The 3DS hasn't been selling as quickly as Nintendo expected and this, says Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata, is because people don't seem to understand the value of the 3DS or how to use it.
With 3.61 million units sold, the 3DS missed Nintendo's forecasted four million sales last month. Iwata admitted at conference this week: "Nintendo 3DS was launched in late March. The sales were high in the initial week, but sales fell below our expectations after the second week. Nintendo 3DS has not been selling as expected since the second week, and this is not just in the Japanese market but also in the United States and Europe, where no direct impact from the great earthquake has occurred."
Iwata said the firm expected the quirks of glasses-less 3D to spread on its own once the machine released, but this hasn't happened. Also, demo booths in stores aren't doing the trick. "The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media. However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even misestimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion," he said.
People, he added, need to be taught to adjust the slider to suit them. He also admits: "We need to enhance the contents which can be enjoyed passively by non-active users, like a 3D video distribution service. We will promptly work on this after the currently planned hardware update."
Also, people aren't properly clued up on all of the console's features, such as StreetPass, SpotPass, Augmented Reality and Mii Maker. This needs fixing, he adds.
"It is now clear that the combination of these new features is not necessarily easy-to-understand by just saying one word to those without experience," said Iwata. "We have found that not all Nintendo 3DS users enjoy this software. There seems to be more than a few consumers who have Nintendo 3DS hardware but don't know about this software and possibly haven't had a chance to get interested in it."
Admitting that simply pre-installing the software isn't enough, Iwata says Nintendo's marketing will target the penetration of these features.
Iwata has also announced that, in order to get people to update their 3DS units next month, the company will offer a 3D version of the NES classic Excitebike for free for a limited time.
Comments
62 comments so far...
jacksaddiction on 26 Apr '11 said:
I'd kill for a 3D version of the N46 game :O
bazz2k on 26 Apr '11 said:
pRM8 on 26 Apr '11 said:
Excuses excuses.
Malmo on 26 Apr '11 said:
over £200 to play a bunch of pretty poor games, the best being another version of street fighter 4 *yawn*. i'm not confused at all, oh, and i'm not a zelda nut either, sorry. Get some remotely decent games for the money involved behind the 3ds, then i may buy one.
Solm on 26 Apr '11 said:
Give us some decent games and it will sell, I promise I will even buy one
newsinthefield on 26 Apr '11 said:
After the launch of the DS, Nintendo released a slew of new models, alienating those who had shelled out for the DS Mark I. I'm expecting a similar situation with the 3DS. Next year, we could see the '3DSi XL' on shelves.
Cogglesz on 26 Apr '11 said:
I think its because the casual DS gamers feel they don't need to upgrade yet as they've got plenty/enough games on the DS and to those interested in the 3DS i think the majority of us are waiting for either a price drop or/and some new games, its not got the most impressive library of games so far, usually Mario gets unleashed along with a new Link adventure but instead relied on their tech to woo us, nothing really says "play me" apart from the handheld itself but we need games and good ones to play and i'll be personally waiting for it to get some nice first party releases that i'd love to play, done the exact same with the DS, also maybe hold back till a 3DS lite or something arrives.
ShigeruMiyamoto on 26 Apr '11 said:
I blame the sun.
veato on 26 Apr '11 said:
Or..... because the launch games are for the most part s**te
almanac2015 on 26 Apr '11 said:
No, public confusion was the cause of the high Wii sales.
Let the software talk. Release loads of s**t hot games and then you can maybe say it is underperfoming. Software must sell the console, not hardware (especially hardware that could be classed as gimmicky unless the games prove otherwise).
monty_79 on 26 Apr '11 said:
I personally have not bought one as it doesn't have any games on it which I am particularly interested in. SF4 looked good in 3D when I played it, but I found the dpad a pain in the arse, and not having the 6 buttons across the face made it slightly less enjoyable.
Also, I am going to wait until a slim 3DS comes out which will probably have better battery life and better 3D viewing angles.
Going back to the games, what is there actually out or on the horizon to tempt me to get one? Not much to be honest. Zelda will be great, but I have played it before and so it will not hold as much pazazz this time around. A new Mario and Mario kart will be nice, but again it isn't something I am longing for.
