Reuters: Nintendo Faces End of Era after 3DS Flop

[Skyfrog]

I wouldn't say Nintendo hardware is finished at all :s

Their hand-held console, maybe so but they need to concentrate on the Wii replacement.

So far the Wii U has been less than exciting, or even interesting. I don't think it's going to do very well either, and it may make more sense for the company to follow Sega's lead and concentrate on games only. Imagine if you could play the New Super Mario Bros. on the iPad, or download their back catalog of games through iTunes, Xbox Live and other online stores the way you can with the virtual console. They would be rolling in money.

[Tharp Daddy]

Most of the big 3DS games are coming out this holiday season, and there is going to be a big pokemon announcement here soon, which i imagine will be the announcement of a 3DS pokemon game. I think Nintendo is fine.

[Vice]

3DS doesn't interest me and I own a DS Lite and a DSi.

I would have bought it had the displays been larger the plastic bezel around the display smaller and the whole thing made more compact and sleek. It looks like a kids toy and not a premium device. To me the Playstation Vita looks like a premium device and I'll probably buy that.

[remixedcat]

I felt like the gaming companies abandonded nintendo which caused them not to focuse on it.... when N64 was coming out everyone was like OMG YES! then it came and 3rd parties seemed to be like eh.... Square went to the playstation basically and ruined one of their key RPG players..... thats when I felt like nintendo made a wrong turn with 3rd parties...

but then when N64 was out everyone said it was the end of nintendo, since it didn't do so great.... but their key argument then was cartridge vs CD ROM

nintendo was *******s to thier devs, that's why the devs left... plus they closed off more and more of the IDEs and SDKs to the point it's not worth it

[The_Decimator]

Oh G-D... Nintendo BETTER not go the way of Sega!

[Xilo]

Oh G-D... Nintendo BETTER not go the way of Sega!

You mean you wouldn't want to play Zelda, Pokemon, Kirby, Mario, Super Smash Brothers, etc, on a Sony/MS console?

[Charisma Veteran]

3DS doesn't interest me and I own a DS Lite and a DSi.

I would have bought it had the displays been larger the plastic bezel around the display smaller and the whole thing made more compact and sleek. It looks like a kids toy and not a premium device. To me the Playstation Vita looks like a premium device and I'll probably buy that.

I could go for a larger display, sure, but.. looks, really, is that what you care about? More than the actual games? Plus, what you call "looks like a kids toy"... I kind of like the fact that it can handle a drop or two. If it were slim and light, like it had been designed by Apple or something, I'd be afraid of breaking it.

[Blackhearted]

3DS doesn't interest me and I own a DS Lite and a DSi.

I would have bought it had the displays been larger the plastic bezel around the display smaller and the whole thing made more compact and sleek. It looks like a kids toy and not a premium device. To me the Playstation Vita looks like a premium device and I'll probably buy that.

It's not really all that different looking from the dsi/lite. In fact, it's virtually the same except for the little edge on the top panel(which is such a minor thing that it's pretty much irrelevant). As such, If you were ok with the look of the old ds models(which i would assume you were as you say you own 2 of them), then you should be fine with the look of 3ds.

[Vice]

I could go for a larger display, sure, but.. looks, really, is that what you care about? More than the actual games? Plus, what you call "looks like a kids toy"... I kind of like the fact that it can handle a drop or two. If it were slim and light, like it had been designed by Apple or something, I'd be afraid of breaking it.

Well the fact is ammali people do buy things based on aesthetics. It's why we choose specific wallpaper in our homes and specific fireplaces and gates it's why we choose a specific colour car, or a car design.

The fact is to me the 3DS is a gimmick the 3D aspect of the console to me is meh so if the design isn't going to be better than the DSi (and to me it isn't) then there is no reason for me to buy it at all. The Sony Vita not only looks awesome and like a professional adult gaming device but it has the features to back it up.

It's not really all that different looking from the dsi/lite. In fact, it's virtually the same except for the little edge on the top panel(which is such a minor thing that it's pretty much irrelevant). As such, If you were ok with the look of the old ds models(which i would assume you were as you say you own 2 of them), then you should be fine with the look of 3ds.

