3DS Selling Below Expectations

[RCM]

Pretty interesting, but not unexpected at all.


Admitting that sales of Nintendo's new 3DS portable have slowed down worldwide after a successful launch, company president Satoru Iwata committed to turning that situation around with a renewed marketing campaign.

The 3DS sold nearly 400,000 units in its first week of American sales, along with 371,000 Japanese sales in its first two days and 303,000 European sales in its opening weekend there.

But in a recent investor presentation, Iwata acknowledged that those brisk sales have dropped off considerably in the weeks following launch, confirming analyst reports that such a slowdown was occurring.

The company announced yesterday the 3DS had shipped 3.61 million units worldwide through the end of March, below internal projections that the system would sell 4 million units in that time.

In Japan, Iwata suggested that "the great earthquake largely affected the sales," but acknowledged that March's natural disaster could not explain sales that dropped off significantly in the U.S. and Europe after a few weeks on the shelf.

In launching the 3DS, Iwata said the company overestimated the ability of the system's glasses-free 3D screen to drive sales virally.

"We originally expected that the value of 3D images without the need for special glasses would be automatically spread to some extent by many consumers experiencing the device by themselves and ... together with people around them," he said.

Iwata said the company "recognize[s] that we are in a situation where we need to step up our efforts to further promote the spread of Nintendo 3DS" and that "it has become clear that we need to do a lot more to convey the value to consumers."

To that end, the company plans an educational campaign designed to stress the importance of using the 3D slider to perfect the 3D effect for each individual user, and to explain the value of connectivity features like StreetPass and SpotPass.

The company also plans heavy promotion around the late-May launch of the 3DS eShop and expanded 3D video content, focused on encouraging 3DS owners to connect to the Internet and download the system update necessary for the new features. Nintendo will be giving eShop users a free download of a 3D update to NES classic Excitebike to help in this process, Iwata said.

Despite the slow sales so far, Iwata said he was encouraged by market research that showed many consumers interested in the system are taking a "wait-and-see" approach to actually making a purchase. He said that upcoming software releases would help push these consumers to become 3DS owners.

"There is no easy road to making people understand the attraction of glassless 3D images and making Nintendo 3DS widespread," he said. "We would like to adhere to these patient efforts."

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34270/Iwata_3DS_Selling_Below_Expectations_Company_Recom mitting_To_Promotion.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GamasutraNews+%28Gamasutra+Ne ws%29

[Bojay1997]

Price point for both games and system and a lack of must-have games are the two reasons for the slow-down, not a lack of marketing. It might be nice for Nintendo to actually have a failure or at least a less successful product as hopefully it will push them to create some innovative new IPs rather than simply continuing to rehash the same set of characters and games every generation. I own a 3DS, but I have played it maybe a total of a couple of hours since purchase. I don't regret the purchase, but the lack of compelling games is a major issue right now.

[portnoyd]

A system with no games on it doesn't sell like hot cakes? Color me shocked.

[RCM]

A system with no games on it doesn't sell like hot cakes? Color me shocked.

Other systems have sold well without the support of games worth playing. PS2 is a great example. It's the first and only then-new system I purchased without any games.

[Baloo]

The launch titles suck! I expect to the 3DS to sell better when stuff like the new Mario Kart 3DS title, Ocarina of Time Remake, and Kid Icarus all come out and the VC kicks in.

Come on Nintendo, I'm not going to shellack $350 on something I'm not going to play.

[PapaStu]

A system with no games on it doesn't sell like hot cakes? Color me shocked.


Not that it doesn't have games... its the lack of additional games since launch thats hurt the system. You know that only 2 games have dropped since launch weekend? Rayman and Splinter Cell haven't carried any waves of additional sales nor would I expect them to. The 40 buck price point is a bit of a hard pill to swallow as well. I'd have picked up a few more titles (Ridge Racer, Asphalt and PES Soccer and Splinter Cell) if they wern't 40 bucks a pop, and i've already bought 9 3DS titles.

[DuckTalesNES]

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I just know that Nintendo is going to release a 3dsxl, 3dsxl lite, 3dsi xl lite, etc. I wonder how many people who bought the dsi are sick of getting fooled by nintendo.

[maxlords]

I honestly just think it's cause all the games are dick on it. There's jack crap worth shelling out for, and they didn't advertise it well at ALL.

