From the get-go, I knew the 3DS would have a rocky start and have difficulty taking off.

However, it has nothing to do with the 3D being an issue for people.

Rather, Nintendo has failed to clarify that the 3DS is an entirely new, far superior gaming device that succeeds the DS. As a result, the much higher price-point seems to most gamers to not be worthwhile. Pay $120, or $250? It's not a difficult choice.

The DS's price needs to drop. It's outdated tech. It has scarcely changed in price in the past five years. If they drop the DSi to $100 and the DSi XL to $130-$150, they'll be able to drop the 3DS to $200 and fit it into the "sweet spot" of gamers' wallets. From this point, both systems will enjoy a sales surge - and the 3DS will probably be able to take off once and for all.

Granted, this IS the "off season" of gaming, but it's still pretty rough when a brand new gaming device launches and its launch sales die off to the bottom of the barrel within a month's time. The 3DS is a magnificent piece of hardware with an enormous amount of potential. At its current price-point, it's going to have a hard time living up to that potential. Right now, Nintendo is holding back on releasing their big hitters to try coaxing third parties into developing more stuff, giving them a bigger piece of the spotlight. Problem is, they're not going to be wanting to release that much while the system is floundering in its launch window. At this rate, the system isn't going to start picking up sales until Nintendo releases all the big hitters they've got planned, and at that point in time, third parties will once again be overshadowed and it'll be lost.

I expect Nintendo to drop the price of both the 3DS and the original DS systems in time for the holiday season, if they plan on doing well. Perhaps late September, early October?

Thoughts?

the frase "it aint got no gamez" comes to mind...

Exactly. With the variety of DSs that have been released the last 5 years, the consumers are under the impression that this is another revised DS.

The 3D did not do to the 3DS what the touch screen did to the DS. Something Nintendo relied heavily on -- the 3D selling the portable device.

Exactly and it looks just like a DS and has DS in its logo just with a red 3, really unchanged. Nintendo has not done a nice jump saying this is different. They should of gave it a different name, so many revions of the DS, people are not going to know (mass consumer)!

I know from a new generation standpoint this may seem wrong, but really, what is the problem? People were upset that the DS was being replaced while it was still selling strongly and now it is still selling well. As long as people still are buying the DS at $130 Nintendo should keep the price at $130.

This is similar to the PS2 PS3 situation at the beginning of this generation with one important difference: both devices are already profitable. What incentive does Nintendo have to kill off the DS?

Yeah I'd imagine that a lot of the mass market is confused and thinks the 3DS is basically a 3D version of the DS and not an entirely brand new generation. A cut to $200 would certainly help I think. Certainly better than $250. That's not quite mass market pricing for a dedicated gaming handheld though. The DS launched at $150 in 2004 (equivalent to $171.66 in 2010 dollars). There isn't much inflation going on these days. This isn't like the 70s recession where you had insane unemployment coupled with insane inflation (stagflation). Inflation is only like 2.1% or something like that. And the DS didn't really take off in the west until the $130 DS Lite came out (crazy that the Lite is still at the same price point now). Affordability has always been a key factor to Nintendo's successes. Thing is that 3DS tech is very expensive. A $180 launch would have been ideal for Nintendo. But not feasible with the hardware.

As for stereoscopic 3D, I don't think it's wise to have your system's philosophy revolve around 3D. 3D should have been just a new feature (like Street Pass). Not something you base your entire system around (naming it 3DS). Because then everything on the hardware has to be stereoscopic 3D. Including 2D retro games. And that is going to cost a lot of money. If you are a retro 2D game developer, why would you put it on the 3DS when you can put it on the DS, PSP, NGP or iOS/Android in 2D at a fraction of the development cost? Software sales for DS and PSP software is still strong and I'd imagine NGP would be pretty popular in Japan given the PSP momentum there. With the 3DS it's going to be like the N64 where everything had to be 3D (stereoscopic 3D this time). The whole point of putting something on the 3DS is to play around with the stereoscopic 3D technology no? If you aren't going to use the stereoscopic 3D tech, you might as well put it on the DS, PSP, NGP or iOS/Android.

I'll keep this simple.

1.) 250 and 200 [insert your local currency] is too expensive for a handheld.  There's a global recession and Nintendo actually thinks it's a good idea to sell a platform at a considerable price hike and with more expensive games.

2.) They could release a new sku with a better battery life.  A three to five hour battery life goes not cut it, especially for the DS owner that's used to about ten hours with modest lighting settings.

3.) They should release some hardware selling games.  Obviously, third party games aren't selling the hardware and the ports, sequels, and remakes aren't going to cut it.

4.) They should treat the 3DS like a handheld.  They're losing the handheld market because they refuse to make games for those are on the go and rather make console games on a smaller scale.

This is pretty much true, but I also think there really is confusion about the 3DS.  It really comes off as another type of DS, not its own system. 

I've yet to meet a person who thinks that the 3DS is a revised DS.

Really I think the slow sales are due to a (presently) shit library. People aren't going to buy it when it's got no games.

Maybe people are waiting for NGP? at my school everyone is talking about it.