Topic: Nintendo Planning 3DS Successor, Not Revision

[King Bowser Koopa]

Nintendo is more focused on the next big machine than upgrading the current one.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30720

Nintendo is happy with the 3DS just the way it is, Shigeru Miyamoto stated in a recent interview with IGN. Rather than revising what has already become a huge success despite a rocky launch last year, Nintendo is more preoccupied with planning for future handheld devices.

"I really feel like I'm satisfied with the 3DS hardware as it is. I feel like it's the best for this generation. What we're thinking about right now is probably going to be for a future generation of handheld."

When asked about the possibility of a new model with a second circle pad at some point in the future, Miyamoto was quick to respond that the gyroscopic movement controls make up for the lack of a second stick, an opinion he has firmly kept for some time now.

[Enner]

Well, this is a roadblock in my "wait for the revision" plan.


I'll still be wishing for a 3DS XL. Mainly because I'm an idiot that wants a big portable device.
I will settle for a Kid Icarus Uprising bundle. Maybe such a deal will pop up in this year's winter holidays?

[nickmitch]

If there's no revision, you can probably expect a bundle later in the summer. I'd think they'd do it before the Wii U's release, but it could be around the holidays to get that extra boost.

[Chozo Ghost]

Miyamoto was quick to respond that the gyroscopic movement controls make up for the lack of a second stick

I think this in a nut shell sums up why the 3DS did not get MW3 last year, nor has Black Ops 2 been announced for it this year. Does he seriously expect someone to be able to aim their sniper rifle by tilting the 3DS around?

[MasterE]

is it wrong for me to want Nintendo to milk money out of me with revisions of their hardware? i just want the same system with better battery life and maybe the circle pro built in. I would be willing to trade in my current 3ds and pay another 50-60$ for that alone. Oh but they have to keep the dark blue the red and the purple colors. those 3 are so sick.

[Chozo Ghost]

I think Miyamoto is either wrong or he's lying and that there will be a 3DS revision at some point. If he's right this would be the very first time Nintendo has ever had a handheld with no revision whatsoever (unless you count the Virtual Boy, but that was just because the system failed).

I think he knows a revision is in the works but he's denying it because he knows that if people know a revision is on the way the sales of the current 3DS will suffer because people would just hold off on buying it. Nintendo will not announce a revision until almost immediately before it is released.

[Podings]

They don't want to piss off the ambassadors and other early adopters even further by announcing a new sleek version to be released at the same price of the current model.

And they've lost enough money on the 3DS to not want to bother with new design, production, functionality, packaging and marketing in the first place.

If they are truly more worried about the next actual machine, it seems I'm just going to have to skip on this one then.

[Chozo Ghost]

Its still way too early to be talking about the 3DS' successor. Didn't the 3DS just come out?

I hope Nintendo isn't seriously considering pulling a Sega and launching a new successor system before this one has went through its full life cycle. This talk by Miyamoto of them already focusing on a successor is pretty alarming, especially because the 3DS is only a little over a year old. You think the early $80 price drop pissed off early adopters? Imagine the backlash Nintendo would suffer by pulling the plug on the 3DS in the near future. I don't think there is any sort of Ambassador program they could come up with that could curb the amount of outrage that would cause.

[Adrock]

I doubt Nintendo is launching a 3DS successor any time soon. They're working on it, but that's par for the course. They're always working on the next thing.

[Ceric]

Nintendo has historically worried about the next machine right after release of a new one.  Besides I really doubt we'll see a revision till the DS is fully naturally phased out.

[Chozo Ghost]

They're always working on the next thing.

I understand that, but why is he TALKING about that now? The 3DS is only a year old! Did we hear about the DS' successor back in 2006? Hell no. Do you know when we first started hearing about the 3DS? I know it had to have been sometime after the DSi came out, and the DSi came out in 2009 so probably 2010 or so? That's not bad because the DS launched in November 2004 so us only hearing about its successor in 2010 meant it had a good long healthy lifspan.

But for someone as high profile as Miyamoto to be talking about the successor to a system that launched in 2011 just a year later in 2012? That doesn't look good. There was no talk about the 3DS in 2006, and rightly so because that would have been WAY too early. Just like right now should be WAY too early to be talking about the 4DS (or whatever they call it).

[Plugabugz]

I think confirming the existence of a 3DS Lite, especially one that merged the second circle pad in, would simply validate that the original one wasn't the "final" design.

So it's best to cut and run and go onto the third "real" DS ... the 3DS maybe?

[Oblivion]

Adding a second circle pad makes no sense, why do people keep asking for it? It would **** up developers, who now have to start making games for it when there was only a few games that support the CPP in the first place. It would piss off US for the fact that they are already releasing one.

They wouldn't create a successor or a "third pillar" system either simply because it would, like the above situation, piss off developers and customers.

