Nintendo admits holding back 3DS software

By Fred Dutton Published 31 October, 2011

Plus, hopes for more third party support in 2012.

Nintendo is holding back a number of key 3DS titles so as not to swamp the Christmas release schedule, the platform holder has revealed.

Speaking during an investor Q&A last week, just posted on Nintendo's official site, CEO Satoru Iwata explained that, although it preferred not to delay games as they "need to stay fresh", the company has been compelled to push back a few completed 3DS titles into 2012.

"Video games need to stay fresh, so it is not practical for us to put them on hold for too long, but we think that some of them may be held for a certain amount of time so that there will be a short interval between when they are completed and when they are launched.

"We are taking on this sort of challenge for the Nintendo 3DS. For example, when we look at the software lineup for the year-end sales season, it is so dense that, if we added any more software, the total sales would not increase.

"Accordingly, we have intentionally delayed the launch of some software titles to early next year."

Nintendo titles confirmed for release before the end of this year include Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Kid Icarus: Uprising, Luigi's Mansion 2, Paper Mario and Animal Crossing are among those due at some point next year.

Elsewhere in the presentation, Iwata told investors that he hoped to see more core-orientated third party titles on the system in 2012 and beyond.

He explained that Western developers have been waiting for the 3DS to build a bigger customer base before committing to developing for the platform. With the handheld beginning to pick up momentum, he argued, they should be jumping on-board soon.

"As a matter of course, it requires more time to develop such titles," he said.

"Since in Japan, the importance of software for handheld systems among the entire video game business is larger than that for home console software, handheld software is the main battlefield for Japanese publishers.

"On the contrary, for the US and European publishers, software for home console game systems is the main arena. Therefore, putting a higher priority on spending development resources and allocating teams to the development of software for handheld game systems can be decided only after a decent market is created for the handheld hardware.

"If the Nintendo 3DS had been able to sell a lot more in the beginning," he continued, "third-party publishers would have announced by now which software they would launch. But due to the slower-than-expected sales start, everyone was in a wait-and-see mode.

"The situation is starting to change, and (after they see the results of the year-end sales season,) there will be more changes from next year and beyond."

Iwata added that with Western developers being slow to step up, it was a great opportunity for Japanese studios to take the limelight.

"If I may add one more remark in this regard, about the quality Nintendo 3DS software made by Japanese software publishers, this is the great opportunity for them to expand their market to outside Japan," he said.

"I think one of the very important jobs of Nintendo is to identify the third-party software made in Japan which, we believe, will have a strong affinity with the tastes in the overseas markets and, thus, have a strong market potential there, and we will collaborate with them to make these titles into hits.

"So, with these different efforts, we would like to enrich the software lineup for the markets outside Japan as well from next year, which will become one of the contributing factors for our improved profitability in the next fiscal year."

As detailed last week, it's been a rough year for Nintendo so far, with the platform holder reporting losses of around £580 million for the last six months.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • wizlon #1 4 months ago

    Nintendo: Release one awesome game every month, we all know you have the resources and the licenses to do it forever.

  • jablonski #2 4 months ago

    Fred Dutton admits to writing needlessly confusing sentences:

    Nintendo titles confirmed for release before the end of the year include Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Kid Icarus: Uprising, Luigi's Mansion 2, Paper Mario and Animal Crossing are among those due at some point next year.

  • bantamenace #3 4 months ago

    Nintendo in trouble? 3DS is a misstep that is going to cost them big time ......

  • Incarta #4 4 months ago

    It's abit cheeky of them, but then I saw that Tales of the Abyss and a unique version of Sonic generations are also out in November, so it makes sense to me.

    This Christmas is so important for the 3DS. If it doesn't catch fire now like it has in Japan, it could be a rough 2012.

  • asphaltcowboy #5 4 months ago

    Good! Well, as long as they space them out, it's good. More publishers should do this!

