PROLOGUE: If you think everyone should share your view of reality, or if you become enraged when encountering a difference of opinion, I advise you to skip this post. In other words, hang on, Nintendo fans. This is gonna hurt:
Nintendo is expected to pull a Netflix and and pile on even more crap numbers this Thursday, adding to the already crappy quarterlies they’ve posted over the last year.
In the comment thread of the above article, one observer reacted as follows: “3DS will $99 soon and likely discontinued.”
I wouldn’t go quite that far. But I could see 3DS being discontinued prematurely. Whether that’s “soon” or not remains to be seen. But there’s no other way to put it: This thing is a sinking ship. Not Titanic fast or Virtual Boy fast. But fast enough to search the deck for life boats.
The reason: Mainstream on-the-go gamers are more interested in iOS games now than dedicated portable consoles like the 3DS. The former’s games are 1/40 the price of most 3DS games (if not free). And 78% of people think stereoscopic 3D games are worthless.
As a result, game developers are jumping ship from 3DS to iOS. Even though they originally promised lots of 3DS support, it ain’t happening.
Can you blame them? Since the 3DS’s unprecedented 32% price drop in August, the system reportedly has sold only a quarter million additional units to bring life to date sales of 3DS to a discouraging 4.32 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, Apple has sold a mind-blowing 189 million iOS devices (iPhones + iPads) and still has lightening in a bottle. Yes, DS cracked 150 million, the most successful dedicated game system ever. But those stopped selling two years ago. And 3DS games can’t be played on those 150 million DSs like most iPhone games can be played on older iPhones.
As is, the 3DS is trending as the worst selling Nintendo portable ever. No where near the hundreds of millions the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS sold. Simply put, 3DS sales are way off target from where Nintendo portables usually are globally by month seven.
As I predicted last month, it’s highly unlikely the 3DS will reach even 5 or 6 million global units by year’s end’a far cry from the 16 million Nintendo was hoping to move by Dec 31. Admittedly, 3DS is performing better than the Virtual Boy, the only one of nine major Nintendo platforms (10 if you include Game Boy Color) to have failed.
That doesn’t instill a lot of confidence, though. Especially since 3DS simply doesn’t have the kind of traction that other usually successful Nintendo systems have had’including the second to worst-selling but still successful N64. Of the eight profitable Nintendo systems, including N64, all have been solid to phenomenal successes. 3DS, while not a complete bust’at least not yet’has been neither.
Assuming the 3DS is incapable of delivering must-have, all original games (read: 3D has to mean something to games), it will likely be game over for the system. Would that force Nintendo to pull a Sega or Atari? Ditch hardware and release their games on other viable platforms, like iOS?
As Eugene wisely said last month, “not likely.” As Nintendo has shown in the past, so long as one of their two gaming fronts stays in the black, be it portable or home console, they can survive, even thrive.
The problem is for the first time in Nintendo’s history, its handheld front is tanking. And a lot of people are skeptical about the complex Wii U, arriving in homes next year.
No, Nintendo is not in its darkest hour (even though their net income is near a 30 year low). That will only happen if the Wii U, like its portable companion the 3DS, fails to excite consumers.
Still, the darkest hour could be around the corner. Particularly if Nintendo continues to deny Apple as a competitor.
Coincidentally, that’s how both Microsoft and Sony previously viewed Nintendo, when the latter was putting the hurt on them.
Unremarkableguy
This is the first post in a while I’ve seen from Infendo that discussed Nintendo in a negative way AND hasn’t seemed like a rant. I agree with pretty much everything you said. I do however think that we need to wait and see how things go after the A-list games start coming out. Even without 3D, the 3DS is a capable portable platform.
L0cky
hardware sales of the last 2 months upper one beeing the last.
3DS – 73,933
PS3 – 23,897
PSP – 22,095
Wii – 11,235
DSi LL – 2,005
Xbox 360 – 1,620
PS2 – 1,296
DSi – 1,293
DS Lite – 36
3DS – 55,025
PS3 – 28,596
PSP – 25,271
Wii – 12,161
DSi LL – 2,721
DSi – 1,999
Xbox 360 – 1,887
PS2 – 1,280
DS Lite – 71
i think the 3ds is doing fine atm , i can see a shorter life cycle for it though or nintendo releasing another portable next to it like they did with the gba and ds.