[Tempest]

Pretty much what everyone else said. The launch games suck, there are no must haves at the moment (no Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid, etc). I think another issue that might be hurting sales are that the 3D effect doesn't appeal to everyone, in fact it actually makes some people sick. Sure you can turn it off, but the 3D effect is sort of the main selling point of the system. This is the reason I'm not getting one.

The down economy may also be hurting it somewhat, but I think the DSi sold pretty well back when it was released and the economy wasn't much better.

Tempest

[pixelsnpolygons]

That's what I find so annoying and alarming about Nintendo's current design mindset. All of its systems now are designed around some sort of gimmick. And these gimmicks are becoming increasingly unnecessary. That's not to say I don't own a 3DS - but that's more because I like buying new game systems. I've barely touched it in weeks.

And they're scratching their heads because by his own admission they basically expected the gimmick of 3D to drive sales. Not games. Just the goofy gimmick. At least the Wii gimmick was originally actually cool. Hopefully this lesson comes not too late. When Nintendo launches it's new console - which sounds like half gimmick, half Franken-console - all the tacked on screens and whatever bullshit they slap on it is useless without software to warrant its creation. And that software needs to launch with the system.

I think it's more annoying reading this stuff from Nintendo because they think of themselves as being on a higher level. Like the gaming world would fall apart without its injections of "freshness". But they really haven't done a great job backing that up lately.

[Icarus Moonsight]

DS looked like crap for about the first year... If anyone remembers. Same reason, poor initial soft support.

[j_factor]

And they're scratching their heads because by his own admission they basically expected the gimmick of 3D to drive sales. Not games. Just the goofy gimmick. At least the Wii gimmick was originally actually cool.

The Wii also launched with games that made pretty good use of the controller. Especially Wii Sports but also Rayman, Red Steel, Excite Truck, Monkey Ball, etc. The launch lineup had us using the controller in several different ways, and to great effect.

Nothing on the 3DS exactly screams "this is why we need 3D".

[Graham Mitchell]

DS looked like crap for about the first year... If anyone remembers. Same reason, poor initial soft support.

I was just gonna post this. I remember a thread about this same topic 6 years ago about 4-5 months after the ds launched.

What's troubling about this is that nintendos "big plan" for fixing all this is to market the fuck out of it. You can polish the turd all you want, but if theres no games, nobodys gonna buy it.

How about some games? I have the 3ds, and it's a good, powerful little portable, regardless of the 3d. Theres just no games

[Corey_GB]

DS looked like crap for about the first year... If anyone remembers. Same reason, poor initial soft support.

Exactly, there isn't much of a reason for consumers to buy into the platform at the moment. The just don't have a killer app to entice early adopters. Even Star Fox and LoZ: Ocarina of Time will have limited appeal, mainly to those who enjoyed the original. It is going to take a new Mario game, Kid Icarus, Resident Evil or a new Pokemon (Pokemon AR Battle anyone?) to get people to take notice to the hardware. That and a price drop. ;)

[swlovinist]

I think that the system costs too much. $250 is just too much for a portable. Like others have said combine a high price with not-that-great software, which is about $10 higher than DS software. Nintendo gambled that people would rush out and get a new system and games, and will hopefully learn from this. I feel that Nintendo has always been pretty value conscious, and I think that this time they screwed up big time.

[Rickstilwell1]

They said they were going to let third party developers get a head start on releasing games first and that was probably the biggest mistake. Most people I know only buy Nintendo stuff for first party releases and limited third party exclusives. Nintendo doesn't print money, Mario prints money alone. He's the one who's really collecting all those coins.

[heybtbm]

I said it in an earlier thread...

Calling it the "3DS" was idiotic. Parents and Grandparents will dismiss it as a DS that now does 3D. Also, as mentioned above...no games.

[RPG_Fanatic]

I went to Best Buy and tried the 3DS out and the 3D is just not that neat. I'll just stick with my DSi XL and see what Sony's PSP2 looks like later this year.

[sisko]

+1 for the bad price point on both the hardware and software.

Many people would balk at those prices in normal times. When times are this tough, Nintendo nearly priced themselves out of the market.

[dairugger]

I said it in an earlier thread...

Calling it the "3DS" was idiotic. Parents and Grandparents will dismiss it as a DS that now does 3D. Also, as mentioned above...no games.

this unfortunatley, ive been to acouple gamestops where moms inquire about it and have been told its like the old one, it just does 3d. also, the packaging on the games doesnt do enough to diferentiate itself from the old ones, ive even seen 3ds games mixed in with ds games, or in the ds section.

also, no games.

