Nintendo Will Continue To Develop 3DS Software After Switch Launch

Not surprising, but good to hear. 3DS for life.

We've heard THAT before...

Good to position the 3DS more and more for the younger gamer as an affordable gaming system. A price drop of all the models would be nice too, especially the New 3DS (XL) once the Switch arrives.

Would love to be proven wrong but I think it won't last more than one or two years. Like Pokémon BW 2 on DS.

Yeah, they said the same about the Gameboy when the DS launched and look how it ended. The Micro died quite quickly.

Probably they are keeping it in case the Switch doesn't work out. If it does, say goodbye to the 3DS.

I'm okay with this as long as it doesn't have a negative impact on releasing games for the Switch, especially during the first couple of years.

They did say it wasn't a replacement for the existing consoles... the Wii U was coming to an end regardless of the Switch being released, but the 3DS still has plenty of life left in it... the Switch won't change that.

Best news I've heard all day!! The little engine that could!

You've started the 7th Pokemon gen on 3DS so I reckon you'll finish gen 7 on the 3DS, probably 1 more set of games in the same vain as B2W2 the onto Gen 8 on the Switch.

Outside of that, I would not go expecting New Mario platformers or Zeldas on the 3DS.....

So the 3DS will be the budget alternative (although not a cross-compatible one) for the foreseeable future.

You can't abandon an userbase of 60+ million immediately. Though if you look at the upcoming games, most of them are coming are from 2nd and 3rd party studios. I think most of Nintendo's 1st party studios are working exclusively for the Switch.

In other news, water is wet.

Oh please. Did anyone expect the 3DS to die? The DS library ran for ten years!

@BensonUii
Some kids can use tablets easily even without adult supervision. Of course, still needs parental control feature. And older kids are better to start that experience. I am also can't imagine 5 - 7 years kids walking around with Switch on their hand and able to keep their things safe without dropping or make any damage.

Uh huh... they said that with the GBA, too.. back when they announced the DS.

I figured this would be the case, and I'm glad!

The Switch doesn't have dual screens, it probably doesn't have touchscreen or Stereoscopic 3DS, and it doesn't appear to have a camera either.

There's no reason why they won't continue supporting the 3DS for the time being, and continue to make games base aroun the hardware, but if their intention with the Switch is to merge the two platforms, going forward, I can't see them making a new dedicated handheld in the future. It'll be a shame to see the DS go the way of the Gameboy...

@InternetBowser
Because it will a pity to replace the beauty of New 3DS or New 3DS XL. Both of them are truly masterpiece from Nintendo. So customable, so artistic, so colorful.

@jamesRainbowBoy

To be fair in like Wii to Wii U we actually have several confirmed first party games launching after the Switch launch(Pikmin, Mario Sports Superstars and Ever Oasis)

And none of them are localizations we had waited a long time on either. Although we do have plenty of likely localizations to fuel the library in 2017( and maybe 2018) such as Yokai Watch 3, Etrian Odyssey V, Monster Hunter Stories, Dragon Quest XI etc.

I don't think it's that hard to support 3DS, game development obviously takes a lot less time and money than on Wii U, and 2DS is cheap enough they could probably keep selling those with the occasional AC Happy Home Designer and Disney Magical World games. And as long as Capcom is willing to make MH games there's the adult buyer.

So yeah, 2017 is for Switch to do or die alongside 3DS, then Nintendo can figure out what it wants to do for 2018. Maybe a Switch Mini or Switch without the dock, or just go mobile for handheld games and make the Joy-Cons and JC Grip work with tablets.

The article left out Mario Sports Superstars, that game looked pretty good as well. And, you know, it has Mario in it, might pick up some of those SMR players.

If XL has a good BF deal I might finally have to bite.

I'd be frankly shocked if it gets any more big budget first party games like Pokemon Sun though. That'll surely be the last one.

@edhe
It will so pity if Switch single screen has NO Touchscreen at all. Come on, smartphones and Ipad have touchscreen, how could Switch doesn't have ? Probably still have touchscreen like Wii U gamepad.

Have no interest in any 3DS games after this year. The system is far too old and far too outdated.

