We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.
3DS

Nintendo 3DS U.S. Sales Reach 4.5 Million

by Patrick Barnett - March 7, 2012, 12:44 am EST
Total comments: 41

The 3DS doubles the Nintendo DS' first year sales.

Nintendo 3DS reached 4.5 million units sold in the U.S. during its first year, according to Nintendo of America.

Since its US launch, the Nintendo 3DS has sold twice as many units as its predecessor, the Nintendo DS. The 4.5 million units of hardware sold throughout the country are also joined by over 9 million units of software sold.

Nintendo credits some of the system's success to its record-breaking titles like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, as well as some of its other content, such as Netflix and Nintendo Video. The 3DS also boasts a rather large lineup of retail games. Over 100 titles are currently available; the Nintendo DS had only 58 during its first year.

"With a massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future," Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime noted.

Nintendo 3DS Sells 4.5 Million Units in Its First Year in the U.S.

Platform sells nearly twice as many units as Nintendo DS sold in its first year.

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The era of glasses-free 3D gaming is turning one this month as Nintendo 3DS prepares to celebrate its first birthday. On March 27, 2011, video games and portable entertainment jumped into a new dimension in the U.S. and that story got richer throughout the year with record-breaking software titles such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 and entertainment options such as Netflix, Nintendo Video and the ability to record 3D movies. The platform enters its second year with a massive lineup of games, including the recently launched Resident Evil Revelations from CAPCOM, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games published by SEGA, TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., METAL GEAR SOLID Snake Eater 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment and the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising and Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir from Nintendo.

“Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with a lengthy list of accomplishments but we’re still just scratching the surface,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “With a massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future. We’re just getting started but this platform is built for the long haul.”

Some of the milestones achieved by Nintendo 3DS in its first year include:

March 27, 2011: Nintendo 3DS ushers in a new era of gaming with glasses-free 3D. Launch-day sales are the strongest in Nintendo’s history.
June 2011: The Nintendo eShop launches, letting users preview, try and buy new and classic games, download applications and watch 3D movie trailers.
June 2011: Link makes his first appearance in 3D with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which is still the best-reviewed game for Nintendo 3DS.
Summer 2011: Nintendo 3DS adds two video services: Netflix unlimited streaming members can instantly watch thousands of TV episodes and movies. Nintendo Video automatically delivers hand-picked 3D content from leading sites and artists.
October 2011: After only eight months, Nintendo 3DS surpasses first-year sales of Nintendo DS, the best-selling video game system in history.
Fall 2011: Mario jumps into 3D with two new games, each becoming the fastest-selling titles in their franchises’ history: Nov. 13, 2011: Super Mario 3D Land – 1.75 million copies sold to date, Dec. 4, 2011: Mario Kart 7 – 1.45 million copies sold to date
December 2011: Users can now record up to 10 minutes of 3D video and stop-motion animation.
December 2011: Nintendo 3DS crosses 4 million units sold, passing the record pace set by the Wii.
Feb. 22, 2012: Dillon’s Rolling Western launches for the Nintendo eShop, joining hot titles Pushmo and Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
March 23, 2012: Nintendo 3DS closes its first year with the launch of Kid Icarus: Uprising, the first original entrant in the series in more than 20 years.

Nintendo 3DS is inexorably linked with its predecessor the Nintendo DS, the best-selling gaming system in U.S. history with more than 51 million units sold. A side-by-side comparison shows that Nintendo 3DS had a stronger first year across the board.

                                                                           Nintendo DS*        Nintendo 3DS**
Launch date                                                        Nov. 21, 2004       March 27, 2011
Total HW units sold in first 12 months                    2.3 million             4.5 million
Total number of SW titles released in first 12 months    58                      100+
Total units of software sold in first 12 months          5 million                 9 million+
Total $ sales (HW, SW and accessory) in first 12 months $540 million     $1.2 billion+

*Source: NPD **Source: Nintendo of America ***All Figures are U.S. Only

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

Talkback

Chocobo_RiderMarch 07, 2012



DOOOOOOOOOOM3D!!

3D?! More like 3rD party, am-i-right??

ahh, most articles on the 3DS from other websites still can't talk about the thing without opening with some kind of "despite a rocky start blah blah blah."  I imagine we'll still be hearing that rubbish until the 4DS comes out (time travel confirmed!).

Funny how worse numbers don't seem to be raining on the Vita parade the way they darkened the 3DS' early days... oh well.  We live and learn... and... some of them never learn. =P

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterMarch 07, 2012

Quote from: NinSage

Funny how worse numbers don't seem to be raining on the Vita parade the way they darkened the 3DS' early days... oh well. 

Of course not because the industry has it out for Nintendo. The industry hates Nintendo!  ;)  The journalist side of it anyway.


Let the chaos begin.


The 4DS with a proper launch should be able to whip both the DS and 3DS considering the slow starts they both got.

