Fils-Aime: 3DS launch "lessons learned" for Wii U

By Tom Phillips Published 10 November, 2011

Software line-up blamed for poor hardware sales.

Nintendo learnt important lessons from the launch of the 3DS, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has admitted.

Fils-Aime blamed the handheld's lacklustre software launch line-up for poor hardware sales following the 3DS' release, something it cannot repeat for the Wii U next year.

"In terms of lessons learned, we need to ensure we have a strong line-up of games when we release hardware - especially titles from Nintendo. Looking back, maybe we did not have the best lineup of games on 3DS," he told Brazilian website UOL Jogos.

"And that's why sales were not so good," he admitted, "which forced us to make some drastic decisions and reduce the price."

"Since we did it... our sales have been very good. And we have high expectations for the 3DS this Christmas."

Indeed, 3DS software and hardware sales have surged in recent weeks, with the situation in Japan looking especially rosy. The recent launch of Super Mario 3D Land there beat first week sales of every preceding 3D Mario platformer, including Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2.

But the need for a steady stream of new first-party software is nothing new for Nintendo. Company president Satoru Iwata promised prior to the 3DS launch that there would be no 3DS game drought similar to that previously experienced on the Wii.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 3 months ago

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  • asphaltcowboy #1 4 months ago

    "lessons learned"

    Well that's already not true - because you called your new console the Wii U! Joe Public already has a hard time understanding the 3DS is an entirely new console and not a DS upgrade... and you've done ballsed it up again with this!

  • Cjail #2 4 months ago

    It will be easy for WiiU to have better games at launch; basically it will have most of the PS3 and Xbox titles: Darksiders 2, Arkham City, Ninja Gaiden 3, etc...

  • Kami #3 4 months ago

    Because X-Box 360 was so confusing...

    Seriously, I hear this argument wheeled out so many times asphaltcowboy - give people some credit. I mean, okay, the mass majority may not be that bright and prefer watching Jeremy Kyle, but I think they can tell the difference between a new console and an old one.

    Just sayin'.

    edit; the 3DS IS a DS upgrade! It's the next-gen version of it! It is, therefore, technically an upgraded DS. Sorry about pedantics, but it is.

    I'm not entirely sure what part of this has the potential to confuse people. You go in, ask for a DS, you'll know if someone tries to sell you a 3DS - purely because it's got the number 3 stuck in front of it. You'll ask "Is that the new one?" Any confusion from there is down to the employee being badly trained, a bit thick or working for GAME.

    I'm not saying the 3DS launch was good - I for one would have expected more games absolutely, and the price - I think the £150 was the sweet spot, personally, considering the Vita 3G will them be twice the price - but I think there's way too much patronising garbage that people may not know the difference between a DS and a 3DS. You think that will be the same for the PSP and PS Vita, or PSV as it may come to be abbreviated? How about if the next Playstation isn't numbered? If it becomes the Playstation UGP, do you think there'll be confusion that it isn't a PS4?

    Seriously, do you REALLY believe Average Joe wouldn't be able to tell the difference? REALLY?!

    It's so patronising... and that really bothers me.
    Edited by 2 at 10/11/11 @ 11:02

  • Caimbeul #4 4 months ago

    1) Listen to your users. MAKE IT TRULEY NEXT GEN
    2) Dont try to rip us all off. Make a loss on the consle and get it back through Good games.

  • captainCandy #5 4 months ago

    ... and please don't release hardware that is 5 years old on the launch day...

  • Whizzo #6 3 months ago

    So the fact the 3DS's launch price was ludicrous is being completely ignored.

  • SomaticSense #7 3 months ago

    Why do I get the feeling that Fils-Aime isn't referencing them learning from the lack of Mario or Zelda at launch, but more them avoiding a lack of 'The Sports Keep Fit Dance Party Experience' at the Wii U's launch?