If it looks the same why am I buying it? The 3D aspect of the console is a dud. It's just a bigger DSi with 3D and I already have the DSi. Also the reason I have two is because my first DS Lite was busted so I got a DSi for free as a replacement but the seller didn't want the DS Lite back so I got to keep both. DS Lite still broken though so I don't know why I still have it even.

[Jose_49]

rom what i can gather, the 3DS has sold b/w 4.5-5mil units in <6mo.

Shipped, not sold.

[.Neo]

Nintendo, Nikia, BlackBerry and to a certain degree Microsoft are examples of companies that failed to anticipate and react effectively to shifts in the market(s) they operate in. That does't necessarily have to mean everything is suddenly over for said companies. Look at Apple: They were almost done for, look where they are now.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Shipped, not sold.

hard to say which - everything ive read says 'sold' like this

however, the DS sales wiki says 'shipped' (see here)

3DS doesn't interest me and I own a DS Lite and a DSi.

I would have bought it had the displays been larger the plastic bezel around the display smaller and the whole thing made more compact and sleek. It looks like a kids toy and not a premium device. To me the Playstation Vita looks like a premium device and I'll probably buy that.

the top display is larger on the 3DS and has higher resolution. the processors are much faster too.

the 3DS is a whole new beast. Here's a comparison of the 3DS and the DSi

[Vice]

the top display is larger on the 3DS and has higher resolution. the processors are much faster too.

the 3DS is a whole new beast.

I know the display is larger and it's higher resolution and it has faster processors. But that doesn't change my view on it. The 3D is its main selling point and to me that aspect of the console is a gimmick that does not interest me at all. And although it has a larger screen and faster processors I don't feel games are arriving that make good use of those features beyond what the DSi is already capable of.

So I stick by my view that it's a bigger DSi with 3D and the hardware required to support that 3D aspect of the console.

I just also want to add that if I was buying a new handheld from scratch the 3DS would be an attractive purchase. I concede that. But I'm not a new buyer I already have a DSi and I don't feel there are enough compelling reasons to upgrade to a 3DS from my DSi. And I think a lot of people see it that way as the DS sold like hotcakes and the 3DS isn't so the people who bought the DS are passing on the 3DS.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

I think the main reason that the 3DS has not been successful is the branding in my opinion. Many people still see it as a DS console, to the extent that supermarkets are mixing the 3DS games within the DS section. This means that many are not buying because they 'already have' a DS, not thinking that it's the next generation device, a-la PS2 to PS3 etc.

If it were named something separate from the DS branding, then maybe it would have had more of an initial sales surge, but not at the moment. Also take note that the DS' original success didn't come immediately after launch, in fact it came with the DS Lite a while after, around the time both it and Nintendogs/Brain Training came out, this is what caused the huge success.

I think it's best to bide our time. If Nintendo were to make a 3DS Lite and price it aggresively like the original DS Lite was (?99 was the DS Lite's launch price) and have the games to back it up, it'll be a roaring success just like its predecessor.

Yeah this is a good point as I see a lot of people say well I already have a DS lite/I/XL so why should I get the 3DS. There are a ton of upgrades to it and I am happy to have it. Sales will pick up with 4 major Nintendo titles out by chistrmas Zelda/Star Fox both of which I have and are great. And then Super Mario in November and Mario Kart in early December. Not to mention the Zelda cover story in GI that I just read had me with a thought I never thought I would have - I want to play Skyward Sword more then Skyrim(so many great RPG type changes). And I'm getting ready to plunk $150 down on the CE for Skyrim. Nintendo is far from finished and the 3DS is in no way a flop. The PSP came back strong as the PS3, it just needs titles which it is getting over the next few months.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

I know the display is larger and it's higher resolution and it has faster processors. But that doesn't change my view on it. The 3D is its main selling point and to me that aspect of the console is a gimmick that does not interest me at all. And although it has a larger screen and faster processors I don't feel games are arriving that make good use of those features beyond what the DSi is already capable of.

