Nintendo: 3DS sales "below expectations"

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 15 June, 2011

But games will help turn things around.

Nintendo has admitted that sales of the glasses-free Nintendo 3DS have not been up to scratch.

The 3DS, which launched globally in March, suffered because it failed to meet fan expectations, Nintendo said.

"It's fair to say that while Nintendo 3DS had a strong launch day, the results since then have not met our expectations," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told investors at E3.

"By which I mean to say that although pre-orders for this system were very strong and initial impressions of this system were very positive, those early indicators stand in conflict with where the system is at today. So, I can't say there are no issues at present.

"So, what we have analysed up to this point is that the initial move by the early adopters has not translated into broader movement by the broader market in the ways that we had expected."

So, what went wrong?

"The current situation resulted from the fact that the delay of developing Nintendo 3DS software and launching online services, like Nintendo eShop, 3D video services and so forth, occurred simultaneously, so we could not meet people's high expectations that they had before its launch, and we did not see momentum after the launch," Iwata explained.

But all is not lost. Iwata hopes upcoming games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, will help get the 3DS back on track.

"I think that we'll be able to show you that as Nintendo eShop and 3D video services come online, and a number of key software titles become available, we'll be able to regain momentum for this hardware."

Iwata denied the accusation that the 3DS is not significantly different than the DS.

"Regarding the form factor, I think that people who purchase video game systems tend to purchase it for the experience that the system offers, so while I do agree that it's important for us to work on creating products with appealing form factors, I don't think that the current state of the Nintendo 3DS is because of a result of not having a significantly different form factor from our other handheld systems.

"But, as you have pointed out that you have a concern about the form factor, then as we continue to look at what we do with the system, we'll continue to take that into account and see what we can do to satisfy that concern."

The 3DS has sold just over a million units in Japan. It sold 113,000 units during its first two days on sale in the UK – a figure short of the 140,000 3DS pre-orders Nintendo announced it had received before the console went on sale.

Across Europe the 3DS shifted 303,000 units in its first two days on sale.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 11 months ago

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  • J0rdan_KZ #1 11 months ago

    The main problem was giving third parties the priority at launch. That was a terrible, terrible idea. It's also way too expensive and Nintendo still aren't advertising it right. Most people think the 3DS is just a NDS with a 3D screen rather than completely new hardware!

  • bluem4gic #2 11 months ago

    PRICE PRICE PRICE

  • goldenbone #3 11 months ago

    Needs some decent software, no question. Even one killer app would make a huge difference.

  • layleeloo #4 11 months ago

    Great machine from what I have played of friends - shame in this day and age and after 25 years of popular gaming, companies still have not realised a machines success is the obvious - the games. Not power, not graphics and not even 3D (well ok, maybe that is it's own selling point) but then without decent 3D games even this would fail. Great games coming though which should have been there from the start, then I would already have one

    Unlike everyone else, I haven issue with the price whatsoever ever, for what you get ita pretty amazing. Plus, it is still less than half price of my 64GB ipad2 haha
    Edited by layleeloo at 15/06/11 @ 11:51

  • Eraysor #5 11 months ago

    1. Pricey
    2. Pretty much the only game worth buying that isn't already available on another console is Ghost Recon (which is great, by the way)
    3. It's pretty similar to the DS if you exclude the gimmicky features.

  • dingo75 #6 11 months ago

    Let me add:

    1. Price of hardware and especially software
    2. region locking
    3. Past policy of relasing a DS Lite and then XL

    Fix it nintendo!

  • AcidSnake #7 11 months ago

    I second the price call...

    Especially after they told us they chose that price because the 3DS had a lot of people enthused...
    Bring down the price and give us the some games!

  • CrumpledPaper #8 11 months ago

    I own one, but I somewhat regret it. There's just no software. I'm not really interested in the upcoming N64 ports either.

    Next 3DS game I really want is Super Mario, and that isn't coming for AGES.

    3DS was badly rushed, even with the delay!

  • TheEarlOfZinger #9 11 months ago

    Price?

    I paid £180 with a game (SFIV) - decent if you ask me.

  • gruntboy #10 11 months ago

    So basically the device was ready but the services and flagship games were months away. In other words, they launched it too soon?

  • uknortherner2000 #11 11 months ago

    Region lock, borderline-criminal TOS and shovelware. Three reasons why I won't buy a 3DS.
    Edited by uknortherner2000 at 15/06/11 @ 12:02

  • CrumpledPaper #12 11 months ago

    @TheEarlOfZinger

    Yeah, I don't think price is really the problem. There's been some great deals, relatively speaking, at retail.

