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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - 3DS sales slump below DS - why, and what Ninty can do to fix it

LordTheNightKnight on 30 April 2011
DeadEye said:

I think the combination of the high price, lack of software and ineffective marketing is what's really holding 3DS back. When it has a stronger library and Nintendo can communicate it's value more effectively with consumers then sales should pick up. A price cut would boost sales also but I doubt Nintendo would do that unless they had to.


I say customers know what 3D is, they just don't think that's enough. It's more like communicating that this isn't just the DS with 3D (although ironically some insisted that the DS was just the 3DS without 3D, but in the context of defending how much better the 3DS was).



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs

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hsrob on 30 April 2011

Besides the initial flurry of sales surrounding a new console's release, have  new systems historically hit the market and immediately started outselling the currently established systems?  DS versus Gameboy Advance, Xbox360 versus PS2....

It's going to take time for the 3DS to establish itself and the first round of software probably did lack some of the punch that we were hoping for but I would argue it is WAY too early to be in any way concerned.



LordTheNightKnight on 30 April 2011
Immortal said:

$250 may have been a high price (I'm not convinced), but Nintendo's taken the plunge - if they change price now, 3DS brand value collapses.

What they really need to do is get software, though. The only game that was ever gonna sell any decent amount was Nintendogs Cats, and it appears that the sequel just isn't stirring up the fanbase. At this point, due to Nintendogs Cats failed to attract any attention, you can basically say that 3DS "has no games" for all practical purposes. Nobody really cares for Street Fighter or Ridge Racer or a couple of unknown first party games.


No, that only applies if the price is good for the market. If the price is not good, the brand value is already hurt by the high price. They need to get good brand value with a decent price.



A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.

Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs

Cobretti2 on 30 April 2011
Buzzi said:
alfredofroylan said:

DS was releaesd during X'mas BTW


Japan is the only territory in which 3DS is doing worse than DS after the launch, but it's too difficult to accept I guess. Even for Nintendo, they hoped for better sales than DS...


yes but remember japan washit by an earthquake with a nuclear power leak. I don't think many people care about getting a new system yet. 

the reason I think this is an issue because the monitor I wanted has been delayed 4 times (whole sale frm japan) since the earthquake with ETA being unknown atm when it was meant to be here 2months ago.



 

 

EdStation3 on 02 May 2011
Troll_Whisperer said:
Hephaestos said:
Troll_Whisperer said:
EdStation3 said:
Troll_Whisperer said:
Hephaestos said:

my sister's baby's nany, who's a 50 year old illegal alien from the philipines, saw my 3DS and said "oh it's the new one", and when I offered to show her a picture on it she said "but you need glasses no?".

So the misconception in this example is not that it's a new one (commercials have this pegged), it's that people don't understand that it's glassesless 3D...

and no she's not a gamer, her previous kids in care had the other DS, and she saw this on TV.

I like how you mention the fact that she's a 50 year old illegal alien from the philipines, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of your post or the thread.

OP: Meh, I still think the 3DS will be ok after a pricecut. It is true that some people believe it is just a new model of the regular DS, though. My gf did.

Please don't bite my head off for saying so, but foreign parents in general know way less than non-foreign parents.  For the record, my parents are foreign.  It's not like this across the board, I realize I'm generalizing, but my foreign friends parents and/or my parents foreign friend usually know nothing about video games.  While my friends with canadian background's friends have a rough idea about video games.

 

Also working in electronics sales I spent a lot more time, a lot more often explaining things like PSPs and DSs to people with foreign parents than non-foreign parents.

Don't worry, I didn't find it offensive, just funny.
I understand that people who migrate abroad have other concerns above videogames, it makes sense.

ah but she's not a parent ^^.

i pointed it out as it's an unlikely profile for a gamer, so unlikely to be informed out of interest. it seemed relevant to me at least :p

I didn't say she's a parent. I said it's normal that immigrants are less likely to know about videogames.

What's the difference between being a parent or not? Are you trying to confuse me? ;-p

Not immigrants.... but immigrant parents.  Immigrants know a lot about gaming.  Just a lot of parents coming from 3rd world countries don't even have a clue what they're buying their kids.




Get your Portable ID!

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Dinomax on 02 May 2011
amp316 said:

Maybe people don't want to spend $250 to play the new Pilotwings and a year old Street Fighter game with 3D slapped on it.  


Nawww you don't say.

Next thing your going to tell me ten year old port of N64 games thats available for ten dollars on the Wii will be the systems saviour....