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The 3DS came out in March so it's out of its launch window now. What are your opinions on how it's doing not on a personal level but rather in terms of sales, visibility and relevance? Do you think the price drop will "save" it? Why do you think it has gone wrong, if it has?


I get the impression the price drop was necessary but it's a saving throw perhaps a bit too long after the damage has done. Had they had a lower price point (although not so low perhaps), I don't think they would have faced such a problem. I think it was their own ego that dictated that could release a handheld at a much higher cost than before, thinking they were a strong enough brand to avoid selling at a loss like Sony and Microsoft.


As I've implied, I'm not convinced this will be enough to let the 3DS replicate the success of the DS. Nintendo's faith in customer loyalty and brand strength also seems to have negatively affected their system line-up. They seemed to believe that without a system-seller like Mario 64, people would buy it regardless, with the likes of Pilot Wings and Nintendogs on offer instead. Of course, their launch window title was Ocarina of Time 3DS, a thirteen year old game which amounted to a texture pack with even the sounds untouched. Perhaps they believed fans would buy the system to play what was essentially a port in large numbers?


My feeling is that the price drop has allowed people who weren't quite sure but were tempted to bit the bullet and purchase the console. Perhaps I'm wrong, though, and it broke the price point for the public in general to be more interested. However, it must be said that this console didn't feel like it had any "splash" in the UK to me, which is surprising for a Nintendo handheld. In game shops, it has barely any space devoted to it compared to the other consoles, as well. When the Wii was coming out, it had a lot of space in comparison and it was a big deal.

What are your thoughts?

I think, until more appealing games will come out, the 3DS wil have short bursts of popularity.

From my viewpoint the Nintendo 3DS is doing okay for itself. Some people wanted these N64 classics on there. While the games may not be as wholly remade as hoped, it is enough to satisfy certain people. It appears that Star Fox 64 3D has added enough changes to be considered an adequate remake.

As for the third-party content, the 3DS is severely lacking, with the only game that I considered worth the money being Street Fighter.

I'll wait for the Holiday season to come out, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 look to be good games for the system.

As a lot of people are going to say, once the first party games hit the shelves I beleive the system will start selling more. Not to mention the holidays are coming along. The Wii was released in November, right around the holidays. The 3DS? February / March. And as you mentioned Danny, including lame titles like Nintendogs, and Pilot Wings gave people no motivation to go out and buy one. I think this holiday season is going to be a good time to get a 3DS if you haven't already gotten one.

Well essentially, the 3DS is an upgraded Nintendo DS. I'm not sure how that can't go wrong in the long run since (besides it's poor battery), it has more possibilities to it. And developers don't have to use the 3D feature in their games which may make it easier on them. Though competing against the Vita will be pretty tough.


When I look at Pilot Wings Resort it reminds me of Wii Sports Resort (and well, since it does take place on the same island, it's no wonder) which makes me think they should have just included the game with the 3DS like how the Wii included Wii Sports when purchasing a Wii. It would make more use for those Mii's you make on the 3DS. I think also including at least some sort of game with it would make some want to buy it since they wouldn't be buying a system and then buying an additional game which should come up to about $300 (or even more if you consider taxes) at launch for a Nintendo Handheld...

On the note of launch titles, I thought Nintendo wanted to give more third party support for their system, so they could have thought the third party games would have been enough to support the 3DS in the beginning. Though it doesn't seem like it from what we saw, I guess all people just really want to play is Nintendo games for their Nintendo system as opposed to third party games.


I don't think it's entirely fair to say it's on the 13 year old game as it's more on the version included in the 2003 GameCube version with the Master Quest included (though even OoT3D's Master Quest is a bit differential being mirrored and getting twice the damage from all enemy attacks and pitfalls) though the normal game in the GameCube version is essentially the same as the 13 year old game so I can see why you would say that. But it did also have a few additions like gyroscope aiming, making the boots an item instead of gear, the use of both screens (I guess this one doesn't really count), and the Sheikah Stone (though this is probably Nintendo trying to add the super player guide to almost all their new games lately though these are just small hint videos shown as "visions").


Well if you compare it's new price to the current Nintendo DS family line, the 3DS is about as equal or less to as much as the current pricing for the DSi and the DSi XL. I think placing it at such a price like this would defiantly make the public in general interested because it's priced approximately the same price as the Nintendo DSi, and I'm sure with a price like that it would be easier to get the up to date model being the 3DS since it can do all the features the DSi can do and more. Getting a DSi at this point would be pointless if anyone was interested in getting a new Nintendo handheld, that's for sure.


I think Nintendo shouldn't have made the DSi, if they hadn't made it the 3DS would have a bigger impact compared to the DS. The DSi was like the half-step between the Nintendo DS and the 3DS that wasn't really needed. The 3DS borrows a lot of features the DSi had which makes it lose a lot of it's appeal IMO. The DSi had a camera, an internet browser, a shop for DSiWare (I think digital content would have been a neat feature to see on the 3DS do if the DSi didn't exist), and a few other stuff that I didn't list. If there's one thing the DSi did do that made the 3DS not look that bad was to cushion it from the lack of GBA support, because if the DS still had GBA support and then leaped to the 3DS without it I think people would be mad at it like how some were at the DSi not having it.

