Topic: Not likely, right?

Ok so, I know this is going to sound random ( really, really, random) but you don't think Nintendo will "skip" the 3DS ( by that I mean cut it's production time short and move on to the next system) if it doesn't sell well this Christmas? I mean, it sounds very unlikely, but I heard a few people talking about it and with the Vita now at the same price..... Needless to say the idea of not getting my Paper Mario 3DS freaked me out quite a bit!

Again, sorry if it sounds strange but I'm not used to the video game blog world ( at all ) So, just checking to see if this kind of talk is normal.

No, Nintendo needs to make a return on the R&D and production costs of the 3DS. It'll be around for a few years yet, which means they will probably (hopefully) lower its price by the holidays to remain competitive in the market. They may also eventually release a hardware iteration, like a 3DS Lite, which would benefit everyone and keep the games rolling out.

There are many games in the pipeline for the 3DS, so don't you worry about that.

Um, PSVita making Nintendo cut the 3DS short? Riiiiiiiight. The 3DS was the only thing anyone could talk about for pretty much all of E3 and longer when it was announced. The web was flooded with it. I've not heard anything about Vita since its announcement.

Thanks, all! I was just so excited after seeing the new Paper Mario trailer, just the thought of anything preventing me from buying it worried me!

I extremely doubt it. The system is only a few months old at this point and Nintendo still has big-name developers that are making games for it. Yes, while it's true that the PSV is competition for the 3DS (mostly because of the price-point), Nintendo isn't going to give up unless they reach a point where they're losing millions of dollars and realize that they will never be able to recapture their previous market.

You just answered your own question. As long as there are people thinking this there is no reason for them to release a new console. Remember, Nintendo aren't really just about "beating" their competitors they are about making money. Beating their competitors is just one way, and the best way, of making money. If Nintendo run out of people wanting to buy the 3DS and they start moving to the Vita in large numbers (like they did from the DS to iPhone/iPod Touch and from Wii to 360/PS3/PC) then we'll hear about the next console fairly soon.

That's a while off yet I think

It's only logical one can expect more than a few Nintendoomsayers because of the competitive PSV pricing point. This happens all the time in this industry. Truth is however, it's always about the software at the end of the day. And there's absolutely no reason to worry about a lack of quality 3DS titles coming up.

...And they could always launch an extra Pokémon game to send sales up skyhigh.

I'd say expect a price drop for 3DS by Christmas in order to remain competitive with the Vita, and also to convince parents to buy them for their kids (of course they'll choose the cheaper and more child-friendly system).

I don't really know anything about the PSVita but I looked it up on gamestop and it says its not coming out until the last day of the year, which means the 3DS will dominate Christmas. I may be wrong about the release date but it doesn't seem like the 3DS will have much competition for awhile at least so I doubt the 3DS will have a short life.

http://www.gamestop.com/collection/sony-PSVita

i dont understand why. 3DS is a great piece of hardware and the games that will come out till the end of this year look amazing.

i think due to the "low" price of the PSvita the 3DS will get a pricecut at the holiday season to 200$ and then it will sell much better

@kpdesigns - That's a placeholder date. Gamestop is weird about putting in pre-order dates for most products, so I can almost practically gurantee that isn't Vita's launch date.

Makes sense. Thanks Birdman

I would die if I didn't get it. But I doubt it. I mean they are making a lot of money off of these things. Almost a $150 profit from each system sold. When the price drops come around I think it'll do a bit better

The chances of the 3DS having a short life is slim to none. It's a nice piece of tech and now with the major update released, anyone who were waiting for the update before they buy a 3DS, this will most likely boost sales.

Also, as someone else already stated, Nintendo can just release a new Pokèmon game to boost sales. Pokèmon prints money.

I really doubt nintendo will even make a $50 price cut this year. That would just be pathetic and would go against their principles. They're trying to revitalize the value game consoles. I'd be willing to bet that Sony is losing money on each system they sell just to compete with Nintendo. I think the 3D vs. HD battle is rather close. 8)