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[Speculation] Nintendo stopped 3DS development a long time ago, despite what they say

LordKano

Member
As you probably know, right now Nintendo is supporting two systems : Switch and 3DS. While the Switch just launched, it's perfectly normal, on the other hand the 3DS is six years old and is seriously starting to declining in sales. Despite that, Nintendo still claims that the 3DS isn't going anywhere, and that Switch won't replace it. A lot of people think that way too, especially with the recent Nintendo Direct which showcased a lot of new 3DS games. I doubt Nintendo claims, and I think they stopped 3DS development quite some time ago. To explain that, let me first list 2017's 3DS important releases (in Europe at least, some titles may have been released earlier in America).

- Dragon Quest VIII
- Poochy & Yoshi's Wooly World
- Dragon Ball Fusions
- Mario Sports Superstars
- Yo-Kai Watch 2
- Fire Emblem Echoes : Shadow of Valentia
- Ever Oasis
- RPG Maker FES
- Hey ! Pikmin
- Culdcept Revolt
- Dr. Kawashima Devilish's Brain Training
- Monster Hunter Stories
- Lady Layton
- Miitopia
- New Kirby game

There are probably other games, but I think it's a good grasp at what 2017 is looking like for 3DS. Overall, it's a good list of games. E3 is still coming, there may be some new announcements at that time too. Most of the list is from third-party though. I bolded first-party Nintendo IPs releasing this year. But, here's something interesting amongst these bolded games :

- Hey ! Pikmin is made by an external team, instead of Nintendo : Arzest.
- Mario Sports Superstars has been co-developped by both Camelot and Bandai Namco. It's unclear wether or not Nintendo participated too, but most of the game has been handled externally.
- Yoshi's Wooly World 3DS port has been handled by Good-Feel, an external studio.
- Miitopia is, in fact, a game that released in late 2016 in Japan, and is only localized very late, to fulfill the Fall schedule.
- Dr. Kawashima released five years ago in Japan and America.

So, what exactly did Nintendo develop for its 3DS this year ? Fire Emblem Echoes Shadow of Valentia, a low-budget remake of a previous game, re-using engine, assets and models from past Fire Emblem games, and the new Kirby game, which we know nothing about except that it's supposed to be multiplayer focused. I also expect Kirby to be a low-budget effort, in the same kind as Zelda Triforce Heroes.

My point is, so far, from a first-party perspective, 2017 is 3DS's worst year, without any doubt. Nintendo only announced two new games plannned for this year, and both seems to be low-budget effort. Now, I know very well that E3 is coming and that they may announce things, but think about it : will they really ? Nothing pointed in that direction. 3DS will have a good year thanks to the multiple late localizations and third-party efforts, but not thanks to Nintendo's effort.

Conclusion : Nintendo already dropped the 3DS, and is dedicating their whole workforce on the Nintendo Switch.
 

georly

Member
I'd be blown away if they were still greenlighting new titles, but they'll surely keep things alive to support 3rd party who wish to continue to develop for it.

I give it 2 years of life left - just long enough to finish localizing everything in the pipeline.
 

-GJ-

Member
IIRC they said the exact same thing about the DS when the 3DS came out. Same for the GBA when the DS came out. They're always "still supporting the healthy future of the console" or whatever, but they drop first party support after ~1 year.
 
I mean, yeah. This is just the same situation we saw with Wii U at E3 2015. A couple of "big" stragglers left over that had been greenlit long ago (Starfox, TMS, Mario Maker, Paper Mario) but mostly external stuff, late localizations, or games that reuse assets in order to plug in gaps.
 

jowell24

Member
I suspect that you're right and hope that Nintendo focuses more on bringing out more games for the Switch. There's not much innovation left in the 3DS and it makes sense, technologically and financially speaking to press forward with their new hardware.

Plus, I lost my 3DS with Monster Hunter Generations and am figuratively dying for a Switch release of Monster Hunter. No point in getting a new 3DS.
 

