I'm glad you're always here to remind us of handhelds dying.
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Nintendo NPD PR: 3DS has surpassed 60 million unit worldwide
- Thread starter Ryng_tolu
- Start date
I'm glad you're always here to remind us of handhelds dying.
Father_Brain
Banned
Literally any conceivable dedicated handheld is overpriced, compared to the prospect of free games on hardware everyone already owns. That's the problem.
Then it's a little silly to imply these numbers are impressive.
Edit: Sorry, that sounds a lot more flippant than I intended to be. I just don't think that, even in light of the mobile gaming boom, these numbers are great. It represents a massive contraction in Nintendo's handheld market that is in many ways the result of their own doing.
Father_Brain
Banned
If you don't like reading my posts, that's what the ignore function is for. But this is a sales thread and what I'm saying is entirely pertinent.
The 3DS had major issues
Hardware reasons:
a) It was too expensive for its target market by far
b) The hardware had a confusing name that meant it wasn't immediately apparent that it was a 'new generation' of handhelds
c) A terrible screen right when cheap phones were starting to make poor resolution screens a thing of the past
d) An ugly clamshell design that made it look like a toy in comparison to other tech products, whereas the DS Lite was pretty damn slick for its time
e) Poor battery life for a gaming product
f) A design flaw that scratched up the top screen (happened to me, pretty damn poor show)
g) Poor multimedia functions - can't really watch movies, web browsing isn't great - these are really a fault of the screen, but still
h) Needed a 'not for young kids 5 and under due to 3D' warning - from a fucking Nintendo handheld!
i) Glasses free 3D was a gimmick no one cared about that added costs
Non-hardware reasons:
j) Marketing was poor
k) Launch software was poor
l) Limited app selection
As for the Vita, it was also too expensive and had little software support and no killer apps, that was its problem as much as anything. As for the 3DS, it DID end up getting a whole bunch of killer apps, which is why they managed to push 60m of a really mediocre machine.
Reasons a) through l) can be fixed by Nintendo next time around with their new hardware. It can only help.
Are you kidding me? The PS2 moved 157 Million units vs PS3 approx. 84 Million.(roughly a 46.5% decrease ) The 3DS did this with crappy support from the gaming industry. The PS3 had publishers and developers putting forth their best efforts in order to move PS3 hardware. Essentially, the gaming industry made the PS3 a success. The 3DS didn't have even that.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
I think considering market conditions, it's excellent.
Probably relatively few. Regular users can't be bothered with importing.
Buying two+ 3DS systems to upgrade to a newer model is going to be way more common, and even then, I'm not sure how common that was.
I am still happy with my near launch model.
3DS was a real drag which took a long time to get okay. Cursed by overpriced hardware at the start of its life, then by exceedingly late localizations late into it. -_- The 2016 lineup is amazing but it really needed this kinda lineup earlier in its life!
Could've been better at least in the US if NoA would make up their minds on if they wanna appeal ta casuals or not. Announce $80 2DS alongside Style Savvy 3 and Disney's Magical World 2? Good! Set the price of those games at $40? Bad! C'mon, these aren't Mario or Pokémon or even Fire Emblem. Kirby oughta be $35 max, for that matter!
Could've been better at least in the US if NoA would make up their minds on if they wanna appeal ta casuals or not. Announce $80 2DS alongside Style Savvy 3 and Disney's Magical World 2? Good! Set the price of those games at $40? Bad! C'mon, these aren't Mario or Pokémon or even Fire Emblem. Kirby oughta be $35 max, for that matter!
I wonder does he own stock in Apple or Super Cell or Gameloft and/or Google.
Gaiaknight
Member
less than 1%
Father_Brain
Banned
I think you're probably the last remaining person on NeoGAF who still believes that mobile gaming has had no impact on the dedicated gaming hardware market. I kinda have to admire that, in a way.