Chozo GhostMarch 07, 2012

And yet the 3DS is being neglected in the COD and Madden department. Activision and EA need to get their act together and start supporting the 3DS like it deserves. The Vita is getting these games, and the Vita hasn't sold worth a crap. It makes no sense.

yoshi1001March 07, 2012

Quote from: NinSage

  I imagine we'll still be hearing that rubbish until the 4DS comes out (time travel confirmed!).


Nah, Nintendo'll pull an N64 and jump straight to string theory DS.

Chocobo_RiderMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: yoshi1001

Quote from: NinSage

  I imagine we'll still be hearing that rubbish until the 4DS comes out (time travel confirmed!).


Nah, Nintendo'll pull an N64 and jump straight to string theory DS.

lol!

broodwarsMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: NinSage

Funny how worse numbers don't seem to be raining on the Vita parade the way they darkened the 3DS' early days... oh well.  We live and learn... and... some of them never learn. =P

Are you kidding?  You have to look pretty hard to find a favorable outlook on the Vita right now from pretty much anyone in the press, especially when it comes to the device's sales in Japan.  It seems to be universally accepted that the handheld's launch was weak (and even weaker in Japan), and that the mandatory memory cards are ridiculously overpriced.  If anything, the 3DS' weak launch and first few months have made people even more down on the Vita from what I've seen.

That said, I am with Chozo on one thing: why aren't Madden and Call of Duty being made on the 3DS?  Both EA and Activision make their living porting their products to everything under the sun so long as it can make a profit.  I suppose having to support the Circle Pad Pro might be holding back Call of Duty on 3DS until Nintendo makes the accessory part of the standard design with the inevitable hardware revision.  But I don't understand EA's reluctance with their sports franchises.

TJ SpykeMarch 08, 2012

Unless a game ends up requiring the Circle Pad Pro (which so far none out or announced do), then there is slim chance of it being part of a 3DS redesign. I am a little surprised that 3DS won't get some version of Madden this year, I suppose their is still time for COD (last year the 3DS was stilling not selling that great at the time that a COD game for November would have been in development).

Chozo GhostMarch 08, 2012

The fact the circle pad pro accessory even exists at all is reason enough for it to be integrated into the 3DS in a future revision.

Quote from: TJ

(last year the 3DS was stilling not selling that great at the time that a COD game for November would have been in development).

I wouldn't have a problem with that argument, except that COD has already been announced for the Vita which has sold even worse. How do you account for that? I think broodwars is right because COD is the sort of game which REALLY depends on dual analog. In other games it can just be optional, but in the FPS genre its required. And that's another reason why CPP must be integrated, because without that the 3DS can never amount to a decent FPS system.

ejamerMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: NinSage

Funny how worse numbers don't seem to be raining on the Vita parade the way they darkened the 3DS' early days... oh well.  We live and learn... and... some of them never learn. =P

Are you kidding?  You have to look pretty hard to find a favorable outlook on the Vita right now from pretty much anyone in the press, especially when it comes to the device's sales in Japan.  It seems to be universally accepted that the handheld's launch was weak (and even weaker in Japan), and that the mandatory memory cards are ridiculously overpriced.  If anything, the 3DS' weak launch and first few months have made people even more down on the Vita from what I've seen.

...

I don't know. A lot of reports that I read from gaming websites still view the Vita positively (awesome hardware with best launch software ever, surprisingly hasn't taken off) and the 3DS with mild derision (mildly successful, but what do you expect after Nintendo is forced to slash prices nearly in half... still doesn't have games).


I think both portable consoles are pretty exciting right now though.  Vita had me worried about pricing, but has had some aggressive software sales that partly make up for that.  It still doesn't have games that appeal to me, but even 3DS has just started getting retail titles that I want... so give Vita some time and see what happens.


Interesting point that the rough start for 3DS has made people skeptical about Vita though.  I would think that, if anything, the recent success of 3DS would encourage people who feel the Vita is currently under-performing.

Quote from: Chozo

The fact the circle pad pro accessory even exists at all is reason enough for it to be integrated into the 3DS in a future revision.

I believed that more before seeing just how packed the 3DS innards already are.  Trade small size for a second analog input?  I'll take portability, thanks... especially since FPS games aren't a big draw for me.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 08, 2012

All this talk about how the 3DS can't do FPS seems to ignore the successful CoD ports already on the DS.

Seems to me, the only thing that really held these titles back is A) the DS is kiddah and B) the graphics, due to system limitations, weren't top notch.

The way the games controlled seemed to get a lot of praise.