The 3DS does have one thing that would interest some I think, the eShop's Virtual Console. Currently it's only Game Boy and Game Boy Colour titles but if they do include Game Boy Advance titles it would be great since the GBA had quite a strong library of games worth getting if anyone happened to missed out on them.

So currently the 3DS isn't doing that well, but I wonder if this can be said later on once the big games do come out. I guess we'll have to see, but as of now, not that well.

Now from my own personal viewpoint of the 3DS, I think compared to the original Nintendo DS and DS Lite, there's a lot more features to do but the DSi kind of spoils it (though since I didn't get a DSi, it seems fine I guess). The only 3DS game I have on it so far is OoT 3D and I thought it was a lot of fun but maybe it wouldn't be if I had played the original before. Besides OoT 3D, I find none of the 3DS titles are worth looking into currently and would rather just get games for the Nintendo DS to play on the 3DS since there is quite a lot of good DS games to be played. Or as least buy some of the gems that are in the huge dump of DSiWare titles.

The battery life can also be a concern to others and a put-off of not getting it but I haven't gotten any problems with it so far but that's because I keep it on the cradle a lot. If I was outside and tried to use it as long as possible, I wouldn't be able to answer that yet since I've only used my 3DS mainly at home and not outside for a long time yet.

Right now, it's doing okay but when the more new appealing games come out like Sonic and such, it will become popular and will get more units sold.

It's not only the Vita. When the DS was released, it was a new Nintendo handheld which, despite their home console problems, carried a lot of clout in an environment where they essentially ran unopposed. Sony messed up on multiple levels with the PSP and thus didn't make a dent in the market.
Now, though, kids have the option between the 3DS and an iPod touch which has a proper browser, hundreds of thousands of apps, capacitive touchscreen and great battery. You might think that would only affect casual gamers but consider the iPhone. A lot of people are going to prefer an iPhone over having a 3DS. Even Android is a factor, if not a huge one.

When you actually consider the PS Vita, though, they have a huge problem. It's become clear that people aren't fussed on 3D and with that in mind, the PS Vita's huge screen just puts the 3DS to shame. If that's not bad enough, it has a touchscreen but unlike the 3DS's, it's capacitive and thus much superior. If Sony can get the third parties behind it, Nintendo has a lot to worry about.


That's actually a great idea. They missed a trick there.


The reason for that is, since the N64 days, Nintendo has alienated third parties. Gamers have had to rely on Nintendo when they're missing out on titles from other consoles.


Had Master Quest been unlocked from the start, it may have been a fairer point, but forcing the old fans to play through the original again just to play Master Quest virtually invalidates it for me.

In regards to the DSi making the 3DS features less impressive, you probably had a point. I never really saw the DSi as relevant since the features were mostly useless for games and predictably, its digital library was never great. The real problem in my mind is the fact that they stretched the branding out for DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL. A lot of people thought the Wii U was just the peripheral; how many people just thought the 3DS was a remodeled DS rather than a new platform?

Is it because they are smart phones with (gaming) apps and such or just because of the (gaming) apps and such?


Does the dual screens the 3DS have still not enough to match the huge screen of the Vita?
And with the touchscreen, I don't think multi-touch would work well in the 3DS if both of your hands were to hold a stylus, how would you be holding the 3DS? But I should think past the stylus. You could still hold the 3DS and use both of your thumbs on the touch screen so if the 3DS did have multi-touch I think that would be the way to go with that.


Ah, I see you point.


Oh yes, I forgot about this. I remember in my Computer Science class the teacher was discussing about the Wii U the day after Nintendo's conference to some of his students and he thought it was just a Wii peripheral (which made some of the students think that too D:<). Same goes to some of my friends who thought the 3DS was just another model for the DS.

Regarding this I really think Nintendo should have picked a different name or at least made it more different than adding a letter or a number before or after their previous brand. NES to SNES is only true in it's abbreviation while it's actual name has at least a word added to is like "Super". The Game Boy family does carry the Game Boy name but at least adds a word to it and as well makes the models look different from the last each time. I guess you can't really change the model that much when Nintendo has established a clamshell design with their handhelds ever since the Game Boy Advance SP (let's not think of the Game Boy Micro since making that a clamshell design wouldn't have made it that micro).

It's partially because they have a device that has multiple functions but also, you're always going to have your phone on you. Consoles aren't like that.


One much larger screen is better than two, small, mis-matched screens in my opinion.

I thinks it's doing alright but I kinda wish they come out with games that actually have a lot of 3D action

How is the 3DS doing? I'd say right now, it's doing well.

First of all, there's the price drop (and the ambassador program) which is doing well to attract some more people (at least according to the Japanese sales the weekend of the price drop).

Secondly, although the 3DS didn't launch with the e Shop, there's some very strong downloadable content on it and more coming. There's even more fun to be had with DSi games you may have missed out on.

Finally there are the upcoming retail games. Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D World, Kid Icarus Uprising and much more.

Despite an abysmal launch, I think things are looking up for the 3DS.