I'm still looking for the source. From my understanding people were suggesting this due to paddling issues in the latter half of the game ( heavy reuse of assets) and issue of miss labeled mechanics. It doesn't help that the game had a micro-transaction that you had to use in order to break 9,999 damage limit. (Where enemies can have upto 120,000 HP)
SinCityAssassin
Member
It's more likely people would buy a JPN 3DS for exclusive designs.
I wonder if it will get that high. It took about 18 months to go from 50M to 60M, and it looks like shipments are going to be in the 7.5M range from Jul 1 2015 to Jun 30 2016.
I guess it depends on what NX actually ends up being and when it comes out. The DS managed a little less than 10M shipped post 3DS release.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I can't help but feel that, for all practical intents, the 3DS is not really a handeld for a lot of owners in a traditional sense. It's more the main Nintendo console for a generation, rather than the Wii U. It was affordable, got the lions share of Nintendo software, and a healthy amount of Japanese games that other consoles don't have.
StereoVsn
Member
Also 7th Dragon, DQ7, DQ8 should be added. Plus didn't Stella Glow and Hyrule Legends release this year? Surprisingly 3DS output isn't half bad at all this year... well, if you like niche Japanese games, but then again, if you don't why would you want a 3DS?
Astral Dog
Member
Jesus i thought it did like a year ago
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
I agree with you, but I think the contraction has much more to do with factors outside of Nintendo's control.
SweetTeddie
Member
Crazy to think the successor to the DS will sell less than the PSP did. Handhelds are a dying business.
Astral Dog
Member
it was, it was, since their first announcements you knew wich platform to bet on, Wii U always seemed like an expensive class gift to compliment 3DS.
similarities in the library did not help, for the first time, barring some exceptions you could get the best Nintendo experiences on a handheld, thanks in part to the increased horsepower , Wii U was not much of a differentiator except for HD and a few exclusives,
mrmickfran
Member
DS was a monster, nothing but the PS2 can challenge that.
What's really surprising is that the PSP managed to sell 80 million despite the DS' reign.
We know they shipped for sure over 1.15 million this quarter, which is not even ended.
With another 3 weeks of June, they should ship something like 1.4-1.5 million this quarter, which is up YOY by a good 40-50% compared to last year. (they only shipped 1.01 million 3DS April to June 2015).
I'm honestly impressed... this mean that this console isn't death as many think.
I think 70 million should be about right, if not, really close to it.
Hcoregamer00
The 'H' stands for hentai.
That is HORRIBLE.
The smartphone industry has decimated portable consoles. The 3DS also came out as smartphones have started growing in sales, so next Nintendo console will struggle to even reach 60 million. It's okay, a console with 30 million can still have a good selling ecosystem.
The smartphone industry has decimated portable consoles. The 3DS also came out as smartphones have started growing in sales, so next Nintendo console will struggle to even reach 60 million. It's okay, a console with 30 million can still have a good selling ecosystem.
The issues of mobile gaming vs handhelds have so many confounding variables; with everyone arguments breaking the decline to handhelds to only "all the causals went to mobile...Nintendo should close up shop" isn't the complete picture. Nintendo screwed up in the handling of the 3DS. Heck the 3DS betrayals every value that have historically made Nintendo's handhelds successful. (Low cost-if not that prices that decreased over time, good battery life, easy to use etc). It feels like with the 3DS Nintendo chased way their "casual" customers. Also, I have an issue with handheld customers equating to being "causal" as they are less-worthy as customer. When someone go out of their way and purchase any piece of dedicated gaming hardware to play games where developer can make games for that population they are its' customer before they deemed them "casual" or "core". Those costumers do not deserve the developer nor publisher disdain. Furthermore, let us not good down the road of the quality of mobile games and the vast amount of genres that aren't even playable on a 5 inch touchscreen cell phone with fingers obscuring the view of UI elements.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
Because for obvious reasons comparisons to a pre-smartphone & tablet world aren't relevant.
Father_Brain
Banned
What else should we compare it to, though? Are we also meant to assume that the post-mobile contraction of the dedicated handheld market is a past event and not a continuing trend?
