Nintendo Slashing 3DS Price by a Third

[Logan Westbrook]

Nintendo Slashing 3DS Price by a Third

Don't worry if you've already bought a 3DS; that extra money you spent will get you a ton of free games.

Nintendo has announced that it will shave eighty bucks off the price of the 3DS in preparation for the Holiday season. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime says that this is a great time for anyone who was on the fence about buying a 3DS to pick one up.

The price drop will come into effect on August 12th, less than six months after the 3DS's launch, with the recommended retail price going from $249.99, to just $169.99. Nintendo said that the new price point made the 3DS even better value than before, and added that there were some great games for the handheld in the pipeline, even going as far as to say that it had the strongest lineup of any videogame console this holiday season. These games include the 3DS re-release of Starfox 64, and new Mario, Mario Kart and Kid Icarus games.

With the price drop coming so soon after the launch of the 3DS - and Ocarina of Time, one of its most high-profile games - there are plenty of people who will be rather understandably upset at having paid a higher price. Fortunately, Nintendo doesn't plan to leave those people out in the cold, and is offering 20 free downloadable games to anyone who bought a 3DS at the higher price that signs in to the 3DS eShop before August 12th. Doing so will automatically enroll them into the 3DS Ambassador scheme as well as entitle them to 10 free NES virtual console games, and 10 free GBA games. Nintendo has not published the full list, but has revealed that it includes classics like Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda, as well as games like Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Metroid: Fusion.

While this is good news for anyone who wanted a 3DS but didn't want to spend $250, it's hard to see it as anything other than an effort to boost sales. It's no secret that the 3DS didn't sell as well as Nintendo would have liked, and such a dramatic reduction in price after such a short period of time seems like little more than an attempt to increase the install base. Of course, if it works, then Nintendo could very well be laughing all the way to the bank, especially with so many big titles on the way.











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[Pingieking]

Well that didn't take long, did it?
I'm still waiting for the Vita to show up before I make a final decision for my PSP replacement.

 

[RejjeN]

...This may actually make me buy one...

 

[Swifteye]

Hey that's a pretty good deal for those people who bought the 3ds at launch and for everyone else it's a really affordable 3ds. It needs a stronger lineup though I mean Kid Icarus is the only really new game in that it's an really old franchise thats had it's genre changed. Also kid Icarus games? Like more than one?

They really want to move these 3DS units.

 

[Raeil]

This was a brilliant and underhanded move by Nintendo. I'm ok with it, because I think the 20 games will be worth the 80 extra bucks I spent on the system. However, it still must be mentioned that this was an extremely underhanded move to make more money, and I'm not sure how well it speaks to the image that Nintendo likes to maintain.

 

[Lizardon]

I bet like everything else, it'll take a month for this price cut to make it here to Australia.

Also why does a 3DS in Australia cost $100 more than one in America?

 

[Xanthious]

What's this? People aren't flocking to the 3DS in droves? Well shucks maybe it has something to do with 3D being a gimmick that almost nobody wanted or asked for. Of course Nintendo being Nintendo has grown to rely on gimmicks to get their products over. Smoke and mirrors can only work for so long.

Honestly the 3DS is probably doing far more poorly than Nintendo will admit to if they are cutting the price by such a large amount so soon. Look how long it took them to drop the price of the Wii after all, almost three years. This price cut reeks of desperation. The 3DS might not end up quite as bad off as the Virtual Boy but it sure looks like it might not be that far off.

I said it before and it bears repeating and that is Nintendo caught lightning in a bottle with the Wii and they aren't going to be able to replicate that success again by focusing on gimmicks over substance. The anemic 3DS sales should prove that much. Furthermore I think that Nintendo is going to come crashing down even further with the upcoming WiiU.

 

[Baneat]

Twenty downloadable games? ugh.. downloadable..

 

[Sabazios]

It doesn't really make much of a difference if there aren't any games on it...

 

[JPArbiter]

*pulls out my best "Dad Voice*

Now Nintendo... what did we learn?

never to release a console or handheld without a strong launch lineup containing our premier first party properties

The above is the SOLE reason I have yet to purchase a 3DS. facts are facts and Nintendo either launched too soon, or were holding back thier flagships for reasons beyond my ability to comprehend.

No Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, and no Kid Icarus means I no buy.