Looks like someone received a questionable Swapnote from a drunk Japanese businessman

Now where have I heard that before.....

In all seriousness though, there is a VERY small chance of this actually being true this time, since the Switch will likely be pretty expensive. However, if Nintendo honestly wants to position the 3DS family as a cheaper or child focused alternative to Switch, every single model needs to go through a huge price drop. Right now every 3DS is overpriced for what it is and won't be an attractive buy for much longer, unless people are more desperate for Nintendo devices than I thought.
And to keep the line fresh for a little while longer, they should release a "New 2DS" (these idiotic names are starting to give me a headache, thank goodness for Switch) with the same philosophy as the Standard New 3DS but without the 3D and without faceplates. Potentially smaller size as well, and with a hinge. Or maybe make it something like the GBM. It's been over a decade since Nintendo has made a console of any kind as beautiful and as impressively engineered as the GBM.

The Boy Who Cried Link Wolf

GBA had first party titles after the DS and the DS had first party titles after the 3DS. So nothing unexpected.

There's still a few titles coming in 2017, and many more that have yet to be localized.

glad to hear that i just got my 2ds a few months ago

@rjejr They're not going to release a "Switch mini", and they're definitely not going to release it without the dock. Taking the dock out wouldn't even lower the price like you're probably hoping. At most it might cost $20 less.

@Oubie
"You can't abandon an userbase of 60+ million immediately"

They had absolutely no problem doing that with Wii and DS, both of which had way higher install bases than 3DS will ever achieve. Okay to be fair to DS, it did get a Pokemon game after 3DS launched, but I don't recall much else being released before or after that. For Wii though, Nintendo abandoned everyone before the Wii was even supposed to die, even forcing American fans to beg for table scraps (Operation Rainfall).

I think Nintendo Had A Q&A session and somebody asked them is Switch a replacement for the 3DS, Nintendo answered NO it's Wii U one.Then Nintendo said the A 3DS replacement will be out in distance Future

@blinder2 It better be a replacement for both. The whole selling point of the NS is that it's an all in one console. That gets taken away if Nintendo decides to release a desicated handheld with it. The whole selling point of the NS is that you're buying two Nintendo consoles in one, meanin you don't have to buy two consoles to play games exclusive to each Nintendo console.

That's a "makes sense" PR statement from Nintendo to me. Here's a couple factors to consider for 3DS into 2017 up to the edge of 2018: One, the 3DS is aging hardware, so while it will initially run side by side with the Switch since there's a userbase and it's already established, the 3DS will die eventually from the weight of it's own age and the rise of the newer Switch cutting into its portable profits. Two, Nintendo will be analyzing the trends in 2017 to see if 3DS (or generally speaking, the "DS" portable brand) is strong enough, and worth it enough, to receive a follow up system that is newer and more powerful, but still can differentiate itself from the Switch brand. Nintendo tried to pull that with the GB and DS, but once the DS got rolling, there's was nothing that the GB could do that the DS couldn't do in spades. Time will tell if this happens again between 3DS and Switch, but that brings me to point number three-- Having multiple hardware systems is costly from a manufacturing and development standpoint despite successes, and the Switch in concept was born of Nintendo's motivation to consolidate it's hardware and software to strengthen each software title released, cut turnaround release time, cut development costs, reduce the headache of development, and stop it's split dichotomy of "profitable system, not-so-profitable system". In conclusion, I would be incredibly surprised if the 3DS receives a follow up system for 2018 and beyond. If Switch does all it's set out to do, there will be only one de facto Nintendo system for all your home and portable needs. It's makes sense at the loss of 2-screen gaming.

As other people have already said, we've known this for quite some time already.

@MeloMan
It will also lose opportunity for girly games like Style Savvy appears again on Nintendo. If Switch can deliver some Girly games in HD and great gameplay, it will satisfy some Girly gamers that usually being a minor groups. Remember, don't underestimate games like that. Even Girls Mode 3 3DS was the top chart on April 2015 in Japan, all hails to Girly games. There some Nintendo gamers like something cute (Kawaii) , girly and colorful. Just provide games like that and money will talk.

