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Starting August 12, Nintendo 3DS Will Only Cost $170 In North America

By Spencer . July 28, 2011 . 1:03am

Starting August 12, Nintendo 3DS Will Only Cost $170 In North AmericaFollowing the news from Japan, Nintendo of America announced a similar price cut. The Nintendo 3DS will retail for $169.99 starting on August 12.

 

When the system launched on March 27 it had a suggested retail price of $249.99. That’s a 32% price cut. Since the system’s launch, Nintendo moved more than 830,000 units of their latest handheld in North America.

 

Early adopters who log on to the Nintendo eShop once before the price drop will automatically join the ambassador program, which gives them access to 10 free NES and 10 free Game Boy Advance games.


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  • http://twitter.com/Vanpan110494 Sentoro Katarashi

    This is cool, but….WTF?! Why did this happen so soon!? I am pissed off for buying this so early! NO! I’m not making the same mistake! Once I have enough money for the PSP Vita, I’ll just wait for some special event limited sale or price drop to happen to it, then I’ll get it! No more early purchases! >:(

    • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

      I bought nearly all of my handhelds early on and yes it does hurt to be an early adopter.  You have to wait for games to come out, the price is at its highest…

      I recommend becoming a mid-adopter, like you said wait on a price-drop/holiday sale or remodel.  If you late adopt games start to become rare on you.

    • kylehyde

      I learned that same lesson too.

    • http://www.siliconera.com Jenni

       I agree. I was an early DS adopter and it was a while before a price drop, so I figured it’d be safe to be an early 3DS adopter. *sigh*

      I’m disappointed and really wish I’d waited. Specially since some of the games Nintendo is hinting at giving for free to make amends to current owners (Donkey Kong Jr. Balloon Fight, Legend of Zelda, WarioWare, Mario Kart, Mario Advance, etc…) are all ones I already own.

      I mean, I like the system, and I loved Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendogs and Samurai Warriors Chronicles… but now I’m just so disappointed. Couldn’t Nintendo have at least waited until November? It’s only been five months.

  • http://bluehighwind.blogspot.com/ BlueHighwind

    I’d feel bad for Nintendo being in such dire straights… but they won’t release Xenoblade in my country.  They deserve this.

    Plus this means I’ll get to play Kingdom Hearts 3D on the cheap now.

    • BK0000

       I don’t feel bad for them. They brought it on themselves.

      • Bakuryukun

        protip for Nintendo: If you want money, don’t NOT let your customers give it to you. Also, don’t release a console with no games on it and expect to roll in cash anymore Nintendo, you actually need good will towards gamers to pull that off, and right now you have VERY little, this is a step in the right direction, but how bout them RPGs Nintenda?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kenay-Metcalfe/100000341878000 Kenay Metcalfe

    Well F*** me right in the a** for being a day one-er! 

    • http://twitter.com/Vanpan110494 Sentoro Katarashi

      I feel your pain. :(

  • SuigetsuHiramura

    To be honest I almost never use my 3DS because there’s nothing to freaking play on it except for the DS games games I already own.  Ugh, I would get rid of it for the sake of a refund but I’m still waiting on Dream Drop Distance…. But that’s besides the point.  I think Nintendo really failed out with it’s current generation of consols/ handhelds.  What made Nintendo so great a couple years ago was it’s innovation and creativity.  Both the DS ans Wii were revolutionary to the world of gaming when they first came out.  But now it seems like Nintendo’s just trying to rely on it’s past successes with both a beefed up version of the DS and a “new” Wii.  Sorry Nintendo, you haven’t made much of an impact this time around.  Anyways, I’ll be saving up for my PS Vita XD

    • http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/members/55321.html FinalArcadia

      I think creativity took a back-seat when they decided on the name “Wii U.” My issue is that DS turned into 3DS. Wii turned into Wii U. Nintendo used to drastically change their names and the physical appearance of their consoles. Now it just looks half-hearted, to be honest. Look at the N64 to the Gamecube! You could easily tell at first glance that the Gamecube was new! Oh, how I miss the days of the Gamecube…

      • SuigetsuHiramura

        Wii U…. ugh that name gives me the shivers -_-  The friggin controller is gonna cost more than the 3DS alone…. and then there’s “HD” *cough* afewmorezerosaddedtothepricetag *cough* Anyways, I still have my Gamecube after all these years, and like you I really miss the “good old days” (Crap now I sound like a senior citizen…. oh well XD)

        • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

          Yeah you are, but most of us feel like Cranky Kong at times.

          Funny, people complained that the Wii wasn’t HD but now that the Wii U is HD people seem to want to complain about that.  I don’t have a HDTV so I am concerned with my leap as well just a funny insight here.

