Let me preface what follows with my experience with the 3DS ...... I barely use it and have just 5 games for it. The 3D gives me a headache and I struggle to find the sweet spot where it looks right. I have 4 games because they were on clearance and only paid a highish price for one, Zelda. Apart from Mario Kart I have no interest in what is out and very little in the immediate future interests me. I say this as to avoid the label of fanboy.

3DS is the fastest selling console of any type in Japan for the first 12 months. As you can see in the chart, it did stall out of the blocks, but since what it looks like about week 40, it has exploded to over 5 million units SOLD not shipped. That is some fair effort. Now we can attribute the climb to a price drop and 2 stellar Mario titles, but that can't be all. There is clearly still a big market for handheld consoles in Japan. I am sure the figures from the USA and Europe show a similar story, although I doubt as high, but can we all just agree now that the 3DS isn't a failure, it isn't struggling and is in fact a smash hit?

2012 can only get better with some big Nintendo titles, but also for Monster Hunter 4 at the very least. Considering how well a title can sell on a handheld, like Dragon Quest IX on the DS, perhaps it is time some other big titles, other than Monster Hunter, tried their hand at a main game in their series on the 3DS. Final Fantasy XVI, Kingdom Hearts 3, Resident Evil 6, Fallout 4? Yeah, I know it is crazy, but I would to see more developers put in the investment to make a great game like Square Enix did with Dragon Quest IX. Bring on the big 3DS games to get me interested. I would kill for the new Fire Emblem to hurry up and where is my new Advance Wars?

I think most people know that the 3DS is now selling like Nintendo-branded hot cakes, and acknowledge that the naysayers were, as usual, wrong. 

I'm still surprised, for some reason it feels like the 3DS is just doing 'ok' but actually it's doing really well.

I'm glad the "but iPhone/iPad" crowd are now proved wrong, those platforms are not good for any 'real' gaming. I think there's some good games but many of them are merely clones/rips of other successful touch games or use horrible virtual thumbsticks and buttons.

I knew dedicated handhelds still have a place. I like the 3DS a lot, it feels nice in the hands, the analog stick is great and the 3D at around 75% is perfect, never gives me any fatigue/headaches. Battery life is also perfectly acceptable at around 4-5 hours with power saving mode turned on. Slightly more for original DS games.

@Sooty said:

I knew dedicated handhelds still have a place.

I think the same. I seriously don't want to play games on my iPhone. If they made a case like the circle pro pad the iPhone would fit into with real controls, things could be different. I am kind of surprised it hasn't happened. Still, if my iPhone wasn't free from work, the best I would have is an iPod Touch as I have zero interest in using my money on an iPhone (or iPad for that matter).

@Contrarian said:

I barely use it and have just 5 games for it. The 3D gives me a headache and I struggle to find the sweet spot where it looks right. I have 4 games because they were on clearance and only paid a highish price for one, Zelda. Apart from Mario Kart I have no interest in what is out and very little in the immediate future interests me.

That's why I see it as a failure?

What the hell does prepice mean?

@James_Giant_Peach said:

@Contrarian said:

I barely use it and have just 5 games for it. The 3D gives me a headache and I struggle to find the sweet spot where it looks right. I have 4 games because they were on clearance and only paid a highish price for one, Zelda. Apart from Mario Kart I have no interest in what is out and very little in the immediate future interests me.

That's why I see it as a failure?

I don't think we should the success or failure of a device based on our personal experience. In all fairness, minus the 3D, I could change that whole preface with DS and GBA as the first year of the DS was just a waste for me. We need to make a more objective view for the majority audience. Hey, Japan has Monster Hunter 3G and I would be playing the hell out of that if I had it.

@James_Giant_Peach said:

@Contrarian said:

I barely use it and have just 5 games for it. The 3D gives me a headache and I struggle to find the sweet spot where it looks right. I have 4 games because they were on clearance and only paid a highish price for one, Zelda. Apart from Mario Kart I have no interest in what is out and very little in the immediate future interests me.

That's why I see it as a failure?

Name one console that didn't have only a handful of good games in the first year. There's very few exceptions.

