3DS Console Discussion

[killer kirby]

Massive sales bump incoming......again.

 

Really makes me happy to see this, they are just not letting the Vita take a breath in Japan at all, I fear how much of an impact MH4 will have (3G is still selling 5,000 a week, won't be long until it reaches 2 million) DQXI and a mainline Pokemon title will have in japan.

[Hero-of-Time]

Really makes me happy to see this, they are just not letting the Vita take a breath in Japan at all, I fear how much of an impact MH4 will have (3G is still selling 5,000 a week, won't be long until it reaches 2 million) DQXI and a mainline Pokemon title will have in japan.

 

Crazy isn't it?

 

You really have to respect Iwata for getting everything back on track for the 3DS. Nintendo really have a lock on the Japanese market, it's just a shame they can't have the same kind of success over here.

 

I think a big problem is that handhelds just aren't as popular in the West. Coupled with that western developers just don't give the handheld market the time of day, which leads us to having to wait for eastern games to get translated and released over here. That makes the release window a little scattered for us, whereas in Japan the 3DS seems to have had a big release every week for ages now.

[Serebii]

Crazy isn't it?

 

You really have to respect Iwata for getting everything back on track for the 3DS. Nintendo really have a lock on the Japanese market, it's just a shame they can't have the same kind of success over here.

 

I think a big problem is that handhelds just aren't as popular in the West. Coupled with that western developers just don't give the handheld market the time of day, which leads us to having to wait for eastern games to get translated and released over here. That makes the release window a little scattered for us, whereas in Japan the 3DS seems to have had a big release every week for ages now.

Yeah, western developers are being a bit idiotic and are just paying attention to the smartphone boom at the moment. However, it's not a viable business platform. So few developers manage to break even, let alone turn a profit on iOS etc.

 

So many developers and publishers are struggling too, and this is why

[Agent Gibbs]

i think the smart phone market will see its own tail off since most people may buy games but only play them for a short length of time, eventually i will see more people realise they aren't worth buying games for, most people i know are now at the stage of why bother. Not forgetting the smart phone market is saturated with games, with only a handful being actually successful, smart phone gaming is really for when you have a few min to kill and nothing else to occupy your time (aka sat on the toilet mostly).

 

Western developers could really get a market like Japan if they actually bothered, with current handhelds they could make rich rewarding games that can turn huge profit like japanesse developers do, its a shame they don't realise this, or rather their shareholders and management don't they see the smart phone market as a more profitable (for now)

[Serebii]

There is another problem, a big problem, and it's something that Sony is furthering.

 

Many developers who are making games for portable systems are doing it so that it's essentially a home console game but on a portable. That's not what portable devices are intended for. It's no coincidence that the majority of Nintendo's top handheld games are ones which, sure, you can play in big bursts, but they're also designed so you can play for a few minutes while on a train/bus etc. Pokémon, New Super Mario Bros, Super Mario 3D Land, Professor Layton, Starfox etc.

 

Western developers fall into this trap, as has Sony. As such, their games don't sell all that well on handheld devices andso they figure the market is dead and stop supporting.

 

iOS games actually fall into the same category as the ones I listed, but the majority of them lack the depth of those listed. They can be played for short bursts, but a lot of the time, after the 10th go, you get bored. Plus the lack of control options (nuts to covering 50% of the screen with a simulated control pad).

[Dcubed]

Crazy isn't it?

 

You really have to respect Iwata for getting everything back on track for the 3DS. Nintendo really have a lock on the Japanese market, it's just a shame they can't have the same kind of success over here.

 

I think a big problem is that handhelds just aren't as popular in the West. Coupled with that western developers just don't give the handheld market the time of day, which leads us to having to wait for eastern games to get translated and released over here. That makes the release window a little scattered for us, whereas in Japan the 3DS seems to have had a big release every week for ages now.

 

The vast majority of DS and GBA sales came from the US and EU. Handhelds are a bigger market in the west than consoles (uncombined)

 

Western devs (outside a select few) just don't get the handheld market period.

[Hero-of-Time]

Western devs (outside a select few) just don't get the handheld market period.

 

I think some of them do 'get it' but just choose not to develop for them. Probably because they would rather make a by the numbers FPS for a console.

[Cube]

I think a big reason is also how you can't plan a hit for the smartphone market. It's purely luck.

[Grazza]

Now that NINTENDO has gone from the 3DS straight to the 3DSXL, could it be that we'll be seeing something completely different when it comes to their next handheld in a couple of years?

 

Or will they still make some sort of 3DSi kind o' handheld which is the ultimate version of the 3DS?

