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Nirolak · May 21, 2011

GameStop has issued a warning that they expect to miss their Q2 3DS sales expectations. As a note, GameStop's Q2 goes from April-June, so it would include any titles and updates released during the period.

I think this is the first time we have actually seen a retailer weigh in on 3DS sales versus their expectations, especially in a post launch sense.

They were very impressed with the 3DS's launch however.

GamesIndustry.biz said:
GameStop expects 3DS to lag in second quarter

Specialist retailer GameStop has said that it expects sales of Nintendo's 3DS to be below expectations during the second quarter after a strong launch in the US.

Yesterday the company called out the system as one of the key drivers for record sales and profits in its first quarter, having secured huge numbers of the handheld for launch.

During a call to investors, president Tony Bartell noted the 3DS represented "one of our highest market shares we've ever had on a Nintendo launch, 45 per cent. We were excited about our market share."

He added: "I think there has been reports that the numbers are lagging from what the expectations were for the US and I think our results would be in line with that in Q2.

"We do expect that we will fall slightly short of what we expected. So we were excited to launch, but in Q2, we do believe that it will slightly lag our expectations."

Sales of the 3DS did not meet Nintendo's initial launch expectations, with the system moving under 400,000 in its North American debut - below the 460,000 units of its predecessor the DS.

Analysts have also claimed sales of the 3DS have slowed considerably, following a period of few new software releases.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-05-20-gamestop-expects-3ds-to-lag-in-second-quarter

Door2Dawn · May 21, 2011

They're ain't no games.

Y2Kev · May 21, 2011

Launch is drier than a buzzard's crotch

markot · May 21, 2011

Nintendo better rethink this 'third party launch' stuff >_<

With devs like Ubisoft, who needs third parties!(GR not inc obv)

Keyser Soze · May 21, 2011

The launch had no depth

Anth0ny · May 21, 2011

Wait... isn't June OOT and RE? They should sell a few more when they come out.

killermmn · May 21, 2011

what unrealese games are good?

the two a see good, is mega man legend 3 and kid icarus?

Nirolak · May 21, 2011

Anth0ny said:
Wait... isn't June OOT and RE? They should sell a few more when they come out.

This would include GameStop weighing in on the sales potential of those games yes.

inner-G · May 21, 2011

I'm selling mine back this weekend, so I'm no help.

Mrbob · May 21, 2011

Anth0ny said:
Wait... isn't June OOT and RE? They should sell a few more when they come out.

OOT and RE aren't going to push hardware sales. OOT is a remake and RE is a Mercenaries only game.

ferr · May 21, 2011

I honestly think the 'lag' is due to the 3DS being too 'similar' to the DS gen for most people to realize IT'S A BRAND NEW FUCKIN THING.

wwm0nkey · May 21, 2011

Havent sold any 3DS's since I started working at GS and actually had 2 people in a row call about trading it in :/

No one seems interested in it either due to lack of games.

Deleted member 81567 · May 21, 2011

Maybe people are smart enough to finally realize 3D is useless?

watershed · May 21, 2011

I hope Nintendo is paying attention. This is exactly how not to launch new hardware.

Gamestop probably expected the 3ds to have a bigger install base so new games released in June would have a bigger potential buyer base. But given the relatively low sales of the 3ds even big software releases won't match previous projections.

Go319 · May 21, 2011

well ive had one since close to launch and still dont own any 3DS games yet.

nothing i want.

i bought it for future titles (way way into the future) and the ever-delayed eshop.

ccbfan · May 21, 2011

Nirolak said:
GameStop has issued a warning that they expect to miss their Q2 3DS sales expectations. As a note, GameStop's Q2 goes from April-June, so it would include any titles and updates released during the period.

I think this is the first time we have actually seen a retailer weigh in on 3DS sales versus their expectations, especially in a post launch sense.

They were very impressed with the 3DS's launch however.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-05-20-gamestop-expects-3ds-to-lag-in-second-quarter

Wait so Gamestop sold 45 percent of all 3DS in the U.S?

Thats crazy high.

Also shows that 3DS has very little penetration into the casual market.

Kusagari · May 21, 2011

I bought it with SSFIV and then got rid of SF because I realized I didn't want another version of the game. The thing seriously needs some games and I don't know if a port(even if it is a port of OoT) and a RE spinoff will do anything.

Snakeyes · May 21, 2011

Nintendo really brought this onto themselves by grossly overpricing the 3DS. I hope they drop it to $200 at the most and lower the software pricing as well.

dimb · May 21, 2011

artwalknoon said:
I hope Nintendo is paying attention. This is exactly how not to launch new hardware.