Zedark

Member
Reggie did include 3DS when he said they would have a big E3, but I do feel that they won't have a massive 3DS push, most likely more of the low budget games like you have explained in the OP. Overall, I think they are fully transitioning to developing for Switch predominantly.
 
When was the last time you could walk into a B&M and even see a 3ds sitting there? I haven't seen a 3ds in stores since the holidays.
 
I'd say that within a year Nintendo will have stopped supporting the 3DS themselves. Then maybe a year at most until 3rd parties drop it as well, maybe faster is Switch exceeds expectations. We're approaching the end of an era.
 
Interesting theory Nintendo fan, but rest assured Nintendo will keep the NINTENDO 3DS and NINTENDO WII U systems updated with many exciting, innovating titles throughout the years to come!


And port them to NINTENDO SWITCH a year after
 

L~A

Member
Conclusion : Nintendo already dropped the 3DS, and is dedicating their whole workforce on the Nintendo Switch.

Well we've known that for a while, and Nintendo never argued otherwise. They've said repeatedly they still had games coming for the 3DS and... that's the case. Whether they're outsourced or not doesn't really matter. They plan on squeezing as much as juice out of the handheld as they can. 2017 is going to the 3DS's final year, and they're simply ensuring it has a nice end as opposed to just dropping it off a cliff (like they did with the Wii U).
 
So, what exactly did Nintendo develop for its 3DS this year ? Fire Emblem Echoes Shadow of Valentia, a low-budget remake of a previous game, re-using engine, assets and models from past Fire Emblem games, and the new Kirby game, which we know nothing about except that it's supposed to be multiplayer focused. I also expect Kirby to be a low-budget effort, in the same kind as Zelda Triforce Heroes.

They didn't develop either of these, either.

Fire Emblem is made by Intelligent Systems; Kirby is made by HAL Laboratory.

But this is no different than what they do with all their successful transitions. NES got support well into SNES's life. DKC3 came out after N64 did. etc. etc.
 

rhandino

Banned
I mean... yes? It was kind of expected that this year the 3DS will be chugging along the Switch using a lot of games whose development was started way before the Switch was a sure thing.

And I noticed that you omitted Fire Emblem Musou (that game is going to be released on Switch and N3DS)
 

jstripes

Banned
Nintendo can't abandon the 3DS yet. They still need a handheld that sits in the sub-$200 range.

When the switch gets to that range, in some form, 3DS is dead as a doornail.
 

Jackano

Member
Maybe internal development, but they don't stopped "support". Contracting other studios to make games is actual support, as they schedule new games and put money into this.
I agree with this strategy in the end of a system life cycle.
 
Yeah this is more or less apparent to those paying attention. We already see the benefits of the combined output on the Switch when you compare its (announced before E3) launch year library to those of Nintendo's past consoles.

I'm still expecting a few titles releasing in 2018 but not many (or any) first party titles.

Maybe internal development, but they don't stopped "support". Contracting other studios to make games is actual support, as they schedule new games and put money into this.
I agree with this strategy in the end of a system life cycle.

Over the past few months a lot of people here have been arguing that Nintendo's in house development is not being focused just on the Switch, but the OP sorta proves that wrong. More or less anyway.
 

@MUWANdo

Banned
Uh, damn near every Nintendo game of the last several years has been developed with or wholly by external studios, this isn't really a sign of shifting priorities.
 

EhoaVash

Member
So uh all of these games are externally developd by other companies

But here's my question Nintendo themselves seem to make less and less internally developed 3ds games for a while.

Shoot I can't even remember any games released last year for 3ds that was internally developed lol. Anyone??
 

LordKano

Member
Well we've known that for a while, and Nintendo never argued otherwise. They've said repeatedly they still had games coming for the 3DS and... that's the case. Whether they're outsourced or not doesn't really matter. They plan on squeezing as much as juice out of the handheld as they can. 2017 is going to the 3DS's final year, and they're simply ensuring it has a nice end as opposed to just dropping it off a cliff (like they did with the Wii U).