The DS had...Mario 64, not much else. The PSP was also bad. (but Lumines!)

@DelroyLindo said:

What the hell does prepice mean?

Fucked if I know. I don't even know why that is there, I am really tired. It is preface.

@Contrarian: It is considered as a failure for a couple of reasons.

First of all, even though overall sales number is higher than any other handhelds that Nintendo has released, it could be argued that they have achieved that through the early price cut. Nintendo even apologized for it(CEO getting his pay cut and what not) and did this "ambassador program"(which some might say it's a bullshit). Obviously, it was not the smoothest launch and it proves that Nintendo realized their mistakes.

Second of all, it really did not have any good titles. Some might even argue it still does not have any good titles. 3DS did not really get caught up until they released Ocarina of Time, which was not even an original title. Now they have Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7(which is hardly an original title) but really, other than those two games, 3DS does not really have good titles.

Third of all, Nintendo overall did not do well last year. With its stock price dropped and even Nintendo admitted that they have lost money(this is where the whole "Apple made money but Nintendo didn't" type of article came out), it definitely wasn't a good year for Nintendo.

At the end of the day, it is all about the sales number. It seems like that is the best way to see the result but you gotta think about the other factors. It is great that 3DS sold a lot but at the same time, Nintendo had to do a lot of things to keep that number high, such as the unpopular price drops.

@nohthink said:

@Contrarian: It is considered as a failure for a couple of reasons.

First of all, even though overall sales number is higher than any other handhelds that Nintendo has released, it could be argued that they have achieved that through the early price cut. Nintendo even apologized for it(CEO getting his pay cut and what not) and did this "ambassador program"(which some might say it's a bullshit). Obviously, it was not the smoothest launch and it proves that Nintendo realized their mistakes.

Second of all, it really did not have any good titles. Some might even argue it still does not have any good titles. 3DS did not really get caught up until they released Ocarina of Time, which was not even an original title. Now they have Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7(which is hardly an original title) but really, other than those two games, 3DS does not really have good titles.

Third of all, Nintendo overall did not do well last year. With its stock price dropped and even Nintendo admitted that they have lost money(this is where the whole "Apple made money but Nintendo didn't" type of article came out).

At the end of the day, it is all about the sales number. It seems like that is the best way to see the result but you gotta think about the other factors. It is great that 3DS sold a lot but at the same time, Nintendo had to do a lot of things to keep that number high, such as the unpopular price drops.

Most of Nintendo's problems last year were in fact due to the appreciation of the Japanese Yen and the fact that most of its sales come from overseas. If you factor that out, that had a decent (not great) year. I still think despite sharing the same view on games, that the subjective nature of that isn't really valid. The price drop was really more about the fact that they realised they over-priced it I believe. They still make a profit on it, but it was obvious for the target market, it was too expensive.

I think we all agree Nintendo made some mistakes, some big ones. I think the design of the unit is wrong. For a start it looked too much like the DS and they should have made it a bit bigger for a larger screen (whilst still being compact and allowing for a hopeful XL later). There are definitely factors that the 3DS failed on, but sales is the most important factor and on that they succeeded. I just hope they can build on it.

@Contrarian: Base on the sales number, they're gonna build on it. They put too much money and sold too many of them to not support it. Plus, they did say it is their next "DS" so I wouldn't worry about that if I were you.

One thing that interests me, though, Patrick has been saying "this E3, Nintendo is gonna announce a new 3DS with two joy sticks" or along that line. I don't know where he is getting that information but obviously he is more resourceful than I am. I'm kinda looking forward to that lol

@nohthink said:

@Contrarian: Base on the sales number, they're gonna build on it. They put too much money and sold too many of them to not support it. Plus, they did say it is their next "DS" so I wouldn't worry about that if I were you.

One thing that interests me, though, Patrick has been saying "this E3, Nintendo is gonna announce a new 3DS with two joy sticks" or along that line. I don't know where he is getting that information but obviously he is more resourceful than I am. I'm kinda looking forward to that lol

I think it is very likely as well. I am not bothered that old 3DS would need a circle pad for newer games as the pad isn't expensive or horrible to use. I would gladly go out and buy another as I think upgrades are a good thing, not bad. If they do, I hope they completely change the look of the 3DS at the same time and possibly make it lighter/thinner.