  • ollyn #8 3 months ago

    @Kami its not telling the difference between new and old consoles in a shop it's about product perception with the layman. The 3DS followed the DS lite the DS XL etc... Some people were bound to pass it off as just a 3d version of the DS. Wii U may struggle to generate initial interest if it is perceived as an upgraded Wii. I don't think Wii U will suffer from it as much though as there has only ever been one Wii. Even so the 3DS was a rather poor choice of name despite it's rather obvious quasi-pun.

  • super_monty #9 3 months ago

    Have you learned that 3D sucks? if so tell Sony.

  • Gearskin #10 3 months ago

    Considering the console now sells in great number, with a low attachment rate, I would say price was the barrier. Not the lack of games. People like the console.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #11 3 months ago

    They've already launched what 6-7 consoles, this was not a lesson learnt, they already new this stuff, they just got to cocky after the last generation, no different to Sony after the PS2 Generation.

    The real lesson these companies need to learn is there is no such thing as loyal fans, soon as the grass is greener somewhere else 90% of them will be gone.

  • X201 #12 3 months ago

    Games aren't your problem with Wii U, Reggie.

    Your problem with Wii U is that

    ... people whose job it is to follow the video game market...

    ...people who have followed the video game market for 30+ years...

    and most worrying for you

    ... your current Wii owners...

    ... cant work out what the bloody thing is (console/peripheral/etc), what its for and how it will be of benefit to them. That is your biggest problem Reggie.
    Games don't matter in the slightest if people can't understand what the bloody product is.

  • electrolite #13 3 months ago

    You also got the price wrong

  • Kami #14 3 months ago

    I do get that, but let's be honest, the X-Box 360 was the X-Box 2, not the X-Box 3. Precedents are already there. Heck, Sega were fairly infamous for their naming - Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Sega Nomad, Sega Saturn and Dreamcast.

    What bothers me is this implication that somehow people are stupid and can't tell the difference, or aren't going to buy a product armed with the right knowledge. If Little Timmy asks his Grandma this Christmas for Modern Warfare 3, I think Granny today, in this modern world, is capable of buying Modern Warfare 3 and not Modern Warfare 2, if not because most store assistants haven't had frontal labotomies and can assume Granny is buying the latest game for their grandchild. Unless they work for GAME.

    It's just patronising. I think people can tell the difference between a DSi and a 3DS, and know the 3DS is the new and upgraded model. As they will know the Wii U is a new system (that controller isn't going to confuse the issue at all). And the PSV will not be confused with the PSP.

    Excuse me for giving the human race a little bit of credit in this matter. I don't see the issue with the naming or the branding.

    I do see an issue with doing "just enough to get by" though, which is my opinion of the 3DS so far. It's ticking over. It needs a rocket placed under its bum, that's what it needs.

    Not a rename. But that said, if they do a revision of the 3DS without a 3D screen... I may concede that could get rather murky...

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #15 3 months ago

    @Kami

    Nintendo clearly believe the consumers are confused, or there new slogan wouldn't be "This is not DS its 3DS"

  • C.CFanboy #16 3 months ago

    @Kami Well said mate.
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/11 @ 11:17

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #17 3 months ago

    What bothers me is this implication that somehow people are stupid

    People are stupid. Really stupid. Have you seen modern popular culture?

  • systems #18 3 months ago

    Yes Nintendo. For punters to lay out a lot of cash on a new console there needs to be some games for it. Well done. Give yourselves a bonus.

  • Kami #19 3 months ago

    GamesProgrammer; I argue that is patronising too. Much like the "This is not a chicken salad, this is an M&S walnut and roast chicken salad" crap. Really, is that necessary? I mean, you're in an M&S, so it's M&S Food. It says on the label "Walnut and Roast Chicken Salad". Therefore, one could correctly assume it's an M&S Branded Walnut and Roast Chicken Salad. (edit; As an aside, it IS a chicken salad, just so you know M&S.)

    I think we continue to give people far too little credit. Most can, will and do use their brains on a daily basis and function on a cognitive level that is capable of distinguishing that a 3DS is different from a DSi. I worry if we've descended to a point where people can't though. I mean, that could carry all sorts of awful implications...