Lol I can assure everyone here that the Switch's screen is a touch display. No need to worry about "RIP touch screens" once the 3DS is discontinued.

Interesting and expected considering the numbers regarding 3DS. "Wii U on life support" lol. No... Wii U is just getting the last few Hallmark Cards out of the way.

Still quite a few big releases coming in 2017, but I suspect that we will see less titles for the 3DS in 2018 as developers shift resources over to the Switch - the same sort of pattern as the DS to 3DS transition went.

the DS Last First Party Games were released in 2012, the 3DS was Released in 2011, So I think that the 3DS will have first party support until 2018

@BlatantlyHeroic I get what your saying but you see with 3DS portable side you can carry around in your pocket it's far more portable than the Switch as you definitely cannot with this.They.May do switch mini as with No docking station and can sync together.The Switch is hybrid tablet home console 6.2 screen.I think many gamers will miss. 3DS.Nintendos head did state just today in financial briefing that With Switch they will find it very different to 3DS.I think there's one coming in 2018

Sure we'll see some releases, especially in 2017, but from there it will start to dwindle considerably. Still though, it had a great run.

The Switch is definitely more of a replacement for the Wii U than the 3DS, even though it's technically a portable machine.

@BlatantlyHeroic Given Nintendo's insistence on billing the Switch as a "home console", the size, and the reported battery life (3 hours) I won't discard the possibility of a "Switch mini/DS" appearing in 2 years or so.

Putting your eggs in one basket is a rather risky proposition and if it even works you will see dimmishing returns over time; making the Switch a family of systems would be the best course of action for Nintendo.

I'm so happy about this! I just got a 3ds last year so I'm a little behind. There's so many games I want and need to play, it's overwhelming. And with switch coming out, it's even MORE overwhelming!

Hm... 🤔 I think we can all agree the Wii U was abandoned after Star Fox was released with just Paper Mario and the upcoming Zelda game (also for Switch) in the pipeline and this was said last winter:

"What I want to do, I think our first job right now is to make sure that the customers, those 10 million customers who have a Wii U at home have software to play," he said. "And we need to make sure that they are satisfied with their purchase and continue to enjoy playing on this platform. So we can't just abandon them and say, 'Hey, it's time to move on to the next thing.'

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-wont-abandon-wii-u-fanbase-president-says/1100-6432817/

So I really doubt we'll see much for 3ds once the Switch is out and going.

Yeaaah, we'll support it till about April 2017. I'm afraid we know about every game that will exist for the 3DS. I wish they would continue supporting the wiiu by porting the big first party switch titles through at least 2018. But I doubt it

It'll probably be Nintendo's backup incase Switch flops.

If Switch succeeds then hybrid is Nintendo's future, if Switch flops however then Nintendo exits the home console business and creates a true 3DS successor.

Lets not pretend the switch isn't for kids...

Mario, Splatoon, Mario Kart...

Lets not kid ourselves... get it?

Monster hunter generations shows how well the 3ds can perform. Metroid prime federation force also shows how well it can do with first person shooters. I hope they focus on the new 3ds exclusive games to fully take advantage.

Already heard that from other past console generations. But I'd advise Nintendo to keep the 3DS burning for a while after the Switch launch in case the Switch fails like the WiiU did.

@SirQuincealot
I'm sure Nintendo can still maintain their brand image : Kid friendly, unique, quirky, colorful and cheaper. Even there are some adult games but still mostly Everyone until Teen games.

@Moon
I wouldn't say good, the one thing the Switch needs to be successful is the handheld's game library, so they better be making these 3DS games multiplatform for the Switch as well..

@GoldenGamer88
Let's pray for Nintendo and Switch. So, Switch will be blessed with Lucky charming and some Good Fortune. Also, pray for Region Free if Nintendo want to continue their business.

@Yorumi there are rumours of an IR pointer in the R joycon with a sensor in the console and this could substitute for the lack of touch screen when the console is docked. Sounds crap to me but ya never know.

I believe the 3DS is the end of the line for dedicated handheld consoles. Nintendo will focus on the Switch, ditch the old 3DS because it's useless, and just keep the N3DS as a legacy console like the Vita so indie devs can release Unity games.

