Topic: How long will the 3DS family be still supported?

Hi everyone

Well like the title says: How long do you think Nintendo will keep supporting the 3DS family? Since they are releasing a new member soon (new 2DS XL) I get a little more hope that support will last another 2 more years. I noticed that people have very different opinions on this. Some say the 3DS family is slowly put to rest while others say support will last until 2019/2020.

What do you think?

Not for all that long. 3rd party games will continue through 2018, but I doubt there will be any 1st party games beyond this year.

The DSi XL was released late 2009/early 2010 and the 3DS was released early 2011, so it could easily be replaced as soon as next year. The hardware is struggling as it is, they won't be able to push it much further.

In Japan, the 3DS will continue to be supported for a long while. It currently has the highest install base of any console, and developers who make their bread and butter mainly from the system are unlikely to drop it for the Switch, which is projected to have little more than 15% of the same install base come this time next year.

Nintendo will likely continue to release smaller titles for the 3DS whilst they focus their main series' on the Switch. It wouldn't be wise for them to immediately drop the old handheld completely for the same reason as 3rd parties. There's still lots of money to be made from the system.

Monster Hunter is still a huge system seller and if Capcom starts developing their next MH for the Switch, then I'm pretty sure a huge number of the Japanese public will flock to the successor. But if they continue to make MH updates for the 3DS, a lot of potential customers are going to stay put whilst they can still get some life out of the old dog.

As for the west, it seems very few 3rd party titles make waves on the 3DS, so it's possible the system will have a lower profile as Nintendo pushes more advertisement for the Switch.

Assuming its replacement isn't already on the market. I reckon they'll continue to support it on some level while people continue to buy into the platform. When the audience starts disappearing they'll release the Switch equivalent of the 2DS to build some more momentum in that space. A lower cost more kid friendly version of the Switch. Late 2018 would be my guess. And then one day we'll walk into a game store and realise that the 3DS section has gone.

@Pigeon

Yeah, Nintendo doesn't want to kill their money-printing machine, but I think they understand it could undercut the Switch if their not careful. If we don't see a series like DQ, MH, or the like soon then the Switch will dry up in Japan real quick. The Switch has the portability Japanese people love...just not the games yet.

Hopefully by the time they're ready to let go, they'll release a stronger backwards compatible successor instead of dropping the family completely.

@skywake
There's that as well, which I think is probably the case. Releasing another handheld would irk those who use the switch mainly as a handheld, just like releasing a dedicated console would irk those who use the switch mainly as a console.

My guess is that 2017 will be the last big year for the 3DS. I predict that Pokémon Stars will be a 3DS exclusive and there will be at least a couple of other major first party releases on 3DS this holiday season (I am personally hoping for New Super Mario Bros 3). However, beyond this year I expect that the 3DS will be left to third party developers while Nintendo focuses their own efforts more and more on the Switch. In 2018 there will be a trickle of titles coming in from Japan (Dragon Quest XI and Yo-Kai Watch 3 being the big ones) and some niche RPGs, but not much else.

Seriously though, by the time that Christmas 2018 rolls around the 3DS will be almost 7 years old. Do we really expect it to be getting major releases at that point?

To be honest, I am OK with the 3DS starting to wind down. I have lots of games that I have not played yet and no intentions of upgrading to the Switch (or anything else). Instead I am going to spend time going through my backlog. It will take me a long time (years).

I would say late 2018 they won't market it for the holidays and then will just stop, like how the Wii-U did.

@Frosty_09 Yeah, but it can still end late 2018, as I said.

@Frosty_09 That looks more like a remaster than anything.

I think it would be a mistake to give the 3DS too much new and exclusive content. Because by the end of the year the people buying 3DS games will be their less dedicated fans. There will probably be ~10mill Switch users by years end who likely had a 3DS and are no-longer interested in 3DS games. The people still buying 3DS content will mostly be people who came to the 3DS late. The few million people buying the New 2DS XL who will walk out of the shops with Mario Kart 7 and Pokemon Sun. To these newbies the entire 3DS library is new.

I can tell you now that I probably won't be buying any 3DS games this year. I'll play some of the stuff I already have. There's that Shovel Knight update on the way for example. I've unplugged my Wii U so my 3DS is the only way I can play Smash Bros easily. It's also the only thing I have setup that has a few VC games. But I'm not getting new content for it. Why would I when I have a Switch which is also getting new content?

I'm not sure whether or not Pokemon Stars will come to Switch or if it'll even exist. Maybe it's a Diamond/Pearl remake. Maybe it is a 3DS only release. But I think it would be smarter if they had something along the lines of Pokemon for Switch. Because that dedicated audience is going to ignore any 3DS release while a Switch release would move consoles.

@skywake I think it depends, if E3 for example is too much in favour of 3DS than Switch then I could see maybe that people just stick with 3DS instead of getting Switch due to what happened with Wii U.

How long you say? As long until Nintendo makes a new handheld to replace the 3DS. (If anyone says it's the switch, please use your brain.)

3DS is still going strong as ever, as new games from first and 3rd party companys are still releasing new games for it. The Switch isn't going to kill the 3DS, nor it staying strong is going to kill the Switch. It's a bad business plan to kill it the 3DS off as its a good money backup whenever the Switch could fail in sales.

Not for long, I hope. I love the 3DS, and I do think the Switch and 3DS could coexist, but Nintendo needs to focus on Switch if they are to hit the extreme sales everyone thinks they will.

I could see New 3/2DS as the budget system for younger folks who just want to play a large library of quality games and don't need cutting edge graphics or constant game releases, while Switch is the high quality console for people who want the new, better system.

I will be very upset if Nintendo announces a 4DS and keeps making big 3DS games aside from Pokémon Stars. They just need to keep the 3DS as a side console or phase it out slowly. But, yeah, either way the 3DS cannot stay as a main console.

[quote=Shiki_No_Uta]How long you say? As long until Nintendo makes a new handheld to replace the 3DS. (If anyone says it's the switch, please use your brain.)

I'm sorry. I can't use my brain. Please explain.

I'd rather they keep the 3DS alive. The Switch is way too expensive in Canada. I don't feel like shelling out almost $500 just for the console. I doubt I will be getting a Switch before Christmas. But still I play more on my 3DS then any home console I have. And $80 for most Switch games just doesn't lend to me rushing out to buy a Switch.

@Pokefanmum82 I think that you have nailed a pretty important point in understanding why the 3DS still needs to be supported. Switch games are console priced ($60 in the US) while 3DS games are handheld priced ($40 in the US). If you are a parent and your kids have a 3DS then you have probably gotten used to paying $40 to buy them a game every so often. If you upgrade them to the Switch then suddenly you are being asked to buy them games that are 50% more expensive! Meanwhile, over on the I/OS and Android app stores there are full games available for $10 or less.

If Nintendo dropped the 3DS right now it would result in some people deciding to move over to the Switch. However, I think that a lot of parents would say nuts to console pricing and decide that their kids can play games on the family IPad or computer from now on.