Nintendo will chop around a third off the price of 3DS worldwide next month, following lacklustre sales in the early part of 2011.
Australia will also benefit on August 12, with 3DS dipping from $350 to $250. Meanwhile, Japan will see a price drop on August 11 - to 15,000, down from 25,000.
Nintendo announced it first quarter (Q1) results this morning, revealing sales of just 0.7 million for the 3D handheld console in the three months ending June 30. 3DS was released in March in the US and Europe and February in Japan.
The Japanese firm said that the markdown had been made to "create momentum for Nintendo 3DS and accelerate its market penetration toward the year-end sales season, when the lineup for the applicable software shall be enriched".
A European Nintendo spokesperson told CVG: "[We] can confirm that Nintendo of Europe will be reducing the European trade price of Nintendo 3DS to retailers by around a third from 12th August 2011, as part of a global trade price reduction initiative. The ultimate price to consumers is, of course, determined by retailers, however we look forward to consumers benefiting from much lower retail prices very soon."
Despite the slow hardware sales, 3DS has still managed to shift over 4.53 million software units since its release according to Nintendo's results.
Nintendo's Wii also suffered in the Q1 financial quarter, with sales down from 3.04 million in 2010 to 1.56 million this year, while its equivalent software sold 13.44 million units in the same period.
Nintendo's standard handheld the DS, sold some 1.44 million units during the same time, almost half of the 3.15 million it sold last year, although again 12.44 million DS software sales managed to offset some of that loss.
Nintendo's HD Wii U is still on course for a release in 2012 though and the full financial report is available for you to view here.
While 3DS unit sales are undoubtedly disappointing for the Japanese giant, a fact which it blamed on the strength of the yen and an 'inventory markdown', a significant price cut could be just the ticket to stimulate 3DS sales in the run up to the busy holiday period.
What do you think readers? Would a price cut tempt you into a 3Ds for this Christmas and how much should it be?
Or does it need more compelling software to tempt you into the world of 3D handheld gaming?
Comments
36 comments so far...
Balladeer on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well f**k you Nintendo! I bought mine at full price for OoT and games released in September. This reminds me of the N64.
Fr33Kye on 28 Jul '11 said:
You get 20 free games.
That certainly makes the 3ds more attractive. I may eventually buy it to play all luigi's mansion and all the ds games i missed out on. Also, PRICE CUT IS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. DON'T BE A BITCH NINTENDO.
The fact that the 3ds had this much room for a price cut this early probably means it was very overpriced. It has a much better shot going up against the vita but the vita isn't even out yet and it has a better lineup. At the end of the day the device will be fine.
runadumb on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well then you just learned a valuable lesson about being an early adopter. I learned mine with the PS1 and haven't bought a console at launch since.
I think a lot of people are waiting for version 2 and a decent library of games. I have no desire to pick one up right now but maybe in a few years when there's plenty of games and the system is £100 or so.
sweatyBallacks on 28 Jul '11 said:
Why make the announcement now?
That's going to kill sales worldwide for over two-weeks
liveswired on 28 Jul '11 said:
This was only going to happen sooner or later - I for one am glad I bought it early and got ExciteBike 3D for free lol.
Still atleast it wasn't as bad as dropping from £250 to £100 in less than the same time frame!
theholyone on 28 Jul '11 said:
No thank you.
gothchild on 28 Jul '11 said:
Yeah.. this kinda sucks
No compensation for the people who actually showed confidence from the start
EDIT: oh ok, just saw the deal they're doing. Just need to figure out how the hell to connect to the eshop!
bazz2k on 28 Jul '11 said:
I think some of my previous posts have been justified now and some people on here should apologise for the way they lambasted my opinion and shot me down!
originalbadboy on 28 Jul '11 said:
How is that different to any other piece of hardware (or software for that matter) that comes out? If you want the latest and greatest when it first appears in the shop you pay the RRP at the time, its as simple as that.
