Topic: Rebranded 3DS

I really can't see this being true. The last thing they need when they're losing money hand over fist is to spend even more money developing another system that, frankly, they don't even need to develop. I'm calling bull.

Of course, if it was true, it would be the worst decision Nintendo's ever made.

maybe a better battery but no way another circle pad. that would be such kick in the nuts for every 3ds owner so far.

fake

If Nintendo did do this, would this mean Nintendo is copying the competition (Vita)?

I doubt there will be any changes to the hardware. They'd pretty much have to treat it as a whole new generation of the handheld and have games that use the additional stick (and any other improved/added hardware) not even fit in the 3DS card slot. That'd be a really stupid move to make so soon into the life of the console.

They do need to consider rebranding the machine though, in my opinion. A lot of people I talk to don't call it the 3DS, they call it a 3D DS. The marketing hasn't really done the job of explaining that this isn't a minor upgrade to your existing DS, it's actually a new generation of the handheld series.

Back to the 2nd stick. What existing games are crying out for this? What upcoming games would really benefit from it? Not enough to justify the massive backlash that would happen if Nintendo did make the change without offering free upgrades to all existing owners.

Samurai Warriors Chronicles is lacking somewhat without that second stick for camera control.

And just wait for Call of Duty games to start coming...

second slide pad would be cool but i what about the people who already bought a 3ds? a second slide pad is such a huge investment that it would be to huge i think. many 3ds owners would hate nintendo for that

Frankly, a second circle pad would be the best thing Nintendo could do right now.

I just realised another game that really needed it: Splinter Cell. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is the best darned spy game ever, and the lack of that second circle pad for aiming ruined the game entirely on the 3DS. Yes, the controls could have been optimised better to deal with what the 3DS does have, but if Nintendo wants 3rd party support, than easy "ports" is a bare minimum capability that it needs to offer them. Making it HARD for 3rd parties to make a great game work on 3DS is just stupid.

Dual stick is the minimum in this day and age for every genre that is popular (aside from casual). Nintendo should have known that.

Funny, that, because I don't see that games like Ocarina of Time 3D, Metroid Prime or Xenoblade Chronicles would benefit in the slightest from a second analog stick. Just because one or two games would benefit from a second circle pad doesn't mean every game would.

Never mind the fact that releasing an add-on circle pad for the 3DS and like releasing a new model 3DS as a result would make a lot of people incredibly angry with Nintendo, myself included - and it takes an awful lot to make me angry with Nintendo.

I'm pretty sure Xenoblade Chronicles uses the second stick on the classic controller.

Metroid Prime could have used dual stick controls, frankly.

Just because there are one or two games that Nintendo's in-house developers are able to develop around a poor controller doesn't mean dual stick controllers are all-but necessary for any console manufacturer that actually wants third parties to bother with it.

I don't see your point here. You'd like to pay the amount of an extra console for one extra circle pad? (I assume you already have a 3DS due to your arguments.)

Frankly, as much as it would annoy me if Nintendo did this, yes I would pay the amount of an extra console for one extra circle pad, because dual stick control is frankly necessary now for a good half of the genres of games I enjoy.

I don't see where it says that this add on will cost the same as a new console though.

I would pay for Nintendo to put up another circle pad. I liked shooters, so you kind of need it. Plus, camera controls can always benefit from another circle pad. I get that there's a touch screen, but it takes away from using the a,b,x,y, and R buttons, even more if your left handed.
How can Nintendo add another circle pad to an already made system though? They'd have to change the internal wiring and put the grooves into the 3ds for another circle pad. I don't get why they'd do it at this point.

i cant believe nintendo will give you a second slide pad for 10$. i mean...wtf?

Too soon for Big N to throw in the towel for the 3DS, especially since it hasn't even been through at least one holiday season.

hahaha yeah right. well they should do it anyway. they cant make games that will work only for a 3ds 2.0, so my old 3d will still do fine with games.
and if they do this, ambassador will have moar NES games. Moar advance games !
bring me the games !

Here's what I think Nintendo might do if these rumours are true.

1. Will keep the 3DS as is and treat it like an evolution to the DS.
2. A revamped system with no 3D, dual joypads and possibly some better graphics. Possibly in XL size. And sold as more direct competition to the Vita and Ipad. You know, that third pillar thing. Possibly being called the Gameboy.
Will most likely be able to run 3DS software, retail and digital just not with the 3D on.

That's MY guess. What could happen is they are announcing the "lite" version for next year, though I think it's a bit soon. I imagine they would wait for that announcement for E3, unless they want that to be fully for the Wii U.

Course the other possible thing this "big announcement" could be is the launch date of the Wii U.

just put the second control on the screen itself, it works for Apple, sort of

If Nintendo does release a new model they better have larger screens.

Where the heck would it go is my question?

That story is patently bullshat, plain and simple. There's two easy ways to spot it among anything else in the piece
1) Nintendo clearly stated they learned of customer frustration over the DS with the rapid replacements, said they wouldn't do it again and they can't go smaller for the forseeable future because the tech loads out the case entirely.
2) Nintendo (hell anyone) with a handheld to date has and will not make a system upgrade where they add some vital new control part as it's economic suicide as you fracture the market between the have and the have-nots who will be early now pissed off adopters who will more than likely walk than sheep into the upgrade.

People whined at Nintendo for years over the DS-Lite-DSI-XL demanding a second analog, they patently refused because it would screw over existing customers. They wouldn't do it then, they won't do it now, just like with all the GBAs we had, they blew off the adding +2 face buttons whinefest for years too.

I've also never heard that their tech kits were ungodly expensive, another lie in that piece. It's really loaded with them such as wanting to make a weaker device that downplays and pulls away from 3D. If they invented smell-o-vision for computers the whole story would smell like sh..!