  • Koozer #6 4 months ago

    @asphalt I'm pretty sure they all do it.

  • doragonpawwa #7 4 months ago

    Many of the 3DS games I bought have been made by Japanese studios, just some of the western games while it may look limited for number of games for the Platform at the time was poor.

    Hope some of the big publishers or independents can get some quality ones out there in 2012 for the 3DS, really needs it..
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/11 @ 19:05

  • C.CFanboy #8 4 months ago

    I'd rather have the Japanese third parties on board 3DS anyway. I'm not into Western games.

  • Lord_BeeJee #9 4 months ago

    @jablonski
    What did you read in that? I'm slightly drunk and think I understood what he meant in one read. Maybe you should down a couple of beers!

  • asphaltcowboy #10 4 months ago

    @Koozer I meant as opposed to EVERYONE releasing in a tiny 3 month window at the end of the year.

  • geox30 #11 4 months ago

    Rayman Origins is also coming out,which looks really promising.

  • Machetazo #12 4 months ago

    "Elsewhere in the presentation, Iwata told investors that he hoped to see more core-orientated third party titles on the system in 2012 and beyond. "

    This, I think is a large part of the 3DS problem, that they have poor installed base, and general spinning of wheels so the third parties don't release games. 3D don't sell, to a lot of people it's a gimmick, and Nintendo put their handheld eggs in that basket. They need the third parties games and support but I just don't think they've a strong enough hand to push for development of the kind Iwata talks about; let alone considering their selfish attitude and behaviour when it came to publicising those titles in the past.

    They seem rarely as much to have lifted a finger to assist their "partners", whereas, Sony and Microsoft have demonstrated plenty of occasions where they will foster healthy mutually beneficial relationships with developers, send over specialists and support all they can to get games available and successful sellers, on ther respective platforms. I can't remember the last time I heard that kind of thing, about Nintendo.
    Edited by 2 at 31/10/11 @ 19:53

  • C.CFanboy #13 4 months ago

    @Machetazo Please sir stop we don't need this turning into who supports the best. If you read interviews with developers and publishers you will see them clearly say "Nintendo was very helpful in making sure the game was suited well to their platform. This includes making it more accessible than ever before". Both the Dead or Alive and Mercenaries producers said this in Nintendo magazine.

  • ryandsimmons #14 4 months ago

    @C.CFanboy

    Yep, that is totally right, and must be true coming from as impartial a source as Nintendo magazine...

  • jablonski #15 4 months ago

    @Lord_BeeJee

    It's just a whole bunch of released and upcoming games separated by a full stop.
    Could have been structured better

  • C.CFanboy #16 4 months ago

    @ryandsimmons Well I actually do read those interviews believe it or not. I'll try and find the particular issue and pages if you want ;)

    But meh, Capcom said that both their 3DS games sold well. Seriously I'm starting to agree with that rather trollish blog post the other day. I think people are just hating on Nintendo for the sake of it now. They are doing their best and people continue acting like they aren't doing anything.

  • Marshall2008 #17 4 months ago

    When you only release maybe 5 high profile titles during the life of a product I suppose you have to stagger them. LOL

  • lucky_jim #18 4 months ago

    I can't see me buying more than two or three 3DS games over the next two months anyway, there's too much stuff on other platforms competing for my attention. Seems like a smart move.

  • Acrid #19 4 months ago

    The problem is though I've had nothing worth playing on my 3DS since Ocarina of Time 3D was released.
    I've been playing DS games since I finished Zelda, so if Nintendo have finished games they could release why didn't they release one last month, the only decent 3DS game I've seen released lately is Star Fox 64 3D (which I'm personally not interested in) the rest have been meh, the only other 'big name' title I can think of is Driver Renegade.

  • Jay1983 #20 4 months ago

    We knew they were holding back their own games to give 3rd parties a chance... who went ahead and delayed games. Thats what Nintendo gets for trying to help 3rd party devs... They should just release their own games, and to hell with the 3rd parties.

