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Nintendo Announces Nintendo 2DS

Darryl

Banned
I also find it amazing how out of the blue this announcement was. There wasn't even a small hint of a new model coming out this year. Usually we always get rumor or some kind of stuff before.

They were testing a $129.99 price point throughout the last year during promotions and really have been downplaying the OG model. Something was up for sure and I know I'm not the only one who seen it. It was brought up multiple times throughout E3..
 

Celine

Member
About damn time:

- price competitive (while mantaining profit margin)
- no more "3d is bad for your son" stigma.
- more sturdy ( no hinge etc.) for kids usage.
- at least it's in time for Pokemon.

This model will very likely increase 3DS adoption especially in US and Europe.
 
I also find it amazing how out of the blue this announcement was. There wasn't even a small hint of a new model coming out this year. Usually we always get rumor or some kind of stuff before.

Good thing there wasn't big game show week ago where they could have shown all that new stuff ;)
 
Think about how many people had to approve of this thing before it was released. None of them stopped and said, jeez guys this looks a bit ass?
 

marc^o^

Nintendo's Pro Bono PR Firm
Think about how many people had to approve of this thing before it was released. None of them stopped and said, jeez guys this looks a bit ass?
Someone said that. But someone asked: how many incremental units do we plan this high margin $129 2DS to sell?
"As much as 30 millions over the years?". And so 2DS was born.
 

waypoetic

Banned
"Like you've never seen before"

Actually Nintendo, the Game & Watch systems from the eighties are the grandparents for the DS systems - foldable dual screens and those that arent foldable and look like the 2DS.

But whatever right..
 

ajjow

Member
I also find it amazing how out of the blue this announcement was. There wasn't even a small hint of a new model coming out this year. Usually we always get rumor or some kind of stuff before.

there was a rumour like this last year. That french site said this, the second stick for MH3U too. Iwata must be fired now.
 

marc^o^

Nintendo's Pro Bono PR Firm
If it's sold at the same price - 99€ in France - that means some retailers will sell it as low as 75€ during specific promotions. At that price I may very well buy one for my 5 years old daughter, so that she can play with her 3DS sister.
 

Raysoul

Member
The design is bad, and the Mono speaker is the baddest thing.

However, this would be perfect as a gift, and I would take one if anybody gives it to me. If it was cheaper, I could give it as a gift to someone.
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
wRQksWn.gif

Now snap it in half and glue it together so that you can't close it.
 

MadOdorMachine

No additional functions

I've thought about it and while it makes sense for Nintendo to do this, it only re-enforces my feelings of them lately and how most decisions they make are driving me further away from them as a company. So let the ranting begin -

- Their last two systems (3DS & Wii U) have featured price cuts in less than a year along with long droughts in software. A reason not to buy one of their systems at launch but to instead take a wait and see approach.

- Nintendo has been in the process of cutting functionality from systems rather than adding to. Ex. GC-Compnent Video/Wii-WiFi/3DS-3D. I know this is done to reduce price, but it ends up making the system less appealing imo.

- If they were going to cut functionality and rebrand a system, why in the hell would you do it to your system that is successful and not the one that's having trouble? They should have cut the gamepad from the Wii U and rebranded it as WiiHD, Wii 2 or Super Wii instead. The could have marketed it as fully compatible with the gamepad which could be sold separately at cost. This would have allowed them to drop the price of Wii U without taking a loss and would have given them a chance to rebrand the Wii U and stop the clusterf*ck they've been in since day one. Instead, they are potentially causing confusion and introducing new problems with their successful system rather of fixing the one that is having trouble.

- Nintendo had a chance to finally make an ergonomically correct handheld and they completely miss the opportunity. It seems the days of Nintendo actually caring about controls and comfort are gone and they are more focused on forcing gimmicks into their controllers. Controls in general have gleaned me away from Nintendo's last two consoles and their handhelds have become increasingly more cramped and uncomfortable to play.

- A personal opinion here, but I really hate dual screen gaming whether it be on handheld or console. The design of the 2DS and cost of the Wii U makes how ridiculous the idea is even more apparent. The only place I can see a benefit of it is with consoles and even then it would have to be an addition, not a requirement. Ex. NSMBU uses the idea better than Pikmin 3 imo. In cases like NSMBU, the additional screens features unique gameplay that assists and adds to the game, but it can still be fully played without it. In Pikmin 3, it is clearly an afterthought and adds nothing to the gameplay itself. In fact, I think it hurts it. So I'm of the opinion that having a new functionality like touch or 3D that adds to the actual gameplay would have been better than two screens for a handheld. I would much rather have had that and I think it would have given them more design options.

