Only 8.8% of Japanese Consumers Want to Buy a 3DS

they WILL want if there will be many great games on it! ))

Once people actually see the 3DS in action, I'm sure they'll change their tune, especially with a strong game catalog to back it up...

Could be system fatigue? I mean the DSi really does a lot of good stuff so whilst a technical upgrade may be appealing for many I could easily see the majority of DS/DSi owners being satisfied with the system and the myriad of software available (myself included).

Of course with as many DS owners as there are, even if only %10 get the new unit (and of course it would behoove Nintendo to have some kind of upgrade path to ensure further take-up), that pretty much rules out a Virtual Boy-style disaster.

Well, you know, 8.8% means more than 10 million. You think that's bad numbers? That's only 50% MORE than the PSP sold in Japan since launch in 2004. Would you please explain where you get the idea that this would be a bad outlook? It kind of seems you saw the post on kotaku and took it for granted including the questionable conclusions they made. Nintendolife should deliver better.

Also, considering that's a survey based on nothing, for a system noone knows anything about but it's code name, that's an amazingly high anticipation level.

so only 10million people in Japan are interested in it before advertising, before any games are announced and before it has been shown to the public or media in any form. Wow, looks like this is going to do pretty well.

edit: what lifer said

skywake: "Won" by a minute, it seems.

I will probably get it just for the novelty of the screen, if nothing else

It remains to be seen how well this screen unit will actually work. If the graphics are sharp, crisp, and jump out at your face like little gremlins, it will be a success. But if the 3D effect is blurry or causes undue eye fatigue, it will probably fail.

A luckwarm reaction at best is only to be expected, after the complete hash-announcment on Nintendo's part, I mean it's been a complete mess, very uncharacteristic for Nintendo. And yeah they've gone way to fast on the DS releases. I question whether they should have even bothered with the DSi XL. However, I'm actually really exited about the 3DS, I can't wait to try one.

I think the "small" numbers are also due to the fact that Nintendo keeps putting out different versions of the DS, and people aren't ready to pick up another 3DSliteXLultra9000XTREME just yet.

@Skywake

Exactly. 55% are interested in it. People aren't going to commit to buying it until they see it in action with some real games. This is pretty good, seeing as we know next to nothing about it yet.

Its worth pointing out that 42.1% of those polled owned a DS but 64.6% said they had at least some interest in the 3DS. So its pretty safe to assume that there are more people interested in the 3DS then there are people who own a DS. At least after being told about it.

I guess most people (including me) cannot imagine what this so called 3D display is and are therefore unsure. If it turns out at E3 that they are only using the camera or a tilt sensor to adjust the camera angle in some games, I think there are still many not interested. But if it turns out that they are really using something completely new that no one has seen before in a handheld console. Who knows, maybe many will change their mind?

Not surprising, the 3DS will likely have a main feature that's not the 3D display and that was not revealed yet.

Ouch.

Way to make a news item from hot air...

Not surprised. Not only do we not know when the thing will release, we don't even know what the system will even look like! Saying you want to buy something before you even know anything about the product is a bit of a stretch.

Rename it to DS³ and I'm sold.

@sean... I'm in the same boat as you. My year old DSi feels really new still as DSiaware is finally taking off. I'm very skeptical of 3DS myself. I don't care what company produces it, if it doesnt have great games I'm not buying. If its a 3D upgrade that was the option to turn off the 3D then it might not be worth another upgrade to some people.

I still worry that the 3DS is another stop gap system and it won't be the true sequel to the DS.

@Turbo Genesis

It's pretty much confirmed to have GCN power. This is no stopgap system (though we probly will have 3DS Lite or something not too far into the future).

Maybe they should think twice about releasing two different handhelds in the same damn year.

But more importantly, what on earth is "Japanese goo Research"? Do these guys specialize in researching goo, moonlighting in video game consumer research?

Propably the same amount of people that would want PS4. Lets wait if that percentage rises, when we see the console and what it can do.

Well, naturally people are going to be skeptical of a glasses-less 3D system...if Nintendo is able to market it well (which I'm sure they will) hopefully it'll turn people around.

If this is a success, it is. If not, then there are other handheld platforms! Taking a gamble like this takes guts, and Nintendo has proven that having guts can really pay off! Not just for keeping you vital signs up, but to make money as well!

Aren't we talking about a system that we know almost nothing about? We haven't heard about any games, we don't know the price, and we don't know what it looks like.

Want to buy: 8.8 percent
Interested in it, but currently don't want it: 55.8 percent
Don't want it: 35.3 percent

Those numbers are much more optimistic than I would have expected. I mean, 28.3% of the people polled are over the age of 50... not a big gaming demographic. Almost everyone else is interested!

That's cause they haven't seen it yet!

well, Nintendo has learned from their mistake
most likely, the 3DS will surprise everyone (as in the good way)

I wonder how many of the people polled actually know all there is currently available about the 3DS. Honestly, those of us that follow the industry enough to have caught wind of a rushed, midnight press release make up a tiny portion of the handheld buying public. By and large, I'm certain most people learned about the DSi XL when the ads started showing up on tv.

