3DS sales up 260 percent after price cut

by Justin McElroy on Sep 9th 2011 11:00AM

We mentioned yesterday that, according to the NPD, the 3DS had sold 185,000 units between its August 12 price cut and month's end. But here's a little added perspective: Nintendo says that number is a 260 percent increase over the comparable time period in July. That means that between July 12 and 30 (the end of NPD's "July" sales period), just around 71,150 3DS systems left store shelves.

Now, it's not a perfect comparison obviously, just but just to give you some idea of how bad that actually is, here are a few other Julys and 2/3 of their total DS sales for the month.

July 2010 - 226K
July 2009 - 355K
July 2008 - 401K
July 2007 - 267K

185,000 is still a good bit lower than the 226,000 DS units Nintendo sold in 2/3 of August 2010, but at least things are moving in the right direction.

Source: Nintendo

Tags: 3ds, ds, nintendo, npd, sales

Reader Comments (56)

Still waiting on the final version of the 3ds with larger top screen, 9 hour battery life and dual slide pads built in. Well, at least just the dual slide pads. MGS3 should play much better at that point.

@(Unverified)

Huh?

@The Pork

He's commenting on how the 3DS is bound to be upgraded.

@The Pork He's talking about a redesign that will obviously fix issues with the current model. We've all seen it before and I expect to see some sort of news of such model to be cropping up early next year. It seems to be Nintendo's trend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS_Lite

@Ryguy226

I think it's why MGS3 might have been delayed too, to support the add-on. If more developers get behind supporting it, that will likely encourage Nintendo to just redesign the 3ds. It might take a year or two years, but I think it will happen. It's all just wishful thinking and speculation on my part though, heh.

@Ryguy226
Nintendo's trend is 2 years plus with one exception being the DSi XL, I believe.

@(Unverified)

I'm still waiting on the games.

Old joke, but sad that it's still relevant.

@(Unverified)

I hope that is the case. For being a PS2 remake, the two extra shoulder buttons and the extra Circle Pad will really help.

@(Unverified)

There's always a better version around the corner, that's life man.

@(Unverified)

I was going to get a red 3DS until the second analog stick news came out. Just going to wait it out now.

@(Unverified)
Don't forget a 3rd screen. The 3TSiXL

@(Unverified)

Guess this just about confirms my suspicions. They seem to dig it too:

http://gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=160894

@(Unverified)

I agree with you, we all know that this thing is going to drop it´s price even more, and it´s going to have a better screen, even though nintendo said that they´d never EVER made another version with bigger screen like they did with the NDS we all know that´s going to happen, better wait.

@(Unverified): I agree, I think I'll wait until a redesign to buy a 3ds, no matter if it will take 2 years or some months. I just don't like the current design and by that time there will be a decent library of games. Also I'm still playing with mi DS Lite and some really cheap games.

Well you might as well include the July 05 and July 06 numbers for more perspective, since those were the initial years of the DS. Comparing the 3DS's first July to to the DS's later July's is a bit unfair for comparison's sake, especially considering that the original never took off THAT much either until the redesign or a lil before then.

@Ryguy226
Joystiq report Nintendo FAIRLY?

Please, Joystiq is like the Fox news of Videogame blogs.

@(Unverified) "Please, IGN is the Fox News of video game sites."

Fixed.

@(Unverified) He says with 261 comments under his belt.

@(Unverified) Joystiq is fair, it's just you being such an absurd fanboy seeing legit criticism of Nintendo as being bias against them. Not Joystiq's fault Nintendo hasn't put a foot right in about 3 years.

@Hank Hill
I never said I hated Fox news. But, like Joystiq, it's not very objective.

This just in, people like money!

Well durr.

I'm just going to go out of my way to say that I'm content with the 3DS. I'll also say that I don't really care about a second slide pad the masses are overreacting about. For now its a solid device that just needs a bit of software.

@ColorblindMonk

Still have a hard time figuring why they did it. Even MH3 looks like it has a touchpad camera control, which is probably good enough for most people (and likely earn you more respect using it vs the noobs that have to have 2 knobs!). OTOH, if they were going to do it, earlier is way better than later. I too do not like the double standards a lot of people expressed in reactions to the device -- it's distressing to see so many people complain about progress and change, when I thought that's what they wanted all along.

@ColorblindMonk

Ya, I'm with you. It feels like a very fun device whenever I'm using it. Recaptures my lost youth and kind of just makes me enjoy games again instead of analyzing them to death for not being a perfect title. Not sure WHY it channels that, it just feels like pure fun again for me though.

Not that I'm saying I don't want more titles - I could have 10 awesome games a month coming out and still want more. So that's irrelevant. What it does offer is great.