There is no true death knell here. The 3DS library is so extensive and there are so many games left that I've missed over the past few years, that I will definitlely buy another New 3DS XL when the price drops.
There is a lot of mileage left in that little machine.

I think after those releases, we won't see much more support by nintendo for the 3DS...this includes even the E-shop. A few indie games will still come out and some shovel ware, but I think it'll be abandoned by many developers after March...maybe even a month before. Nintendo's focus will mainly be on the Switch if it does well. If the Switch doesn't do as well, then nintendo will be back to focusing on the 3DS. I think nintendo is stating that they will continue on the 3DS into 2017 is because they do not want to lose money on its sales.

That is to be expected, but I think that after March 3ds has perhaps a year before Nintendo expects devs to start migrating to Switch only/mostly.

It's nice to see that there will be some good releases in 2017, but I don't really expect much more after that. The 3DS had a nice run and has one of the best handheld libraries Nintendo ever made.

What @MemoDuh said.

Right. Like how the DS wasn't going to replace the GBA. And like how Nintendo wasn't going to release an upgraded 3DS with a second stick because it would fracture their base.

I like Nintendo, but they have proven time and again that they will say anything to keep people buying currently available hardware.

Nintendo 3DS Is Dead Nintendo Talking About The Nintendo Switch

I like my 3DS , but I'm fine wither way with this. I'm tired of looking at the scratches on the side of my New 3DSXL screen anywah that were caused by the lower screen. Drives me nuts daily.

The switch isnt as portable. And until they make a mini switch without the dock they really won't be targeting the handheld market. So I think they'll coexist for now.

The 3DS will get it's own successor in due time, I'm sure of it.

I hope this doesn't last long, I want the next Pokemon game on Switch!
The 3DS is old enough to abandon now surely...

Well good luck with that.

Probably get minor support through 2018 from Nintendo as well as the usual 3rd party games which means it will have had a pretty long life. Switch is the future though and unless it bombs, the next Nintendo Handheld will be an update to the current switch and it will fit into the existing dock but update the power and features.

If the gamepad cost around $100 to make then the whole switch console should be priced $249.99 or less for what is essentially an updated gamepad (minus a camera and touchscreen? With a few hardware additions), dock/charging station and an extra pro controller. At that price it will be an alternative for handheld gamers and a Nintendo playing companion console for Sony and XBox players

I realize I'm perhaps in the minority here, but i really love the 3D effect, so I'm glad it'll stick around for a while. There's something unique about the graphics too that I love in many 3DS games, for example Rusty's something baseball game, on which I've spent more hours (and money) than I ever expected, just from the feel of it

Consumers would realise very quickly that Switch is different from the 3DS when they see how much it costs!

@Ralizah I see what you're saying, and probably you are right, but I think the GBA was a different situation, in that it had clear hardware limits that prevented developers from moving forward, whereas the 3DS you can have pretty much any type of game with good enough graphics. I think this announcement just means that while people continue to show interest in the 3DS, they'll support it. So it's the market that will ultimately decide when it should die.

The 3DS isn't dead yet, so it makes sense to support it still. It'll die out eventually and support will probably fully change to the Switch

@nab1 The 3DS has clear hardware limits too, the processor is weedy as hell (i doubt many developers will develop "new 3DS only", ever), the screen resolution is at "pocket calculator"-level (The "Pokémon Sun/moon"-demo shows an immense amount of detail being lost on the crappy resolution of the screen), so i think the 3DS will be dropped like a hot potato by June next year, but Nintendo won't say that outright to protect what meager Chrismas-sales they can get...

I'd take this with a pinch of salt...remember the Wii? Gamecube? DS? It's usually third parties that keep making games for older hardware though and I can see some Japanese developers keeping on supporting it.

Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps something else.

Sixty million sold and only ten million Wii u's.

Not every 3ds owner wants a Switch, but they do want games.

@crimsontadpoles If nothing else, it'll get third party support for a while. 3DS is quite popular in Japan, so companies won't be eager to jump on the Switch train until it had had time to establish itself.