Where are the games Nintendo said were coming from 3rd parties? The release day ones were not particularly good.
The AR features offer some real promise, but, as with the DS, so many developers didn't bother using the consoles full capabilities that I am worried that it will ultimately turn out to be a gimmick (as Kinect is currently showing, and apart from dance central, there is nothing to tempt me to buy it).
Come one Nintendo, really push the 3rd parties and get some really exciting games on their way to us, please! I really want to be tempted but at the moment, there is nothing that isn't massively overshadowed by the main consoles.
jubbgi01 on 26 Apr '11 said:
I couldn't find a working demo booth anywhere in Leeds in the launch window. I ended up stumbling upon a demo in asda. I played pilotwings and the AR games, and while I was impressed by the 3d and the system in general, it didn't really give me the feeling that I wanted to spend £200 to get one. I think the lack of great games is what is putting me off, but the price tag does seem a little high when you play on one. Shame, as I'm normally a rabid Nintendo fanboi.
gmcb007 on 26 Apr '11 said:
Maybe the fact our economy has gone tits up and inflation is crazy at the moment may have been a contributing factor?
MD1500 on 26 Apr '11 said:
See, this is the trouble with Nintendos new "working more with third parties" strategy.
They hold their AAA titles back, launch their console, give the third parties a window to release their games and they produce.... a load of rubbish and the console doesn't sell.
Nickaveli1 on 26 Apr '11 said:
I don't think confusion comes into it. Maybe, just maybe, people have wised up to Nintendo's use of gimmicks, I sure have.
Will not be buying another Nintendo console until they change their tactics.
stealth on 26 Apr '11 said:
all hes saying is it didnt hit the 4 mil
it hit 3.6 mil
it is selling. Thats your mis reading what he said. He just said they didnt hit the lofty target
ShadowAviation on 26 Apr '11 said:
Personally, I bought a 3DS on launch day. I have to say it's a really awesomes piece of gear. Unfortunately, I now believe it may be more advantageous to wait until the price comes down and some better games come out. The titles at the moment seem a bit.. lacking. I saved since before Christmas, but not everyone had that option. Still, if you have €250 burning a hole in your pocket, you may as well get it now to avoid the inevitable Christmas rush. Off to feed my virtual puppies...
stealth on 26 Apr '11 said:
^ june the regular games start rolling
Barca Azul on 26 Apr '11 said:
Hmmm, maybe people don't have the cash, or just don't want it.
Its supposed to be very good, but its not cheap and for that price you can pick up a console that does much more.
LiqzZ on 26 Apr '11 said:
I feel sorry for Nintendo, they really have lost their grip on the gaming market. So much potential when the Wii became a sucsess. Unless the Wii2 is truely revolutionary, i predict a slow decline into a software company, much like Sega, just slower.
stealth on 26 Apr '11 said:
he didnt say the system didnt sell. Its sold almost 4 million in 1 month
Most systems dont do that ever................
stealth on 27 Apr '11 said:
smart comment I found
"It has sold over 3.6 million in just over a month. Who knows what its up to by now, but the DS only sold 5 million units in its first 6 months of its life. I know this for a, fact because Nintendo themselves said it at their E3 2005 press conference.
The 3DS launch has sold almost as much as the DS first 6 full months and in a faction of the time. Why do people insist that sale are slow, or poor, is beyond me. Just because Nintendo didn't meet they're high expectation of 4 million units, doesn't mean that the 3.6 million units that they sold was bad. That it just absurd for anyone, to come to that ridiculous conclusion! "
julioaragon on 27 Apr '11 said:
there arent any really good games on it right now,plus the graphics arent that great either..for 300 dollars i dont think so
stealth on 27 Apr '11 said:
"there arent any really good games on it right now,plus the graphics arent that great either..for 300 dollars i dont think so"
is this a joke? the graphics are amazing for a nintendo portable
The_KFD_Case on 27 Apr '11 said:
Classy move, Nintendo head honcho: Blame the very people you make your profits from. I don't suppose it ever occurred to the fellow that it's up to Nintendo to ensure their product has an effective marketing campaign that the public understands (or at least thinks it understands).