Chocobo_RiderMarch 08, 2012

@broodwars

Yea... that was .... tough .... ?

http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/?t=PSP
http://www.destructoid.com/ps-vita-sells-600-000-in-the-west-1-2-million-worldwide-222869.phtml
"This is a bit more like it. The PS Vita might be dragging its feet in Japan, but its Western launch has definitely helped matters, adding another 600,000 sales to the overall figure for a grand worldwide total of 1.2 million. You know it's a good figure, because Sony didn't say "shipped" like it usually does! ... Hopefully the Vita keeps this momentum going. The better it sells, the more inventive publishers have to keep pumping it full of games. I'm taking any excuse to keep my Vita switched on, so the more support it gets, the better."

http://www.joystiq.com/vita/
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/04/see-how-the-vitas-first-week-sales-stack-up-in-this-handy-infog/
"If anything, it proves that tastes vary widely by region, and that relatively low first-week sales (see: PSP sales in Japan) don't necessarily translate to poor lifetime performance."

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/02/so-far-so-good-why-the-vita-rises-where-the-psp-fell/
"Sony appears to have a much better foundation in place than they did with the PSP. The online store in particular has potential to put the Vita well ahead of its primary rivals, and open the floodgates for a huge array of cheap, easy to acquire games.

As for me, whenever I sit down and watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I soon find myself playing either Rayman or Super Stardust Delta. And seeing as I hadn't planned to buy any games at all as recently as a week ago, I think that's a victory for Sony."

http://kotaku.com/5889018/sony-sells-12m-playstation-vitas-worldwide
"Four days after its release on U.S. shores, the PlayStation Vita passed the one million sales mark worldwide."