 

[curintedery]

I bet like everything else, it'll take a month for this price cut to make it here to Australia.

Also why does a 3DS in Australia cost $100 more than one in America?

Because, simply put, we can earn a shit-tonne more than Americans, and video game companies know we can afford for things to be more expensive. (oh, and we have the best beaches )

I doubt the price reduction will make it here in a month though... I think it took substantially longer than that for the wii price drop. I will most likely buy one if they shave $100 off though.

 

[Cpt Corallis]

I'm honestly not that bothered by this. I managed to get one on offer from currys for £170 so the price drop isn't that irritating and I don't own the majority of those games. Plus the exclusivity with the GBA games pleases me.
Plus if this means that I can get more Miis on my streetpass games, Then I'm all for it. My 3D picture of Link needs finished, dammit!

 

[Gxas]

Best news all week? Best news all week. Now I can just save up for one instead of having my parents buy it for me. I get my new monitor and a new 3DS for Christmas this year!!

 

[00DUMB]

You'll all see. Every time, it's something different. Some other reason why Nintendo "screwed up." Another death call. But soon, the wave will come. The new onslaught of first-party titles. The fan boys and girls shan't resist. The Nintendo Kingdom shall once again make it's due, the same way it has for twenty years. Haha. Muahaha. MUAHAHEHAHEHUGHEGUEAH. Cough.

Also, Paper Mario. Worth the $170 the whole damned system will cost.

 

[Sonicron]

Heh. Apparently Nintendo have to face the facts that most people recognized the 3DS exactly for what it is: A gimmick. An interesting one, yes, but still not nearly attractive enough to consider upgrading from one's perfectly serviceable DS.

 

[YunikoYokai5]

I didn't buy a 3DS then, and I won't buy one now. My head and stomach are more important than thinking of a (un-needed) replacement for my DSLite (Also still use my original, which I've had since launch. No battery changes either, my Lite has a new battery though). I know you can turn the 3D off...but why would you buy a console (handheld or otherwise) only to turn off its main feature?

 

[SD-Fiend]

i'm still waiting for the pokemon themed ones

 

[Jumwa]

*pulls out my best "Dad Voice*

Now Nintendo... what did we learn?

never to release a console or handheld without a strong launch lineup containing our premier first party properties

The above is the SOLE reason I have yet to purchase a 3DS. facts are facts and Nintendo either launched too soon, or were holding back thier flagships for reasons beyond my ability to comprehend.

No Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, and no Kid Icarus means I no buy.

Before the launch of the system Ubisoft was talking about how Nintendo was going to work with them more to help third party games get a better shot at sales. Then the 3DS up and launches with no first party titles worth mentioning, and a ton of Ubisoft and other third party titles.

It gave me an aching suspicion Nintendo was holding off on their own games for that reason.

After all, they already admitted to knowing that launching a new system without their heavy-hitter first-party titles was a bad idea. When they launched the Wii they admitted as much about their failing to do so with the Gamecube.

So either they totally forgot that lesson learned a few years ago, or they caved into third party pressure to give them less competition to start off with.

 

[Cpt Corallis]

Heh. Apparently Nintendo have to face the facts that most people recognized the 3DS exactly for what it is: A gimmick. An interesting one, yes, but still not nearly attractive enough to consider upgrading from one's perfectly serviceable DS.

I didn't buy a 3DS then, and I won't buy one now. My head and stomach are more important than thinking of a (un-needed) replacement for my DSLite (Also still use my original, which I've had since launch. No new batteries either). I know you can turn the 3D off...but why would you buy a console (handheld or otherwise) only to turn off its main feature?

This is one of the main problems with Nintendo's marketing. I showed my friends my 3DS and they thought the 3D effect was ok, but they loved the AR games and the Face shooting games. Their exact words were, "Why is nintendo not mentioning this awesome stuff in their marketing!?!"
Until People see that the 3D is not the only benefit, and Nintendo start showing off the Streetpass/Spotpass stuff and the gyroscope/AR capabilities, these complaints are still going to keep coming up...

 

[Corven]

Yeah, this is in no way related to the fact the vita was announced at a similarly price to the 3DS, oh no, no relation at all.


While it may be argued that most of the vita's launch titles may be spin-off's or sequels they aren't just spruced up re-releases of games from the 90's.