    The patronising ads are terrible - come on, they just are. Is it so wrong to actually have some faith in the human race? To believe that the majority have an IQ that isn't lower than a dead goldfish?

    I think the 3DS' main issue was the obvious one - how do you market a gimmick that you can't show on a TV? THAT is where Nintendo may have fallen foul. And yes, I do agree that if they take the 3D away from the 3DS, what do you call it then? Because the whole point of naming it the 3DS is in the 3D bit. If you take that away - yeah, I can see that being a tricky little PR Nightmare for Nintendo.

    I just think this whole idea that lots of people can't tell the difference may say more about us as gamers than it does about the consumer in general...

    It bothers me. What can I say?

    note; As for the Wii U, I think some more information is in order from Nintendo. To put in in a manner that it seems people may understand...

    Less talky-talky more showy-showy.
    Edited by 2 at 10/11/11 @ 11:28

  • PotatoHeadBobby #20 3 months ago

    @Kami "Excuse me for giving the human race a little bit of credit in this matter. I don't see the issue with the naming or the branding"

    Agree with most of your points Kami. But I think there's good cause from a 'core' gamers point of view to change the name. Because if Nintendo are making a sincere attempt to cater for them, they needed to distance themselves from the Wii name entirely.

    Disclaimer: The Wii has numerous great games and typing the term 'core gamer' made me want to throw up.

  • C.CFanboy #21 3 months ago

    @PotatoHeadBobby "Nintendo are making a sincere attempt to cater for them, they needed to distance themselves from the Wii name entirely."

    Then MS need to do the same thing with Kinect. You know the first thing I said to a friend when I heard the name. Play some Kinect 4?

    It isn't the name Wii that bugs me just all the rubbish games on there. All that shovelware. If it weren't for games coming out these past 2 years my Wii would never have been dusted off.

  • asphaltcowboy #22 3 months ago

    @Kami Can I play 3DS games on my DS?

    NO. It is a new console. The naming convention is everything. They should have called it Wii2 at the very least. As someone else correctly points out, Nintendo's new slogan "This is not DS it's 3DS" - they clearly fucked up.

    I'm fully expecting 3DS-levels of apathy towards the Wii U when it releases...

  • Boki #23 3 months ago

    Not much of a marketing director if this is news to him.
    they are called "system seller" for a reason
    High price + no games = low sales

  • Kami #24 3 months ago

    @PotatoHeadBobby; Would it be so bad to move away from the "Core Gamer"? I mean, let's level here. What is a "Core Gamer"? According to most "Core Gamers", it's the breed who like Modern Warfare, Battlfield, Halo, Gears of War etc.

    I clearly am not a "core gamer" then. I certainly don't spank Nintendo at every available opportunity, or feel the need to justify my purchases. Nintendo expanded their market, they sold nearly 100 Million units for a reason. It was market expansion. Getting new gamers in. Admittedly, they sacrificed much in the process - but they achieved what they set out to do.

    The trick for the Wii U is not to go back, but go forwards - and cater to EVERYONE. And that means better 3rd party support, not blocking 3rd party games on dates Nintendo want to release their babies (that's not necessary), better online functionality and getting some of their online content justified. It's a games console. Make it a games console, for everyone, not just the elite few.

    Of course, that could just be me being an old worry-wart - I'll accept that judgement, because there is more than a grain of truth to it. But it does lead me to ask this question...

    Considering the problems the PS3 has had this generation, would people want the next one to be called the Playstation 4? Or would they support a renaming/rebranding to try and escape the problems the PS3 has had?

    It makes me wonder.

    edit; Because asphalt, the question "Can I play 360 games on my X-Box?" was never going to be confusing to people either, right?
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/11 @ 11:39

  • C.CFanboy #25 3 months ago

    @asphaltcowboy Thats probably why they are rumoured to be rebranding it. That and the sun said 3DS made every man and his dog go blind.

    I can't see the same sort of problems arising from Wii U. For starters its an entirely different controller so that makes it obvious its not the same thing.