http://vita.ign.com/articles/121/1219656p1.html
This is the most well-rounded, realistic article.  It opens with addressing the very fact ejamer and I mentioned: that despite worse sales, the Vita is largely being written about as a success by the media, while the 3DS was written about as a flop.  Ultimately, the article merely goes on to explain why that double standard is valid and acceptable. Short answer: prior expectations.  Gimme a break.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/122/1220234p1.html
Only article I could find that makes Vita look like it's in trouble.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/playstation-vita-global-sales-exceed-12-million-units-6351171
"Sony reveals sales of new portable have surpassed internal expectations, roughly half sold outside Japan; software sales climb to 2 million units."

~~~

So, where are the predictions that Sony must surely go third party?  Why are there not numerous admissions that the 3DS they proclaimed dead performed better?

When possible, I linked to the full Vita coverage of the site... feel free to look over all the other articles for said examples of doom, gloom, or at least pessimism/disappointment!

broodwarsMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: NinSage

So, where are the predictions that Sony must surely go third party?

Jesus Christ, I'm sick of this particular whining complaint.  Every time I see someone post it, it reminds me of youtube videos of little children throwing hissy fits like this.  Get this through your skull: the reason why no one says this is because so many people were financially wrong to say that about Nintendo, and they all looked like fools with the Wii.  Plus, there weren't articles stating that until after Nintendo had failed 3 times in a row to secure market share with the N64, GameCube, and Virtual Boy.

Personally, I wish Nintendo had gone 3rd party...

Yes, yes..."blasphemy"..."you'll burn in hell"..."**** you"...whatever...

..., not for financial reasons but for creative ones.  I haven't liked Nintendo the hardware company in quite a few years.  I used to like Nintendo the software company, the company that produced some amazing games the likes of which I'd never seen before.  I don't like what the hardware side has done to their creative software side, with their emphasis on gimmicks for the sheer purpose of creating software to justify gimmicks rather than create hardware to support their software.  But I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.

Quote:

When possible, I linked to the full Vita coverage of the site... feel free to look over all the other articles for said examples of doom, gloom, or at least pessimism/disappointment!

I don't have to (especially since the vast majority of news coverage you posted focused on the NA launch, ignored the JP sales, and also ignored the favorable launch sales news for the 3DS when it released).  You see, unlike you I actually read and listen to articles and podcasts outside Nintendo-only coverage and news I want to hear.  You would especially know not to take anything Jim Sterling of Destructoid says at face value, because he's an extremely sarcastic writer whose goal is to poke a stick at fanboys. 

I won't list all the articles and podcasts mocking the fact that the Vita is an overpriced PSP 2.0 because I'd be here all day, but here's a few things to get you started.  I look forward to you not actually checking out any of these links:

Podcasts:

Power Button Podcast ep. 76: "We're not Buying the Playstation Vita (yet)..."

Weekend Confirmed Podcast ep. 100 - PlayStation Vita, DICE, Reckoning

Podcast BEYOND (the official IGN Playstation podcast, btw) - IGN Loves/Ignores/Wants the PlayStation Vita

Articles
:

Destructoid - "Sony: PS Vita does not have any problems in Japan"

Destructoid - "Sony: demand for UMD to PS Vita transfer not big enough."

Destructoid - "Sony fixes PS Vita problems with...FIRMWARE!"

1up - "PlayStation Vita Scorecard"

Industry Gamers - "Sony PS Vita Sales Nosedive in Japan, Down 57 Percent."

Ars Technica - "Data Shows Vita's Missing Backwards Compatibility Could Cost Sony Sales."

Joystick Division - "Five Things That the PlayStation Vita Should Do (But Doesn't)."

There were some other articles I was looking for, but could not find on a cursory Google Search, and it's not worth any more of my time trying to find.  For example, I remember there specifically being a Destructoid article pointing out the five biggest mistakes made with the Vita, but I couldn't find it.

The general reaction I've seen to the Vita has been mixed.  People generally love the tech, but the games tend to either be underwhelming new installments of franchises they've already played (Uncharted: Golden Abyss) or ports of games people already OWN on consoles (Rayman, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, etc.). I don't see as much negative sentiment towards the thing now that the device has launched worldwide, but man there was a lot of negative coverage of the thing during the months after launch in Japan.

Mop it upMarch 08, 2012

Madden isn't coming to 3DS this year because, as far as I'm aware, Madden doesn't sell well on handhelds. From looking it up, the last Madden game released on the DS was back in August of 2008. That means all of 2009 and 2010 had no Madden game, and I don't recall anyone batting an eye over it. EA are likely waiting until the 3DS userbase increases before trying another Madden game, because no one's going to buy a 3DS for Madden.

With Call of Duty, it's also a matter of the userbase. It came to the DS instead of 3DS because 3DS wasn't yet established, and DS games can still be played on 3DS. After the success the 3DS is having now, I'd be surprised if this year's Call of Duty isn't on 3DS.

As for Call of Duty being announced for the PSPita, I think one of two things caused that: 1 Activision thinks that the audience for the PSPita is the same as the PS3, which is comprised of a lot more people who buy Call of Duty games than the DS audience, or 2. Sony got them to make the announcement early to show it as an upcoming game, because they need games right now.

broodwarsMarch 08, 2012

It's also worth noting that the tech in the Vita probably allows Activision to create a simple downgraded port of the PS3 version (which is especially necessary since Sony's trying to hype-up cross-play between PS3/Vita games).  That's much less work than creating a whole separate version for the significantly inferior 3DS tech.  It's probably the same kind of work as creating a PSP game these days without having a PS2 version to downgrade.