    My own personal complaints aside I think they have a huge perception problem because

    1) 3D is not as big a deal as they hoped

    2) people in the broader market seem to think it's just another iteration of the DS

    Lots of shops are just reinforcing the second perception by mixing 3DS software in with DS software. And even in shops were they're segregated, they're placed right next to each other, and the shelves look exactly the same. To the casual eye, it all looks like one monolithic section. The logo is too similar, the thin red '3' is the only thing that's different and it hardly stands out.

  • Centrifugal #13 11 months ago

    I know I'll be getting it when Ocarina 3D comes out. I thought I'd be able to hold out until even more good games came out, but the moment I saw the Ocarina 3D trailer and what's probably my favourite game of all time in pretty graphics, I knew I'd have to get it along with a 3DS.

    I can't wait.

  • Whitster #14 11 months ago

    I've been getting alot more street passes recently, reckon that means anything?

  • Mr.Spo #15 11 months ago

    I also paid £180 with a game, it should have been £170/£180 over here from the start, really. They'll officially cut price worldwide before Christmas, if Vita is coming. That being said, the end of year line up of Mario 3D, Mario Kart and Kid Icarus should do wonders for the machine, but Nintendo will need to follow that up with Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Paper Mario before next E3, with third party titles filling the gaps in that line up.

    I'm still quite sure Nintendo expected relatively quiet sales after launch, though not quite this underwhelming. My gut feeling is they launched it early and with a high price tag because they were banking on a few million people buying it, meaning Nintendo could make a large amount of profit on each unit before they cut price and launch big software to drive sales through the roof. I'm glad that kind of cynical profiteering hasn't paid off, I just hope these early troubles don't put third parties and consumers off 3DS. It'll be interesting to see how much of an impact Zelda has on sales, I've seen a couple of adverts for it every day.

  • Ror1984 #16 11 months ago

    Ocarina will help, and they are advertising that quite a bit now. The advertising also sells it as the greatest game ever made, so those that haven't played (or perhaps haven't even heard of it) might be tempted to give it a go based on that.

    Personally, Ocarina was what made me buy a 3DS. Yes, I could play it on my N64 if I wanted to; yes, I could play it on my GameCube if I wanted to, or even my Wii with the GC disc or via VC. But I haven't played it since first finishing it all those years ago, and for me that is a good thing, as this looks like the best way to relive one of my favourite games of all time. Plus, my copy arrived this morning from ShopTo... bit puzzled that the 'manual' isn't a manual at all, but rather a fold out sheet..? What's that all about Nintendo?

  • oerhoert #17 11 months ago

    Was just thinking last night how much I love the device, the OS, the feel, the 3D effect, the eShop, Ridge Racer, Miis, Pilotwings.

    All it needs is more games, more support. Nintendo's lineup looks very solid, with Ocarina of Time, Luigi's Mansion, Mario Kart, Pilotwings, Super Mario all likely within 12 months. Big question will be how third parties will sell on it though. MGS3 and Resident Evil are testing-the-waters titles.

  • markypants #18 11 months ago

    Games games games! There simply isn't enough 'must have' software for this system. I bought the 3DS and the best launch software and have now had nothing to buy since. The trouble then is that momentum is lost and the 3DS gathers dust. I also agree that calling it a 3DS (which is way to similar to the regular DS) and designing it to look pretty much the same as the old DS, just makes it harder for the broader gaming audience to connect with it as a fresh, new & exciting product.

    It seems pointless and counter productive to launch a system where the exciting software is being dangled in front of your face, but nowhere to be seen until months later.

  • Toothball #19 11 months ago

    The hardware was up to scratch, but there aren't any games of consequence. Perhaps it would have been better to delay it until the line up was stronger, but who knows?

  • Murton #20 11 months ago

    Key mistakes in the 3DS launch

    1: not enough games - every Nintendo console and handheld to date has launched with a decent lineup of first party titles plus a couple of third party titles also. The 3DS came out with little to go with it and then a sudden splurge of 1st party release in the months following, giving the impression that it was intended for release in the summer and Ninty simply jumped the gun and released when the hardware was ready without the software to support it.

    2: pricing - releasing a handheld at a price point comparable to home consoles was something of a risk and in this instance, it didn't pay off.

    3: marketing - while tech and gaming enthusiasts know the differences between the 3DS and regular DS the general public do not. They think this is a simply upgrade in the way that a PS3 Slim or 360 Elite is an upgrade on the regular model whereas the 3DS is supposed to represent a new generation in handhelds

    4: specs - while the 3D screen is a big selling point, it isn't enough, it really needed to be a head and shoulders above the DS and while it is improved in several areas, it's still too close making it seem more like an upgrade than a new handheld.

    The 3DS is a good idea poorly implemented, but this is Nintendo and they seem to have a knack for making good on poor execution in the long run.

  • Shinetop #21 11 months ago

    Surely Nintendo realises that the fact that the first worthwhile title still hasn't come out does nothing but hold the device back? I mean, they're not idiots.