And what will be the name of such a device?

 

I am also wondering if NINTENDO is still going to continue the 'DS' brand. Chances are high, for it is succesful. However, the NES -> SNES days were also quite succesful, but they eventually made the decision to stop with the whole 'Nintendo Entertainment System' brand.

 

Do you guys think that only when the chips are starting to go down, NINTENDO kind of re-invents itself with new 'brands' so to speak like the Wii and DS?

 

All very interesting points, Fused King.

 

Personally, I think that there will not be another revision of the 3DS. The XL is what Nintendo bring out when they need to boost sales. It seems to me that they had to use their trump card earlier than usual with the 3DS, hence the XL being released quite quickly.

 

The reason I think there will not be a 3DSi is that it's hard to make people go back to smaller screens unless you offer higher resolution or better graphics - either of which would mean an entirely new handheld, in my opinion.

 

How soon we get the next handheld and what it'll be like could be a thread of its own (in fact, I've wanted to make one for ages, but it'd probably be too soon! ) I wonder if Nintendo are still undecided and are seeing how much sales are boosted by the likes of New Super Mario Bros 2? Nintendo has released many of its important games for the system by now, and as much as I would like a Metroid, the only really expected game that they haven't mentioned (much) is a new Legend of Zelda. If they don't show a new handheld Zelda at next year's GDC, I will be quite suspicious.

 

As for form factor, they'd need to stick with a dual screen design for backwards compatibility, but it could be argued higher resolutions (which I'm sure we all want) are making the case for a large, single-screen design. There is also the issue of whether they'd "waste" a new, higher resolution on a small screen, with "only" the benefit of a massive PPI. The 3DS used to have an impressive PPI, although it could always be improved, and that would still leave room for the "XL" model.

 

I don't expect any new 3DS next year, but I wouldn't be too surprised at a new handheld in 2014 or 2015. Like I say, I think a lot of it depends on whether Nintendo (and other companies) think it's worth making more games. Will we get a Zelda? Will we get a Pokemon? Will we get a Dragon Quest? I hope so, but we'll see.

[Retro_Link]

I can definately seeing there being another model of 3DS.

 

Infact I'd be incredibly surprised if Nintendo managed to draw the console going for 2 to 3 years without doing something to it and improving it in some way, otherwise I just think it's going to get a bit outdated!

 

Even if it's just a form factor, Nintendo have to move with the trends and make the console look as appealing as it can; it could just be improved screen clarity, brightness and colour, further improved 3D, bigger memory, better camera's etc... and more likely like the DSi something a little more media focused.

 

Whether it's called it or not, I fully expect their to be a 3DSi or 3DSXLi.

[cvl]

The reason I think there will not be a 3DSi is that it's hard to make people go back to smaller screens unless you offer higher resolution or better graphics - either of which would mean an entirely new handheld, in my opinion.

I don't think the XL is meant to be taken as an upgrade over the 3DS - it's meant to be an alternative for those who like bigger screens. In my opinion, it's quite possible that a revised 'normal-sized' 3DS model will be released within a year or two; a 3DS lite perhaps.

 

Even if it's just a form factor, Nintendo have to move with the trends and make the console look as appealing as it can; it could just be improved screen clarity, brightness and colour, further improved 3D, bigger memory, better camera's etc... and more likely like the DSi something a little more media focused.

While I share your hopes and wishes, I respectfully disagree that Nintendo has to move with the trends. The DS was/is years behind the PSP regarding a lot of things such as video playback and Skype, but it didn't stop the handheld from becoming quite popular. Same thing now with the 3DS vs Vita. Although, I do personally think Nintendo is behind the competition in some regards (why can't we have Skype and Youtube on the 3DS for example) as long as enough people are buying its products Nintendo is not going to change its handhelds' modifications a whole lot I'm afraid.

Edited August 27, 2012 by cvl
Automerged Doublepost

[Serebii]

I don't think the XL is meant to be taken as an upgrade over the 3DS - it's meant to be an alternative for those who like bigger screens. In my opinion, it's quite possible that a revised 'normal-sized' 3DS model will be released within a year or two; a 3DS lite perhaps.

 

 

While I share your hopes and wishes, I respectfully disagree that Nintendo has to move with the trends. The DS was/is years behind the PSP regarding a lot of things such as video playback and Skype, but it didn't stop the handheld from becoming quite popular. Same thing now with the 3DS vs Vita. Although, I do personally think Nintendo is behind the competition in some regards (why can't we have Skype and Youtube on the 3DS for example) as long as enough people are buying its products Nintendo is not going to change its handhelds' modifications a whole lot I'm afraid.