Chozo GhostMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: UncleBob

Seems to me, the only thing that really held these titles back is A) the DS is kiddah and B) the graphics, due to system limitations, weren't top notch.

The 3DS isn't any more "kiddah" than the DS. Not that the median age for the average COD player is very "mature" anyway. The games are rated M, but having played the online multiplayer it seems like every other person you hear talking on the headset is a little kid, so if the 3DS is "kiddie" then that works well with the majority of COD players. Parents let their kids play COD, and apparently even buy the games for them, so the M rating means absolutely nothing.

And as for the graphics limitations, the 3DS certainly addresses that. I don't know how well the DS COD games have done sales wise, but they must have done at least okay because so many of them have made their way to that system, with the most recent being the one which came out last November (Modern Warfare 3). Why did it come to the DS but not to the far more powerful 3DS?

Chocobo_RiderMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Get this through your skull: the reason why no one says this is because so many people were financially wrong to say that about Nintendo, and they all looked like fools with the Wii.  Plus, there weren't articles stating that until after Nintendo had failed 3 times in a row to secure market share with the N64, GameCube, and Virtual Boy.

Dude, what are you talking about? People were saying that constantly just after the 3DS launch.  I just saw a video TODAY with a new guy saying Nintendo "is SEGA" in regards to their imminent demise due to the Wii U.
LINK: http://www.destructoid.com/experts-debate-max-and-tara-talk-with-videogame-analysts-223455.phtml

Quote from: broodwars

I don't have to (especially since the vast majority of news coverage you posted focused on the NA launch, ignored the JP sales, and also ignored the favorable launch sales news for the 3DS when it released).

These comments are addressed later ...

Quote from: broodwars

You see, unlike you I actually read and listen to articles and podcasts outside Nintendo-only coverage and news I want to hear.  You would especially know not to take anything Jim Sterling of Destructoid says at face value, because he's an extremely sarcastic writer whose goal is to poke a stick at fanboys. 


um, which of my links were to Nintendo-only sites?

Also, if Jim Sterling isn't being straight with the news, why was he the only one d-toid had reporting on the sales figures?  Just because his delivery is sarcastic, doesn't mean his conclusions are (always) invalid.

Quote from: broodwars

I won't list all the articles and podcasts mocking the fact that the Vita is an overpriced PSP 2.0 because I'd be here all day,


Right, these conversations always wrap up more quickly when people debate WITHOUT evidence. (?)

Quote from: broodwars

but here's a few things to get you started.  I look forward to you not actually checking out any of these links:


When have I ever ignored something you provided? You're always the one insisting you don't have to go out of your way to blah blah blah .... much like you just did when you said you didn't have to look over the links I supplied - having dismissed them because they didn't proclaim the 3DS a success months back... isn't that EXACTLY MY POINT! That they are being more lenient on the PSV... How did you get that backwards? Is this just a misunderstanding? Clarify.

Quote from: broodwars

Power Button Podcast ep. 76: "We're not Buying the Playstation Vita (yet)..."


... but they will one day? Hardly doom.

Plus, I've never heard of "PressTheButtons.com" and since they claim to be "one man's opinions and commentaries on happening in the video game industry" it's not exactly a representative sample of GAMING MEDIA.


Quote from: broodwars

Weekend Confirmed Podcast ep. 100 - PlayStation Vita, DICE, Reckoning


Tell me what part(s) to listen to so I don't have to scrub through 2 hours of material?  :D

Quote from: broodwars

Podcast BEYOND (the official IGN Playstation podcast, btw) - IGN Loves/Ignores/Wants the PlayStation Vita


Let's see, 2/3 of those verbs are positive.  And this quote doesn't sound too doomy or gloomy:

"There's been an outbreak of PlayStation Vitas in the IGN office. After months of just the PlayStation Team sporting Sony's handheld, every one suddenly has one and an informed opinion."



um, the first one is about how things are fine.  The second one is about how their problem is not a very big problem and the third one is about how a problem got fixed day one.  He admits shipping broken things and fixing them day one is not cool, but then, in his sarcastic way, proclaims: "no game company has ever knowingly shipped a broken product."

In other words, he's not singling Sony out.  And... still, at no point does he say the device could fail!  Which was the only point I was making.

Quote from: broodwars

1up - "PlayStation Vita Scorecard"

This is probably the most negative, comprehensive item you linked.  But they still give the Vita a "B".  Not exactly a bad score.  And reading through the article they have a lot of positive things to say.  Again, no gloom, no doom, just pros AND cons.


Quote from: broodwars

Industry Gamers - "Sony PS Vita Sales Nosedive in Japan, Down 57 Percent."


This one is the most negative.  But it's only based on Japan.  You critiqued my use of evidence from after the NA launch, but, isn't that just getting the big picture?  I mean, leaping to early conclusions is foolish, leaping to conclusions without gathering all the information? That's too stupid for any of us to be considering.

In spite of this, they don't leap to any conclusion about how, say, Smartphones have killed the dedicated gaming market or that Sony just doesn't "get it" anymore - as many did with the 3DS after it launched ... in ALL territories.



A great and interesting read.  A straight forward analysis of the potential drawbacks of lacking proper backwards compatibility.  They don't SAY doom, but they DO IMPLY it.  So I'll grant you this one!!