Well, yes, but the argument that Nintendo is still developping on 3DS instead of only Switch was coming frequently in the last Nintendo Direct. I agree that they're ending 3DS much better than they did with Wii U.

They didn't develop either of these, either.

Fire Emblem is made by Intelligent Systems; Kirby is made by HAL Laboratory.

Technically, yeah. I kinda consider them first-party, even though they're aren't really.

I mean... yes? It was kind of expected that this year the 3DS will be chugging along the Switch using a lot of games whose development was started way before the Switch was a sure thing.

And I noticed that you omitted Fire Emblem Musou (that game is going to be released on Switch and N3DS)

It wasn't that obvious back in January or during the last Nintendo Direct. A lot of people thought that Nintendo will carry the 3DS alongside, and even going back to it if the Switch failed.

I completely forgot about Fire Emblem Musou, probably because it's a New 3DS exclusive.
 

TheMoon

Member
Conclusion : Nintendo already dropped the 3DS, and is dedicating their whole workforce on the Nintendo Switch.

They've never said "we have our hottest guys at EPD slaving away on 3DS games still" ...all they've said is "we still have new 3DS games coming." And that's what's happening.
 

JB2448

Member
Fire Emblem Echoes was developed by Intelligent Systems, and the new Kirby titles are all developed by HAL Laboratory, so really, the only Entertainment Planning & Development release coming to both North America and Europe is Miitopia, and that seems like the type of project that a small group of employees would do as a sendoff to the hardware (Shikamaru Ninja would have the best insight into the Japanese credits for Miitopia in regards to that point). EPD is full Switch with a small amount of mobile codevelopment.
 
Kirby's the only legit new 3DS retail game in the direct right? I find it baffling they're putting it on 3DS and not Switch, unless they have a bigger Switch title they'll announce at E3 for the anniversary or something.
 

Phamit

Member
Well they only said that they will support the platform and that new games are coming and not that EPD or other internal studios are working on new games for the 3ds
 

shauntu

Member
Ever Oasis is a Nintendo title as well, developed by Grezzo Studios using the Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask engine they updated for the 3DS earlier.
 
Outside of Mario/Kart/Zelda/Animal Crossing and Nintendogs games, I can't think of much significant that they made internally for 3DS, I must be missing some though.
Edit: Tamodachi/Miitopia I guess.
 

JB2448

Member
Ever Oasis is a Nintendo title as well, developed by Grezzo Studios using the Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask engine they updated for the 3DS earlier.
Grezzo is a dev partner, though. They aren't exclusively a Nintendo hardware developer by any stretch (see http://www.grezzo.co.jp/en/about).
Nintendo is financing and publishing, but not the principal developer, which is what I thought this thread was about.
 

zeromcd73

Member
Nintendo has been using third parties to develop in their stead/release games heavily reusing assets/same engine stuff on the 3DS for a while now. Not too surprising.
 

EhoaVash

Member
Just think the last internally developed 3ds game was super Mario maker 3ds...Which shouldn't count cause it was just a port and before that....I think the last 3ds game they made in house was in 2015? Was it animal crossing happy home designer ?? Lol

This made me realize how much less games Nintendo actually makes themselves and how much they depend on 3rd party /2nd party on 3ds


Edit seems internal projects for both 3ds and Wii u kinda officially ended in 2015 if you don't count ports (super mario maker) Wii u version of botw
 

LordKano

Member
So uh all of these games are externally developd by other companies

But here's my question Nintendo themselves seem to make less and less internally developed 3ds games for a while.

Shoot I can't even remember any games released last year for 3ds that was internally developed lol. Anyone??