          • SuigetsuHiramura

            Not really complaining about HD support for the Wii U…. I don’t care about graphics in general just as long as the story of the game is good.  I just feel that with this new generation of console Nintendo really hasn’t accomplished too much.  I mean both PS3 and Xbox already have HD.  Then there’ll be PS4 and Xbox “720″…. I just don’t think the Wii U will fare too well against the competion this time around.  Last time, Wii had the power of innovation and a cheaper price to help fight it’s way as a competitor against PS3 and Xbox 360.  Now we get a clunky controller and HD support… plus a pricetag that’ll probably break my heart.

          • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

            Nothing wrong with that, but on the other end of the subject the Wii suffered for its lack of power. I’m hoping Wii U is within the ballpark of the PS4/720.  I too am not a graphics care bear, but I do care about Nintendo’s 3rd party landscape and 3rd party does like multiplatform.

          • HistorysGreatestMonster

            I seriously doubt the Wii U is going to be anywhere near close in graphics and features to the PS4 and whatever the Nextbox system is called. Even if the Sony and Microsoft systems aren’t going to be that far beyond the Wii U, the assumption still exists that they will, which has put the Wii U completely off the radar of just about every gamer I know.

            Nintendo have a serious perception problem with the Wii U. Showing PS3 and 360 footage was a huge mistake. They should be courting third party exclusives and doing what Microsoft did in the early days of this gen’s console war, where they managed to take various Sony-exclusive franchises and get, at the very least, timed exclusivity on them. Instead, the average gamer and the hardcore gamer both saw a bunch of titles they could already get for the HD systems they already have and shrugged, but not before saying that the tablet controller looks awkward.

            I had a whole long conversation about this in Gamestop when I was picking up Catherine the other day. Someone asked the clerks there, “What do you think of the Wii U?” And everybody in the store pretty much said the above points I said. 

            Mario and Zelda are going to sell systems, but will they be enough to make it a viable choice, especially when there’s so many other negative perceptions about it?

    • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

      I find the WII U to be creative and I always wanted more “DS” experiences with my console.  I heard the controller is supposed to be comfortable but I agree it looks really huge and uninviting at first impression.

      • SuigetsuHiramura

        To me it just seems like the developers said, “The hell with it! Let’s just combine our console and handheld. It’ll be the next big hit!”  I believe Nintendo took the lazy route this time around… not to say the Wii U is completely un-creative… they just could could’ve done a better job.

        • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

          I actually like that, strengthen and try different approaches to what they got instead of trying something new.  Makes their brands closer.
          Sure they could try something new, but I think we are in a good position for both gamers and the industry than trying out full motion or whatever else they could do within the budgets.

  • daizyujin

    The thing I am wonder is it looks to me like Nintendo is distancing themselves from the 3D effect of the 3DS.  They really are not mentioning it much at all anymore.

    Makes one wonder if the “3DS Lite” might just drop the 3D effect screen altogether.  I for one personally would welcome it.  I never use it anyways as it gives me headaches.  It also would significantly increase the available horsepower games could use if they all just ran in 2D.

    • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

      Why would they drop the effect if it is optional to begin with?  If anything I think the next remodel will have better screen, especially for all the games that make you tilt the 3DS.

    • SuigetsuHiramura

      I’m one of the people who can’t see 3D effects to begin with so your suggestion there is pretty liable to me.  The 3D mode also drains much of the battery life very quickly.  What’s the point of playing a handheld, which are supposed to be motile, if you’re gonna have to plug in to an outlet every few hours to keep playing? 

  • HistorysGreatestMonster

    I’m reading on other sites about how Iwata told the investors that he’s going to take a 50% pay cut over how the 3DS has sold. Just like I said the other day, I didn’t know the 3DS was considered a failure. I knew it was selling slower than other Nintendo systems, but I figured it would pick up in a bit. I guess they really are feeling the heat from the upcoming Vita. I can’t imagine what’s going to happen if the Wii U does not sell beyond the Nintendo faithful, which seems to be what the future holds unless they make some serious changes (for example, not forcing people to have to use the Wii-Mote if they want to do multiplayer gaming).

  • http://twitter.com/NeonCookies2736 Leana Gainsborough

    ….I should have waited longer to get the 3DS…..

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Clifford-Pierre-Louis/1389950966 Clifford Pierre Louis

      I hear that -_-

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000845705140 アリャム くん

    I still won’t buy one until Nintendo decides to take out their stupid region lock.

    …or someone manages to come up with a workaround.

    I don’t want to buy an extra 3DS just to play Japanese games. :|

    • http://tristsantithesis.tumblr.com/ Tsunayoshi Sawada

      Heh, why would Nintendo drop it when they could get someone to buy another 3DS?

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