Congrats, you found an article that is not thrilled with the Vita!  So ... yay? The reason I supplied entire swaths of Vita-related news was because cherry-picking one article at a time isn't that useful when we're discussing an entire zeitgeist.

Quote from: broodwars

The general reaction I've seen to the Vita has been mixed.  People generally love the tech, but the games tend to either be underwhelming new installments of franchises they've already played (Uncharted: Golden Abyss) or ports of games people already OWN on consoles (Rayman, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, etc.). I don't see as much negative sentiment towards the thing now that the device has launched worldwide, but man there was a lot of negative coverage of the thing during the months after launch in Japan.

Ultimately, don't confuse the issue.  No one ever said nothing bad was written about the Vita.  The point I was trying to make that ejamer's and the author of that one article I posted picked up on was simply that when the 3DS had a shaky start, it was time to break out the tombstones - yet - in response to the PSV's even shakier start, the general voice from the gaming media has been "sales? who cares about sales!? look at this screen!!"

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Get this through your skull: the reason why no one says this is because so many people were financially wrong to say that about Nintendo, and they all looked like fools with the Wii.

...which, of course, still doesn't explain why there are "analysis" and "experts" that are *still* saying that Nintendo needs to go third party, even after the major 1-2 punch of the DS/Wii...

broodwarsMarch 08, 2012

Quote from: UncleBob

Quote from: broodwars

Get this through your skull: the reason why no one says this is because so many people were financially wrong to say that about Nintendo, and they all looked like fools with the Wii.

...which, of course, still doesn't explain why there are "analysis" and "experts" that are *still* saying that Nintendo needs to go third party, even after the major 1-2 punch of the DS/Wii...

Alright, where is this being said, and who is saying it?  Because I haven't seen a single analyst suggest this.  I've seen them suggest that Nintendo develop games for the iPhone market, but I haven't seen a suggestion that the company as a whole needs to go 3rd party for financial reasons.

Chocobo_RiderMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: UncleBob

Quote from: broodwars

Get this through your skull: the reason why no one says this is because so many people were financially wrong to say that about Nintendo, and they all looked like fools with the Wii.

...which, of course, still doesn't explain why there are "analysis" and "experts" that are *still* saying that Nintendo needs to go third party, even after the major 1-2 punch of the DS/Wii...

Alright, where is this being said, and who is saying it?  Because I haven't seen a single analyst suggest this.  I've seen them suggest that Nintendo develop games for the iPhone market, but I haven't seen a suggestion that the company as a whole needs to go 3rd party for financial reasons.

I literally just linked you to a video of a guy saying that Nintendo "is SEGA." In other words, will be going third party after the "inevitable" failure of the Wii U.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 09, 2012

Not to mention, saying that Nintendo needs to start making cell phone games is saying that Nintendo needs to go third party (i.e.: make games for other platforms).

broodwarsMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: UncleBob

Not to mention, saying that Nintendo needs to start making cell phone games is saying that Nintendo needs to go third party (i.e.: make games for other platforms).

Nonsense, not if Nintendo is still making games on their own platforms.  There's a growing market out there where Nintendo could be making money, but Nintendo would rather waste their resources finding ways to make people think 3D is such a worthwhile gimmick that they didn't waste their money on a 3DS (as opposed to putting out a handheld system powerful and versatile enough to allow for a wide variety of experiences). 

Besides, people would be saying the same thing about Sony if it weren't for the fact that Sony does actually have their own (unsuccessful) mobile phone division, and Sony has made it clear that they want to work in the mobile phone market.  Last time I checked, people weren't saying that Sony "went 3rd party" with that.

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterMarch 09, 2012

Just as planed.

I am very aware of the way our gaming media sites view the Vita. I like to read different articles from different sites to see who is saying what. I see there is some negative press as well as some good stuff for Sony, but what I said weeks ago in the sales thread still stands. Why does everyone have it out for Nintendo to go 3rd party on a consistent basis? Angry birds sold 350 Million in 2 years, thats more than Mario! Nintendo should go 3rd party! I've seen articles like that about Sony, but the only time I see suggestions about Sony going 3rd party Nintendo is thrown in there with them.

Doesn't matter that like in 2009 or 2010 Nintendo was like company of the year, for like the whole world or something.  Or that they break records like crazy all the time and make so much profit every year up until recently. It is always "Nintendo is doomed, 3rd party would be the best for them, so they can focus on games!" F that ship! And the only reason why is because deep down they all feel burned by Nintendo. It's because they were hesitant with online, Zelda doesn't have a more western approach, they keep bringing out the same franchises over and over, they focus on the casuals, they don't have a dvd/blue ray player, etc.

At this point hating on Nintendo after an extremely brief moment of praise and ultimately predicting their complete down fall isn't just the trend with the gaming media it is one of Newton's Laws.



And that kind of pure bias hardly ever seen with Sony and Microsoft. EVER!

Quote from: broodwars

(as opposed to putting out a handheld system powerful and versatile enough to allow for a wide variety of experiences)

What makes you think the 3DS isn't?

ejamerMarch 09, 2012

I'm starting to think that Jim Sterling isn't the only one who likes poking fanboys with a stick...  ;D

Chozo GhostMarch 09, 2012

