Nintendo 3DS: Price cuts & More!

Before I discuss the price drop, I’d like to make some points on the 3DS’s game library “problem” before I sweep it under the rug:

1- It seems to me that the 3DS’s release was rushed. I think Nintendo got over-excited when the buzz for the 3DS was escalating and decided to ride that wave.

2- Most system launches I’ve witnessed had kinda weak selections in the beginning. Regardless, I can count 10+ games currently available. You can check Wikipedia for the List of 3DS games; there’s a TON of them coming.

3- The whole “feeding us remakes” argument is irrelevant at this point; it’s only two games (Ocarina of Time 3D & StarFox 64 3D) and people are already clamouring for more (Majora’s Mask 3D).

What about the stuff on the eShop?
- Excitebike 3D: Free game that was a tool to get people familiarized with the eShop & showcase 3D.
- Pokédex 3D: 3D Pokémon models, IN 3D! What more can you want?! IT’S ALL THERE! I’d buy it if I can.
- It’s FREE, why are you complaining?

4- The DS has an excellent library of games of which most people haven’t played. I used this gap of 3DS games to play most of the ones I’m interested in, so should you.

Back to the price drop.

My rapid-fire rage reaction:

“OMFG TOTAL MONEYGRAB BEFORE PLANNED PRICE DROP!!!!”

My cooled down thoughtful reaction:

While the price-drop is a great, wonderful thing for consumers and will surely boost sales, especially during the Holiday season, it makes me wonder..

Was this a planned price drop?

If I recall correctly, when the price was announced a plethora of articles from the Western gaming press mentioned that the $250 price was set because of the device’s positive reception during E3 & consumers saying they were willing to pay up to $300 in a survey.
Based on this, I’m guessing it was supposed to get priced lower than $250; hence the $170 price we see now.
I’d like to point out that, in this part of the world, $80 is a lot of money, especially to full-time students with no sort of income, like me, so 20 free games as a trade-off doesn’t sound so bad to me.

Its a sign of the times we live in. I’m sure everyone is aware of the recent 3DS game cancellations, most notably Megaman Legends 3 (more info on how you can help fix this, insha’Allah, at the end of this article) and the game dev studios getting shutdown left and right.
It makes me smile fondly to think there was a time Ken Kutaragi suggested people get two jobs to buy a PS3.

Want to get more mileage out of that 3DS? There are several StreetPass groups around the world which hold public meetups for portable gaming enthusiasts.
Check out the fun we’ve been having over at http://facebook.com/StreetPassDubai
For more info on how to start a StreetPass Group or to find one near you, check out the StreetPass Network.

Finally, I urge you all to join the efforts to get Capcom to stop blaming the fans and show them how much we want Megaman Legends 3 because it truly looked like a quality 3DS title.
Here’s what YOU can do.

Aabo0

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