Well it's probably too late for them to walk away from this and be prepared to execute the Cafe launch with what they've learned from the 3DS.

Anth0ny · May 21, 2011

Mrbob said:
OOT and RE aren't going to push hardware sales. OOT is a remake and RE is a Mercenaries only game.

That's true, but for them to "miss expectations" (from what I understand) is horrible. "Meeting expectations" is pretty bad too. "Exceeding expectations" is good. I would think they'd at least meet expectations with a game like Zelda coming out.

I honestly think the main reason this thing isn't selling is because the public thinks it's just another DS, as opposed to something entirely new.

Then again, a new Mario Kart might help them understand exactly what the situation is.

Y2Kev · May 21, 2011

Keyser Soze said:
The launch had no depth

Oh, you just need to push the slider up

watershed · May 21, 2011

Dance In My Blood said:
Well it's probably too late for them to walk away from this and be prepared to execute the Cafe launch with what they've learned from the 3DS.

That's what I'm saying, they should learn from this and manage the cafe launch better. Though given how it was announced (same day as a bad earnings report, presumably to change the news focus) the cafe may be just as "rushed to the market" as the 3ds seems to be. Of course we know nothing about the cafe so I'm hopefully completely wrong.

entremet · May 21, 2011

GAF is like the reverse nostradamus. 3DS was supposed to be a sure thing.

I'm sure it will be successful in the long run, but the pricing and dry launch game window--it needed a banner Nintendo game--are the big barriers right now for break out success.

Busaiku · May 21, 2011

Y2Kev said:
Oh, you just need to push the slider up

Sometimes you have to manually adjust it in the settings.

Majima Everywhere System · May 21, 2011

Kusagari said:
I bought it with SSFIV and then got rid of SF because I realized I didn't want another version of the game. The thing seriously needs some games and I don't know if a port(even if it is a port of OoT) and a RE spinoff will do anything.

DOA. That Tales of game would be nice to have too.

watershed · May 21, 2011

entrement said:
GAF is like the reverse nostradamus. 3DS was supposed to be a sure thing.

I'm sure it will be successful in the long run, but the pricing and dry launch game window--the needed a banner Nintendo game--and are the big barriers right now for break out success.

Its like the PSP predictions all over again! So now we know, if GAF says one thing, expect the other.

antonz · May 21, 2011

entrement said:
GAF is like the reverse nostradamus. 3DS was supposed to be a sure thing.

I'm sure it will be successful in the long run, but the pricing and dry launch and release schedule are a big barriers right now for break out success.

Pricereally isnt as big a factor as people think. Its all about the software which even die hard Nintendo fans will admit is severely lacking. Nintendo really needs to start having a solid chain of releases after OOT. Start hammering out starfox,Kid Icarus etc month after month.

The thing is guaranteed to explode this fall just needs to pick up before then

OldJadedGamer · May 21, 2011

Snakeyes said:
Nintendo really brought this onto themselves by grossly overpricing the 3DS. I hope they drop it to $200 at the most and lower the software pricing as well.

Price is what kept me away and I've bought every Nintendo hardware at launch for the last 15 years (minus Virtual Boy)

lockload · May 21, 2011

Once i heard the 3d could be turned off that was the end of my hope for it as no game will ever take full advantage of it because it still need to work with 3d off

Busaiku · May 21, 2011

artwalknoon said:
Its like the PSP predictions all over again! So now we know, if GAF says one thing, expect the other.

Can't forget Wii Music.
GAF is never right.

entremet · May 21, 2011

artwalknoon said:
Its like the PSP predictions all over again! So now we know, if GAF says one thing, expect the other.

Well, the PSP2/NGP2 is supposed to be a big flop in other than in Japan, according to the consensus. I guess we'll wait and see.

Fantasy Final · May 21, 2011

I'm still waiting for games

watershed · May 21, 2011

entrement said:
Well, the PSP2/NGP2 is supposed to be a big flop in other than in Japan, according to the consensus. I guess we'll wait and see.

So success guaranteed for the NGP in all regions except Japan? Good to know.

Seriously though the 3ds price is a big hurdle for a lot of people at the moment because parents aren't willing to spend that much on their kids unless its a holiday or birthday and some gamers simply don't see the hardware justifying the price, which I agree with.

Sqorgar · May 21, 2011

antonz said:
Pricereally isnt as big a factor as people think. Its all about the software which even die hard Nintendo fans will admit is severely lacking.

I think the problem is that the deepest, most interesting games (Samurai Warriors Chronicles, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars) on the system are niche titles that most players have trained themselves to ignore. Seems like everyone on GAF bought a 3DS with Street Fighter IV, a game they've already played to death.