  • Mr.Spo #26 3 months ago

    The first party software line up for this year wouldn't be bad at all, if Nintendo had priced some of it differently, released it all in a different order and released the hardware at a reasonable price.

    Think about it--how on earth is Nintendogs a launch title?? What mother, daughter, girlfriend or kid is going to spend £230+ to get a new machine to play an upgraded version of a pet simulator, even if they loved the first game??

    If they'd launched the machine at £150ish with Zelda, had Steel Diver and Pilotwings out in summer at £20 instead of £40, Starfox in September, Nintendogs in October, followed by Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December, that'd be a much better line up. A blockbuster at launch, a couple of filler titles in summer accompanied by third party efforts like Street Fighter, RE: Mercenaries and Dead or Alive, introduce the first evergreen title just before the Christmas season, then bring out a couple more blockbusters as the Christmas rush gets going.

    They did have the games there--they just didn't think through the release schedule at all, partly out of arrogance (Nintendogs consumers WILL upgrade!!) and partly out of a desire to appease third parties, who didn't want to compete with a big Nintendo brand (Zelda) at launch. But because they staggered them in the wrong order and didn't have a genuinely good first party title out till June, and no NEW first party title, built specifically for the system till November (Pilotwings/Steel Diver were massively over-priced for what they were, ruining any chance they had to be successful), they botched the launch with over-priced hardware while simultaneously creating the impression 3DS has no software at all.

    3DS does and did have software--it just didn't have the right software at the right time, which is critical to a system trying to establish itself on the market. Considering they got the Wii release schedule spot-on from launch till mid 2008, it's amazing to see how they dropped the ball with 3DS. Hopefully the system can recover now, and they genuinely have learnt valuable lessons for Wii U.

  • Whizzo #27 3 months ago

    There's another lesson to be learned in this thread, there's no hyphen in Xbox.

  • Kami #28 3 months ago

    @Whizzo; I know, for me it's just this annoying grammar thing I have. Even though I know it isn't grammatically correct... I feel dirty not hyphenating it.

    edit; Just to clarify my position - I do feel they need to learn lessons from the launch of the 3DS, and lessons from the Wii as well - far too many periods with no real big titles going on. Lessons need to be learned on pricing, on technology, on advertising - especially when it's a gimmick like 3D, and on games in general and supporting your third party developers and publishers.

    It's about learning the right lessons. Not repeating the same mistakes others are making. Nintendo expanded their market - there's a reason why in July the Wii was at over 91 million units, whilst the X-Box 360 was at 55 million and the PS3 51 million. It's because the market was fractured wide open, and split into multiple camps - what we've come to call "Core" "Casual" and "Hardcore".

    The lesson Nintendo has to learn is that as a games company that extolled the virtues of expanding the gaming market, that they have to cater to ALL of the market. Expanding it at the cost of ignoring your original userbase was always a daft idea, and always will be.

    This means maybe they might have to take small losses on the hardware, although that's not a terribly sustainable model in itself - Sony are learning that to their cost right now, actually. But it absolutely means that at release, they need to cater to as broad a spectrum of gamers as possible.

    I think the name "Wii U" is terrible myself. I really do. But it's not the biggest challenge facing Nintendo right now...

    I'd rather they focused on learning the big and important lessons first, not the easiest...
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/11 @ 11:56

  • TonyHarrison #29 3 months ago

    The general public seem to be doing a rather good job of understanding the difference between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

  • DAN.E.B #30 3 months ago

    Problem is the Wii turned out to be more of a Tesco blue stripe chicken salad than an M&S one!

  • Softie2k #31 3 months ago

    I don't know why people are getting so upset about the Wii U.

    I absolutely can't wait to use it, I haven't been as excited since the N64. I am not strictly a Nintendo fan. But I love the Wii U concept and I know it will be supported by developers unlike the original Wii.

