After a precipitous drop-off in sales, Nintendo dropped the price of the 3DS worldwide and, in Japan at least, the early numbers show a strong consumer response. After enjoying a steep 40 percent discount on August 11 -- from ¥25,000 to ¥15,000 -- 3DS sales spiked up the week of August 8 through 14. Japanese business pub Nikkei pegged sales at 207,000 units while Famitsu publisher slash game publisher slash market research group Enterbrain puts sales a little higher at 214,821 units.
Either way, that's the highest week of sales since the console's February debut, when it managed to move nearly 375K units in a week. As a result, the console has finally clipped past the 1.5 million mark in Japan six months after its release, and just two months after reaching the big million. We'll have to wait a bit longer before we learn how last week's price drop affected sales in Europe and North America.
Reader Comments (23)
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:18PM Scott Pilgrim said
Yeah that's cool and everything, but I'm waiting for a few more games.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:23PM Mmmmz said
@Scott Pilgrim
Coming this Fall to a retailer near you.*
*Nothing truly different, though...
Should be enough to maintain sales and encourage more. If it does, next year should be a decent year for the 3DS. It definitely seems like it will be the defining moment for it. We'll see how the Vita stress tests the market for it.
After seeing that chart, I can see why publishers were so reluctant to jump on the 3DS bandwagon.
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Coming this Fall to a retailer near you.*
*Nothing truly different, though...
Should be enough to maintain sales and encourage more. If it does, next year should be a decent year for the 3DS. It definitely seems like it will be the defining moment for it. We'll see how the Vita stress tests the market for it.
After seeing that chart, I can see why publishers were so reluctant to jump on the 3DS bandwagon.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:28PM Muu said
@Mmmmz
Sales were neck and neck with the PSP, which is definitely a thriving console in Japan, for as long as the 3DS was out. Not the stellar performance that was expected, but combine the slack phase of all new console releases and that one earthquake, and I wouldn't call it a massive failure either.
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Sales were neck and neck with the PSP, which is definitely a thriving console in Japan, for as long as the 3DS was out. Not the stellar performance that was expected, but combine the slack phase of all new console releases and that one earthquake, and I wouldn't call it a massive failure either.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:32PM Scott Pilgrim said
@Co Are you dumb? I'm saying I don't want one until a few more games come out on it that I would enjoy.
I'm glad it's selling better though.
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I'm glad it's selling better though.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 2:32PM killerjuice said
@Co
I wrote the big 3DS review on Amazon, and even in my review I recommend not buying the 3DS lol. If you look at it honestly, there's really not much.
$170 + Ocarine of time is way better than $250 and pretty much nothing (well, I guess street fighter and ghost recon), but it still isn't anything great. Save the money and buy the system next year. TRUST ME, YOU'RE NOT MISSING MUCH. Actually, I'm not even sure where my 3DS is atm - probably gathering dust somewhere .
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I wrote the big 3DS review on Amazon, and even in my review I recommend not buying the 3DS lol. If you look at it honestly, there's really not much.
$170 + Ocarine of time is way better than $250 and pretty much nothing (well, I guess street fighter and ghost recon), but it still isn't anything great. Save the money and buy the system next year. TRUST ME, YOU'RE NOT MISSING MUCH. Actually, I'm not even sure where my 3DS is atm - probably gathering dust somewhere .
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:18PM PointlessPuppies said
It would've been more surprising had the price drop NOT result in this.
The real question is whether the price drop is going to have a long-lasting effect. There have been plenty of times when a price drop only spurs sales for a month, only to sputter back down to the bottom afterward.
The real question is whether the price drop is going to have a long-lasting effect. There have been plenty of times when a price drop only spurs sales for a month, only to sputter back down to the bottom afterward.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:23PM Mustang Fanboy said
Well duh
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:25PM Muu said
Looks like very good results coming from the price drop. Should be noted that last weekend was Obon (Japan's celebration of the deceased), and in thanksgiving-like fashion most people are back with their family, and kids are begging their grandparents for a new toy. A spike in sales was expected, but this is a significant factor for the spike. No doubt Nintendo timed the price drop for this, of course.
it'd be great if third parties got off their ass and started making worthwhile games, but we probably won't be that lucky. They'll continue to be content with complaining about horrible sales on Nintendo consoles while they put out half-assed efforts.
it'd be great if third parties got off their ass and started making worthwhile games, but we probably won't be that lucky. They'll continue to be content with complaining about horrible sales on Nintendo consoles while they put out half-assed efforts.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 2:54PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
@Muu
It would be nice for Nintendo to also remove their heads from their collective asses and make something worthwhile for it. I know they have stuff in the pipeline but thus their only good game was a port.
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It would be nice for Nintendo to also remove their heads from their collective asses and make something worthwhile for it. I know they have stuff in the pipeline but thus their only good game was a port.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:28PM (Unverified) said
I don't really like the 3DS for various reasons (1 thumbstick only, weak graphics, low battery power), but i'm really happy to see it doing well and I want it to succeed. I absolutely want dedicated portable consoles to succeed. I love my PSP, plan to day 1 buy a Vita and see a lot of value in them. I hate that touch devices are being mistaken for gaming platforms and feel they may ruin true mobile gaming with actual functioning inputs.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:30PM Wagyu said
Did they really need to label that data point? "Look, here's where the price dropped!"
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 1:45PM Koming said
I wish that Nintendo cared more about the revenue form gadgets and more from softwares.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 3:32PM xxxsam said
@Koming
Isn't that exactly what the price drop is for? They've abandoned the idea of getting revenue from the gadget (for the moment), because they've realised it was killing any chance of getting revenue from software?
We can expect to see sales drop again the following week but maybe this will be enough to establish a higher baseline. There are some games coming out fairly soon now, right? Also, for those buying it now it's a better experience than at launch (the shop, Nintendo Video) which has to be a positive thing for word-of-mouth etc...
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Isn't that exactly what the price drop is for? They've abandoned the idea of getting revenue from the gadget (for the moment), because they've realised it was killing any chance of getting revenue from software?
We can expect to see sales drop again the following week but maybe this will be enough to establish a higher baseline. There are some games coming out fairly soon now, right? Also, for those buying it now it's a better experience than at launch (the shop, Nintendo Video) which has to be a positive thing for word-of-mouth etc...
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 2:33PM (Unverified) said
I picked one up last week, when Gamestop was running their trade-in deal. There was just no way I could pass up a $100 3DS. A few of my friends have gotten their own over the past week or two, too. It seems like the price drop is having a big impact on how people feel about the system, though the lack of decent games is still a big problem. So far I like mine, but I definitely understand how casual gamers could confuse it for another DS revision. Even holding it in my hands, that's what it feels like, rather than an entirely new system. On one hand, it's nice for something to feel so instantly familiar, but I can also understand why Nintendo's having issues marketing it.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 3:40PM Koming said
@sam
If they cared about new softwares, they would announce and release many new softwares.
The revenue comes from gadgets and peripherals, and the software support their sales of consoles. So by making a price cut that means
"I´ll profit less from consoles, sigh"
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If they cared about new softwares, they would announce and release many new softwares.
The revenue comes from gadgets and peripherals, and the software support their sales of consoles. So by making a price cut that means
"I´ll profit less from consoles, sigh"
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 3:32PM CaptainProtonX said
Very glad. I'm loving the system.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 4:45PM SpecBlank said
Not going to declare victory yet. Lets see how the next month or 2 pan out.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 5:11PM gordeaux said
lets see how people feel when they run out of N64 games to remake.
Posted: Aug 16th 2011 6:31PM britboyj27 said
Further proof people don't like paying extra for 3D. >_>