I mean, even though Next Level Games, HAL Laboratory and Game Freak aren't "internal Nintendo studios", they still work solely with Nintendo. My point was that even that kind of studios are leaving the 3DS. Last year there was Pokémon Sun, Metroid Federation Force, Mario Party Star Rush, Mario & Luigi Paper Jam and so on. Not many games (bad year in my opinion) but still some. This year, there are games from Arzest (a mobile developper principally) and Bandai Namco, which I can hardly call them "Nintendo affiliated studios".

My point is, Nintendo isn't greenlighting major 3DS games anymore, and they aren't particularly involved in 2017's 3DS games.
 

zeromcd73

Member
I mean, even though Next Level Games, HAL Laboratory and Game Freak aren't "internal Nintendo studios", they still work solely with Nintendo. My point was that even that kind of studios are leaving the 3DS. Last year there was Pokémon Sun, Metroid Federation Force, Mario Party Star Rush, Mario & Luigi Paper Jam and so on. Not many games (bad year in my opinion) but still some. This year, there are games from Arzest (a mobile developper principally) and Bandai Namco, which I can hardly call them "Nintendo affiliated studios".

My point is, Nintendo isn't greenlighting major 3DS games anymore, and they aren't particularly involved in 2017's 3DS games.
This was actually a 2015 game in Japan. Late localization again (except Australia!).
 

aett

Member
I feel like this has been gradually happening over the last couple of years. I remember in mid/late 2015 seeing a Nintendo Direct and realizing that nearly every 3DS game they announced was either a port or used existing assets: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and so on.

At the time, I was being very optimistic and assumed it was because we'd get a big first year for their next system. Hopefully E3 will have a hidden stash of Switch games that will be coming out over the next twelve months.
 
Well, yes, but the argument that Nintendo is still developping on 3DS instead of only Switch was coming frequently in the last Nintendo Direct. I agree that they're ending 3DS much better than they did with Wii U.

It wasn't that obvious back in January or during the last Nintendo Direct. A lot of people thought that Nintendo will carry the 3DS alongside, and even going back to it if the Switch failed.

I completely forgot about Fire Emblem Musou, probably because it's a New 3DS exclusive.

Was it really? Pretty much every comment about Nintendo supporting the 3DS was met with skepticism, coming back to the "third pillar" point they made about the DS, or nting that Hey Pikmin, FE Echoes etc. were all much more low-key than the typical 3DS release from a few years ago. The general impression has been that the 3DS has had a respectable past couple years but is obviously not the main focus. Even going into 2016, hell even by mid-2015 people had a feeling the 3DS was on its way out (though all thins considered, it actually turned out to be a pretty good showing from both Nintendo and third-parties).

Just think the last internally developed 3ds game was super Mario maker 3ds...Which shouldn't count cause it was just a port and before that....I think the last 3ds game they made in house was in 2015? Was it animal crossing happy home designer ?? Lol

This made me realize how much less games Nintendo actually makes themselves and how much they depend on 3rd party /2nd party on 3ds

Rhythm Heaven Megamix, Miitopia, Tank Troopers?
 

Forkball

Member
I guarantee you Pokémon Stars will have a 3DS version. Probably the last big Nintendo game for it unless they keep cranking out Fire Emblems.
 
This was obvious to me, OP. Yes they still announced more games for it, but how many are actually made by them? That was the stand out thing for me.

Kinda wondered why people didn't seem to pick up on that.
 

LordKano

Member
Was it really? Pretty much every comment about Nintendo supporting the 3DS was met with skepticism, coming back to the "third pillar" point they made about the DS, or nting that Hey Pikmin, FE Echoes etc. were all much more low-key than the typical 3DS release from a few years ago. The general impression has been that the 3DS has had a respectable past couple years but is obviously not the main focus.

Yes, really, especially when people are discussing Pokémon Stars and come to the inevitable conclusion that a 3DS version is coming alongside because Nintendo's very adamant about supporting the 3DS. I don't see that happening.
 

G0523

Member
Didn't Nintendo release a Pikachu-themed New 3DS XL a couple of months ago? I imagine they'll put out one or two more specially themed 3DS systems before calling it quits.
 