What a numpty!
The_KFD_Case on 27 Apr '11 said:
Precisely. Nothing presently makes me want to spend that kind of money on a handheld that offers less options and worse graphics than less portable systems. I can live without the mobility, and if I want mobility I'd opt for some of the older handhelds now going for much cheaper prices.
stealth on 27 Apr '11 said:
its still tracking with the original ds
that only sold 500k in its first 6 month
in 1 month the 3ds is almost halfway there
The_Jaster on 27 Apr '11 said:
Since when is 3.6m counted as "not selling as expected" though I do agree it needs some more quality titles out real soon.........Ghost Recon is the best 3rd Party game on 3DS. (maybe even the best game on the 3DS in fact)
Battery seems fine to as well, I take it everywhere with me & it hasn't ran out of juice when I've been away from a charge point.
Another reason may be that they really need to kick into gear more frequent advertisments on TV, but falling just short of their predicted 4m sales isn't that bad is it?
TOKEN on 27 Apr '11 said:
You cant blame consumer for 3DS for not selling as it is Nintendo who are to blame because its 3D its selling at a high price,but with reports of children having fits and nintendo having said that nintendo said not for kids youve lost sales straight away meaning ninty could loose support investors and ninty need a scape goat.
the elz on 27 Apr '11 said:
poor games (mainly DS games that are already available) means theres no real reason to buy it (especially if you have a DS already)
add to that anything 3D your going to want to try before you buy (remember like all stereo pictures ,theres people who just cant see them) & the people getting bad heads from this & sky's 3D service after prolonged use.
I've checked every videogame shop in the area including all the big chains & none had a display model. bit even if I did, I doubt id be wowed to part with £200 & take a 3D version of an old (& average) rayman or nintendogs.
extracurricular on 27 Apr '11 said:
As soon as the new professor layton games are released I'm sure they'll stop worrying about hardware sales.
its not exactly short on upcoming software either > http://3ds.nintendolife.com/games/soon
the launch titles weren't great but thats nothing new really. I finally got pilotwings and all the people saying its too short are mental, its gonna take me ages to perfect everything or even do everything
Balladeer on 27 Apr '11 said:
The ignorance in this thread is astonishing. Did any of you naysayers read the article? 3.6 million sales is only disappointing in Nintendo's eyes!
Mind you, agreed about the launch line-up, although also agreed that the post-launch line-up is going to be A-MAY-ZAAAAH.
shogunreaper on 27 Apr '11 said:
Glasses or no glasses it's not difficult to understand what it is, i mean you basically just called all your potential customers idiots.
You want it to sell? Get some better games.
Jodmeister on 27 Apr '11 said:
Well personally Nintendo, none of your franchises interest me as a gamer; my kids play on their DS's a lot, but we've not too long ago forked out for a pair of DS XLs, so we aren't going to slap down that much on two more. Changing your hardware that often in current economic times is just not a good plan.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 27 Apr '11 said:
I predict that sales of the 3ds will explode in june. Just a hunch.
boskersrevenge on 27 Apr '11 said:
This.
gamefreak666 on 27 Apr '11 said:
DS
DS lite
DSi
DS XL
3DS
Maybe people are just fed up of this. Or know you are going to release a 3DS lite with improved battery life, next year.
But I can appreciate what he is saying from a certain point of view, because in my local Tesco (plus one or two not so local that i've been in to) have made no attempt to seperate the DS games from the 3DS games and they are all intermingled on the display unit. Making the average non-gamer (maybe) not even realise there has been a new console released.
stealth on 27 Apr '11 said:
the 3ds is out tracking the original ds..............all these comments are silly
veato on 27 Apr '11 said:
I was in Toys R Us last night and was shocked to find they dont have a 3DS on demo. They've got a DSi and XL though.
nintendolad on 27 Apr '11 said:
If sales don't improve greatly in the summer, it most certainly will at Christmas, when more games are released and the price may go down (I hope). This news is nothing for Nintendo to be worried about.