  • JeroenZM #32 3 months ago

    While it's good that Reggie tries to address some of the early problems, it's weird that it boils down to 'a poor launch line-up'. And they've learned from it, even. Well, clearly they haven't because almost every single platform in Nintendo's history, console or handheld, had a dire launch line-up. It's not something you can avoid easily because developers will still struggle with the new hardware and time constraints. I'm willing to bet the Wii U will have a decent mini-game compilation and some ports when it launches, at best. Maybe a Warioware or Kirby title, but they're definitely not bringing the big guns at launch.
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/11 @ 12:16

  • Kami #33 3 months ago

    @DAN.E.B; So glad I could set you up for that punchline. :)

    But as I said, Nintendo need to learn the right lessons - not the easiest ones. The difference is like the difference between a Lidl's Chicken Salad and an M&S Chicken salad... they may both say "chicken salad", but you'll know the difference once you've had a mouthful...

  • 32768Colours #34 3 months ago

    I supose its easy for us all to be armchair critics but... ah sod it, the executives of Nintendo shouldn't have to learn such rudimentary lessons for crying out loud! They sit at the very top of their industry as market leaders and yet they fail to see that games help sell a games console?!

    What do they think sold the Wii? It wasn't just the novelty of motion control, it was Wii Sports. It was a game which served as a proof of concept for motion control and that was critical to the console's success.

    With 3DS (and maybe the Wii-U; its too early to say), it seems Nintendo assumed that innovative hardware alone was enough to get the masses swarming all over their consoles, but they were wrong. All they needed was one game that showed why 3D is essential to progressing gaming.

    Further proof for this is that many are still struggling to see any compelling justification for 3D, especially when an in-built 2nd analogue stick, beefed up specs and a new Mario game at launch would've probably been more than enough to please most gamers.

    Whether Nintendo have really learned from this I very much doubt. I'll be pleasantly surprised if I'm proven wrong, but let's be realistic; the chances of a new Mario or Zelda title at launch (which is basically what everyone wants) is very slim indeed. On the other hand, they do appear to be looking at what the Wii-U "is", by providing bandwidth for 2 controllers and more core third party support. There's hope yet then...

  • asphaltcowboy #35 3 months ago

    @Kami They'll know the difference once they've dropped £250 on it, you mean? It's a little late for the consumer by that point.

    The difference between your point about the Xbox to 360 transition and the Wii to Wii U is that gaming wasn't a massmarket proposition at that time. It amazes me that people can't remember a few years ago how completely different the market was...

    Nintendo have set up Wii U to fail. It'll have a couple of good months and then bottom out, just like the 3DS.
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/11 @ 12:50

  • Showmeyomoves #36 3 months ago

    @Kami Let me give you some anecdotal evidence in an attempt to disprove your point. I was in a toy store the other day (few weeks ago), and a mother was telling the lady at the register that she bought a DSi, but her kids actually wanted a 3DS. (The register lady was incredibly unhelpful by the way, but that's another story.)

    I can very well imagine her kids simply asking for "the new DS", and her going to the store asking for "a DS". The guy or girl at the store would then tell her there were different models for the DS: "the original DS, the DS Lite, the DSi and the DSi XL". After all, the customer had asked for a DS. Surely if she had meant the 3DS, she would have asked for that?

    In short: It's not just about human stupidity, but more about the possibility of creating misunderstandings.

  • sickpuppysoftware #37 3 months ago

    The problem wasn't a weak starting line-up, it was ok as starting line-ups go. The problem was after that they hadn't planned to release any more games for around a year and neither did the 3rd parties.

  • MARKIV #38 3 months ago

    Absolute BS! Ninty will release a product whenever it suits it's shareholders first! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out to have a few decent games at launch of new console..!

  • Pwnsweet #39 3 months ago

    "Fils-Aime: 3DS launch "lessons learned" for Wii U"

    HAHAHAHAHA!!!

  • Kami #40 3 months ago

    Where the hell did you buy a 3DS for £250? Hell, I paid £170 for it. From Amazon. At release. If you paid £250 for a 3DS, you're mental. I mean, year on year consumers are reminded to shop around. If they don't - that is their fault, and we can't really help those people. Maybe some Darwin awards are necessary...

