FAQ v1.60

Why did all this Ambassador business start in the first place?

Good question. On 12th August, Nintendo dropped the price of its 3DS console around the world. As a way to make it up to customers who had already bought the console, Nintendo introduced the Ambassador program as a way of saying "thank you"/"sorry", depending on your point of view.

When did the 3DS price go down?

The 3DS price decrease came into effect on Friday 12th August.

How much does the 3DS cost from 12th August?

North America: $169.99.
Europe: Down to individual retailers, but expect around €160/£139.
Australia: AU $249.96.
New Zealand: NZ $343.99.
Japan: 15,000 Yen.

Why is Nintendo doing this?

The 3DS simply hasn't sold as well as expected — in April, May and June the console sold fewer than 750,000 units worldwide, compared to 3.6 million sold in the machine's first two months on sale. Nintendo's official explanation is the price drop is intended to "further accelerate adoption of the hardware" going into the all-important Christmas period.

Will the console box contain anything less than before?

No — you'll still receive everything the 3DS has always been bundled with, so you'll get a 2GB SD card, charger, charging cradle and instructions.

Will Nintendo release any more colours?

Yes: Nintendo has since launched the 3DS in red, white, pink and a special edition Zelda console.

But I Still Have Questions!

Like we said, this FAQ is a constantly evolving, shape-shifting document. You can use the Contact form — use the "3DS - Your Questions" option — or leave them in a comment here and we'll do our best to address them as we get more information.