Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo 3DS is to receive a price cut next month, with those consumers who have already bought the console set to own 20 Virtual Console games for free.
The company revealed that the price of the handheld console will be slashed from its current suggested retail price of $249.99 to $169.99 from August 12 in the U.S.
The console's price will also be reduced in Japan, down from ¥25,000 ($317.70) to ¥15,000 ($190.62), and Nintendo of Europe confirmed with Eurogamer that it will see a price reduction in Europe of "around a third."
However, there is also incentive to buy the console before the August 12 date. Anyone who has already bought the console, or buys it before August 11, will receive 20 free downloadable games before the end of the year.
Those consumers who purchase the console before that date are classed as 'Nintendo Ambassadors', and on September 1 will receive 10 free NES games via the Nintendo eShop.
These games will include the likes of Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda, and will then later be made available to purchase for all other 3DS owners.
Before the end of 2011, 10 Game Boy Advance titles will also be made available for free for Ambassadors. These will include Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames and Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
However, these games will be exclusively available for Ambassadors, with no plans to release them to the general public.
Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime explained, "For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now."
"We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games."
|
Then too, it's debatable how much of a difference this will actually make; in the UK, shops have long since reduced the price from the RRP of £229:
Game: £195 - approx 15% reduction - and they've sold new 3DS machines for as little as £150
HMV: £189 - approx 18% reduction - and they've sold new 3DS machines for as little as £180
Amazon: £169 - approx 27% reduction
CEX (used): £150 - approx. 35% reduction
Amazon (used): £145 - approx. 38% reduction
All told, the reduction to an official price of approx. £150 isn't going to be as significant as it would have been - it's unlikely that the retailers will be able to maintain their current levels of price-cutting when the price-cut comes in. Then too, this will put further pressure on the already saturated used market; prices there could drop below the magic £99 point!
Out of interest, does anyone know what the criteria will be to be classed as an "ambassador" (which is an interesting label in and of itself...)? I assume it involves registering the console with Nintendo, which in turn means that people could buy an "unregistered", used 3DS and get access to the games...
You write "Game: £195 - approx 15% reduction - and they've sold new 3DS machines for as little as £150". Currently, they are selling the 3DS for £195, of what use is to say, they sold it in the past for £150? This was obviously a special and limited bargain.
To say a price cut wouldn't be effective, because used consoles sell at the same price point isn't very plausible either. That's the way it is with used consoles.
The point I was making is that (at least in the UK), the 3DS has been sold for significantly under the RRP ever since day 1:
March 24th: launch with an RRP of £229. Retail prices range from £175 - £205:
http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/3d-news-2/3d-gaming/nintendo-3ds-lowest-pric e-175/2599
April: HMV, Game, Gamestation etc all put the 3DS on sale at £179.99, as well as discounting the games to £35
http://3ds.nintendolife.com/news/2011/04/3ds_down_to_p17999_in_uk_as_ price_war_r
ages_on
May: 3DS continues to be sold at £180; Game discounts all titles to to £19.99:
http://www.3dsbuzz.com/3ds-forum/nintendo-3ds-games-software-11/uk-pr ices-game-3
ds-games-now-%A319-99-a-2917/
June: Game publically advertises 3DS units at £150 on posters outside it's shops
July: Nintendo announces price cut to approx. £150
All told, the 3DS has been available *at a heavy discount* ever since day 1. And once the early-adopter rush had died off, it's failed to sell in significant numbers.
So: will this "official" price-cut make any real difference to sales? It might help if Nintendo can get it under the magical £149.99 mark, but it's not particularly helped to date. And the game-situation isn't going to change in the near future. Assuming Wikipedia's dates are correct, then the first-party schedule looks pretty poor:
August: Star Fox 64 3D
October: Pokemon Rumble Blast (which is a Pokemon spin-off, not a true Pokemon title)
November: Paper Mario 3D
November: Super Mario 3D Land
December: Mario Kart 7
February: Mario and Sonic
All told, there isn't going to be a critical mass of first-party games until December. So unless a third-party title turns out to be a surprise killer-app, there's no real sales driver for the next four months or so...
It always happens to console manufacturers after a generation or two of being the market leader that they will start to think they are invisible and start to do very stupid things. SONY is still recovering from their aloof missteps during the height of their PS2 era domination and we all know how they subsequently fared as a result.
I appreciate it, but I can hardly see the incentive driving up sales before the price drop.
*still probably won't look at buying one*
Absolutely disappointing move from Nintendo.
But I guess if you give a mouse a crumb...
It seems the NES games will be released at a later date and available for everyone. It's only the GBA games that won't be available for public purchase? If this is the case, I *really* can't see why anyone would bother.
Still a nice retroactive bonus for anyone who invested early.
Personally, I think the GBA titles are worth considerably more than the NES titles - there's some genuine classics there...
The GBA games ARE more interesting, no question. But I still own 2 GBAs and 2 DSs, so it would really be no more difficult for me to play the games already.
I think the value is good for people who have never played the games before and might at least fiddle around with them. It's also nice to give people options while waiting for 3DS games worth picking up to actually come out.
All I'm saying is that it feels like someone is offering me this AWESOME deal where I can buy a car I want for $5000, or I can get it and ANOTHER car (that I can NEVER re-sell) for $6000. It's an excellent deal on paper, but at the end of the day I could save my $1000 to invest in the ONE car I want and I would probably be better off for it. Saving $80 is nothing to sneeze at, moreso when it amounts to 2-3 games I have NEVER played before as opposed to 20 games that have been played to death.
I know it's a matter of perspective, but I expect very few people will look at this and say, "Oooh, 20 classic games for $80! Better buy a 3DS now."
I know why I paid $250, and it's great that there will be some compensation for what everyone knew was a rather steep asking price. I hope they can figure out how to get the prices down under the $150 range by streamlined manufacturing and decreasing hardware costs. Everyone I've shown the 3DS to has said it was cool, but very few of them looked interested when they found out it was $250.
About the new price point, I will still hold out until (1) a price cut to less than $150 (granted, not that much more) and (2) more interesting titles.
Seriously, I don't think Nintendo could do anything that would make people who hate them happy. (maybe that is just inherent in hatred, but I can't see why anyone would hate games? I get hating famine and dictatorship and loss of liberty, but games? seriously?)
For my part I was happy to pay the $250 on day 1. I've totally loved my system and hope more people will get to play it. It's my first time playing Ocarina and I'm loving it. I think it's easily better than any other handheld game I've EVER played. My 40 game DS library doesn't have a better title than Ocarina in it. The circle control stick makes me very happy I'm not using my phone's silly touch pad that tries (badly) to emulate a physical controller.
I've been looking at buying a copy of Metroid Fusion as well, so that's a well-timed bonus for me, I love free stuff! (and since I had already agreed to pay more and was happy to pay it originally, that is all the new stuff is for me, free stuff!
First World problems. ;)
If this price drop and new software titles don't boost 3DS sales conspicuously for Nintendo, they are looking at a very grim 2011 and beyond. Reports of 3DS title cancellations are not making things look very positive for them, either.
Well, I'm a VERY poor Brazilian but I'm happy with my 250usd 3DS!