[Graham Mitchell]

this unfortunatley, ive been to acouple gamestops where moms inquire about it and have been told its like the old one, it just does 3d. also, the packaging on the games doesnt do enough to diferentiate itself from the old ones, ive even seen 3ds games mixed in with ds games, or in the ds section.



Yeah, I agree, that's an issue. The truth is, however, that the games themselves are at least on par with the PSP in terms of graphical muscle, but that point isn't getting across at all in their marketing. Hell, even the mainstream gaming magazines aren't commenting on it.

Ridge Racer is actually pretty impressive visually; it process real-time reflections off the windows and shiny surfaces of the cars. In the last generation, I only saw the Xbox doing the same thing.

[WCP]

It's the first and only then-new system I purchased without any games.


SSX and Smuggler's Run say Hi. :)

[Jehusephat]

Calling it the "3DS" was idiotic. Parents and Grandparents will dismiss it as a DS that now does 3D.

I know. When the Super Nintendo came out, my mom wouldn't buy me one because she thought it was just a regular Nintendo that sang showtunes.

[Shingetter]

I think that the system costs too much. $250 is just too much for a portable. Like others have said combine a high price with not-that-great software, which is about $10 higher than DS software. Nintendo gambled that people would rush out and get a new system and games, and will hopefully learn from this. I feel that Nintendo has always been pretty value conscious, and I think that this time they screwed up big time.

All of this.

[Swamperon]

I've not bought one yet, I intend to but here's why I've held off:

- No must have games.

E3 10 showed off some mouth watering games but now... where are they? Kid Icarus isn't due till after Summer, and OoT, which I will buy, I already own and isn't here till June. At least the Japanese have Layton.

Also, there isn't a game that makes 3D a must. Unlike Wii Sports which did a brilliant job for the Wii motion controls. It needs a 3D equivalent.

- Price.

Good greif the price. It's even worse here in the UK. £220?! I can buy a 360/PS3 for that. It should be around the £150 - 70 mark going by US$. It also doesn't help that Nintendo increased the price on purpose due to the E3 excitement.

- Models

We know a 3DS Lite is coming, which will solve a lot of the design/hardware issues being reported. And I think the almost annual release of a new DS model has not helped the 'casual' market either.

- Colours

A small issue but neither blue or black appeal in those shades. We saw a sexy green and purple 3DS at E3. Let's see them!

Having said that, 3.5 million is still impressive. And I will buy one... eventually.

[Blitzwing256]

I only buy a new system when theres a game on it that I just have to have, anounce a new metroidvania or something even remotely decent and i'm there, but nintendo hasn't released anything since the original ds that i've ever wanted to buy a system for. i ended up with a wii gamecube virtual boy but all 3 were flaming turds, so far this looks like it will be in the same box as the rest of em.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I still haven't seen a demo unit... And I've been looking. There's a lot wrong with this launch.

[retroguy]

I hope the 3DS doesn't go the way of Virtual Boy cause I am a big Nintendo fan, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. What I'm going to do is keep an eye on the price and if it suddenly drops a whole bunch all at once (down to $150 say), then I'll know that they're probably dropping it and trying to unload as many as possible. That's the time to buy, before the Ebay jerks drive the price out of sight.

[Leo_A]

There is no way this is going the way of the Virtual Boy. Selling 3.6 million units instead of 4 million, or whatever the numbers are, is hardly an indication that this is failing.

Sales are slightly softer than expected. Nothing more, nothing less. It isn't a sign that this hasn't taken off or a sign that the system is going to die a quick death.

[jonebone]

There is no way this is going the way of the Virtual Boy. Selling 3.6 million units instead of 4 million, or whatever the numbers are, is hardly an indication that this is failing.

Sales are slightly softer than expected. Nothing more, nothing less. It isn't a sign that this hasn't taken off or a sign that the system is going to die a quick death.

Except 3.6 is a shipped number and 4 is an expected sales number. Actual sales are obviously nowhere close to 3.6 million because every store has a ridiculous amount of overstock.

[Tempest]

I think VG Cats said it best: http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=301

[Leo_A]

Except 3.6 is a shipped number and 4 is an expected sales number. Actual sales are obviously nowhere close to 3.6 million because every store has a ridiculous amount of overstock.

Nope

According to the news reports I just read (Included the link below), Nintendo expected to sell 4 million units and reported just selling 3.61 million units. Didn't see them saying 3.61 million units shipped anywhere.