  • TonyHarrison #22 11 months ago

    Well judging from their lineup going into Christmas, they seem to have figured out the thing needs games and lots of them. If they coincide those big releases with a reduction in price, then the thing will sell like crazy.

  • oerhoert #23 11 months ago

    I disagree wholeheartedly that it's not powerful enough. The device drives GameCube quality games like Luigi's Mansion, Resident Evil: Revelations, Pilotwings and Metal Gear Solid 3. It's definitely at least one generation ahead of the DS.

    It's more than powerful enough. It's as people say, the form factor and the small change in name makes it look like an update rather than a 'DS 2'. But more than that, it just needs more games. The launch lineup was great (Nintendogs, Street Fighter, Ridge Racer, Pilotwings, Ghost Recon = plenty), but since then it's been quiet.
    Edited by oerhoert at 15/06/11 @ 12:26

  • andywilkie35 #24 11 months ago

    Try releasing the console when there are actual games available for it, and at a reasonable price in this economic climate.

  • el_pollo_diablo #25 11 months ago

    THE PROBLEM WITH 3DS:

    "Daddy please can I have a 3DS for my 9th birthday?"
    "No, it's bad for your eyes"

  • Whitster #26 11 months ago

    Wow a whole 25 comments and no-ones claimed to get a headache playing it yet, truely we have enetered a new and golden age!

  • CallousB #27 11 months ago

    Lots of very simple things Nintendo could do (outside of cuttng the price/games). Half the problem is branding and packaging.

    Change the logo so it looks less like the normal DS one (I still see lots of people asking if 3DS games play on the DSi)..and for point of sale stick a nice lenticular sleeve on every system with Nintendo characters jumping out of a 3DS screen (3DS packjaging is bland as hell..and looks duller than that of the normal DS).

    Very simple things like that would help push sales..and cost very little.

  • foolsgold6970 #28 11 months ago

    I think the game and film industry have been persuaded that 3D is the next big thing by hardware maufactures looking to shift a new generation of products and the public has failed to buy into this one yet as the hardware prices are too high and nobody wants to wear the glasses. Just look at how poorly the latest batch of 3D films is doing at the moment compared to a year ago.

    So the 3DS is perceived as a DS with 3D capabilities, a feature that will only appeal to certain amount of users. They don't seem to have pushed it as a completely new system, more as just a minor upgrade and the price is too much for that.

    I think it will be a slow burner as people replace their older DS lites i's and xl's. I certainly would not get rid of a perferctly good DSi for one at the moment.
    Edited by foolsgold6970 at 15/06/11 @ 12:33

  • TheEarlOfZinger #29 11 months ago

    @Whitster

    Doesn't give me a headache.

    But that's not to say I don't turn it off. Pilotwings for example, the 3d is a fucking hindrance rather than a help.

  • Darren #30 11 months ago

    Why do Nintendo think a 3D port of a 13 year old game will revitalise 3DS sales? Why not create a brand *new* Zelda game exclusively for the system that people want to play so much that it sells the hardware? This repackaging of old stuff, both games and hardware alike, and selling it as something new with a few additional tweaks and features is something Nintendo have been doing for years but maybe, just maybe, the public are just getting tired of it and want something genuinely new?

  • shrinkwrapped #31 11 months ago

    "Iwata hopes upcoming games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, will help get the 3DS back on track."

    Such as? And then what? I really thought Nintendo had promised a strong "launch window" lineup, but apart from Ocarina (which I already own twice), what is there worth bothering with until Christmas? I'm sure RE: Mercenaries will satisfy some, but I want a new game.

  • coolbritannia #32 11 months ago

    So, adding a single character to an existing brand name has hindered 3DS, and will no doubt do the same for Wii U.

  • Mister-Wario #33 11 months ago

    Ror1984: Really? Odd.

    I remember when I got my copy of Jak and Daxter, and the manual was a big fold-out sheet with a map on the back. Pretty cool, but a nightmare to fold up.

  • Furfoot #34 11 months ago

    "Daddy can I have a 3DS"
    "No your R4 card doesn´t support it yet`

  • pipito #35 11 months ago

    i think nintendo beyond redeeming. they learned nothing with dsware. Crazy overpriced games on e-shop. 18 years old games for 3-6 pounds really? Why hopes so big for this ocarina zelda game? its remake of great game but its remake nothing new here. move on ppl. Apple new king of the hill of casual mobile gaming and sony king of hardcore mobile gaming with psp (yes yes always dying psp) and vita. no place for nintendo in this bright new world.

  • camo_kill #36 11 months ago

    1) I'll look into it when the price starts to hover around the £99 - £120 mark

    2) Lets see some more 'adult' games ie Resi, MGS etc

    3) The fact that I was annoyed that (so soon) after buying the original DS (on release) Nintendo released a new version which was a lot better than the horrible original one.

