Topic: 3DS Price Drop and Release Dates for 3DS Mario Titles Revealed

[Mop it up]

Even if you aren't happy the selection of freebies yourself, come August 12 there will be plenty of collectors out there who missed out and will be willing to pay more than the $250 you originally paid for the exclusive content.  You can just sell your current 3DS for a profit on eBay then buy a new one at the new lower price. You've won either way.

That isn't a viable option, because then all of my downloaded software, records, settings, and other data goes with it. It wouldn't be worth it in the long run.

They still have public perception to worry about though. I hope that this kind of price cut doesn't cause people to view the product as worthless.

No way. The Ambassador Program is more than enough damage control to offset most of the negativity. And the new low price will take care of the rest. Mark my words.

I meant potential 3DS buyers. Some people might wonder what is wrong with the product that the price is being dropped so soon and by so much.

[Ian Sane]

And who would care most about VC games? You guessed it: the early adopters. The Nintendo faithful. The hard-core fans.

This is probably true but it logically makes no sense.  Hardcore Nintendo fans would be the most likely to already own original copies of old games.  Maybe not so much for older systems like the NES, but likely for games released in the last ten years.  Re-releases should logically be aimed at newcomers who don't have access to the old stuff.  But it sure as hell doesn't work that way.  I don't get it.

[UncleBob]

Hardcore Nintendo fans would be the most likely to already own original copies of old games.

But we're also the most likely to re-buy every re-release of the old games.

[Mop it up]

Doesn't that also mean we're the most likely to buy these games when they become available for purchase, so Nintendo should offer something we're less likely to buy?

[Bman87301]

I meant potential 3DS buyers. Some people might wonder what is wrong with the product that the price is being dropped so soon and by so much.

Again like I said, that would only happen if the PSV was already out because it would come off as in inferior product in comparison.  Right now, 3DS is the only next gen on the market and it's far enough in advance from PSV's debut to make the price appear directly related. The way technology is constantly advancing, gadgets regularly drop significantly in price all the time, no there's nothing out of the ordinary by itself. Especially during these bad economic times, the price drop is only going to be seen in a positive light. The only room for negativity would be from early adopters, which Nintendo already took care of.

[Stogi]

I'm about to go buy this and OOT. Thank you, Nintendo/

[UncleBob]

Doesn't that also mean we're the most likely to buy these games when they become available for purchase, so Nintendo should offer something we're less likely to buy?

By this time, we'll all be on our second (third?) 3DS (new color, style revision, etc.) and have to rebuy them anyway.

[Mop it up]

We sure are a crazy bunch.

I actually am tempted by that new red 3DS that's coming soon in Japan and seems inevitable for NA, it looks really good, much better than the boring black and ugly blue colours. But I really should hold off for a revision, since there are some things I don't like about it that could be fixed...

[Ceric]

I like the Blue.

[Adrock]

Nintendo is offering NES/GBA games because it affects profits far less than offering eshop credit that could be used on new games that may or may not be 1st party which complicates that further. Old games sales are practically pure profit since they recouped the cost of development years ago. I imagine it costs far less to make the games work on an emulator than it does to make a new game. It's still super nice of Nintendo to offer these games when the alternative is nothing.

If I buy a 3DS, I'll probably give it to my brother when a revision hits so we can play multiplayer games. That's what I did with the DSLite when I bought a DSi. Hopefully, I can transfer all of those free games though I don't see why I wouldn't be able to.

[UncleBob]

I believe I read somewhere (in the many places that's been running this story) that the GBA titles won't be transferable.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Doesn't that also mean we're the most likely to buy these games when they become available for purchase, so Nintendo should offer something we're less likely to buy?

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If Nintendo is giving away for free items I would likely buy anyway, then this is a good gift. If they give me something I may not have wanted, this is not a good gift and I may still feel slighted at the big price drop.

[Ian Sane]

Regarding the idea that the price drop makes the system look inferior - I have a very interesting anecdote about it.  Yesterday at I was at my parents' house for dinner.  My Mom of all people brought up the 3DS with me asking if I had heard about the price drop.  She had heard that it was because that the 3D was making people dizzy and wasn't going over as well as Nintendo had hoped.  I don't think she even knew what a 3DS was before yesterday but she had heard about the price drop on the news, where the media had discussed it about being related to things like a lack of demand and the 3D feature not being so hot.