Because people hang on to their first impression, especially if it was bad.

"3DS not doing so hot? no cool games? Okay, I don't care anymore"

situation changes, people who don't keep up only hear about the few news items that get lots of attention and still think "well, hasn't gotten much better"

I thought the same thing when I saw those numbers. I'm glad to see the 3DS doing well, because that generally (not always) means more good games will follow.

@Contrarian said:

I would kill for the new Fire Emblem to hurry up and where is my new Advance Wars?

That's my reason for calling it a failure: utter lack of Fire Emblem :P. (That comment is actually pretty sad when you realize that no English language release has been announced for the game, yet.)

@Video_Game_King: its coming to europe in 2012 :D

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464102

I can't really comment for a few years. I don't play it a lot, but I imagine by the time it's done I'll have put a fair amount of time into it.

As a 3DS owner, I totally understand why some people feel like the system is struggling. Because from a software and hardware stance, it is. The system is selling. But, what are people actually buying for it? I own Super Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Mario. For a system that is now a year old, there should be more must-have software.

I like the system. The ambassador games were nice. But, they need more legit software. Although, if you do remember, the DS launched with a dearth of software and ended up doing just fine. So, stranger things have happened.

@VicRattlehead:

Does the 3DS have region lock-out? And if it does, is it piss easy to break?

Most of the 3DS bomb/dying people have stopped talking, but if Nintendo really wants to close them up for good they need to announce a new proper Pokemon game for the console asap. Though there is a chance of that happening soon, it seems, which excites me.

I view it as a failure because I don't want it. I'm sure it's doing fine, but that's not going to convince me to buy one.

@Video_Game_King: have no idea... i assume the american version will be announced later today on that nintendo direct thing like it was for japanland and europe

@Zenaxzd said:

Most of the 3DS bomb/dying people have stopped talking, but if Nintendo really wants to close them up for good they need to announce a new proper Pokemon game for the console asap. Though there is a chance of that happening soon, it seems, which excites me.

Rumor was that an announcement was imminent. I personally think that it will be awhile longer, still. The move to the 3DS prompts a new engine, not to mention that the Nobunaga's Ambition spin-off is where the focus will be for awhile longer. I know it's not the same developers, I mean that they're usually hush on main series titles to give the other stuff some attention.

He has chart!

@Contrarian: Straight sales figures can be deceptive. Remember is the PS2 era when half a million sales of a game was great. Now, depending on the title, 1 million sales could be a flop. More people are buying video games and consoles/handhelds now. The 3DS may be the fastest selling handheld but the amount that it's outpacing the past hasn't kept pace with how the overall industry is outpacing the past. Essentially it's market hasn't grown as much as the entire industry has, so that means it's losing market share. Five million 3DSs sold in an 18 Billion dollar industry isn't as impressive as 4.8 million GBAs sold in a 12 Billion dollar industry, especially when they needed to drop the price to do it.

I'm sure the 3DS will find it's legs. Remember when everybody was down on the PS3 for 2 or 3 years? The library of quality exclusives gave it enough competitive advantage to retake market share and catch up to the competition. It's still not where the PS2 was and it won't ever be. The 3DS won't be be in the same place that the DS was but it won't be another Gizmondo or NGage.

Are you trying to be a handheld forecaster or something?

@SpaceRunaway said:

@Video_Game_King: I don't know how to go about breaking it, or if it's been done, but it definitely is region locked. Not that my tastes are ultimately that important to Nintendo's sales, but that's the primary reason I didn't get a 3DS. The sales cut makes it a little more tempting, but I really don't want to buy 2 3DS's. Edit: A quick search indicates that it apparently hasn't been bypassed yet, at least not in a way that is done without hacking the system.

The region lock is my number one hated change Nintendo made with the 3DS. It pissed me off no end, but they win in the end as I will get an NTSC version anyway.

@nohthink said:

Second of all, it really did not have any good titles. Some might even argue it still does not have any good titles. 3DS did not really get caught up until they released Ocarina of Time, which was not even an original title. Now they have Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7(which is hardly an original title) but really, other than those two games, 3DS does not really have good titles.