So I stick by my view that it's a bigger DSi with 3D and the hardware required to support that 3D aspect of the console.

I just also want to add that if I was buying a new handheld from scratch the 3DS would be an attractive purchase. I concede that. But I'm not a new buyer I already have a DSi and I don't feel there are enough compelling reasons to upgrade to a 3DS from my DSi. And I think a lot of people see it that way as the DS sold like hotcakes and the 3DS isn't so the people who bought the DS are passing on the 3DS.

well i hope you change your mind next year when more games are out (Y)

[SimplySchizo]

Nintendo has reached the point where it's... 3rd party or die.

[Vice]

well i hope you change your mind next year when more games are out (Y)

Doubt it.

In my opinion many of the DS games are pretty rubbish and I would put that down to most of them fitting inside 128MB of memory. I mean most games don't have characters that actually talk it's all text. I'm not saying having text in a game is bad. But this is 2011 and I expect my portable game experience to have the cinematic characteristics of say .. The Playstation 2. Which came out 10 years ago. The PSP has always delivered on this due to its 1.8GB UMD format. The Nintendo DS.. not so much..

It just feels like to me that the Nintendo handheld consoles don't really progress that much. Back in 1998 there handhelds were text heavy with very little good sound usually games lacked any kind of character speech and today we are in the same situation. This is just disappointing to me that they focus on 3D but not on the most basic parts of the console like the storage medium.

It amazes me actually that I can buy a 2GB MicroSD for ?2.50 in the UK but Nintendo DS games are still predominantly 64 and 128MB in size. They can't spare ?2.50 for some more flash memory? really? Just ridiculous.

And my other complaint with the 3DS is the battery life. Now I commend Nintendo for shipping it with a cradle for charging but come on.. this is going head to head with the DSi and smart phones both of which have a longer battery life. This should have been on the top of Nintendo's agenda. Make it powerful but keep the battery life the same as the DSi or better. They failed to deliver. I'm sure they will come out with a NDS Lite or NDSi within 12 months though that addresses the battery life problem and early adopters will just be expected to upgrade I suppose.

The main reason I bought my DSi was for Pokemon as I really loved those games in my youth I had Pokemon Blue :p and I thought hey those were great games that I enjoyed I should try the DS version and I really enjoyed it I thought it was good but at the same time didn't really add much over the original I mean sure the graphics were better but well beyond that it was the same game. No characters ever talk, very basic sounds and effects and resources are reused thousands of times to keep the memory use on the game card low. And it will just be the same on the 3DS.. but now it's in 3D...

Yeah I'll stick with my Phone for gaming and see how the Playstation Vita turns out.

[Matrix XII]

Nintendo screwed up with the 3DS but I really hope their hardware days live on. Some of the best memories I have of playing games was on their systems.

Super Mario World on SNES, best game of all time :p

[Sub_Zero_Alchemist]

You mean you wouldn't want to play Zelda, Pokemon, Kirby, Mario, Super Smash Brothers, etc, on a Sony/MS console?

Not a snowball chance you'll see any of those games on those consoles, if Nintendo dies all their games die along with them.

Nintendo has reached the point where it's... 3rd party or die.

it's neither Nintendo will be fine..

You got to love the nut jobs in this thread, Nintendo is not even close on being Sega. nor will Nintendo go 3rd party. if Nintendo dies so will their games, and for those

hoping Nintendo games ends up on MS/Sony console fat ball's chance of that happening.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Doubt it.

In my opinion many of the DS games are pretty rubbish and I would put that down to most of them fitting inside 128MB of memory. I mean most games don't have characters that actually talk it's all text. I'm not saying having text in a game is bad. But this is 2011 and I expect my portable game experience to have the cinematic characteristics of say .. The Playstation 2. Which came out 10 years ago. The PSP has always delivered on this due to its 1.8GB UMD format. The Nintendo DS.. not so much..

