Nintendo 3DS business/general talk *spin-off feat. 3DS as a P.I. in New Orleans

That only makes it more sad. Nintendo is almost certainly making a killing on every 3ds hardware that's being sold, yet they still refuse to lower the price of the damned thing despite the sluggish sales. Then they expect me to be grateful for having the ability to purchase ancient Game Boy Color roms for 6€ in the Estore. And then they bitch about cheap apps destroying the value of software while having the nerve to ask 40€ for something like Steeldiver.

 

Yes, titles like Luigi's Mansion, Metal Gear Solid and RE Revelations look more advanced than similar PSP titles.

 

They probably figured that the extra money they earn on each unit sold right now is worth more than lowering the price and selling more units. At the moment I can see why they won't care about relative slow sales. There is no competition (in the form on the vita) and still a lack of decent software. I can see them lowering the price once they near vita launch or near the end of the year when some of the big titels are supposed to come out.

 

No competition? At least in Japan they are getting hammered month after month by the PSP.

 

I think Nintendo is holding off the price reduction until they have a decent games library.

That way, they'll spend money on marketing the price reduction and the shiny new games at the same time, thus creating a "press thunder".

 

3DS Tales of the Abyss Tops the Charts:
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/07/07/media_create_sales/

Nintendo Firm on Software Exclusivity Following Smartphone Pokemon App:
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/07/07/nintendo_software_exclusivity/

 

Tales of the Abyss? The game that looks like this?

 

I think Nintendo may already be on their way to lower the 3DS' price.

The portuguese pixmania has started to sell the console for 205€, 45€ less than the launch price.

 

I can't decide whether seeing that in 3D would make it better, or more horrific.

 

I am sure 3DS will be less than $200 soon. For me 3DS is price alright but it is just too small, its freaking smaller than DSi and coming from XL, its just freaking small. Their top 3D screen should be at least 5" for 3DS XL While I find the Wii U controller screen is too small for it, it would have been a perfect size 3D screen for 3DS XL.

Anyway I was so close to buying OOT with 3DS, but arghh its just too small while I was demoing the thing. It got upcoming games like a new Mario that I just have to play later on, so I am really hoping for an XL version soonish. I hope PS Vita kick its ass so Nintendo will response somehow.

 

Those are DS visuals imo.
But it seems most of the games coming out for the 3DS are just that, either lazy productions that look like they were initially DS projects and at a late stage they decided to copy&paste the content to the 3DS, or 15 year-old ported 2D games with a rushed out 3D mode that only gives the feeling that you're watching a puppet show made of cardboards.

For me, the price is "alright" too, in an "I could afford it" way.I just don't think it's worth 250€. Looking at what I could do with it, I wonder if I would give even €150 for the console. I know the hardware per-se isn't worth it at all, but the DS wasn't about the hardware either and I got one on day one of the DS Lite..

Regarding OOT, there's this one time when I played it in the N64. And then I found it interesting to play it again when it was bundled with Twilight Princess, as the revamped visuals made it a bit more pleasant (I wasn't patient enough to play until the end, though).
But a 3rd time? Unless it's an actual remake with drastically different visuals, orchestral music (non-MIDI for god's sake... it's 2011, give the professional musicians a job..) and voice recordings, I won't even bother with it.

 

You are thinking rather fondly of the DS if you call those DS level Visuals they are far closer to PSP level considering it's an almost 1 to 1 port of a PS2 game. The biggest problem I heard about that game is some changes in lighting make it worse and the lack of any AA whatsoever.

 

Well it looks a lot worse than most PSP titles I've seen so far and it doesn't look like a generational leap from some of the best-looking DS titles either...

I have no doubts the 3DS can do graphics a lot better than that, it's just that it seems the developers aren't bothering with decent visuals and optimizations so far.

 

Not really though. It's jaggy as hell due to the resolution and sure the 3ds can do better. It's a launch window 1-1 port of a PS2game but it's definitely a lever above the DS.

 

It actually has remastered visuals. Orchestral music was actually considered but they wanted it to be true to the original so they resampled the midi instead.

As for voice recordings, do you know how much the fans would complain? Zelda is one of those games where grunts are sufficient voicework, as I'm not sure if they could find suitable voice acting without making it sound...terrible in English (since Zelda games don't exactly have the best dialogue out there).

 

Just an OT aside, of the game music I've heard, very little is recorded from a real orchestra. It's almost all artificial orchestra-simulation.

 

It seems there's a wave of 3DS titles being cancelled:

Source.

 

I feel Nintendo's problem is that their handheld is too expensive for what it is or too cheap for what they charge for it and they've positioned it badly. If you're a smaller developer you already have the big temptation to develop for iOS and Android. If you're a larger developer, and you're trying to make core games then you'll probably be more interested in the NGP.

Note: Im not saying the NGP will do well, but it may be getting a few of the bets from some of the larger software development teams whom may skip straight to that device and skip the 3DS initially unless something happens in the interim.

 

Damn Bonk 3DS got canned

Come on Ninty, release the 3DS XL, I'll buy it, even if the 3D is drop. 6.5" top screen.

 

I agree, the NGP will start at $250 which is only slightly higher in price than the 3DS.