Now you just sound like Ryan, which is that you are just ignorant about Mario Kart. The changes are drastic enough between each iteration to make that completely viable as an original title.

@Zenaxzd said:

Most of the 3DS bomb/dying people have stopped talking, but if Nintendo really wants to close them up for good they need to announce a new proper Pokemon game for the console asap. Though there is a chance of that happening soon, it seems, which excites me.

Rumor was that an announcement was imminent. I personally think that it will be awhile longer, still. The move to the 3DS prompts a new engine, not to mention that the Nobunaga's Ambition spin-off is where the focus will be for awhile longer. I know it's not the same developers, I mean that they're usually hush on main series titles to give the other stuff some attention.

I'd be more interested in seeing a chart showing revenue/gross income for the first year of each system. The only thing propping up the 3ds is that massive price cut, if they aren't making any money, it's hard to call it a success.

@Zenaxzd said:

Though I guess to be honest Black/White had more content than any of the other third versions ever did so I am not sure what else they could really add.

Oh, they'll find a way...

I had almost forgotten about Grey. I could see them releasing it as a DS title with 3DS enhancements to tide people over and rake in more cash. I'd almost be tempted to buy it though, since I never actually did much beyond the main story in Black and the game is currently tied up with a good 400+ Pokemon that I'm not about to delete.

Those damn greedy bastards...

@Kidavenger said:

I'd be more interested in seeing a chart showing revenue/gross income for the first year of each system. The only thing propping up the 3ds is that massive price cut, if they aren't making any money, it's hard to call it a success.

There is no reason to believe they aren't making a profit on every unit sold. If we did what you say, then the Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 (they made a terrible loss per unit for the PS3) and PSP would all look very bleak as they all lost money as far as I remember. Only the DS and Gamecube made a profit for every unit from day one, as I believe the 3DS still does with the price cut. All those other systems weren't failures either, as they calculate over the life of the system, not the first year. I think you will find that the PSV is a loss maker on launch. I don't agree that the massive price cut is propping it up at all. It is selling on the games (even though they hold little interest to me).

I got a 3DS on release and I consider it a huge disappointment for myself. Of course it's my own fault for getting it but yeh...

I plain and simply don't enjoy OoT and the 3D effect is... really somewhat worthless. Holding it in the right angle is such a pain in the ass.

Now I gotta say Mario Kart 7 is a pretty great game actually. However, the whole system is just so damn slow and everthing takes forever. Nowadays I don't even want to play Mario Kart 7 online anymore, because the time it takes until I actually start playing is ridicous. If it takes like 6-7 minutees on average from starting the game to actually begin playing a race online, then that's just goddamn annoying. Not only that, even once you're racing, it takes so damn long to get into the next race. I hate it if playing to waiting ratio is like 40/60.

And other games? Super Mario 3D Land looks like a good title but I'm just not interested enough to spend 30€ or so on it. Apart from that game, nothing of interest really. Resident Evil isn't appealing to me at all. Shooters without mouse controls are always a pain in the ass, and well the unit design is bad, the story supposedly awful etc. So nothing left for me in this game.

I'm a heavy PC user and I heavily appreciate quick systems. I don't want to waste my time on loading screens etc. The 3DS has awful loading times and menus. Let's not even talk about that piece of shit eShop.

I consider it a failure from the perspective of somebody who enjoys good quality games.

I consider it a success from a money perspective.

I can only assume it is due to the times we live in, now that more and more people play video games, and a lot of parents will get their kids game consoles to shut them up.

@Sooty said:

I'm glad the "but iPhone/iPad" crowd are now proved wrong, those platforms are not good for any 'real' gaming. I think there's some good games but many of them are merely clones/rips of other successful touch games or use horrible virtual thumbsticks and buttons.

I hate this statement. What qualifies as "real gaming"? Mobile platforms are capable of gaming experiences as good as and in some cases superior to any other platform. As with any platform, there are games that work better on touch platforms than others, but everyone seems to want to judge mobile games based on stuff like Fruit Ninja, even though there are games out there like Game Dev Story, Plants Vs Zombies, Peggle, hundreds of great tower defense games and a ton of good turn-based strategy games.