Get over it
El Mag on 28 Jul '11 said:
I always thought market penetration meant sex under a wheelbarrow.
ricflair on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well considering we don't get an RRP in Europe and it's already come down from about £220 to nearer £150, I wonder if we'll see a really meaningful price cut over here.
If there is and it can be picked up for £120, I would be interested later in the year.
Dewin on 28 Jul '11 said:
This basically says: we are worried. Sales are bad, and a competitor is on the way which we can't battle head to head in terms of spec and launch titles. It IS a sign of weakness. Especially the amount of which it drops. That is A LOT for a first price cut. It also means that you pretty much screwed early adopters. This thing was way way overpriced if you can drop it by a third. It seems that the market has changed. You can't just do half asses launches. Nintendo still has a good name, but not to the point that anybody just buys it because it has "Nintendo" on the box. You launch a new handheld, you better well have a few very good games and at least 1 killer game. The 3DS launch had neither and there is too few games on the horizon. Step your game up Nintendo.
Metagen on 28 Jul '11 said:
Give it another price drop and I'll consider buying it. At least by then there may actually be something to play on it.
PMIKE5 on 28 Jul '11 said:
But Nintendo never made a solid commitment as to the price of the 3DS in the UK thus making retailers decide the price of the 3DS. So I'm guessing the 25% off will also be decided by retailers too. Congrats UK, we get 10% off!
Queen Skillage on 28 Jul '11 said:
Isn't it sex under a wheelbarrow in a cabbage patch?
shadow663 on 28 Jul '11 said:
You get 10 free NES games and 10 free GBA games as compensation for buying it early, so long as you go onto the eshop before august 12th. CVG should really post that bit...
ricflair on 28 Jul '11 said:
Why is a price cut a sign of weakness? Is admitting (at least indirectly) you got it wrong a sign of weakness now? Over £150 is too much for me for a handheld.
I saw an ad for the 3DS the other day and it was aimed at 'traditional' gamers, really in your face for a recent Nintendo ad.
The_Jaster on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well, I got my 3DS on launch day with 3 games at £190 so a price cut is only a good thing for those not willing to pay that or higher & all this talk of it being a sign of weakness is total nonsense.
Seems like the usual suspects are just looking for an excuse to put down.
Currychips on 28 Jul '11 said:
Get it under £100 and I might be interested. Until then, no thanks.
The_Jaster on 28 Jul '11 said:
Just heard as compensation people who have taken their 3DS onto the e shop before August 12th will get 20 free downloads that is 10 NES games & 10 GBA games.
liveswired on 28 Jul '11 said:
If you purchased a 3DS anytime before the price cut date, you will receive 10 free Virtual Console NES and 10 free Gameboy Advance games. Users must connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before the price cut date. They will then be automatically registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program.
Wow - It makes it all worth it - anyways the 3DS never sold at RRP! but still 20 free NES and GBA games make it worth it!
Thanks Ninty! 
DoomGuy84 on 28 Jul '11 said:
I was considering getting one of these with my birthday money in august so this price drop is perfect timing!
I still think ill wait and see what Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart are like though before christmas, when it might have been reduced even further.
Random Hangman on 28 Jul '11 said:
Only in Nottingham. Here in the South it means sex on the trading floor....
Titan on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well over priced when first realeased because everyone at e3 prior to realease were amazed by it so Nintendo got abit carried away and set a high price point.
With more good games on the way and a decent price cut this should fly off the shelfs just like the DS
humanhand on 28 Jul '11 said:
Ouch. That's a serious drop. Not sure if I can look at my 3DS the same now. This p**ses me off. I guess the only positive thing would be, growth is good, so I hope more people pick up the 3DS. Now the Vita and the 3DS will never be at the same price point. The 3DS will definitely rob some potential Vita buyers now. Damn.
Agent75 on 28 Jul '11 said:
Nintendo will only get my money if the 3DS is £149 packaged with Mario Kart (released in December). As if that's going to happen....
Welsh Jester on 28 Jul '11 said:
is that true? that's a decent compensation.