TxdoHawk · May 21, 2011

$249 = No dice. People will only pay so much for a portable system. You'd think Nintendo of all companies would know this (and you'd think Sony wouldn't be about to make the same mistake yet again...)

The lack of quality software is just salt on the wound.

JABEE · May 21, 2011

OldJadedGamer said:
Price is what kept me away and I've bought every Nintendo hardware at launch for the last 15 years (minus Virtual Boy)

Price, lack of software, and 3+ hour battery life has made me shy away and wait until the lite version. As it got closer to the launch my excitement for the system began to slowly diminish. Most of the games I was excited for that they showed at E3 got pushed back and didn't make it for launch.

Calcaneus · May 21, 2011

They should have went with a new gameboy. The DS name is dead.

ZealousD · May 21, 2011

We've had the same used 3DS sitting in our store for the past month.

And it just recently got a buddy.

I'm sure it's the dry launch more than anything, but a price drop certainly wouldn't hurt.

BY2K · May 21, 2011

Mrbob said:
OOT and RE aren't going to push hardware sales. OOT is a remake and RE is a Mercenaries only game.

You underestimate the power of a remake of what is considered by many the best game ever created...

Plus, it's a Zelda game.

SaintMadeOfPlaster · May 21, 2011

Calcaneus said:
They should have went with a new gameboy. The DS name is dead.

I hope that was a joke.

apana · May 21, 2011

entrement said:
GAF is like the reverse nostradamus. 3DS was supposed to be a sure thing.

I'm sure it will be successful in the long run, but the pricing and dry launch game window--it needed a banner Nintendo game--are the big barriers right now for break out success.

Most people make predictions assuming the past will repeat itself, not just GAF.

CornBurrito · May 21, 2011

Dr Eggman said:
Maybe people are smart enough to finally realize 3D is useless?

And then maybe they will become even smarter and realize the 3D is just a gimmick and what the 3DS really provides is more powerful hardware to take advantage of.

JABEE · May 21, 2011

Calcaneus said:
They should have went with a new gameboy. The DS name is dead.

I think the DS name is still very strong, but the people they are trying to get to purchase the system are the very people who they believed did not care about High Definition graphics. Most people don't know it's a next generation Nintendo handheld. They see it as a DS with 3D. Just like the DSi was a DS that had internet connectivity. I don't see the 3DS coming close to the DS's success at the pricepoint of $250. $250 for a device that has very little software and looks very similar to the previous iterations of the DS (aesthetically) don't jump out at people.

Edit: Not internet connectivity. I meant a DSi store.

Kusagari · May 21, 2011

The price probably is the biggest reason. The Cafe rumors of the price are pretty shocking too. Nintendo's bread and butter has always been there lower prices. Not sure why they're shying away from that.

Vic · May 21, 2011

Nintendo can't sell the 3DS very well so far. Ever since E3 2010, I was dead sure that people would jump on the 3DS because of the stereoscopic screens but people in general doesn't seems to be aware that the 3DS even exist. DOAD is making the system a bit more relevant to me, but I really want to see a 3DS revision with a longer battery life, improved viewing angle, a lower price tag, etc.

Vic · May 21, 2011

BY2K said:
You underestimate the power of a remake of what is considered by many the best game ever created...

Plus, it's a Zelda game.

OoT is going to help in the longer term when people will think of a reason to get into the platform but by itself, it's probably not going to sell a lot of system. Same with StarFox 64.

antonz · May 21, 2011

Kusagari said:
The price probably is the biggest reason. The Cafe rumors of the price are pretty shocking too. Nintendo's bread and butter has always been there lower prices. Not sure why they're shying away from that.

Because sometimes in the real world you cant get everything for cheap. They could certainly sell the 3DS for cheaper and still profit but the base cost of the 3DS alone is probably double what it took to make a DS easily.

beast786 · May 21, 2011

Go319 said:
well ive had one since close to launch and still dont own any 3DS games yet.

nothing i want.

i bought it for future titles (way way into the future) and the ever-delayed eshop.

If that was your reason, then you should have waited for a better possible bundle or cheaper.

possible reason for lackluster sales.

poor launch titles
people cant tell the difference from ds
price point
market is changing
to many other optons, especially since every tom , dick has a smart phone
hard to market 3d ?

tetrisgrammaton · May 21, 2011

if they start putting old 3D exploitation movies on it, i'm in. preferably something with Piranhas.

Error Macro · May 21, 2011

Calcaneus said:
They should have went with a new gameboy. The DS name is dead.

Just relaunch it as the Gameboy 3DS. That's different enough.

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