Reggie Defends Continued Support Of 3DS Line, Believes Next Gen Of Players Need To Start Somewhere

The wording in the title is kinda misleading. It reads as if Reggie is making some kind of idiotic statement implying that the 3DS is next gen, and/or that the next generation of gaming devices needs to start somewhere.

The title should have simply mentioned "the next generation of gamers need to start somewhere" instead...

@ThanosReXXX see the power of clickbait in action

@Liam_Doolan Wow, thanks. Much appreciated.

As long as there is nothing to fill the exact niche that the 3DS commands (true portability, long battery life, and dual screen functionality), I'll be happy that it's supported.

It remains my favorite console of all time.

Edit: also why does it say that the site is "not secure" in my browser while commenting?

Wow, second time today I agreed with Reggie.
Wonder how it's doing down in heck?

Until Nintendo sells a Switch Mini, Boy or Advance for kids, or a "New Switch" for adults, it makes sense to keep the cheaper 3DS option alive. Or at least until Frozen 2 releases next November for the tie-in game.

It probably benefits Nintendo more to keep the 3DS alive but with minimal support, Then to just kill it. Besides I don't think it will effect the switch in anyway.

I don't have a problem with this other than the lack of new games coming out.

I don't mind this at all, the 3DS is really only getting ports of older Nintendo games anyway. As long as the Switch gets all the new Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Mario, Bayonetta, Metroid, etc. games, that's all that matters.

Know what? I like the idea of kids having the 3DS as their first gaming experience. I know this kid who’s almost exactly like that; his first console was a Wii, and now he has the new 3DS. He’s experiencing Mario Maker, Mario 3D Land, and Face Raiders and enjoying the h*ck out of ‘em. I even gave him my copies of Yo-Kai Watch 1 and Shovel Knight 3DS (since I have Yo-Kai Watch 2 on 3DS and Shovel Knight on Switch), and he loves them to bits. He won’t stop telling me about how he can’t find the Infinite Inferno in Yo-Kai Watch and how he has to get his dad to beat the bosses in Shovel Knight. He calls me his “Shovel Knight buddy.” 😃

I’m totally fine with that. The GBA lasted until 2008 and that didn’t effect the DS one bit, so I don’t see why 3DS can’t be sold alongside the switch for a couple more years.

I'm glad to see the 3DS chugging along (even if it is kind of feeble at this point). I've bought three 2018 releases for the system so far, and two of them are great (Jake Hunter and Sushi Striker). And I'm traveling right now, and the 3DS is the system I take with me because the Switch is just too clunky and I don't want to risk damaging it.

At least it has Virtual Console unlike the switch. So yeah uh if you are going to keep harping on about how you're going to continue supporting the 3ds shouldn't you throw out some more VC titles? I can think of at least 10 nes VC games wiiu has that 3ds doesn't not to mention the tg16 games.

@subpopz have to counter that, the 3ds is an important bridge for parents of kids at a young age who might be dubious about aspects of gaming, be it cost, if their child can be trusted not to break it, if content is suitable etc. I have 2 nephews and 1 niece and all 3 have been brought a 2ds in the last year as their first gaming device (no tablets in sight) and this Christmas as a result of a good experience with those there will be a Switch under the tree as a family device.

I’d like to see some, ok a lot, of 3DS games on Switch. Bravely Default and Monster Hunter Stories in particular.

@subpopz Well mine first experience was an N64 in like 2004 and that was 8 years ago..... so stop assuming........

The 3ds family of systems has such a large install base. It makes sense to continue supporting it in some capacity.

I still have Pokemon on the 3DS and over 300 games collected on for it.

I am happy to see the 3DS support here.

He means, “primary porting focus” will remain on the Switch (including the vast Wii U ports leftover). Game development will be for primary home consoles like XBONE and PS4 Pro.

As long as the numbers are still decent, I don't see why Nintendo won't keep selling the 2DS line; I say 2DS as they slowly seem to be phasing out the units capable of 3D. I originally thought they would phase out in early 2019, but 2020 seems more possible now.

@ThanosReXXX Liam's wording is quite poor lately. I noticed the same days ago and also said it. You were luckier though!

If the 3DS remains profitable, then what's there to defend?

Great decision. I have both switch and multiple 3ds's and to me, 3ds is better because YOU can change the damn battery yourself.

Having dealing with a large corporation if the idea makes no sense at all they will do it anyway. If it makes perfect sense however you're idea will be scoffed at never to see the light of day.