CM30
As is, the 3DS is trending as the worst selling Nintendo portable ever.
Virtual Boy. Then again, does that even count as a handheld? Still, 4 million is above the 800 000 the Virtual Boy sold, so it’s not selling badly enough to be a collector’s item.
Meanwhile, Apple has sold a mind-blowing 189 million iOS devices (iPhones + iPads) and still has lightening in a bottle.
Yes, and most of those weren’t sold for the games. To say this means the iPad will beat video games is like saying people bought computers and Microsoft Windows to play video games.
And yes, the DS stopped selling, due to a lack of games and the 3DS to some degree.
True, the 3DS is in trouble. But to be honest, it’s not due to iOS devices or phones, that’s the industry cliche that is really freaking annoying me. Repeatedly stating doesn’t make it true either, those twits on the internet may have fallen for the press and their ‘say something until people stop contesting it’ rubbish, but I vow not to.
No, it’s probably partly done to people’s attitudes about 3D, and partly down to the game selection. Because people love to blame everything other than content quality. Same reason they blame piracy, used games, Facebook, ad nauseum. Can never accept their work sucks.
I also doubt they’d discontinue any consoles just yet, although I have a good reason for hoping this.
Brian
I wish it was $99. I would have one right away. Not everyone can afford overpriced portables.
garyaga
Theres no games plain and simple. I purchased mine on launch day purchased street fighter play it for a week. The thing needs games months later mine is collection dust.
Davoid
Ahhh Infendo… Really, you TAKE the time to write that kind of crap!?
“As a result, game developers are jumping ship from 3DS to iOS. Even though they originally promised lots of 3DS support, it ain’t happening.”
You state “game developerS” <-plural while the article just talks about Level-5.
You say they are "jumping ship from 3DS to iOS" while the article states that they are just porting one game.
What is that kind of misleading crap? Are you in for some kind of sensasionalist-biased-half-baked newsmaking?! Get you act together & quit acting like a retarded little child.
ghettoska
Arggg!
Just make me some f-in games already! There is nothing wrong with the system. The games may be a few bucks too much, but i would gladly dish it out for a 3ds original title at this point.
Would anyone buy a kindle if there were only three ebooks? no.
Josh
The games cost too much in my opinion. Most of the games coming out are simply rehashes of DS games (or N64 games) anyway, yet they want to charge a premium for it.
Josh
Also… I don’t think I’ve seen a single commercial on TV for the 3DS. What are they thinking!?
monkat
@Josh – There are a bunch on Cartoon Network. Starfox, Zelda, Mario, and Mario Kart.
Anyway, the 3DS needs to be Nintendo’s strong arm, because there is no way that the Wii U is going to cut it.
Noveli
Makes me wonder if Nintendo jumped the gun releasing 3DS when they did. Maybe if they had waited until the holiday season. There would be enough Dev Kits out there to bring in third party support. Instead of seeing this as a failed portable, I think of it as a premature birth. It needs some time to get all of the parts in working order. The E shop wasn’t ready at launch. There’s been a problem with Developer’s getting the 3DS kits to work with and now their adding an optional Slide Pad. I feel like I’m watching this thing develop from dust. I feel like the launch date was a giant(expensive) open beta. It’s like they (almost)finished the hardware and thought that they’d better beat the competition to market. I’m thinking that If they had waited and released the 3DS in November, it could hit the ground running with Hulu and Netflix along with 15-20 games ready to ship for the holiday. As it stands they may still succeed with their evergreen strategy. It’s just unfortunate they didn’t capitalize on the launch hype sales.