I feel Nintendo is so out of touch with what gamers want, they are on the verge of losing even more fans/customers. These are only a small fraction of the problems I've had with Nintendo as of late, but I feel they are big ones and that the 2DS and Wii U price drop are huge indicators of the larger problems in the company. Iwata imo, should have been removed from his position and placed in one more suited to his attributes. The recent announcements are in a long line of ones that have plagued Nintendo and their asinine decisions lately. It's not too far of a stretch to imagine the reason behind 3DS -> 2DS redesign is an attempt to spur sales to make up for the even larger losses that Wii U is having. If you put the pieces together it makes sense and I don't think it's a coincidence that both were announced at the same time. The problem is that this all could have been avoided or even fixed had different steps been taken. As bad as it sounds and as much as I don't like it, Nintendo deserves to be struggling and in the position they are in. They have done it to themselves./Rant
 
This will undoubtedly sell big but isn't Nintendo concerned that it might be regressing to its previous stigma of being a children company by deliberately catering a major product to that demographic? I've felt that they successfully shed that reputation over the years by creating games marketed for "everyone," but now it seems they're going backwards in that regard. Long term risk for short term profits again?
 
"Like you've never seen before"

Actually Nintendo, the Game & Watch systems from the eighties are the grandparents for the DS systems - foldable dual screens and those that arent foldable and look like the 2DS.

But whatever right..

Are you sure there were non foldable 2 screen Game & Watches?
 

nampad

Member
I still can't believe there are people here who can't understand why this system makes sense for Nintendo and why, for all intents and purposes, this will most probably sell by the truckloads.

Hell, I am almost convinced I'll buy three of these just to give to my nephews. People look at the device and say "That's so stupid; that looks cheap!" without pausing for a moment and realizing you can play all the awesome DS and 3DS games with it at such a low entry price.

But hey, knee-jerk reaction GAF, especially if it's regarding Nintendo. Remind me again why this place is so "esteemed" by the industry?


We all do understand the reason for a cheaper entry model, which is smart. We just laugh about the way they are trying to achieve it.

First of all, they cut out the main feature and namesake of the platform, the 3D. The new mindboggling name for the device also doesn't help with the customers and deserves to be made fun of. Secondly the device is designed rather ugly, no need for that even if it has to be cheaper. Thirdly they cut features that are helpful (clamshell) or can't be that expensive (stereo speakers). Sure, they have to cut things to lower the price, but in the end the suggested price isn't even much lower than todays street prices of a 3DS, especially considering all the cutted features. So much nickel and diming going on.

This totally reminds me of the Wii Mini, which cut component cable support and WiFi and didn't get really cheaper.
And it's just not Nintendo getting flak for things like this. Sony's PSP-E1000 also got it for cutting stereo sound and WiFi. Same goes for Sony's 12GB PS3 with them sneakily setting a higher price in the end for the HDD SKU. The super slim also got mocked a lot for its design.
 
Wonder if amazon will officially carry it. All those screen issues bummed them out about 3ds returns, maybe a simpler device will get stocked. If so, look out for even bigger sales.
 

Tobor

Member
This will undoubtedly sell big but isn't Nintendo concerned that it might be regressing to its previous stigma of being a children company by deliberately catering a major product to that demographic? I've felt that they successfully shed that reputation over the years by creating games marketed for "everyone," but now it seems they're going backwards in that regard. Long term risk for short term profits again?

We have very different opinions on the status of their image.
 

hachi

Banned
At first its design looked awful. Now the more I look at it, the more I wish I had one, just for the VC and 2D games that I play. I won't actually be picking one up, but it's... growing on me nonetheless. Its awkward retro look evokes early GBA models like some kind of lost Gameboy from an alternative universe in which the DS clamshell never existed.
 

Rizsparky

Member
Yeah, I had mentioned my 2 sub 7yo kids use my XL, but, if I ever bought a second, surely this would be worth a look.

Especially if the system is sturdier and can take a few knocks, my XL is bulky but it feels really fragile, I'd think twice before allowing under 7's play on it.
 
Wow millions of views already on youtube and on the front page with negativity from internet...yep its gonna sell millions like the ipad(pretty much the same exact reaction when it was announced, WHAT IS THIS A LARGE ITOUCH?!?!)
 
My son is nearly five, see's me playing Vita and wants one himself for Mario and Sonic. Myself and my wife were going to get him an XL but in hesitant to spend £180 on a device for someone so young. This device is ideal, for the price of the XL I can get him this and a charger, memory card and three or four games. This is Nintendo going after the younger market, and my god its working. Mentioned it to a family friend and they are getting it for their son who's a similar age. The price difference makes a huge deal.
 
Especially if the system is sturdier and can take a few knocks, my XL is bulky but it feels really fragile, I'd think twice before allowing under 7's play on it.

Depends on the kids. My 2 girls (6 and 4) know the XL is the only device in the house, so, if they want to check on their characters in New Leaf, being extra nice to the XL is a priority.
 

Cromat

Member
I like how people are saying "who would dare using this in public?". As if the 3DS or
Vita are some huge pussy magnet.

They needed to get the price down. I was rather surprised at how little outrage exists in this forum about the 3DS' price.
In the age of $200 Nexus 4 that price is ridiculous and completely unjustifiable. Even charging $129 for this model is too much in my opinion. The world has changed. For $200 you can get capable modern devices.
The software is strong enough to drive strong sales (especially in Japan since the home console market there is weak) but the hardware itself is subpar compared to other similarly priced devices.

By mid-2014, the 2DS needs to be $100.
 
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