It just feels like to me that the Nintendo handheld consoles don't really progress that much. Back in 1998 there handhelds were text heavy with very little good sound usually games lacked any kind of character speech and today we are in the same situation. This is just disappointing to me that they focus on 3D but not on the most basic parts of the console like the storage medium.

It amazes me actually that I can buy a 2GB MicroSD for ?2.50 in the UK but Nintendo DS games are still predominantly 64 and 128MB in size. They can't spare ?2.50 for some more flash memory? really? Just ridiculous.

And my other complaint with the 3DS is the battery life. Now I commend Nintendo for shipping it with a cradle for charging but come on.. this is going head to head with the DSi and smart phones both of which have a longer battery life. This should have been on the top of Nintendo's agenda. Make it powerful but keep the battery life the same as the DSi or better. They failed to deliver. I'm sure they will come out with a NDS Lite or NDSi within 12 months though that addresses the battery life problem and early adopters will just be expected to upgrade I suppose.

The main reason I bought my DSi was for Pokemon as I really loved those games in my youth I had Pokemon Blue :p and I thought hey those were great games that I enjoyed I should try the DS version and I really enjoyed it I thought it was good but at the same time didn't really add much over the original I mean sure the graphics were better but well beyond that it was the same game. No characters ever talk, very basic sounds and effects and resources are reused thousands of times to keep the memory use on the game card low. And it will just be the same on the 3DS.. but now it's in 3D...

Yeah I'll stick with my Phone for gaming and see how the Playstation Vita turns out.

well... you have to remember that when the original DS specs were finalized, flash memory was still horridly expensive. they needed to keep the cost down so they had to limit it to 128MB or whatever.

fast-forward to 2010 when the 3DS's specs were finalized... 3DS carts are 2GB now. that's a huge leap.

"Nintendo 3DS cartridges will be able to store up to 2 GB of data at launch, and larger sizes are likely to follow throughout the system?s lifetime. The first generation of DS cartridges only went up to 64 MB, but over time, Nintendo introduced sizes all the way up to 512 MB." source

i'm currently playing OOT and the game still has text instead of voice, but they were just recreating/porting the original from N64. before OOT, i played Splinter Cell 3D which is also a port, but all the dialog was voice. all of it.

as for battery life - yeah, it's not good by 2011 standards; however, you get considerably longer life when the wifi is disabled. you certainly dont need wifi enabled when youre playing a single player game like OOT or Splinter Cell. also, if youre playing a DS game you wont be using the 3D, which saves battery life as well. in my case, i dont travel w/ my 3DS that much, save for a few flights, so battery life isnt that important. 95% of the time spent playing is at home.

[ahhell]

Too bad....

Now this may be end for Nintendo hardware, it may still live on. There are unconfirmed reports of Nintendo putting their unique gaming line-up on iOS App Store.

Or even if they are not, this is an option still open for them.

LOL

Where did you come up with that ridiculousness1?!?!? It'll be a frosty day in hell before Nintendo puts their stuff on the App Store.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[S00N3R FR3AK]

LOL

Where did you come up with that ridiculousness1?!?!? It'll be a frosty day in hell before Nintendo puts their stuff on the App Store.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

It has been going around that the investors that jumped on during the Wii want to oust Iwata and Miyamoto and move to iOS.

[compl3x]

Nintendo just released a metallic pink DSi for $170. Considering a 3DS is $170 I think there is some monkey business going on over at nintendo.

[JustGeorge]

As someone who grew up with the NES, I think its time for Nintendo to consider falling in line with Sega and become a software-only company. Money is in software not hardware. Honestly, cranking out hardware for the sake of having a specialized controller that won't appeal to everyone doesn't make a lot of sense. I'd have no problem playing a Mario or Zelda game on a Microsoft console. The experience is in the game not the box it runs on. As for portable gaming, I think Nintendo is justified in continuing to make handheld systems. You're not going to get a good Nintendo style game on an iPhone, primarily due to the control interface. Nintendo could make some games exclusively for phones, but you will never have a true Mario, Starfox, Zelda without some real controls.

[DPyro]

Once the PS Vita is released Nintendo will have a hard time getting people to pay $170 for the 3DS.