Mr. Paper
Comeoffit Blake. The whole “3DS is a DOOMED console” is an old excuse that doesn’t even make sense anymore. I guarantee you that the DAY after Christmas you and Jack will be eating crow. I didn’t buy a 3DS to play Angry Birds, or Early Bird, or Tiny Birds, or whatever other birds they have. I didn’t buy a 3DS to play Uncharted or ModmodmodmodmodmodNation Racers. I bought a 3DS to play Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and other AMAZING exclusive that make it so Nintendo can not fail. If YOU, an editor of Nintendo Fan Site, agree with biased trolls on a random article or message board. Then why did make this site in the first place?
This isn’t a rant for just this article. This is a rant of my general impressions of this site. No matter how much good things happen, Blake finds the most obscure things to rant on Nintendo about.
LegendofPaperZelda
@Noveli. Couldn’t have said it better myself. It really is a kind of “Premature birth” as you put it.
Grimreaper
I hate to say it, but I agree with you I mainly bought it for ds games and maybe some 3ds games.
They didn’t have a strong start, and now it’s to late to try to gain steam, but they may.
Let the pieces fall where they may.
Hitokiri_Ace
*shakes head* Blake.. I wonder why you don’t convert this site to iOSuccess, or iOSnews. It’s obviously just because of no great games. Intelligent passion for all things Nintendo Blake, it’s your sites motto.. Come on.
Caleb
Honestly, I think the best thing Nintendo could do at this point would be to re-brand and re-release the 3DS. It’s essentially a souped-up DS, which sells like gangbusters. Strip out the 3D screen (since no one seems interested in it anyways), give it a new name, drop the price since the hardware will be cheaper to make, and drop game prices. Game prices are one of the big reasons I’ve avoided the 3DS. I don’t want to drop 40 bucks on a portable game. 20 I could do, but 40 is really asking for it.
Shep
This was an extremely uneducated post. There is no real understanding of the industry conveyed here.
InvisibleMan
It is ironic that Nintendo’s most advanced and feature-filled (and now best priced!) portable system is the one of the least-selling in their history…
I think that is a testament to where the portable gaming trend is going, with games that charge between nothing and $5 taking the lead.
But one thing these comments and articles are not taking in account is that through the 3DS you can purchase games online also! What Nintendo needs to do to boost the sales is to revamp their wi-fi network, open their kit to indie developers, and take advantage of the features that the 3DS has and the iPad & iPod don’t. And I’m not talking just the 3D part, remember that the 3DS has two cameras, a touch screen, etc. There are many opportunities for unique gaming mechanics in there…
Skotski
I’m getting quite exhausted responding to negativity, so I’ll just say this: Wait until THE promised major 3rd party titles release in 2012, wait for first two months of sales. Then re-consider judgment.
We’ll know then.
Nexel
Sad rant…
Ben
To quote David Barbier on Facebook:
“Just a few more news away and Infendo will be that ‘Some site on the internet’. Because Infendo has the credibility of any other WordPress blog.”
Harsh. So watch whatcha say, Blake. You sure made it sound like the 3DS was going to become the next Virtual Boy. There is a great lineup of games coming up, and I agree the 3DS had a premature birth. Seems NOBODY has any patience these days…
Hitokiri_Ace said it best. Live up to the site motto.
deepthought
who the hell is david barbier?
blake, you’re in a glass case of emotion, but i feel you man. the 3DS needs some serious software if it’s going to turn itself around.
Richard
Honestly, I just want to play Mario, Mario Kart 7, and the other upcoming first party games. Those titles alone make 3DS worth purchasing. Those are the games my iPhone can’t play.
Ben
@deepthought The only (so far) who has commented on this story on Facebook. Guess I should have said “To quote someone on Facebook”
Âlvärö
I feel like Blake has lost his passion for Nintendo. I understand, adulthood sucks…
Like I said (as a joke) on another post, I smell the slowly death of our beloved Infendo as a website.
P.S. I’m still getting a 3DS this upcoming Holiday season ^_^
baelnic
The 3DS devkit costs $4000. The iOS devkit costs $100 (and perhaps a $300 iPod to test on). The Android devkit costs $0.
That’s where Nintendo needs to start.
I assume their licensing fees are also obscene since we don’t see many WiiWare/3DSWare games too.
