Japanese sales: 3DS 2013 vs DS 2006 (Week 41!)

[Michael-5]

Screamapillar said:

Michael-5 said:

It depends on what Nintendo does. Pokemon and Monster Hunter are great franchises, but 2006 had the DS redesign. 3DS still has a weak battery, and I bet a lot of gamers (like me) are still holding out for a better system.

2013 3DS might not top the DS in 2006, but it should top 2007 numbers.

When Nintendo redesigns the 3DS in 2013 or 2014, that year will be one of 3DS's strongest, in all regions.

Well the thing about the redesign is that it's sort of backwards with 3DS.  Nintendo released a compact 3DS as the launch model, and then released an XL version a year and a half later.  With DS, they released a bulky launch model, then the compact model a year and a half later, then the XL model near the tail-end of the system's lifespan.

I'm not sure how likely an even smaller 3DS model is.  I remember Miyamoto saying last E3 that the base model of the 3DS is pretty much exactly what they wanted it to be, and they didn't think a smaller one was necessary.

It's not all about size though.

Yes the original DS was bulky, but people didn't buy a DS lite just because it was 20% lighter and smaller. The screen had brightness settings (instead of just on and off), and grew .1". The battery life doubled from 6-10 hours to 15-19 hours, and the new system looked a lot better.

The current 3DS has more issues then the original DS. First of all the battery life is only 3-5 hours, and I am sure that's a huge hinderance for a lot of children gamers (parents need to occupy their kids for longer, or at least not worry about charge), and the screens touch when you close the system.

Plus Nintendo could still release a dual analoge system just prior to the release of Monster Hunter 4, that would really help boost sales.

A redesigned system could fix these issues. 3DS XL is in a better position, I'd buy one if there were better colour options, but In Japan they have like 12 colour options, so that's not an issue there (and probably a reason why it sells so much better).