I'm 34 and my 3ds logs more hours then my home console. Switch might change that, but i will still keep my 3ds and it's 100+ games right next to it. And if we continue to get cross buys with indie games and more 1st party stuff then it's even more reason to keep playing it.
And if a family like mine only has 1 switch, I will have to leave it home so my kids can use it too...

@Yorumi
The motion controls can be used in place of touch controls when the Switch is docked in home console mode. At least that is what rumors suggest, but considering that Just Dance is confirmed for the Switch, motion controls is practically confirmed for the device.

Also, I have a REALLY hard time believing Nintendo will release a portable console that won't have touch controls. It's 2017. Every portable device with a screen on it, barring some laptops and outdated "non-smart" cell phones, have a touch display.
Nintendo also probably wants a lot of mobile gamers to buy a Switch, and having touch controls is pretty much a necessity for that to happen.

Of course, I doubt Nintendo will force anyone to implement touch controls for the Switch. They won't market that feature very much either, but it will be there.

"60 million users" isn't an accurate statement. They may have sold 60 million units, but I have owned three variants of 3DS systems--being the original model, the 3DS XL, and the New 3DS XL respectively--which I never traded in, and I'm sure there are a lot of people to have bought a new system after their original broke. Granted, people also buy used/refurbished 3DS systems, so maybe it balances out, but I'd say there are probably only half or one-third as many owners of at least one model of 3DS as there are actual sold units.

I believe if the Switch performs well, Nintendo will abandon the 3DS rather quickly. But if the Switch underperforms at launch, Nintendo will keep 3DS alive a while longer, and if the Switch gains no momentum, they will release a new handheld that is an official successor to the 3DS.

If they really are and it isn't as false as "Three-pillar strategy" of old, I would say this is a baaaad move. It'll only confuse customers if they're promoting two fully portable consoles.

Generally the comment thread has this covered.

I'll just say that there are reasons the statements from Nintendo are so general and they aren't all nefarious. As much as some might want to say Nintendo lied about supporting older devices when new ones came along, I think it's more dealing with unrealistic expectations of consumers and the irrational reactions they have as well. If Nintendo says, "our last retail release for 3DS will be in June 2017" a switch goes off in many people's heads that the 3DS is dead now. It's as irrational as feeling like a device will be supported forever with new games as the people playing them dwindle and competing hardware around it offers more for less money. How many years are 3DS owners expecting new games, really?

Thing is, it's easy for the type of person obsessed with gaming enough to visit and comment on these threads to think of a device being "done" when, in actuality, someone who buys a 3DS today, for the first time, has an inexpensive and expansive library of games they have never played waiting for them to conquer for years to come.

So Nintendo is still offering a great little system, but new games for the library aren't going to be needed to keep it selling for a few years. It will be supported, but the big effort will be at launching Switch. This is my hope, anyway, because I'm still seeing its best benefit to Nintendo gaming here is being the one target platform.

@Yorumi
I agree with you from a positioning standpoint, especially for the launch announcement, but there is one potential benefit from the touch interface: apps. I don't know what Nintendo has planned, but a fork off of Android that allows it to bring over a subset of apps controlled via a touch screen could a nice extra.

Primarily though, your points about the use cases and purpose of the device are right. People want to make it into a tablet just looking at it, but it has to be a game console first. Secondly, you can take it with you and play with friends anywhere. If you take away the first part, the second is much less impressive. If

Nintendo showed this as an Android tablet... totally ruined messaging. People are trying to force that on it even when it isn't there.

I could see Nintendo going both ways on this though. It might want to completely distance itself from smartphones and tablets. The argument being "that's not what this is, it's for gaming only. It is much better at that." On the other hand, it might want to throw that capability in and say "It can game like no other portable, plus you won't need to pull out your smartphone or tablet in many cases."

I like the purity of the first argument, but I can't deny the value of the second as messy as it is and could be.

