NoA explains the lack of regular New 3DS “We had to be able to market it”

[Nuvendil]

zorg1000 said:

Nuvendil said:

Let me translate the language of corporate for you: 3DS XL sales in the US annihilated standard 3DS sales. Like it did everywhere else.  Which is why they discontinued the standard 3DS in the US in the first place.  So the market for the N3DSXL is bigger than the N3DS. It's really that simple. If they bring the N3DS to the market, they'll probably do it during a holiday season to capitalize on the rush.

It's really not that simple. Like u said, the XL version was more popular than the standard version in every region, so why is America the only one that doesn't get the standard sized New model? Based on what ur saying, Japan, Europe and Australia shouldn't have gotten it either because the XL version was more popular in those regions as well.

Well North America is a very expansive region for one, so producing the needed units to stock stores would have been quite costly.  Plus, we don't know the division between 3DS and XL.  In Japan, the XL won handily, but the standard still sold respectably iirc.  I don't know the EU's division.  In the US it might have been much more lopsided.  Also, in Japan I think it's obvious they were anticipating capturing some people with the faceplates and accessories for the standard N3DS that might not otherwise pay attention.  However, the failure of that push to even out the sales between it and the XL model likely influenced decisions abroad.  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the N3DS comes to the states later, maybe this Holiday, because they don't want to launch it now in the shadow of the XL model and during the slower February month.  Also, they said later they want to target a younger audience more directly and the N3DS standard would make sense for that, especially during the holidays.

But I think most of this is down to keeping costs of production in check.  The standard 3DS did very poorly compared to the XL model and they don't want to burn resources to supply a region with the new model right now when the sell through could be bad.  If they do launch it later during the holidays, they can capitalize on the rush, especially the influx of parents buying for children who are easily swayed by price differences.