Software development changed years ago and the console makers haven’t been willing to adapt. You can’t charge people to be on your platform anymore. You now have to BEG them to bring their games to your platform otherwise iOS, Andriod, Facebook, Microsoft, etc is going to poach them from you. We’re lucky Apple hasn’t released a controller cradle (or something like it) for iOS. We’d really have no portable games to play then.
Infendo
“I feel like Blake has lost his passion for Nintendo. I understand, adulthood sucks.”
I won’t deny the first sentence. Adulthood, however, is awesome. Especially if you can stay young at heart.
It’s once innovative producers who lose their way (hopefully only temporarily) that suck.
baelnic
Wayforward is porting their WiiWare games to iOS. Anyone want to bet they sell a truckload more games on iOS than they did on Wii?
Neil N
this article sucks, this seems more like something one would see on IGN. I actually think Blake would be a stupendous writer for them
Hitokiri_Ace
“It’s once innovative producers who lose their way (hopefully only temporarily) that suck.”
So that is what it’s all about? I’m pretty sure you’re missing out on a few features that Nintendo added to the 3ds, and to the Wii U. Though I’ll leave Wii U out, cause it’s still just in development.
3ds has:
-3d (duh)
-Circle Pad (1st for a Ninty handheld)
-StreetPass
-SpotPass
-3d Camera
-Netflix
-Hulu (soon)
-Upgraded “pictochat”
-Extra Slide Pad via attachment
-Higher Res screens (both the 3d and touchscreen)
-Much faster Processing over the DS line
What is it Blake? The AGS-101 is the holy grail to you, and yet what does it add over the GBA? A back light, clam shell design?? WOW, easy there big guy.. I think this is more about you growing up, and expecting more shock and awe. Al the while basing it on an “innovative” company like Apple. Seriously, the podcast was just about all I stuck around here for. This is seriously just you being a child.
Peace,
Not really Blake's mom
Hey there son, I don’t appriciate you deleting my posts. I might have been somewhat mean about it, but I think I brought up some fairly legit points. Why write an article about “some guy on the internet”‘s opinion on a matter he doesn’t really understand? It doesn’t prove anything, nor is it accurate. The DS had an equally terrible start off, and last I checked it’s done just fine. The games are off to a slow start, but the hardware is solid and fun. And since games are starting to be released, I’d like to say you’re 100% wrong on this subject. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Skotski
I think honestly this should have been more of a discussion post. …because that’s what it turned out to be anyways… but if it was originally a discussion post, it would have far less of a negative weight to it for those who are sensitive towards any opposing angle (albeit the topic would have far less posts).
The Adza
The 3DS won’t reach the DS’s sales. We all know that and accept that. Gaming has changed since then, people that would have bought a DS for Nintendogs or Brain Training, the same expanded audience Nintendo created have moved on to Android and iOS devices where the games are cheaper and simpler without the fuss of having to carry another device other than their phone with them.
SO WHAT?
Good I say. Lets have a return to Gameboy/GBA era quality gamers games & core franchises. How much shovelware is there on the DS? As much as the Wii probably. I know the games are still not there yet, but I am dreading the day I walk into a shop to buy a 3DS game and have to sift through Bratz and Barbie and Dogz/Catz/Horsez/Petz games by the truckload to find a decent title.
Nintendo will have a pretty good Xmas I believe. They won’t reach their desired numbers with the 3DS but I really don’t think they have to. There may be only 4.5 million 3DS’s sold so far but how big a slice of those will be buying Mariokart 7? Just about all of them wouldn’t you say? 4.5 million X whatever profit they make from just that one game alone is a staggering amount of money. The Wii will still sell as the cheap console for the kids who don’t have one, the 3DS is priced so any kid wanting a DS for xmas will likely opt for a 3DS. Then we have Zelda and Super Mario 3D Land, and Kirby all hitting between now and Xmas. Nintendo are not in trouble at all yet.