The 3DS is powerful enough, but it lacks in versatility because of only one analog. The CPP temporarily addresses this, and hopefully there will also be a revision which permanently addresses it.

broodwarsMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: Chozo

The 3DS...lacks in versatility because of only one analog. The CPP temporarily addresses this, and hopefully there will also be a revision which permanently addresses it.

This.  Plus, I wonder how of the device's power Nintendo could have freed for other functions if they didn't have to waste their resources on the 3D gimmick that I can't even use because it rapidly gives me a nasty headache.

And mods, if you're going to insult me with terrible custom titles, you should at least get your grammar right.  It's "Poor Man's Imitation of Ian Sane".  "Imitation" only has one "m" as well.

Quote from: ejamer

I'm starting to think that Jim Sterling isn't the only one who likes poking fanboys with a stick...  ;D

Well, I am starting to see why he enjoys it so much.  ;)

AdrockMarch 09, 2012

What wasted resources? The 3D effect is just a parallax barrier placed in front of the LCD. That's the simplest technology and has nothing to do with how powerful 3DS is. DMP's custom PICA200 GPU is as powerful as Nintendo wanted it to be. Games don't even have to use the 3D effect if developers want the extra processing punch instead. The depth slider would just do nothing if 3D wasn't specifically programmed into the game. You just sound bitter because you can't use it.

broodwarsMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: Adrock

What wasted resources? The 3D effect is just a parallax barrier placed in front of the LCD. That's the simplest technology and has nothing to do with how powerful 3DS is. DMP's custom PICA200 GPU is as powerful as Nintendo wanted it to be. Games don't even have to use the 3D effect if developers want the extra processing punch instead. The depth slider would just do nothing if 3D wasn't specifically programmed into the game. You just sound bitter because you can't use it.

Actually, to display the 3D effect the device has to render every frame of every game twice, as well as the additional non-3D screen.  That means that unless the game just does not respond to the 3D slider to begin with, a large chunk of the 3DS' processing power should be tied up producing the 3D effect.  You waste the processing power of a 60-frame 2D image on a 30-frame 3D image, and that's processing power that could be better put to use elsewhere.  You can see the results of this in early 3DS titles like Dead or Alive, where I believe there were complaints about framerate issues because the device was struggling to render every frame twice for the 3D effect.

And I'm not "bitter because I can't use it."  I have no problem seeing 3D without side effects when I'm at theme parks and whatnot.  I dislike 3D in the theater and home entertainment markets because it's a useless, tacky gimmick that was designed to sucker people.  And yes, that includes Sony's pathetic obsession with it as well, though as least I can understand why they cling to it: they have TVs to sell.  Nintendo just jumped on the bandwagon because they couldn't think of anything else that could be a notable gimmick for their next-generation handheld.  Because, you know, it's not like a second analog stick (or, rather, "two" analog sticks since the 3DS doesn't use analog sticks) right out of the gate would have affected gameplay more than the illusion of 3D.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

And mods, if you're going to insult me with terrible custom titles, you should at least get your grammar right.  It's "Poor Man's Imitation of Ian Sane".  "Imitation" only has one "m" as well.

I will admit to the double-m type-o, but regarding the "of" part...
http://www.mccormick.com/~/media/Images/Products/Product%20Details/Extracts%20and%20Food%20Colors/Extracts/premium%20imitation%20vanilla%20extract.ashx?w=225

Regardless, now I'm going to leave the two M's there.  Just because I can. :D

AdrockMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Actually...

Like I said:

Quote from: Adrock

Games don't even have to use the 3D effect if developers want the extra processing punch instead. The depth slider would just do nothing if 3D wasn't specifically programmed into the game.

3D isn't required. Processing resources aren't wasted when developers are willingly programming 3D into the game. That's not Nintendo's fault or concern. Nintendo gave developers the tools and let them decide how to use them which is on their own volition and at their own discretion. Developers are aware of the limitations and make adjustments accordingly. 3D is one of the least intrusive innovations Nintendo has ever included in their hardware as it can be avoided entirely by developers and consumers. It adds very little cost to the hardware because the parallax barrier is such a cheap component.

The second analog isn't that important in most types of games, especially since the touch screen is capable of assuming its duties in a lot of (but not all) cases. Of the 31 3DS games I own, only a small few of them would have been meaningfully improved with a second analog, and one of them includes the ability through the CPP. And in regard to power, look at Resident Evil: Revelaitons and tell me the system needs more horsepower. Capcom said they were able to port RE5 to the thing.

AdrockMarch 09, 2012

The right slider couldn't hurt but I don't see how it's being used as a mark against 3D. What? Because 3D was included and the right slider wasn't? That's faulty thinking. 3D and the right slider aren't mutually exclusive. Nintendo could have included both. They just didn't and including 3D wasn't the reason they didn't include the right slider. I just don't understand how anyone can find fault in 3D being included. It's entirely avoidable for people who can't or don't want to use it. I never play 3DS games with 3D on. I simply prefer not to. Some people like it and it's great for them.

Chocobo_RiderMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: Caterkiller

At this point hating on Nintendo after an extremely brief moment of praise and ultimately predicting their complete down fall isn't just the trend with the gaming media it is one of Newton's Laws.

And that kind of pure bias hardly ever seen with Sony and Microsoft. EVER!

Amen, brotha.