Nintendo is not that stupid. Stop acting like they are.

[Chozo Ghost]

Maybe the "3" in 3DS refers to it as being the "3rd pillar"?

[Adrock]

I understand that, but why is he TALKING about that now?

Probably because IGN asked. Miyamoto didn't say anything that hasn't already been established many times before. People are making mountains out of molehills. The news is that Miyamoto is denying the existence of a revision (which I find dubious but fine). How anyone took "we're working on new things" as "successor is coming soon" is beyond me. That's sensationalist click-bait nonsense. Drop the bait; take a chill pill instead.

Adding a second circle pad makes no sense, why do people keep asking for it? It would **** up developers, who now have to start making games for it when there was only a few games that support the CPP in the first place.

How did you come to that conclusion? Since when do developers have to use every option available to them? They could cut 3D out if they wanted to. Not adding it in a revision makes no sense because it costs Nintendo more to make a separate CPP. Developers can just ignore the right circle pad if they don't want to use it.

[Oblivion]

Then people would start complaining about developers (or blame Nintendo somehow, you know how they are) for not utilizing it. I wouldn't want to be making some game for the 3DS then have a revision with a second circle pad where I'll feel compelled to use it, with a larger screen that will make my game look like ****, and maybe even second left/right triggers that will, like I said earlier, will make me feel coelled to use it, but will piss me off in the process. I wouldn't want to make another game for Nintendo.

[TJ Spyke]

If he's right this would be the very first time Nintendo has ever had a handheld with no revision whatsoever (unless you count the Virtual Boy, but that was just because the system failed).

And the Game Boy Color (and NO, the GBC was not a revision of the Game Boy).

They are never gonna add a second circle pad unless there is at LEAST 1 game that REQUIRES it to play the game. So far every game out or announced only supports the Circle Pad Pro, but doesn't require it to be played. The only revision I can think of that is really needed is a longer battery life, maybe fixing the screen issue some people have.

It makes me laugh when I see someone say 3DS Lite since any revision would not be smaller (which is why the DS revision was called DS Lite).

[UncleBob]

I think this in a nut shell sums up why the 3DS did not get MW3 last year, nor has Black Ops 2 been announced for it this year. Does he seriously expect someone to be able to aim their sniper rifle by tilting the 3DS around?

So.... umm... why do I have a copy of MW3 for my DS?  There's no second circle pad *and* I can't tilt the 3DS around....

[Plugabugz]

If he's right this would be the very first time Nintendo has ever had a handheld with no revision whatsoever (unless you count the Virtual Boy, but that was just because the system failed).

And the Game Boy Color (and NO, the GBC was not a revision of the Game Boy).

They are never gonna add a second circle pad unless there is at LEAST 1 game that REQUIRES it to play the game. So far every game out or announced only supports the Circle Pad Pro, but doesn't require it to be played. The only revision I can think of that is really needed is a longer battery life, maybe fixing the screen issue some people have.

It makes me laugh when I see someone say 3DS Lite since any revision would not be smaller (which is why the DS revision was called DS Lite).

I only call it that purely for tradition. I doubt it would be called that, but in the absence of a better name it will do. Maybe i'll call it the TJ Spyke?

But i forget this is Nintendo where logic does not apply.

[Oblivion]

I think this in a nut shell sums up why the 3DS did not get MW3 last year, nor has Black Ops 2 been announced for it this year. Does he seriously expect someone to be able to aim their sniper rifle by tilting the 3DS around?

So.... umm... why do I have a copy of MW3 for my DS?  There's no second circle pad *and* I can't tilt the 3DS around....

It's not a first person shooter, is it? That's what he was talking about.

[Adrock]

It makes me laugh when I see someone say 3DS Lite since any revision would not be smaller (which is why the DS revision was called DS Lite).

Nintendo can make it thinner and there's room to shave off above the top screen/below the bottom screen. I expect a revision to be larger, but they can make it smaller if they wanted to.

[UncleBob]

I think this in a nut shell sums up why the 3DS did not get MW3 last year, nor has Black Ops 2 been announced for it this year. Does he seriously expect someone to be able to aim their sniper rifle by tilting the 3DS around?

So.... umm... why do I have a copy of MW3 for my DS?  There's no second circle pad *and* I can't tilt the 3DS around....

It's not a first person shooter, is it? That's what he was talking about.

Yeah, it is...

[LOZman]

If they even had a revision to the 3DS, it would definitely be larger. I think it would be a mistake for them to make it smaller anyway. I'm also glad that they are not making any revisions, because I was sick of having to buy so many revisions to the DS.

[Adrock]

I don't get it. You didn't have to buy any of the revisions. You could have just said, "F this," and went about your merry.

[UncleBob]

I disagree.  Must buy all Nintendo hardware.