3DS will definitely continue to receive support through 2017. 3rd party localizations, that Miitopia game, a port of Kirby & the Rainbow Curse, and another Pokemon game is the most likely scenario. Don't expect much after Early 2018 though.

the 3ds will definitely have tiny support by 2018... but if they are still supporting the handheld in 2 years they better come up with a new new 3ds lol

All they're saying is they're not going to completely drop all support for an established proven console on the very first day that they launch a weird new one. Obviously the eventual plan is for the Switch platform to take over everything, just like they weren't actually going to keep the DS and Game Boy both around forever and just like they weren't going to keep making controllers with three handles — either the analog stick was going to catch on or they'd have to go back to the D-pad for the console after the N64. But right now, the first goal is to see it as a home console and become only the second Nintendo home console ever to sell more than its predecessor.

I definitely see them making more SKUs and models in the future with the same architecture — Iwata's plan was a hardware future that looks more like Apple's, a bunch of different sizes and models for different needs, all running the same software. Putting out a more portable, durable, kid-friendly model of the Switch that fits better in a pocket would make a lot of sense in a year or two. Maybe even throw in 3DS backward compatibility if the parts are cheap enough (or it might be able to emulate it? If it can handle Gamecube emulation, 3DS wouldn't be too far off, would it?).

Wow, just wow. This means the Wii U will not be supported anymore.
#@?! you Kimishima. All he cares about is money. Just because there are 60 millioon 3DS's and only 15 million Wii U's, he gives a #@?! about the latter ones?
Iwata would've never played handheld user off against stationary users like that. Because he was a gamer at heart, not a banker. He cared about all (even just potential) gamers, not just about those that are the most profitable (because let's face it, developing a 3DS game is less expensive, similar to mobile games).

I officially don't feel represented (as a longtime heavy customer) by Nintendo anymore.

On a side note, isn't it nice to finally have something to talk about.

@SirQuincealot

Dont even bother on this website. I say this all the time and NOBODY here gets it. They are adult males that think it's perfectly normal to talks about how cute and important miiverse drawings are to them.

@mjnmixael And whaddya know, they did continue to supply the GBA with software! Mother 3 came out in 2006!

So much for all of the talk of "merging handheld and home console divisions" that we've been hearing about. Nintendo also hinted they are working on a 3DS successor. Here we go again.

@MysticX You don't understand my point. The 3DS is perfectly capable of handling any type of game. Whether you think the screen or processing power is bad, one can still make any type of game for it, if there is demand (and that's the big if). On the GBA, it was all just "simple" 2D games pretty much, with very limited storage. There was no room left for anything "new" to put on it. They HAD to replace it. But the 3DS can have life still, it all depends on whether and for how long consumers demand more games on it. As already mentioned by others, it could for example be targeted primarily at children alongside the Switch, or as the more bite-sized -games console for older gamers that already have one, for at least some time. Anyway, that's just what I think.

Yeah but all you wii u owners can go eat wood. That's quite sad honestly. I always felt Nintendo was really loyal to their fans. They didn't always listen but you never felt screwed when you bought a system. I wonder if things changed drastically after Iwata's passing. It's starting to seem so.

@Luna_110 worth noting, however, that DS had physical backwards compatibility up until DSi, allowing gamers to buy Gameboy Advance and THEN SOME. This is confirmed to be largely not the case with Switch. Besides, DS was a portable just like Gameboy line while Nintendo keeps positioning NS as a home console at heart. After all, it's "home gaming brought anywhere" they're pursuing as a newer concept - the opposite they did as early as twenty years ago.

It's not a surprise that Nintendo will "Continue To Develop 3DS Software After Switch Launch", the question is for how long.

I would not be surprised if Nintendo tried to start phasing out 3DS games over the course of a year.

this is non news and pretty standard operating procedure. Everyone makes games for the old system when a new one comes out. Plenty of games came out on the ps3/360 when the new systems hit, and the same with the ps2/xbox. Nintendo's history is also rife with this, hell there's even still Wii games being made ATM.

a fair few people see these stories and think it means they'll support the previous system indefinitely. There is bound to be plenty of products in the pipeline that wont port to switch so need to come out anyway.

@DarkKirby my bet is the 3DS will start phasing out when they release an Mario on the Switch (assuming its not a launch) and will be finished when a Pokémon game is announce for the Switch.