  • Crovax20 #37 11 months ago

    As soon as I get my tax refund in I'm buying a 3ds, now that Zelda Ocarina of time is coming out. And Nintendo has a pretty solid line-up coming up as well, I think this one will be a slow burner!

  • BOFH_UK #38 11 months ago

    Gotta admit while I thought it might struggle a bit I wasn't expecting the 3DS to do this badly so close to launch. Price is an obvious one, as is lack of software, but I really think the 3D is the problem. Three reasons:

    1) The general public isn't hugely enthusiastic about 3D at the moment and associates it with glasses and poor results. 3D TV's haven't exactly set the world on fire yet and there's the health problems (headaches at the least) putting people off.

    2) It makes it almost impossible to advertise games properly. Just look at the first round of TV adverts, no gameplay at all, just a bunch of grinning fools making out it's like nothing they've seen before. This does not sell systems.

    3) Ultimately Nintendo have significantly reduced the value of 3D to gamers by insisting that all titles MUST work in 2D. That instantly makes it impossible to introduce true gameplay innovations that depend on the 3D effect.

  • Ror1984 #39 11 months ago

    @Mister-Wario - Odd indeed. I could understand if it was a poster or map on one side, but it's just standard stuff you'd find in a manual. It would only equate to 20 pages cover-to-cover, are two staples really too expensive? :p

    Also, if anyone's wondering, the 'manual' states that you have to complete the game once to unlock MQ. I don't know if that was common knowledge or not, but there you are.

  • oupe #40 11 months ago

    I own one but the lack of software and a crappy estore truly sucks. On the plus side, l've never owned a DS so there are a lot of great, cheap games to play.

  • Ikaros_O #41 11 months ago

    As uknotherner2000 mentioned, it's the TOS that put me off owning a 3DS.

  • rudedudejude #42 11 months ago

    Despite going in many game stores I've still not seen one on demo or display.

    Kinda annoying that the main selling point isn't demo'd as much as it should be.

  • beastmaster #43 11 months ago

    "The advertising also sells it as the greatest game ever made, so those that haven't played (or perhaps haven't even heard of it) might be tempted to give it a go based on that".

    Let's hope Loaded and Nuts give it 5 stars then. The way to attract the masses.

  • Ror1984 #44 11 months ago

    "Let's hope Loaded and Nuts give it 5 stars then. The way to attract the masses."

    Well, I was thinking more along the lines of kids who may have a 3DS, but either weren't around when Ocarina was released or were just too young. And if we're stereotyping, where would the above demographic find the time for this between all the Fifa and CoD? :p

  • HL706 #45 11 months ago

    ""The current situation resulted from the fact that the delay of developing Nintendo 3DS software and launching online services, like Nintendo eShop, 3D video services and so forth, occurred simultaneously, so we could not meet people's high expectations that they had before its launch, and we did not see momentum after the launch," "

    In actual fact, it just cost too much. Sorry.

  • Marshall2008 #46 11 months ago

    Granted it has a pseudo 3D screen (more like parallax than 3D tbh) but big whoop. Its still that same old shit that looks like flash games on the internet thats on it and they are still way overpriced for what you get.

  • Subdominator #47 11 months ago

    Price, games, graphics. Even if the 3DS was as powerful as the PSV (which it isn't) games would only look half as good due to 3D. 3D hurts more than it helps. Also 3D is no innovation. The touch pad of the PSV allows for far more revolutionary gameplay ideas than a 3D screen. And even that is not cheap at 200 pounds. It just looks like it because 3DS and iPhones are seriously overpriced.

  • kingbelly #48 11 months ago

    Iwata: "But, as you have pointed out that you have a concern about the form factor, then as we continue to look at what we do with the system, we'll continue to take that into account and see what we can do to satisfy that concern."

    Does this mean a 3DS Lite?

  • schoozzzmmii #49 11 months ago

    THE PROBLEM WITH 3DS:

    "Daddy please can I have a 3DS for my 9th birthday?"
    "No, it's bad for your eyes"

    I think it's true that there is a perception from the general consumer that the 3DS is just the next in line after DS, DSlite, DSi and DSXL and from that nomenclature who can blame them. So it looks as though this version is simply the same hardware except with 3d added.

    Watching every 3DS trailer from e3 they all had a written warning which told parents to use parental locks to stop under 6s from using the 3d mode. So the only thing that has apparently been added to this new revision is a feature that is potentially unsafe for kids. Why would any parent buy it.

  • natureboy #50 11 months ago

    Which means this is the best time to buy the 3DS hehe. I think they will regain what was lost once all the pieces start falling together

  • Tomo #51 11 months ago

    I'd go with price and games too.

    It's going to sell and sell consistently I think. A year down the line when it's about £100-130, you can get them cheap on eBay and it has a decent back catalogue and it'll be selling strongly. Basically, like the DS now.