I am glad the 3DS is doing well, because, ya know, competition is a good thing, but people that are utterly dismissive of mobile games just come across as ignorant to me. I've had plenty of great gaming experiences on my ipod before and now my android phone.

@Vegetable_Side_Dish said:

I think most people know that the 3DS is now selling like Nintendo-branded hot cakes, and acknowledge that the naysayers were, as usual, wrong.

Were they, though? The naysayers mostly said that the 3DS's price at launch was way too high for what you got. The 3DS is doing well now because they cut the price almost in half and released games people actually wanted to buy. Everything the "naysayers" said about 3DS at launch was totally accurate. Nintendo was just smart enough, for once, to actually change to suit market conditions.

@Zenaxzd said:

Most of the 3DS bomb/dying people have stopped talking, but if Nintendo really wants to close them up for good they need to announce a new proper Pokemon game for the console asap. Though there is a chance of that happening soon, it seems, which excites me.

Unfortunately (not for us but for Nintendo), Pokemon Black/White came out right before the 3DS launch, so if Nintendo plans their usual Pokemon refresh (Pokemon gray anyone?) then it may be a while before we see a 3DS exclusive Pokemon.

@BionicRadd said:

@Sooty said:

I'm glad the "but iPhone/iPad" crowd are now proved wrong, those platforms are not good for any 'real' gaming. I think there's some good games but many of them are merely clones/rips of other successful touch games or use horrible virtual thumbsticks and buttons.

I am glad the 3DS is doing well, because, ya know, competition is a good thing, but people that are utterly dismissive of mobile games just come across as ignorant to me. I've had plenty of great gaming experiences on my ipod before and now my android phone.

I said there's some good games on phones so I am not utterly dismissive. I don't consider phones a real gaming platform, I don't like being limited to touch controls and phone games fail to grab me long term, I don't need PacMan ports on my phone or another 'Story' game. Game Dev Story got boring fast enough and now they seem to make a new game like it every few months, and let's not even get into all the other clones on the App Store and Android Market. Phone games for me are a quick distraction, I'm not going to be sinking hours into them at a time in their current state. Sure I'll maybe play one in 5-10 minute bursts if I'm bored while waiting for an appointment somewhere, but in any other case then no thanks. When I'm on a train for 30+ minutes every weekend I'll always choose my 3DS.

Like it or lump it that's my stance on this. I used to buy them a lot but I started noticing I barely ever play them past the initial "oh this is kinda cool" moment. (that lasts around 10-15 minutes) If I had the Xperia Play with a good PS1 emulator I'd have a totally different opinion on all of this, but then again emulated PS1 games wouldn't exactly count as phone games.

just picked up one myself and i think between mario kart 7 and 3d super mario, money well spent.

@Mcfart said:

@Zenaxzd said:

Most of the 3DS bomb/dying people have stopped talking, but if Nintendo really wants to close them up for good they need to announce a new proper Pokemon game for the console asap. Though there is a chance of that happening soon, it seems, which excites me.

Unfortunately (not for us but for Nintendo), Pokemon Black/White came out right before the 3DS launch, so if Nintendo plans their usual Pokemon refresh (Pokemon gray anyone?) then it may be a while before we see a 3DS exclusive Pokemon.

And Nintendo just announced Pokemon Black/White 2 for the original DS. Even so, this is hardly going to hurt them considering the number of kids out there that still have DSes and the fact that the games are playable on the 3DS.

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

@Vinny_Says said:

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

The 3DS still sold more units in its first year than the original DS. And calling Super Mario 3D Land "generic" is hysterical in its inaccuracy.

Happy to see the 3DS get successful, I hope to see more great games on it.

@Hailinel said:

@Vinny_Says said:

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

The 3DS still sold more units in its first year than the original DS. And calling Super Mario 3D Land "generic" is hysterical in its inaccuracy.

It's like you didn't even read my post....

How is running across a level, collecting stars and doing it multiple times until you reach the final boss stray from the Mario formula? It's not bad in any way, and I had a blast playing it, but it is generic and if you claim otherwise then you are delusional.