  • Jay1983 #21 4 months ago

    @Machetazo Poor install base thats higher than the original DS was at same point in its life...

    And we all know how well that ended...

  • Stuz359 #22 4 months ago

    With western publishers it is a chicken and the egg situation, 'We wait until it sells before developing software,' and the customer says 'we won't buy until there is sufficient software.'

    Someone needs to take a leap of faith.

  • zubnut #23 4 months ago

    @Stuz359 And wait for the vita?

    What Nintendo really mean is that they have run out of ideas and are spreading out what they have so that the 3ds doesn't look like they've totally pulled the plug.

    Many third party devs obviously don't want to bother with it if it's not selling, so it's a vicious cycle that usually means the end is near for the platform. I get the horrible feeling that Wii U is going to be a similar story if next xbox is announced sooner rather than later

  • metroid455 #24 4 months ago

    @C.CFanboy you'll probably need a Japanese 3DS then.
    im seriously considering one to hell with region lock

  • sickpuppysoftware #25 4 months ago

    Nintendo, trust me, you swamping the market with games is not a problem you have or will ever have.

  • Serebii #26 4 months ago

    @sickpuppysoftware It would be if they had released the games they are holding back now like Luigi's Mansion, Kid Icarus, Paper Mario and more...imagine those in November with the other 3DS games; Mario, Tales etc. and the other games on other consoles. Having that many big games out KILLS sales. It's simple business

  • Zozzilla #27 4 months ago

    "We have intentionally delayed the launch of some software titles to early next year" - to me this reads like "We haven't actually finished most of the games because we're busy messing about with the Wii U and can't be arsed releasing the ones we HAVE finished for the tiny amount of people who got the 3DS before Christmas." Which is frigging stupid because hey Nintendo, your new handheld is currently sat in one of my cupboards doing SHIT ALL because of this.
    Edited by 1 at 01/11/11 @ 08:22

  • DonnieDarko333 #28 4 months ago

    I don't think Nintendo get it! The more titles the better in my opinion!

    Obviously delaying these completed titles was to help them produce other 3DS titles so that there isn't a major gap in releases, that Nintendo have had awful trouble with in the past!

    I still think releasing as many titles as possible is the way to go..Kid Icarus for example clearly should be out by now!

  • jamieleng #29 4 months ago

    You hear that everyone? Buy a 3DS & then developers should make some games for it.

    Why are you still reading this & not out there buying one. Don't worry about a hardware revision, they aren't bringing it out this year.

  • TonyHarrison #30 4 months ago

    Nintendo have been saying this since last year. They delayed their own games (such as OoT3D) from the launch window so that third parties wouldn't be able to complain about Nintendo games 'stealing' all their sales like they have been since the dawn of time.

    Of course, as usual with Nintendo platforms, third parties failed spectacularly at stepping up to the plate. So after all this time with people on sites like these clamouring for Nintendo to be 'nicer' to third parties, that's what happens when they do. I suspect they won't be relying on them during launch windows any more...

  • benfresh76 #31 4 months ago

    They're holding games back? What about the fucking drought of ANYTHING on the 3DS that we early adopters have had to endure over the last six months+? I'm going to stick my 3DS on Ebay and think about it again in 6 months/a year, after Vita is released and there's a new 3DS sku available; the 3DS launch has been a comedy of errors without a punchline.

    Oh, and where are my GBA games god dammit?

  • matsumoto #32 4 months ago

    @jablonski whats wrong with this sentence?

  • walidb123 #33 4 months ago

    well that sounds ridiculous. only a blind fan would say this is 'ok' b/c it isn't. the system has been suffering from a severe drought of games and they'll only keep trickling down their ongoing franchises as long as people keep saying it is 'ok.'

    the consumer suffers and, like me, starts to lose a bit of faith in nintendo. there just aren't enough interesting games for it at the moment and the 'usual suspects' grow tiring.