The Nintendo 3DS has been pulled from Amazon in the US and been placed 'Under Review'.
"While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!) We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."
It sounds like it may be a problem with the way in which Amazon has been shipping the portable, which has been on sale since March.
Examiner notes that some early 3DS adopters complained of top screen scratching caused by the 3DS' lower screen and speculates this could be part of the problem.
Amazon.co.uk had its own 3DS problems during the handheld's launch in March. Judging by angry comments from purchasers, delivery updates stalled for many with the device not reaching buyers in a timely fashion.
Comments
42 comments so far...
nologo on 25 Jul '11 said:
could ninty sue amazon for this? some sort of breach of distribution contract?
interesting
me4pd on 25 Jul '11 said:
This has happened before here in the UK. With the blue one I think. It was fixed in a day or something.
Not newsworthy. Especially as it's just in the US.
dannyhulse on 25 Jul '11 said:
Nope, and anyway Nintendo already has the money from Amazon, so they wouldn't care.
slick loose on 25 Jul '11 said:
Tenner says the tip off was from SONY
am_gers2K8 on 25 Jul '11 said:
In a somehow related topic, Australia finally got it's R+ rating!
Though we lose the MA 15+ rating, meaning I can no long purchase violent games for myself, it does mean that I can legally import MK 9 from overseas (no confirmation on whether previously banned games will be released over here) as a couple of my friends tried to and their copy was blocked and a fine issued of $2000.
The_Jaster on 25 Jul '11 said:
No news story of the 3DS selling double the amount of PSP in Japan last week? CVG I am Disappoint.
EDIT: Ignore this I missed the article they posted
PMIKE5 on 25 Jul '11 said:
Ah well, tbh I don't know anyone who has bought the 3DS who hasn't said they've regretted buying it.
The_Jaster on 25 Jul '11 said:
Megatrons_Fury on 25 Jul '11 said:
Wow how fashionable it is right now to bash the 3DS
So many people are going to look so stupid in about 6 months time once all the big hitters are out like Mario Kart etc and the xmas sales kick right in, my advice to some of you on here is to stop typing, right now i don't have one but like a hell of a lot of people im just waiting for the games i want/need.
Knocking Nintendo................ Ahhhhhh how many times have we seen people do this, will you ever learn.
Roll on xmas, although my bank balance is already crying.......
dannyhulse on 25 Jul '11 said:
I haven't regretted buying it
slick loose on 25 Jul '11 said:
To be fair, is there a console that doesn't get bashed? The PS3 online not being as good as the 360's, having insane install times and more often than not the PS3 of a game version is usually the poorer version. (when compared to the 360)
Then you have the 360 who is concentrating on the kinnect, which let's face it is naff. Also Microsoft love ripping people off!
Having a go at Nintendo is pretty silly, I mean they have out lasted EVERYONE in gaming history. I think it's also safe to say they will out last Microsoft and SONY in this console 'War'.
Anyway, on topic. 3DS is a gimmick
jacksaddiction on 25 Jul '11 said:
The bottom screen marking the top screen ?
This happens to mine all the time. There are little marks at each side of the top screen the width of the lower screen every time I close the console for a few days. A little wipe and they come off, I just assumed that its dust. Wherever you play it, dust, no matter how little, will gather on the console, and since the edges of the lower screen touch the upper screen when closed, it would transfer the dust to it ? Ack, it comes off anyway.
Unless Amazon have been doing something ........ different. Like, replacing the console in the box with a scorpion.
Fr33Kye on 25 Jul '11 said:
Yeah every console gets bashed, but the 3ds is getting bashed because of a lack of games, late features, and nintendo trying to sell a handheld on the 3d trend and it not being as affective as they thought. Everything gets bashed. That being said its a nintendo handheld, unless it makes your eyes bleed it will sell. As much as i f**king hate mario kart(level design is cool sometimes but i feel modnation racers customization, style and aesthetic kind of put it ahead, despite me not being into kart racers)that wont stop it from selling a s**tload. Nintendo may just be humbled this handheld generation though.
gmcb007 on 25 Jul '11 said:
I've got a feeling that the 3DS will be a very big seller come this Xmas now that it's starting to get the big games out for it.
RetroJB on 25 Jul '11 said:
Not sure you understand the definition of the word gimmick. Touch screen, motion control, 3D and so forth. They're all gimmicks designed to lure potential customers.
As for the 3DS, I really like it. Sadly after more than 15 minutes of play I found it was like having my eyeballs pulled out of their sockets, even adjusting the slider did no good, so I shan't be investing.
Damn my eyes.
FASELI on 25 Jul '11 said:
I don't know if i'm allowed to bash or regret it or not, as i didn't pay for mine. However i did spend a lot of time on my old DS but it wasn't playing Mario Kart and the other "big hitters"; i spent hours playing things like Castlevania and Advance Wars. Games that so far have yet to be announced for the 3DS, so generally it does disappoint me.
Laughlyn on 25 Jul '11 said:
must admit i'd a bit narked off by the 2 lines i have on teh 3d screen as a result of the lower screen. i'f tried allsorts to clean it up. not exactly teh brightest idea ninty had. also teh plastic surrounding the 3d screen needs to be matte, loads of times i've had light glare off the black plastic and barely see the screen
Balladeer on 25 Jul '11 said:
Pretty sure Slick was just messing with people. It's the emoticons that give it away.
slick loose on 25 Jul '11 said:
Yes of course I was messing about, like Balla said the emoticons kinda give it away. I haven't played the 3DS so I can't comment on it but I think re-releasing games from the N64 catalogue and completely remastering them is a pretty fine idea.But I'm a nostalgic.