Yes there is still work to be done to the eShop, yes we still need a bigger flow of quality games, but NO, handheld gamers who have always had handhelds don’t want the shallow iOS experience as their main method of portable play. We want our Marios and Zelda’s and Pokemon. We will pay a premium for these. We won’t however pay $30 – $40 for shovelware Petz and Block Puzzle bullshit. That stuff deserves to be 99 cents. Let it go to iOS and leave us willing customers pay the premium prices for premium products. Nintendo can make there money that way. They did it with the Gamecube and GBA without hitting the soaring numbers of their competitors and predecessors. They can do it again and I for one will be happy with that.
Yossarian
If Nintendo would rally all of their programmers to come up with games, and make indie publishers feel needed, and make a fiscal environment behind the scenes such that every developer under the sun would feel that they could make games cheaply enough to make a return, they would ship units. Just get the games out! Blow us away! The 3D is cool and all, but we want games! Overwhelm us by numbers! Make eshop games cheap! Hire indie developers to show you how to make fun, cheap games. We need content and we need it now, not the usual “in a future release/update”
Chris
LOL What. that 4.3 million is all the way back from June. people from this site they need to do some research. sites that track sales have the 3ds at 5.7 million it’s selling at the same rate as the DS. An the DS was release in the holiday season in a good economy.
Chris
“hardware sales of the last 2 weeks in Japan upper one beeing the last.
3DS – 73,933
PS3 – 23,897
PSP – 22,095
Wii – 11,235
DSi LL – 2,005
Xbox 360 – 1,620
PS2 – 1,296
DSi – 1,293
DS Lite – 36
3DS – 55,025
PS3 – 28,596
PSP – 25,271
Wii – 12,161
DSi LL – 2,721
DSi – 1,999
Xbox 360 – 1,887
PS2 – 1,280
DS Lite – 71”
Fixed
Cactus Jack
Don’t worry! Obama will take your website down soon anyways! http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.64f335a63a0a239e61cf0891c65a0c44.a81&show_article=1
Âlvärö
“I won’t deny the first sentence. Adulthood, however, is awesome. Especially if you can stay young at heart.”
Totally agree, I was just refering to adulthood + videogaming = not as fun as before. Probably it’s not just age but also we’re victims of videogame environment evolving and we falling behind trying to adapt.
Lord Gamera
I feel like every single blog I love is stuck in this rut. One person has an opinon, and everyone dogs them down for it. Yes, I admit, I don’t like seeing so much negativety on this site. But to play devils avacado here (a joke…) it would be equally disheartening to see a fan site so bogged down in fanboyism we can’t even adress that problems are occuring. Welcome to America folks, people have to say un popular things sometimes.
Ok, so appeal for sanity and rational debate aside, I do have some disagreements here. Discontinueing the 3DS is a big ol’ conclusion jump. The DS brand is one of the most successful names in any tech business right now, Nintendo would be foolish to kill it. Perhaps 3DS isn’t going to be the collosal success the DS was, but I really do think we’re headed for an upswing: Holdiay season coupled with AAA titles is gonna help…a whole lot. Monster Hunter 4 would not be announced for the 3DS is Nintendo didn’t see a survival strategy for a year of low numbers. And the fact that Capcom has that much invested (and that much confidence) I think speaks volumes. And the real nail in this coffin (as it always has been) will be the launch of Pokemon. In fact, the 3DS might be an insanely good platform for the Pokemon franchise (streetpass and augement reality already show an incredible amount of promise for this series, not to mention the awesome graphics Pokedex 3D showcased) In fact, I’d say if the cards are played right, the next gen of Pokemon might serve as the ‘Nintendogs’ for the 3DS. It could highlight some of the more forgotten tech points of the 3DS, move a ton of units (DS bundle pack anyone? the Japanese economy literally spiked when Diamond/Pearl was bundled with DS systems) and it could also go a long way in giving the Poke franchise the breathe of fresh air that Black and WHite came so dangerously close to perfecting. PS VITA…who are you fooling?