To be fair, Nintendo maintain that their devices are for games alone. They have said they don't want their devices (consoles/handhelds) to be media centres. That is not what they want, hell it's not what the majority of the public wants as they can have all that crap on their phones now.

 

It'd just add to costs and everything. Superfluous is the word

[cvl]

To be fair, Nintendo maintain that their devices are for games alone. They have said they don't want their devices (consoles/handhelds) to be media centres. That is not what they want

Yes, I don't disagree with all that, the 3DS is still fine for gaming and if Nintendo mainly wants to focus on that aspect then fine. I kinda knew that when I bought the DSi and later the 3DS I probably wouldn't be able to use those devices for multimedia as well and so I figured out I have to use other media for Skyping or Youtube etc. But that's not to say it wouldn't be neat with all those features included somewhere down the road in one of Nintendo's future handhelds mind you, although it'll probably not happen anytime soon.

 

hell it's not what the majority of the public wants as they can have all that crap on their phones now.

This I'm not sure I agree with though. Personally, I like the idea of having everything in one device instead of having it spread over two or more devices.

Edited August 27, 2012 by cvl

[Murr]

So I never really realised the fun you can have with street pass till I got to the airport for my holiday.

 

I tend to not ever leave my 3DS on sleep mode, I just turn it off, but in the airport before my flight, and on the plane I left it on sleep, And the results when opening my 3DS on the plane were awesome.

 

Made 8 friends in that time (Bristol Airport is very small, it isn't now Heathrow), one of these was Spanish, another Scottish.

 

Since I've got back I've been taking it out with me when in town or to the mall in sleep mode, and making more acquaintances again, Really wish I'd tried this sooner.

 

it's some what addictive, the amount of times I was checking to see if the little light had gone green.

[Dcubed]

So it turns out that the 3DS now supports SDXC cards...

 

Here's a 128MB SDXC card in use (not my pic! It's from GoNintendo)

 

 

Seems Nintendo did a stealth update to the SD Card support as part of the last update. Wonder why they never bothered to tell anyone? (not that I'd ever need a card that large on the 3DS!)

[Agent Gibbs]

Nice! although i've more than enough for now with my 16GB, but its always nice to have options

[S.C.G]

 

 

 

I'm more amazed at the fact that someone actually bought New Super Mario Bros 2 digitally! :p

[Burny]

I'm more amazed at the fact that someone actually bought New Super Mario Bros 2 digitally! :p

 

I'd buy all my 3DS games digitally, if only shops where selling download codes already. I'm holding out, as they aren't.

[Serebii]

Went to Southampton today and got 8 StreetPasses...most I've ever had in a day. Seems more are starting to embrace it

[Dcubed]

Went to Southampton today and got 8 StreetPasses...most I've ever had in a day. Seems more are starting to embrace it

 

I got 8 Streetpasses yesterday here in London. I frequently get at least 2 a day on my daily commute

 

My Streetpass tally currently stands at 557 :p

[Londragon]

I got 8 Streetpasses yesterday here in London. I frequently get at least 2 a day on my daily commute

 

My Streetpass tally currently stands at 557 :p

 

Here in Taiwan, I've had a total of 2 Streetpasses (bought the 3DS on day 1), both in the capital Taipei, and both from Japanese tourists. Come on Taiwan, buy 3DS, I'm missing out here.

[Serebii]

I got 8 Streetpasses yesterday here in London. I frequently get at least 2 a day on my daily commute

 

My Streetpass tally currently stands at 557 :p

Will have to take my 3DS with me next time I go to London

[welsh_gamer]

I got 9 on a shopping trip to Chester 3 weeks ago. My best record so far, and I also grabbed someone from Japan while I was there.

 

Over the last few weeks, when I go to a local touristy hotspot, I've been averaging 3-5 StreetPasses on each visit. Gonna miss all those tourists now the holidays are over.

[Serebii]

I got 9 on a shopping trip to Chester 3 weeks ago. My best record so far, and I also grabbed someone from Japan while I was there.

 

Over the last few weeks, when I go to a local touristy hotspot, I've been averaging 3-5 StreetPasses on each visit. Gonna miss all those tourists now the holidays are over.

Yesterday, I got someone from Japan, one from Russia and run from Australia

[Fused King]

From Austin of NintendoEverything.com

 

Currently playing a 3DS game I can't talk about for a few more days, but it pretty much cements the 3DS as the king of platformers for this generation. So good.

 

Any of you guys playing some great 3DS games?

 

~Austin

 

It has to be Harmoknight. It just has to be.