Mephala

Member
The Switch is still pretty new. Working full force on it seems like a good decision. I doubt they have ruled out developing for 3DS entirely it is simply not currently in their main focus for the A teams due to pushing the Switch.
 

TheMoon

Member
Outside of Mario/Kart/Zelda/Animal Crossing and Nintendogs games, I can't think of much significant that they made internally for 3DS, I must be missing some though.
Edit: Tamodachi/Miitopia I guess.

so, outside of all the hugely successful games in their biggest franchises which were supplied over 6 years they haven't made anything significant. :D

Rhythm Heaven Megamix, Miitopia, Tank Troopers?

Tank Troopers is Vitei.
 

L~A

Member
Maybe internal development, but they don't stopped "support". Contracting other studios to make games is actual support, as they schedule new games and put money into this.
I agree with this strategy in the end of a system life cycle.

It definitely is, yeah. None of the stuff really makes sense for the Switch, except Ever Oasis, too.

Well, yes, but the argument that Nintendo is still developping on 3DS instead of only Switch was coming frequently in the last Nintendo Direct. I agree that they're ending 3DS much better than they did with Wii U.

Oh yeah, I see what you mean here. I haven't really been in the ND thread so not sure what kind of discussions were having (though I pretty much know what was being said, it's nothing new... we've had that with the DS too).
 

ramparter

Banned
Well seems like a good plan. Keep releasing a few cheap / outsourced games without wasting their resources on the system.
 
Yes, really, especially when people are discussing Pokémon Stars and come to the inevitable conclusion that a 3DS version is coming alongside because Nintendo's very adamant about supporting the 3DS. I don't see that happening.

I can only speak for myself here, but the overall vibe I picked up around here was that the 3DS was pretty obviously not Nintendo's main focus and that its lineup for the year is primarily B-games. I've never seen that many people sincerely arguing the 3DS is as healthy as ever without caveating their points back-and-forth. I seem to remember the Emily Rogers thread about the 3DS being supported through 2018 getting a lot of sarcastic "yeah, sure" responses.

Like Pokemon Stars, I think the general vibe people have about it being cross-gen is more a BOTW scenario where the Switch version would be the main focus and the 3DS one is a consolation.

I didn't follow the Direct thread though so maybe I'm missing something there.
 

Instro

Member
Was it really? Pretty much every comment about Nintendo supporting the 3DS was met with skepticism, coming back to the "third pillar" point they made about the DS, or nting that Hey Pikmin, FE Echoes etc. were all much more low-key than the typical 3DS release from a few years ago. The general impression has been that the 3DS has had a respectable past couple years but is obviously not the main focus. Even going into 2016, hell even by mid-2015 people had a feeling the 3DS was on its way out (though all thins considered, it actually turned out to be a pretty good showing from both Nintendo and third-parties).

I can't really speak about the general impression, but it did seem like a lot of people were/are running with the idea that the Switch will not replace the 3DS.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
I suspect that next year might be the last time we see a 3DS direct and it will only have one first party game on it which will likely be pokemon related.

The 3DS will go the way of the vita, other devs will continue to put stuff on it but it's like not going to be highlighted by nintendo again.
 

TheMoon

Member
Wasn't Megamix just a collection of stuff from past titles all put in to one with very little in the way of actual new stuff?

Well it's not called Megamix for nothing.

wikipedia said:
The game features over 100 stages, including about 70 taken from previous entries in the series (including the GBA release, which was never released in the west) and about 30 brand new ones, as well as new Remix stages based on the game's Rainbow Towers which combine the previous rhythm games in the tower (or more rhythm games) into one song.
 
I didn't need that list to tell me this year is Nintendos last with the 3DS. People will probably still shout that they aren't going to just abandone their huge 3DS install base or that they are going to announce a new handheld despite the Switch feeling that role. The writing is on the wall even before the recent direct.
 
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