I also don’t think people are giving this system enough credit right now. Ilike the pre-mature birth analogy, but as far as I’m concerned, September swept my concerns away. As a fan of videogames and a fan of Nintedo, I’m kinda loving my 3DS. Yes, Ocarina was the only big title I’ve purchased recently, but thier virtual console is shaping up to rather promising. I already have over ten different games right on my 3DS memory to play whenever I want. I don’t even need to worry about grabbing extra cartidges for traveling right now (I have 4 zelda titles on my 3Ds and I only paid for Links Awakening.) That is an awesome trait!
We also need to also remind ourselves, that this has been an economically devastating year for almost all countries, and escpecially in Japan with the quakes. The market is sluggish everywhere, thats not a reason to kill a franchise and a perfectly good system.
Finally, and I’ve said this 100 times. No one liked the DS when it launched. It had a poor library, people thought it was too gimicky, and scoffed at it’s visuals once they saw PSP. Every criticism of Ocarina was leveld at Mario 64 DS, when in fact the Ocarina port was flat out incredible. Have we really learned nothing from the trneds over the years? Is our long term (maybe even short term) memory THIS bad?
deepthought
it’s WAYYY too early to predict Nintendo’s death.
but it’s NEVER too early to predict Infendo’s death! M I RITE?
/sarcasm
deepthought
oh god someone linked to breitbart! it really is the end of infendo!
run! women and children first! oh the humanity!!!
(guess i wasn’t out of sarcasm after all)
Mohan
Ah no, it’s won’t be $99 and won’t be discontinued anytime soon!
Abdulla
Honestly Blake I think you should shut down infendo and go make an iOS Loving website. Because the stuff you just said is completely garbage.
Sorry guys but I’m done with this website
justadie
The 3DS has decent sales numbers when compared against other pieces of current dedicated gaming hardware. That much is true. When you compare the growth rate and tie ratio against previous launches and gaming hand helds then it’s fairly poor. The economy may not be as well today as it was in the past but a combination of population growth and brand awareness should have at least made the 3DS out perform the PSP’s original numbers by a wide range. I haven’t checked numbers in about a month but that’s where they were the last time that I checked them.
The 3DS, the system that no one wanted. It released a bit too early, sold for too high of a price, didn’t have enough software to keep momentum up, is about to have a redesign launch soon and will also feature an accessory that completes its’ transformation as one of the worst portable systems ever. The 3DS is such a dramatic change in strategy from Nintendo, I don’t understand why they’re all but abandoning the values of the GameBoy and DS line of hand helds. The 3DS uses the tactics of a console in the console wars. Every time Nintendo has decided to ignore the console wars and simple run the business like a horse in a horse race they have excelled. Horses in a race can’t see the other horses. Disruptors and companies that simply cater to their audiences don’t place a significant amount of focus on their rivals via their product.
The 3DS is Nintendo being self-conscious after being dogged out for having weak hardware and no 3rd party support. Nintendo had plenty of it, they just didn’t receive the blockbuster, movie wannabe types. They also missed out on significant games on other platforms. I don’t know why they’re trying to take Microsoft’s and Sony’s markets when they don’t have the same amount and type of investments into the ecosystems that make those platforms live. It’s a waste and I’m not happy with Nintendo’s current direction.
When I was a kid Zelda was The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages or Majora’s Mask. Now it’s that dead awful DS touch game and a pretty dull, by the numbers, gameplay sequel to Ocarina of Time everytime. The story always gets more focus but the actual game gets less attention. They’ve been upsizing their creativity on dungeon creation and graphics but ignoring how we play the game and why we should care. I can buy a book or see a movie for a deep story. Nintendo needs to listen to MC Chris. Especially since Kingdom Hearts is almost the inverse of Zelda in many ways while still being in the same genre today. That wasn’t the case when I was growing up. Things change, but they shouldn’t do so for the worst.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZsDUSxK5Fs
XCWarrior
At this point, Infendo needs to just admit IGN bought them out and they aren’t allowed to say nice things about Nintendo products anymore.
Pile of rubbish, like usual. Why do I keep coming back to this site? It’s certainly not for “intellegent passion for all things Nintendo.” It’s more like, “Hateful, senseless bashing for all things Nintendo.”