@Vinny_Says said:

@Hailinel said:

@Vinny_Says said:

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

The 3DS still sold more units in its first year than the original DS. And calling Super Mario 3D Land "generic" is hysterical in its inaccuracy.

It's like you didn't even read my post....

How is running across a level, collecting stars and doing it multiple times until you reach the final boss stray from the Mario formula? It's not bad in any way, and I had a blast playing it, but it is generic and if you claim otherwise then you are delusional.

It is a pretty unique blend of 2D and 3d games that is unlike any other mario game.

@mosespippy said:

@Contrarian: Straight sales figures can be deceptive. Remember is the PS2 era when half a million sales of a game was great. Now, depending on the title, 1 million sales could be a flop. More people are buying video games and consoles/handhelds now. The 3DS may be the fastest selling handheld but the amount that it's outpacing the past hasn't kept pace with how the overall industry is outpacing the past. Essentially it's market hasn't grown as much as the entire industry has, so that means it's losing market share. Five million 3DSs sold in an 18 Billion dollar industry isn't as impressive as 4.8 million GBAs sold in a 12 Billion dollar industry, especially when they needed to drop the price to do it.

I'm sure the 3DS will find it's legs. Remember when everybody was down on the PS3 for 2 or 3 years? The library of quality exclusives gave it enough competitive advantage to retake market share and catch up to the competition. It's still not where the PS2 was and it won't ever be. The 3DS won't be be in the same place that the DS was but it won't be another Gizmondo or NGage.

This post deserves to be quoted.

The 3DS isn't a failure, but its hiccups & problems so far have carved a somewhat accurate perception.

Suckers every one.

@Vinny_Says said:

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

You mentioned it yourself ..... the DS was cheaper and the price cut was a reality of it being too high for the market. The price reduction put it more in line for a fairer comparison to the DS.

I paid $280 for mine and like you, I never play it (I played Fire Emblem on VC the most). The only game I really want is the game I yet have, Mario Kart. I won't judge it a failure just on my personal taste, I like to take a more objective view and on that, it appears a success to me. I am not interested as such in Super Mario 3D Land and will defer opinion to those who have it, and the consensus is very positive. I really want the games that appeal to me and until Monster Hunter and Fire Emblem appear, I am still not going to play it much. No regrets buying it at all.

@Contrarian said:

@Vinny_Says said:

@Contrarian: Did the DS, Wii, or GBA have massive price cuts in their first 12 months? I don't remember them slashing $80 off the original price within the first year. You can't just look at that chart in a vaccum and say: "Hey that line goes the highest therefore it's the best!"

Yeah the DS launched at $150 but when a consumer sees a price cut like the one the 3DS experienced they are bound to buy the product even if the original price is $250.

And yes I have a 3DS and I paid $300 for mine and I never play it because the only game that's remotely any good is Super Mario 3D land, another generic Mario game. I'm going to keep calling it a failure until that Paper Mario game comes out and proves me wrong.

You mentioned it yourself ..... the DS was cheaper and the price cut was a reality of it being too high for the market. The price reduction put it more in line for a fairer comparison to the DS.

I paid $280 for mine and like you, I never play it (I played Fire Emblem on VC the most). The only game I really want is the game I yet have, Mario Kart. I won't judge it a failure just on my personal taste, I like to take a more objective view and on that, it appears a success to me. I am not interested as such in Super Mario 3D Land and will defer opinion to those who have it, and the consensus is very positive. I really want the games that appeal to me and until Monster Hunter and Fire Emblem appear, I am still not going to play it much. No regrets buying it at all.

And then there are people like me, who also bought it at the launch price, and have been steadily buying games for it. My current 3DS library, not counting downloadable titles, sits at fourteen games. Not all of them are winners, mind you, but there are some games that I got a lot of mileage out of in that selection. And in the next couple of months, I'll finally have the chance to play Kid Icarus, which I have been looking forward to sincee its announcement, and Spirit Camera, which is the first full game I've seen with the potential to make great use out of the AR functions.

The point is, however, that the 3DS has been far from a one-game wonder for me, and I am not alone in this sentiment.