I wonder if the poll was simply asking people "do you want a Nintendo 3DS?" or if it actually gave them what little details are known, or mentioned anything about the rumored features that it could possibly include?

I think that until Nintendo gives the 3DS a proper reveal it'll be difficult to get an idea of the demand.

8.8% out of what ?? 100million ?? Thats 10million people interested in something they just heard by word of mouth or online notes... I do whant to see the same poll after E3

@argus.... I really dont think any of you guys here realize just how big Nintendo is in Japan. Not only do they have Nintendo stores but for each release of a new Nintendo piece of hardware its like a nationwide event. Cosplay goes into full force and its literally a night party in the streets there. Gaming is not just a casual pastime in Japan its a main sorce of family entertainment in Japan. To say that ONLY 8.8% of gamers in JAPAN want the 3DS is unthinkable. You guys can make up any little numbers you want and say whatever to make it sound reasonable, but its not. Its actually quite shocking. These people flock the streets in mile long lines at every retailer for any new Nintendo system.

@slapshot

The article does not say that only 8.8% of gamers want the 3DS. That's 8.8% of the people polled. Also, argus was not making up numbers. Everything he mentions is right in the article. Just throw it into Google translate and you'll see.

The percentage of the polled population were 16% in their teens, 18% in their 20s, 22% in their 30s, 16% in their 40s, and 28% in their 50s (I did some rounding which is why the numbers don't add up to 100%). The polled population is slanted to a large degree to the older demographic so its not surprising that we'd see incredibly diminished interest in the 3DS.

So no, this poll is not entirely indicative of the future of the 3DS. And like has been mentioned, the device has not even been revealed to the public, and I'm sure a large percentage of those polled hadn't even heard of the thing before they answered the question.

I think it's too early to tell. Once some more games are demonstrated, perhaps consumers will be more convinced?

Personally, I'm not a fan of this whole 3D movement, so I'm just going to ignore it.

Woah woah woah WOAH!!! 1059 consumers? That ain't even close to the total number of Japanese consumers

Everyone knows 96.3% of statistics are total crap

Wait until E3. I'd like to see those statistics change!

Hopefully, it will not be the next Virtual Boy. I'm sure Nintendo learned from their loss and are hopefully getting some good support behind the whole operation.

@darklink.... oh yeah man I agree. The system hasnt been shown to the consumers yet and its a poll. But I still think the percentage would have been higher for say if it was DS2. Im not big on the 3D thing and I also read an article the other day that posted that 3D is actually proven to be very bad for your eyes, and Im curious to see if that blows up mainstream. Parents are always skeptical of things like that and could turn down some profits for Nintendo. I myself have a very difficult time with migraines from 3D, so Im very skeptical of the system as well.

Too many variations of the DS! It feels like the Genesis all over again with the Genesis 1,2,3 CD, 32X, CDX and the Nomad. Compare that to the DS, DSlite, DSi, DSi XL and now the 3DS.

I'm a pretty big Nintendo fan but I'm pretty put off by all that.

I'm interested, but I'm not ready to give up the DS yet. I think this is too soon.

Yes!!! Hopefully it crashes and burns!!! To soon anyway...

Nintendo will seem to have the 3DS and DS running at once like they did with GBA and DS, so they'll come around.

I don't see how a poll of random peoples' interest in a product that is so far off with no games or features shown or marketed at all could signal "the next virtual boy".
lets wait until people actually know what it is at all before making ridiculous predictions like this. Has there even been a real press release yet? images of the machine itself?
Why would this be the case anyway if it plays ds games too?

Two things to keep in mind about 3D technology:

• The type of technology that will supposedly be used in the 3DS has been used in mobile phones in Japan for a while now. People there probably have a better idea than we do about how it will work, and how many people have side effects from this particular type of 3D.
• Iwata has expressed his own concerns about the health effects of 3D in regard to the next console. I can't imagine them not making it possible to turn off 3D if it bothers you. I'm sure that not all games released will be in 3D. At first probably most games will still incompatible with 3D just like only the big blockbuster movies are in 3D now. I can't see it affecting gameplay much beyond aesthetics, so I'm sure they won't lock out a potentially sizable market segment that has problems with 3D.

Even without 3D, as long as the games are good (fairly confident given the high quality of the DS library), I'd be all about a Nintendo handheld with such a large jump in processing power. That being said, I'm waiting with everyone else to see how all of this actually comes together in it's execution.

I honestly think they're taking things too fast with all these DSes. People don't WANT another one already, especially if they just bought a new DSi or DSi XL.

You never know, it could be really cool. I might consider getting it myself if i it's super awesomely cool. And I agree that they are taking it too fast. They had the DSi come out,m then the DSi XL, now a 3ds? I don't know... It is kind of dumb, if you got the DSi, you can't get the 3ds because it is coming out to soon, and people with Dsi's are going to get mad because they just got it. Kind of a dumb idea, save it for a few years later, and maybe improve it. I just think it is dumb.