K.Rool
Hey, wait a minute, do we have to participate in troll-generated civil fan wars here too? I think i had enough at IGN with this.
Derek B.
Blake, you’ve stirred the beehive.
Having “an intelligent passion for all things Nintendo” means acknowledging when Nintendo fails and calling them on it. Interesting hardware is meaningless without good software. That’s the 3DS’s entire existence in a single sentence.
That said, we have Super Mario and Mario Kart titles—proper ones, at that— releasing in the next few weeks. I’m very excited to get my hands on them, and I’m hopeful they will give the system a nice shot in the arm at retail.
Derek B.
And as for those “Nintendo Direct” announcements? Please. If Nintendo thinks a firmware update is part of the solution, they’re in even more danger than Blake indicates here.
GameCollector44
http://www.3dsfocus.com/2011/10/nintendo-3ds-worldwide-sales-figures.html
Hmm….6.68 Million Units of 3DS sold, which outpaces the original DS…8.13 Million software sales, with Ocarina of Time taking up over 1 million of those sales…compared with the current game line-up for Q4 2011-Q1/2 of 2012, I think Nintendo is doing juuust fine.
@Derek: Yes, it does mean that you need to acknowledge when Nintendo fails, but it doesn’t mean that you only focus on the negative, like IGN loooves to do. Saying that the 3DS is going to be discontinued because of $1 iOS games/an OPTIONAL attachment is garbage. The Wii U most likely will not fail. Somebody has already compiled a list of 145 uses for the touchscreen controller. http://wiiugo.com/145-ways-the-wii-u-can-make-gaming-better/
I think that the Wii U controller is innovative, and I am definitely going to buy one. Saying that Apple is going to kill Nintendo has gotten old, and is definitely not going to happen. Let the casual ‘gamers’ have their Petz/Bratz/Barbie on their iPhone, I’d rather have core games like MGS3/Resident Evil: Revelations than a truckload of those crap games anyway.
EdEN
The counterargument is: No, it won’t be going near the $99 at least for 3 more years. Games are coming in a couple of weeks. Nintendo still has a LOT of money left from the huge success of the DS and the Wii. iOS is nice but no controller and no Nintendo games means it won’t ever conquer anything. 80 million of the “quoted sales” are, at least, from those of us that have upgraded from a 3G to a 4 or 4S. Same goes for iPad to iPad 2.
I’ve spent $50 on iOS purchases and $20 of that was for a work related app. I’ve spent THOUSANDS on DS and PSP.
EdEN
Also, a 3DS is $169.99. How much is an iPhone 4S/5th Gen iPod, iPad 2 to offset those $0.99 games? Yeah, doesn’t add up.
frstOne
You know, not everyone likes the iOS devices, especially for playing games on them. They don’t replace a product like 3ds or Vita.
Pepe
I remember the days when there were only Nintendo and Sega. No Sony, Microsoft, Apple. Unfortunately Nintendo continues losing market share, due to their technical shortfall to the competitors. Compare the Wii with PS3/Xbox360. The only thing what makes Nintendo unique are classic games like Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong.
Nin3DS
To the person above:
I love how you say there’s no competitors. Oh there definitely were, they just got trampled underfoot and failed miserably. The TurboGrafx and Neo Geo anyone? Atari Jaguar? Wonder Swan? MSX?
There have been tons of companies trying to take down Nintendo and co, it’s just most tend to crash and burn spectacularly. Heck, most new companies trying to release consoles now tend to crash and burn just as badly.
And they’re not losing marketshare to the 360 or PS3, those are doing just as poorly in these times as Nintendo.
But never the less, I doubt Nintendo is going to discontinue any consoles.
Brayan
I think Nintendo should lower the price of the 3ds to $99 if Nintendo doesn’t want to go broke and if they want to sell more 3ds’s. And they should really do remakes of every classic Nintendo 64 game so they can make even more money.
Brayan
Nintendo is doing so bad selling their products, because the economy is bad now these days.
