When it was first announced last year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo heralded its 3DS gaming system as the next big thing in handheld gaming. Many users were excited, with images of Mario dancing around in 3D and games such as Mario Kart and others getting new life breathed into them. The system's launch in March, however, told a different story. The launch turned out to be one of the most lackluster for a system in recent memory (perhaps outdone by the Sega Saturn's rush to stores years before) and, months later, it still feels like it's running behind. But some new warning signs indicate that the once-promising handheld is in all kinds of trouble.
Nintendo's gone down this path before with 3-D gaming. Anyone remember the Virtual Boy? When it launched, fanboys were thrilled with the idea, but reality soon set in. There were hardly any good games to play, save for Wario Land and Red Alarm. Worse yet, the concept of 3-D wasn't quite appealing to everyone, as some games, with their bright red and black displays, made people sick to their stomachs. Nintendo abandoned the system months later, citing it as one of their few failures in the industry.
However, we can't help but feel like it's running into similar problems with the Nintendo 3DS. Granted, the 3D display is in color now, and there are no goggles that you need to perch on a display, but let's look at the facts.
Number one: the poorly timed launch. The eShop was nowhere near ready; there wasn't a Mario game anywhere in sight; the system's bigger games, namely Starfox 3D and Kid Icarus, weren't finished; and the only major highlight came in the form of a third-party release, a port of Super Street Fighter IV from Capcom. Granted, some games have come out since then, including Dead Or Alive Dimensions and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, but you still can't help but wonder if Nintendo is trying to play catch-up.
Number two: the price. The Nintendo DS models (particularly the recently launched DSi XL, which isn't even a year old) are way cheaper than the Nintendo 3DS, not to mention more technically viable. When you play games on the 3DS, you have to hold the system right way or the image becomes distorted. With the Nintendo DS, you don't have that kind of problem at all.
Number three: still no sign of the big guns, even four months later. Nintendo's released one major must-have for the system since its launch, their Ocarina of Time reboot. Yes, we know they also released Nintendogs, but aside from a casual standpoint, was anyone really looking forward to that one? We're talking about the major guns, stuff like Starfox 3D, Mario Kart 3DS, Super Mario 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2...they're all still months away. Maybe even further than that, since no official release dates, outside of Starfox, have been pegged. Nintendo's losing ground in this department. They need to at least have a schedule or release some kind of demos to keep people interested. And the fact that Kid Icarus is getting little to no fanfare from the company...that isn't good.
Number four: region locking. Believe it or not, region locking actually plays a big part in a system's fate. The Xbox 360 is region locked, preventing a lot of gamers from taking advantage of (most) import shooters (thank God for Cave and other developers going region free with the software). Meanwhile, the PS3 has no region locking (outside of movies), so gamers can import to their heart's content. The Nintendo DS also had no region locking, perfect for snagging import games. And yet, the 3DS has strict region locking, so players can't get their hands on Starfox or Mario early. They have to wwait for the US market. And considering the state of promotion here in the States, we're left wondering, "Where the hell are my games?!"
Number five: delays and cancellations. When third party companies start losing faith in the hardware, you know you're in serious trouble. Ask anyone who ever worked on the Virtual Boy or, for that matter, the Sega Saturn. We've seen a number of cancellations and delays for the 3DS, not to mention technical problems. Both Galaga & Pac-Man Dimensions and Resident Evil 3D: The Mercenaries have strict, non-deletable game saves; Crush 3D, Shinobi and Metal Gear Solid 3D have been hastily shuffled to a later release period (possibly into 2012); and Capcom's much-anticipated Mega Man Legends 3 has been cancelled completely, leaving a rabid fan base up in arms.
Read the full article here: http://gamerlive.tv/article/heads-nintendo-3ds-serious-trouble
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Pretty good article, imo. I agree with all of his points, and I would also like to add that the price is too high, especially compared to the technically-superior PSVita. Also, the low battery life is a shame.