    The thing is, the 360 comparison is EXACTLY THE SAME. The consumer has not changed in the last five years - the economy may have changed, but the consumer gets wiser and wiser each year. It's the same deal with the PS Vita - PSP vs PSV. If we're going to complain about the whole confusing branding/abbreviation thing, let's level it at EVERYONE. Aiming it at Nintendo and no-one else smacks of blatant and unashamed fan-boy. Sega got it in the neck too - but I don't recall anyone being confused over the Dreamcast.

    It's about giving the general consumer a little more credit, contrary to popular belief the majority are perfectly capable of distinguishing between models and brands, and the few that can't generally end up giving interviews to tabloids - usually the Daily Mail, in some pathetic justification of their own stupidity, which we can all laugh at. These people are the minority, and we give far too much eight to the minority - it's like seeing that thing recently from the Daily Fail about a mother who has had loads of kids and proudly boasts she's never had to work a day to support them. Truth is - she is in the minority, the very tiny minority, of people abusing the system. But we paint everyone who is on jobseekers or income support as workshy and feckless. Is that really fair? Or have we all been brainwashed by the Daily Fail into believing this crap?!

    If a mother goes into a store asking for "The New DS" this Xmas, the store staff should know exactly what she means - there is no new DS model, so the obvious and correct assumption is to sell a 3DS. If they're dirty enough to continue selling the DSi at a higher price point, then we should be having serious words about business practices, NOT the consumer. Not that I mention names cough GAME Argos Morrisons Tesco cough cough cough.

    I don't like the naming traditions we have - I actually must confess to liking the way Sega did it. But to say people will get confused is so patronising.

    I mean, if people are that stupid, perhaps the best way for them to learn is through experience - I mean, we water and dumb down everything else. Perhaps it really is time to see if people are that dumb...

    I am prepared to eat my socks if the press reports a large quantity of mistaken DS sales. Sweaty socks I've worn for 24 hours.

    I'm pretty confident.

    edit; I am not immune to typos though. Cock.
    Edited by 2 at 10/11/11 @ 13:46

  • BOFH_UK #41 3 months ago

    Uh, Reggie... about your logic:

    "Looking back, maybe we did not have the best lineup of games on 3DS," he told Brazilian website UOL Jogos. And that's why sales were not so good," he admitted, "which forced us to make some drastic decisions and reduce the price."

    "Since we did it... our sales have been very good."

    So let's recap you had a very limited game lineup which was the reason that sales weren't good. You cut the PRICE and sales have been very good. Even in Nintendo marketing speak lower price does not equal good gaming lineup.

    Let's be honest, the 3DS was far too expensive at launch and you'd hoped to reap maximum profits from your traditional fanbase before either a price drop or, if you could get away with it for that long, a 3DS Lite next year. Unfortunately it didn't offer much even for the fans and sales dropped off a cliff after the initial rush. THAT'S what you mean by not having the lineup, it meant you had to bring the price cut forward and cut deeper than you'd have liked.

    The Wii U on the other hand has a whole other raft of problems to deal with, primarily whether you can convince people that the tablet controller is worth the purchase price. Considering what the market could be like in late 2012 I suspect that might be a hard sell indeed but fingers crossed Nintendo manage it.

  • smelly #42 3 months ago

    >1) Listen to your users. MAKE IT TRULEY NEXT GEN


    Why listen to their users? Especially when they say stupid things like this. "Truely next gen" doesnt mean ANYTHING!

    .. And "users" just want endless boring faceless fps games - as seen by what sells every year. No thank you.

    Just because a group of people are large, doesnt mean they're right. There are millions of justin beiber fans out there.

  • XBOXer_lt #43 3 months ago

    "Lesson learned". Lots of good games? Check! HD ready? Check! Hard drive unit?.. Nope!

  • JetSetWilly #44 3 months ago

    Seems like Nintendo have been learning the same lesson after making the same mistake for quite some time now.