Furthermore, if it had been 3.61 million units shipped, we'd probably be seeing the number intepreted as Nintendo not being able to manufacture them as quickly as they had anticipated to explain the 400,000 difference. Yet, they're not spinning it that way.


Price point for both games and system and a lack of must-have games are the two reasons for the slow-down, not a lack of marketing.

Clearly Nintendo doesn't think so.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6310441.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B6

[Gameguy]

I still haven't seen a demo unit... And I've been looking.
Same with me. I actually found one in a Best Buy but there was a kid playing it for 20 minutes so I left. I rarely ever go to Best Buy so I haven't bothered going back just for this. I haven't seen a display unit in any EB Games or any Wal-Mart, which is kind of surprising to me. Unless I come across one and get blown away by it I won't bother, I'm not that desperate to spend hundreds of dollars on something I don't really need.

[retroman]

i have a 3DS also, and have played it maybe a total of 4 hours...i have Pilot Wings and Street Fighter 4....both which are not bad games.

[The 1 2 P]

As others have said, the launch line up was quite possibly the worse of the last 10 years or so. Add that to the $250 price tag and you get alot less sales then they are use to. I'm interested to see how well it sells this holiday season though once the real games start rolling in.

[Oldskool]

Its funny this day and age 3.6 million consoles in a month is considered a bad thing.

[DuckTalesNES]

This thing is gonna sell a TON around xmas time. All the little kids are going to want one.

[WCP]

They need to do a MUCH better job advertising the thing. I have two boys, aged 10 and 8. They have no clue to the existence of the 3DS, and haven't heard about it from anybody at school. The only mention they have ever heard regarding the 3DS was me mentioning it to them, and they didn't have the slightest clue.

That tells you something...

[betamax001]

They should have launched it in November so they could spend more time building hype and advertising and having more games out for launch such as Zelda, Starfox and Kid Icarus. Launching in Spring just seems...weird...

[skaar]

90% sales drop in their second week... that says a lot.

[megasdkirby]

My main gripe is that, after releasing the awesome DsiXL, why in the world would they release a new console with smaller screens, or similar to that of the original Dsi? Sure, the top screen is bigger, but the touch screen at the bottom is roughly the same size of that of the Dsi.

Yes, the DsiXL spoiled me rotten. :D

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

While I'm sure that the 3DS will find its groove once Nintendo releases something with Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid or Star Fox in the title, what I find interesting is that the gaming community seems to forget that history has recently and repeatedly shown that being on the top of the pile where sales are concerned does not automatically guarantee repeated/identical success out of the gate with your next product.

Not that the 3DS is going to cause any sudden fall from grace for Nintendo where their position is concerned ... but, just BECAUSE the DS brand/family has dominated the market - there are no guarantees that the next thing will repeat that success.

The actual release window of the 3DS along with the lack of franchise software almost seems to be a calculated slow-play by Nintendo. They typically seem to revel in the showiness of having product sold-out-for-months-and-months, but this seems to be almost purposely readily available.

Almost all of the reasons listed in this thread make sense - price point, lack of AAA franchise titles, etc.

Time will tell. We'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm enjoying mine.

[Leo_A]

Not that the 3DS is going to cause any sudden fall from grace for Nintendo where their position is concerned ... but, just BECAUSE the DS brand/family has dominated the market - there are no guarantees that the next thing will repeat that success.

They basically created this market and have dominated it for over 20 years.

It's difficult to imagine a scenario where suddenly after over two decades that they're not the dominant force in handheld gaming. Past history makes it a pretty safe bet to predict that they're going to lead this handheld generation as well.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

They basically created this market and have dominated it for over 20 years.

It's difficult to imagine a scenario where suddenly after over two decades that they're not the dominant force in handheld gaming. Past history makes it a pretty safe bet to predict that they're going to lead this handheld generation as well.

They monopolized the market in the US for over 10 years, but legitimate competition has since entered that market in the form of Sony and Apple. And unlike past competition, they've subsisted and/or flourished instead of folding. Competition like that may strain Nintendo's dominance or make it more challenging to maintain.

While there is a large portion of the core gaming community that continues to deny the legitimacy of iOS devices being "competition" on any level, billions in sales and DEEP mainstream cultural permeation of iOS gaming may have long-term effects on Nintendo holding 100% of the market share generation-over-generation. Will they still lead for the immediate future? Most likely. Will they ever monopolize it again? I sincerely doubt it.