I couldn't be arsed with the 3-D but that is optional at the end of the day.
humanhand on 25 Jul '11 said:
Now that the prices for all of the games are down on the used market, I love my 3DS launch line up. I made the mistake of only getting Pilotwings at first. Second game though... Ghost Recon, and I loved it. I picked up a few more games for cheap, downloaded a handful of games from the eshop, and bought Oot at full price with no qualms. I do not regret buying the 3DS right at launch (from Amazon, with no scratches). Although, I do have a dead pixel which kinda sucks.
MD1500 on 25 Jul '11 said:
Nintendo's only fault with the 3DS was that they held their big AAA games back in order to try and get third parties on board and assuming that they would release decent games for it.. As usual, the third parties used this opportunity to produce lots of rubbish and as a result, the console didn't sell.
The fact that the only decent game for it is a 14 year old game update says it all. :
But do I regret buying it? Not at all. For me, the killer app of the 3DS is Streetpass.
The ability to walk down the street, pass another 3DS owner and come home to find new features unlocked in your game is genius.
Of course, for it to work successfully, more people have to own one, but they will in time. Does anyone remember the disasterous DS Phat launch and how everyone was convinced it would be outsold by the PSP? Exactly.
Fr33Kye on 25 Jul '11 said:
Streetpass! Exactly! Great idea.
To be fair to the ds and psp that was when a second touch screen was a radical new idea. Right now the new idea is 3d and the 3ds is priced pretty steep, and the ds's success was partially due to a market that is now being serviced by mobile devices. Also sony made a lot of mistakes which they say they are amending.
The vita is designed to be easy for developers to use. It's designed with small developers in mind. When people say it's just another psp it's not really fair, but it's future is not certain.
Balladeer on 25 Jul '11 said:
To be fair, SFIV3D, Ghost Recon and RR3D were all meant to be pretty good. But they won't sell like Mario or Zelda, and they didn't interest me.
bazz2k on 25 Jul '11 said:
I'm not a fan of the 3DS - bring on the Vita next year though! Looks awesome!
MD1500 on 25 Jul '11 said:
Weirdly, they're still selling the blue 3DS. Whatever the problem is, it only affects the black one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I0 ... d_i=507846
The_Jaster on 25 Jul '11 said:
I heard the Vita is Rubbish.
Balladeer on 25 Jul '11 said:
Unfortunately I suffer from a rare condition that withers three of my fingers on each hand, thus not allowing me to use the Vita touchscreen.
I therefore pronounce it to be rubbish, and will say so loudly at every opportunity I get whether or not it is appropriate. This is without doubt a sensible and sophisticated thing to do.
MD1500 on 25 Jul '11 said:
And they're now selling the Black 3DS again as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-3DS-Cosm ... y_vg_img_c
kimoak on 25 Jul '11 said:
I get those lines on my top screen also from the frame of the borrom screen. A quick wipe and it goes away. I don't regret buying my 3DS, but I would like more games for it. Having said that, I only have Pilotwings and Zelda and I am not that far through Zelda at all. I am actually hoping for some better VC and DSWare games. Especially VC games. And the internet browser is a pile of s**t. Dissapointed about that.
mrlister on 25 Jul '11 said:
It sounds like they have a batch with something missing, like the stylus or base unit. Wow, I'm glad I heard about it though! Why wasn't this on Yahoo's front page?
alan666 on 25 Jul '11 said:
the only problem is the lack of AAA games for it
MD1500 on 25 Jul '11 said:
They're coming though. Too slowly for my liking, but they are coming - before the end of the year.
bazz2k on 26 Jul '11 said:
What games are these then?? Care to enlighten me!
Balladeer on 26 Jul '11 said:
Don't bother, gmb. It's not worth talking to Bazz about the 3DS. He can't see the 3D and therefore is inherently prejudiced against the console.
slick loose on 26 Jul '11 said:
what...that can happen? I just thought it made some people a bit sick, some can't even see it!?
You sure he isn't playing a normal DS?
Balladeer on 26 Jul '11 said:
Or it made him ill or something. I have no desire to find out the details.
slick loose on 26 Jul '11 said:
Fair Enough!
Fr33Kye on 26 Jul '11 said:
bazz2k is like the originalbadboy of the 3ds. Kinda comes in to say something bad about it in every thread, he's not as bad as originalbadboy though.
The_Jaster on 26 Jul '11 said:
Slick, I have heard there are a very small amount of people who can't see the 3D at all, when I was at a 3DS event back in February before its release I did over hear a guy complaining that no matter how much he adjusted the slider the 3D would still be blurred for him.
Now it couldn't of been a faulty unit as I'm sure he tried some others at the event he did wear glasses though so maybe that was an issue. *shrugs*
slick loose on 26 Jul '11 said:
Do you think you could get your money back? I mean if you buy a product that advertises 3D and then you can't see it...well it's hardly fair is it?
I wanna play one now, just to see if I pass Nintendos test
El Mag on 26 Jul '11 said:
That bazz fella said he brought it for the him and the wife, she can see it and he can't. Just makes it a present for her now doesn't it.
The_Jaster on 26 Jul '11 said:
It'd only be fair to get a refund I suppose, everyone's eyes are different....part of why they put a 3d slider on the thing in the first place it varies game to game too I can play Resi mercs with slider up to the max with no issues but when I try that with Ghost Recon it starts to hurt my eyeballs & I get a headache after 5 minutes.