~~~

@Insandolord

Agreed.

@DJ Adrock

Agreed.

~~~

Also, does anyone else find the 3DS-induced headaches thing to sound psychosomatic?  I mean, I can understand if those same people simply get headaches from any monitor - because real life is not "backlit," so to speak, so the literally more intense light could be irritating to eyes and cause a discomfort.

But what problem could possibly be caused by sending a slightly different intense image to each eye? As opposed to the same intense image to both eyes? Take away the intensity and that's what real life does!  And it's not like the intensity multiplies when sending two separate images.

So what gives?

My theory is this: the media loves scare tactics (2001: "will soy milk make you go blind!? news at 11!"). So, I imagine that when certain members of the media got their hands on the 3DS they thought "this is really new... new things are unknown... unknown things can be scary... am I scared of this? I think I am! I should tell everyone!"  Thus, they start writing up stories like this one which sound reasonably official (it's a Dr! They're never wrong!) but really offer no concrete explanation and even less conclusiveness.

Thus Nintendo had to be like "fine, fine, we'll put a warning on and do our normal 'please take a break!' deal again ... happy?"  At which point, the damage is done... if Nintendo ignored the reports then it's "what are you hiding, hmm??" but if they add the warning it's "a ha! See! It must be true!"

So, again, I don't doubt that the 3D effect gives some people headaches.  But I don't see any way it could be more than psychosomatic - which is valid to an extent, us humans experience psychosomatic symptoms all the time.  But unless this one can be proven, I don't think we should be faulting the hardware.

TJ SpykeMarch 09, 2012

I can't use the 3D at full effect, even halfway can make my eyes sore. Only the 3DS does that though, when I watch 3D movies in theatres or 3D content on a TV, I don't experience that.

I still love my 3DS though.

broodwarsMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: NinSage

Also, does anyone else find the 3DS-induced headaches thing to sound psychosomatic?  I mean, I can understand if those same people simply get headaches from any monitor - because real life is not "backlit," so to speak, so the literally more intense light could be irritating to eyes and cause a discomfort.

But what problem could possibly be caused by sending a slightly different intense image to each eye? As opposed to the same intense image to both eyes? Take away the intensity and that's what real life does!  And it's not like the intensity multiplies when sending two separate images.

So what gives?

So, again, I don't doubt that the 3D effect gives some people headaches.  But I don't see any way it could be more than psychosomatic - which is valid to an extent, us humans experience psychosomatic symptoms all the time.  But unless this one can be proven, I don't think we should be faulting the hardware.

Here. Roger Ebert had a great piece on why 3D has its health problems.

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: TJ

I can't use the 3D at full effect, even halfway can make my eyes sore. Only the 3DS does that though, when I watch 3D movies in theatres or 3D content on a TV, I don't experience that.

I still love my 3DS though.

It's funny, I am just the opposite. Watching movies is the worst, 3DS I can do, probably due to the fact that I can just turn it off when ever I feel like.

Chozo GhostMarch 09, 2012

3D is a harmless gimmick which can be disabled by either the user or the developer if it is unwanted. We should consider ourselves lucky Nintendo choose that as the gimmick this time around instead of something like waggle controls like on the Wii. Could you imagine if Nintendo had designed the 3DS to use a tiny waggle stick like the wiimote except tinier?

Chocobo_RiderMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Here. Roger Ebert had a great piece on why 3D has its health problems.

Hey, man, look at us! We did it! You provided me with evidence and it changed my mind! *birds sing, rainbows dance across the clear, blue sky*  ;D

"We can do this. 3D films would not work if we couldn't. But it is like tapping your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, difficult. So the 'CPU' of our perceptual brain has to work extra hard, which is why after 20 minutes or so many people get headaches. They are doing something that 600 million years of evolution never prepared them for."

That's what I was looking for.  An explanation with face validity... not just "it's more strenuous!... cuz it is!" which is all I'd ever heard.  Great find, broodwars!  :cool;


My responses to the rest of the article would be:

1. He's right about any 3D that requires glasses.  It's (SO MUCH) darker, and alienating.  I will never willingly attend one again and as someone who wears corrective glasses, I look forward to that awkward glasses-on-glasses action disappearing from theaters entirely.

2. The only drawback still present in the way the 3DS handles 3D is that demand on our brain's "CPU."  However, mathematically they would have to be less severe than the 3D movies discussed in the article.  Instead of our eyes/brains grappling with differences in triangle lengths of 10' - 120', we're dealing with lengths of, what, 6" - 36"?  Less, mental gymnastics should decrease the frequency/severity of strain, no?

... and of course, the inclusion of the 3D slider means you can always turn it down, or off.

3. I can't believe I didn't make this connection this before, but, the way the article described the issue as being more of mental strain than physical (eye) strain, I realized that as I get closer to sleepy time, I tend to turn the 3D slider down! In other words, as my mind becomes fatigued later in the day, it becomes harder to find the mental strength required to accomplish the "work" described in the article!  I never get headaches, but I just "don't feel like it" - it must be too mentally demanding at those times!

Look at all this learning!

This also makes sense for why they make a big deal about kids whose eye/mind connection may still be developing.  It could potentially be like having a kid learn to walk with weights on his feet.  Ultimately not a big danger, but a developmental hindrance.

4. Also, really, anyone who has this issue... even if this is the proper explanation... it's not that your mental CPU is "weak," rather, as he described, it's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach - it's a very specific skill that everyone will be more or less adept at.  Some people are dumb as a brick but they can quarterback a professional football offense.  Some people can solve complex physics problems but don't know how to tell a joke, etc ...

I've never had a problem with 3DS, but if I try to read in a car I get nauseous ... I'm sure it's a very similar principle: optical processing with added difficulty (moving car).  But no one thinks it makes me stupid or books dangerous...... right?  ;)

@Caterkiller

3D movies (with glasses) just suck... who cares about the headache, the payoff just isn't good!

TJ SpykeMarch 09, 2012

"tapping your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, difficult", never been difficult to me. It's not hard to do at all.

3D movies done right are great (key word is "right" since some just slap it on without trying to make it work).

Hayashida used a more difficult example in his Mario talk: do a sequence of rock paper scissors with one hand while doing just rock and paper with the other.

Chocobo_RiderMarch 09, 2012

Quote from: MegaByte

Hayashida used a more difficult example in his Mario talk: do a sequence of rock paper scissors with one hand while doing just rock and paper with the other.

... this isn't so ba--... AH! MY HEAD!!

Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement