$100 dollars more than the first DS(aka, the phat).

The newer models/price drops are meant to convince people who aren't buying the system* to start doing so-- it's not necessarily related to how many people purchase the 3DS within X amount of months...rather the amount that don't purchase the system.

People that don't buy the handheld immediately aren't really "benefiting" from the people that do. The first few batches of owners are only forfeiting their chance to get things for a lower price/better features in exchange for early fun (which, in fact, may be gimped by the smaller selection of games and other things).

It's rarely a good idea to buy a console first unless you want to say "OMG haha I've got the 3DS ". You'll save yourself from launch defects (see 360's RROD, DSL's hinge cracks, etc.), have a better of games, new features, and so much more. Would it really be a bad thing for them to benefit from early adopters, anyway?

And they didn't lower the price to JUST make easy money, sweetheart.

not at all dude, its cool for them to do that, i just think that some may think that it inevitably happens regardless if it sells well or not but seems to ignore that a slim model wouldnt of happen if those who got it now didnt get it in the first place, i doubt a remodel would be the next thing on nintendos mind

know where im getting at fellow fan? if it makes sense anyways

Well see, to me, saying "I'll just wait for two years or so for a price drop" sounds more like saying that you don't really want a 3DS that badly, as opposed to some who seem to think "I really wanted a 3DS, but Nintendo is charging too much for it." I mean, do people think Nintendo is overcharging for the costs to develop and manufacture the 3DS? I doubt that's the case, so it comes down to whether or not you like what they're offering. Do you see where I'm going with this? Why complain about the thing being too expensive if you know it costs that much to build but you simply don't like it? Why not just say you don't like it enough to want to buy it now rather than make the claim that it's "too expensive?"

By the way, time is valuable too guys. Having a 3DS today and having a 3DS two years from now aren't the same thing.

Oh, I now see what you mean. And to be honest, I'll be buying both the 1st gen 3DS and the possible slim model. xD

Yes, many actually do feel this way. I've met many who feel that, while it seems impressive now, it will look weak in the not-too-far future. Also, I can't imagine the R&D costs were more than the original DS (since it mostly just built on the DSi and 3D was a last-minute thing), which was cheaper at launch. The step from GBA to DS was much bigger, 3DS is more of a natural evolution than a game-changing innovator.

I feel this way.

It costs $101 to make a 3DS.

That's interesting, but you can't take that at face value. if that were accurate, you still have to take into account R&D, manufacturing & labor costs, shipping costs, advertising costs, retail markup, etc. And those R&D costs are important, because this is new technology that's never been commercially available before. We all know that Nintendo sells their consoles at a profit, but they are most definitely NOT making $150 profit on these things.

the problem is that 'value' is entirely subjective. to some, the 3DS and what it has to offer would be a bargain at $300, and to others (like me) the DS/i is enough for now, especially since they've said they won't be discontinuing support anytime soon, and there are other things that take priority at the moment (food, shelter, transportation, etc. and so forth). Think of when you go grocery shopping — if you go on an empty stomach, that bunch of bananas at 55 cents a pound might be worth it, but if you go on a full stomach you might look at 'em and think of holding off until the price drops back down to 50 cents a pound next week.

Right now I wouldn't be able to drop $250 on something i need, let alone something that's just a want, and so I am content to hold off on purchasing a 3DS for now. Money being tight is a pretty good deterrent to hopping onto the hype train along with everyone else. :3

Hmm? Exactly what part of the 3DS hasn't been done before, or hasn't been commercially available? I hope you're not referring to the glasses-free 3D. sigh

I mean available to the general public. I wasn't trying to say that there was no glasses-free 3D display in existence that could be purchased, although I will say that I have yet to see one that was actually on the market.
Beyond the display itself, the 3DS has definitely not been done before. You can't think of it as individual components; this is definitely the first time such a device with this combination of technologies and capabilities has ever hit the market. And there are little details like the 3D slider and I'm sure all kinds of other things that people wouldn't recognize because, frankly, almost nobody has any idea what actually goes into developing a product like this.

If you simply can't afford to spend $250 on a toy, then you're obviously completely justified.

What? Sure it was. Nintendo, like any good company, carefully analyzes a market before pricing whatever item they release. The conclusion they most likely came to was that $250 was the highest they could price it before sales started to suffer.

@The Fox I believe that should be reversed. It was the lowest they could go and still make a profit

What I meant is that $250 was probably what they saw as the limit of what they could charge and still have it be seen as an affordable option.

3DS is too expensive for me, since I don't need or really want one. I already carry around a cell phone and an iPod Touch. I don't want to carry more electronics stuff with me each day to work, since the battery life of 3DS is too short for me to spend my commute with it alone. And I doubt I'd be playing it when I'm not commuting.