Topic: Sales of Used 3DS Systems Double in Japan

[NWR_pap64]

Price drops and possibilities of the Ambassador program drive players towards used systems.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/27319

Sales of used 3DS systems doubled after Nintendo announced the upcoming price drop, according to Media Create in Japan.

The report cites several possible reasons as to why the sales doubled. One of these is that players may be eager to participate in the Ambassador program, which will offer free games for early adopters of the system, before the price officially drops. Another is that shops are dropping prices on used systems, with an average ¥4,000 reduction reported.

Media Create also cites a drop in sales of new 3DS units right after the announcement was made. The system sold 16,415 units during the week of July 25 through 31. On the day of the announcement and the two days prior, the system sold around 14,000 units. On the three following days, just 3,000 units were sold.

[KDR_11k]

PWN'D!!!

[Mop it up]

The sales of the 3DS dropping before an announced price cut is pretty expected, but it's curious to see used sales increasing. Why are people willing to pay so much for free games? Saying that almost sounds oxymoronic... possibly even just plain moronic...

[alegoicoe]

i dont think is that moronic when you put into perspective that nintendo is giving more than one hundred dollars in free games.

[Mop it up]

Games that most people probably already own, and they're digital copies which, to me, hold no real monetary value (for example, you can't sell them). Plus some of the games are things like Ice Climber and Balloon Fight, which are not worth $5 in any form.

[alegoicoe]

Right, but they probably own them in other platforms, and is much easier to have all of those games on a single platform, than having to switch games and platforms to play those games.

[NWR_insanolord]

Balloon Fight is most certainly worth $5. It may be a ripoff of Joust, but it's the best version of Joust out there.

[Mop it up]

If one of the features they add to them is online co-op, then it'd be worth it. But that's probably too much to hope for...

[alegoicoe]

maybe local multiplayer, but i doubt knowing how nintendo works that they would include online multiplayer for this games, and if they do i dont think they would include those features in the ambassador program.

[NWR_insanolord]

If they were going to add anything, I'd want it to be online leaderboards.

[alegoicoe]

^thats more likely, and that would be enough for me to buy some of those games again, speacially Super Mario Adavnce 4, which is the best remake of Mario 3.

[BlackNMild2k1]

maybe local multiplayer, but i doubt knowing how nintendo works that they would include online multiplayer for this games, and if they do i dont think they would include those features in the ambassador program.

But that is why the Ambassadors get to have the upgraded paid version at a later date for FREE too. If there are any improvements to any of the games that end up making it to the eShop, we get to have all of them for FREE.
If they add online multi (online 2nd controller), leader boards, improved graphics, bonus stages(eReader levels), etc etc., then we get to have them all.

It's an unknown right now, but that what makes it worth hopping on the bandwagon now rather than later.

[alegoicoe]

I am, you can be sure of that.

[MegaByte]

The only way I'm ever buying any Virtual Console game is if they add features (e.g. online multiplayer) rather than removing them (e.g. local multiplayer).

[NWR_insanolord]

I, on the other hand, will buy pretty much anything they make available on the Virtual Console, regardless of how many features were cut or how awful the game is, as I think we've proven so far.

[KDR_11k]

I think we should ask why there are so many used 3DSes available for sale.