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freebs2 on 21 March 2016
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Soundwave said:
freebs2 said:

The Vita failed beacuse it focused on game experiences that weren't design to work on handhelds.

The 3DS bombed on launch beacuse of moslty beacuse price, the lineup wasn't stellar (just like every console on launch) but it wasn't that bad either, it had Street Fighter, Animal Crossing and Resident Evil soon after. If we make a comparison the Nintendo DS had a worse launch lineup and the it had a mediocre hardware for the price too, compared to the PSP.

On the contrary I believe the more affordable, the better. Expecially on the handheld. Since Nintendo can't rely on western 3rd support on that side anyway, they should just make the consumer focus on their games rather than on the hardware. I believe they should launch within the 149$-199$ price range with one game in bundle. Also, I believe they should program shorter life cyles - like 3 years - as opposed to the current 5 years.

I don't think that will deter the continued erosion of the traditional handheld market. 

Nintendo's tried it this gen with cheap(er) 3DS models and dramatic price cuts ... hasn't stopped them from losing a lot of customers and likely a generation of kids. 

The problem is parents aren't stupid ... a 3DS is not "cheap" when the games are $40 a pop versus free on a tablet/smartphone, and nowadays tablets themselves can be had for $150 and do 50x more than a DS/3DS does. 

Nintendo needs a dramatic shake up and a new type of product that speaks a new "language" IMO. If they keep doing the same ol, same ol (basically just a new 3DS/DS with better but still outdated graphics) ... they're just spinning their wheels in the mud going nowhere. 

The Vita was the same formula the 80 million selling PSP was. Nintendo should be wary of "formulas". There is no formula when you have a disruptive force like smartphone/tablet gaming, it's like fighting crime against the Joker and trying to do everything by the book. 

I agree they should change their business model, that's why I'm suggesting, for instance, shorter life cycles. But they shouldn't go for higher price tags.

One of the main reasons why parents are more inclined to buy a tablets/smatphones rahter than handhelds is beacuse those devices are percieved as something useful -for learning, browsing, reading, etc- rather than just game dedicated devices. For the same price the parent will always prefer the tablet, it has the be kid the one that pushes towards the handheld. Given this situation, the lower is price the higher is the chance for the kid to convince his parents. If you want to go for higher hardware prices, imo, you should also look for a different target.