Topic: How long until the 3ds dies?

Why should it die when it outsold everything this year in Hardware and Software sales? I love how Nintendolife reports nothing on 3ds now......(sarcasm) There is still news on 3ds. Every week there is a new game whether retail or Digital in the Eshop and there are upoming titles in 2018 that are getting no stories from Nintendolife. You guys are not doing the 3ds any favors. I came to this site because of the wonderful 3ds coverage years ago. Looks like I need to find a new site. Anyone know a good site that still supports 3ds? Its obvious Nintendolife feels its time for everyone to move along. No doubt the Switch is taking over but to have such an obvious drop on 3ds coverage is just lazy reporting. If I find me a good site with good 3ds coverage, im out of here.

Probably because this statement isn't true. The 3DS has never been on top of the global software sales chart in any year. It was on top of the hardware charts early on but the PS4 claimed that title as soon as it launched and has held it since. For 2017 it was at #4 globally for both hardware and software sales behind the PS4, Switch and XBOne. Which considering every other platform on the market is effectively retired puts it dead last.

I suppose you could argue that the 3DS has maintained the top spot in Japan year after year. That's definitely true for both hardware and software. Well, except that in 2017 it dropped behind the Switch and the PS4. So even in Japan it's no-longer #1

I love my 3DS. I will miss it’s more gimmicky toy like nature. I will miss Streetpass, Badge Arcade, it’s awkward eshop, it’s built in tech demos, everything as we move into the more serious Switch era of entertainment. I kinda want another big game though like Dragon Quest XI but I won’t hold my breath.

@Windy This is so true. Only one reviewed lately is 80s Overdrive and there hasn’t been a single review for Battleminerz. I really want to know how that compares to the original.

@Windy Bye

Good luck with that.

This site has given plenty of attention to Ever Oasis and Samus Returns in the last 6 months. I'm not sure what else for 3DS has really warranted the attention.

Adding to what I said earlier on this we don't actually have full data on the exact sales figures for 2017. However from what we do know we can say a few things with some confidence. All of them suggest that the 3DS is in decline. Here's a graph showing software sales of DS, Wii, 3DS and Wii U relative to peak yearly sales for each individual platform. Whether you like it or not the 3DS is in decline.

If Nintendo within the next year or even two disco's the 3ds, it would be the biggest mistake they look back on. It seems nobody mentions that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft come out with new systems every what 5 years? The ds line is and has been a constant for many years and is backwards compatible and has the best library of any system. If anything, maybe think about going strictly, 2ds XL. So Nintendo would be relying on 1 system every 5, (wish it were longer), years. That's not enough.

@Joe-b
Hardware only exists to sell software. If anything having one system should be more profitable not less. Assuming they reach the same number of users

@brandonbwii it just bums me out that Nintendolife which has been awesome in the past has pretty much dumped any reporting at all with the 3ds. There has actually been plenty to report on but not even 1 thing from them. Well I'm moving over to https://nintendowire.com I'm sure I will still pop in here. But Nintendo wire has less Monetizing and very easy interface.

@Windy I get you; I also get skeptical of paying high prices for similar games and no sales for first party titles. Kinda reminds me of trade paperback comics like injustice 2 that started at $25 Halloween but became $5 this holiday season. Time is on our side as more things get made or go on sale. I can still use steam and game jolt too.

@MrVariant ive been so angry with these Digital vs Retail Prices over the last few years. No manufacturing, no box, no book, no Cartridge. Yet Nintendo Charges the same price as retail in the Digital shop. Years ago when CDRoms came out the game companies were pumping up gamers about how much cheaper games were going to be on CDRom, because carts were very expensive to manufacturer. Well that price drop never happened and now we as gamers are again drinking the kool-Aid. These digital prices are rediculous and will continue to be so. I love Nintendo, but I dont know if I can afford them anymore. I scrimp and scrape to pick up used titles and wait for sales on 3ds. I just cannot afford the Switch with its current pricing.

Nintendo is not going to undercut retail prices in the Eshop because it would anger their retail partners. This is the general policy for all console companies. They would be jeapordizing retail support by undercutting the stores that sell their hardware and software.

@JohnBlackstar there's always Nintendo selects but they do have sales on 3rd party games. Problem is no one should pay $10 for original Pokemon gold/silver. Remake would have been a good idea but that makes too much sense to make digital.

I grew up in the 80's where retail games were the equivalent to about $90 in today's money if you paid full price. Games are so cheap now at retail and digitally that I have no complaints. Nintendo just happens to be one of those companies that keep their pricing high instead of succombing to sales or wholesaling. They are like Disney in that manner.

@JohnBlackstar I couldn't agree with you more. I wish it wasn't so and it will probably never change. I do like these 3ds sales in the Eshop. They have been very good.

I've been waiting for the digital download of Rally racing to get a significant price drop but I think Big John Games has Completely forgotten about its 4 year old Eshop Game and is content that less than 50 people bought the game. I would think a price cut or sale would help boost sales. It's a 1.99 Android game which I would actually pay 9.99 for on the Eshop should they ever drop that 34.99 price

I do wonder about some of the crazy priced games in the Eshop too. My daughter wanted this veterinarian game that was like $40 for a digital download that was discounted on every other platform (PC, mobile). Makes me wonder how much Nintendo gets of that price tag and that is why some publishers won't ever come back and lower the price.

I definitely have more sticker shock seeing a digital only game than when I see a retail game bein sold digitally.

I doubt it has much to do with Nintendo itself.

The company(ies?) that makes these simply want a quick buck and they know their games lack lasting appeal, so they overprice the games to get something, and as an added bonus, even when they do go on sale they're still relatively expensive.

They make everything look nice and cute to attract a certain demographic, namely little girls, but in the end they're all really low effort attempts and barely games at all.

It's really manipulative, and I'd advise everyone to stay away from such games. (But of course, what kind of cruel soul would say no to their daughter?)

@meowpheel

You are probably right on all counts. I just don't understand why the same companies have their games cheaper on other platforms (Apple, Steam, etc...). Maybe as was mentioned by @Windy the company has just forgotten they even put them out there after they made or didn't make money.

Well, the 3ds has a few key advantages for them:

-It's a game console and they can get away with higher prices just for that reason, because...

-People that don't know better expect games on gaming consoles to be of certain quality, combined with "it's expensive, so it must be good".

-There's no way to get a refund on the 3ds.

-It's harder to complain on the eShop.

Etc. So in a way, it's kinda like a spider's web, they sit and wait for the lucky fly.

In the case of other services, like on mobile or pc, people have other sets of expectations and tools. For example, people expect mobile games to be cheap; you won't meet many people willing to pay 40 bucks upfront for a mobile game (but it's totally ok if it's on a console, for reasons), and if it was already cheap, people are less likely to bother with refunds.