I am an adult and I find the New 3DS as the best handheld system even today with a games library that the Switch can only dream of. The resolution is low but it was already low in 2011 to be honest. The 3D visuals and small screen size somehow make most games look good. The Virtual Console games look also good on the small screens. The size is perfect and the battery life is decent.

I have a 7 and 5 year old kids with new 2ds's. The are more durable, easier to hold for kids, better battery life, and far cheaper with cheaper games compared to my switch. I would not buy a switch for each kid, but the 3ds line makes so much more sense, they love them. I would have been stoked to have one when I was a kid, it is the best of every handheld ninty has ever released and feels like the original Game Boy for the modern age.

I have one so that's nice, lately I've been addicted to Pokemon Puzzle Challenge for GBC VC. I've determined a while ago that the Switch just isn't for me, not while my main goal is to update to new 3DS.

As I keep saying, if it’s selling, then why stop the bus?

Ports of games I like from yesteryear and bizarre titles like Sushi Striker... I love the 3DS!

@KIREEK I take it you don't consider a laptop as portable?

The Switch also has as much battery life as the 3DS, not less.

I think it is perfectly reasonable to market the 3DS as a budget console. Certainly a better choice than flooding the market with micro-consoles.

@subpopz That makes a lot of sense. Whereas I grew up mainly on home consoles, small children these days start with portable devices so that may become their preferred way to play so the Switch may be a natural progression for them. I’d never really thought about it like that.

Yes keep the 3DS platform strong and tell your friends at Square Enix to release that damn game already (cause they still believe that thing is dead), they know which one. It starts with a D and ends with 11 and should had come out the last few months ago.

@retro_player_22 Yes please localise the 3DS version of D... Q... XI. They have already translated the game, they just need to put the texts on the 3DS version! It looks awesome with those dual visuals.

@Dog The Switch has about 5.5 hours of battery life on a charge when a game isn't graphically intensive. When a game pushes the system's limits (like BOTW), the battery can be as low as 2.5 hours.

The 3DS has about 7-10 hours when the 3D is off (and for me it's off the vast majority of the time to preserve that battery life).

And I do consider a laptop to be portable, but not as portable as a phone. It's the degree of portability that the 3DS offers that makes it more appealing on that front (to me).

The 3DS and a 1,000 variations of it since release are enjoyable yet outdated hardware. I loved my 3DS but it can't hold a candle to the experience I get with my Switch in portable mode

The way I see it, it's cheaper to trust a small child with a used 2/3ds then a switch cause kids tend to break things. Can't tell you how many gbcs and gbas of mine that was either broken by me or someone else or in a few cases stolen when I was a kid. I can say that most of them got broken in the middle of a fight or start of a fight.

Sorry Reggie but the 3DS is too old for most kids to be interested in these days, the Switch is already taking over the interests of the younger age demographic as far as I can tell. Whenever I see some kid playing a portable game console while I am out, it is always a Switch. It has been a long time since I last saw a kid using a 3DS.

at the end of the day, the 3ds is still doing good and is cheaper to both buy and develop games on

@BlueOcean They won't because of the Switch version coming and I was thinking on getting both PS4 and 3DS version but we only got the PS4 version, but if you have a PS4 I totally recommend you that version it really looks beautiful it was that good that I already platinum the game, too bad we never gonna get the 2 screen retro version

Kid's first gaming experience is their parent's phone.

The 3DS is a good system, with hundreds of great games. I can see why Nintendo want to milk it as much as they can.

@Retupmocnin A lot of new parents say they don't want to get their kids into video games, but then when their kids start getting older and restless while they are out they always rush to give them their phone so they don't have to deal with them lol.

I'm not sure that explaining something is the same as "defending" it , but I suppose any headline needs drama.

On topic, though, of course they have to support the 3DS.
It is closing in on aving sold as many systems as the GBA, while the Switch is currently still at GameCube levels.

Account maintainence with suppliers, circulation with distributors, shelfspace with retailers ,and mindshare with players all has to come from SOMEWHERE. The mobile games don't check all of these boxes even if they make money.

Great games on there, and it certainly doesn't look as technically aged yet as the GBC did at Christmas 2000, when the PS2 launched.

@Retupmocnin
This.
But then again, Reggie says "gamers," and people wo self identiy s gamers mostly scoff at mobile games. Not that they don't scoff at Nintendo agmes as well, mind.

Fine by me. I like, and I play, my 2DS XL more than my switch.