@ColorblindMonk

It needs software. Period. They need something new and original ... like Kid Icarus perhaps. The ports are great but I imagine that's not why most people (myself included) bought a 3DS.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

Exactly. Nintendo fans like the ports, but they aren't going to help bring in a new audience. They really need third party support to fill out the holes between their first party hits. I believe this holiday will be a big boost for the 3DS with Mario and Mario Kart coming. Those titles are always million sellers anywhere they go and it will help sales of the 3DS, for sure. But they need to keep momentum going into the next year. They can't just have those two big games and then months of nothing. It feels kind of like the N64 in that regard.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

Software will come. Of the Metacritic-listed DS games with a score over 80, eight of them came out within the first year of the console's existence, and only two or three of those were third-party. The reality is that developers need to learn how to develop for the system, how to take advantage of the 3D, and it's going to take time for that to happen.

@ColorblindMonk: It's just my opinion, but I don't think the 3DS is that solid and the game library is not the only problem. But anyways I'll just wait till september 13th. I'm one of the persons who really wants a redesign of this handheld.

So to sell a system that doesn't have games you drop the price. Duly noted.

NEWSFLASH! Cheaper things sell better.

Ok, but I'm more interested to see the ongoing sales figures over the next few months. A huge spike the month of the price drop doesn't tell us anything.

My 3DS sales are up 100%, trying to sell mine now. I'll buy one again in a few years when/if Nintendo has gotten their shit together.

I just want something besides OoT to play. Oh wait, Starfox came out!

Why is Joystiq comparing sales from August 2011 to July 10/09/08/07? Also, why not the sales from August of the first year of the original DS?

@AlexMeloche
They compared sales of July '11 (71,000) with the previous several July's. They then did an August '11 to August '10 comparison. It's all in there for people WHO ACTUALLY READ.

@sigma8 So it means the DS sold the same exact number in July and August 2010? Seems weird to me.

Also, no needs to be an ass, we all make mistakes sometimes.

Nintendo's own count from the very first sentence of the very first paragraph of the source you linked to:

"Nintendo sold more than 235,000 Nintendo 3DS™ portable entertainment systems in the United States in August"

So it beat, at least, July 2010. I wouldn't be surprised if it beat July 2005 either.

I prob never will buy a 3DS, but if I did it wouldn't be until the screen size was increased.

@Coffinfeeder All you need to do is bury your fingers in the top screens sides and pull them wider. That's how Nintendo do it, right?

Exactly how big do you need a screen to be?

The GBA SP was a quantum leap next to the original GBA. The DS Lite was almost as much of an improvement over the original DS Phat (although unlike the GBA SP which was universally better, the Phat actually retained a couple small advantages).

However, with the 3DS, I can't think of what upgrade they could add that will hijack my dollar, because I'm totally married to my smartphone for portable games right now. And yes, I know that the Zelda portable games are superior games to the (in general) crap that I'm playing...but unless I expect to spend weeks without access to my larger gaming devices, the crappy games are sufficient for a quick gaming fix.

And beyond that, the quality of the smartphone games is getting slowly better over time.

Nintendo handheld dominance es done huehue.

I like that fact that western companies are taking over everything. They are more talented with fresh ideas.

It's not the end but I can see it from here

"just to give you some idea of how bad that actually " Joystiq so negative with Nintendo, it's still selling fine...

@KaBob799
Fine is not equal to "meeting expectations"

I believe Nintendo expected to sell a lot more than they have and that is evidenced by their recent behavior in price drops and the ambassador program. It's not clear whether this peripheral was planned far ahead of time, but Sony did the same thing with PSP and Monster Hunter last year and sales of PSP systems increased a significant amount.

Its not just Joystiq being negative, its Nintendo's reaction to sales that make people think negatively.

@Lerkero
Joystiq went out of their way to make this specific article negative.

Hmm... is it possible all the 3DS doom and gloom was a bit pre-mature?

Maybe people should stop doubting a company that's been in this business (with great success) longer then most gamers have been alive...

Good lord all the negative nellies and ps/xbox humpers came to this comments section in a big troll-faced whirlwind.

@pluupy There are some people who simply want to see consoles go down the toilet, despite the potential of the console.

Why is July 30 the last day of Nintendo's fiscal month? What about July 31?

Also the news came out on July 28th, which couldn't have helped sales for those last 4 days of the month.

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3DS sales up 260 percent after price cut

Reader Comments (56)

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:04AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:12AM The Pork said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:16AM Funkmaster General said

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Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:23AM (Unverified) said

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Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:29AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:37AM Silent Intent said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 12:10PM Hank Hill said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 12:20PM Dick Socrates said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 1:20PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:08AM britboyj27 said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:10AM Rain said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:12AM ColorblindMonk said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:44AM Muu said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:49AM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:52AM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Sep 9th 2011 1:45PM Uncle Jesse said

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Posted: Sep 9th 2011 11:45AM AlexMeloche said

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