There is an example of the general public making a negative assumption about the 3DS due to the price drop.  If my Mom, who can't even wrap her head about Wii Fuckin' Sports, was able to hear about it without any of her videogame playing sons telling her, then anyone could.

[Adrock]

Your mom didn't know what a 3DS was and thus was not going to buy one anyway making her irrelevant. Not, you know, in life but regarding 3DS. I expect the general public who was thinking about buying 3DS for themselves or as a gift to just be glad that the price dropped. No one really questions when other things go on sale/drop in price. Your mom included.

Also, your mom goes to college.

[Ian Sane]

Your mom didn't know what a 3DS was and thus was not going to buy one anyway making her irrelevant. Not, you know, in life but regarding 3DS.

lol  I like how you added that last part.

My point though was that someone who doesn't give two flying shits about the 3DS heard about the price drop and how it was for largely negative reasons just from news coverage.  People who ARE potential customers of the 3DS may have watched the same news report and it might affect their perception of the 3DS.

[MegaByte]

My Mom of all people brought up the 3DS with me asking if I had heard about the price drop.  She had heard that it was because that the 3D was making people dizzy and wasn't going over as well as Nintendo had hoped.

Fucking tabloids and sensationalist bullshit media

[Mop it up]

I like the Blue.

So do I, but the 3DS Aqua colour is not blue. It's more like a turquoise or some such blue/green, which makes it ugly.

Nintendo is offering NES/GBA games because it affects profits far less than offering eshop credit that could be used on new games that may or may not be 1st party which complicates that further. Old games sales are practically pure profit since they recouped the cost of development years ago.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious they are doing this since it costs them next to nothing, but that doesn't mean it's something I want.

I believe I read somewhere (in the many places that's been running this story) that the GBA titles won't be transferable.

Or at least, not until they become available on the eShop.

Doesn't that also mean we're the most likely to buy these games when they become available for purchase, so Nintendo should offer something we're less likely to buy?

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If Nintendo is giving away for free items I would likely buy anyway, then this is a good gift. If they give me something I may not have wanted, this is not a good gift and I may still feel slighted at the big price drop.

I was looking at it from Nintendo's perspective.

[NWR_Lindy]

What's happened to you, Nintendo?  it's like I don't even know you any more.

With 3DS vs. Vita, I think both consoles are now appropriately priced.  I think the biggest problem for 3DS is that it's very difficult for consumers to tell what the REAL difference is between it and the regular DS, making its original price point seem completely ludicrous to anybody on the fence.  Nintendo's non-existent marketing hasn't helped with that, either.  The fact that none of its games have even caused a ripple in the mainstream media is another huge factor.  I think Nintendo's fear is that 3DS left a bad first impression, and that a whole group of people has already dismissed it.

I think Vita's pricing, while more expensive, is easier for Sony to justify in a way that customers understand. It's pretty obvious that it has some powerful hardware under the hood, and its price is close enough to a $200 iPhone for people to understand what they're paying for (I also think the market these days is more open to pricey mobile hardware).  Besides, I don't think they're really going after the same audience anyways.  Nintendo loyalists would probably never buy a Vita, and Sony loyalists would probably never buy a 3DS.  Most of the rest of the casuals are probably just playing Angry Birds on their iPhone 4, and couldn't give a crap either way.  That the big difference with 2004 vs. 2011.

[kraken613]

I am very tempted to buy one but then I look at the games that are on it now. I don't think I can even justify $170 with the current software lineup. Other than Zelda is there anything else that great out? I mean I do already own OoT multiple times.

[TJ Spyke]

Ignoring the pricepoints of the games (since some games I think are worth owning, but not for $40), some pretty good to great 3DS games:
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions
PilotWings Resort
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

There may be others, but those are the ones that would interest me.

[kraken613]

The thing is I am paying that much for a system then $40 per game for those games. Eh....

[Ceric]

lol, back to my argument that dropping the games prices down would have a large affect.

[NWR_Lindy]

I feel the same way as Kraken613...I'm still not paying $210 to play any single game on that list, let alone $290.  It's going to have to be something pretty special for me to plunk down that cash, and I haven't seen it yet.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I didn't get the system yesterday (stayed at the movies for far too long), but I plan on only buying the system for now. The 20 digital games will have to be enough till I will pick up some boxed games when they are on sale.

[kraken613]

Not to say it defiantly doesn't tempt me, but I figure wait another year or so get the revision system and then there will be a nice catalog of games to choose from.
(Now I will probably break before then and buy one though..)