The Wii U I suspect will either die with Zelda or there will be a few Switch games launched on the Wii U too.

Been telling people this since the switch announcement but everyone seemed to think it was replacing the 3ds when it clearly isn't.

Plus all those saying 'they said the same about the GB when the DS came out' are morons. The ds had full BC with the GB and GBA carts, that's why it replaced it as everyone bought a DS yet we're still able to play their games. You can't play 3ds on the Switch so you can not compare the 2 situations - it's so stupid.

Great news, but as thrilled as I am that the 3DS still has a lease on life, it wouldn't surprise me if a successor came along eventually. That or all focus will move to the Switch if it's reasonably priced.

There'll be occasional titles throughout 2017 but I don't foresee many big budget games on 3DS, at least from Nintendo itself, anyway. And to be quite honest, the 3DS is quite ancient from a technological standpoint. I think it's definitely time to move on...

@AVahne And, Nintendo rightfully paid the price for that decision. It makes me wonder if Nintendo were a bit more aggressive about expanding first party gaming development during the Wii/DS era would they have had stopped this never-ending cycles of game droughts?

@thesilverbrick And what does "3DS is qute ancient from a technological standpoint" have to do with games and the quality of those said games? I guess the old games from SNES, PS2, PS1, Wii etc are crap because the console are "ancient from a technological standpoint".

@MeloMan "Having multiple hardware systems is costly from a manufacturing and development standpoint despite successes, and the Switch in concept was born of Nintendo's motivation to consolidate it's hardware and software to strengthen each software title released, cut turnaround release time, cut development costs, reduce the headache of development, and stop it's split dichotomy of "profitable system, not-so-profitable system".

The above, hardware-wise, isn't even true historically for Nintendo. Both home and portable consoles were quite profitable until the Wii U.

The 3DS may be aging but the New 3DS could have some amazing new games if it's power was utilised. I can see one more set of Pokémon games. They did just make a new engine after all, plus it would allow them to understand the switch hardware for a new generation of Pokemon. There are games like Dai Gyakuten Saiban and Lady Layton which could be localised and be very popular!

@Yorumi

I'm thinking they'll keep 3DS around just because that's their stability. Go keep it around long enough to get Switch on its own 2 feet, or given the other scenario, until they see Switch isn't catching on, in which case they may release a new handheld in the DS line (probably HDS in HD).

But given Switch at least moderately succeeds (and I think it will because, you could just tell the reaction online was so much better than the Wii U, even just from a personal perspective it looks like a much better system), I think they'll actually let third parties support the 3DS for a little while longer so they can focus all their efforts on making Switch as big a success as possible.

And then when the time is right, they might follow up with a handheld in line with the Switch? Maybe one that uses that wireless HDMI dongle we heard about derived from Wii U streaming tech? So it could be a handheld that doubles by playing games on the TV easily by just removing the dongle and plugging it into your HDMI port.

In fact, if they made the games on Switch scalable you could even have a handheld that runs the same games, and does both portable and TV play also. It's just the one would be larger, much more powerful and would dock while the other would be smaller with scaled down games and you'd have to use a dongle.

I don't know why people are acting surprised.
My perception is that the Switch is a replacement for the WiiU, not meant to replace the 3DS.
3DS isn't going anywhere. Sure the Switch will have mobile functionality, but I see it entirely different than what the 3DS would offer.
3DS is "pocket gaming" while the Switch is "home/console gaming".
It's more apt to compare it to the WiiU's existing GamePad, how you can play on the TV, or on the GamePad itself. Just with the Switch, everything is in the GamePad itself.
The WiiU GamePad you can pick up and go (within range) as needed, but it's not something you're going to whip out for a few minutes at a time, as you would with the 3DS.

@Malakai I'm sorry, when did I say 3DS games were "crap"? The 3DS has had a phenomenal library up to this point, among the best of any console, in my opinion. There's no denying though, that its games are starting to look very dated by today's standards. All the consoles you mentioned do you have a great games, despite their age, but they all have one thing in common: the developers stopped making games for them when superior hardware came along. It's very limiting to keep developing games for aging hardware, when newer technology can make for better experiences. By your logic, people should never have stopped making games for the Super Nintendo. All I'm saying is that it's time to move on. The 3DS will always be remembered for some great games, but it would be foolish and limiting for developers to make games for it forever.

