The Nintendo 3Ds is very young, but its life has so far been somewhat of a roller coaster, to say the least. The console has seen the highs of a record breaking opening day and then the lows of a potential public relations disaster with the “Black Screen of Death” issues that plagued early adopters. Now it seems the 3DS is at another low, as sales have slowed substantially since that record breaking launch day.
The news comes from Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian and is another blow to Nintendo. The company has had a pretty torrid 30 days or so, culminating in the embarrassing news that the PSP is already outselling the 3DS in Japan, not to mention other cases of potential embarrassment such as players complaining of headaches and the 3DS’s price tag coming under scrutiny.
Colin Sebastian also mentioned that Nintendo is perhaps thinking of offering new bundles for the Nintendo Wii to bolster sales of the motion gaming console, which was first released in November 2006. Here’s what Sebastian said in a note:
“Based on our recent checks, we believe that sales of the 3DS have slowed considerably since the initial launch window, although the Easter holiday could provide a near-term boost.”
“Looking further ahead, we believe that Nintendo is likely to consider additional console price/bundle offerings in order to stimulate Wii sales into the summer months.”
The news that Nintendo are likely to start giving out extra bundles comes as no surprise — the Nintendo Wii is well into its fifth year, and while other consoles have been around for roughly the same amount of time, the Nintendo Wii has always lacked the space for significant firmware updates, akin to those of the PS3.
Another reason Nintendo could be eager to sell the remaining stocks of the Wii is the possibility that a successor to the world’s best selling console will be announced at E3 in June. The notion of being able to play Super Mario Galaxy in High-Definition is a tantalizing prospect, and something that is long overdue for the Wii — many fans expected and wanted an HDMI output for the Wii in an updated, HD version of the console.
Overall, Nintendo would be wise to have something up their sleeves for E3 — so far 2011 has not been a vintage year for the company.
Do you think that decreasing sales figures signal bad times ahead for Nintendo? Or is the blip a mixture of bad luck and poor judgement from the company? What would you want from a Nintendo Wii 2? Let us know in the comments.
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Source Business Insider
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Good, it’s an overpriced gimmick. I mean I can play great looking games on my iPhone, then there’s iPod Touch, iPad, Android phones and tablets. Get real. Plus nobody wants to carry around a bulky 3DS. They should focus on the Wii 2 now. That will sell like hotcakes.
Hey, I love hot cakes!!!!
Or maybe it has something to do with the high price tag coupled with news of a serious glitch in the system. People are holding out for a price drop and news that the glitches have been fixed (something that Nintendo has historically been quick to do). Honestly, I prefer gaming on a dedicated handheld over a touchscreen phone that’s hampered from the get-go back a lack of control options (I have yet to see touchscreen gaming deal with this properly, and it very likely can’t). This isn’t happening because smartphones are the new mobile gaming platform of choice, it’s happening because the time really isn’t right for the 3DS (don’t forget that the DS/DSi is still out there and selling well, the best-selling portable ever with over 145 MILLION units).
I’m surprised sales have slowed so dramatically so soon. Still, it’s hard to imagine the system not ultimately being successful.
I felt the Wii was a gimmick that provided a couple of hours of entertainment, then grew stale. The games, for the most part, lacked any sort of substance. Unfortunately, the 3DS looks to be the same thing.
I can agree that my Wii is the least used console I’ve ever possessed and the 3DS is following that trend too.
It’s stupid people not turning down the 3D that’s causing headaches and other things like. I personally can’t look at any sort of 3D for longer than 10 seconds for a headache to start but people need to realise they need to take breaks from it, it’s not the product it’s the person using the thing
Actually, it IS the product. When it’s CALLED 3DS, the reason for its name and the primary push behind its marketing had better work darned-near perfectly. The 3DS does not.
unless nintendo catches up to the 21st century they will be done for goood. my dreamcast looked better than anything nintendo has every put out. the wii’s graphics are on the same level as a original playstation or dare i say supernintendo. They hade a great idea in 2006 but i dont c much fuure with this company, unless they hire bill gates i think we will c the end of nintendo in the comming years.
I love comments like this. Tell me, how many units has the Wii sold compared to its competition, the XBOX 360 and PS3? How was the DS/DSi fared against the PSP? Nintendo is in trouble? Really?
it would have been so awesome if they just made the DS2, cause all the complaints seem to be the 3D only
I think there are more complaints for the lack or original and deep games. Even looking at some of the big upcoming ones, their just ports and remakes of N64 titles… not good.
Show me anywhere in the gaming business (or entertainment business in general, for that matter) where this isn’t the case? Take into account that it’s always worse when a new console debuts (because the user base wants to see what the “New” Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. games are going to look like, and they sell). Original ideas are rare things these days, especially when most publishers will look at them and balk because sales aren’t guaranteed.
ever notice how the comments on an article always agree with the article
They REALLY do not. Usually, there are comments on both sides, but NEVER has there been complete agreement.
i have a 360 & ps3, I had a wii for a year (but I only played it for a month). I’ve played the 3ds (pilotwings & sf4) and it doesn’t look 3d, just blurry. Augmented reality is cool but my iphone does that. I just bought killzone 3 to play on my 3d tv and it blows the 3ds away. I’ll probably buy it to beat zelda and then sell it. $300 for it and a game is a ripoff.
Just gonna vent real quick but when is nintendo gonna come out with a fresh original game that blows me away, not another mario, zelda, metroid, etc. Where as heavy rain, alan wake, gears of war, kill zone, mass effect, etc are all completely original and totally different. I’m supposed to buy a 3ds when the only games I would want is zelda & mario which I beat 10 years ago. I’m supposed to buy them because they’ve been revamped. What a rip off. At least ps3 bundles old games together, god of war collection, and upgrades them to HD.
all the games you mentioned were basically 3rd party games. they were original because the systems company didnt make it themselves. since the wii, nintendo hasn’t been a strong system for 3rd party companies but nintendo is trying to change that for the 3ds and get as many 3rd party supporters as possible. the 3ds sales are only dipping because the good games havent been released yet.
we want NGP!! tried 3ds the other day, after 45 mins of playing my head hurts >< ( this product is not for human consumption!!!). And they say the battery runs short… no wonder 3ds sales will fall down. I guess the product is just for connoisseurs, just for the heck of it
After reading all the comments I have to say. From what I’ve seen the 3DS is great, the 3D? Yes it is a gimmick but bypass that and look at the great games it WILL have. All the good games haven’t come out yet, release titles are never good.. Plus people saying the Wii is a gimmick as a system.. NO just NO the Wii is a good system It’s had good and bad games, all systems do. Just because their only good games are Zelda/Mario/etc.. doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Another thing is that graphics don’t mean CRAP! It’s like saying your dating a girl JUST because their hot. Don’t just play good looking games… Ok My rant is done now. I really hope people will change their opinions to more reasonable ones..
I do like the PSP and I’m looking forward to NGP just not so much since the 3000 is one of the best versions of it to date..
But what happens when the majority of people ARE dating a girl just because she’s hot (or playing games just because they look good, while discounting good games that lack flash)? Yes, people really are that shallow, and the publishers know it.
this is bs…low???….maybe on nintendo’s standaard but not on sony’s..nintendo’s lowest sales are sony’s highest..
Best selling console of 2012. What you’ll gonna say now. The 3DS is selling like hotcakes