[Icarus Moonsight]

They probably flounced the 3DS out hasty like to make all the hype room available for the Wii successor. They need that competitive edge on the console front and also needed to get the new handheld out of it's way and limelight.

[Leo_A]

They monopolized the market in the US for over 10 years.

Again, it's over 20 years. They've been the dominant force in handheld gaming since basically helping create the market well over two decades ago (Discounting some small niche devices that preceded their GameBoy line, LCD handhelds, etc.).

I agree that they have the most serious competition in handheld gaming that they've ever had with Sony (What, 60 million or so PSP's sold with a successor on the way?), growth in cellphone gaming, Apple's gaming entry, etc. I have no doubt we're not going see the 3DS dominate to the extent their past devices have.

But your post made it sound like we see regular shifts in power in this market. That simply hasn't been the case. History tells us that Nintendo dominates handheld gaming, it doesn't tell us that we've been "repeatedly shown that being on the top of the pile where sales are concerned does not automatically guarantee repeated/identical success out of the gate with your next product."

History tells us Nintendo is going to outsell their direct competition this generation just like they've been doing since 1989.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Again, it's over 20 years. They've been the dominant force in handheld gaming since basically helping create the market well over two decades ago (Discounting some small niche devices that preceded their GameBoy line, LCD handhelds, etc.).

I agree that they have the most serious competition in handheld gaming that they've ever had with Sony (What, 60 million or so PSP's sold with a successor on the way?), growth in cellphone gaming, Apple's gaming entry, etc. I have no doubt we're not going see the 3DS dominate to the extent their past devices have.

But your post made it sound like we see regular shifts in power in this market. That simply hasn't been the case. History tells us that Nintendo dominates handheld gaming, it doesn't tell us that we've been "repeatedly shown that being on the top of the pile where sales are concerned does not automatically guarantee repeated/identical success out of the gate with your next product."

History tells us Nintendo is going to outsell their direct competition this generation just like they've been doing since 1989.

To clarify, I was referring to the dynamic shifts in the console market.

Both Nintendo and Sony have lost the 1st place sales position in recent generations (including the current), and in both cases there seemed to be an expectation that brand leadership laid sufficient groundwork for repeat success where it actually did not in the marketplace.

Yes, Nintendo has been in the portable market for 20+ years, and it is absolutely correct that Nintendo has never shifted from 1st place in sales where portable gaming is concerned.

What I was alluding to with the 10 year period (slightly less actually, maybe 7-8 years) was the noteworthy fact that for a period they monopolized that market with no competition (as in no other choice for consumers in portable game systems that were available in the market/at retail for longer than a year if that).

With arguably the biggest competition, the Game Gear's production ending in 1997 and the PSP not entering the market until 2005. Nintendo dominated that portion of the market uncontested.

[Peonpiate]

Its not a fair comparison to compare the PS2 launch to the 3DS. Ps2 at release was a very good DvD player at the time, and its cost was only a little higher than most DvD players at the time to. So as a gamer without a DvD player, buying one was a no brainer. Sony hoped the same trend would effect the PS3 with Blue-ray but...Yea that didnt work out to well.

[-dustburn-]

Honestly, the feature I use the most on my 3DS is the pedometer. It's gotten me out walking all over Milwaukee. I wish they wouldn't limit the play coins to 10 a day, that's a buzzkill. But although I am really happy with the system, this is a definite lull in excitement right now. I was expecting a system update by now as well. Or SOMETHING on spot pass or downloadable content. Waiting for this system to unlock its features and true potential is what's really killing me. I want my Netflix now, damnit.

[Yashichi]

Everyone I've said this to so far hasn't believed me but I'm quite sure the sales will pick up once Zelda comes out in June.

The launch titles seemed mostly underwhelming. We had Bust-A-Move Universe, which is the same as the other games (not a bad thing really), Pilotwings Resort which is cute but lacking the fun factor of the other two Pilotwings games, Rayman DS which is another port of Rayman 2, SSFIV which is a shrunken-down port of SSFIV, and so on and so forth.

To make matters worse the only new game since the launch here was a Tom Clancy game, wasn't it? I mean, I like Tom Clancy games as much as the next guy but c'mon.

It'll all get better once Zelda drops.

[Vlcice]

Everyone I've said this to so far hasn't believed me but I'm quite sure the sales will pick up once Zelda comes out in June.

Is that a good thing, though? Zelda is just another Ocarina of Time port. I know people are excited about it, but wouldn't it be better if the big game everyone was excited about was a new one?

[Icarus Moonsight]

Honestly, the feature I use the most on my 3DS is the pedometer.

I thought they'd learn something from all the bad press they got over Pictochat...

http://files.sharenator.com/pedometer_pedobear_creepers_perverts_sickos_4chan_ 12chan_How_Pedo_Are_You_Test_it_with_the_Pedo_Mete r-s690x520-67175.jpg

Nightline "To Catch a Predator" crew orders 3000 3DS units...

[Yashichi]

Is that a good thing, though? Zelda is just another Ocarina of Time port. I know people are excited about it, but wouldn't it be better if the big game everyone was excited about was a new one?

Not sure if it's a good thing myself. Mainly because if it does take off it'll prompt Nintendo to possibly port the game again.....to the Wii 2! :P

But I'm mainly going by how every previous Zelda: OoT port has sold like hotcakes. I honestly don't see this being any different.

Kinda like how lots of people kept buying the SMB1 ports and the SF2 ports over and over again. :) (I was one of those people.)

[Leo_A]

We've never had an Ocarina of Time remake. This isn't a port, it's being rebuilt from the ground up and modernized to take advantage of the hardware, advancements in technology since 1998, and to address complaints with the original.

It's hardly just them creating an emulator running the original code, which is what we got on the GameCube and Wii. So for anyone that loves Ocarina of Time, they'd serve themselves well to do some investigating to see just what we're getting instead of just writing it off as yet another rerelease of the same thing.

[Bojay1997]

We've never had an Ocarina of Time remake. This isn't a port, it's being rebuilt from the ground up and modernized to take advantage of the hardware, advancements in technology since 1998, and to address complaints with the original.

It's hardly just them creating an emulator running the original code, which is what we got on the GameCube and Wii. So for anyone that loves Ocarina of Time, they'd serve themselves well to do some investigating to see just what we're getting instead of just writing it off as yet another rerelease of the same thing.

In all fairness though, the game isn't getting a complete overhaul. The graphics have been enhanced and there are some minor tweaks to certain portions of the game to address difficulty imbalances, but basically, it is just a remake of a game that really isn't all that old.

[buzz_n64]

I thought they'd learn something from all the bad press they got over Pictochat...

http://files.sharenator.com/pedometer_pedobear_creepers_perverts_sickos_4chan_ 12chan_How_Pedo_Are_You_Test_it_with_the_Pedo_Mete r-s690x520-67175.jpg

Nightline "To Catch a Predator" crew orders 3000 3DS units...

I think that show got cancelled.

[Icarus Moonsight]

No wonder it's not selling well then. ;)

[Leo_A]

In all fairness though, the game isn't getting a complete overhaul. The graphics have been enhanced and there are some minor tweaks to certain portions of the game to address difficulty imbalances, but basically, it is just a remake of a game that really isn't all that old.

In other words, just what I said. ;)

[heybtbm]

Here's a little view into gaming's future:

When I'm home and I want to play a game...I fire up one of my consoles.

When I'm not at home, in bed, during commercials in an NFL game, etc...I play a game/browse the internet/mess around with apps/send e-mails/take pictures/movies/or do a million other things on my smartphone.

Handhelds have essentially become obsolete in my life. I suspect more and more people are slowly gravitating over to this way of thinking. I still (foolishly) buy games for my DS and PSP. There's a true desire to play them, but the reality is...I rarely do.

That's ultimately why I didn't buy a 3DS. I probably will eventually (is OOT nostalgia worth $300? Yes, it is.), but the game library will have to be exponentially bigger and better from what it is now.

[DuckTalesNES]

What "difficulty imbalances" were there for ocarina of time? It seemed to be straightforward to me. I must have missed something.

[dairugger]

Here's a little view into gaming's future:

When I'm home and I want to play a game...I fire up one of my consoles.

When I'm not at home, in bed, during commercials in an NFL game, etc...I play a game/browse the internet/mess around with apps/send e-mails/take pictures/movies/or do a million other things on my smartphone.

Handhelds have essentially become obsolete in my life. I suspect more and more people are slowly gravitating over to this way of thinking. I still (foolishly) buy games for my DS and PSP. There's a true desire to play them, but the reality is...I rarely do.

That's ultimately why I didn't buy a 3DS. I probably will eventually (is OOT nostalgia worth $300? Yes, it is.), but the game library will have to be exponentially bigger and better from what it is now.

I dont understand people whod rather play games on their phones than a handheld. I also have a smartphone and cant stand playing games on it. I play deep intricate games, not twitch minigames so maybe thats it. And the lack of buttons doesnt help.

[Leo_A]

I dont understand people whod rather play games on their phones than a handheld. I also have a smartphone and cant stand playing games on it. I play deep intricate games, not twitch minigames so maybe thats it. And the lack of buttons doesnt help.

It's a convenience and economy factor. Most people don't want to carry two devices around with them or purchase a device that does what their existing one can already do.

I'm not ever going to shift away from handheld gaming since I'm in it for the games themselves and not out of a desire for a portable way to play games. But for the person that just wants to be able to play something for 5-10 minutes here and there on the go, it's not exactly difficult to see the appeal of a phone that can also handle that task.

[swlovinist]

I think that the market has changed for handhelds. The drive for me to purchase a full priced handheld game at $40 has greatly diminished since 2006. Sure the 3DS is eventually going to have some great games, but the whether you like it or not, smartphones will be starting to take a bite out of the handheld market. I think in the long run that this will be a good thing. Prices will have to be competitive for sales to be high. Like some other have said, I play less games on my handhelds than I have in the past. Sure the smartphone games are not always better, but the truth is there are many games on them that are exclusive and CHEAP.

The 3DS will not be as popular as the DS. It is too steep of a price for its fan base. A cheaper system and games will see it do well. I dont see that happening anytime soon. The system will sell fine in the long run, but Nintendo needs to realize that the price point is all wrong with this system. I probably would jump on one with a $50 price reduction.

[Bojay1997]

In other words, just what I said. ;)

No, you made it seem as if people are going to have a completely new experience playing this port. While it's built on a new graphics engine and there are several specific quests that have been slightly altered, it is basically the same game most of us already own and have played. Not exactly worth spending $250 on a new system for, especially at a $40 price point. In addition, there has already been a remake/re-release on the Gamecube which had enhanced graphics and a second version of the main game with new quests and revised dungeons.

[Leo_A]

Is that a good thing, though? Zelda is just another Ocarina of Time port.We've never had an Ocarina of Time remake. This isn't a port, it's being rebuilt from the ground up and modernized to take advantage of the hardware, advancements in technology since 1998, and to address complaints with the original.

It's hardly just them creating an emulator running the original code, which is what we got on the GameCube and Wii. So for anyone that loves Ocarina of Time, they'd serve themselves well to do some investigating to see just what we're getting instead of just writing it off as yet another rerelease of the same thing.In all fairness though, the game isn't getting a complete overhaul. The graphics have been enhanced and there are some minor tweaks to certain portions of the game to address difficulty imbalances, but basically, it is just a remake of a game that really isn't all that old.
In other words, just what I said. ;)No, you made it seem as if people are going to have a completely new experience playing this port. While it's built on a new graphics engine and there are several specific quests that have been slightly altered, it is basically the same game most of us already own and have played. Not exactly worth spending $250 on a new system for, especially at a $40 price point. In addition, there has already been a remake/re-release on the Gamecube which had enhanced graphics and a second version of the main game with new quests and revised dungeons.

No, I said it was a remake and was substantially more than just a port of the original code or the original code running through an emulator, which people were dismissing it as. Nothing more, nothing less.

All you did was restate my comments calling it a remake and such while saying what I said was somehow incorrect.

http://www.zeldadungeon.net/images/News/Folder/11-03-09/OoT-Comparison-10.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9012/comparisoncastletown.jpg

[Bojay1997]

No, I said it was a remake and was substantially more than just a port of the original code or the original code running through an emulator, which people were dismissing it as. Nothing more, nothing less.

All you did was restate my comments calling it a remake and such while saying what I said was somehow incorrect.

http://www.zeldadungeon.net/images/News/Folder/11-03-09/OoT-Comparison-10.jpg

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9012/comparisoncastletown.jpg

You're the only one who said anything about an emulator. The rest of us understand that it's just a remake with a newer graphics engine and a few tweaks aka an enhanced port. That's exactly what the Gamecube version was. In fact, the second adventure from the Gamecube version is included in this remake. A port doesn't have to use the original code. In fact, in the classic days, often home version ports were created without using any actual original arcade code. Given that knowledge, I don't think we are wrong to dismiss it. I'm not saying it won't sell, but I am saying that for people who have been around the whole Nintendo rehash and re-release cycle for a while, it's just not that interesting.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Well, whatever, but that can't be the N64 one in those pictures... The textures are clean and overall it looks much better.

[Rob2600]

it's just a remake with a newer graphics engine and a few tweaks aka an enhanced port. That's exactly what the Gamecube version was.

If I remember correctly, the only visual enhancement to the GameCube OoT port on that collector's edition disc was 480p output (when using component cables). Otherwise, it was identical to the N64 version...textures, frame rate, and all...absolutely nowhere near the 3DS upgraded version.

The 3DS version is like the upgraded Resident Evil remake and Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes remake on the GameCube...totally rebuilt from the ground up, featuring vastly improved graphics (though I still think OoT on the N64 is beautiful and a masterpiece).

[iDub]

I think i also read somewhere that they are gonna make the water temple easier LOL

[heybtbm]

Rumor has it (http://kotaku.com/#%215797319/wary-of-bargain+binned-spirit-tracks-ocarina-of-time-may-get-small-shipment) Nintendo isn't going to be making a ton of copies. I don't think anyone is saying this will OMFG RARE, but I'll bet it'll be more than $39.99 on the secondary market a year from now.

Also...man, those N64 graphics were terrible. It's always interesting to look at them with modern eyes. Even so, I remember being amazed at how you could be traveling in Hyrule field, see something interesting far in the distance...then actually travel there. Groundbreaking for 1998.

[j_factor]

If I remember correctly, the only visual enhancement to the GameCube OoT port on that collector's edition disc was 480p output (when using component cables). Otherwise, it was identical to the N64 version...textures, frame rate, and all...absolutely nowhere near the 3DS upgraded version.

The Gamecube version uses the same models and textures, but they are filtered a lot better. Smoother, sharper, no blur. Just like playing it on an emulator (well, it IS an emulator). Also I'm pretty sure the whole game is actually upscaled to 640x480, as the N64 version ran at 320x240 IIRC. The framerate might be better; I don't remember what it was like on N64.

That's not to say it's comparable to the 3DS version or anything, but it's significant IMO.

[kupomogli]

Super Mario All Stars was supposedly limited as well. After the first two low print runs, they went all out. Nintendo is fully aware that everyone loves OoT. They're going to make it seem like there's a shortage early on to scare people into buying them up when they finally release enough copies.

[c0ldb33r]

Nintendo won't make oot scarce. They aren't pushing the 3DS systems that they need to. This will push 3DS systems in droves.

They won't flood the market like they did with the last Zelda DS title, but it'll be easy to get oot.

[Streetball 21]

I dont understand people whod rather play games on their phones than a handheld. I also have a smartphone and cant stand playing games on it. I play deep intricate games, not twitch minigames so maybe thats it. And the lack of buttons doesnt help.

I prefer handhelds. I can tell that most people see gaming on a phone "more grown up and mature" than playing games on DS or PSP. Cause apparently video games are for kids lol :-)

[QuickSciFi]

It's a huge deterrent to hardcore Nintendo fans (retro or not) when you're being forced onto >90% shovelware for a system's launch. I'm sure Pilot Wings resort is a helluvalot of fun the first few times, but like Wii Sports, it's a fad soon forgotten by your TV (3DS) screen. I personally have no interest in gimmicky gameplay. I want at least a d-pad or an analog stick to my left and 2-6 buttons on the right (and shoulder buttons where necessary).

Personally, for the 3DS, I believe it's less the lack of a killer app, and more about Nintendo's insistence on shoving (pun intended) "re-mastered" old titles down your throat from the start and banking on the novelty of 3D without glasses at the 99th percentile. Since the Wii, I've started to see a little bit of Apple in Nintendo more and more. They're selling novelty as a fashion statement, caring very little or nothing at all about consumer demand.

Just think about it, any 3D based engine will work perfectly on the 3DS. The amount of work they'll have to do to "recycle" these old games is minimalistic, close to that of re-releasing a 2D title on Wii's Virtual Console. It goes to show the amount of effort that's actually going into building the handheld's library. I know we retro gamers are considered the "few", but I'm sure some of you guys will agree with me when I think: Why spend money on a brand new console/handheld to buy games I'm already enjoying (or have already enjoyed) on another system? (the idea of patches and game "versions" sure comes to mind also).