Headsrinker on 27 Apr '11 said:
As predicted, the novelty of the gimmick has worn off even quicker than expected.
liveswired on 27 Apr '11 said:
I'd say a lack of Killer launch apps and online connectivity is the problem. A lot of people are holding out until the update and launch of a certain Zelda title.
Still I think the likes of Pilotwings has been heavily underrated. I've invested 16hours in it and still not complete - a title I recommend to all 3DS owners. Its nice to take a break from Crysis 2 and Killzone to play in the relaxing world of Pilotwings.
humanhand on 27 Apr '11 said:
I bought the original DS, but didn’t hang on to it because I initally wasn’t impressed playing Mario 64 without an analog nub. I felt kind of cheated at the time, and it was probably a bad first choice of a game. But admittedly I’m the sucker who wishes he would’ve held on to the original just because it looks weird. And I’m the sucker that owns both a DS lite and a DS XL. So I’d be right there to buy a 3DS XL. I really hope that they make that at some point. I guess my point is that I kind of like the alienation aspect, because I like to try to collect gaming systems.
boskersrevenge on 27 Apr '11 said:
Ah, +1 sucker.
Have the Phat, Lite and DSi XL.
The_Jaster on 27 Apr '11 said:
I really truly think that Nintendo won't release a "lite" version or any update, however they may go the different coloured systems route.
gideonseer on 27 Apr '11 said:
This guy sounds like Apple's Steve Jobs..."You don't understand my phone, you aren't holding my phone right, its your fault, you aren't speaking into my phone the right way, its your fault. You aren't holding it high enough in the air to get a signal, its your fault. You just don't understand me, nobody does. Nurrrsssseeeeeeeeeeeee?!"
humanhand on 27 Apr '11 said:
I think they have to go the XL route, or even some kind of hybrid tablet. Mainly because I think they are going to be putting a lot of emphasis on video playback. Hence, having a larger screen I think would make more people interested in it. Also a large size would perhaps solve some battery life issues.
veato on 27 Apr '11 said:
But bigger screen = needs more power surely?
slothfull9 on 27 Apr '11 said:
Maybe stores need to promote it better?
My local HMV has a 3DS in a glass case, switched off. How's that supposes to impress people?
Felly117 on 27 Apr '11 said:
Release decent games and we'll see about buying one. Also stop telling me how playing with myself will make me go blind.
bazz2k on 27 Apr '11 said:
http://www.gamesradar.com/3ds/nintendo-3ds/news/nintendo-3ds-sales-take-an-unexpected-dip/a-20110427102237141027/g-20100616102754448006/c-2
Taus on 27 Apr '11 said:
Yep, bought a 3DS, bought SFIV, had fun with SFIV, bored, nothing worth playing.
Pretty much agreeing with most posters, how about a decent games line up?
The_Jaster on 28 Apr '11 said:
your point being?
Balladeer on 28 Apr '11 said:
Jaster, since when has bazz2k ever had more than one point?
THE 3DS IS RUBBISH!!!1!
a.d on 28 Apr '11 said:
All the negative news in the media hasn't helped
The_Jaster on 28 Apr '11 said:
spam23 on 28 Apr '11 said:
I wasn't impressed with the DS and traded it in. I'm not impressed with the 3DS enough to buy one, not with nintendo's increasingly lacklustre releases.
The 3DS still has s**tty low res graphics, awkward controls and no decent games. It's another DS with another gimmick.
The_Jaster on 28 Apr '11 said:
C'mon let all that anger out you have inside then you truly can feel super awesome & send positive thoughts through out the interwebz.
voodoo341 on 28 Apr '11 said:
Very much covers the problems with the 3DS here.
The_Jaster on 28 Apr '11 said:
If you take that guy serious then I feel sorry for you, plus he didn't even mention the awesomeness that is Ghost Recon: Shadow wars.
voodoo341 on 28 Apr '11 said:
Take it what ever way you want but he does raise some very valid points.
Balladeer on 29 Apr '11 said:
He does raise valid points (especially the one about the launch line-up, but everyone and their dog has raised that one), but bear in mind that Yahtzee is renowned for being moany. Portal and CoD4 are the two counterexamples, but most of the time he is exceedingly negative about everything. Which is funny, and I love his work, but it shouldn't be taken as a serious review.