I hope you get to actually choose which games, i recently bought Xevious on the Eshop and am pretty p**sed off with it due to how hard it is, i would have enjoyed a xenon remake or something. at least Shantae and G&W Manhole were good buys
khr0nik on 28 Jul '11 said:
TBH since playing Zelda again on a mates I was sold and had every intention of buying a second hand unit for CEX or something.
Now that the price drop is in place, with Kid Icarus, Mario 3D, Starfox and Kart all due out this year I'm going to be a very happy chappy. Just need to find the golds needed to buy one now...
Also, am I the only one who hates that whenever a price cut comes into effect in Europe they post the pricing in the bloody Euro? Not all of us use the Euro for gods sake!
Balladeer on 28 Jul '11 said:
Well compensated, Ninty. Well compensated. (relaxes)
delmariachi on 28 Jul '11 said:
It sucks but could be worse, I bought a Saturn with release games on first day for £460!!!! This Christmas gone my missus re-bought me the same thing for £35 with 12 games... Us tech whores have to take the fact that prices will drop..
bazzatuk on 28 Jul '11 said:
This is something Nintendo brought on themselves. As far as I am concerned, with the Wii and DS (less so) Nintendo pretty much turned their backs on the market they called 'the core' and left many long-term fans, like me, feeling lost and abandoned. Now they need the support of the fans again to launch their new consoles.
But at £229 the 3DS is overpriced, and with only Street Fighter IV as a launch title with any appeal, is that any reason for me to spend that kind of money when I can get a home console with a superior version of Street Fighter at a cheaper price? - no, of course not.
Oh, and rehashed versions of old classics is not the way to bring me back in. I still own an N64 with Ocarina of Time and Lylat Wars. So I have little need for shrunk down versions with 3D thrown in. Nintendo are going to have to work very hard to bring me back in. I think the Wii and the DS are the last Nintendo consoles I'll ever own unless they produce some of their true Nintendo flair.
JuiKuen on 28 Jul '11 said:
That's why I don't buy consoles on day 1 anymore....
the elz on 28 Jul '11 said:
wanna sell more 3DS?
MAKE SOME GOOD ORIGINAL GAMES!!!!!!!!
does this mean i get executive pay from Nintendo now for that?
Budly Moore on 29 Jul '11 said:
In truth, if I was given one free, I'd still not play it.
kirinnokoshin on 29 Jul '11 said:
How do you know? Do you already own one?
Back in the real world, why is this coming as such a shock to fans and the market in general? The system was overpriced
on release like many others have been in the past (N64 and Playstation 3 spring to mind) and a price cut was always inevitable unless it had a string of AAA title available within the first 6 months. Cue, when was the last time any dedicated game console launched with a string of top end titles? Not in the last 10 years that's for sure. If you buy early you should know your exposure, if you can't take the hit when the price cut comes then try and prioritise your expenditure a little better and buy when you know it's a safer bet, that way you're less likely to be peeved.
Of course, we live in the digital media age and the online press are always looking for multiple intra-day stories and will blab about this one until it eventually gets boring. Quarterly losses are to be expected during recession, and most of the Japanese game system manufacturers are losing money more due to a strong Yen rather than any other reason. In addition, had Nintendo released the 3DS in July, giving it a stronger launch lineup and having system selling software sooner, they STILL would have made this loss, however the conventional wisdom would have you believe that the 3DS's early launch has been the prime contributing factor to the quarterly results.
I for one really like the 3DS, and can't wait for Mario Kart, Mario Land 3D, Starfox, Kid Icarus et al. If you're not keen on these games then wait for and buy a Vita and stop whining (but be mindful of what might happen if you hand over your cash at launch
)
Cogglesz on 30 Jul '11 said:
Its always good to see prices going down on video gaming, this is not something i'd really ever moan about, more people will buy it and more people will support it giving nintendo more cause to make more and better games for it, i've been thinking about buying a 3ds for some time, i think its about time to go and get one, i never got the DS till the Dsi came out and it was one of my favourite handhelds for sure, tons of great games out for it, give it time and the same will happen with the 3ds