@Retupmocnin Not if the parents have common sense. There's a lot of good reasons not to let kids play with smart phones.

@MH4 this is great, I have a 2 year old and I'm not letting him near tablets (for games, I don't mind him watching movies on them). I've seen other nieces and nephews spending hours in front of awful tablet games that they play for 2 mins, uninstall, get an another, play for 2 mins etc etc. I bought an old DS Lite recently and I'm letting him play Mario and Tetris. He obviously cannot play them, but he recognises that pressing a button creates some sort of reaction on the screen which amuses him. I really want him to be into good quality games that we can play together, I cannot bear the thought of him becoming some Candy Crush/Infinite runner moron while I'm sat on my sofa playing Mario Kart alone!

2ds is 79 and switch is 329

Which one will I buy for my daughter?
I think we all know why 3ds still exists. Switch is not in a mainstream kiddo pricerange yet.

Pokemon go for Switch will cost me a lot!
Switch 329
Pokemon with pokeball 109
Together: 438 eu
That is insane.

Ha! Turns out I'm a 40-year-old 5, 6 or 7 year old...

@subpopz I see students with 3DS's and kids with iPads and phones.

Will be coming Nintendo 4DS came out confirmed.

Looks are article.

Looks at 3DS upcoming game release list.

The only "new" game Nintendo is actually publishing is the Bowser's Inside Story re-release.

And there are like 3 or 4 new games total coming out in the next 5 months.

There are no resources being "drained" into the 3DS, and furthermore, I haven't actually heard any complaints about that in the first place.

And Nintendo has said in the past they weren't going to stop supporting the 3DS even though nobody believed them and it very clearly has happened.

I feel like this quote was made more to try and draw attention to the 3DS and try to squeeze out more sales since the 3DS, or the 2DS, which is what Nintendo is really pushing in commercials for kids, rather then because anyone was actually complaining about the 3DS being supported, which it isn't.

I'm perfectly fine with that statement. I like the 3DS. As long as it doesn't interfere in any way with his bigger brother, the more the merrier.

I wish for a new, but backwards-compatible DS. Something with more modern structure rather than account being linked to hardware.

I have a Switch and a 3DS. I want 3DS to continue as long as possible. There are games on that platform that are exclusives to that system only.

Keep it coming on both...

I already said it yesterday, but I LOVE the 3DS. Best system ever. Keep it comin'

Just echoing what others have already stated. I still see a lot of value in the 3DS. It just offers a playing style not available on the Switch with it's dual screen and stylus mechanics. That said though, if it's a game that can work on either the Switch or the 3DS, offer it up on both consoles. Retro content for example.

@retro_player_22 I second this. As much as I loved the game on PS4 (my personal GOTY thus far), I would've preferred the 3DS version.

3DS? What's that?

@GKO900 I am happy that you enjoyed it! I have a PS4 and have considered buying it for it. I am going to be honest, I prefer the 3DS version. I have DQVII and VIII on 3DS plus the DS releases (IV, V and VI) so it makes sense to me. Those dual visuals are awesome, too. It's nice that they are releasing the PS4 version worldwide but that's the reason why I consider that they should release the 3DS version too, as the localisation of the texts has been made already. The Switch version will take a long while, I think, and it's probably based on the PS4 version.

@Fandabidozi
Yeah it would have been nice for them to have released some of the games like Luigis Mansion, Samus Returns, etc on both 3DS and Switch. I sold my 2DS and games when I got a Switch because I intended it to be both my home and portable console.

Right Reggie , 3rd pillar right should be fine. nothing to worry about

I get they want to push the Switch, but there should be more energy toward 3DS than keeping it around and a token game now and again. There is plenty of stuff on the Switch eShop, that could perform fine on 3DS and given the scaling of some designs I bet they were originally intended to.

What all the whiners forget is where is there a competitor to the 3DS -there is none now. Vita had the best chance but Sony did a number on Vita. So trying to blame 3DS for Vita demise is misplaced. So unless someone on here can tell me a alt to 3DS besides just saying the Switch-it not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Also game development is not a overnight release so let's get your head out where the sun don't shine.

Great, long live, great console, I love the 3D effect. I would like to see the port of Metroid Prime from Game Cube

One, just ONE person in the entire thread mentions the 3-D effect, which was groundbreaking and still incredible. Stuff we couldn’t ever do without crummy red and blue glasses (hello, 3-D Worldrunner on NES;).

We’re too damned spoiled for not acknowledging the awesomeness of 3-D.