Solid SOAP
Member
If Nintendo follow through with these handheld/console hybrid rumors then I think that may help the market. I'm sure that there are many people who'd love to carry their console games with them! Problem is the likely lack of third party if history continues to repeat itself :/
Excuse me? All the publishers that supported DS support 3DS. 3DS even got Monster Hunter for crying out loud. Saying 3DS lacks 3rd party support is absurd. In fact it is PS3 that lacks support simply because most 3rd party games run better on X360.
By your standards there probably wouldn't be any comparisons. DS and GBA sales - not comparable as GBA was in a pre-touch screen world. GBA and GBC, not comparable. GBC was in a pre-shoulder button world.
dont forget the ds lite - gba + ds!
Yes, mobile has really affected Nintendo's market but is there really a trend with one gen of data though?
If NX handheld craters even more, sure. That'd suggest more of a trend than one data point of one gen.
What happens if NX maintains ~60 million?
Yes, because those handhelds were all competitors to nintendo itself. Of course!
You are right. I should have had phrased my expression clearer. I will implore you to answer this question: How many people would suspect would buy a 3DS due to a third party game? Now, let me ask this question: How many people would you suspect purchased a PS3 due to a third party game? The point I'm trying to make is that there are very few system selling games from third parties on the 3DS vs third party system sellers that were on the PS3.
Western third parties actually bothered with the GBA
Sammy Samusu
Member
Talent always wins.
3DS did a great job at surviving the mobile boom, mostly thanks to the great exclusives that you can't find anywhere else.
NX is coming AFTER the explosive growth of mobile games, and that's one big advantage it has over the 3DS. Nintendo is more prepared now (or at least they should be).
3DS did a great job at surviving the mobile boom, mostly thanks to the great exclusives that you can't find anywhere else.
NX is coming AFTER the explosive growth of mobile games, and that's one big advantage it has over the 3DS. Nintendo is more prepared now (or at least they should be).
Well...three if you count europe...had to have the red monster hunter.
You're just talking regions not special editions right? Cause that number would go up.
I will miss handhelds if they go away. I like my consoles and PC but for some reason the 3ds or the Vita (or their earlier models) is just is a nice experience. It's more like playing a book. Maybe the design of the games have to be different because you are more focused on a small area versus a big screen. Just don't get that from playing on the phone. Must be a generation thing.
Lolol. Sorry Sammy. The moment i read you said Talent always Win. I thought u are going to say that Youkai is going to save NX lol.^~^
A Link to the Past
Banned
Father_Brain
Banned
There are trends within a generation as well. Even disregarding the actual level of sales, we can see that 3DS peaked much earlier in its lifespan than either GBA (2.5 years) or DS (4 years) did.
Unfortunately smartphones have killed sales of dedicated portable gaming consoles.
The 3DS is still far from PSP numbers let alone the DS massive mainstream success.
And this 60m market will probably halve with a 3DS successor unless they have a really brilliant idea that becomes a hit among casuals.
It's a shame though because a console with traditional+touch controls can offer a much better gaming experience than a touch only device.
The 3DS is still far from PSP numbers let alone the DS massive mainstream success.
And this 60m market will probably halve with a 3DS successor unless they have a really brilliant idea that becomes a hit among casuals.
It's a shame though because a console with traditional+touch controls can offer a much better gaming experience than a touch only device.
That's basically how the Nintendo handheld is since the fall of Gamecube. GBA, DS and 3DS had a ton more 1st party and 3rd party software support than the home console counterparts. It's just more prominent on 3DS because Wii U basically got no 3rd party support and the 1st party software has been pretty slow to come out.
PS3 has 0 3rd party systrm seller because those game run better on X360.
Largely with licensed trash. They still do that on 3DS, only now a lot of it is confined to the eShop instead of taking up retail space.
If you start looking up lists of the best 20-25 GBA titles, the only western pub title that makes the list with any frequency is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. There were obviously a few other decent western titles on GBA, but not with nearly enough frequency to make me agree that the situation was way better than it is on the 3DS.