  • MTC001 #45 3 months ago

    If they'd launched the 3DS with Mario 3D Land and Ocarina of Time, still at that too high price point, would they still sell the system für 249 Bucks? I don't think so. The system was overpriced, they should've dumped the charger dock and launched with a 199,- Price tag. But who cares now, it's great that the system is priced so competitive now!

  • trufflesonline #46 3 months ago

    I was just thinking i was glad they called it the Wii U rather than the Wii 2. If they had im sure one of the marketing geniuses would have replaced the two small i's with roman numerals. - "W.II". Makes sense considering the 3ds marketing - so be grateful for small mercys at least! :D

  • Stuz359 #47 3 months ago

    How many consoles exactly HAVE had a stellar launch line-up? Ever? A console may have had a killer app, but actually not that many have had an amazing launch line-up. The best launch titles I can remember in years all involved Nintendo, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64 and Wii Sports (if you hate it or not it was a killer app for the console). The only other one I can think of is maybe Ridge Racer on PS1 as a game that had the same kind of impact as a system seller.

    But to put it into perspective, I cannot think of ONE console that had an array of games from day one that justified the purchase of the console. So why the 3DS is coming under scrutiny is anyones guess.

  • Bandibear #48 3 months ago

    @Kami

    I work at GAME and can tell you right now people are the thickest bunch of idiots imaginable. I constantly receive the "Im here to buy a DS lite, XL etc" which I reply "you realise they have stopped making games for that system? They have moved to the 3DS" which I then get "What? No, thats unfair all it is is 3D. Can it even play the same games?" or the best "Yeah it's just 3D she can play that on the one shes got now" anecdotal I know but I actually work in this situation which you clearly do not.

    I don't know who you think you are or what gave you the right to be so smug and rude but within your arguments please do not insult GAME employees most of us actually give a damn and take pride in our work. At GAME i see every kind of general public moron from idiot mother to know it all nerd every last one of them as dumb as the next so yes names confuse people. The only ones who get away with it are Apple.

    In conclusion you know nothing of what you speak, felt the need to somehow defend the average joe and failed miserably. So from a GAME employee go suck it, you rude little thing.

  • Alien1375 #49 3 months ago

    I'm still going to wait 6 months before buying the Wii U.
    Just in case Nintendo decides to slash the price with 35%.

    Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me....

  • NeoTechni #50 3 months ago

    WAIT! It took how many console launches for Nintendo to realize a launch needs games?

    How about having critical functionality available at launch instead of useless stuff like streepass.

  • NeoTechni #51 3 months ago

    @super_monty shut up

  • grussbarbar #52 3 months ago

    @Bandibear
    That's depressing to read. You would think that people, especially in the current economic situation, would at least try to be informed when they decide to spend a lot of money on a luxury item...
    Still, I wonder if the name of the 3DS really had such a negative impact on 3DS sales. Yes, it could be confusing to some, but it could also very well benefit from the hugely succesful DS brand, which of course was Nintendo's intention in naming it thus. (Confusion would actually work in its favour this way, with uninformed consumers interested in "a DS" being told by shop employees that there is actually a new model/successor out now.)
    Also, I would expect that a vast majority of gaming store employees would have the same reaction as you had, asking questions and steering the consumer the right way. And if it does go wrong, I would expect any mispurchases to be returned and exchanged for a 3DS very quickly.

    There are a lot of perfectly good reasons why 3DS sold less than expected. The impossibility to showcase the 3D in advertisements. The lack of a killer app at launch. The high price in a time of economic crisis. Those I can understand. Having a similar name to it's predecessor, not so much.

    Edit: added some stuff
    Edited by 1 at 11/11/11 @ 10:33

  • XBOXer_lt #53 3 months ago

    True that. None of HD consoles ps3 or 360 had many games on launch. Just a few. And then what? I had to wait months to play something new which mostly was some game, made after a film. It was pathetic to wait so long for good games.

  • getittoomebaby #54 3 months ago

    WIll not be buying a Wii U inside 2 years of its release even that sounds way to pragmatic.