Called it. I would also not be surprised to see a next gen piece of 3DS hardware when the time comes. Switch and 3DS serve different utilities and have different feature sets. They serve different pricepoints and certain demographics (in addition to crossover users). This is not the end of the line for dedicated portable Nintendo gaming.

Duh. Nintendo always say that. We all know their motives. I'm sure a lot of the comments reflect it. The bottom line is this. It is a hybrid for a reason. If the Switch catches fire and sells well this will be treated as the new portable. If it the sales are modest well at least we have a 3DS/DS series. How long did they transition the PS3, Wii, 360, DS the list goes on.

There's a 3DS! The best system there ever was.......and the best system there ever will be.

3DS still has a lot to offer up. I wish Square would shock us all and port Dragon Quest X. Cant wait for Switch but I want to see the online functions. What will it offer for streaming video, and what kind of shop will it have. I guess we will find out in January. I hope the switch will be similar to a Roku box at least

That's nice, Capcom better say **** the 3DS and make MH5 for Switch if Nintendo wants the switch to sell.

@Yorumi I agree. I think the Switch will have a touch screen, but it's implementation will be very, very limited.

Hope so, as 3DS is a bit more portable, and smaller. I'm sticking with it & WiiU for now, until the Switch gets more games/features I want.

Yeah, sure. Just like Wii U.

The NS can't replace the 3DS, it doesn't have two screens or 3D.

That's no news at all. We all already know that Wii U was dying anyway and 3DS was still alive and kicking. And the titles mentioned in the article, although welcome, are old news at this point. What really would be an announcement is a new platform Mario game. That would inject life into the 3DS.

What I already said in a other post: 3DS may live on for a bit. But for how long, I don't know. And if there will be enough of real interest, I do not know either.

It's too bad many players here still think Switch can be a replacement of portable gaming. It's not portable at all. It's too large and battery life is too short, and games designed for TV doesn't always suitable for mobile playing (you could start and stop anytime), not to say the price. If Nintendo only goes with Switch in the future, it will only sell better than Wii U, but no way to catch up with 3DS, not to say combined markets. PSV or the successor of it will get its change to totally conquer the handheld gaming if Nintendo kills its 3DS line, just like PS4 win because both Wii U and Xbox One make multiple mistakes. Switch is only a TV console that has limited portability, but not a portable system at all.

@KTT
Eh, thing is I don't see millions of people complaining about Mario Maker not being a real game, just one or two. You actually are the only one. But I'm sure there's a few more. But I do see extremely favorable reviews all around, and overwhelming agreement that it's amazing.

It's OK to have opinions, but it's important to be realistic and acknowledge when they opinion does not reflect the majority, or even a small minority, but rather an infinitesimally minute minority.

@KTT
"playing the levels is viewing the art"

I'd call that playing the video game. Even designing it, I'd call that playing the video game. Designing or not, it's all part of the video game. RPG maker is a video game. Art Academy is a video game. There are no lines drawn that say you have to have a goal.

It doesn't matter anyways. People love it and it's massively appealing to pretty much anyone. Can't imagine asking a Joe Blow casual gamer if they'd like to design and play and share Mario levels, only to have them say "oh goodness no that sounds like a horrible time"

@KTT
What's with the attitude?

You're estimates are worthless. I estimate 100% love it worldwide, in my estimate is just as valid as yours.

The point is you're the only one whining and the game has sold millions of copies. If it was horrible nobody would buy it.

I'm going to have to ask that you direct your endless texts elsewhere. I'm really not in the mood to debate this anymore.

It's a video game. It's great (and that'she not just my opinion but that of actual graded reviews), and you're like the only person on this entire site making these complaints which should tell you right there that yes you're in the overwhelming infinitesimally small minority.

Count the comments here and see how many people share your opinion, and then count the comments of people that don't share your opinion, and do the math for a little taste of reality. Then why don't you give me that exact percentage and we can actually put some weight behind that rather than just your estimates