EdEN
@Brayan: As consumers we’d want the 3DS to be free but that would make Nintendo go bankrupt in two years. My iPhone 4 is tied to a contract and is more expensive than a 3DS.
Joel
Quote: “Having “an intelligent passion for all things Nintendo†means acknowledging when Nintendo fails and calling them on it.” /Quote
Calling them on it is one thing, bashing them over the head with it repeatedly like a Whack-A-Mole game is something else entirely.
EdEN
@Joel: Agree. Nintendo posted their first loss in 30 years and everyone is going “Nintendo is going 3rd. Doomed!”. Care to check up on the MS and Sony finances from the videogames division for the last 4 years?
Toadofsky
You fans are ridiculous. You think Sony or Microsoft fanboys are bad for putting you down? You’re all just as bad as they are.
Nintendo is facing an unprecedented loss in 30 years. They haven’t had such loss since Radar Scope, which was their first Arcade game, they couldn’t even give them away if they wanted to.
While I really don’t care about iOS, or the games on there. But the fact of the matter is that there is CONVENIENCE with them. We’re all somewhat lazy, so anything that is easier, we go with it. A device that let’s you get online, play games, watch videos, check e-mail, and is a phone. How can someone NOT go for that?
Yes, Nintendo is not in that business of a “device that does everything”, we get that. But Nintendo has dropped the ball immensely with the 3DS. They thought they could coast on the success of the DS and their legacy. If you look through Nintendo’s history, they have had a near 20+ year obsession with 3D. And from the looks of it, they still can’t sell it to the masses. If consumers were so interested in 3D, or gamers, we would see a huge increase in 3D televisions or ticket sales for 3D films. Neither of those industries have been able to keep a year over year increase in sales.
Nintendo wanted to sell their obsession of 3D. They failed immensely in educating the consumer in the product’s safety. They failed to demonstrate it’s abilities (look at the difference in how they marketed the Wii in 2006), heck, they failed to even have games that would get people to come out in droves to buy it. Perry Kaplan and several others that were in Nintendo’s PR department helped sell the Wii and shoot Nintendo into success they didn’t have in years. Their PR has had to switch hands AGAIN and AGAIN because they’re not doing their job good enough.
But the bottom line is games. Nintendo didn’t have anything other than a half dash attempt at a Pilotwings game (there should have been more than one island), they tried to sell two ports with tweaked graphics, and it still hasn’t helped.
Hopefully, Mario 3D Land will help it. But most consumers don’t really care much for 3D Mario games. Stack the sales of 2D Mario games and 3D games, and you will know what I’m talking about. Mario Kart 7 will be the game that helps the system. But if neither game helps it through the holiday season, I wouldn’t be surprised we hear of it’s demise.
Lord Gamera
Whoa…when did this discussion turn to Homophobia? Thats not what gaming about Brayan, please keep your ignorance to yourself, some of us were ‘discussing.’
EdEN
Unfortunately, good education isn’t free…
deepthought
ahhh- a much better comment section. thanks infendo!
Pingback: What I am thinking about 100 Classic Books for Nintendo DS
Lily
Wait, I cannot fathom it being so striagtfhroward.
czdalocgmug
OsAVGS zehrduceguva
qtdjtwgken
906huF vgcmwujiyvlv
Lord Lemmy
I find it funny looking at this after the 3DS has actually become a success. XD I mean, it really picked up, really successful, and ever since all the good games finally started coming out, all of my friends started telling me that they need to get a 3DS and one of them regrets selling his! I especially find it entertaining on some people’s thoughts and predictions that the 3DS needs an even lower price, and will be discontinued early. There’s so many silly predictions people make (in general) that it’s hilarious! I mean, there was a company that actually didn’t think the telephone would catch on, and a record company that thought the Beatles’ music wasn’t “modern enough” and thus wouldn’t be a success. I think the 3DS’ failure is just another one of those silly predictions for the books. I mean, I don’t blame anyone for thinking that way back then, because it was rushed to stores with few noteworthy titles released for a long time, but then hits started coming in like no one’s business!