “Various types of games for the Nintendo systems are represented in the top 10, demonstrating how we continue to break down the barriers between veteran and new player.”